Thanks @DRW50 Love these things you unearth. The living room set looked to be the Stephen's house from Bewitched.
Bob/Carol/Ted/Alice aired on ABC Wed @8 and ended up placing 79th out of 80 shows for the season, so a total bomb.
The competition was Sonny & Cher on CBS #7 and Adam 12 on NBC #39.
It was the 2nd lowest rated show for the week when it debuted. That was Wk 3 .The first 2 weeks of the season ABC played the final episodes of the low rated Summer sitcom Love Thy Neighbour so the show was already at a disadvantage
After 7 episodes it was dropped Nov7for a rerun of the TV movie Brians Song which had scored huge ratings in 1971. The following week Dr Dolittle aired.
Then Dick Clark's Rock n Roll Years took over for 5 weeks. That didnt do much better finishing 76th for it's run. Then it was movies and specials until the next series The Cowboys too over. That improved things finishing 57th.
Some critic's comments
Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (ABC, Wednesday, 8 -8:30 p.m.) "It takes more than a title to make a hit. . . If anything, the opener was disagreeable rather than humorous." Percy Shain, Boston Globe.
"The premiere ... tried awfully hard to be slick and sophisticated, but it came out looking strained and silly." Anthony LaCamera, Boston Herald American.
"How d'ya make it as sinful and sizzling as possible, but turn it around to be as Donna Reedish as possible by the end of the 22 minutes of running time... , After all the buildup, we find the plot not much more advanced than an Ozzie and Harriet ..." Rex Polier, Philadelphia Bulletin.
.. could be amusing & titillating & honest & contemporary if its principles are as astutely chosen as its principals." Harry Harris, Philadelphia Inquirer.
"Despite some very labored material, we happened to like ABC's Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice mainly because we like the four leads in it. They play well together and hold every promise that this series, with a title steal from the film, could come up with some good episodes in weeks to come." Kay Gardella, New York Daily News.
"Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice moves into screen range ... in a swift, occasionally bright, conventionally unconventional sex fable." Morton Moss, Los Angeles Herald- Examiner.
"It showed promise." Frank Judge, Detroit News. "Voluptuous Anne Archer . . . and lean, handsome Robert Urich as Carol and Bob tower over Anita Gillette and David Spielberg as Ted and Alice... . One thing that should be explained about the relationship of Bob and Carol with Ted and Alice: What do they see in each other?" Cecil Smith, Los Angeles Times.
"Based on the premiere, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice will need help from Fred & Susie & Stan & Grace & Ed & Jenny & the U.S. Marine Band & the Kilgore College majorettes & Trigger & Lassie & all the males in the city of Hollywood & all the females in the city of Oakland & most of all, prayer." Norman Mark, Chicago Daily News.
"Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice have had their horns removed and endowed with a Hugh Heffner mentality - lots of talk about sex and no action... . Welcome to a half hour of sniggers, dedicated to the proposition that any topic can be debated into boredom, even sex." Richard Shull, Indianapolis News.
"It is a shame that Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice doesn't have a stronger format or premise because the four young actors who play the title roles are quite likeable." Bob Brock, Dallas Times -Herald
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Paul Raven ·
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