The retros are BACK! Well, maybe for a while, anyway ...
TV Guide, Southern Alabama edition--cover missing
Channels in parentheses were originally designated by black bullets; those in brackets by white.
All times Central Standard (NOTE: Columbus, Georgia is on Eastern Time; this affects scheduling of programs in that market). Cable-only stations not included.
Montgomery, Alabama:
(12) WSFA (NBC)--now digital 12; PSIP same
(20) WCOV (CBS)--now FOX affiliate, on digital 20; PSIP same
(26) WAIQ (PBS)*
(32) WKAB (ABC)--now WNCF, on digital 32; PSIP same
Dozier, Alabama:
[2] WDIQ (PBS)*
Selma, Alabama:
[8] WSLA (CBS)--now WAKA, on digital 42; PSIP 8 (currently the CBS affiliate for the entire Montgomery market)
Dothan, Alabama:
[4] WTVY (CBS)--now digital 36; PSIP 4
[18] WDHN (ABC)--now digital 21; PSIP 18
Texasville, Alabama:
[43] WGIQ (PBS)*
Panama City, Florida:
[7] WJHG (ABC)--now NBC affiliate, on digital 8; PSIP 7
[13] WMBB (NBC)--now ABC affiliate, on digital 13; PSIP same
Columbus, Georgia:
[3] WRBL (CBS)--now digital 15; PSIP 3
[9] WTVM (ABC)--now digital 11; PSIP 9
[38] WYEA (NBC)--now digital 35; PSIP 38
*--translator of Alabama Public Television; see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alabama_Public_Television for current transmitter locations and channels
Thursday, December 27, 1979
MORNING
5:00 a.m.
[4] Sunrise Semester
[18] Arthur Smith
[38] PTL Club (interrupted at 6 a.m. and resumed at 8 a.m.)
5:30
[3] Sunrise Semester--same as WTVY above
[4] Good Morning, Tri-States--fishing, hunting, and hollering galore by the king of the good ole boys, Red Holland
[18] 700 Club
5:55
(12) Pastor's Study--local devotional
6:00
[3] [4] (20) Thursday Morning--CBS News; Bob Schieffer, anchor
[7] Daybusters--local morning show
[8] [13] (32) PTL Club
[9] Good Morning America--the Grateful Dead pay a visit to David Hartman and Sandy Hill today (hey, this is 1979--not 1969, surely?)
(12) [38] Today Show--Tom Brokaw, Jane Pauley
7:00
[3] Rozell Show--long-running women's/homemaker's show on WRBL
[4] Morning Show--local
[8] Thursday Morning
[13] Today Show
[18] Good Morning America
(20) 700 Club
7:30
[7] Good Morning America (JIP)
7:45
[2] (26) [43] A.M. Weather
7:55
[4] Come Alive--probably local devotional
8:00
[2] (26) [43] Sesame Street
[3] [4] [8] (20) Captain Kangaroo--still going after many years at this point
[9] (12) Phil Donahue--same episode on both stations (satellite delivery, perhaps?)
(32) Good Morning America
[38] PTL Club (resumed from 5 a.m.)
9:00
[2] (26) [43] Electric Company
[3] Cross-Wits
[4] [8] (20) Beat the Clock--short-lived Monty Hall version
[7] Phil Donahue (same as WTVM and WSFA above, so the answer is likely "yes")
[9] Good Day!--local morning show
(12) [38] Card Sharks--"lower than a 9."
[13] [18] PTL Club
(32) Good Morning Montgomery
9:30
[2] (26) [43] Studio See
[3] [4] [8] Whew!--strategy game hosted by Tom Kennedy; had a $25,000 payoff in the bonus game
[9] Tic Tac Dough
(12) [38] Hollywood Squares--Paul Lynde had left the show by this time
(20) Helen Bern--local women's show
(32) Dick Van Dyke--'60s version
9:55
[3] [4] [8] (20) CBS News--Douglas Edwards
10:00
[2] (26) [43] Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
[3] [4] (20) Price is Right
[7] [9] (32) Laverne & Shirley (ABC rerun)
[8] PTL Club (probably the second half from 6 a.m.)
