Why did I decide to post that day's schedule? Scroll down and you'll see.
Source: Anchorage Daily News "TV News"
2-KTUU (NBC)
4-KTBY (Independent; they were the new kids on the block)
7-KAKM (PBS)
11-KTVA (CBS)
13-KIMO (ABC)
6:30 AM
11-The World Tomorrow (Herbert W. Armstrong)
13-CNN Headline News
7:00
2-PTL Club
4-Religious programming
11-Happiness is the Lord
13-Directions
7:30
11-It Is Written
13-Breath of Life
8:00
2-Rex Humbard
11-Expect A Miracle (Oral and Richard Roberts)
13-Shiloh Baptist
8:30
2-NFL '83 (Len Berman/Bill Macatee/Dave Marash)
11-The NFL Today (Brent Musburger/Phyllis George/Irv Cross/Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder)
13-Bethel Chapel
8:53
7-Alaska Is...
9:00
2-NFL FOOTBALL: New England Patriots vs. New York Jets
7-Sesame Street
11: NFL FOOTBALL: San Francisco 49ers vs. Chicago Bears
13-Jack Van Impe
9:30
13-Faith 20
10:00
7-Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
13-Healthbeat
10:30
7-The Electric Company
13-What's Happening!! ("The Burger Queen")
11:00
4-MOVIE: "Trinity is My Name" (1972)
7-Faces of Culture ("The Arts")
13-NFL Week in Review
11:30
7-Faces of Culture ("New Orleans' Black Indians: A Case Study in the Arts")
13-NFL Pro Magazine
Noon
2-Jerry Falwell (Old-Time Gospel Hour)
7-Yup'ik Schoolroom
11-NFL FOOTBALL: Green Bay Packers vs. Atlanta Falcons
13-MOVIE: "The Knights of the Round Table" (1953)
12:30 PM
7-Housewarming with Charlie Wing ("Cooking the House")
1:00
2-Robert Schuller (Hour of Power)
4-MOVIE: "Sidewinder 1" (1977)
7-Great Performances ("The Life of Verdi", Part 5/6)
2:00
2-First Baptist Church
4-Family Bible Hour (Jerry Prevo)
2:30
4-Cartoons
7-An Evening of Championship Skating
3:00
2-Being with John F. Kennedy
11-Happy Days Again
13-Ripley's Believe It or Not!
3:30
7-Survival Specials ("Tiger, Tiger")
11-America's Top Ten
4:00
11-MOVIE: "Silk Stockings" (1957)
13-Salute!
4:30
7-The Strange Case of Death in the West
5:00
2-Meet The Press (Bill Monroe)
4-Athletes in Action
13-Alaska Statewide News
5:30
2-Newsmakers
4-Jokes on us
7-Working Women ("Great Encounters")
13: COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Great Alaska Shootout championship game (Live from the new Sullivan Arena in Anchorage)
6:00
2-NBC Nightly News
4-Cannon
7-Tony Brown's Journal ("Back to Black")
6:30
2-Newservice 2
7-The New Tech Times
11-Eyewitness News
7:00
2-First Camera
4-The 700 Club
7-Dinner at Julia's ("Saddle of Veal")
11-60 Minutes (Same-day delay)
7:30
7-Wild America ("Wild Cats")
13-ABC Theater: "The Day After" (This was of course the TV movie that already sent a nerve all over the Lower 48 when it aired the previous week; I'll explain more after these listings)
8:00
2-Knight Rider ("Custom KITT")
4-MOVIE: "Ten Little Indians" (1965)
7-Nature ("The Fight of the Condor", Part 2)
11-CBS Sunday Night Movies: "Chiefs Part One"
9:00
2-NBC Sunday Night at the Movies: "Airplane!" (1980)
7-Masterpiece Theatre ("Citadel", Part 2)
9:55
13-Viewpoint (A discussion following "The Day After" about the possibility of a nuclear war)
10:00
4-MOVIE: "Generation" (1969)
7-Silk Screen ("China: Land of My Father")
11-Trapper John M.D.
10:30
7-Soundings ("The Music of Ralph Shapely")
10:55
13-MOVIE: "The Way We Were" (1973)
11:00
2-MOVIE: "In Like Flint" (1967)
7-Monty Python's Flying Circus
11-Switch
11:30
7-Thank You, Mr. President: The Press Conferences
Midnight
11-Face The Nation (Lesley Stahl)
12:30 AM
7-Alaska Is...
1:00
13-Jack Van Impe
1:30
13-CNN Headline News
Back to "The Day After": Yes, it already set off nerves across the Lower 48 (and Juneau; they were the only Alaskans who saw it first), but Anchorage and Fairbanks had to wait up to two weeks to see what all the hubbub was about for themselves . Here in Fairbanks, KTVF broadcast the film and "Viewpoint" on December 4.
But looking back, the threat of a nuclear war was a very serious matter in 1983, though it would become forgettable when the Cold War ended and the Soviet Union crumbled. But I'm sure "The Day After" when it aired was more shocking than -- and I may get burned for saying this -- the recent death of Heath Ledger.
The movie is of course on DVD now (under $10 at Fred Meyer, Target, Wal-Mart, etc.) if you want to relieve all that without being frightened.
