March 16, 2015

What's on TV? Thursday, March 19, 1981

It's back to the '80s this week, and back to the Twin Cities, as we take a look at the listings from Thursday, March 19.  Remember, I wasn't too bullish on the state of television in this era when I wrote about the TV Guide on Saturday, but there are always some gems if you look hard enough.  As is usually the case with the Minnesota State Edition, this is a cross-section of all the channels listed, and you'll note that some of the call letters and affiliations have changed over time.  Another sign of the changing times: I've included WGN, Channel 9, the Chicago superstation.  Assorted comments follow.


KTCA, Channel 2 (Educ.)

Morning


06:15a
College for Working Adults

07:00a
Energy

07:30a
Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood

08:00a
Sesame Street

09:00a
The Electric Company

09:30a
Footsteps

10:00a
3-2-1 Contact

10:30a
The Electric Company

11:00a
Mundo Real

11:30a
Sesame Street

Afternoon


12:30p
Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood

01:00p
Dick Cavett (guest Graham Chapman)

01:30p
Over Easy (guests Walter and Gracie Lantz)

02:00p
Emmanual Ax and Yo Yo Ma in Recital

03:00p
Here’s to Your Health

03:30p
Membership Pledge Drive

04:35p
Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood

05:20p
3-2-1 Contact

05:50p
Over Easy (guest Billy Daniels)

Evening


06:20p
Membership Pledge Drive

06:30p
MacNeil/Leherer Report

07:00p
Nighttimes

07:30p
Dick Cavett (guest Leontyne Price)

08:00p
Sneak Previews

08:35p
Paul Simon

09:45p
The Greatest Adventure

10:45p
Austin City Limits (5th Anniversary)

12:15a
Superstar Profile

12:45p
Membership Pledge Drive

12:50a
Nighttimes

I find it interesting that the pledge drives are actually listed here.  That didn't last long; presumably Channel 2 found out that people, informed of when the pledge breaks were happening, were avoiding them and tuning in when they weren't on.


KIMT, Channel 3 (Mason City IA) (CBS)

Morning


06:00a
Jim Bakker

07:00a
CBS Thursday Morning (Charles Kuralt)

07:30a
Alice

08:00a
Captain Kangaroo

09:00a
The Jeffersons

09:30a
Alice

10:00a
The Price Is Right

11:00a
The Young and the Restless

Afternoon


12:00p
News (local)

12:30p
Search for Tomorrow

01:00p
As the World Turns

02:00p
Guiding Light

03:00p
The Joker’s Wild

03:30p
Popeye Time

04:00p
Iowa Boys’ High-School Basketball

05:30p
CBS Evening News with Dan Rather

Evening


06:00p
News (local)

06:30p
Iowa Boys’ High-School Basketball

10:00p
News (local)

10:30p
The Jeffersons

11:00p
McMillan & Wife

01:10a
News (local)

Boy, it's easy to forget how popular Jim Bakker was back in the '80s.  His show is on all over the place - not just here, but two or three other channels.


WCCO, Channel 4 (CBS)

Morning


06:00a
CBS Thursday Morning (Charles Kuralt)

07:00a
News (local)

08:00a
Phil Donahue (guests John and Mackenzie Phillips)

09:00a
Hour Magazine

10:00a
The Price Is Right

11:00a
The Young and the Restless

Afternoon


12:00p
Midday (local news)

12:30p
Search for Tomorrow

01:00p
As the World Turns

02:00p
Guiding Light

03:00p
The Joker’s Wild

03:30p
John Davidson (Helen Reddy, Charlton Heston, Tom Sullivan, Marty Leshner, Martha Friedman)

05:00p
News (local)

05:30p
CBS Evening News with Dan Rather

Evening


06:00p
News (local)

06:30p
PM Magazine

07:00p
The Waltons

08:00p
Magnum, P.I.

09:00p
Knots Landing

10:00p
News (local)

10:30p
Carol Burnett and Friends

11:00p
Movie – “Deathsport”

12:55p
News (local)

01:25a
News (local)

04:00a
News (local)

Channel 4 not carrying Captain Kangaroo? For that slug Phil Donahue?  Heresy.


KSTP, Channel 5 (ABC)

Morning


06:00a
Country Day

06:30a
News (local)

07:00a
Good Morning America (guest Hugh Downs)

09:00a
Twin Cities Today

10:00a
The Love Boat

11:00a
Family Feud

11:30a
Ryan’s Hope

Afternoon


12:00p
All My Children

01:00p
One Life to Live

02:00p
General Hospital

03:00p
Match Game (David Doyle, Betty Kennedy, Brett Somers, Robert Donner, Charles Nelson Reilly, Marcia Wallace)

03:30p
Starsky & Hutch

04:30p
Happy Days Again

05:00p
News (local)

05:30p
ABC World News Tonight (Frank Reynolds)

Evening


06:00p
News (local)

06:30p
Tic Tac Dough

07:00p
Mork & Mindy

07:30p
Bosom Buddies

08:00p
Barney Miller

08:30p
Taxi

09:00p
ABC News Closeup

10:00p
News (local)

10:30p
Nightline (Ted Koppel)

11:00p
Charlie’s Angels

12:10a
Superman

12:40p
Movie – “The Major and the Minor” (B&W)

03:00a
Movie – “Wonderman”

05:00a
To Be Announced

Interesting that Hugh Downs is a guest on Good Morning America, isn't it, considering how many years he spent on Today.  Of course, now he and Barbara Walters are hosting ABC's 20/20, a show whose first episode was so bad, most people thought it would be cancelled then and there.  Thanks to Hugh, it's still on to this day.


KAAL, Channel 6 (Austin) (ABC)

Morning


07:00a
Good Morning America (guest Hugh Downs)

09:00a
Phil Donahue (guest Sonya Rhodes)

10:00a
The Love Boat

11:00a
Family Feud

11:30a
Ryan’s Hope

Afternoon


12:00p
All My Children

01:00p
One Life to Live

02:00p
General Hospital

03:00p
The Edge of Night

03:30p
Leave It to Beaver (B&W)

04:00p
To Tell the Truth (panelists Nipsey Russell, Carole Shelley, Soupy Sales, Polly Bergen)

04:30p
Mary Tyler Moore

05:00p
ABC World News Tonight (Frank Reynolds)

05:30p
News (local)

Evening


06:00p
Family Feud

06:30p
Happy Days Again

07:00p
Mork & Mindy

07:30p
Bosom Buddies

08:00p
Barney Miller

08:30p
Taxi

09:00p
ABC News Closeup

10:00p
News (local)

10:30p
Nightline (Ted Koppel)

11:00p
Charlie’s Angels

Did you see the panel for To Tell the Truth?  A far cry from the days of Kitty Carlisle, Peggy Cass, Tom Posten and Orson Bean, isn't it?


KCMT, Channel 7 (Alexandria) (NBC/ABC)

Morning


06:20a
News (local)

06:25a
American Trail

06:30a
Country Day

07:00a
Today (guest Burt Reynolds)

09:00a
Las Vegas Gambit

09:30a
Blockbuster

10:00a
Wheel of Fortune

10:30a
Password Plus (contenstants Susan Richardson, Fred Grandy)

11:00a
Family Feud

11:30a
Farm Today

11:50a
Community Billboard

Afternoon


12:00p
Days of Our Lives

01:00p
Another World

02:00p
Texas

03:00p
The Doctors

03:30p
Card Sharks

04:00p
Bugs Bunny and Friends

04:30p
I Dream of Jeannie

05:00p
Hogan’s Heroes

05:30p
NBC Nightly News (John Chancellor)

Evening


06:00p
News (local)

06:30p
That Nashville Music (guests Tommy Overstreet, Buddy Spicher)

07:00p
Buck Rogers

08:00p
Movie – “Which Way Is Up?”

10:00p
News (local)

10:30p
The Tonight Show

11:30p
Tomorrow Coast-to-Coast (guest Mel Torme)

01:00a
News (local)

Ah, Channel 7.  For all of its switching back and forth between NBC and ABC programming, it's pretty steady today - just Family Feud.


WDSE, Channel 8 (Duluth) (Educ.)

Afternoon


03:30p
Over Easy (guests Walter and Gracie Lantz)

04:00p
Sesame Street

05:00p
3-2-1 Contact

05:30p
The Electric Company

Evening


06:00p
Energy

07:00p
Austin City Limits (5th Anniversary)

08:30p
This Old House

09:00p
Masterpiece Theatre

10:00p
Dick Cavett (guest Leontyne Price)

10:30p
Captioned ABC World News Tonight

It's easy to forget that for many years, ABC's World News Tonight was rebroadcast for the hearing impaired on PBS.  I'd assume it was more effective than this.


WKBT, Channel 8w (LaCrosse) (CBS)

Morning


06:00a
Jim Bakker

07:00a
CBS Thursday Morning (Charles Kuralt)

08:00a
Captain Kangaroo

09:00a
The Jeffersons

09:30a
Alice

10:00a
The Price Is Right

11:00a
The Young and the Restless

Afternoon


12:00p
News People at Noon

12:30p
Search for Tomorrow

01:00p
As the World Turns

02:00p
Guiding Light

03:00p
One Day at a Time

03:30p
Mike Douglas (co-host Anthony Newley, guests Steve Kanally, Barbara Mandrell, Johnny Dark, 707)

05:00p
Tic Tac Dough

05:30p
CBS Evening News with Dan Rather

Evening


06:00p
News (local)

06:30p
M*A*S*H

07:00p
The Waltons

08:00p
Magnum, P.I.

09:00p
Knots Landing

10:00p
News (local)

10:30p
The Jeffersons

11:00p
McMillan & Wife

There's Jim Bakker again.  Anyway, look at the CBS prime time and late-night schedule.  From M*A*S*H through Knots Landing, and then The Jeffersons and McMillan & Wife - hits all.


KMSP, Channel 9 (Ind.)

Morning


06:00a
700 Club

07:00a
Fred Flintstone & Friends

07:30a
Great Space Coaster

08:00a
Krofft Superstars

08:30a
Rocky & Friends

09:00a
Richard Simmons

09:30a
Dick Van Dyke (B&W)

10:00a
Merv Griffin (guests Betty Buckley, Jay Leno, Alexander Godunov, Martine Van Hamel)

11:30a
Mike Douglas (co-host Anthony Newley, guests Steve Kanally, Barbara Mandrell, Johnny Dark, 707)

Afternoon


01:30p
Let’s Make a Deal

02:00p
Hollywood Squares (panelists Roger Miller, Pia Zadora, Gabriel Kaplan, Elayne Boosler, Paul Lynde, Steve and Cyndy Garvey, Buddy Hackett, Wink Martindale, Jan Murray)

02:30p
Sanford and Son

03:00p
Casper

03:30p
Popeye

04:00p
Scooby-Doo

04:30p
Gilligan’s Island

05:00p
The Brady Bunch

05:30p
Good Times

Evening


06:00p
Barney Miller

06:30p
All in the Family

07:00p
Gunsmoke

08:00p
Toni Tennille (guests Jim Stafford, Roxie Roker, Adele Sheele)

09:00p
World of People

09:30p
News (local)

10:00p
Rhoda

10:30p
The Rockford Files

11:40p
Kojak

12:50p
Face the Music

01:20a
News (local)

Toni Tennille had a five-a-week talk show?  I'd forgotten all about that until I saw it here.  Perhaps it's just a case of repressed memory syndrome.


WGN, Channel 9 (Chicago)

Morning


05:55a
Top o’ the Morning

06:00a
News

06:30a
Bullwinkle

07:00a
The Bozo Show

08:30a
Bewitched

09:00a
The Hollywood Squares

09:30a
$50,000 Pyramid

10:00a
Mike Douglas

11:00a
Phil Donahue

Afternoon


12:00p
Movie – “The Honey Pot”

02:00p
Love, American Style

02:30p
Bewitched

03:00p
Bugs Bunny and Friends

03:30p
Scooby-Doo

04:00p
The Flintstones

04:30p
I Dream of Jeannie

05:00p
Good Times

05:30p
Welcome Back, Kotter

Evening


06:00p
American Birkenbeiner

06:30p
Carol Burnett and Friends

07:00p
Movie – “The Daring Dobermans”

09:00p
News

10:00p
Prisoner: Cell Block H

10:30p
The Odd Couple

11:00p
Movie – “Harry Black and the Tiger”

01:10a
News

01:40a
Movie – “To Each His Own” (B&W)

04:05a
To Be Announced

You know, this is a pretty good independent schedule.  What it's missing is the Cubs broadcasts, which is what made WGN a national superstation in the first place.  Without the Cubs, it's just another indy, which I suspect is why we have the alternate WGN America instead today.


WTCN, Channel 11 (NBC)

Morning


05:30a
What’s New?

