What night did MTM debut on? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

catwoman1 · 06-19-2010, 08:43 PM

I googled MTM looking for information on the house and saw a post that said MTM debuted on Tuesday night against Mod Squad. I just don't remember that at all. I only remember watching MTM on Saturday nights

catlover79 · 06-19-2010, 09:00 PM

In all the TV books I have - TMTMS debuted on September 19, 1970. That was a Saturday night. The show aired on Saturday nights on CBS for its entire 7-season run.

Mr. Television · 06-19-2010, 09:11 PM

Yea MTM never aired on any other night. It along with AITF was the anchor of CBS' Saturday night lineup back then.

Marvo301 · 06-19-2010, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover79

In all the TV books I have - TMTMS debuted on September 19, 1970. That was a Saturday night. The show aired on Saturday nights on CBS for its entire 7-season run.

I found the same information in all my books too!

treky · 06-19-2010, 10:24 PM

it aired on saturday night at 9:30 eastern time right after "THE NEW DICK VAN DYKE SHOW" (CBS was hoping that a "Dick-Mary hour" would attract viewers)
And I read somewhere that; to this day; Mary credits that with getting her show off to a good start.

TV Knowledge Fan · 06-19-2010, 11:32 PM

....this was CBS" prime-time schedule the evening Mary premiered on Saturday, September 19, 1970 [all times Eastern]:

7:30 MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE
8:30 MY THREE SONS
9:00 ARNIE (starring Herschel Bernardi)
9:30 THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW
10:00 MANNIX

The Dick Van Dyke/Mary Tyler Moore "coupling" happened in her second season {in the fall of '71}, when "ARNIE" moved to 10:30pm(et) on Mondays, after "MY THREE SONS".

See, the original plan was for Mary to appear on Tuesdays at 8pm(et). But Fred Silverman saw a "flaw" in some of the network's preliminary schedule that summer, deciding a back-to-back combination of "THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES" [7:30] and "GREEN ACRES" [8] was a better "fit", shifting Mary to Saturdays just six weeks before her premiere...

Zoneboy · 06-19-2010, 11:40 PM

Wasn't Herschel Bernardi the voice of Charlie the tuna from the Starkist commercials?

Marvo301 · 06-20-2010, 12:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoneboy

Wasn't Herschel Bernardi the voice of Charlie the tuna from the Starkist commercials?

That is correct Charles. And he also voiced the Ho Ho Ho's of the Jolly Green Giant.

treky · 06-20-2010, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marvo301

That is correct Charles. And he also voiced the Ho Ho Ho's of the Jolly Green Giant.

he did the jolly green giant too? I never knew that!

McGillicuddy · 06-22-2010, 12:09 AM

I never realized The Mary Tyler Moore Show started while My Three Sons was still on the schedule.

catlover79 · 06-22-2010, 12:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by treky

he did the jolly green giant too? I never knew that!

Neither did I! You really do learn something new every day.

OOliver · 06-26-2010, 01:08 PM

I remember watching an interview with Moore (many, many years ago), which she said it was her husband Grant Tinker who pushed for the Saturday night slot before the show debuted in 1970.

Tinker's "strategical thinking" back then was that single women who didn't have a date on Saturday night were probably "home watching TV" - and they would relate to single 'Mary and Rhoda' over the shows offered on the other two networks (yes, there was a time when there were only three networks, kids!). He believed these young women (sought after by advertisers) would tell their friends, and slowly build up a loyal audience who could relate to the main character.

Apparently, Tinker's strategy worked. From there, part of their subsequent renewals with CBS was that MTM would never move from Saturday nights - for the loyal single women in the audience.

catlover79 · 06-27-2010, 01:08 AM

^ Well, in 1970, my mom was a single woman who never missed an episode of TMTMS (plus Bob Newhart and Carol Burnett). When the show ended in 1977, Mom was still a loyal viewer - except by that point she was married (and still is!

) I have no doubt that had I been her age and living in 1970, I would've been glued to my TV every Saturday night watching Mary. As it is, I can totally relate to many of Mary and Rhoda's experiences - some things don't change after 40 years!!!

James28 · 01-29-2017, 11:53 PM

I have read on some 1970 issues of Broadcasting Magazine at AmericanRadioHistory.com about The Mary Tyler Moore Show being slotted at Tuesdays at 8:00 PM.

That made me want to ask this question: How would The Mary Tyler Moore Show have fared in the Tuesday timeslot it was initially planned to be at? Would it still have been the success it became when it aired on Saturdays, or would it have ended up a one-season failure?

I also started this thread some time ago about All in the Family initially being slotted on Mondays at 10:30 PM for the fall of 1971 and whether it would still have been a success had CBS stuck with its preliminary scheduling.

Considering that All in the Family did debut on Tuesdays at midseason, would all the success that CBS's Saturday lineup had during the early-to-mid-1970s have ended up on Tuesdays instead, provided that the Rural Purge would still happen at the end of the 1970-71 season, and CBS was willing to push The MTM Show and All in the Family to the top no matter what? And would audiences still have switched the channel from CBS to ABC for Marcus Welby M.D. at 10:00 PM?

