1977 in American television
This is a list of American television-related events in 1977.
| List of years in American television: |
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| 1976–77 United States network television schedule |
| 1977–78 United States network television schedule |
| List of American television programs currently in production |
Events
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| January 3 | Holly Hallstrom becomes the third model on the CBS game show The Price Is Right along with Janice Pennington and Dian Parkinson. This lineup would remain unchanged for the next thirteen years until Kathleen Bradley joined in 1990. |
| January 15 | Bill Murray joins the cast of NBC's Saturday Night Live, replacing Chevy Chase who left the previous year. |
| January 30 | The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, based on the long-running The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew book series, premieres on ABC; Parker Stevenson and Shaun Cassidy star as Frank and Joe Hardy, and Pamela Sue Martin stars as Nancy Drew. The series at first alternated between the two characters, with The Brady Bunch Hour airing sporadically. |
| February 4 | American Bandstand celebrates its 25th anniversary on television with a special hosted by Dick Clark and telecast by ABC. An "all-star band" made up of Chuck Berry, Seals & Crofts, Gregg Allman, Junior Walker, Johnny Rivers, the Pointer Sisters, Charlie Daniels, Doc Severinsen, Les McCann, Donald Byrd, Chuck Mangione and three members of Booker T and the MGs perform "Roll Over Beethoven." |
| February 27 | Fed up with excessive violence and distorted images of sex on TV, the Reverend Donald Wildmon declares "Turn the Television Off Week." He is largely ignored. |
| March 1 | The CBS game show Match Game is named the #1 rated game show on television for the fifth year in a row. |
| March 4 | Freddie Prinze makes his final appearance on the NBC sitcom Chico and the Man. Prinze had actually taped the episode in question a mere hours before he fatally shot himself on January 28, 1977. |
| March 7 | Second Chance, the forerunner to Press Your Luck, premieres on ABC. |
| March 11 | Sesame Street broadcasts its 1,000th episode. |
| March 15 | Renata Scotto and Luciano Pavarotti are seen in "La bohème" on PBS and heard in stereo on local (mostly NPR) stations in the first live "simulcast" from the Met. |
| March 19 | The series finale of The Mary Tyler Moore Show is broadcast on CBS. |
| March 27 | In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, ABC affiliate WITI and CBS affiliate WISN-TV swap affiliations, reversing a swap that took place in 1961.[1][2] |
| March 30 | Esther Rolle departs the CBS sitcom Good Times shortly after the conclusion of the two-part fourth-season finale, "Love Has a Spot On Its Lung." due to the dismissal of John Amos (who portrayed her on-screen husband James Evans) and the stereotypical behavior of its de facto star Jimmie Walker (who portrayed her son J.J. Evans). Rolle does not return until the sixth and final season in September 1978. |
| April 22 | Cleveland's CBS station WJW-TV changes its name to WJKW-TV. |
| June 6 | Lisa Peluso makes her first appearance on the CBS soap opera Search for Tomorrow as Wendy Wilkins, a role she would play until December 1985. |
| June 27 | In San Diego, California, ABC, angered over the forced loss of their affiliation from XETV in nearby Tijuana, Mexico in 1973, moves from the station which forced the change, KCST-TV, to NBC affiliate KGTV. KCST-TV assumes KGTV's former NBC affiliation and is now KNSD, an NBC O&O. |
| August 14 | NBC affiliate WRDU-TV changes its call sign to WPTF-TV, following Durham Life's purchase of the station. |
