In the 1975-76 season, CBS finished number one for the
last time until 1979-80, ending a string of some 20 years
at the top. ABC, number two for the regular season, actually
won the 52-week season when the Montreal Olympics were
factored in. But in the fall of '76, there was no question which
network was on top. ABC, with a huge boost from Roots in
January '77, plus a couple of midseason replacements I'll get
to, won the season with relative ease. Here is ABC's Fall 1976
lineup (source: Brooks and Marsh):
MONDAY 8 PM The Captain And Tennille
9 PM Monday Night Football
TUESDAY 8 PM Happy Days
8:30 Laverne & Shirley
9 PM Rich Man, Poor Man--Book II
10 PM Family
WEDNESDAY 8 PM Bionic Woman
9 PM Baretta
10 PM Charlie's Angels
THURSDAY 8 PM Welcome Back, Kotter
8:30 Barney Miller
9 PM Tony Randall Show (a little gem that
got lost in the welter of teen shows--Randall
played an irascible Philadelphia judge. ABC
dropped it, CBS picked it up in the 1977-78
season, with no better success.)
9:30 Nancy Walker Show (she'd have another
sitcom, Blansky's Beauties, at midseason)
10 PM Streets Of San Francisco (the other
Richard Hatch replaces Michael Douglas)
FRIDAY 8 PM Donny & Marie
9 PM ABC Friday Night Movie
SATURDAY 8 PM Holmes & YoYo
8:30 Mr. T And Tina (not THAT Mr. T, this
one was played by Pat Morita)
9 PM Starsky & Hutch
10 PM Most Wanted
SUNDAY 7 PM Cos (a disastrous kid-oriented variety show
with large doses of education--Bill Cosby had just
gotten his doctorate in education)
8 PM Six Million Dollar Man
9 PM ABC Sunday Night Movie
Before the season was over, ABC introduced Three's Company,
Eight Is Enough, and What's Happening!! ABC's shows in the
top 30 that season:
1. Happy Days
2. Laverne & Shirley
3. ABC Monday Night Movie (from January '77)
5. Charlie's Angels
7. The Six Million Dollar Man
8. (tie) ABC Sunday Night Movie
Baretta
(CBS's One Day At A Time was also tied for 8th.)
11. Three's Company
13. Welcome Back, Kotter
14. The Bionic Woman
17. Barney Miller
21. Rich Man, Poor Man--Book II
22. Monday Night Football
23. Eight Is Enough
25. What's Happening!!
28. ABC Friday Night Movie
29. The Tony Randall Show (ABC canceled
it anyway, believe it or not.)
last time until 1979-80, ending a string of some 20 years
at the top. ABC, number two for the regular season, actually
won the 52-week season when the Montreal Olympics were
factored in. But in the fall of '76, there was no question which
network was on top. ABC, with a huge boost from Roots in
January '77, plus a couple of midseason replacements I'll get
to, won the season with relative ease. Here is ABC's Fall 1976
lineup (source: Brooks and Marsh):
MONDAY 8 PM The Captain And Tennille
9 PM Monday Night Football
TUESDAY 8 PM Happy Days
8:30 Laverne & Shirley
9 PM Rich Man, Poor Man--Book II
10 PM Family
WEDNESDAY 8 PM Bionic Woman
9 PM Baretta
10 PM Charlie's Angels
THURSDAY 8 PM Welcome Back, Kotter
8:30 Barney Miller
9 PM Tony Randall Show (a little gem that
got lost in the welter of teen shows--Randall
played an irascible Philadelphia judge. ABC
dropped it, CBS picked it up in the 1977-78
season, with no better success.)
9:30 Nancy Walker Show (she'd have another
sitcom, Blansky's Beauties, at midseason)
10 PM Streets Of San Francisco (the other
Richard Hatch replaces Michael Douglas)
FRIDAY 8 PM Donny & Marie
9 PM ABC Friday Night Movie
SATURDAY 8 PM Holmes & YoYo
8:30 Mr. T And Tina (not THAT Mr. T, this
one was played by Pat Morita)
9 PM Starsky & Hutch
10 PM Most Wanted
SUNDAY 7 PM Cos (a disastrous kid-oriented variety show
with large doses of education--Bill Cosby had just
gotten his doctorate in education)
8 PM Six Million Dollar Man
9 PM ABC Sunday Night Movie
Before the season was over, ABC introduced Three's Company,
Eight Is Enough, and What's Happening!! ABC's shows in the
top 30 that season:
1. Happy Days
2. Laverne & Shirley
3. ABC Monday Night Movie (from January '77)
5. Charlie's Angels
7. The Six Million Dollar Man
8. (tie) ABC Sunday Night Movie
Baretta
(CBS's One Day At A Time was also tied for 8th.)
11. Three's Company
13. Welcome Back, Kotter
14. The Bionic Woman
17. Barney Miller
21. Rich Man, Poor Man--Book II
22. Monday Night Football
23. Eight Is Enough
25. What's Happening!!
28. ABC Friday Night Movie
29. The Tony Randall Show (ABC canceled
it anyway, believe it or not.)