BOSTON TV- NEW YEARS EVE 1966 (to Midnight)

[highwayman128]

source: Boston Globe

BOSTON TV- NEW YEARS EVE 1966 (to Midnight)

Saturday December 31, 1966

CHANNEL LINEUP
2 WGBH-TV (NET) Boston
4 WBZ-TV (NBC) Boston
5 WHDH-TV (CBS) Boston
6 WTEV-TV (ABC) New Bedford/Providence
7 WNAC-TV (ABC) Boston
9 WMUR-TV (ABC) Manchester,NH
10 WJAR-TV (NBC) Providence
12 WPRO-TV (CBS) Providence
38 WSBK-TV (Ind./ABC/NBC/CBS) Boston
56 WKBG-TV (Ind.) Boston

Morning
6:00
4- Armed Forces Series
5- Sunrise Semester

6:30
4- Big Brother's World
5- Space Angel, cartoon
6- Farmer's Corner

7:00
4- Boomtown, Rex Trailer
5- Tom and Jerry
6- Roger Ramjet
7- Cartoon Carnival
12- Bowery Boys

7:30
5- Deputy Dawg
6- Three Stoogers
7- Huckleberry Hound

8:00
5- Captain Kangaroo
6- Felix the Cat
7- Incredible Movies
9- Let's Talk Business
56- Winchell-Mahoney Show

8:30
6- Soupy Sales
9- Rusty and the Rangers
10- Leave it to Beaver
12- Mr. Magoo
38- Davey and Goliath

9:00
5-12- Mighty Mouse
6- 4-H Science Club
9- Beany and Cecil
10-38- Super Six, cartoons (a NBC program WBZ didn't Clear)

9:30
5-12- Underdog
6- Porky Pig
9- Ring-A-Ding the Clown
10-38- Atom Ant (Another NBC program WBZ didn't Clear)

10:00
4-10- Secret Squirrel
5-12- Frankenstein Jr.
6-7-9- King Kong
38- Soldiers of Fortune
56- Movie- Revenge of the Gladiators

10:30
4-10- Space Kidettes
5-12- Space Ghost
6-7-9- The Beatles
38- B'wana Don

11:00
4-10- Cool McCool
5-12- Superman
6-9- Casper Cartoon Show
7- Movie- Kansas Pacific
38- West Point

11:30
4-10- The Jetsons
5-12- Lone Ranger
6-9- Magilla Gorilla
38- Men of Annapolis

Afternoon
12:00
4- News, Weather (WBZ was one of the stations in the country that have weekend newscasts back in 1966)
5- Candlepin Bowling
6-7-9- Gator Bowl Football- Tennessee at Syracuse- (Tennessee won 18-12)
10- Top Cat
12- Road Runner
38- Science Fiction Theater
56- Saturday Matinee

12:30
4- News, Weather
10- The Smithsonian
12- The Beagles
38- Upbeat

1:00
4- Medical Knowledge
5-12- Cotton Bowl Parade
10- Animal Secrets
38- The Restless Gun

1:30
4- The Smithsonian
10- Movie- The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953)
38- Wide Country

2:00
4- Movie- Jungle Moon Men (1955)

2:15
5-12- Cotton Bowl Football- Georgia .vs. Southern Methodist- (Georgia won 24-9)

2:30
38- Astronauts Cartoons

3:00
6-9-38- Bugs Bunny (an ABC program WNAC didn't clear
7- Firing Line
10- Championship Bowling
56- Wrestling

3:30
4- Animal Secrets
6-9- Milton the Monster
38- Wild Cargo

4:00
2- R and D Review
4- Forest Rangers
6-9-38- American Bandstand
7- Murray the K at Shea
10- Road to Roses
56- Bowery Boys

4:30
4-10- Football- East-West Shrine Game (from San Francisco)

5:00
2- Brother Buzz
5- Adventures
6-7-9- Wide World of Sports
12- Mission: Impossible
38- Action Theater
56- Movie- Beach Head

5:30
2- What's New
5- Winning Pins (the Junior version of the adult Candlepin Bowling, soon kids who competed on the show would go on to become stars in the Candlepin Bowling world)
38- Wrestling

6:00
2- Man of the Senate
5- News, weather
12- Movie- Black Patch

6:30
2- World Press Review
5- CBS News (Roger Mudd)
6- Science Fiction Theater
7- Let's Go To The Races
9- Watkins Glen
56- The Hy Lit Show (produced at Kaiser-owned station WKBS in Philadelphia)