06-19-2010, 08:43 PM	#1
catwoman1 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Aug 10, 2008 Location: Texarkana, AR Posts: 41	What night did MTM debut on? I googled MTM looking for information on the house and saw a post that said MTM debuted on Tuesday night against Mod Squad. I just don't remember that at all. I only remember watching MTM on Saturday nights

06-19-2010, 09:00 PM	#2
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	In all the TV books I have - TMTMS debuted on September 19, 1970. That was a Saturday night. The show aired on Saturday nights on CBS for its entire 7-season run.
	__________________ "Jesus loves you and He approves this message." "I'm alive. I'm feeling good. I'm trying to live every moment as much as I can." - Valerie Harper, March 2013

06-19-2010, 09:11 PM	#3
Mr. Television 23 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,133	Yea MTM never aired on any other night. It along with AITF was the anchor of CBS' Saturday night lineup back then.
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06-19-2010, 10:24 PM	#5
treky star trek fan Eternal Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Feb 25, 2002 Location: Conshohocken, pennsylvania Posts: 14,490	it aired on saturday night at 9:30 eastern time right after "THE NEW DICK VAN DYKE SHOW" (CBS was hoping that a "Dick-Mary hour" would attract viewers) And I read somewhere that; to this day; Mary credits that with getting her show off to a good start.
	__________________ the Clampetts are in a fancy Beverly Hills jewelry store. Granny points to a tray of rubies. Granny: "How much fer one o' them red diamonds?" clerk: "Madam, those are rubies." Granny: "OK ask her kin we buy one offa her." clerk: " The ruby I am talking about is not a lady." Granny: "Lissen, how she got them diamonds is her business. I'm just sayin' ask her kin we buy one from her."

06-19-2010, 11:32 PM	#6
TV Knowledge Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 29, 2006 Location: Long Branch, N.J. Posts: 2,577	Actually, 'treky'..... ....this was CBS" prime-time schedule the evening Mary premiered on Saturday, September 19, 1970 [all times Eastern]: 7:30 MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 8:30 MY THREE SONS 9:00 ARNIE (starring Herschel Bernardi) 9:30 THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW 10:00 MANNIX The Dick Van Dyke/Mary Tyler Moore "coupling" happened in her second season {in the fall of '71}, when "ARNIE" moved to 10:30pm(et) on Mondays, after "MY THREE SONS". See, the original plan was for Mary to appear on Tuesdays at 8pm(et). But Fred Silverman saw a "flaw" in some of the network's preliminary schedule that summer, deciding a back-to-back combination of "THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES" [7:30] and "GREEN ACRES" [8] was a better "fit", shifting Mary to Saturdays just six weeks before her premiere...

06-19-2010, 11:40 PM	#7
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,381	Wasn't Herschel Bernardi the voice of Charlie the tuna from the Starkist commercials?
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06-22-2010, 12:09 AM	#10
McGillicuddy Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 28, 2002 Posts: 5,179	I never realized The Mary Tyler Moore Show started while My Three Sons was still on the schedule.

06-26-2010, 01:08 PM	#12
OOliver Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jan 28, 2009 Location: Providence RI Posts: 569	I remember watching an interview with Moore (many, many years ago), which she said it was her husband Grant Tinker who pushed for the Saturday night slot before the show debuted in 1970. Tinker's "strategical thinking" back then was that single women who didn't have a date on Saturday night were probably "home watching TV" - and they would relate to single 'Mary and Rhoda' over the shows offered on the other two networks (yes, there was a time when there were only three networks, kids!). He believed these young women (sought after by advertisers) would tell their friends, and slowly build up a loyal audience who could relate to the main character. Apparently, Tinker's strategy worked. From there, part of their subsequent renewals with CBS was that MTM would never move from Saturday nights - for the loyal single women in the audience.

06-27-2010, 01:08 AM	#13
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	^ Well, in 1970, my mom was a single woman who never missed an episode of TMTMS (plus Bob Newhart and Carol Burnett). When the show ended in 1977, Mom was still a loyal viewer - except by that point she was married (and still is! ) I have no doubt that had I been her age and living in 1970, I would've been glued to my TV every Saturday night watching Mary. As it is, I can totally relate to many of Mary and Rhoda's experiences - some things don't change after 40 years!!!

01-29-2017, 11:53 PM	#14
James28 Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 14, 2007 Posts: 3,978	I have read on some 1970 issues of Broadcasting Magazine at AmericanRadioHistory.com about The Mary Tyler Moore Show being slotted at Tuesdays at 8:00 PM. That made me want to ask this question: How would The Mary Tyler Moore Show have fared in the Tuesday timeslot it was initially planned to be at? Would it still have been the success it became when it aired on Saturdays, or would it have ended up a one-season failure? I also started this thread some time ago about All in the Family initially being slotted on Mondays at 10:30 PM for the fall of 1971 and whether it would still have been a success had CBS stuck with its preliminary scheduling. Considering that All in the Family did debut on Tuesdays at midseason, would all the success that CBS's Saturday lineup had during the early-to-mid-1970s have ended up on Tuesdays instead, provided that the Rural Purge would still happen at the end of the 1970-71 season, and CBS was willing to push The MTM Show and All in the Family to the top no matter what? And would audiences still have switched the channel from CBS to ABC for Marcus Welby M.D. at 10:00 PM?
	__________________ "When the run of a network TV show has ended, some go out with a bang, some with a whimper, but all are...Future Endeavored." "Stay Safe"? More like "Stay Sad". #2020Hurts