1977 in television

The year 1977 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of television-related events in 1977.

For the American TV schedule, see: 1977-78 American network television schedule.

[edit] Events

• January 15 - Bill Murray joins the cast of Saturday Night Live, replacing Chevy Chase who left the previous year.
• February 1 - Colour television transmissions commence in Italy, under the RAI banner of television channels.
• February 4 - American Bandstand celebrates its 25th anniversary on television with a special hosted by Dick Clark. An "all-star band" made up of Chuck Berry, Seals & Crofts, Gregg Allman, Junior Walker, Johnny Rivers, the Pointer Sisters, Charlie Daniels, Doc Severinsen, Les McCann, Donald Byrd, Chuck Mangione and three members of Booker T and the MGs perform "Roll Over Beethoven."
• September 14 - A tube top-clad woman named Yolanda Bowsley is called into Contestant's Row on The Price is Right, and while running down her breasts pop out of her shirt! The incident was censored with a large blue bar but it is still remembered today.
• November 26 - Just after 5.10pm in the Southern Television ITV region, a pirate hijacks the sound of the ITN News and broadcasts a message claiming to be Vrillon of the Ashtar Galactic Command. Thousands of viewers ring Southern Television, ITN, and even the police for an explanation.
• November 30 - CBS Commentator Eric Sevareid bade farewell in his final two-minute segment on The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite, after 48 years at CBS News.
• Don Novello first appears on Saturday Night Live.
• Lisa Peluso makes her first appearance on Search for Tomorrow.
• Scum, an entry in BBC1's Play for Today anthology strand, is pulled from transmission due to controversy over its depiction of life in a Young Offenders' Institution (at that time known in the UK as a Borstal). Two years later the director Alan Clarke makes a film version with most of the same cast, and the original play itself is eventually transmitted in 1991.
• Colour television licenses exceed black and white licenses for the first time in the UK.
• US television game show Match Game is the #1 rated game show on television for the fifth year in a row.
• February 27 - Fed up with excessive violence and distorted images of sex on TV, the Reverend Donald Wildmon declares "Turn the Television Off Week." Few people do.
• March 15 - Renata Scotto and Luciano Pavarotti are seen in "La Boheme" on PBS and heard in stereo on local (mostly NPR) stations in the first live "simulcast" from the Met.

[edit] Debuts

• 10 January - The first Circus of the Stars is broadcast on CBS (1977-1994)
• January 17 - New Mickey Mouse Club premieres in syndication in the United States (1977-1978).
• March 15 - Eight is Enough (1977-1981) and Three's Company (1977-1984) both premiere on ABC.
• April 7 - Fair Go premieres on TVNZ's TV ONE in New Zealand (1977-present).
• April 9 - JAKQ Dengeki Tai premieres on TV-Asahi (1977-1977).
• June 15 - 100 Huntley Street premieres on CTS in Canada (1977-present).
• September 7 - The Krypton Factor premieres on ITV in the UK (1977-1995).
• September 8 - Sonda debuts on Telewizja Polska in Poland (1977-1989).
• September 12 - Lucan premieres on ABC, after a pilot is shown on May 22 (1977-78).
• September 13 - Soap premieres on ABC (1977-1981).
• September 15 - CHiPs premieres on NBC (1977-1983).
• September 20 - Lou Grant premieres on CBS (1977-1982).
• September 24 - The Love Boat premieres on ABC (1977-1986).
• The Naked Vicar Show premieres on ATN-7 in Australia (1977-1978).
• This Week in Baseball premieres in syndication in the United States (1977-1998, 2000-present).
• Name That Tune reappears for a brief run on NBC daytime, this time with Tom Kennedy hosting this and the nighttime versions.

[edit] Miniseries

• January 23-30 - American Broadcasting Company broadcasts the mini series Roots, which sets television ratings records.
• April 3-April 10 - Jesus of Nazareth, directed by Franco Zeffirelli, first airs on NBC.

[edit] Television shows

[edit] 1940s

• Meet the Press (1947-present).
• Candid Camera (1948-present).
• Bozo the Clown (1949-present).
• Come Dancing (UK) (1949-1995).

[edit] 1950s

• Truth or Consequences (1950-1988).
• Love of Life (1951-1980).
• Search for Tomorrow (1951-1986).
• Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951-present).
• American Bandstand (1952-1989).
• Guiding Light (1952-present).
• The Today Show (1952-present).
• Panorama (UK) (1953-present).
• The Good Old Days (UK) (1953-1983).
• Face the Nation (1954-present).
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962-1992).
• Captain Kangaroo (1955-1984).
• The Lawrence Welk Show (1955-1982).
• This Is Your Life (UK) (1955-2003).
• As the World Turns (1956-present).
• Opportunity Knocks (UK) (1956-1978).
• The Edge of Night (1956-1984).
• What the Papers Say (UK) (1956-present).
• The Sky at Night (UK) (1957-present).
• Blue Peter (UK) (1958-present).
• Grandstand (UK) (1958-2007).

[edit] 1960s

• Coronation Street (UK) (1960-present).
• Four Corners (Australia) (1961-present).
• It's Academic (1961-present).
• The Mike Douglas Show (1961-1981).
• The Late Late Show (Ireland) (1962-present).
• Z-Cars (UK) (1962-1978).
• Doctor Who (UK) (1963-1989, 1996, 2005-present).
• General Hospital (1963-present).
• The Doctors (1963-1982).
• Another World (1964-1999).
• Crossroads (UK) (1964-1988, 2001-2003).
• Top of the Pops (UK) (1964-2006).
• Days of Our Lives (1965-present).
• World of Sport (UK) (1965-1985).
• Play School (1966-present).
• The Money Programme (UK) (1966-present).
• The Carol Burnett Show (1967-1978).
• 60 Minutes (1968-present).
• Hawaii Five-O (1968-1980).
• Magpie (UK) (1968-1980).
• One Life to Live (1968-present).
• Hee Haw (1969-1993).
• Sesame Street (1969-present).
• The Benny Hill Show (UK) (1969-1989).
• The Wonderful World of Disney (1969-1979).

[edit] 1970s

• All My Children (1970-present).
• Monday Night Football (1970-present).
• Play for Today (UK) (1970-1984).
• All in the Family (1971-1979).
• Columbo (1971-1978).
• Masterpiece Theatre (1971-present).
• Old Grey Whistle Test (UK) (1971-1987).
• Soul Train (1971-present).
• Are You Being Served? (UK) (1972-1985).
• Emmerdale Farm (UK) (1972-present).
• Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1972-1984).
• John Craven's Newsround (UK) (1972-present).
• Maude (1972-1978).
• M*A*S*H (1972-1983).
• The Bob Newhart Show (1972-1978).
• The Price Is Right (1972-present).
• The Waltons (1972-1981).
• Barnaby Jones (1973-1980).
• Kojak (1973-1978, 2005-present).
• Last of the Summer Wine (UK) (1973-present).
• Match Game '77 (1962-1969, 1973-1984, 1990-1991, 1998-1999).
• Schoolhouse Rock! (1973-1986).
• The Six Million Dollar Man (1973-1978).
• Superstars (UK) (1973-1985, 2003-2005).
• The Tomorrow Show (1973-1982).
• The Young and the Restless (1973-present).
• Chico and the Man (1974-1978).
• Countdown (Australia) (1974-1987).
• Derrick (1974-1998).
• Dinah! (1974-1980).
• Good Times (1974-1979).
• Happy Days (1974-1984).
• Land of the Lost (1974-1977).
• Little House on the Prairie (1974-1983).
• Police Woman (1974-1978).
• Rhoda (1974-1978).
• Tattletales (1974-1978, 1982-1984).
• The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast (1974-1984).
• The Rockford Files (1974-1980).
• Tiswas (UK) (1974-1982).
• Wish You Were Here...? (UK) (1974-present).
• Arena (UK) (1975–present).
• Baretta (1975-1978).
• Barney Miller (1975-1982).
• Good Morning America (1975-present).
• Jim'll Fix It (UK) (1975-1994).
• King of Kensington (Canada) (1975-1980).
• Match Game PM (1975-1981).
• One Day at a Time (1975-1984).
• Pop Quest (UK) (1975-1978).
• Runaround (UK) (1975-1981).
• Ryan's Hope (1975-1989).
• Saturday Night Live (1975-present).
• The Don Lane Show (Australia) (1975-1983).
• the fifth estate (Canada) (1975-present).
• The Good Life (UK) (1975-1978).
• The Jeffersons (1975-1985).
• The Sweeney (UK) (1975-1978).
• Tom and Jerry (1965-1972, 1975-1977, 1980-1982).
• Welcome Back, Kotter (1975-1979).
• Wheel of Fortune (1975-present).
• Alice (1976-1985).
• Charlie's Angels (1976-1981).
• Family Feud (1976-1985, 1988-1995, 1999-present).
• In Search of... (1976-1982).
• Laverne & Shirley (1976-1983).
• Multi-Coloured Swap Shop (UK) (1976-1982).
• Quincy, M.E. (1976-1983).
• Second City Television (SCTV) (Canada) (1976-1984).
• The Bionic Woman (1976-1978).
• The Muppet Show (UK) (1976-1981).
• The P.T.L. Club (1976-1987).
• What's Happening!! (1976-1979).
• Wonder Woman (1976-1979).

[edit] Ending this year

• January - New Howdy Doody Show (1976-1977).
• March 18 - Sanford and Son (1972-1977).
• March 19 - Mary Tyler Moore (1970-1977).
• April 2 - Supersonic (UK) (1975-1977).
• April 15 – The Electric Company (1971-1977). This applied to first-run episodes only; reruns would continue on PBS for the next decade.
• April 17 - McCloud (1970-1977).
• April 24 - McMillan and Wife (1971-1977).
• June 8 - Survivors (UK) (1975-1977).
• September 1 - Space: 1999 (1975-1977, although a few leftover episodes would air in the UK in 1978).
• September – The original syndicated version of Let's Make a Deal (1971-1977).
• November 13 - Dad's Army (1968-1977).
• December 3 - Emergency! (1972-1977).

[edit] Changes of network affiliation

• The Bionic Woman moves from ABC to NBC.

[edit] Births

• January 1 - Keeley Hawes, British actress.
• January 4 - Anna Brees, British television newscaster.
• January 4 - Jane Dougall, British television news reporter.
• January 5 - Helen Fospero, British television news reader.
• January 7 - Dustin Diamond, American actor and comedian.
• February 20 - Stephon Marbury, American basketball player.
• April 14 - Sarah Michelle Gellar, American actress.
• April 23 - John Cena, American professional wrestler.
• June 8 - Kanye West, American rapper.
• August 20 - Kristen Miller, American actress.

[edit] Deaths

• January 28 - Burt Mustin, 92, actor.
• January 29 – Freddie Prinze, 22, actor and comedian.
• February 28 - Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson, 71, comedian.
• August 16 - Elvis Presley, 42, musician.
• August 19 - Groucho Marx, 86, comedian, television host.
• August 22 - Sebastian Cabot, 59, actor.
• August 29 - Jean Hagen, 54, actress.
• October 14 - Bing Crosby, 74, singer.