06:00a
Jim Bakker

07:00a
Today (guest Burt Reynolds)

09:00a
Las Vegas Gambit

09:30a
Blockbuster

10:00a
Wheel of Fortune

10:30a
Password Plus (contenstants Susan Richardson, Fred Grandy)

11:00a
To Tell the Truth

11:30a
The Doctors

Afternoon


12:00p
Days of Our Lives

01:00p
Another World

02:00p
Texas

03:00p
Minnesota Girls’ High-School Basketball

04:30p
M*A*S*H (Time approximate)

05:00p
M*A*S*H

05:30p
NBC Nightly News (John Chancellor)

Evening


06:00p
News (local)

06:30p
Family Feud

07:00p
Buck Rogers

08:00p
Movie – “Which Way Is Up?”

10:00p
News (local)

10:30p
The Tonight Show

11:30p
Tomorrow Coast-to-Coast (guest Mel Torme)

01:00a
Mary Tyler Moore

Nothing says '80s television like that celebrity lineup on Password Plus - Fred Grandy and Susan Richardson.  And their teammates had large nametags on, presumably.


WEAU, Channel 13 (Eau Claire) (NBC)

Morning


06:00a
Loving Free

06:30a
The Lone Ranger

07:00a
Today (guest Burt Reynolds)

09:00a
Phil Donahue (guests John and Mackenzie Phillips)

10:00a
Wheel of Fortune

10:30a
Password Plus (contestants Susan Richardson, Fred Grandy)

11:00a
Bob Newhart

11:30a
The Doctors

Afternoon


12:00p
Newscenter at Noon (local)

12:30p
Days of Our Lives

01:30p
Another World

02:30p
Texas

03:30p
All in the Family

04:00p
The Flintstones

04:30p
Tom and Jerry

05:00p
Gilligan’s Island

05:30p
NBC Nightly News (John Chancellor)

Evening


06:00p
News (local)

06:30p
Family Feud

07:00p
Buck Rogers

08:00p
Movie – “Which Way Is Up?”

10:00p
News (local)

10:30p
The Tonight Show

11:30p
Tomorrow Coast-to-Coast (guest Mel Torme)

01:00a
Loving Free

01:05a
The Six Million Dollar Man

I think I've mentioned before that The Tomorrow Show really went downhill when it expanded to 90 minutes, brought on Rona Barrett, and changed its name.  This would be a very good lineup, though.  I wonder if Mel Torme was on for the entire show, or just one of a number of guests.  He would have been great in the one-guest, 60 minute format. TV  

2 comments:

  1. Now is the time for all good men to jump over the lazy dog ...

    I can't add a lot here; my TV GUIDE collection is thin on the '80s.

    - The 1981 To Tell The Truth was a short-lived syndicated version hosted by a Canadian actor named Robin Ward, which, frankly, is all anybody remembers about him.
    As for the panel: were you aware that when TTTT started in 1956, one of the charter panelists was Polly Bergen?
    Kitty Carlisle didn't come on board until a year later; Tom Poston and Orson Bean arrived around 1960 or thereabouts.
    I'll bet there were those back then who decried the loss of Hy Gardner ...

    - When WGN went satellite at this time, I became aware that the programming outside Chicago differed than what we got locally.
    This had to do with syndication "non-compete" rules in force at the time, which became totally useless when cable networks went to marathons and binges.
    There's no Cub game here for the obvious reason that the season hadn't started yet.
    As a South Side Irish White Sox fan, I always resented the cheap way that Cub fans used the superstation coverage as a form of "superiority" over us.
    They didn't mention that the inflated attendance figures were the result of a heavy influx of out-of-state yuppies who wanted their friends back home to see them on TV.
    A friend once said of these types:
    "Hand most of these guys a baseball and they'll spend the rest of the day trying to open it."

    - Kinda dry right now ...
    I think I'll go back to the threads I didn't comment on (I meant to, but I got bogged down with other things).

    ReplyDelete
  2. The one other thing Robin Ward was notable for was being the unseen narrator for the three year 1980's revival of "THE TWILIGHT ZONE."

    With such spotty carriage and poor timeslots, it is no wonder that "THE EDGE OF NIGHT" and "THE DOCTORS" were in ratings trouble.

    The version of "THE MIKE DOUGLAS SHOW" shown here was not the one we all grew up with. He had been dumped by Group W in favor of the more youthfully-skewing John Davidson(!). Mike Douglas tried to reformat his show with a new syndicator, but it was not the show it once was and Mike wasn't the same either. He was off the air months later.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for writing! Drive safely!