December 26, 2022

What's on TV? Tuesday, December 25, 1973




Happy Boxing Day! In many of the world's civilized countries, the day after Christmas is a legal holiday, but here in the United States, where we don't celebrate Boxing Day, we have today off anyway because Christmas fell on a Sunday. (Interestingly, where Boxing Day is celebrated, it remains December 26, and the Christmas day off is December 27. Go figure.) But I digress, other than to say that I hope you all had a happy and blessed Christmas. 

Today we're looking at Christmas, 1973, I could have chosen a TV Guide from Minneapolis-St. Paul rather than this one, which includes Philadelphia and New York City, but quite frankly the Yuletide programming for the Twin Cities was fairly underwhelming. This way, with larger metropolitan areas and more TV stations to choose from, I've got a lot more to work with! 

For the most part, the Christmas season is over as far as the networks are concerned, since all the presents have already been purchased, so most of our Christmas television comes from the locals. There's one exception, although, which is NBC's annual coverage of the Christmas Day Service from Washington's National Episcopal Cathedral (10:00 a.m.). This was always a lovely program which some wonderful Christmas music; I think the service is still shown online. WOR and WPVI also have live coverage of Christmas services, and WKBS rebroadcasts Pope Paul's Midnight Mass (10:30 a.m.). ABC's movie of the week is Home for the Holidays (8:30 p.m.) with Eleanor Parker, Sally Field, Jessica Walter, Julie Harris, Jill Haworth and Walter Brennan, but it's not what you think: a holiday family reunion in which one of the family members is a murderer.

Other programs today are rebroadcasts from earlier in the week (such as WTAF's Ranch Hope Christmas Show), but WNET presents A Joyful Noice, music from the Beers Family (10:00 a.m.), followed by a quintet of short Christmas stories (11:30 a.m.), and KYW's Christmas Story (noon) has entertainment from area ensembles, including the Philadelphia Civic Ballet, Holy Trinity Church Choirs, Westminster Bell Ringers, and LaSalle College Singers. There are a couple of airings of Christmas Is, an animated special with Hans Conried as the voice of the Innkeeper, and WABC has Christmas in Jazz (10;30 a.m.), with Tommy and Ernie Furtado and their jazz groups. And of course, there are movies for the kiddies, including Pinocchio in Outer Space and The Wacky World of Mother Goose. Here are the complete listings; enjoy the day!

 
 2  WCBS (NYC) (CBS)
 
MORNING
 
     6:20
NEWS
 
     6:30
SUNRISE SEMESTER
 
     7:00
CBS NEWS—Rudd/Quinn
 
     8:00
CAPTAIN KANGAROO
 
     9:00
ANYTHING YOU CAN DO
 
     9:30
PAT COLLINS
 
   10:00
JOKER’S WILD—Game
 
   10:30
$10,000 PYRAMID—Game
Betsy Palmer, Leonard Nimoy
 
   11:00
GAMBIT—Game
         
   11:30
LOVE OF LIFE—Serial
 
   11:55
CBS NEWS—Douglas Edwards
 
AFTERNOON
 
   12:00
YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS—Serial
 
   12:30
SEARCH FOR TOMORROW—Serial
 
     1:00
WHAT’S MY LINE?
 
     1:30
AS THE WORLD TURNS—Serial
 
     2:00
GUIDING LIGHT—Serial
 
     2:30
EDGE OF NIGHT—Serial
 
     3:00
PRICE IS RIGHT—Game
 
     3:30
MATCH GAME
June Lockhart, Jack Cassidy, Loretta Swit Charles Nelson Reilly, Brett Somers Klugman, Richard Dawson
 
     4:00
SECRET STORM—Serial
 
     4:30
MIKE DOUGLAS
Co-host: Bill Hayes. Robert Klein and Brenda Boozer, Susan Strasberg, Christopher Finch, Hugh McDonald, Bobby Sandler
 
EVENING
 
     6:00
NEWS
 
     7:00
CBS NEWS—Walter Cronkite
 
     7:30
NEW TREASURE HUNT
 
     8:00
MAUDE
 
     8:30
HAWAII FIVE-O
 
     9:30
HAWKINS—Crime Drama
 
   11:00
NEWS
 
   11:30
MOVIE—Adventure
“Ivanhoe” (1952)
 
