Why was NBC in the toilet in the late '70s?

[bandit957]

You are referring to "The Groove Tube" and it is a small in movie advertisement for Brown 25 from the Uranus Corporation.  Google that and you will see the clip on You Tube.

That's hilarious!!!

I remember seeing this around the time Atari BASIC was becoming popular. We wrote a little program in Atari BASIC that simulated a TV changing channels, and one of the channels mentioned this clip with a big "Viewer Discretion Advised" warning before it! Our program didn't actually show the poo though, since it was just oversized text, not graphics.

A few years later, I wrote an Atari BASIC program that used Atari graphic symbols to draw a giant toilet and had the words "TOILETS ARE FUN." I know there was a Brown 25 reference somewhere in there.

[Sctvhound]

Somebody created a meme stating how Al Bundy (Ed O'Neill) ended up being a better father than Cliff Huxtable and Eric Camden of 7th Heaven. Making the real life reference to Cosby and Stephen Collins, of course!

I remember how CBS was limping around after they lost the rights to the NFL and baseball in the 1990s. Then again, I was OK with them losing baseball, since I always thought NBC's coverage was better anyways. (CBS had baseball from 1990 to 1993.)

I remember about 15 years ago, CBS was obsessed with showing the boring and overrated college basketball "selection Sunday" show each year. They were losing money and viewers hand over foot over this, but they had a contract to show it for years into the future. I don't know if it's expired yet.

I couldn't stand it.

They still do. The contract is well into the future. They signed a deal through 2032. They moved it one year to TBS and it had less than half the rating it had on CBS. So it will be as CBS staple forever.

[roadman65]

I distinctly remembered that NBC mostly was the network for crime dramas and not much sitcoms in the late 70's.  Just Sanford and Son, Chico and the Man, and then some that came and went abruptly.  Shows like the Rockford Files and Police Story stood out more just as the anti gun and anti violent movement came into play fueled by the previous decades counter culture values.  That might of had something to do with it.

It was not until the 1980's when shows like Different Strokes, Facts of Life, Cosby, Cheers, Golden Girls, Empty Nest, Hello Larry, and even Nurses came into play.  Even Taxi, which came in the 80's as in the 70's the ABC network had it.  These were the memorable moment shows that NBC proved popular with, but were not in the 70's.

[D-Dey65]

Was NBC really that bad?

Let me count the ways...

Project UFO (1977-79)
Man From Atlantis (1977-78)
The Chuck Barris Rah-Rah Show (1977)
Grandpa Goes to Washington (1978)
Stop Susan Williams (1978)
Whodunnit? (1979)
Harris and Company (1979)
Supertrain (1979)
Hello Larry (1979-80)
The Big Show (1980)
Me and Maxx (1980)
Pink Lady and Jeff (1980)
McClain's Law (1981-82)
One of the Boys (1982)
Jokebook (1982)
Voyagers! (1982-83)
The Powers of Mathew Star (1982-83)
Manimal (1983)

Need I go on? 

One of the few good things about "Hello, Larry" was that Kim Richards was eye candy to guys my age. Now she's a drunken train wreck on a shitty reality show.

Ahh, Supertrain. I once sent two joke letters to David Letterman on one or both of his shows. One I sent with a mock threat to post a bad Christmas song parody or something like that, and then another with that parody. The song was a take of "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," and included the line "Peace on Earth, Good will towards men / Supertrain is on again!"


Now where's the screaming in horror emoji?

[PHLBOS]

One of the few good things about "Hello, Larry" was that Kim Richards was eye candy to guys my age. Now she's a drunken train wreck on a shitty reality show.

Probably the only good thing.  Such still doesn't change the fact that it was one of McLean Stevenson's noteworthy post-M*A*S*H disasters show-wise.

[Life in Paradise]

One of the few good things about "Hello, Larry" was that Kim Richards was eye candy to guys my age. Now she's a drunken train wreck on a shitty reality show.

Probably the only good thing.  Such still doesn't change the fact that it was one of McLean Stevenson's noteworthy post-M*A*S*H disasters show-wise.

Actually, "Hello, Larry" was the high point of McLean Stevenson's career after M*A*S*H.  That's what makes his decision to leave the show so bad.

