1978 was the year ABC became the number one television network, Mork And Mindy, Taxi, Battlestar Galactica, Three's Company, Barney Miller, Laverne & Shirley, Happy Days, etc.ABC had it all.
One of my BIGGEST life regrets was not seeing Superman (and Raiders, Close Encounters, etc.) on the big screen. What was I thinking?? (Of course, I did see all the original Star Wars on the big screen, so there's at least that.)
One show that I need to watch that I never did as a kid is Mork And Mindy. So many of these shows you mentioned I got to see, and Mork And Mindy was one of those that I never got to see, despite loving Robin Williams' work. Also, I never knew they made a Logan's Run TV series! Love the movie, though! Even though I was born in 79, I'm blessed to have grown in the 80's when these shows were either going on or had re-runs. A great time to have experienced!
I was 16. Last year of high school. Working at McDonalds. ABC was absolutely the King of Network Programming, alright. I think "Welcome Back, Kotter" was a big part of that lineup, too! Man, what a time. What a year. What a summer. Thanks for the trip, Dave!
1978 was the year I graduated high school, and was about to start college.. The year my TV habits changed drastically, meaning less tube time..I was too busy trying to be an adult..😂
Nobody ever got more out of a single acted word than Squiggy walking into the lady's apartment and saying "Hello." Boy, that Star Wars special really was hokey. Yowza, I feel embarrassed just watching it. 😳
Yeah there really was a feeling of "family" with the ABC shows at that time. The great voice of Ernie Anderson helped foster this, as well as the warm fall preview videos they did each year. And several of the show crossed over, so you had a "TV universe" well before Marvel! ABC did rule indeed; I rarely watched anything else at this time. And then, sadly, it all seemed to fall apart in the early 80s when cast changes and aging shows took their toll. Nice video Dave.
1978 I was 4 watching all these programs and loving it. I still remember watching Dallas with my mom we watched every episode until the finale episode I taped for her to save.
After Star Wars mania was starting to wane, I became addicted to Battlestar Galactica. I was so sad when it got cancelled after only one season. Starbuck was my hero.
😂💕Awe great memories being a teenager in 1978. Disco and Donna Summer were synonymous.🎶 Last Dance was on top of the charts but I also loved my rock and roll and R & B.🎸 I saw Halloween and Grease in the theaters.🎃🍿ABC ruled the networks with Three's Company, Charlie's Angels, Laverne & Shirley, and Happy Days etc etc It was a good time Dave!👩
I remember turning off the tv during the Star Wars Christmas Special it was just all over the place and didn't know what it wanted to be. It sure wasn't Sci-fi material. I was a big fan of Robin Williams and the first few seasons of Mork & Mindy were pretty great. I was very into comedy albums and 1978 also saw the release of Steve Martin's A Wild and Crazy Guy. BSG, of course. 1978 was a pivotal year for me in a lot of ways.
I never watched "KISS Meets the Phantom", but it had wide impact on other kids. It was aired 3 days before Halloween, and for Halloween, 2 kids at my school & my friend from across the street all dressed up as Gene Simmons.
Dave, did you know that Holly Knight played keyboards on KISSES 1980 album UNMASKED! And albeit she was paid but she wasn't credited when the album was released! She did save the check as proof! 🎭🎹🧑🎤🎤
What surprises me here is that all the top shows were 30-minute sitcoms and not dramatic shows. The specials you mentioned aren't good, but yeah, they are important as far as TV history goes. I remember Logan's Run. Even at 7 or 8 years old, I knew it fell short of the movie, but I liked it. Thanks for the video and the look back.
I remember my then 15 year old cousin who went to see Star Wars with me and the family the prior year. When Carrie showed up in her scene with Darth Vader he was like whoa! I was only 8 and didn’t think girls were cute. By the time Return of the Jedi came I knew what he meant. Carrie Fisher was beautiful in all three movies.😊👍🏾
In that *iconic* year Columbo aired its last few telefilms, marking an end of an era indeed. As well, one wonders if the "Eighties" in terms of popular entertainment in fact began in 1979? 📺🤔
You forgot that in 1978 was one of the biggest bomb TV series of all time, supertrain, and one of the most laughed at TV series of all time, hello Larry with McLean Stevenson
Meanwhile, NBC was getting their butts kicked in the ratings night-after-night (and Saturday mornings, too), until they finally figured it out and turned things around in the 80s. However, their saving grace was the fact NBC's local affiliates did offer better quality local programming (at least in our area) than the ABC local stations did
Carrie Fisher certainly sings well you couldn’t have ended the show with her singing. 1978 was a great time for 📺 TV viewing. The late ⏰ 1970’s were a fun 🤩 time to watch 📺 TV. This was a time when there was great programming and on those years ABC network was certainly on top. Shows weren’t certainly racie or inappropriate to watch. Dave you certainly feature good segments that highlight the good old days.
Well done Mr Sundstrom!! Brilliant. You not only opened a fun, familiar door, you kicked it open! The only thing I thing I disagree with you on is the Star Wars special (and what fun would it be talking about TV if we agreed all the time?) Its all subjective but I cant seperate Carrie Fisher and her admitted vice at the time from anything that might be super funny or kitchy. Thanks for your hard work!
