Network Shows with Low Affiliate Clearance

[Stanislav]

What are some of the historic network TV shows that had a surprisingly low clearance rate from affiliates. I'm thinking not so much of "one-hit blunders" (like Turn-On), but rather shows that hung on for a season or more in spite of a large number of affiliates opting out?

 

[genius]

Oh there were various soaps that still kicked around as the number of affiliates for them dropped. In 1986 for example General Hospital aired on 214 ABC stations, while at the same Ryan's Hope, which had a suffered a bad timeslot change in 1984 aired on 179 ABC stations, often on delay on the east coast. Same thing occurred with Loving, Edge of Night, Santa Barbara, Search For Tomorrow, and Generations, Port Charles etc.

I got those numbers from this very interesting story here:

http://snarkweighsin.blog-city.com/halfhoursoap.htm

 

[Tim-In-Houston]

I think NYPD Blue is a big one that had a number of affiliates (notably smaller markets in the midwest and bible belt south) that opted not to carry the program the first three seasons it aired.

 

[bk77]

I think Soap may qualify here. When Soap made its debut in 1977 I know that a number of ABC affilates refused to carry it. At least those first two or three seasons. Not sure the exact number that said no but there were some big market stations that took a pass such as Baltimore's WJZ.

I also remember that all of the ABC stations in the state West Virginia decided not to carry Soap. Today ABC only has two affililates in that state ( Oak Hill and Charleston ) I heard mainly due to Pittsbugh's WTAE but back in the 70s ( at the time of Soap ), I think Wheeling and Clarksburg had their own ABC affiliates. Come to think of it, did Soap air on WTAE?

American Bandstand in its 30 year history of being on ABC, a lot of places at one time or another wouldn't air it.

 

[bpatrick]

CBS's Sunday-morning block of "Lamp Unto My Feet,"
"Look Up And Live," and "Camera Three" were down to
26 stations when they were canceled in 1979 and replaced
by "Sunday Morning," which is carried by practically the
full network. And I think CBS's NHL telecasts in the early
'70s had about the same number (maybe slightly more).

 

[Stanislav]

CBS's Sunday-morning block of "Lamp Unto My Feet,"
"Look Up And Live," and "Camera Three" were down to
26 stations when they were canceled in 1979 and replaced
by "Sunday Morning," which is carried by practically the
full network.

There's something to be said there for the gradual decline of religious, inspirational, and cultural shows on the networks. Looking at TV Guides, it seems like those three shows were carried by a large share of CBS affiliates back in the day. Over time, intelligent cultural offerings like "Camera Three" went out of style (the growth of PBS led the commercial networks to more or less cede such programming to them), and more thoughtful, quiet, reasonable, and ecumenical religious shows like "Lamp Unto My Feet" and "Look Up And Live" began to give way to shouting, money-grubbing gospel huxters and evangelists.

 

[RicoGregg]

CBS's Sunday-morning block of "Lamp Unto My Feet,"
"Look Up And Live," and "Camera Three" were down to
26 stations when they were canceled in 1979 and replaced
by "Sunday Morning," which is carried by practically the
full network. And I think CBS's NHL telecasts in the early
'70s had about the same number (maybe slightly more).

Another CBS Sunday show with a religious angle was "Dial M For Music", produced at KMOX-TV in St. Louis and hosted by a priest whose name I don't remember. It was all jazz, and some well-known names appeared on the show.

It was kind of surreal blending jazz and the Roman Catholic church, but it worked, and the show ran for many years.