(12) [13] [38] High Rollers--Alex Trebek still warming up for his destiny on "Jeopardy!" years later on this dice-and-prizes game
10:30
[2] (26) [43] Zoom
[7] [9] (32) Family Feud--"Survey SAID!!!" (can't you hear Dawson today with those immemorial words?)
(12) [13] [38] Wheel of Fortune--back in the days when contestants actually had to spend their earned money on prizes; by the time the show got ultra-popular in the mid-'80s, Merv Griffin had the good sense to drop that time-consuming feature
11:00
[2] (26) [43] Sesame Street
[3] WRBL News
[4] Young and the Restless--hot and getting hotter with soap fanciers
[7] Televisit (unsure if local women's or religious show--anybody in the Florida panhandle remember this one?)
[8] Speak Easy--no, not a show about bootlegging (!); a local women's show, hosted by WSLA personality Geri Ellzey
[9] [18] (32) $20,000 Pyramid--big '70s favorite with the game show set
(12) [13] [38] Mindreaders--short-flight Goodson-Todman game intended as a vehicle for "Laugh-In"'s Dick Martin, who spent much of the '70s on the "Match Game" panel
(20) WCOV News
11:15
(20) Guest Room--probably local interview show; Idelle Brooks, hostess
11:30
[3] [4] [8] (20) Search for Tomorrow--old Procter & Gamble warhorse still trotting along
[7] [9] [18] (32) Ryan's Hope--critics' fave subser that never quite took off, but wound up running 13 years on ABC anyway (go figure that one out!)
(12) [13] [38] Password Plus--joining Allen Ludden and Co. this week: Carol Burnett
AFTERNOON
12:00 p.m.
[2] (26) [43] Advances in Health--local public affairs; produced by the Birmingham City Schools' TV operation
[3] [8] (20) Young and the Restless (note WSLA and WCOV's strategy here against news on WSFA and "All My Children" on WKAB)
[4] Farm Report--hosted by WTVY legend Gene Ragan, who was said to have been one of the longest-tenured ag broadcasters in America when he retired in 1998; Ragan also ran a weekend wrapup program on Saturdays at 6 p.m., with films about cotton, peanut and livestock production in the region, along with county fairs and other farm exhibitions
[7] [9] [18] (32) All My Children--the next week, the show would celebrate its 10th anniversary
(12) WSFA News
[13] [38] Days or Our Lives
12:20
[4] WTVY News
12:30
[2] (26) [43] On Target--African-American public affairs show (probably produced by Alabama A&M University in Huntsville, which had a TV operation then--and now)
[3] [4] [8] (20) As the World Turns--but no longer on top of the world in terms of ratings, as it had been for over 20 years
(12) Days of Our Lives--Central Time Zone stations were not big fans of NBC's decision to move its soaps up a half hour back in March; WSFA decided to keep the Peacock's afternoon lineup in its 1975-79 configuration by either taping the Noon-3 feed a half hour or else delaying it a day or a week (any old NBC affil control room people know about how those stations would have done it?)
1:00
[2] (26) [43] Shades of Blue--Alabama Public TV special featuring a jazz ensemble (possibly a University of Alabama TV Services production)
[7] [9] [18] (32) One Life to Live
[13] [38] Doctors
1:30
[3] [4] [8] (20) Guiding Light
(12) Doctors
[13] [38] Another World (a full-blown 90 minutes, which lasted until the next summer, when "AW" gave birth, if you will, to "Texas," sending "The Doctors" to midday in the process)
2:00
[2] (26) [43] Drug Education: Teachable Moment--as in "Just Say No"
[7] [9] [18] (32) General Hospital--as hot as a soap ever got--before or since--thanks to Luke and Laura
(12) Another World
2:30
[2] (26) [43] Villa Alegre
[3] [4] [8] (20) One Day at a Time--CBS rerun
3:00
[2] (26) [43] Sesame Street
[3] [4] [8] (20) Love of Life--aging sudser only a few weeks away from cancellation
[7] [9] [18] (32) Edge of Night
[13] Card Sharks (tape delayed from 9 a.m.)
