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.)
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Morning
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06:15a
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College for Working Adults
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07:00a
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Energy
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07:30a
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Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood
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08:00a
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Sesame Street
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09:00a
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The Electric Company
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09:30a
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Footsteps
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10:00a
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3-2-1 Contact
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10:30a
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The Electric Company
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11:00a
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Mundo Real
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11:30a
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Sesame Street
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Afternoon
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12:30p
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Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood
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01:00p
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Dick Cavett (guest Graham Chapman)
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01:30p
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Over Easy (guests Walter and Gracie Lantz)
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02:00p
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Emmanual Ax and Yo Yo Ma in Recital
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03:00p
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Here’s to Your Health
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03:30p
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Membership
Pledge Drive
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04:35p
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Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood
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05:20p
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3-2-1 Contact
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05:50p
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Over Easy (guest Billy Daniels)
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Evening
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06:20p
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Membership
Pledge Drive
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06:30p
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MacNeil/Leherer Report
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07:00p
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Nighttimes
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07:30p
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Dick Cavett (guest Leontyne Price)
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08:00p
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Sneak Previews
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08:35p
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Paul Simon
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09:45p
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The Greatest Adventure
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10:45p
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Austin City Limits (5th Anniversary)
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12:15a
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Superstar Profile
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12:45p
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Membership Pledge Drive
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12:50a
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Nighttimes
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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)
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Morning
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06:00a
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Jim Bakker
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07:00a
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CBS Thursday Morning (Charles Kuralt)
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07:30a
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Alice
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08:00a
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Captain Kangaroo
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09:00a
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The Jeffersons
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09:30a
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Alice
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10:00a
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The Price Is Right
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11:00a
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The Young and the Restless
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Afternoon
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12:00p
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News (local)
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12:30p
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Search for Tomorrow
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01:00p
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As the World Turns
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02:00p
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Guiding Light
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03:00p
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The Joker’s Wild
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03:30p
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Popeye Time
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04:00p
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Iowa Boys’ High-School Basketball
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05:30p
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CBS Evening News with Dan Rather
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Evening
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06:00p
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News (local)
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06:30p
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Iowa Boys’ High-School Basketball
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10:00p
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News (local)
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10:30p
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The Jeffersons
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11:00p
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McMillan & Wife
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01:10a
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News (local)
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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)
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Morning
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06:00a
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CBS Thursday Morning (Charles Kuralt)
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07:00a
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News (local)
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08:00a
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Phil Donahue (guests John and Mackenzie Phillips)
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09:00a
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Hour Magazine
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10:00a
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The Price Is Right
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11:00a
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The Young and the Restless
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Afternoon
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12:00p
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Midday (local news)
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12:30p
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Search for Tomorrow
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01:00p
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As the World Turns
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02:00p
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Guiding Light
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03:00p
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The Joker’s Wild
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03:30p
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John Davidson (Helen Reddy, Charlton Heston, Tom
Sullivan, Marty Leshner, Martha Friedman)
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05:00p
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News (local)
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05:30p
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CBS Evening News with Dan Rather
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Evening
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06:00p
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News (local)
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06:30p
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PM Magazine
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07:00p
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The Waltons
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08:00p
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Magnum, P.I.
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09:00p
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Knots Landing
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10:00p
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News (local)
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10:30p
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Carol Burnett and Friends
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11:00p
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Movie –
“Deathsport”
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12:55p
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News (local)
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01:25a
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News (local)
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04:00a
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News (local)
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Channel 4 not carrying Captain Kangaroo? For that slug Phil Donahue? Heresy.