I also was 10 in the fall of 1978 and addicted to TV. There was no need for anyone to have a guide in my family I read the guide as some as it came out and knew with shows had new episodes on if you show would be showing a re run that week.
Either the Reelz or Vice channel made a 2 hour show about The Star Wars Christmas special. They explained why it was so bad but it was the first appearance of Boba Fett.
Thanks for sharing. Here is the video that I published about "The Star Wars Holiday Special": ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE--PNNTcKMYfE.html
Angie was dropped due to falling ratings at a time when its network dominated the airwaves. I suspect the change in format did that. It had Debralee Scott, a personal fave of mine.
Met Robert Hayes at a convention. Nice guy. Told me Donna Pescow is Godmother to his child. He also told me the reason Angie did not last longer was a network executive did not like a cast member
Just watched a mini doc about the Happy Days My favorite Orkin episode yesterday. How it started as a suggestion from a young kid, to the worst script ever, to the original actor quitting, before Robin Williams walked into the audition and improved his way through the auditions, rehearsals and taping. Henry Winkler said he saw Robin and new his job was to keep a strait face. They don't make them like Robin any more.
ABC did well in 1978, because Fred Silverman was the program director. Remember, he was program director of CBS for many years putting on shows such as All in the Family, Maude, Good Times, Sonny and Cher The Jeffersons MASH. etc. He also was somewhat responsible for the rural purge in the early 70s. He went to ABC in 1975 and elevated Fonzie to star status, gave Laverne and Shirley a show, Charlie's Angel's, Bionic Woman, etc. He went to NBC in 1980 but his magic touch was gone. Remember Supertrain and Hello Larry?
@jdsundstrom I think I mentioned to you, Dave, Fred Silverman would be an interesting future subject. He could be admired for some things but hated for others, especially raiding cast members from other network shows and giving them shows on ABC. Two examples are Harvey Korman (Carol Burnett Show) and Nancy Walker (Rhoda, McMillan, and Wife). Both of their shows failed. Nancy Walker had two shows failed in one season a record
Silverman did start the trend of bringing quality programming to NBC, but I think it was more Brandon Tartikoff who solidified it. It was because of Tartikoff that shows like Cheers and Hill Street Blues lasted more than one season. Both shows did horrible in the ratings their first season, and by today's standards, probably would have been canceled mid-season at the latest.
ABC may have dominated the Nielsen ratings that year, but they were unable to win either edition of "Battle of the Network Stars" that aired in the 78-79 season. (Though they were the network that aired it, Howard Cosell doing play-by-play).
I disagree. I think the 80s was more the decade of NBC. I also don't know if I agree with this video. Perhaps for the individual year 1978, ABC was king, but I felt the 1970s as a whole was more CBS' decade. ABC to me at least was more the network of the 90s, although in the latter half I think it was losing ground to FOX gaining momentum due to their purchase of the rights to air NFL Football games and the introduction of the UPN and WB Networks.
They really were riding high in those days. Dave, do you remember if The Tubes Prime Time song was used by one of the networks back then, or am i misremembering? I remember Still the One being used, and i know there were others, but I seem to recall a Prime Time song, but whose...well, I'm not sure.
I love "Prime Time" by The Tubes...featuring the amazing Re Styles singing with Fee Waybill. That said, I don't ever remember any of the networks using it back then. It sure is a great song though. 🙂
Considering I was born towards the end of 1978 (December 19th), I wonder how ABC did from 1979 and beyond. Not good? Dang it! See what happened when I came into the world? I ruined everything!
ABC lost its #1 position to CBS the next season (1979-80). It messed w/ its season schedule a lot, moving L&S to Monday, M&M to Sunday, and FANTASY ISLAND to Friday, dropping ratings for all these shows and shows not moved to other nights.
I don't care what this video says, for me in 1978, CBS was king, at least on Friday nights. Dukes of Hazzard (technically starting in 1979), The Incredible Hulk, Wonder Woman, and Dallas! Of course, around 1982-1983, I moved to NBC for Knight Rider! I guess the ABC comedies were too adult-themed for me to care at 8 years old.
It’s funny how networks had their turns at domination. Most of it is about the lead in show cause the rest especially the 8:30 and 9:30 shows is the one ur “stuck” with until the next show comes on. A lot of spin offs came from t hose lead in shows some successful some never got off the ground or crashed after a season. Marshall and Lear were some Kings of spin-offs but had some duds
Dave sandstorm I loved Angie They had moreen ma govern do the same heme they also had a show called making it with David naughton Which was a show about the disco crazeof the 1970it was a tv version of Saturday night fever you forgot to mention it bombed
Game Shows On The Air 1978 NBC Daytime Card Sharks The Hollywood Squares High Rollers Wheel Of Fortune Jeopardy Art Fleming CBS Daytime The Price Is Right Match Game ABC Daytime The $20,000 Pyramid Family Feud Syndicated Game Shows The Crosswits Family Fued The Joker's Wild Tic Tac Dough Celebrity Charades You Don't Say! The Newlywed Game The Dating Game The Liar's Club Match Game P.M. The Gong Show The HollyWood Squares The $25,000 Pyramid Cullen The $1.98 Beauty Show And The $100,000 Name That Tune Tom Kennedy
