• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Clock Runs Out On ABC's "MNF" - Story

D

DiamondJoe

Guest
Tonight is the final Monday night NFL contest on ABC. Yahoo has written an article about its history:

Click here to read.

Although I must dispute the first paragraph:

From its inception, ABC's "Monday Night Football" was a risky experiment that defied American sports tradition. From Howard Cosell's pontification to Don Meredith's down-home songs to Dennis Miller's arcane analogies, it dominated TV viewing in homes and bars across the nation.

On the contrary - when Miller was in the booth, I believe the show had its lowest ratings ever. But to quote Miller, that's my opinion, I could be wrong.<P ID="signature">______________


New York City Radio and TV</P>
 
> Tonight is the final Monday night NFL contest on ABC. Yahoo
> has written an article about its history:
>
> Click here to read.
>
> Although I must dispute the first paragraph:
>
> From its inception, ABC's "Monday Night Football" was a
> risky experiment that defied American sports tradition. From
> Howard Cosell's pontification to Don Meredith's down-home
> songs to Dennis Miller's arcane analogies, it dominated TV
> viewing in homes and bars across the nation.
>
> On the contrary - when Miller was in the booth, I believe
> the show had its lowest ratings ever. But to quote Miller,
> that's my opinion, I could be wrong.
>

yes, the share of households watching has been dropping steadily over
the past 20 years, but mnf has managed to finish as the top 10 ranked program
every year since 1990. during the howard-don era, it finished in top 10 just once. then again, the shares of households watching was always over 20 when
howard called the games. now, it's in the low teens.

you can also make an argument that on the whole network tv in the us
has faced a massive amounts of other entertainment options in the past 20 years
- cable/satellite/vhs/dvd/computer,etc. so mnf's numbers reflect the trend of dwindling major tv network shares. that's why the show is moving to cable in the first place.
 
> you can also make an argument that on the whole network tv
> in the us
> has faced a massive amounts of other entertainment options
> in the past 20 years
> - cable/satellite/vhs/dvd/computer,etc. so mnf's numbers
> reflect the trend of dwindling major tv network shares.
> that's why the show is moving to cable in the first place.
>
Though in exchange, the Sunday night contest will be moving from cable to terrestrial, on NBC. Apparently, when the new rights were drawn up, the NFL wanted Sunday to be football day on the OTA networks, from early afternoon to late at night (ET), with Monday set aside for cable viewers.
 
> > you can also make an argument that on the whole network tv
>
> > in the us
> > has faced a massive amounts of other entertainment options
>
> > in the past 20 years
> > - cable/satellite/vhs/dvd/computer,etc. so mnf's numbers
> > reflect the trend of dwindling major tv network shares.
> > that's why the show is moving to cable in the first place.
>
> >
> Though in exchange, the Sunday night contest will be moving
> from cable to terrestrial, on NBC. Apparently, when the new
> rights were drawn up, the NFL wanted Sunday to be football
> day on the OTA networks, from early afternoon to late at
> night (ET), with Monday set aside for cable viewers.
>
Can't watch. Going to the game to see the Pats beat up on the Jets. Will watch it tomorrow on the HD-DVR. Heading up the turnpike soon! Go Pats!
 
> > Tonight is the final Monday night NFL contest on ABC.
> Yahoo
> > has written an article about its history:
> >
> > Click here to read.
> >
> > Although I must dispute the first paragraph:
> >
> > From its inception, ABC's "Monday Night Football" was a
> > risky experiment that defied American sports tradition.
> From
> > Howard Cosell's pontification to Don Meredith's down-home
> > songs to Dennis Miller's arcane analogies, it dominated TV
>
> > viewing in homes and bars across the nation.
> >
> > On the contrary - when Miller was in the booth, I believe
> > the show had its lowest ratings ever. But to quote Miller,
>
> > that's my opinion, I could be wrong.
> >
>
> yes, the share of households watching has been dropping
> steadily over
> the past 20 years, but mnf has managed to finish as the top
> 10 ranked program
> every year since 1990. during the howard-don era, it
> finished in top 10 just once. then again, the shares of
> households watching was always over 20 when
> howard called the games. now, it's in the low teens.
>
> you can also make an argument that on the whole network tv
> in the us
> has faced a massive amounts of other entertainment options
> in the past 20 years
> - cable/satellite/vhs/dvd/computer,etc. so mnf's numbers
> reflect the trend of dwindling major tv network shares.
> that's why the show is moving to cable in the first place.
>
While what you're saying is certainly true, MNF just hasn't
been the same since the Howard-Don era. Look what they could
do when the game was a blowout or just boring. And I have yet
to figure out what qualified Dennis Miller to be a football
commentator.