[38] Mike Douglas--George Peppard, Jim Backus, and Maureen McGovern all pay him a visit; no big deal anymore since Douglas moved from Philly to L.A. a while before (60-minute version)
3:30
[3] Flintstones
[4] Mike Douglas--Ron Howard, Alan Alda, Fred Travalena, Vicki Lawrence on this episode (60-minute version)
[7] Petticoat Junction
[8] Price is Right (tape delayed from 10 a.m.)
[9] Bonanza
(12) Young World--WSFA children's show featuring cartoons and educational segments; Dan Atkinson (channel 12's weatherman then) and Marge Payne, hosts
[13] (20) Gilligan's Island (different episodes, of course)
[18] Family Feud (tape delayed from 10:30 a.m.)
(32) 32 Cartoon Club (maybe a hosted show, but certainly not in the classic '50s-'60s style, which kids then would have seen as hokey and "uncool")
4:00
[2] (26) [43] Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
[3] Gilligan's Island
[7] Brady Bunch
(12) Bewitched
[13] I Love Lucy
[18] Movie--"Aliens from Spaceship Earth," 1978 (probably a made-for-TV movie)
(20) Gunsmoke
(32) Andy Griffith
[38] Merv Griffin--in NYC, Norman Mailer and country singer Anne Murray show up (60-minute version)
4:30
[2] (26) [43] Grunches and Grins--local storytelling children's show, produced by Huntsville City Schools ETV
[3] (12) Brady Bunch
[4] (32) Gomer Pyle, USMC (different episodes)
[7] Hogan's Heroes
[8] Merv Griffin--same as WYEA at 4 p.m.
[9] Dating Game--syndicated revival with Jim Lange once again at the helm
[13] Merv Griffin--Angie Dickinson, Lucie Arnaz, and Brian Keith
5:00
[2] (26) [43] Zoom
[3] WRBL News
[4] Beverly Hillbillies
[7] WJHG News
[9] WTVM News
(12) Happy Days Again--new in syndication that fall; Fonzie gets into trouble in this episode while fixing a hearse (!)
[38] 3's A Crowd--the less said about this Chuck Barris game show, the better; a fiasco all the way around
(Network news info courtesy of the Vanderbilt TV News Archive: http://tvnews.vanderbilt.edu/)
5:30
[2] (26) [43] Over Easy--PBS interview/features show aimed at older Americans; Hugh Downs, host (double duty while also on ABC's "20/20")
[3] [4] [8] (20) CBS Evening News--Dan Rather
[7] [9] (32) ABC World News Tonight--Frank Reynolds, Max Robinson, Berry Serafin (reporting from Iran on the hostage crisis)
(12) [13] [38] NBC Nightly News--John Chancellor
EVENING
6:00
[2] (26) [43] Your Future Is Now--adult education
[3] Sanford and Son
[4] WTVY News
[7] WJHG News
[8] WSLA News
[9] Phil Donahue (no, not normally seen at this time--special episode with Carol Burnett and husband Joe Hamilton talking about their daughter's issues with drugs, along with a treatment center director--preempts "M*A*S*H" and "Good Times" tonight)
(12) WSFA News
[13] WMBB News
[18] ABC World News Tonight
(20) Beverly Hillbillies
(32) Dating Game
[38] WYEA News
6:30
[2] [43] Word on Words--book author interview show, produced by WDCN, Nashville's PBS outlet
[3] Happy Days Again
[4] Bishop's Hour--local religious program
[7] Cross-Wits
[8] Room 222--rerun of 1969-74 family drama
(12) $100,000 Name That Tune--famed musical game, hosted by Tom Kennedy
[13] (32) Sanford and Son (different episodes)
[18] WDHN News
(20) [38] Newlywed Game (probably different episodes)
(26) For the Record: City Edition--local Montgomery public affairs program; the main part of the title would be carried over into the 1980s as the nightly APT statewide news program
7:00
[2] (26) [43] MacNeil/Lehrer Report
[3] Come Love the Children--religious special about hunger in the developing world, with Art Linkletter and Carol Lawrence as hosts; former President Ford was among the dignitaries featured
[4] [8] (20) Waltons--Cindy (Leslie Winston) tries to become the submissive wife to Ben (Eric Scott), and gets mistreated (feminism sure showed up in some strange places on '70s TV, it seems)
[7] [18] (32) Laverne & Shirley
[9] Phil Donahue Plus--WTVM local "follow-up" to special program at 6 p.m.