     1:40
MOVIE—Comedy BW 
“Mr. Deeds Goes to Town” (1936)
 
     3:55
MOVIE—Drama BW 
“All Mine to Give” (1957)
 
 
 
-3- KYW (PHILADELPHIA) (NBC)
 
MORNING
 
     6:05
FARM MARKET REPORT
 
     6:10
NEWS
 
     6:15
SPEAK FOR YOURSELF
Lesson: “Scarlet Ribbons”
 
     6:45
FARM, HOME AND GARDEN
 
     7:00
TODAY—McGee/Walters
 
     9:00
SOMERSET
 
     9:30
JEOPARDY
 
   10:00
CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICES
Special: From Washington National Cathedral
 
   11:00
WIZARD OF ODDS—Game
         
   11:30
HOLLYWOOD SQUARES
James Coco, James Brolin, Joan Rivers, Carol Lynley, Marty Allen, John Davidson, Paul Lynde, Charley Weaver
 
AFTERNOON
 
   12:00
CHRISTMAS STORY
Special
 
     1:30
THREE ON A MATCH—Game
 
     2:00
DAYS OF OUR LIVES—Serial
 
     2:30
DOCTORS—Serial
 
     3:00
ANOTHER WORLD—Serial
 
     3:30
RETURN TO PEYTON PLACESerial
 
     4:00
MIKE DOUGLAS
Guests: Anne Baxter, Kreskin, Desi Arnaz Jr., Don Goodwin
 
     5:30
NEWS
 
EVENING
 
     6:00
NEWS
 
     6:30
NBC NEWS—John Chancellor
 
     7:00
WHAT’S MY LINE?
Soupy Sales, Carole Shelley, Gene Shalit, Arlene Francis. Host: Larry Blyden
 
     7:30
NEW TREASURE HUNT
 
     8:00
CHASE—Crime Drama
 
     9:00
MAGICIAN—Drama
 
   10:00
POLICE STORY—Crime Drama
 
   11:00
NEWS
 
   11:30
JOHNNY CARSON
Guest host: Jerry Lewis. Guest: Enzo Stuarti
 
     1:00
TOMORROW—Discussion
 
     2:00
NEWS
 
 
 
 4  WNBC (NYC) (NBC)
 
MORNING
 
     6:30
EMPLOYMENT SERVICES
 
     7:00
TODAY—McGee/Walters
 
     9:00
NOT FOR WOMEN ONLY
Guests: Viveca Lindfors, Harry Hershfield, Nada Skerly
 
     9:30
TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES
 
   10:00
CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICES
Special: From Washington National Cathedral
 
   11:00
WIZARD OF ODDS—Game
         
   11:30
HOLLYWOOD SQUARES
James Coco, James Brolin, Joan Rivers, Carol Lynley, Marty Allen, John Davidson, Paul Lynde, Charley Weaver
 
AFTERNOON
 
   12:00
JEOPARDY—Game
 
   12:30
WHO, WHAT OR WHERE—Game
 
   12:55
NBC NEWS—Edwin Newman
 
     1:00
CONCENTRATION
 
     1:30
THREE ON A MATCH—Game
 
     2:00
DAYS OF OUR LIVES—Serial
 
     2:30
DOCTORS—Serial
 
     3:00
ANOTHER WORLD—Serial
 
     3:30
RETURN TO PEYTON PLACESerial
 
     4:00
SOMERSET—Serial
 
     4:30
MOVIE—Comedy
“Merry Andrew” (1958)
 
EVENING
 
     6:00
NEWS
 
     7:00
NBC NEWS—John Chancellor
 
     7:30
NEWARK BOYS CHORUS
Special
 
     8:00
CHASE—Crime Drama
 
     9:00
MAGICIAN—Drama
 
   10:00
POLICE STORY—Crime Drama
 
   11:00
NEWS
 
   11:30
JOHNNY CARSON
Guest host: Jerry Lewis. Guest: Enzo Stuarti
 
     1:00
TOMORROW—Discussion
 
     2:00
MOVIE—Drama BW 
“The Green Helmet” (English; 1961)
 
