December 11, 2017

What's on TV? Wednesday, December 18, 1996

I neglected to mention on Saturday that this issue comes to us courtesy of Steve Harris, who graciously gifted me the three TV Guides that make up the "Greatest" series (greatest shows, greatest stars, greatest moments).

If you're wondering why Bill Cosby was on that list on Saturday, you have no further to look than today's listings. Count the number of sitcoms on today - both original prime-time runs, and reruns during the daytime, and then remember that when The Cosby Show hit the airwaves in 1984, experts were proclaiming them dead. Everything's cyclical, of course, but it was Cosby's success that triggered the resurgence we see here.

The listings today are from the Los Angeles edition, and I could have included a lot more if I'd wanted to. I didn't want to - I think this is enough.


 2   KCBS (CBS)

MORNING 

     5 AM
CBS News – Kristin Jeannette-Meyers/Cynthia Bowers

      5:30
News

     6 AM
News

     7 AM
This Morning – CBS/Local News

     8 AM
This Morning – Diaz-Balart/McEwen/Robelot
Guest: Debbie Reynolds

     9 AM
Guiding Light – Serial

    10 AM
Price is Right – Game

    11 AM
Young and the Restless

     11:30
Court TV: Inside America’s Courts

AFTERNOON

       Noon
News

       12:30
Bold and the Beautiful

       1 PM
As the World Turns

       2 PM
Gordon Elliott – Discussion

       3 PM
Geraldo Rivera – Discussion

       4 PM
Day & Date – Newsmagazine

       5 PM
News

        5:30
CBS News – Dan Rather

EVENING

    6 PM
News

     6:30
NBC News – Tom Brokaw

    7 PM
Hard Copy – Newsmagazine

     7:30
Entertainment Tonight

    8 PM
The Nanny – Comedy

     8:30
Pearl – Comedy

    9 PM
  M    My Cousin VinnyComedy
(1992)

   11 PM
News

    11:35
David Letterman
Guest: Harry Connick Jr.

EARLY THURSDAY

    12:35
Tom Snyder
Guest: Maureen O’Hara

      1:35
Stories of the Highway Patrol

      2:05
Gordon Elliott – Discussion

      3:05
Up to the Minute – News



 4   KNBC 4 (NBC)

MORNING 

    5 AM
NBC News

      5:30
News

    6 AM
News

    7 AM
Today – Couric/Gumbel
Guest: Michael Bolton

    9 AM
Leeza – Discussion

   10 AM
Leeza – Discussion

   11 AM
News

AFTERNOON

     Noon
Days of Our Lives – Serial

      1 PM
Another World – Serial

      2 PM
Maureen O’Boyle

      3 PM
Rosie O’Donnell – Variety
Guests: Albert Brooks, Kenneth Branagh, Natalie Merchant

     4 PM
News

     5 PM
News

EVENING

   6 PM
News

   7 PM
Extra!

    7:30
Access Hollwyood – Magazine

   8 PM
Wings – Comedy

    8:30
Caroline in the City – Comedy

   9 PM
NewsRadio – Comedy

    9:30
Men Behaving Badly

  10 PM
Christmas in Washington

  11 PM
News

   11:35
Jay Leno
Guests: Rob Reiner, Courteney Cox, LeAnn Rimes

EARLY THURSDAY

   12:35
Conan O’Brien
Guest: Kenneth Branagh

    1:35
Later – Interview

   2 AM
News

    2:35
Nightside

    4:30
This Morning’s Business



 5   KTLA (WB)

MORNING  

   5 AM
News

    5:30
News

   6 AM
News

   7 AM
Morning News
Guests: The All-American Boys Choir

   9 AM
Sally Jessy Raphael

  10 AM
Scoop with Sam and Dorothy

  11 AM
News

   11:30
Sally Jessy Raphael

AFTERNOON

    Noon


    12:30
Pat Bullard – Variety

      1:30
Blossom – Comedy

     2 PM
Dinosaurs – Comedy

      2:30
Full House – Comedy

     3 PM
Bugs ‘n’ Daffy – Cartoon

      3:30
Animaniacs – Cartoon

     4 PM
Beverly Hills, 90210

     5 PM
Saved by the Bell: The College Years – Comedy

      5:30
Family Matters – Comedy

EVENING

   6 PM
Fresh Prince – Comedy

    6:30
Fresh Prince – Comedy

   7 PM
Bzzz

    7:30
Seinfeld – Comedy

   8 PM
Sister, Sister – Comedy

    8:30
Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher

   9 PM
Wayans Bros. – Comedy

    9:30
Jamie Foxx – Comedy

  10 PM
News

  11 PM
Cheers – Comedy

   11:30
Murphy Brown - Comedy

EARLY THURSDAY

    Mid.
News

   1 AM
Hunter – Crime Drama

   2 AM
Infomercials

   3 AM
  M    Heart ConditionComedy-Drama
(1990)



 7   KABC (ABC)

MORNING 

   5 AM
ABC News – Thalia Assuras

    5:30
News

   6 AM
News

    6:30
News

   7 AM
Good Morning America – Gibson/Lunden
Guest: Andie MacDowell

   9 AM
Regis & Kathie Lee
Guest: Andie MacDowell

  10 AM
Caryl & Marilyn

  11 AM
The City – Serial

   11:30
News

AFTERNOON

    Noon
All My Children – Serial

    1 PM
One Life to Live – Serial

    2 PM
General Hospital – Serial

    3 PM
Oprah Winfrey
Guest: Natalie Cole

    4 PM
News

    5 PM
News

EVENING

  6 PM
News

   6:30
ABC News – Peter Jennings

  7 PM
Jeopardy! – Game

   7:30
Wheel of Fortune – Game

  8 PM
Grace Under Fire – Comedy

   8:30
Townies – Comedy

  9 PM
Drew Carey – Comedy

   9:30
Ellen – Comedy

 10 PM
PrimeTime Live

 11 PM
News

  11:35
Nightline – Ted Koppel

EARLY THURSDAY

  12:05
  M    Ernie Kovacs: Between the LaughterDrama
(Made for TV; 1984)