(12) [13] [38] Buck Rogers in the 25th Century--the sci-fi craze launched by "Star Wars" and the first "Star Trek" movie and superhero nostalgia led to this old comic book chestnut getting a TV treatment, with Gil Gerard in the leading role
7:30
[2] (26) [43] Alabama Lifestyles
[7] [9] [18] (32) Benson--TV's most popular butler of all time
8:00
[2] (26) [43] Sneak Previews--then on PBS
[3] [4] [8] (20) Barnaby Jones--Buddy Ebsen in his last season solving cases and drinking milk
[7] [9] [18] (32) Barney Miller--madcap ensemble police sitcom
(12) [13] [38] Movie--"Ode to Billy Joe," 1976
8:30
[2] (26) [43] Camera Three--longtime CBS Sunday morning arts show, cancelled earlier in the year, got a brief new lease on life on public TV
[7] [9] [18] (32) Soap
9:00
[2] (26) [43] Bluegrass Block--featuring traditional country music; produced by University of Alabama TV Services
[3] [4] [8] (20) Knots Landing--debut episode of "Dallas" spinoff, telling the story of black sheep Ewing brother Gary, his missus, and his new neighborhood in a California cul-de-sac
[7] [9] [18] (32) 20/20--get ready, high school girls: Michael Jackson, then burning up the charts with his solo debut, "Off the Wall," does an interview on this broadcast
9:30
[2] (26) [43] Montage--African-American public affairs program, produced by the Alabama A&M University Telecommunications Center
10:00
[2] (26) [43] Dick Cavett--one-time aspirant to the late-night crown down to trying to keep his name out in the public consciousness on this PBS one-guest talker
[3] WRBL News
[4] WTVY News
[7] WJHG News
[8] Rat Patrol--rerun of 1960s military drama
[9] WTVM News
(12) WSFA News
[13] WMBB News
[18] Hogan's Heroes
(20) WCOV News
(32) 3's a Crowd--put this on after the youngsters had gone to bed, WKAB station manager reasoned (and therefore maybe avoid the preachers' ire)
[38] WYEA News
10:30
[2] (26) [43] ABC World News Tonight--captioned version, packaged by Boston's WGBH (this, of course, was long before CC was standard on TV sets--then, it was a special, costly feature on high-end models)
[3] [4] [8] (20) Columbo--CBS rerun of popular NBC early '70s crime show
[7] [9] [18] (32) Police Woman--ditto on ABC, though not so much
(12) [13] [18] Tonight Show--John Davidson in for Carson on his Christmas break; Paul Williams main guest
11:40
[7] [9] [18] (32) Baretta--"... and keep your eye on the sparrow," and not on his cockatoo Fred, or else Robert Blake will bust your head wide open
12:00 a.m.
(12) [13] [38] Tomorrow--Tom Snyder takes on Meat Loaf and Steve Dahl, the latter being the infamous Chicago disk jockey who was behind the notorious "Disco Sucks" promotion at a White Sox baseball game earlier in the year
12:15
[3] [4] [8] (20) Banacek--rerun of short-lived NBC crime drama with George Peppard as a PI
12:50
[7] WJHG News
[9] WTVM News
1:45
[4] Movie--"Task Force," 1949 (WTVY stayed on all night, one of the first Southern stations to go 24/7)
3:15
[4] Movie--"The Big Street," 1942 (Damon Runyon flick)
4:30
[4] Film
TV Guide, Southern Alabama edition--cover missing
Channels in parentheses were originally designated by black bullets; those in brackets by white.