This morning's Good Morning America had a lookback at MNF,
including a clip of an interview Cosell did with John Lennon.
As whoever was in for Diane Sawyer said, it was eerie, since
Cosell was the first to announce to the nation that Lennon
had been murdered.

Charlie Gibson reminded us that there will still be
Monday-night football, on ABC's sister network ESPN, but
it won't be quite the same.

Trivia point: many of you weren't even born the last time
ABC had non-sports programming on Monday nights in the fall.
That was in 1969, when the lineup was The Music Scene, The
New People (sort of a forerunner of Lost), Harold Robbins'
The Survivors (a glitzy primetime soap about 10 years too soon),
and Love American Style. Only LAS lasted beyond January 1970,
and had to move to Friday to do so.<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by bpatrick on 12/26/05 10:18 PM.</FONT></P>
 
Re: What Will Replace Monday Night Football On ABC??

>
> Trivia point: many of you weren't even born the last time
> ABC had non-sports programming on Monday nights in the fall.
>
> That was in 1969, when the lineup was The Music Scene, The
> New People (sort of a forerunner of Lost), Harold Robbins'
> The Survivors (a glitzy primetime soap about 10 years too
> soon),
> and Love American Style. Only LAS lasted beyond January
> 1970,
> and had to move to Friday to do so.

Which will lead us to what will replace Monday Night Football come September 2006 on ABC since it has been 36 years since ABC has had a complete Monday night schedule sans football. My guess would be that ABC will present some new shows in its lineup. And hopefully it won't be any reality show either.
 
Re: What Will Replace Monday Night Football On ABC??

> >
> > Trivia point: many of you weren't even born the last time
> > ABC had non-sports programming on Monday nights in the
> fall.
> >
> > That was in 1969, when the lineup was The Music Scene, The
>
> > New People (sort of a forerunner of Lost), Harold Robbins'
>
> > The Survivors (a glitzy primetime soap about 10 years too
> > soon),
> > and Love American Style. Only LAS lasted beyond January
> > 1970,
> > and had to move to Friday to do so.
>
> Which will lead us to what will replace Monday Night
> Football come September 2006 on ABC since it has been 36
> years since ABC has had a complete Monday night schedule
> sans football. My guess would be that ABC will present some
> new shows in its lineup. And hopefully it won't be any
> reality show either.
>
Only rumor I've heard is that ABC will move its Sunday
lineup of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate
Housewives, and Grey's Anatomy to Monday. I'd like to
get some feedback on this idea.
 
Re: What Will Replace Monday Night Football On ABC??

> Only rumor I've heard is that ABC will move its Sunday
> lineup of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate
> Housewives, and Grey's Anatomy to Monday. I'd like to
> get some feedback on this idea.

I think that it would be great competition for CBS and its Monday night lineup of Two And A Half Men and CSI:Miami. But what about Sunday night and what would happen if all of these shows move from Sunday to Monday if that happens?
 
>
> Trivia point: many of you weren't even born the last time
> ABC had non-sports programming on Monday nights in the fall.
>

I'm one who was.

> That was in 1969,

The year I turned eight.

>when the lineup was The Music Scene,

With its cute logo of two smiling musical half notes. :) My then-recently divorced mother and I watched it a few times. The opening showed surreal visual effects of the acts starring in that week's show. Creedence is the only act I remember from Music Scene. I think we saw them singing Down on the Corner. I still remember Doug Clifford's long locks waving back and forth behind the drums.

> The
> New People (sort of a forerunner of Lost), Harold Robbins'
> The Survivors (a glitzy primetime soap about 10 years too
> soon),
> and Love American Style. Only LAS lasted beyond January
> 1970,
> and had to move to Friday to do so.
>

I think we watched LAS a few times too, don't know if it was in its original slot.

