Every major TV network has gone through ups and downs.

What were some of the down periods for the big networks?

IMHO:

ABC- They were far and away third in the three-network era in the 1950s and 1960s. The network was going nowhere until Aaron Spelling showed up and gave them some hit shows.

CBS- In the mid-1990s, they were saddled with the reputation as an old-persons network.

ABC- They were far and away third in the three-network era in the 1950s and 1960s. The network was going nowhere until Aaron Spelling showed up and gave them some hit shows.

Are you trying to say that ABC had no hit shows until Aaron Spelling came along? If so then you're sadly mistaken. ABC might not have been a ratings powerhouse during the 50's and 60's but they had respectable ratings with their shows including:

Bewitched
Disneyland
Wyatt Earp
Cheyenne
Sugarfoot
The Rifleman
Maverick
The Lawman
The Untouchables
77 Sunset Strip
The Flintstones
The Real McCoys
Ben Casey
The Donna Reed Show
The Patty Duke Show
Combat
My Three Sons
The F.B.I.
Marcus Welby, M.D.
Batman (II)
Batman (I)
The Lawrence Welk Show
The Johnny Cash Show


Some of Aaron Spelling's contributions certainly helped ABC but he was not solely responsible for the network's success.

Id say NBC before the 80s.

The WB - 2004-2006
UPN - Entire Run
CW - Now...sort of

Are you trying to say that ABC had no hit shows until Aaron Spelling came along? If so then you're sadly mistaken. ABC might not have been a ratings powerhouse during the 50's and 60's but they had respectable ratings with their shows including:

Disneyland
Wyatt Earp
Cheyenne
Sugarfoot
The Rifleman
Maverick
The Lawman
The Untouchables
77 Sunset Strip
The Flintstones
The Real McCoys
Ben Casey
The Donna Reed Show
The Patty Duke Show
Combat
My Three Sons
The F.B.I.
Marcus Welby, M.D.
Batman (II)
Batman (I)
The Lawrence Welk Show
The Johnny Cash Show


Some of Aaron Spelling's contributions certainly helped ABC but he was not solely responsible for the network's success.
You are right. It Actually was WB and Disney that saved ABC Until they joined ABC it looked like Dumont would be the 3rd network. After Disneyland and the WB shows came aboard Dumont's fate was sealed.

Are you trying to say that ABC had no hit shows until Aaron Spelling came along? If so then you're sadly mistaken. ABC might not have been a ratings powerhouse during the 50's and 60's but they had respectable ratings with their shows including:

Disneyland
Wyatt Earp
Cheyenne
Sugarfoot
The Rifleman
Maverick
The Lawman
The Untouchables
77 Sunset Strip
The Flintstones
The Real McCoys
Ben Casey
The Donna Reed Show
The Patty Duke Show
Combat
My Three Sons
The F.B.I.
Marcus Welby, M.D.
Batman (II)
Batman (I)
The Lawrence Welk Show
The Johnny Cash Show


Some of Aaron Spelling's contributions certainly helped ABC but he was not solely responsible for the network's success.
As much as I love my Spelling, I have to agree with this. ABC gained some ground by the early 1960s, and was definitely as good as the other two by the latter part of the decade. They finally got their first #1 show for the whole season with Marcus Welby in 1970-1971.

I would say that ABC was pretty much the pits for most of the early 2000s up until the debuts of Housewives, Lost, and Grey's. Not that I'm a fan of Grey's or Lost, but before those three shows came along, ABC was stuck in absolute ratings hell, and it was getting harder and harder for them to try and spin it around and blame it on Millionaire.

NBC...now? I have a feeling Jay Leno is gonna crash and burn. A primetime show five nights a week is sooo not gonna work in the US. The only show that I watch on NBC is Friday Night Lights, and that's not technically an NBC show anymore, and after two more seasons, it's probably done anyway.

I don't think CBS has ever really had a bad era. They've consistently had good, high-rated shows for years and years. They only time I would say they might have had a slump was in the late 1980s.