7:00
5- Death Valley Days
6- The Monkees
7- John Henning, news (He is now a senior correspondent for WBZ)
9- ABC Scene
38- Rawhide

7:30
2- French Chef
4-10- Orange Bowl Parade
5-12- Jackie Gleason Show
6-7-9- Shane
56- NBA Scene

7:55
56- NHL Hockey- Boston Bruins @ Detroit Red Wings (Red Wings won 3-1) (This is the season before WSBK bought the rights for Bruins hockey)

8:00
2- The Pit

8:30
4-10- Get Smart
5-12- Pistols n' Petticoats
6-7-9- Lawrence Welk Show

9:00
2- College Hockey- Cornell @ Boston University (did WGBH carry the game)
4-10- Movie- Anything Goes
5- Mission Impossible

9:30
6-7-9- Hollywood Palace

10:00
5-12- Gunsmoke

10:15
56- Joe Pyne Show

10:30
6- Movie- To Hell and Back
7- Big Valley
9- Report?
38- Movie- They Died With Their Boots On

10:45
9- Movie- Odds Against Tomorrow

11:00
5-12- News, weather

11:15
4-10- News, Weather

11:30
4- Benny Goodman Show
5- ?
7- Guy Lombardo Show

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

Highwayman 128 takes us back to December 31st, 1966 here in Boston:

> 11:30
> 4- Benny Goodman Show

I wonder if this was an NBC special, given that New Year's Eve 1966 was a Saturday night and Johnny Carson wouldn't be on with a first-run episode (By this time, NBC did feed a rerun of Carson's "Tonight Show" that stations could air at 11:30 P.M. ET/PT Saturday nights; were NNBC to have fed a New year's special in 1966, it would have pre-empted the Carson rerun).

BTW: WBZ-4 began clearing Carson's "Tonight" show a few months earlier, in September of 1966. Prior to that, the station had not broadcast the show since early in the disasterous run of "America After Dark", which ran for six months in 1957 between the end of Steve Allen's tenure with the show and the start of Jack Paar's time as host.

Highwayman 128: Did the Boston Globe TV listing include Providence stations, and if so, did WJAR-10 also carry this special?? If it did, then it was indeed likely a network presentation.

> 7- Guy Lombardo Show

This, of course, was Lombardo's long-running New Year's Eve Special. I think that at the time, it was syndicated, with the show's producers leasing AT&T landline network circuits so the show could air live across the country.

 

[ThatManDan]

Re: "Let's Go To The Races"

This was a tie-in with a local supermarket("Star Market"in the Boston area?).

You got racing slips when you shopped at the store during the week with different
Win/Place and Show finishers for the "race" that would be shown that week.

Between the races, ads for the sponsoring market or store would be shown, tieing in the race with the sponsor.

If you had a slip that had a winner in the Win, Place or Show finish, you won a prize.

It seems to me this promotion ran for quite a while on a couple of different stations.

 

[bpatrick]

Re: "Let's Go To The Races"

> This was a tie-in with a local supermarket("Star Market"in
> the Boston area?).
>
> You got racing slips when you shopped at the store during
> the week with different
> Win/Place and Show finishers for the "race" that would be
> shown that week.
>
> Between the races, ads for the sponsoring market or store
> would be shown, tieing in the race with the sponsor.
>
> If you had a slip that had a winner in the Win, Place or
> Show finish, you won a prize.
>
> It seems to me this promotion ran for quite a while on a
> couple of different stations.
>
I recall that there were five races on each show, and on your
game card there was a number for each race. If the horse with
that number won, you won. The races were worth increasing amounts
of money, from $5 in the first race to $500 (in the Carolinas, where
Winn-Dixie sponsored the show) or $1000 (in Virginia, where Colonial
Stores was the sponsor) in the fifth.

There were a number of games similar to this: "Greyhound Derby"
was the same thing, only with dog races. "Win With The Stars" was
a musical-ID game hosted by Allen Ludden; for each game, if your
card had the right winning team and score, you won. There was also
one called "All Star Bingo," hosted by the OTHER Michael Jackson,
the KABC radio personality, where you won if your card had the winning
bingo numbers for each game.

But "Let's Go To The Races" is the classic of these supermarket-promo
games.