All times Central Standard (NOTE: Columbus, Georgia is on Eastern Time; this affects scheduling of programs in that market). Cable-only stations not included.
Montgomery, Alabama:
(12) WSFA (NBC)--now digital 12; PSIP same
(20) WCOV (CBS)--now FOX affiliate, on digital 20; PSIP same
(26) WAIQ (PBS)*
(32) WKAB (ABC)--now WNCF, on digital 32; PSIP same
Dozier, Alabama:
[2] WDIQ (PBS)*
Selma, Alabama:
[8] WSLA (CBS)--now WAKA, on digital 42; PSIP 8 (currently the CBS affiliate for the entire Montgomery market)
Dothan, Alabama:
[4] WTVY (CBS)--now digital 36; PSIP 4
[18] WDHN (ABC)--now digital 21; PSIP 18
Texasville, Alabama:
[43] WGIQ (PBS)*
Panama City, Florida:
[7] WJHG (ABC)--now NBC affiliate, on digital 8; PSIP 7
[13] WMBB (NBC)--now ABC affiliate, on digital 13; PSIP same
Columbus, Georgia:
[3] WRBL (CBS)--now digital 15; PSIP 3
[9] WTVM (ABC)--now digital 11; PSIP 9
[38] WYEA (NBC)--now digital 35; PSIP 38
*--translator of Alabama Public Television; see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alabama_Public_Television for current transmitter locations and channels
Thursday, December 27, 1979
MORNING
5:00 a.m.
[4] Sunrise Semester
[18] Arthur Smith
[38] PTL Club (interrupted at 6 a.m. and resumed at 8 a.m.)
5:30
[3] Sunrise Semester--same as WTVY above
[4] Good Morning, Tri-States--fishing, hunting, and hollering galore by the king of the good ole boys, Red Holland
[18] 700 Club
5:55
(12) Pastor's Study--local devotional
6:00
[3] [4] (20) Thursday Morning--CBS News; Bob Schieffer, anchor
[7] Daybusters--local morning show
[8] [13] (32) PTL Club
[9] Good Morning America--the Grateful Dead pay a visit to David Hartman and Sandy Hill today (hey, this is 1979--not 1969, surely?)
(12) [38] Today Show--Tom Brokaw, Jane Pauley
7:00
[3] Rozell Show--long-running women's/homemaker's show on WRBL
[4] Morning Show--local
[8] Thursday Morning
[13] Today Show
[18] Good Morning America
(20) 700 Club
7:30
[7] Good Morning America (JIP)
7:45
[2] (26) [43] A.M. Weather
7:55
[4] Come Alive--probably local devotional
8:00
[2] (26) [43] Sesame Street
[3] [4] [8] (20) Captain Kangaroo--still going after many years at this point
[9] (12) Phil Donahue--same episode on both stations (satellite delivery, perhaps?)
(32) Good Morning America
[38] PTL Club (resumed from 5 a.m.)
9:00
[2] (26) [43] Electric Company
[3] Cross-Wits
[4] [8] (20) Beat the Clock--short-lived Monty Hall version
[7] Phil Donahue (same as WTVM and WSFA above, so the answer is likely "yes")
[9] Good Day!--local morning show
(12) [38] Card Sharks--"lower than a 9."
[13] [18] PTL Club
(32) Good Morning Montgomery
9:30
[2] (26) [43] Studio See
[3] [4] [8] Whew!--strategy game hosted by Tom Kennedy; had a $25,000 payoff in the bonus game
[9] Tic Tac Dough
(12) [38] Hollywood Squares--Paul Lynde had left the show by this time
(20) Helen Bern--local women's show
(32) Dick Van Dyke--'60s version
9:55
[3] [4] [8] (20) CBS News--Douglas Edwards
10:00
[2] (26) [43] Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
[3] [4] (20) Price is Right
[7] [9] (32) Laverne & Shirley (ABC rerun)
[8] PTL Club (probably the second half from 6 a.m.)