Are we forgetting the sitcom that put ABC on the map as a serious contender in the network game?? BEWITCHED!!!!!! #2 of all shows in its DEBUT season.

ABC, NBC, CBS-Their worst era the early 80's to present

ABC, NBC, CBS-Their worst era the early 80's to present

I have DVD releases of several series from NBC and ABC from when I was a little boy, and I have absolutely enjoyed them. That said, I'm of the opinion that the worst era actually started in the '90's and has continued to the present. Nothing against your opinion, of course.

ABC had a terrible short era at the beginning of this decade after the Millionaire buzz wore off but before Lost and Desperate Housewives revived the network. They had some good shows (8 Simple Rules, According to Jim, etc) but no huge hits

CBS has been consistently good with maybe a few glitches here and there

NBC has been in lots of bad periods including now and the late 70s/early 80s

NBC - In particular the Fred Silverman-era was a low point and the post 2004-present were two of their worst.

The only shows during the Silverman-era that helped NBC or were respectable shows were: Hill Street Blues, The Facts of Life, Diff'rent Strokes, "CHiPs," (even though that show was a bottom of the barrel show in the entire portion of the '70s), The Smurfs (that show alone not only revitalized their Saturday morning line-up, but it also helped rejuvenate Hanna-Barbera's fortunes), Gimme a Break! (even though it was never a Top 25 show), and Real People among shows.

NBC also had a bad period for Saturday Morning Cartoons from the very late '80s through the early-to-mid '90s as NBC was the 1st of the original big 3 networks to fold with Saturday Morning cartoons.



CBS - during the 1986-very early '90s period, this network was getting pummeled by NBC all over. Shows like Magnum, P.I., Simon & Simon, Cagney and Lacey, Dallas, Falcon Crest, Jake and the Fatman, and Newhart were all losing major steam by this period and were all gone by the end of the '80s or very early '90s.

CBS was in a daytime game show-less period from 1968-72 once the network canned To Tell the Truth.

Up until Million Dollar Password debuted, CBS had a terrible, TERRIBLE track record with primetime game shows. Not a single one of them lasted a full season.


ABC - before and even shortly after the WWTBaM craze, this network had no real direction going for them, this is up until shows like Grey's Anatomy and Desparate Housewives revitalized their fortunes.

Also, the post-1979-80 season was one of two low points for ABC in the '80s, with the other being the 1981-82 season. In 1982, most of ABC's sitcoms were either running out of steam or were on their way to cancelled city.

The late '80s/early '90s were also terrible for ABC with daytime game shows. Why? Because every game show that debuted on ABC in the late '80s/early '90s all lasted a year or less and they were also the 1st of the original big 3 networks to fold with daytime GS's.

ABC: 1993-present, when they canceled The Wonder Years and Perfect Strangers. The network is now broken beyond repair.

CBS: the late 1990s-present, after they abandoned their status as an old folks' network (which to me was "code" for not wanting to create a Waltons TV special--DYK that Earl Hamner submitted a script to CBS in like 1998 and so far they have no interest ... grr!!! :mad: )

FOX: 1987-present, after they foisted Married ... with Children on the American people and FAILED to cave to the demands of the public who complained about it!

NBC: 1994-present, after Friends started. They recovered a little in 2004 when it got canceled.

UPN: 1999-their end, when they were a safe haven for Smackdown!.

MyNetworkTV: the present time, at least until they put Smackdown! out to pasture.

Are you trying to say that ABC had no hit shows until Aaron Spelling came along? If so then you're sadly mistaken. ABC might not have been a ratings powerhouse during the 50's and 60's but they had respectable ratings with their shows including:

Disneyland
Wyatt Earp
Cheyenne
Sugarfoot
The Rifleman
Maverick
The Lawman
The Untouchables
77 Sunset Strip
The Flintstones
The Real McCoys
Ben Casey
The Donna Reed Show
The Patty Duke Show
Combat
My Three Sons
The F.B.I.
Marcus Welby, M.D.
Batman (II)
Batman (I)
The Lawrence Welk Show
The Johnny Cash Show


Some of Aaron Spelling's contributions certainly helped ABC but he was not solely responsible for the network's success.