I first became aware of the imminence (is that a word?) of MNF through a promo the following summer (1970). I really didn't get into spectator sports, however, until 1971, the year I turned ten. I watched my first MNF game that fall. I don't remember who the teams were.

ixnay
 
Re: What Will Replace Monday Night Football On ABC??

> > Only rumor I've heard is that ABC will move its Sunday
> > lineup of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate
> > Housewives, and Grey's Anatomy to Monday. I'd like to
> > get some feedback on this idea.
>
> I think that it would be great competition for CBS and its
> Monday night lineup of Two And A Half Men and CSI:Miami. But
> what about Sunday night and what would happen if all of
> these shows move from Sunday to Monday if that happens?
>

Why move something that does well on Sunday Night? But then again if ABC wants to move Sunday shows to Monday sure go ahead. Then ABC will have two not high ratings nights Thursday and Sunday, instead of Monday. Because if they had new shows on Monday it would be hard to get people to watch them as they already have their favorites on CBS, NBC, and FOX. Plus people that always watched MNF on ABC will watch ESPN. Also if ABC wanted to do they could make Saturday and Sunday movie nights. But if anything ABC won't be ABC no football.
 
> >
> > Trivia point: many of you weren't even born the last time
> > ABC had non-sports programming on Monday nights in the
> fall.
> >
>
> I'm one who was.
>
> > That was in 1969,
>
> The year I turned eight.
>
> >when the lineup was The Music Scene,
>
> With its cute logo of two smiling musical half notes. :) My
> then-recently divorced mother and I watched it a few times.
> The opening showed surreal visual effects of the acts
> starring in that week's show. Creedence is the only act I
> remember from Music Scene. I think we saw them singing Down
> on the Corner. I still remember Doug Clifford's long locks
> waving back and forth behind the drums.
>
> > The
> > New People (sort of a forerunner of Lost), Harold Robbins'
>
> > The Survivors (a glitzy primetime soap about 10 years too
> > soon),
> > and Love American Style. Only LAS lasted beyond January
> > 1970,
> > and had to move to Friday to do so.
> >
>
> I think we watched LAS a few times too, don't know if it was
> in its original slot.
>
> I first became aware of the imminence (is that a word?) of
> MNF through a promo the following summer (1970). I really
> didn't get into spectator sports, however, until 1971, the
> year I turned ten. I watched my first MNF game that fall.
> I don't remember who the teams were.
>
> ixnay
>
I was about to turn three at the begining of the 1969-70 season, so I admit that I'm not old enough to remember no MNF. I'll be just about to 40 when the 2006-07 season starts.<P ID="signature">______________
"I look out for me and mine."-Capt. Malcom "Mal" Reynolds in Serenity</P>
 
Re: What Will Replace Monday Night Football On ABC??

> > Only rumor I've heard is that ABC will move its Sunday
> > lineup of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate
> > Housewives, and Grey's Anatomy to Monday. I'd like to
> > get some feedback on this idea.
>
> I think that it would be great competition for CBS and its
> Monday night lineup of Two And A Half Men and CSI:Miami. But
> what about Sunday night and what would happen if all of
> these shows move from Sunday to Monday if that happens?
>
Bring back the "ABC Sunday Night Movie".<P ID="signature">______________
"I look out for me and mine."-Capt. Malcom "Mal" Reynolds in Serenity</P>
 
Re: What Will Replace Monday Night Football On ABC??

> > > But if anything ABC won't be ABC no
> football.

That phrase doesn't make sense.

ixnay
 
> >
> > Trivia point: many of you weren't even born the last time
> > ABC had non-sports programming on Monday nights in the fall.
> >
>
> I'm one who was.
>
> > That was in 1969,
>
> The year I turned eight.

I was 14 in 1969 but we rarely watched ABC back then. But then again, few people did, which was why ABC wanted football that night.

> I first became aware of the imminence (is that a word?) of
> MNF through a promo the following summer (1970). I really
> didn't get into spectator sports, however, until 1971, the
> year I turned ten. I watched my first MNF game that fall.
> I don't remember who the teams were.

MNF on ABC ended the same way it began: With a 31-21 Jets loss (but to the Chiefs, not the Pats).

And, no, Vinnie Testaverde was not the Jets' starting QB in 1970, even though it seems like he's been around that long. That, of course, was Joe Willie Namath.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom