The Rural Purge of 1969-1972

[mets82]

If you linked to this wikipedia article (and its wikipedia, so take it for what is worth) but there was a Rural Purge of television shows from 1969 to 1972. Shows that were too rural like Mayberry R.F.D. and The Beverly Hillbillies were cancelled. How big of an effect do you think this had on tv? This seemed like a pretty big deal at the time and cancelled some very prominent shows. What do you guys think?


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rural_purge

[CommonTater]

I am old enough to remember all this and I wasn't happy. I loved the shows they decided to can. I still hate that the networks decided what we want and like when they have NO clue what millions of us want. I wish we had shows on today like the classic shows. As stated in the article, the themes of those shows were the honesty and "strong family values supposedly inherent in small town life. Those shows are now classic's.



Note: The following shows were canceled at their end of the respective seasons. Some shows did not have a rural theme, but were perceived to appeal primarily to rural audiences or had a low youth/urban audience.
1969-70 season

Petticoat Junction (CBS, 1963–1970)[1]
The Red Skelton Show (NBC, 1951–53, CBS, 1953–1970, NBC, 1970–71, cancelled by CBS and renewed by NBC)
The Jackie Gleason Show (CBS, 1962–1970)

1970-71 season

Green Acres (CBS, 1965–1971)[1]
The Beverly Hillbillies (CBS, 1962–1971)[1]
Mayberry R.F.D. (CBS, 1968–1971)[1]
Hee-Haw (CBS, 1969–1971,[1] first run syndication 1971-1991)
Lassie (CBS, 1954–1971, first run syndication 1971-1973)
Family Affair (CBS, 1966–1971)
Hogan's Heroes (CBS, 1965–1971)
The Jim Nabors Hour (CBS, 1969–1971)[1]
The Red Skelton Show (cancelled by NBC)
The Lawrence Welk Show (locally in Los Angeles 1951-1955, ABC, 1955–1971, first run syndication 1971-1982)
The Johnny Cash Show (ABC, 1969–1971)
The Governor & J.J. (CBS, two seasons)
The Virginian (NBC, 9 seasons)
The Andy Williams Show (NBC, 10 seasons)
Wild Kingdom (NBC, 1963-1971; syndication 1971-1988)

1971-72 season

The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour (CBS, 1969–1972)

1973-74 season

Bonanza (NBC, 1959-1973)
Here's Lucy (CBS, 1968–74, following the related CBS series The Lucy Show (1962–1968), The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour (1957-1960), and I Love Lucy (1951–1957)

1974-75 season

Gunsmoke (CBS, 1955-1975)

[Yong Fang]

Most all the shows that were cancelled were on the wane and would have been out in a year or so. I also think that around the late 1960's into the 1970's that the viewer wanted more relevance and realism in their shows. Stuff like the Vietnam War, political assassinations, rising drug use, rising crimes and protests and the emergence of women as more than homemakers sort of demanded new shows for a different demographic.

The Beverly Hillbillies is a great example of this. The show got to be really stupid and farcical in the end and it was time to cancel it. The show fell out of the Top 30 by the end of the decade. Green Acres was also out of the Top 30 by 1969. Hogan's Heroes also ran its course.

Jim Nabors decided to quit Gomer Pyle USMC and had his variety show. I do not know if his show was good or not or if people watched it or not. I will say that if it was a ratings winner like Carol Burnett, it would have lasted. Carol herself is from Texas. It's not that CBS wanted to get rid of all performers with a drawl.

Mayberry RFD dropped in the ratings because Frances Bavier left the cast, which was the last link in the original Andy Griffith Show. Looking back, most TAGS fans do not like the color shows, and RFD were the color shows without Andy Griffith.

Red Skelton was a relic of the black and white 1950's by 1971. Like the OP stated, not all the shows cancelled were "rural" shows like for example, "Family Affair". Again, not to repeat myself, the show was on 5 years, the kids were no longer cute, the people stopped watching and it was cancelled.

CBS let go of Hee Haw and had about 20 years in syndication which is probably the best thing that could have happened. I amy be wrong, but I think Hee Haw had a regional audience, basically southerners and midwesterners.

I think that from my first paragraph, that times have changed, CBS' audience were older and rural and they wanted to change that. But their "country shows" (Andy and the Paul Henning shows) were monster hits in the early 1960's that were milked dry.

Not all so called "rural" shows were cancelled. Around 1969-70, CBS was going to cancel Gunsmoke, but decided to change the show to Mondays where it went back into the Top 20 for another 5 or 6 years until 1975.

[Dr. Thong]

If I were running a network, the last thing I'd do is cancel a hit show. If they wanted to not introduce any new "rural" shows and go for a more urban audience, fine, but I would have let the shows run their course.

[Mr. Television]

The funny thing is that most of these shows thrived in syndication during the 1970's on channels that the networks said wanted to be less rural. lol I was young when these shows were canceled but I remember them so well. They were always on. The Beverly Hillbillies was one of my favorite shows. We used to watch Hee Haw every Saturday night at 7:00 during the 1970's and it came on right before AITF on our local CBS Affiliate.

[TVOFYOURLIFE]

Having worked in broadcasting since 1971 CBS released they needed to reach a younger demographic and the shows they cancelled at the time were hitting more of the 35+ demo. I encounter this everyday as ad agencies only buy the 25-54 or 25-44 demo, if you are over 55 your viewing of a show doesn't count.