I don't think that is what they were trying to say at all. But everybody knows that in this era ABC was not able to rise above 3rd in the overall ratings.


Sadly, ABC also had a difficult time during the late 1990's, after Millonaire faded from popularity and they were unable to produce any new hits. It wasn't until 04 or 05 that they were able to once again find popularity.

ABC: 1993-present, when they canceled The Wonder Years and Perfect Strangers. The network is now broken beyond repair.

CBS: the late 1990s-present, after they abandoned their status as an old folks' network (which to me was "code" for not wanting to create a Waltons TV special--DYK that Earl Hamner submitted a script to CBS in like 1998 and so far they have no interest ... grr!!! :mad: )

FOX: 1987-present, after they foisted Married ... with Children on the American people and FAILED to cave to the demands of the public who complained about it!

NBC: 1994-present, after Friends started. They recovered a little in 2004 when it got canceled.

UPN: 1999-their end, when they were a safe haven for Smackdown!.

MyNetworkTV: the present time, at least until they put Smackdown! out to pasture.

are you kidding me? this is a total joke.

#1 leaving the old crowd behind was the best thing CBS could have donbe as it not only drove their ratings up but allowed them to get better ad dollars and it has been the #1 network for years now because of this new direction. Not only that but creatively it's been getting the best reviews it's ever gotten since it's new look was created.

#2 so you're saying that since it launched FOX has been a terrible network? You do realize that it's currently getting the highest ratings it's ever gotten right? thanks to shows like "House", "American Idol" and "Bones"? Plus, btw, not everyone hated shows like "Married with Children" afterall it did run for 11 years and was a big hit. so not the entire public wanted that show cancelled.

#3 The 1990's were among NBC's greatest success stories, they were the #1 network for most of the decade and "Friends" was among the biggest hits network tv has ever seen.

#4 ABC had a lot of success in the post-1993 era, with shows like "Roseanne", "Home Improvement", "Nypd blue" and "Millonaire" so honestly the cancellation of Wonder Years was not a big flop at all, the shwo had run it's course and it was time to end it. Plus, right now ABC is in a better position ratings wise (and creatively) than it has been in decades.

are you kidding me? this is a total joke.

#1 leaving the old crowd behind was the best thing CBS could have donbe as it not only drove their ratings up but allowed them to get better ad dollars and it has been the #1 network for years now because of this new direction. Not only that but creatively it's been getting the best reviews it's ever gotten since it's new look was created.

What about the issue of age discrimination? There are people in their 50s and 60s, you know.

... not everyone hated shows like "Married with Children" afterall it did run for 11 years and was a big hit. so not the entire public wanted that show cancelled.

What angers me was the media treatment of the protesters whose stories were spun to create interest in the show instead of sympathy for the plight of people from groups like the Parents Television Council (even though it didn't form until 1995) and the American Family Association. Talk about elitist!

#4 ABC had a lot of success in the post-1993 era, with shows like "Roseanne", "Home Improvement", "Nypd blue" and "Millonaire" so honestly the cancellation of Wonder Years was not a big flop at all, the shwo had run it's course and it was time to end it. Plus, right now ABC is in a better position ratings wise (and creatively) than it has been in decades.

First, "TWY" had not yet run its course because Kevin and company had not yet graduated. Another season concentrating on senior year and graduation would have been a good way to wrap things up. Second, "NYPD Blue" should never have been made because it broke a lot of taboos. ABC started this up right after they canceled "TWY" (no wonder it's like the show I hate the most!), like they wanted to go where TV has never gone before. Why? Like they say, if it ain't broke...

I'm sorry, Facts. I know you may not agree with me, but those are just my opinions. (Now I feel better having gotten that off of my chest.)