 
 
 5  WNEW (NYC) (Ind.)
 
MORNING
 
     6:30
CHRISTMAS IS
Special
 
     7:00
UNDERDOG
 
     7:30
FLINTSTONES
 
     8:00
BUGS BUNNY
 
     8:30
FLYING NUN—Comedy
 
     9:00
HAZEL—Comedy BW 
 
     9:30
MOTHERS-IN-LAW—Comedy
 
   10:00
I LOVE LUCY—Comedy BW 
 
   10:30
GREEN ACRES—Comedy
 
   11:00
ANDY GRIFITH—Comedy BW 
         
   11:30
MIDDAY LIVE
Celeste Holm, Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, Bobby Short
 
AFTERNOON
 
     1:00
MOVIE—Comedy BW 
“Horse Feathers” (1932)
 
     2:30
MOVIE—Comedy BW 
“Man on the Flying Trapeze” (1935)
 
     4:00
CHRISTMAS IS
 
     4:30
CARTOONS
 
     5:30
FLINTSTONES
 
EVENING
 
     6:30
ANDY GRIFFITH—Comedy
 
     7:00
I LOVE LUCY—Comedy BW 
 
     7:30
BEWITCHED—Comedy
 
     8:00
THAT GIRL—Comedy
 
     8:30
MERV GRIFFIN
Florence Henderson, Jack Jones, Karen Valentine, Susan George
 
   10:00
NEWS—Bill Jorgensen
 
   11:00
HOGAN’S HEROES—Comedy
 
   11:30
MOVIE—Drama BW 
“Going My Way” (1944)
 
     2:05
COMBAT—Drama BW 
 
     3:05
BIG ATTACK—Drama BW 
 
 
 
-6- WPVI (PHILADELPHIA) (ABC)
 
MORNING
 
     6:30
OPERATION ALPHABET
 
     7:00
CHRISTMAS LOST AND FOUND—Puppets
Davey and Goliath
 
     7:30
CAPTAIN NOAH
 
     9:00
DIRECTOIONS
 
   10:00
UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN—Religion
 
   10:30
CHRISTMAS IS
 
   11:00
CHRISTMAS SERVICE
Special: From St. Thomas Episcopal Church
 
AFTERNOON
 
   12:00
NEWS
 
   12:30
SPLIT SECOND—Game
 
     1:00
ALL MY CHILDREN—Serial
 
     1:30
LET’S MAKE A DEAL—Game
 
     2:00
NEWLYWED GAME
 
     2:30
GIRL IN MY LIFE
 
     3:00
GENERAL HOSPITAL—Serial
 
     3:30
ONE LIFE TO LIVE—Serial
 
     4:00
I LOVE LUCY—Comedy BW 
 
     4:30
BIG VALLEY—Western BW 
 
     5:30
TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES
 
EVENING
 
     6:00
NEWS
 
     6:30
ABC NEWS—Smith/Reasoner
 
     7:00
TO TELL THE TRUTH
Nipsey Russell, Kitty Carlisle
 
     7:30
WILD KINGDOM
 
     8:00
TEMPERATURES RISING—Comedy
 
     8:30
MOVIE—Drama
“Home for the Holidays” (Made-for-TV; 1973)
 
   10:00
MARCUS WELBY, M.D.
 
   11:00
NEWS
 
   11:30
MEDICINE SHOW
 
     1:00
PERSPECTIVE
 
 
 