  2 AM
News

   2:40
World News Now – Thalia Assuros/Mark Mullen



 9   KCAL (Ind.)

MORNING 

  5 AM
Faith 20

   5:30
Ultraforce – Cartoon

  6 AM
Dennis the Menace – Cartoon

   6:30
Bananas in Pajamas

  7 AM
The Mask – Cartoon

   7:30
Masked Rider – Fantasy

  8 AM
Vor-Tech – Cartoon

   8:30
B.R.U.N.O. the Kid – Cartoon

  9 AM
Toon Town Kids – Cartoon

 10 AM
  M    Tell Me My NameDrama
(Made for TV; 1977)

AFTERNOON

    Noon
News

    1 PM
Maury Povich

    2 PM
News

    3 PM
Bewitched – Comedy

      3:30
Darkwing Duck – Cartoon

    4 PM
Gargoyles – Cartoon

      4:30
Aladdin – Cartoon

    5 PM
Quack Pack – Cartoon

      5:30
Funniest Home Videos

EVENING

   6 PM
Funniest Home Videos

    6:30
NBA Basketball
Los Angeles Lakers at Milwaukee

   9 PM
News

  10 PM
News

  11 PM
Jerry Springer – Discussion

EARLY THURSDAY

    Mid.
Maury Povich

   1 AM
Rolonda – Discussion

   2 AM
Infomercials

   3 AM
Bounty Hunters

   4 AM
The Hitchhiker – Thriller

    4:30
America’s Black Forum



11  KTTV (Fox)

MORNING 

   5 AM
I Love Lucy – Comedy BW

   6 AM
News

   7 AM
Good Day L.A.

   9 AM
After Breakfast

  10 AM
Dating Game

   10:30
Newlywed Game

  11 AM
I Love Lucy – Comedy  BW

   11:30
I Love Lucy – Comedy  BW

AFTERNOON

    Noon
Andy Griffith – Comedy  BW

    12:30
Andy Griffith – Comedy  BW

    1 PM
Beverly Hillbillies – Comedy

      1:30
Beverly Hillbillies – Comedy

    2 PM
Bobby’s World – Cartoon

      2:30
Peter Pan & the Pirates

    3 PM
Batman & Robin – Cartoon

      3:30
Spider-Man – Cartoon

    4 PM
Big Bad BeetleBorgs – Fantasy

      4:30
Power Rangers ZEO – Fantasy

    5 PM
Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper

      5:30
Married…With Children

EVENING

   6 PM
Home Improvement – Comedy

    6:30
Simpsons – Cartoon

   7 PM
Home Improvement – Comedy

    7:30
Simpsons – Cartoon

   8 PM
Beverly Hills, 90210

   9 PM
Party of Five – Drama

  10 PM
News

  11 PM
Married…With Children

   11:30
M*A*S*H

EARLY THURSDAY

    Mid.
Cops

   12:30
Cops

   1 AM
Infomercials

   2 AM
Beverly Hillbillies

    2:30
Andy Griffith – Comedy

   3 AM
Gilligan’s Island – Comedy

    3:30
Flintstones - Cartoon

   4 AM
Perry Mason – Drama  BW



13  KCOP (UPN)

MORNING 

   6 AM
700 Club – Religion

   7 AM
Mega Man – Cartoon

    7:30
Samurai Pizza Cats – Cartoon

   8 AM
Pink Panther – Cartoon

    8:30
Step by Step  – Comedy

   9 AM
Jenny Jones  – Discussion

  10 AM
Dr. Quinn – Drama

  11 AM
News Scope – Newsmagazine

AFTERNOON

    Noon
Baywatch – Drama

    1 PM
Richard Bey – Discussion

    2 PM
Jenny Jones – Discussion

    3 PM
Judge Judy

      3:30
News

    4 PM
Montel Williams

    5 PM
Ricki Lake – Discussion

EVENING

   6 PM
Martin – Comedy

   6:30
Martin – Comedy

   7 PM
Deep Space Nine

   8 PM
The Sentinel

   9 PM
Star Trek: Voyager

  10 PM
News

  11 PM
Mad About You – Comedy

  11:30
Strange Universe – Magazine

EARLY THURSDAY

    Mid.
LAPD: Life on the Beat

  12:30
Infomercials

   2:30
  M    The Wild BunchWestern
(1969)