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

Re: "Let's Go To The Races"

My Mom was good friends with the service manager of the Star Market in Norwood, Massachusetts (most, but not all, of the Star Markets were re-named Shaw's after Shaw's and Star merged a few years back, but that's a story for the Supermarket-Info.com messageboards, not this one), so she usually got about a dozen "cards" for each week's edition of "Let's Go To The Races".

The top prize for the fifth race in the version airing on WNAC-7 in Boston was $1,000, and after a few months, if your horse (indicated by number) finished second in any race, you won $1.

Before long, my Mom would take a large piece of paper and write a grid, which allowed her to write down the numbers on each card for each race, and spaces where we--my Mom, Dad, younger brother and I---would make our own predictions on the number of the winning horse on each race during the show.

Once, we won $1 for a "place" in a race. But usually, at least one of us would predict the number of the winning horse in one of the races every week.

 

[bpatrick]

Re: "Let's Go To The Races"

> My Mom was good friends with the service manager of the Star
> Market in Norwood, Massachusetts (most, but not all, of the
> Star Markets were re-named Shaw's after Shaw's and Star
> merged a few years back, but that's a story for the
> Supermarket-Info.com messageboards, not this one), so she
> usually got about a dozen "cards" for each week's edition of
> "Let's Go To The Races".
>
> The top prize for the fifth race in the version airing on
> WNAC-7 in Boston was $1,000, and after a few months, if your
> horse (indicated by number) finished second in any race, you
> won $1.
>
> Before long, my Mom would take a large piece of paper and
> write a grid, which allowed her to write down the numbers on
> each card for each race, and spaces where we--my Mom, Dad,
> younger brother and I---would make our own predictions on
> the number of the winning horse on each race during the
> show.
>
> Once, we won $1 for a "place" in a race. But usually, at
> least one of us would predict the number of the winning
> horse in one of the races every week.
>
Not to question your memory of the show, they just never gave
anything away for "place" and "show" in the Carolinas and Virginia.
Sometimes I'd make up a race card if we didn't have one from Winn-
Dixie or Colonial, but I can't say my luck was any better picking
the winners myself.

 

[retrothoughts]

Re: "Let's Go To The Races"

I ran into some more "Let's Go to the Races" stuff over the years. "Let's Go to the Races" was a franchised show produced by Walter Schwimmer, whose company was based in Chicago.

First time I heard of "Races" was around 1966 or so on Channel 9 in Chattanooga, where a local personality named Larry Johnson was the host, M&J Supermarkets [a local chain that since shut down] was the sponsor, and the races were filmed at Sunshine Park [now Tampa Bay Downs] in Oldsmar, FL, with veteran Chicago sportscaster Jack Drees as the commentator.

The second time was around 1975 or '76, on Channel 10 in the Tampa Bay area. Big Star, a regional supermarket out of the Atlanta area that also eventually disappeared, was the sponsor. Atlanta sportscaster Bob Neal, later of TBS, hosted, and Drees returned as commentator for random selected races videotaped at Tropical Park [since merged with Calder Race Course] in Miami.

Another Tampa Bay area TV station, Channel 44, carried the "Races" in 1979, sponsored this time by Grand Union, which had swallowed up the aforementioned Big Star before going bust a year or so later. A New York-based commercial actor, Bryan Clark, was the host. The horseracing was taped at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, FL, with commentary by Phil Georgeff, the veteran track announcer from Chicago's Arlington Park.

No matter who hosted or sponsored, the concept was the same: Go to the sponsor's store, pick up a game ticket; watch the show, and if you win, you get the cash. Has anybody seen a "Let's Go to the Races" since 1979?

 

[rugrats1]

Re: "Let's Go To The Races"

> Another Tampa Bay area TV station, Channel 44, carried the
> "Races" in 1979, sponsored this time by Grand Union, which
> had swallowed up the aforementioned Big Star before going
> bust a year or so later.

I thought WTOG's "Races" didn't start until 1981 or 1982? Grand Union still existed, and had a handful of stores in New England (at least) as of 2004. They pulled out of Florida in the mid-1980s, closing many stores and selling the rest to Kash n' Karry.<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by rugrats1 on 02/09/06 01:03 PM.</FONT></P>

 

[ixnay]

Re: "Let's Go To The Races"

The Philadelphia version of LGTTR aired in the late 70s or early 80s on (I think) WTAF-29 (now WTXF FOX 29) and was sponsored IIRC by now long gone Pantry Pride. I never played it but I watched it once or twice, maybe more.