 7  WABC (NYC) (ABC)
 
MORNING
 
     6:30
LISTEN AND LEARN—Science BW 
 
     7:00
A.M. NEW YORK
 
     9:00
FAMILY THEATRE
 
   10:30
CHRISTMAS IN JAZZ
 
   11:00
GOMER PYLE, USMC
         
   11:30
TO BE ANNOUNCED
 
AFTERNOON
 
   12:00
PASSWORD—Game
Sandy Duncan, Bill Bixby. Host: Allen Ludden
 
   12:30
SPLIT SECOND—Game
 
     1:00
ALL MY CHILDREN—Serial
 
     1:30
LET’S MAKE A DEAL—Game
 
     2:00
NEWLYWED GAME
 
     2:30
GIRL IN MY LIFE
 
     3:00
GENERAL HOSPITAL—Serial
 
     3:30
ONE LIFE TO LIVE—Serial
 
     4:00
LOVE, AMERICAN STYLE
 
     4:30
MOVIE—Adventure
“Seven Cities of Gold” (1955)
 
EVENING
 
     6:00
NEWS
 
     7:00
ABC NEWS—Smith/Reasoner
 
     7:30
WILD, WILD WORLD OF ANIMALS
 
     8:00
TEMPERATURES RISING—Comedy
 
     8:30
MOVIE—Drama
“Home for the Holidays” (Made-for-TV; 1973)
 
   10:00
MARCUS WELBY, M.D.
 
   11:00
NEWS
 
   11:30
MEDICINE SHOW
 
     1:00
MOVIE—Mystery BW 
“Fast Company” (1938)
 
 
 
 9  WOR (NYC) (Ind.)
 
MORNING
 
     7:30
NEWS BW
 
     8:00
GARNER TED ARMSTRONG
 
     8:30
JOURNEY TO ADVENTURE
 
     9:00
CHRISTMAS DAY MASS
Special
 
   10:00
MOVIE—Musical
“The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T” (1953)
 
AFTERNOON
 
   12:00
MI DULCE ENAMORADA BW 
 
   12:55
NOTICIAS
 
     1:00
MOVIE—Cartoon
“Pinocchio in Outer Space” (1965)
 
     2:30
BEVERLY HILLBILLIES BW 
 
     3:00
MOVIE—Drama BW 
“Outcasts of Poker Flats” (1937)
 
     4:00
MOVIE—Drama BW 
“Tom Brown’s School Days” (English; 1951)
 
EVENING
 
     6:00
WILD WILD WEST—Adventure BW 
 
     7:00
LUCY SHOW—Comedy BW 
 
     7:30
BOWLING FOR DOLLARS
 
     8:00
MOVIE—Musical
“For the First Time” (1959)
 
   10:00
CELEBRITY BOWLING
Bob Newhart and James Farentino vs. Robert Lansing and Stephen Young. Host: Jed Allan
 
   10:30
NEWS—Tom Dunn
 
   11:00
WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE—Western BW 
 
   11:30
MOVIE—Drama
“The Long Gray Line” (1955)
 
     2:00
JOE FRANKLIN
 
     3:00
NEWS
 
 
 
10 WCAU (PHILADELPHIA) (CBS)
 
MORNING
 
     6:30
WAKE UP!
 
     7:00
CBS NEWS—Rudd/Quinn
 
     8:00
CAPTAIN KANGAROO
 
     9:00
BETTY HUGHES AND FRIENDS
 
     9:30
SAFARI TO ADVENTURE
 
   10:00
JOKER’S WILD—Game
 
   10:30
$10,000 PYRAMID—Game
Betsy Palmer, Leonard Nimoy
 
   11:00
GAMBIT—Game
         
   11:30
LOVE OF LIFE—Serial
 
   11:55
CBS NEWS—Douglas Edwards
 
AFTERNOON
 
   12:00
YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS—Serial
 
   12:30
SEARCH FOR TOMORROW—Serial
 
     1:00
SECRET STORM—Serial
 
     1:30
AS THE WORLD TURNS—Serial
 
     2:00
GUIDING LIGHT—Serial
 
     2:30
EDGE OF NIGHT—Serial
 
     3:00
PRICE IS RIGHT—Game
 
     3:30
MATCH GAME
June Lockhart, Jack Cassidy, Loretta Swit Charles Nelson Reilly, Brett Somers Klugman, Richard Dawson
 
     4:00
MOVIE—Drama
“Friendly Persuasion” (1956)
 