(12) [13] [38] High Rollers--Alex Trebek still warming up for his destiny on "Jeopardy!" years later on this dice-and-prizes game
10:30
[2] (26) [43] Zoom
[7] [9] (32) Family Feud--"Survey SAID!!!" (can't you hear Dawson today with those immemorial words?)
(12) [13] [38] Wheel of Fortune--back in the days when contestants actually had to spend their earned money on prizes; by the time the show got ultra-popular in the mid-'80s, Merv Griffin had the good sense to drop that time-consuming feature
11:00
[2] (26) [43] Sesame Street
[3] WRBL News
[4] Young and the Restless--hot and getting hotter with soap fanciers
[7] Televisit (unsure if local women's or religious show--anybody in the Florida panhandle remember this one?)
[8] Speak Easy--no, not a show about bootlegging (!); a local women's show, hosted by WSLA personality Geri Ellzey
[9] [18] (32) $20,000 Pyramid--big '70s favorite with the game show set
(12) [13] [38] Mindreaders--short-flight Goodson-Todman game intended as a vehicle for "Laugh-In"'s Dick Martin, who spent much of the '70s on the "Match Game" panel
(20) WCOV News
11:15
(20) Guest Room--probably local interview show; Idelle Brooks, hostess
11:30
[3] [4] [8] (20) Search for Tomorrow--old Procter & Gamble warhorse still trotting along
[7] [9] [18] (32) Ryan's Hope--critics' fave subser that never quite took off, but wound up running 13 years on ABC anyway (go figure that one out!)
(12) [13] [38] Password Plus--joining Allen Ludden and Co. this week: Carol Burnett
AFTERNOON
12:00 p.m.
[2] (26) [43] Advances in Health--local public affairs; produced by the Birmingham City Schools' TV operation
[3] [8] (20) Young and the Restless (note WSLA and WCOV's strategy here against news on WSFA and "All My Children" on WKAB)
[4] Farm Report--hosted by WTVY legend Gene Ragan, who was said to have been one of the longest-tenured ag broadcasters in America when he retired in 1998; Ragan also ran a weekend wrapup program on Saturdays at 6 p.m., with films about cotton, peanut and livestock production in the region, along with county fairs and other farm exhibitions
[7] [9] [18] (32) All My Children--the next week, the show would celebrate its 10th anniversary
(12) WSFA News
[13] [38] Days or Our Lives
12:20
[4] WTVY News
12:30
[2] (26) [43] On Target--African-American public affairs show (probably produced by Alabama A&M University in Huntsville, which had a TV operation then--and now)
[3] [4] [8] (20) As the World Turns--but no longer on top of the world in terms of ratings, as it had been for over 20 years
(12) Days of Our Lives--Central Time Zone stations were not big fans of NBC's decision to move its soaps up a half hour back in March; WSFA decided to keep the Peacock's afternoon lineup in its 1975-79 configuration by either taping the Noon-3 feed a half hour or else delaying it a day or a week (any old NBC affil control room people know about how those stations would have done it?)
1:00
[2] (26) [43] Shades of Blue--Alabama Public TV special featuring a jazz ensemble (possibly a University of Alabama TV Services production)
[7] [9] [18] (32) One Life to Live
[13] [38] Doctors
1:30
[3] [4] [8] (20) Guiding Light
(12) Doctors
[13] [38] Another World (a full-blown 90 minutes, which lasted until the next summer, when "AW" gave birth, if you will, to "Texas," sending "The Doctors" to midday in the process)
2:00
[2] (26) [43] Drug Education: Teachable Moment--as in "Just Say No"
[7] [9] [18] (32) General Hospital--as hot as a soap ever got--before or since--thanks to Luke and Laura
(12) Another World
2:30
[2] (26) [43] Villa Alegre
[3] [4] [8] (20) One Day at a Time--CBS rerun
3:00
[2] (26) [43] Sesame Street
[3] [4] [8] (20) Love of Life--aging sudser only a few weeks away from cancellation
[7] [9] [18] (32) Edge of Night
[13] Card Sharks (tape delayed from 9 a.m.)