18  KSCI (Ind.)

MORNING 

  6 AM
News from France

   6:30
News – In Japanese

   7:30
Iran Sima – In Farsi

   8:30
Omid, Today’s Physician – In Farsi

  9 AM
Thailand Today – In Thai

 10 AM
Infomercials

  11:30
News – In Mandarin

AFTERNOON

Noon
Mandarin Drama – In Mandarin

     1:30
Tea Time – In Mandarin

    2 PM
Panda TV Drama – In Mandarin

    3 PM
Infomercials

    4 PM
Harvest Time – In Japanese

     4:30
News – In Pilipino/English

    5 PM
News – In Vietnamese

     5:30
News – In Cantonese

EVENING

  6 PM
Panda TV Magazine – In Mandarin

  7 PM
News – In Mandaran

  8 PM
News – In Korean

  9 PM
News – In Korean

  9:30
Idadoshi’s Korea Experience – In Korean

 10:10
KTE Column – In Korean

 10:15
First Love – In Korean

 11:15
TV Jangter – In Korean

 11:30
Infomercial

EARLY THURSDAY

   Mid.
Walking in the Anointing – Religion

 12:30
Infomercials

  2 AM
Shepherd’s Bible Study



22  KWHY (Ind.)

MORNING 

  5 AM
Infomercials

  6 AM
Market Wrap-Up

   6:15
Chart Watch – Finance

   6:30
Opening Bell Report

  7 AM
Market Watch News

   7:30
Market Watch News

  8 AM
Market Watch News

   8:30
Market Watch News

  9 AM
Market Watch News

   9:30
Market Watch News

   9:50
Technologically Speaking

 10 AM
Market Watch News

  10:30
Market Watch News

 11 AM
Market Watch News

  11:20
California Stocks

  11:30
Market Watch News

AFTERNOON

    Noon
Market Watch News

    12:30
Market Watch News

    1 PM
Closing Bell Report

      1:30
Market Wrap-Up

      1:45
Chart Watch – Finance

    2 PM
You’re on the Line

      2:30
Programa commercial

    3 PM
A las tres – Revista

      3:30
De frente al sol

    4 PM
La sombra del desco – Novela

      4:30
Triangulo – Novela

    5 PM
  M    Locus por ellas – Comedia  BW

EVENING

   6:30
Acontecio aqul…LA

  7 PM
  M    El pocho Comedia

  9 PM
  M    Ilegales y mojandos

  10:30
Acontecio aquil…LA

 11 PM
Programas comerciales

EARLY THURSDAY

  1 AM
Programas comerciales

  3 AM
Programas comerciales



28   KCET (PBS)

MORNING 

  5 AM
Bloomberg Business News

   5:30
Trailside – Outdoors

  6 AM
Sesame Street

  7 AM
Mister Rogers – Children

   7:30
Storytime – Children

  8 AM
Lamb Chop’s Play-along!

   8:30
Arthur – Cartoon

  9 AM
Barney & Friends – Children

   9:30
Puzzle Place  – Children

 10 AM
Sesame Street

 11 AM
Storytime – Children

  11:30
Shining Time Station

AFTERNOON

    Noon
Puzzle Place

    12:30
Reading Rainbow – Children

    1 PM
Magic School Bus

      1:30
Arthur – Cartoon

    2 PM
Starting Over: Japanese-Americans After World War II

    3 PM
Newshour with Jim Lehrer

    4 PM
Wishbone – Children

      4:30
Carmen Sandiego – Children

    5 PM
Bill Nye the Science Guy

      5:30
Cooking at the Academy

EVENING

   6 PM
Nightly Business Report

    6:30
Newshour with Jim Lehrer

    7:30
Life & Times

   8 PM
New Explorers

   9 PM
Store – Documentary

  11 PM
Charlie Rose – Discussion

EARLY THURSDAY

    Mid.
Life & Times

  12:30
Around the World in 80 Days



40  KTBN (TBN)

MORNING 

  5 AM
Pamela Carter

   5:30
Networking – Religion

  6 AM
Richard & Lindsay Roberts - Religion

   6:30
John Hagee Today – Religion

  7 AM
Breakthrough – Religion

   7:30
Marilyn Hickey – Religion

  8 AM
Kenneth Copeland – Religion

   8:30
Lifestyle Magazine – Health

  9 AM
Doctor and the Word – Religion

   9:30
Music That Ministers

 10 AM
Behind the Scenes

  10:15
John Avanzini – Religion

  10:25
The Word – Religion

  10:30
Casey Treat – Religion

 11 AM
Life Today – Religion

  11:30
This is Your Day – Religion

AFTERNOON

    Noon
To Be Announced

    1 PM
John Hagee Today – Religion

      1:30
Marilyn Hickey – Religion

    2 PM
Praise the Lord

    5 PM
Behind the Scenes

      5:30
Creflo A. Dollar – Religion

EVENING

   6 PM
Bill Gather – Gospel Music

    6:30
Jack Van Impe – Religion

   7 PM
Praise the Lord

   9 PM
Jerry Savelle – Religion

    9:30
Jesse Duplantis – Religion

   10:30
This Is Your Day

  11 PM
Dave Roever - Religion

   11:30
Myles Munroe - Religion

EARLY THURSDAY

   3 AM
Behind the Scenes

    3:15
John Avanzini – Religion

   4 AM
The Answer – Religion

    4:30
Walt Mills – Religion



56  KDOC (Anaheim) (Ind.)

MORNING 

    5:30
Joyce Meyer - Religion

   6 AM
This is Your Day - Religion

    6:30
Kenneth Copeland - Religion

   7 AM
News – In Japanese

   8 AM
Infomercials

   9 AM
Joyce Meyer - Religion

    9:30
Infomercial

  10 AM
Headline News

   10:30
Southland Today - Discussion

  11 AM
Rifleman – Western  BW

   11:30
Rifleman – Western  BW

AFTERNOON

    Noon
Perry Mason – Drama  BW

    1 PM
Barnaby Jones – Crime Drama

    2 PM
Gunsmoke – Western

    3 PM
Froozles – Children

      3:30
WKRP in CIncinnati

    4 PM
Wild Wild West  BW

    5 PM
Bonanza – Western

EVENING

   6 PM
Rockford Files – Crime Drama

   7 PM
WKRP in Cincinnati

    7:30
Hogan’s Heroes – Comedy

   8 PM
Hollywood Park – Horse Racing

    8:30
Infomercial

   9 PM
Bonanza – Western

  10 PM
Gunsmoke - Western

  11 PM
Old Time Gospel Hour

EARLY THURSDAY

    Mid.
Infomercials

   1 AM
Hot Seat with Wally George

TV  

2 comments:

  1. You accidentally listed the "NBC Nightly News" at 6:30 P.M. as being on KCBS Channel 2 instead of KNBC Channel 4.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The beginning of "talk show creep". Fewer court shows too. This was not long after the OJ trial, after which more court shows came on.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for writing! Drive safely!