EVENING
 
     6:30
NEWS
 
     7:00
CBS NEWS—Walter Cronkite
 
     7:30
JOHNNY MANN’S STAND UP AND CHEER
Guest: Rich Little
 
     8:00
MAUDE
 
     8:30
HAWAII FIVE-O
 
     9:30
HAWKINS—Crime Drama
 
   11:00
NEWS
 
   11:30
MOVIE—Adventure
“Ivanhoe” (1952)
 
     1:40
MOVIE—Musical
“The Vagabond King” (1956)
 
     3:30
GIVE US THIS DAY
 
     3:35
MOVIE—Musical
“Bundle of Joy” (1956)
 
 
 
11 WPIX (NYC) (Ind.)
 
MORNING
 
     7:00
NEWS—Roy Whitfield
 
     7:30
LITTLE RASCALS BW 
 
     8:00
COURAGEOUS CAT
 
     8:30
LIVING EASY WITH DR. JOYCE BROTHERS
Co-host: Hermoine GIngold
 
     9:00
PUERTO RICAN NEW YORKER
 
     9:30
EQUAL TIME
 
   10:00
MOVIE—Drama BW 
“Bush Christmas” (Australian; 1947)
 
   11:00
MAN WHO KILLED CHRISTMAS
         
   11:30
ABBOTT AND COSTELLO BW 
 
AFTERNOON
 
   12:00
NEW ZOO REVUE—Children
 
   12:30
CHRISTMAS IS
 
     1:00
GALLOPING GOURMET
Pumpkin and oyster soup
 
     1:30
GET SMART—Comedy
 
     2:00
FATHER KNOWS BEST BW 
 
     2:30
NANNY AND THE PROFESSOR
 
     3:00
MAGILLA GORILLA
 
     3:30
FELIX THE CAT BW 
 
     4:00
POPEYE
 
     4:30
BATMAN—Adventure
Guest Villain: Cesar Romero (The Joker)
 
     5:00
F TROOP—Comedy
 
     5:30
GILLIGAN’S ISLAND—Comedy
 
EVENING
 
     6:00
I DREAM OF JEANNIE—Comedy
 
     6:30
BEAT THE CLOCK
Guest: Tom Poston
 
     7:00
BILL DAILY’S HOCUS POCUS GANG
Special: Guests: Jerry Lewis, Ruth Buzzi, Frank Gorshin, Art Metrano
 
     8:00
NORTH-SOUTH SHRINE GAME
Special Football from Miami
 
   11:00
NEWS
 
   11:30
PERRY MASON BW 
 
 
 
12 WHYY (WILMINGTON-PHILADELPHIA) (PBS)
 
AFTERNOON
 
     4:00
SESAME STREET
 
     5:00
MISTER ROGERS
 
     5:30
ELECTRIC COMPANY—Children
 
EVENING
 
     6:00
DELAWARE NEWS BW 
 
     6:30
ANTIQUES
 
     7:00
TAKE 12
 
     7:30
ON TOP OF IT BW 
 
     8:00
WAR AND PEACE
Part 6
 
     9:30
PERFORMANCE—Music
Maryland Baroque Ensemble
 
   10:00
FIRING LINE
Guest: Dr. Malachi Martin
 
 
 
13 WNET (NYC) (PBS)
 
MORNING
 
     9:00
SESAME STREET
 
   10:00
A JOYFUL NOISE
Special
 
   11:00
SOUNDS OF JOY—Drama
         
   11:30
CHRISTMAS QUINTET
1. “The First Christmas” 2. “How the Animals Discovered Christmas” 3. “Little Shepherd and the First Christmas” 4. “The Little Drummer Boy” 5. “Twelve Days of Christmas”
 
AFTERNOON
 
   12:30
McKONKEY’S FERRY—Documentary
Special
 
     1:00
THE MESSIAH—Music
Special: Arion Music Club of Milwaukee
 
     3:00
SILENT COMEDY FILM FESTIVAL
 
     4:00
SESAME STREET
 
     5:00
MISTER ROGERS
 
     5:30
ELECTRIC COMPANY—Children
 
EVENING
 
     6:00
HODGEPODGE LODGE
 
     6:30
ZOOM
 
     7:00
REALIDADES
 
     8:00
WAR AND PEACE
Part 6
 
     9:30
INSIDE THE WORLD OF JESSE ALLAN
 
   11:00
PERFORMANCE—Music
 
   11:30
JANAKI
 
 
 