Jonathan Allen
Source: Anchorage Daily News "TV News"
2-KTUU (NBC)
4-KTBY (Independent; they were the new kids on the block)
7-KAKM (PBS)
11-KTVA (CBS)
13-KIMO (ABC)
6:30 AM
11-The World Tomorrow (Herbert W. Armstrong)
13-CNN Headline News
7:00
2-PTL Club
4-Religious programming
11-Happiness is the Lord
13-Directions
7:30
11-It Is Written
13-Breath of Life
8:00
2-Rex Humbard
11-Expect A Miracle (Oral and Richard Roberts)
13-Shiloh Baptist
8:30
2-NFL '83 (Len Berman/Bill Macatee/Dave Marash)
11-The NFL Today (Brent Musburger/Phyllis George/Irv Cross/Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder)
13-Bethel Chapel
8:53
7-Alaska Is...
9:00
2-NFL FOOTBALL: New England Patriots vs. New York Jets
7-Sesame Street
11: NFL FOOTBALL: San Francisco 49ers vs. Chicago Bears
13-Jack Van Impe
9:30
13-Faith 20
10:00
7-Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
13-Healthbeat
10:30
7-The Electric Company
13-What's Happening!! ("The Burger Queen")
11:00
4-MOVIE: "Trinity is My Name" (1972)
7-Faces of Culture ("The Arts")
13-NFL Week in Review
11:30
7-Faces of Culture ("New Orleans' Black Indians: A Case Study in the Arts")
13-NFL Pro Magazine
Noon
2-Jerry Falwell (Old-Time Gospel Hour)
7-Yup'ik Schoolroom
11-NFL FOOTBALL: Green Bay Packers vs. Atlanta Falcons
13-MOVIE: "The Knights of the Round Table" (1953)
12:30 PM
7-Housewarming with Charlie Wing ("Cooking the House")
1:00
2-Robert Schuller (Hour of Power)
4-MOVIE: "Sidewinder 1" (1977)
7-Great Performances ("The Life of Verdi", Part 5/6)
2:00
2-First Baptist Church
4-Family Bible Hour (Jerry Prevo)
2:30
4-Cartoons
7-An Evening of Championship Skating
3:00
2-Being with John F. Kennedy
11-Happy Days Again
13-Ripley's Believe It or Not!
3:30
7-Survival Specials ("Tiger, Tiger")
11-America's Top Ten
4:00
11-MOVIE: "Silk Stockings" (1957)
13-Salute!
4:30
7-The Strange Case of Death in the West
5:00
2-Meet The Press (Bill Monroe)
4-Athletes in Action
13-Alaska Statewide News
5:30
2-Newsmakers
4-Jokes on us
7-Working Women ("Great Encounters")
13: COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Great Alaska Shootout championship game (Live from the new Sullivan Arena in Anchorage)
6:00
2-NBC Nightly News
4-Cannon
7-Tony Brown's Journal ("Back to Black")
6:30
2-Newservice 2
7-The New Tech Times
11-Eyewitness News
7:00
2-First Camera
4-The 700 Club
7-Dinner at Julia's ("Saddle of Veal")
11-60 Minutes (Same-day delay)
7:30
7-Wild America ("Wild Cats")
13-ABC Theater: "The Day After" (This was of course the TV movie that already sent a nerve all over the Lower 48 when it aired the previous week; I'll explain more after these listings)
8:00
2-Knight Rider ("Custom KITT")
4-MOVIE: "Ten Little Indians" (1965)
7-Nature ("The Fight of the Condor", Part 2)
11-CBS Sunday Night Movies: "Chiefs Part One"
9:00
2-NBC Sunday Night at the Movies: "Airplane!" (1980)
7-Masterpiece Theatre ("Citadel", Part 2)
9:55
13-Viewpoint (A discussion following "The Day After" about the possibility of a nuclear war)
10:00
4-MOVIE: "Generation" (1969)
7-Silk Screen ("China: Land of My Father")
11-Trapper John M.D.
10:30
7-Soundings ("The Music of Ralph Shapely")
10:55
13-MOVIE: "The Way We Were" (1973)
11:00
2-MOVIE: "In Like Flint" (1967)
7-Monty Python's Flying Circus
11-Switch
11:30
7-Thank You, Mr. President: The Press Conferences
Midnight
11-Face The Nation (Lesley Stahl)
12:30 AM
7-Alaska Is...
1:00
13-Jack Van Impe
1:30
13-CNN Headline News
Back to "The Day After": Yes, it already set off nerves across the Lower 48 (and Juneau; they were the only Alaskans who saw it first), but Anchorage and Fairbanks had to wait up to two weeks to see what all the hubbub was about for themselves . Here in Fairbanks, KTVF broadcast the film and "Viewpoint" on December 4.
But looking back, the threat of a nuclear war was a very serious matter in 1983, though it would become forgettable when the Cold War ended and the Soviet Union crumbled. But I'm sure "The Day After" when it aired was more shocking than -- and I may get burned for saying this -- the recent death of Heath Ledger.
The movie is of course on DVD now (under $10 at Fred Meyer, Target, Wal-Mart, etc.) if you want to relieve all that without being frightened.
Jonathan Allen