| August 16 | Television stations nationwide interrupt regular programming following news of the death of Elvis Presley. As a result, Elvis in Concert airs on CBS on October 3 that year to bad reviews. |
| September 5 | In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, ABC affiliate WRBT (now WVLA-TV) and NBC affiliate WBRZ-TV swap affiliations. WBRZ-TV makes its move in search for stronger programming (ABC is, at the time, the nation's #1 rated television network, while NBC is in last place). The move is a precursor to similar events that will take place in the course of the next few years. |
| September 14 | A tube top-clad woman named Yolanda Bowsley is called into Contestants' Row on the CBS game show The Price Is Right, and while running down her breasts pop out of her shirt. The incident was censored with a large blue bar but it is still remembered today. |
| Cheryl Ladd is introduced as Kris Munroe, the younger sister of former Angel Jill Munroe (Farrah Fawcett-Majors) in the second season premiere of Charlie's Angels. | |
| September 20 | The third part of the three-part fifth season premiere of Happy Days airs on ABC. The episode is highlighted by a scene in which Fonzie literally jumps over a shark while on water-skis. |
| September 21 | Eleven-year old Janet Jackson joins the cast of the CBS sitcom Good Times for its final two seasons as Penny Gordon, an upstairs neighbor who is abused by her biological mother (Chip Fields), later adopted by Willona (Ja'Net DuBois), in the four-part season opener "The Evans Get Involved". Comedian Johnny Brown, who recurred as the building superintendent Bookman from Seasons 2 to 4, also joins the main cast. |
| September 24 | Marla Gibbs joins the cast of the CBS sitcom The Jeffersons as a series regular in the fourth season as fan-favorite Florence Johnston. Zara Cully, who portrayed Mother Jefferson, appears in only three episodes that season, prior to her death at age 86 in February 1978. |
| October 23 | CBS affiliates WTEN in Albany, New York and WCDC in Adams, Massachusetts swap affiliations with ABC affiliate WAST after WTEN/WCDC's incoming owners Knight-Ridder sign an affiliation deal for the station with ABC. |
| October 24 | A new Peanuts special, It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown, airs on CBS. It shows and names "Heather", the Little Red-Haired Girl, thereupon ending the 'mystery'. |
| November 6 | KTVZ in Bend, Oregon signs-on as an NBC affiliate. Bend is technically still part of the Portland DMA at the time, but in 1981, it becomes its own television market. |
| November 30 | CBS commentator Eric Sevareid bade farewell in his final two-minute segment on The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite, after 48 years at CBS News. |
| December 2 | Billy Crystal sets a winner's circle record by getting the contestant to the top of the pyramid in 26 seconds on ABC's The $20,000 Pyramid. The record still stands today. |
| December 11 | In Huntsville, Alabama, NBC affiliate WAAY-TV swaps affiliations with ABC affiliate WYUR in search for stronger programming (at the time, NBC is in last place among the three major networks, and ABC is in first place). |
Programs
ABC
- American Bandstand (1952–1989)
- The Edge of Night (1956–1984)
- General Hospital (1963–present)
- One Life to Live (1968–2012)
- All My Children (1970–2011)
- Monday Night Football (1970–present)
- Schoolhouse Rock! (1973–1996)
- The Six Million Dollar Man (1973–1978)
- Happy Days (1974–1984)
- Baretta (1975–1978)
- Barney Miller (1975–1982)
- Starsky & Hutch (1975–79)
- Good Morning America (1975–present)
- Ryan's Hope (1975–1989)
- Tom and Jerry (1965–1972, 1975–1977, 1980–1982)
- Welcome Back, Kotter (1975–1979)
- Charlie's Angels (1976–1981)
- Family Feud (1976–1985, 1988–1995, 1999–present)
- Laverne & Shirley (1976–1983)
- What's Happening!! (1976–1979)
CBS
- Love of Life (1951–1980)
- Search for Tomorrow (1951–1986)