17 WPHL (PHILADELPHIA) (Ind.)
 
MORNING
         
   11:40
NEWS
 
   11:45
BULLETIN BOARD
 
AFTERNOON
 
   12:00
CARTOON CLUB
 
   12:30
GOMER PYLE, USMC—Comedy
 
     1:00
MOVIE—Puppets
“The Wacky World of Mother Goose" (1967)
 
     2:30
PATTY DUKE—Comedy BW 
 
     3:00
BULLWINKLE—Cartoon
 
     3:30
ASTRO BOY—Cartoon BW 
 
     4:00
MARINE BOY—Cartoon
 
     4:30
POPEYE—Cartoon
 
     5:00
SPIDERMAN—Cartoon
 
     5:30
JOHNNY SOKKO
 
EVENING
 
     6:00
UNTOUCHABLES—Crime Drama BW 
 
     7:00
BONANZA—Western
 
     8:00
OF LANDS AND SEAS
 
     9:00
MOVIE—Drama
“Three Coins in the Fountain” (1954)
 
   11:00
ALFRED HITCHCOCK—Drama BW 
 
   11:30
MOVIE—Comedy BW 
“Topper Takes a Trip” (1939)
 
     1:30
BULLETIN BOARD
 
 
 
29 WTAF (PHILADELPHIA) (Ind.)
 
AFTERNOON
 
     2:00
RANCH HOPE CHRISTMAS SHOW
Special
 
     3:00
DENNIS THE MENACE—Comedy BW 
 
     3:30
THREE STOOGES BW 
 
     4:30
SUPERMAN—Adventure BW 
 
     5:00
BATMAN—Adventure
Guest Villains: Ida Lupino (Dr. Cassandra Spellcraft) and Howard Duff (Cabala)
 
     5:30
BATMAN—Adventure
Guest Villain: Zsa Zsa Gabor (Minerva)
 
EVENING
 
     6:00
BEWITCHED—Comedy
 
     6:30
COURTSHIP OF EDDIE’S FATHER—Comedy-Drama
 
     7:00
THAT GIRL—Comedy
 
     7:30
HOGAN’S HEROES—Comedy
 
     8:00
NORTH-SOUTH SHRINE GAME
Special: Football from Miami
 
   11:00
BOWLING


 
48 WKBS (PHILADELPHIA) (Ind.)
 
MORNING
 
   10:30
POPE PAUL’S CHRISTMAS MASS
Special
 
AFTERNOON
 
   12:00
MOVIE—Comedy BW 
“It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946)
 
     3:00
HUCK AND YOGI—Cartoon
 
     3:30
SPEED RACER—Cartoon
 
     4:00
LITTLE RASCALS BW 
 
     4:30
FLINTSTONES—Cartoon
 
     5:30
GILLIGAN’S ISLAND—Comedy
 
EVENING
 
     6:00
STAR TREK—Adventure
 
     7:00
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE
 
     8:00
MOVIE—Drama BW 
“The Jazz Singer” (1927)
 
   10:00
PERRY MASON BW 
 
   11:00
NIGHT GALLERY
 
   11:30
MOVIE—Comedy BW 
“Holiday Affair” (1949)

TV  

4 comments:

  1. Combat at 2 in the AM would be great for my insomnia.

    ReplyDelete
  2. New York newspapers (Times, Daily News), have the same Christmas service from St. Thomas Church listed in their schedules for WABC Ch. 7, as does its Philadelphia counterpart WPVI Ch. 6. As for the latter, the Philadelphia Inquirer has "Larry Ferrari Christmas Music" listed at noon instead of news.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Interesting...WKBS-TV has "It's a Wonderful Life" just before the year when the movie fell into public domain for roughly the next 20 years.

    ReplyDelete
  4. It was so easy to like Bill Bixby in The Magician but the show never got much traction...like his white Corvette in the opening title sequence.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for writing! Drive safely!