http://aftermash.blogspot.com/

well, from what I've heard; the first season was such a ratings DISASTER that CBS was all set to cancel it. But Bill Paleys wife liked it (Bill Paley was the head of programing at CBS in the 70s) and asked her husband to have it renewed, and that's the only reason it was brought back for a second season.

I DO know for a fact that TIME magazine called the pilot "the biggest dissapointment of the 1972-73 fall season".

well, from what I've heard; the first season was such a ratings DISASTER that CBS was all set to cancel it. But Bill Paleys wife liked it (Bill Paley was the head of programing at CBS in the 70s) and asked her husband to have it renewed, and that's the only reason it was brought back for a second season.

I DO know for a fact that TIME magazine called the pilot "the biggest dissapointment of the 1972-73 fall season".
It sounds like Bill Paley's wife was the one really running CBS. First she saved Gunsmoke and now this. :lol:

his wife didn't save "GUNSMOKE". Bill Paley did.

his wife didn't save "GUNSMOKE". Bill Paley did.
But the only reason he saved it was because it was his wife's favorite show! So he canceled Gilligan's Island to make room in the schedule for Gunsmoke.

But the only reason he saved it was because it was his wife's favorite show! So he canceled Gilligan's Island to make room in the schedule for Gunsmoke.
no, no, no, you're a little confused. It was HIS favorite show; not his wifes. He came back from vacation and found that the network had decided to cancel it. So, he had them "uncancel" it, and cancel "GILLIGANS ISLAND" and a show called "RUN BUDDY, RUN" instead.
They not only renewed "GUNSMOKE"; they started showing it in color and moved it out of its saturday night timeslot.

no, no, no, you're a little confused. It was HIS favorite show; not his wifes. He came back from vacation and found that the network had decided to cancel it. So, he had them "uncancel" it, and cancel "GILLIGANS ISLAND" and a show called "RUN BUDDY, RUN" instead.
They not only renewed "GUNSMOKE"; they started showing it in color and moved it out of its saturday night timeslot.

Actually, Gunsmoke had switched to color a year earlier, in 1966, when all 3 networks made their primetime schedules 100% color.

According to Sherwood Schwartz in his book Inside Gilligan's Island, Run Buddy Run had been cancelled anyway, and a new show called Doc was supposed to premiere in Buddy's post-GI timeslot. CBS execs didn't like Doc and wanted to please the Paleys, so they dumped Doc and cancelled GI to accommodate Gunsmoke on Monday nights.