- The Guiding Light (1952–2009)
- Face the Nation (1954–present)
- Captain Kangaroo (1955–1984)
- As the World Turns (1956–2010)
- The Carol Burnett Show (1967–1978)
- 60 Minutes (1968–present)
- Hawaii Five-O (1968–1980)
- The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970–1977)
- All in the Family (1971–1979)
- The Bob Newhart Show (1972–1978)
- Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1972–1984)
- M*A*S*H (1972–1983)
- Maude (1972–1978)
- The Price Is Right (1972–present)
- The Waltons (1972–1981)
- Barnaby Jones (1973–1980)
- Kojak (1973–1978)
- Match Game '77 (1962–1969, 1973–1984, 1990–1991, 1998–1999, 2016-2021)
- The Young and the Restless (1973–present)
- Good Times (1974–1979)
- Rhoda (1974–1978)
- Tattletales (1974–1978, 1982–1984)
- The Jeffersons (1975–1985)
- One Day at a Time (1975–1984)
- Alice (1976–1985)
- Wonder Woman (1976–1979)
NBC
- Meet the Press (1947–present)
- The Today Show (1952–present)
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962–1992)
- The Doctors (1963–1982)
- Another World (1964–1999)
- Days of Our Lives (1965–present)
- The Wonderful World of Disney (1969–1979)
- McCloud (1970–1977)
- McMillan & Wife (1971–1977)
- Emergency! (1972–1977)
- Sanford and Son (1972–1977)
- The Tomorrow Show (1973–1982)
- Chico and the Man (1974–1978)
- Columbo (1971–1978)
- Dean Martin Celebrity Roast (1974–1984)
- Land of the Lost (1974–1976)
- Little House on the Prairie (1974–1983)
- Police Woman (1974–1978)
- The Rockford Files (1974–1980)
- Saturday Night Live (1975–present)
- Wheel of Fortune (1975–present)
- The Gong Show (1976–1980)
- Quincy, M.E. (1976–1983)
- The Bionic Woman (1976–1978)
- C.P.O. Sharkey (1976–1978)
PBS
- Sesame Street (1969–present)
- The Electric Company (1971–1977)
- Masterpiece Theatre (1971–present)
- Nova (1974–present)
- The Letter People (1977–present)
In syndication
- Candid Camera (1948–present)
- The Debbie Drake Show
- Truth or Consequences (1950–1988)
- The Lawrence Welk Show (1955–1982)
- The Mike Douglas Show (1961–1981)
- Hee Haw (1969–1992)
- Soul Train (1971–2006)
- Dinah! (1974–1980)
- Match Game PM (1975–1981)
- In Search of... (1976–1982)
- The P.T.L. Club (1976–1987)
- The Muppet Show (1976–1981)
Debuting this year
Resuming this year
| Title | Final aired | Previous network | New title | Returning network | Date of return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Mickey Mouse Club | 1959 | ABC | The New Mickey Mouse Club | Syndication | January 17 |
Ending this year
| Date | Title | Debut |
|---|---|---|
| January 7 | New Howdy Doody Show | 1976 |
| January 26 | The Practice | |
| March 3 | The McLean Stevenson Show | |
| March 13 | Phyllis | 1975 |
| March 18 | Sanford and Son | 1972 |
| March 19 | The Mary Tyler Moore Show | 1970 |
| March 30 | The Streets of San Francisco | 1972 |
| April 13 | Sirota's Court | 1976 |
| April 15 | The Electric Company | 1971 |
| April 17 | McCloud | 1970 |
| April 24 | McMillan & Wife | 1971 |
| April 27 | Loves Me, Loves Me Not | 1977 |
| May 16 | The Andros Targets | |
| May 27 | Hunter | |
| July 30 | The Feather and Father Gang | 1976 |
| August 24 | Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected | 1977 |
| August 31 | The Kallikaks | |
| September 2 | Let's Make a Deal | 1971 |
| October 4 | The Richard Pryor Show | 1977 |
| October 14 | Sanford Arms | |
| November 16 | Busting Loose | |
| November 30 | The Oregon Trail | |
| December 3 | Emergency! | 1972 |
| December 13 | Mulligan's Stew | 1977 |
| December 19 | The San Pedro Beach Bums | |
| December 30 | Storybook Squares | 1969 |
Changing networks
| Show | Moved from | Moved to |
|---|---|---|
| The Bionic Woman | ABC | NBC |
| Wonder Woman | CBS | |
| The Tony Randall Show | ||
| Tattletales | CBS | Syndication |
| The Mickey Mouse Club | ABC | Syndication |