Are we forgetting the sitcom that put ABC on the map as a serious contender in the network game?? BEWITCHED!!!!!! #2 of all shows in its DEBUT season.

I thought I had Bewitched on my list but I didn't.

What about the issue of age discrimination? There are people in their 50s and 60s, you know.



What angers me was the media treatment of the protesters whose stories were spun to create interest in the show instead of sympathy for the plight of people from groups like the Parents Television Council (even though it didn't form until 1995) and the American Family Association. Talk about elitist!



First, "TWY" had not yet run its course because Kevin and company had not yet graduated. Another season concentrating on senior year and graduation would have been a good way to wrap things up. Second, "NYPD Blue" should never have been made because it broke a lot of taboos. ABC started this up right after they canceled "TWY" (no wonder it's like the show I hate the most!), like they wanted to go where TV has never gone before. Why? Like they say, if it ain't broke...

I'm sorry, Facts. I know you may not agree with me, but those are just my opinions. (Now I feel better having gotten that off of my chest.)


It's not age discrimination because they aren't saying old people can't watch our shows, they simply decided to program shows that appeal to a wider margin of viewers.


The Wonder Years had a long, successful run and it was time for the show to end. Cancelling that one show shouldn't doom the network to heck for the rest of time. imho.

are you kidding me? this is a total joke.

#1 leaving the old crowd behind was the best thing CBS could have donbe as it not only drove their ratings up but allowed them to get better ad dollars and it has been the #1 network for years now because of this new direction. Not only that but creatively it's been getting the best reviews it's ever gotten since it's new look was created.

#2 so you're saying that since it launched FOX has been a terrible network? You do realize that it's currently getting the highest ratings it's ever gotten right? thanks to shows like "House", "American Idol" and "Bones"? Plus, btw, not everyone hated shows like "Married with Children" afterall it did run for 11 years and was a big hit. so not the entire public wanted that show cancelled.

#3 The 1990's were among NBC's greatest success stories, they were the #1 network for most of the decade and "Friends" was among the biggest hits network tv has ever seen.

#4 ABC had a lot of success in the post-1993 era, with shows like "Roseanne", "Home Improvement", "Nypd blue" and "Millonaire" so honestly the cancellation of Wonder Years was not a big flop at all, the shwo had run it's course and it was time to end it. Plus, right now ABC is in a better position ratings wise (and creatively) than it has been in decades.your post was right on the money let me say here that im 38 and grew up in ia time when there was still quite a bit of family programing on and although still love the family shows that i grew up with i also like shows with a modern adult senseabilaty and i think that the networks just changed with the times and i defenely agree that cbs made the right move a few years ago

NBC- Late 70s-Until 1984, 2004-present, don't seem to be interested in getting above 4th place, they kept Leno to prevent have from going to another network and killing Conan, they're better off with Leno in Primetime
ABC-They began to slip when Disney bought then until Millionaire came and then slipped again until Housewives came
CBS- When they the lost NFC package until they get the AFC package, it's always Nickelodeon for seniors
Fox- they became a major network when they get the NFC package but didn't have a major primetime hit (besides an animated show) until American Idol

Fox- they became a major network when they get the NFC package but didn't have a major primetime hit (besides an animated show) until American Idol


That simply is not true. The X-Files, Ally McBeal, Melrose Place, Beverly Hills, 90210, and Married With Children were all major primetime hits.

Files, McBeal, Melrose and 90210 were at one time or another top 20 hits, with files and Mcbeal often being in the top 10. I recall that at one time or another reruns of 90210 were often among the highest rated programs for the week. Idol definetly catapulted the network to a new level but they definetly had major primetime hits long before that show came around. I would say to a lesser degree even COPS and America's Most Wanted were signifigant hits for the network before AI.

Oh gosh, who could forget Fred Silverman's NBC reign with gems such as Pink Lady & Jeff, Manimal, and Supertrain?? :eek: :lol: Thankfully, Brandon Tartikoff and others came along with Family Ties, Cosby Show, Cheers, Miami Vice, Golden Girls, Hunter, etc.