KSTP, Channel 5 (ABC)
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Morning
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06:00a
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Country Day
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06:30a
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News (local)
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07:00a
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Good Morning America (guest Hugh Downs)
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09:00a
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Twin Cities Today
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10:00a
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The Love Boat
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11:00a
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Family Feud
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11:30a
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Ryan’s Hope
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Afternoon
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12:00p
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All My Children
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01:00p
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One Life to Live
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02:00p
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General Hospital
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03:00p
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Match Game (David Doyle, Betty Kennedy, Brett
Somers, Robert Donner, Charles Nelson Reilly, Marcia Wallace)
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03:30p
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Starsky & Hutch
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04:30p
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Happy Days Again
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05:00p
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News (local)
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05:30p
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ABC World News Tonight (Frank Reynolds)
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Evening
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06:00p
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News (local)
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06:30p
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Tic Tac Dough
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07:00p
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Mork & Mindy
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07:30p
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Bosom Buddies
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08:00p
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Barney Miller
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08:30p
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Taxi
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09:00p
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ABC News Closeup
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10:00p
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News (local)
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10:30p
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Nightline (Ted Koppel)
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11:00p
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Charlie’s Angels
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12:10a
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Superman
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12:40p
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Movie – “The
Major and the Minor” (B&W)
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03:00a
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Movie –
“Wonderman”
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05:00a
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To Be
Announced
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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)
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Morning
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07:00a
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Good Morning America (guest Hugh Downs)
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09:00a
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Phil Donahue (guest Sonya Rhodes)
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10:00a
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The Love Boat
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11:00a
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Family Feud
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11:30a
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Ryan’s Hope
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Afternoon
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12:00p
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All My Children
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01:00p
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One Life to Live
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02:00p
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General Hospital
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03:00p
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The Edge of Night
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03:30p
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Leave It to Beaver (B&W)
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04:00p
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To Tell the Truth (panelists Nipsey Russell, Carole
Shelley, Soupy Sales, Polly Bergen)
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04:30p
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Mary Tyler Moore
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05:00p
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ABC World News Tonight (Frank Reynolds)
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05:30p
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News (local)
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Evening
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06:00p
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Family Feud
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06:30p
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Happy Days Again
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07:00p
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Mork & Mindy
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07:30p
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Bosom Buddies
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08:00p
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Barney Miller
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08:30p
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Taxi
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09:00p
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ABC News Closeup
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10:00p
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News (local)
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10:30p
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Nightline (Ted Koppel)
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11:00p
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Charlie’s Angels
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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)
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Morning
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06:20a
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News (local)
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06:25a
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American Trail
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06:30a
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Country Day
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07:00a
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Today (guest Burt Reynolds)
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09:00a
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Las Vegas Gambit
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09:30a
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Blockbuster
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10:00a
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Wheel of Fortune
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10:30a
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Password Plus (contenstants Susan Richardson, Fred
Grandy)
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11:00a
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Family Feud
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11:30a
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Farm Today
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11:50a
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Community Billboard
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Afternoon
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12:00p
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Days of Our Lives
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01:00p
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Another World
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02:00p
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Texas
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03:00p
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The Doctors
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03:30p
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Card Sharks
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04:00p
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Bugs Bunny and Friends
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04:30p
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I Dream of Jeannie
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05:00p
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Hogan’s Heroes
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05:30p
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NBC Nightly News (John Chancellor)
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Evening
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06:00p
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News (local)
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06:30p
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That Nashville Music (guests Tommy Overstreet, Buddy
Spicher)
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07:00p
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Buck Rogers
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08:00p
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Movie – “Which
Way Is Up?”
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10:00p
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News (local)
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10:30p
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The Tonight Show
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11:30p
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Tomorrow Coast-to-Coast (guest Mel Torme)
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01:00a
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News (local)
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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.)
