TV Facts

[TVFactFan]

Calucci's Department was a CBS ethnic sitcom about the every functions of a New State Unemployment Office that made its debut on sept 14, 1973

The show aired on Fridays nights and competed with the Brady Bunch on ABC and Sanford and Son on NBC.

The lady who played the grandmother on Family Matters was a cast member on the show

The guy who played Mr. Whittendale on the Jeffersons was a cast member of the show

The show was widely praised by critics

The show didnt get off to a good start and ranked #52 after the first episode

Even though the show didnt do well in the ratings and ranked last of all shows, the Network officials liked the show

The show actually finished last every week from sept to Nov

Cecil Smith of the LA Times suggested CBS moving the show away from Sanford and Son to find an audience

TV writer from Newsday speculated that the show failed because the lead actor was too fat and viewers dont want to see obesity every week

Lot of Italians Americans were upset by the cancellation of the show

31 of 217 CBS stations rejected the series entirely while 50 of the stations decided to air the show on Saturday Afternoon

The show aired three time in December with the last airing being Dec 28, 1973


































Philadelphia Inquirer, Dec 2, 1973
Newsday, Nov 21 1973
Pacific Daily News, Nov 4, 1973
Phila Daily News, Sept 14, 1973
Spring Leader and Press, Sept 26 1973
Minnseota Star, Oct 26, 1973