Factsoflife, I agree that Saturday nights would not be the same without COPS and America's Most Wanted. Heck, those shows will probably be the linchpin of Saturday nights on FOX forever!!

That simply is not true. The X-Files, Ally McBeal, Melrose Place, Beverly Hills, 90210, and Married With Children were all major primetime hits.


American Idol was their first megahit

American Idol was their first megahit

First you said major hit an now you change it to mega but either way you're still incorrect.

American Idol was their first megahit


that is simply not true. Married With Children, 90210, Melrose Place, Ally McBeal, The X-Files and to a lesser extent Party Of Five all came before AI and were all signifigant hits for the network. Not to mention The Simpsons and Family Guy.

Worst era for the networks would be from the 2000 to present.

Worst era for the networks would be from the 2000 to present.
Amen to that!! puke:

What about the issue of age discrimination? There are people in their 50s and 60s, you know.



What angers me was the media treatment of the protesters whose stories were spun to create interest in the show instead of sympathy for the plight of people from groups like the Parents Television Council (even though it didn't form until 1995) and the American Family Association. Talk about elitist!



First, "TWY" had not yet run its course because Kevin and company had not yet graduated. Another season concentrating on senior year and graduation would have been a good way to wrap things up. Second, "NYPD Blue" should never have been made because it broke a lot of taboos. ABC started this up right after they canceled "TWY" (no wonder it's like the show I hate the most!), like they wanted to go where TV has never gone before. Why? Like they say, if it ain't broke...

I'm sorry, Facts. I know you may not agree with me, but those are just my opinions. (Now I feel better having gotten that off of my chest.)

You have very harsh opinions on TV.FOX has become a great network with great entertaiment.And you thought Friends killed NBC.Dude check the figures.Friends was and still is one of the greatest TV comedies ever made.NBC in the 90s was the number 1 network and had the best programming in the world at the time.Friends,Fraiser,ER,West Wing,Law & Order and many others.

Your opinions are quite off but ill argue with them all night if you want me too.

Oh gosh, who could forget Fred Silverman's NBC reign with gems such as Pink Lady & Jeff, Manimal, and Supertrain?? :eek: :lol: Thankfully, Brandon Tartikoff and others came along with Family Ties, Cosby Show, Cheers, Miami Vice, Golden Girls, Hunter, etc.

Factsoflife, I agree that Saturday nights would not be the same without COPS and America's Most Wanted. Heck, those shows will probably be the linchpin of Saturday nights on FOX forever!!
Manimal, I believe, appeared after Silverman was gone from NBC.

Manimal, I believe, appeared after Silverman was gone from NBC.
Yes, you're right - Manimal was in 1983 and I think Fred Silverman was gone by 1981-82. Good catch!! Was David Cassidy: Man Undercover under Silverman's watch?

If Mamimal is revived i will punch myself endlessly until i die because then i will know that TV has gone insane.

Yes, you're right - Manimal was in 1983 and I think Fred Silverman was gone by 1981-82. Good catch!! Was David Cassidy: Man Undercover under Silverman's watch?yes it was

yes it was
That explains a lot. :lol:

Every major TV network has gone through ups and downs.

What were some of the down periods for the big networks?

IMHO:

ABC- They were far and away third in the three-network era in the 1950s and 1960s. The network was going nowhere until Aaron Spelling showed up and gave them some hit shows.

CBS- In the mid-1990s, they were saddled with the reputation as an old-persons network.

This was also during a time in which CBS' sports division was a joke pretty much. They didn't have any Major League Baseball (having lost half a billion dollars off of their four year, 1990-1993 contract), they were surprisingly outbid by the upstart FOX network for the NFL rights (which CBS had from 1956-1993), they didn't have any college football (having lost the CFA package to ABC after the 1990 season) save for the Sun Bowl, and they didn't have any NBA coverage (having lost that to NBC after the 1989-89 season). Jim Nantz and Pat O'Brien (before the voice mails:crazy:) were pretty much the only major CBS Sports personalities who didn't bail to other networks when times were rough.

