What Toronto was watching Nov. 14, 1970

[Sal]

Every once in a while, someone will write on here and ask about TV lineups from the past regarding certain stations like Nick At Nite or TV Land and see how they compare with what they're showing now. A few weeks ago I read where someone wanted to see old TV Guide listings or maybe some newspaper listings from the 70s or 80s. A couple of years ago I passed by a bookstore and saw some magazines which contained TV listings from 1970 and 1971 and so I bought one. It was from the Toronto Telegram newspaper which existed from the late 1800s to Halloween of 1971, when the paper folded and became the Toronto Sun. As I flipped through the pages, I was amazed at the quantity and quality of great sitcoms that were shown back then, especially during mid-afternoon when reruns dominated the schedule, unlike today where there is so much trash you don't know whether to cry or scream for help. So I figured I'll share this little treasure with all of you. Prepare to be pleasantly amazed! Just imagine, only 13 channels to choose from, yet a lot more choice. Who needs cable? Here's a small sample of what I'm talking about. To save space and time, I'll only list the sitcoms that were on the schedule and not worry about whatever else was on, such as game shows or soaps.

Note: Channels 2, 4, and 7 refer to Buffalo channels. All others are Canadian.

Monday, Nov. 16, 1970

12:00 pm

CHANNEL 7 BEWITCHED

12:30

9, 13 THE FLINTSTONES
11 THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW

1:00

6 THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW

1:30

13 THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW

2:30

8 THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW

3:30

9, 13 THE TROUBLE WITH TRACY (A Canadian classic!)
11 THE LUCY SHOW

4:00

9 MCHALE'S NAVY

4:30

7 THE FLINTSTONES
9 FAMILY AFFAIR
11 I DREAM OF JEANNIE

5:00

7 I LOVE LUCY
13 HERE COME THE BRIDES

5:30

3, 6, 8, 12 THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES

6:00

6 MY THREE SONS
9 BEWITCHED

6:30

13 BEWITCHED

7:00

2 THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW
3 ARNIE

7:30

2 RED SKELTON
3 THE GOVERNOR AND J.J.



Notice how all these shows were scattered around the dial without the presence of one specific channel that specialized in old sitcoms and that every half an hour there was always at least one good show that was worth watching. I miss those days terribly!