In those days a 35 year old person was considered somewhat old.

When Jackie Gleason was asked about the cancellation of his popular Saturday Night Show he replied "Today CBS learned a new word (Demographics) and because our show reaches an older audience it has been cancelled."


Take a look at TVLand for instance, when it first came on it showed programs from the 50's-70's, today its mostly 90's & 2k shows.

If TVLAND would just air the old shows they would generate no revenue because the audience would be too old.

[Mr. Television]

Originally Posted by TVOFYOURLIFE

Having worked in broadcasting since 1971 CBS released they needed to reach a younger demographic and the shows they cancelled at the time were hitting more of the 35+ demo. I encounter this everyday as ad agencies only buy the 25-54 or 25-44 demo, if you are over 55 your viewing of a show doesn't count.

In those days a 35 year old person was considered somewhat old.

When Jackie Gleason was asked about the cancellation of his popular Saturday Night Show he replied "Today CBS learned a new word (Demographics) and because our show reaches an older audience it has been cancelled."


Take a look at TVLand for instance, when it first came on it showed programs from the 50's-70's, today its mostly 90's & 2k shows.

If TVLAND would just air the old shows they would generate no revenue because the audience would be too old.

Now TV Land just sucks. I wish I could have it removed from my lineup.

[loaferman]

Originally Posted by Stuck In The '70's

Now TV Land just sucks. I wish I could have it removed from my lineup.

Could not agree more.

[ajgenard]

At sheer face value, it's a shame the networks took an axe to unsuspecting shows in such mass exodus. Many of them were considered television staples that provided respectable entertainment in countless homes.

But from a historical point of view I'm actually glad it happened. As it's been pointed out a lot of them were already in the crapper both creatively and in the ratings as well. Programming of the sort was fast becoming repetitive, formulaic, and generally not very good television. They basically NEEDED to be cancelled to make room for a new wave of social relevance from the likes of All in the Family, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, etc. I really shudder to think what would have become of television if it never changed. The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, Hogan's Heroes were simply casualties of history.

I'm left wondering when the networks will commit to a "reality purge" and wipe out a form of programming that's not only old and tired, but also disgusting and harmful to the collective intelligence.

[bookandfilmnut]

Originally Posted by loaferman

Could not agree more.

Me too. Thank God for my DVD player!!

[IllinoisTVFan]

I am too young to remember the rural purge (I as born in 1971)but took a class in grad school about broadcasting history (I was a media major)and this was discussed. Basically according to the book we studied and the teacher, it happened for a few reasons was overblown by people. For one, most of the shows purged were on their way out and most had by then fallen in ratings. Also, many of the shows included in the rural purge in fact weren't really rural shows. For example Family Affair, which was cancelled because it had run its course. Interesting to note that ABC was originally going to pick it up and felt it would work with similar shows like the Brady Bunch and the Partridge Family. Finally, yes CBS did want more topical shows because the rural shows were from a different era and things were changing. Instead they ended up with All In The Family, MASH and Mary Tyler Moore which dealt with more serious issues. Did they make the right choice? I guess that's personal opinion.

[Mr. Television]

Originally Posted by IllinoisTVFan

I am too young to remember the rural purge (I as born in 1971)but took a class in grad school about broadcasting history (I was a media major)and this was discussed. Basically according to the book we studied and the teacher, it happened for a few reasons was overblown by people. For one, most of the shows purged were on their way out and most had by then fallen in ratings. Also, many of the shows included in the rural purge in fact weren't really rural shows. For example Family Affair, which was cancelled because it had run its course. Interesting to note that ABC was originally going to pick it up and felt it would work with similar shows like the Brady Bunch and the Partridge Family. Finally, yes CBS did want more topical shows because the rural shows were from a different era and things were changing. Instead they ended up with All In The Family, MASH and Mary Tyler Moore which dealt with more serious issues. Did they make the right choice? I guess that's personal opinion.

I think the big ones that were cancelled were Hee Haw and Mayberry RFD. They were still top 20 shows. The rest had peaked. I still think they had a few more years in them though.

[1960'sTVfan]

Regarding the rural sitcoms, for the most part they had just run their course. It was now the 1970's and CBS wanted to re-vamp the programming. I enjoy Green Acres but I never got into Beverly Hillbillies or Petticoat Junction. With Beverly Hillbillies, the country folk living in Beverly Hills gimmick never clicked with me, Petticoat Junction I just never got interested in that show at all.

[mets82]

I understand about bringing shows that were more social relevance but thats quite the risk. If you cancel shows that are popular, how do you know if the shows you replace them with are going to be any good? I think CBS took a huge risk by having "The Rural Purge" because what if Mary Tyler Moore or All in the Family were not successful?

[Zoneboy]

Originally Posted by TVOFYOURLIFE

I encounter this everyday as ad agencies only buy the 25-54 or 25-44 demo, if you are over 55 your viewing of a show doesn't count.

Some of these ad agencies must be buying for the so-called 55 and older demographic. Why else would we see all these commercials for Colonial Penn life insurance, Depends undergarments, Seabond denture adhesive, Hoveround wheelchairs and those annoying-as-hell e.d. ads that are shoved down your throat everyday?