[cwf1701]

How many stations in the mid/late 70s changed from NBC to ABC or CBS? When CBS was in the same spot as NBC in the Mid 90s, CBS had a number of long-time affiliates defect to FOX or NBC or ABC, starting with the New World stations in the mid 90s (of which WJBK-2 was one of the stations to jump from CBS to FOX)

[bandit957]

How many stations in the mid/late 70s changed from NBC to ABC or CBS?

Around 1980, the NBC affiliate in Dayton flipped to ABC - leaving NBC to a UHF station. The Dayton stations were very snowy here, when we could get them at all.

[nexus73]

How many stations in the mid/late 70s changed from NBC to ABC or CBS? When CBS was in the same spot as NBC in the Mid 90s, CBS had a number of long-time affiliates defect to FOX or NBC or ABC, starting with the New World stations in the mid 90s (of which WJBK-2 was one of the stations to jump from CBS to FOX)

KCBY in Coos Bay-North Bend changed from NBC to CBS sometime in the Eighties as I remember.  KMTR, an UHF station out of Eugene, became one of our NBC stations (with translators) along with KOBI (with translators) out of Medford.  For those in a good location in Coos County, a channel 5-specific antenna would bring in the signal crystal clear from KOBI directly. 

Rick

[roadman]

One of the few good things about "Hello, Larry" was that Kim Richards was eye candy to guys my age. Now she's a drunken train wreck on a shitty reality show.

Probably the only good thing.  Such still doesn't change the fact that it was one of McLean Stevenson's noteworthy post-M*A*S*H disasters show-wise.

Actually, "Hello, Larry" was the high point of McLean Stevenson's career after M*A*S*H.  That's what makes his decision to leave the show so bad.

Did any actor who left M*A*S*H mid-stream go on to do anything in the entertainment field that was successful?

[GaryV]

Did any actor who left M*A*S*H mid-stream go on to do anything that was successful?

Depends on what you mean by success.  Wayne Rogers had a financial career, and Gary Burghoff was an inventor.

[roadman]

Did any actor who left M*A*S*H mid-stream go on to do anything that was successful?

Depends on what you mean by success.  Wayne Rogers had a financial career, and Gary Burghoff was an inventor.

I was referring to the entertainment field - have updated my post.  But that's very interesting.

[PHLBOS]

Did any actor who left M*A*S*H mid-stream go on to do anything in the entertainment field that was successful?

House Calls, which Wayne Rogers starred in as Dr. Charley Michaels, ran almost as long (2-1/2 seasons, 1979-1982) as his time on M*A*S*H. 

That show was successful (its original airtime was in-between M*A*S*H & Lou Grant, Mondays on CBS) but was cancelled during its third season shortly after Lynn Redgrave, who played hospital administrator Ann Anderson, was fired from the show.  The show's transition from Lynn to her replacement, Sharon Gless, was awkward & clunky; not to mention that the character chemistry between Sharon's Jane Jeffries to Wayne Roger's Dr. Michaels just wasn't there as it was with Ann & Charley.

[roadman]

Did any actor who left M*A*S*H mid-stream go on to do anything in the entertainment field that was successful?

House Calls, which Wayne Rogers starred in as Dr. Charley Michaels, ran almost as long (2-1/2 seasons, 1979-1982) as his time on M*A*S*H. 

That show was successful (its original airtime was in-between M*A*S*H & Lou Grant, Mondays on CBS) but was cancelled during its third season shortly after Lynn Redgrave, who played hospital administrator Ann Anderson, was fired from the show.  The show's transition from Lynn to her replacement, Sharon Gless, was awkward & clunky; not to mention that the character chemistry between Sharon's Jane Jeffries to Wayne Roger's Dr. Michaels just wasn't there as it was with Ann & Charley.

Thanks for the info.  Funny, I have absolutely no recollection of that show, even though I watched both M*A*S*H and Lou Grant religiously every week.

[bandit957]

I remember my parents watching 'House Calls' but I don't remember a thing about it.

[PHLBOS]

Funny, I have absolutely no recollection of that show, even though I watched both M*A*S*H and Lou Grant religiously every week.