The "races" on the Philly LGTTR looked like they were taped at Gulfstream or some other FL track.

ixnay

 

[rugrats1]

Re: "Let's Go To The Races"

> The "races" on the Philly LGTTR looked like they were taped
> at Gulfstream or some other FL track.
>

Apparently, the Philly "Races" are the same as everywhere else -- just insert the sponsor's name at the start and end of each show and their ads in the breaks.

As for the track, I recall the races were taped at Gulfstream.<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by rugrats1 on 02/09/06 07:11 PM.</FONT></P>

 

[rwells2265]

Re: "Let's Go To The Races"

> The second time was around 1975 or '76, on Channel 10 in the
> Tampa Bay area. Big Star, a regional supermarket out of the
> Atlanta area that also eventually disappeared, was the
> sponsor.

And not to be confused with the OTHER Big Star, a grocery chain out of Memphis (and the one from which Alex Chilton's band took its name). And that Big Star also sponsored LGTTR, airing on stations in Memphis and Tupelo. This would've been 1975-76, I think.

Mom shopped at one of the Big Stars in Tupelo, and we played the game every weekend. I don't think we won but a time or two; I remember getting to keep the $2.00 we'd won on one of the game cards.

 

[ixnay]

Re: "Let's Go To The Races"

that's a story for the
> Supermarket-Info.com messageboards, not this one),

You have a link for that? I tried supermarket-info.com and it didn't work.

ixnay

 

[KMRichards]

Mr. Gallant ... *sigh*

> that's a story for the
> > Supermarket-Info.com messageboards, not this one),
>
> You have a link for that? I tried supermarket-info.com and
> it didn't work.

He was trying to be funny.

Radio-Info.com
Supermarket-Info.com

Not surprisingly (to me, anyway), Joseph's attempt falls flat. He hasn't yet realized that he is becoming a laughingstock on this site.<P ID="signature">______________


</P>

 

[retrothoughts]

Re: "Let's Go To The Races"

> I thought WTOG's "Races" didn't start until 1981 or 1982?
> Grand Union still existed, and had a handful of stores in
> New England (at least) as of 2004. They pulled out of
> Florida in the mid-1980s, closing many stores and selling
> the rest to Kash n' Karry.
>

Now that you mention it, rugrats, I checked www.groceteria.com [yes, there is such a site], which mentioned that Grand Union bought Big Star in 1980, then auctioned it off in 1984, so I'll accept your 1981-82 explanation and apologize for being off.

 

[bpatrick]

Re: "Let's Go To The Races"

> >
> The second time was around 1975 or '76, on Channel 10 in the
> Tampa Bay area. Big Star, a regional supermarket out of the
> Atlanta area that also eventually disappeared, was the
> sponsor. Atlanta sportscaster Bob Neal, later of TBS,
> hosted, and Drees returned as commentator for random
> selected races videotaped at Tropical Park [since merged
> with Calder Race Course] in Miami.
>
>IIRC, this version of "Let's Go To The Races" aired on WTBS
(then WTCG); Neal had been replaced by Steve Somers at Channel
11 and had gone to work for Turner in 1976. The '60s version
aired in Atlanta on WSB/2, but since I wasn't living in that
part of the country then, I don't know which supermarket chain
sponsored it.

I've also heard of one in Miami called "TV Twin Double," with
George DeWitt hosting the studio segments, which aired in 1977.
DeWitt, you may know, was host of the original "Name That Tune"
from 1955-59, and lived in South Florida. He died in 1979,
age 56.<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by bpatrick on 02/10/06 10:00 PM.</FONT></P>

 

[ixnay]

Re: "Let's Go To The Races"

> Now that you mention it, rugrats, I checked
> www.groceteria.com [yes, there is such a site],

Thanks, retrothoughts.

ixnay

 

[RobertMoore]

Re: "Let's Go To The Races"

> And not to be confused with the OTHER Big Star, a grocery
> chain out of Memphis (and the one from which Alex Chilton's
> band took its name). And that Big Star also sponsored
> LGTTR, airing on stations in Memphis and Tupelo. This
> would've been 1975-76, I think.

You're right, it was in that 1975-76 time frame, with WMC-5/Memphis and WTVA-9/Tupelo airing it.

BTW you can also add WTMJ, WITI and WISN/Milwaukee to the list. Jewel Food Stores and Pick 'N Save alternated as the local sponsors from 1975 to 1979.