Made-for-TV movies
| Debut | Name | Network |
|---|---|---|
| May 13 | The San Pedro Bums | ABC |
| November 10 | The Incredible Hulk | CBS |
| November 26 | The Hobbit | NBC |
| December 11 | It Happened One Christmas | ABC |
Miniseries
| Debut | Name | Network |
|---|---|---|
| January 23 | Roots | ABC |
| April 3 | Jesus of Nazareth | NBC |
Television stations
Sign-ons
Network affiliation changes
| Date | City of License/Market | Station | Channel | Old affiliation | New affiliation | Notes/Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 27 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | WISN-TV | 12 | CBS | ABC | |
| WITI | 6 | ABC | CBS | |||
| June 27 | San Diego, California | KCST-TV | 39 | ABC | NBC | These affiliation changes were part of ABC's retaliation for KCST-TV previously forcing the ABC affiliation to move to that station from XETV in nearby Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, four years earlier. |
| KGTV | 10 | NBC | ABC | |||
| September 5 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | WBRZ-TV | 2 | NBC | ABC | |
| WRBT | 33 | ABC | NBC | |||
| October 23 | Adams, Massachusetts | WCDC-TV | 19 | ABC | CBS | WCDC-TV is a satellite of WTEN/Albany, New York |
| Albany, New York | WTEN | 10 | ||||
| December 11 | Huntsville, Alabama | WAAY-TV | 31 | NBC | ABC | |
| WYUR | 48 | ABC | NBC | |||
Station closures
| Date | City of License/Market | Station | Channel | Affiliation | Notes/Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 4 | Fort Dodge, Iowa | KVFD-TV | 21 | NBC | November 23, 1953 |
Births
Deaths
| Date | Name | Age | Notability |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 28 | Burt Mustin | 92 | Actor (Leave It to Beaver) |
| January 29 | Freddie Prinze | 22 | Actor and comedian (Chico and the Man) |
| February 28 | Eddie "Rochester" Anderson | 71 | Comedian (The Jack Benny Program) |
| March 27 | Diana Hyland | 41 | Actress (The Fugitive, Peyton Place) |
| April 21 | Gummo Marx | 84 | Actor |
| June 13 | Matthew Garber | 21 | English actor (Mary Poppins) |
| June 14 | Alan Reed | 69 | Actor (original voice of Fred Flintstone on The Flintstones) |
| August 16 | Elvis Presley | 42 | Singer and actor (The Ed Sullivan Show) |
| August 19 | Groucho Marx | 86 | Comedian, television host (You Bet Your Life) |
| August 22 | Sebastian Cabot | 59 | Actor (Family Affair) |
| August 29 | Jean Hagen | 54 | Actress (Make Room for Daddy) |
| October 14 | Bing Crosby | 74 | Singer, actor, TV producer (Hogan's Heroes) |
Television debuts
- Richard Dean Anderson – General Hospital
- Jack Angel – The All-New Super Friends Hour
- Rosanna Arquette – Having Babies II
- Christine Baranski – Busting Loose
- Carole Bouquet – La famille Cigale
- Sofia Coppola – The Godfather Saga
- Jane Curtin – The Love Boat
- Robert Davi – Contract on Cherry Street
- Robert De Niro – The Godfather Saga
- Brian Dennehy – Kojak
- Robert Englund – The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries:Mystery of the Fallen Angels
- Adam Godley – The Ballad of Salomon Pavey
- William Hurt – Kojak
- Nastassja Kinski – Tatort
- Jennifer Jason Leigh – Baretta
- David Margulies – Kojak
- Joe Pantoliano – McNamara's Band
- Mandy Patinkin – Charleston
- Annie Potts – Black Market Baby
- Dennis Quaid – Baretta
- Jennifer Savidge – James at 16
- John Shea – Eight Is Enough
- Meryl Streep – The Deadliest Season
- Jeffrey Tambor – Kojak
- Christoph Waltz – Am dam des
- Ray Winstone – Scum
- John Witherspoon – The Richard Pryor Show
References
- "In Brief." Broadcasting, September 27, 1976, pg. 28. (the text incorrectly states that WISN-TV had been a CBS affiliate since 1954, omitting the 1961 affiliation switch.)
- "Milwaukee connection." Broadcasting, October 18, 1976, pg. 36
External links
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