^Not to mention the fact that CBS lost many affiliates to FOX when that deal went through, having to settle for low-powered UHF affiliates.

It's hard to say which era for NBC is the worst, late 70's to early 80's or the current era.

^Not to mention the fact that CBS lost many affiliates to FOX when that deal went through, having to settle for low-powered UHF affiliates.

It's hard to say which era for NBC is the worst, late 70's to early 80's or the current era.

The current era of NBC makes all the duds on NBC in the late '70s/early '80s look like emmy-winning classics (Supertrain, Hello Larry, Manimal, etc.)

And not only was the late '80s/early '90s was definitely a distress period for CBS. They were in 3rd place in primetime for the most part plus a tanking sports division broadcast, and to this day they're also the weakest network between them, ABC, and NBC when it comes to late afternoon/early evening broadcast news, coupled with the fact that they're the only one of the original big 3 networks to not have a cable news department division.

The current era of NBC makes all the duds on NBC in the late '70s/early '80s look like emmy-winning classics (Supertrain, Hello Larry, Manimal, etc.)

And not only was the late '80s/early '90s was definitely a distress period for CBS. They were in 3rd place in primetime for the most part plus a tanking sports division broadcast, and to this day they're also the weakest network between them, ABC, and NBC when it comes to late afternoon/early evening broadcast news, coupled with the fact that they're the only one of the original big 3 networks to not have a cable news department division.
I agree with your assessment of NBC. Heck, I'd watch Supertrain, David Cassidy: Man Undercover, Pink Lady & Jeff, Hello, Larry, Manimal, etc. over practically anything NBC has on now!! :eek: :lol:

I agree with your assessment of NBC. Heck, I'd watch Supertrain, David Cassidy: Man Undercover, Pink Lady & Jeff, Hello, Larry, Manimal, etc. over practically anything NBC has on now!! :eek: :lol:

I'd watch those shows over what ALL of the networks have now, Monika!! :lol:

Worst era for the networks would be from the 2000 to present.
I'm surprised they're still on the air, and have an audience actually watching these crappy shows.

I'd watch those shows over what ALL of the networks have now, Monika!! :lol:
So would I. :lol: The sad thing is, I once watched the DVD set of Pink Lady & Jeff - which was pure pain. :eek: :lol: But I'd STILL watch it over the junk that's polluting the airwaves now!!

CBS - they also have a horrid track record of very bad programming decisions when it came to their game shows in the 1970s and the '80s off and on.

1974 - they canned the original $10K Pyramid. Look what happened: ABC picked up the show in May fo 1974 and made that show one of the big megahits of the 1970s. ABC's gain = CBS's loss.

beginning fo the late '70s - CBS moved Match Game '77
(I think it was 1977) from its late afternoon timeslot where kids came home from school to watch this show and (also helped make it the #1 game show from 1974-78) to airing it alongside The Price is Right in the mornings where kids are in school. That move was part of the reason of declining ratings. By the time they moved it back to its afternoon slot, the damage was already done and MG '79 was cancelled by CBS daytime in April of 1979.

Between ABC, CBS, and NBC, CBS is the weakest network when it comes to the early evening news programs. During the much later years of Dan Rather's tenure with the CBS Evening News, CBS was in 3rd place in the early evening news department and that infamous failure of a fiasco of CBS investigating then-president George W. Bush's war records, that alone really sealed CBS's reputation and not only placed them further into the ratings abyss, it was also partly the reason Dan Rather got booted from the CBS Evening News and replaced for a season or two by Bob Schieffer, only for the ratings to further stagnate and get himself to be replaced by Katie Couric.

Also, CBS became the 1st of the original Big 3 networks to drop infotainment shows or Kids' News Programming in the mid-'80s.