I remember one Monday night in October 1980 IIRC; M*A*S*H was on, followed by House Calls (which starred Wayne Rogers) followed by a Lou Grant episode that guest-starred Larry Linville (Frank Burns on M*A*S*H).

[renegade]

I remember my parents watching 'House Calls' but I don't remember a thing about it.

Yeah, watching all that 'Sesame Street' will do that to you.   

[DTComposer]

One of the few good things about "Hello, Larry" was that Kim Richards was eye candy to guys my age. Now she's a drunken train wreck on a shitty reality show.

Probably the only good thing.  Such still doesn't change the fact that it was one of McLean Stevenson's noteworthy post-M*A*S*H disasters show-wise.

Actually, "Hello, Larry" was the high point of McLean Stevenson's career after M*A*S*H.  That's what makes his decision to leave the show so bad.

Did any actor who left M*A*S*H mid-stream go on to do anything in the entertainment field that was successful?

Certainly Alan Alda would top the list, with (among many other credits) his turn on The West Wing, an Oscar nomination for The Aviator, and two Tony nominations.

After that, probably Harry Morgan and David Ogden Stiers would be next, both of whom had dozens of television and film appearances post-M*A*S*H. Stiers is noted for his voice work in Beauty and the Beast, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Lilo and Stitch.

It does make sense - M*A*S*H was such an great ensemble show, but the downside is that the actors (excepting Alda) didn't have the opportunity to have star-making moments. It would also make sense in that nearly all of the stars were 45+ at the time the show ended (or when they left the show) - old by Hollywood standards (even more so back then) and staring at the backside of their careers.

That said, if M*A*S*H is the high point of their career, then they've done just fine.

[Life in Paradise]

The actor that played BJ, Mike Farrell, was a star in the NBC prime time soap Providence, which I believe went either four or five years.

[PHLBOS]

Bold & Underline emphasis added to below:

One of the few good things about "Hello, Larry" was that Kim Richards was eye candy to guys my age. Now she's a drunken train wreck on a shitty reality show.

Probably the only good thing.  Such still doesn't change the fact that it was one of McLean Stevenson's noteworthy post-M*A*S*H disasters show-wise.

Actually, "Hello, Larry" was the high point of McLean Stevenson's career after M*A*S*H.  That's what makes his decision to leave the show so bad.

Did any actor who left M*A*S*H mid-stream go on to do anything in the entertainment field that was successful?

Roadman was strictly referring to those that left the series while it was still running; not after the show ended for good.

[DTComposer]

Bold & Underline emphasis added to below:

One of the few good things about "Hello, Larry" was that Kim Richards was eye candy to guys my age. Now she's a drunken train wreck on a shitty reality show.

Probably the only good thing.  Such still doesn't change the fact that it was one of McLean Stevenson's noteworthy post-M*A*S*H disasters show-wise.

Actually, "Hello, Larry" was the high point of McLean Stevenson's career after M*A*S*H.  That's what makes his decision to leave the show so bad.

Did any actor who left M*A*S*H mid-stream go on to do anything in the entertainment field that was successful?

Roadman was strictly referring to those that left the series while it was still running; not after the show ended for good.

Oy, missed that. Strike my comments from the record.

[KEVIN_224]

Sharon Gless was mentioned above. Wasn't Cagney And Lacey in full swing on CBS by then?

[Life in Paradise]

Sharon Gless was mentioned above. Wasn't Cagney And Lacey in full swing on CBS by then?

Cagney and Lacey was more mid 80s.  (actually mid-season 82 through late 88)  Sharon Gless was the 3rd Cagney, and she started in the 82/83 season.  Loretta Swit was the first Cagney in a TV movie, then Meg Foster for the first season, and then Sharon Gless was placed in the role.

[PHLBOS]

Sharon Gless was mentioned above. Wasn't Cagney And Lacey in full swing on CBS by then?

Cagney and Lacey was more mid 80s.  (actually mid-season 82 through late 88)  Sharon Gless was the 3rd Cagney, and she started in the 82/83 season.  Loretta Swit was the first Cagney in a TV movie, then Meg Foster for the first season, and then Sharon Gless was placed in the role.

Right after the fore-mentioned House Calls show (Gless was Redgrave's replacement) was cancelled.