TMC
08-12-2025, 01:59 AM
https://comforttv.blogspot.com/2025/08/my-journey-through-1970s-tv-wednesday.html
How do you follow up a night when your network features the season’s two highest-rated shows? If you’re ABC, you do it with three more hits to dominate yet another evening. Give credit to CBS for at least hanging in there with a mostly successful mix of new shows and returning favorites. As for NBC…well, better luck on Thursday.
ABC
The Bionic Woman
Baretta
Charlie’s Angels (https://web.archive.org/web/20061031125247fw_/http://www.jumptheshark.com/c/charliesangels.htm)
Baretta (#8) was still a top ten hit in its third season, but it was quickly surpassed in popularity by a new show featuring three little girls who went to the police academy. Charlie’s Angels (https://web.archive.org/web/20140330100109/http://forums.televisionwithoutpity.com/topic/3113627-charlies-angels-brought-to-you-by-farrahs-hair/?view=getnewpost) (#5 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top-rated_United_States_television_programs_of_1976%E2%80%9377)) was the breakout hit (http://www.thetvratingsguide.com/2020/02/1976-77-ratings-history.html) of the season (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1976%E2%80%9377_United_States_network_television_schedule), destroying its competition and landing its three stars on the cover of Time magazine.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjyYGWKjGAbtQxlTHFaOElmkBmkoME-jg4zb3l68Sha7IyBidhonxPe5XwHX4QypuRTMa6sPY0sY8kTOOzfu6hhQdWR7rpEi8KY_r1HkUfC8yXpnt4_Or-2Nmzdabok4i81i8CCyTR_sEEP2RMjlD9hfmZ7XFWhhoRA5t_2eqT-DbHPOe9LrP9kQydQ47g=w400-h274
Sadly, its first season (http://cult-tv-lounge.blogspot.com/2015/11/charlies-angels-season-one-1976.html) would be the only one with the original lineup of Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and Jaclyn Smith. Farrah’s quick departure, largely engineered by husband Lee Majors, would put the series’ future in jeopardy, but the network need not have worried, as we’ll see when we get to 1977.
How do you follow up a night when your network features the season’s two highest-rated shows? If you’re ABC, you do it with three more hits to dominate yet another evening. Give credit to CBS for at least hanging in there with a mostly successful mix of new shows and returning favorites. As for NBC…well, better luck on Thursday.
ABC
The Bionic Woman
Baretta
Charlie’s Angels (https://web.archive.org/web/20061031125247fw_/http://www.jumptheshark.com/c/charliesangels.htm)
Baretta (#8) was still a top ten hit in its third season, but it was quickly surpassed in popularity by a new show featuring three little girls who went to the police academy. Charlie’s Angels (https://web.archive.org/web/20140330100109/http://forums.televisionwithoutpity.com/topic/3113627-charlies-angels-brought-to-you-by-farrahs-hair/?view=getnewpost) (#5 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top-rated_United_States_television_programs_of_1976%E2%80%9377)) was the breakout hit (http://www.thetvratingsguide.com/2020/02/1976-77-ratings-history.html) of the season (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1976%E2%80%9377_United_States_network_television_schedule), destroying its competition and landing its three stars on the cover of Time magazine.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjyYGWKjGAbtQxlTHFaOElmkBmkoME-jg4zb3l68Sha7IyBidhonxPe5XwHX4QypuRTMa6sPY0sY8kTOOzfu6hhQdWR7rpEi8KY_r1HkUfC8yXpnt4_Or-2Nmzdabok4i81i8CCyTR_sEEP2RMjlD9hfmZ7XFWhhoRA5t_2eqT-DbHPOe9LrP9kQydQ47g=w400-h274
Sadly, its first season (http://cult-tv-lounge.blogspot.com/2015/11/charlies-angels-season-one-1976.html) would be the only one with the original lineup of Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and Jaclyn Smith. Farrah’s quick departure, largely engineered by husband Lee Majors, would put the series’ future in jeopardy, but the network need not have worried, as we’ll see when we get to 1977.