[38] Mike Douglas--George Peppard, Jim Backus, and Maureen McGovern all pay him a visit; no big deal anymore since Douglas moved from Philly to L.A. a while before (60-minute version)
3:30
[3] Flintstones
[4] Mike Douglas--Ron Howard, Alan Alda, Fred Travalena, Vicki Lawrence on this episode (60-minute version)
[7] Petticoat Junction
[8] Price is Right (tape delayed from 10 a.m.)
[9] Bonanza
(12) Young World--WSFA children's show featuring cartoons and educational segments; Dan Atkinson (channel 12's weatherman then) and Marge Payne, hosts
[13] (20) Gilligan's Island (different episodes, of course)
[18] Family Feud (tape delayed from 10:30 a.m.)
(32) 32 Cartoon Club (maybe a hosted show, but certainly not in the classic '50s-'60s style, which kids then would have seen as hokey and "uncool")
4:00
[2] (26) [43] Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
[3] Gilligan's Island
[7] Brady Bunch
(12) Bewitched
[13] I Love Lucy
[18] Movie--"Aliens from Spaceship Earth," 1978 (probably a made-for-TV movie)
(20) Gunsmoke
(32) Andy Griffith
[38] Merv Griffin--in NYC, Norman Mailer and country singer Anne Murray show up (60-minute version)
4:30
[2] (26) [43] Grunches and Grins--local storytelling children's show, produced by Huntsville City Schools ETV
[3] (12) Brady Bunch
[4] (32) Gomer Pyle, USMC (different episodes)
[7] Hogan's Heroes
[8] Merv Griffin--same as WYEA at 4 p.m.
[9] Dating Game--syndicated revival with Jim Lange once again at the helm
[13] Merv Griffin--Angie Dickinson, Lucie Arnaz, and Brian Keith
5:00
[2] (26) [43] Zoom
[3] WRBL News
[4] Beverly Hillbillies
[7] WJHG News
[9] WTVM News
(12) Happy Days Again--new in syndication that fall; Fonzie gets into trouble in this episode while fixing a hearse (!)
[38] 3's A Crowd--the less said about this Chuck Barris game show, the better; a fiasco all the way around
(Network news info courtesy of the Vanderbilt TV News Archive: http://tvnews.vanderbilt.edu/)
5:30
[2] (26) [43] Over Easy--PBS interview/features show aimed at older Americans; Hugh Downs, host (double duty while also on ABC's "20/20")
[3] [4] [8] (20) CBS Evening News--Dan Rather
[7] [9] (32) ABC World News Tonight--Frank Reynolds, Max Robinson, Berry Serafin (reporting from Iran on the hostage crisis)
(12) [13] [38] NBC Nightly News--John Chancellor
EVENING
6:00
[2] (26) [43] Your Future Is Now--adult education
[3] Sanford and Son
[4] WTVY News
[7] WJHG News
[8] WSLA News
[9] Phil Donahue (no, not normally seen at this time--special episode with Carol Burnett and husband Joe Hamilton talking about their daughter's issues with drugs, along with a treatment center director--preempts "M*A*S*H" and "Good Times" tonight)
(12) WSFA News
[13] WMBB News
[18] ABC World News Tonight
(20) Beverly Hillbillies
(32) Dating Game
[38] WYEA News
6:30
[2] [43] Word on Words--book author interview show, produced by WDCN, Nashville's PBS outlet
[3] Happy Days Again
[4] Bishop's Hour--local religious program
[7] Cross-Wits
[8] Room 222--rerun of 1969-74 family drama
(12) $100,000 Name That Tune--famed musical game, hosted by Tom Kennedy
[13] (32) Sanford and Son (different episodes)
[18] WDHN News
(20) [38] Newlywed Game (probably different episodes)
(26) For the Record: City Edition--local Montgomery public affairs program; the main part of the title would be carried over into the 1980s as the nightly APT statewide news program
7:00
[2] (26) [43] MacNeil/Lehrer Report
[3] Come Love the Children--religious special about hunger in the developing world, with Art Linkletter and Carol Lawrence as hosts; former President Ford was among the dignitaries featured
[4] [8] (20) Waltons--Cindy (Leslie Winston) tries to become the submissive wife to Ben (Eric Scott), and gets mistreated (feminism sure showed up in some strange places on '70s TV, it seems)
[7] [18] (32) Laverne & Shirley
[9] Phil Donahue Plus--WTVM local "follow-up" to special program at 6 p.m.