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Afternoon
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03:30p
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Over Easy (guests Walter and Gracie Lantz)
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04:00p
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Sesame Street
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05:00p
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3-2-1 Contact
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05:30p
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The Electric Company
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Evening
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06:00p
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Energy
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07:00p
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Austin City Limits (5th Anniversary)
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08:30p
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This Old House
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09:00p
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Masterpiece Theatre
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10:00p
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Dick Cavett (guest Leontyne Price)
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10:30p
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Captioned ABC World News Tonight
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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)
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Morning
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06:00a
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Jim Bakker
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07:00a
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CBS Thursday Morning (Charles Kuralt)
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08:00a
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Captain Kangaroo
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09:00a
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The Jeffersons
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09:30a
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Alice
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10:00a
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The Price Is Right
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11:00a
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The Young and the Restless
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Afternoon
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12:00p
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News People at Noon
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12:30p
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Search for Tomorrow
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01:00p
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As the World Turns
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02:00p
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Guiding Light
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03:00p
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One Day at a Time
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03:30p
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Mike Douglas (co-host Anthony Newley, guests Steve
Kanally, Barbara Mandrell, Johnny Dark, 707)
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05:00p
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Tic Tac Dough
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05:30p
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CBS Evening News with Dan Rather
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Evening
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06:00p
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News (local)
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06:30p
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M*A*S*H
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07:00p
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The Waltons
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08:00p
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Magnum, P.I.
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09:00p
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Knots Landing
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10:00p
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News (local)
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10:30p
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The Jeffersons
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11:00p
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McMillan & Wife
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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.)
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Morning
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06:00a
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700 Club
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07:00a
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Fred Flintstone & Friends
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07:30a
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Great Space Coaster
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08:00a
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Krofft Superstars
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08:30a
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Rocky & Friends
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09:00a
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Richard Simmons
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09:30a
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Dick Van Dyke (B&W)
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10:00a
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Merv Griffin (guests Betty Buckley, Jay Leno,
Alexander Godunov, Martine Van Hamel)
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11:30a
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Mike Douglas (co-host Anthony Newley, guests Steve
Kanally, Barbara Mandrell, Johnny Dark, 707)
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Afternoon
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01:30p
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Let’s Make a Deal
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02:00p
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Hollywood Squares (panelists Roger Miller, Pia Zadora,
Gabriel Kaplan, Elayne Boosler, Paul Lynde, Steve and Cyndy Garvey, Buddy
Hackett, Wink Martindale, Jan Murray)
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02:30p
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Sanford and Son
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03:00p
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Casper
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03:30p
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Popeye
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04:00p
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Scooby-Doo
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04:30p
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Gilligan’s Island
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05:00p
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The Brady Bunch
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05:30p
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Good Times
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Evening
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06:00p
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Barney Miller
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06:30p
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All in the Family
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07:00p
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Gunsmoke
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08:00p
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Toni Tennille (guests Jim Stafford, Roxie Roker,
Adele Sheele)
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09:00p
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World of People
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09:30p
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News (local)
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10:00p
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Rhoda
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10:30p
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The Rockford Files
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11:40p
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Kojak
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12:50p
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Face the Music
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01:20a
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News (local)
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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)
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Morning
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05:55a
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Top o’ the Morning
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06:00a
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News
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06:30a
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Bullwinkle
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07:00a
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The Bozo Show
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08:30a
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Bewitched
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09:00a
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The Hollywood Squares
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09:30a
|
$50,000 Pyramid
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10:00a
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Mike Douglas
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11:00a
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Phil Donahue
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Afternoon
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12:00p
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Movie – “The
Honey Pot”
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02:00p
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Love, American Style
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02:30p
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Bewitched
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03:00p
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Bugs Bunny and Friends
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03:30p
|
Scooby-Doo
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|
04:00p
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The Flintstones
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04:30p
|
I Dream of Jeannie
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05:00p
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Good Times
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05:30p
|
Welcome Back, Kotter
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Evening
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06:00p
|
American Birkenbeiner
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|
06:30p
|
Carol Burnett and Friends
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|
07:00p
|
Movie – “The
Daring Dobermans”
|
|
09:00p
|
News
|
|
10:00p
|
Prisoner: Cell Block H
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|
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)
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04:05a
|
To Be
Announced
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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)
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Morning
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05:30a
|
What’s New?
|
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06:00a
|
Jim Bakker
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|
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)
|
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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
Now is the time for all good men to jump over the lazy dog ...
ReplyDeleteI 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).
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."
ReplyDeleteWith 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.