(12) [13] [38] Buck Rogers in the 25th Century--the sci-fi craze launched by "Star Wars" and the first "Star Trek" movie and superhero nostalgia led to this old comic book chestnut getting a TV treatment, with Gil Gerard in the leading role
7:30
[2] (26) [43] Alabama Lifestyles
[7] [9] [18] (32) Benson--TV's most popular butler of all time
8:00
[2] (26) [43] Sneak Previews--then on PBS
[3] [4] [8] (20) Barnaby Jones--Buddy Ebsen in his last season solving cases and drinking milk
[7] [9] [18] (32) Barney Miller--madcap ensemble police sitcom
(12) [13] [38] Movie--"Ode to Billy Joe," 1976
8:30
[2] (26) [43] Camera Three--longtime CBS Sunday morning arts show, cancelled earlier in the year, got a brief new lease on life on public TV
[7] [9] [18] (32) Soap
9:00
[2] (26) [43] Bluegrass Block--featuring traditional country music; produced by University of Alabama TV Services
[3] [4] [8] (20) Knots Landing--debut episode of "Dallas" spinoff, telling the story of black sheep Ewing brother Gary, his missus, and his new neighborhood in a California cul-de-sac
[7] [9] [18] (32) 20/20--get ready, high school girls: Michael Jackson, then burning up the charts with his solo debut, "Off the Wall," does an interview on this broadcast
9:30
[2] (26) [43] Montage--African-American public affairs program, produced by the Alabama A&M University Telecommunications Center
10:00
[2] (26) [43] Dick Cavett--one-time aspirant to the late-night crown down to trying to keep his name out in the public consciousness on this PBS one-guest talker
[3] WRBL News
[4] WTVY News
[7] WJHG News
[8] Rat Patrol--rerun of 1960s military drama
[9] WTVM News
(12) WSFA News
[13] WMBB News
[18] Hogan's Heroes
(20) WCOV News
(32) 3's a Crowd--put this on after the youngsters had gone to bed, WKAB station manager reasoned (and therefore maybe avoid the preachers' ire)
[38] WYEA News
10:30
[2] (26) [43] ABC World News Tonight--captioned version, packaged by Boston's WGBH (this, of course, was long before CC was standard on TV sets--then, it was a special, costly feature on high-end models)
[3] [4] [8] (20) Columbo--CBS rerun of popular NBC early '70s crime show
[7] [9] [18] (32) Police Woman--ditto on ABC, though not so much
(12) [13] [18] Tonight Show--John Davidson in for Carson on his Christmas break; Paul Williams main guest
11:40
[7] [9] [18] (32) Baretta--"... and keep your eye on the sparrow," and not on his cockatoo Fred, or else Robert Blake will bust your head wide open
12:00 a.m.
(12) [13] [38] Tomorrow--Tom Snyder takes on Meat Loaf and Steve Dahl, the latter being the infamous Chicago disk jockey who was behind the notorious "Disco Sucks" promotion at a White Sox baseball game earlier in the year
12:15
[3] [4] [8] (20) Banacek--rerun of short-lived NBC crime drama with George Peppard as a PI
12:50
[7] WJHG News
[9] WTVM News
1:45
[4] Movie--"Task Force," 1949 (WTVY stayed on all night, one of the first Southern stations to go 24/7)
3:15
[4] Movie--"The Big Street," 1942 (Damon Runyon flick)
4:30
[4] Film
