1971–72 United States network television schedule

none 1971 June 2013 The following is the 1971–72 network television schedule for the three major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 1971 through August 1972. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1970–71 season. All times are Eastern and Pacific, with certain exceptions, such as Monday Night Football. This season saw a drastic change in scheduling, as the Prime Time Access Rule was enacted, limiting networks to provide not more than 21 hours of primetime programming a week, also giving the Sunday night 7:00-7:30pm slot and the 7:30-8:00pm slot on Mondays and Wednesdays through Saturdays back to local affiliates. New fall series are highlighted in bold. Each of the 30 highest-rated shows is listed with its rank and rating as determined by Nielsen Media Research.Highest-rated series is based on the annual top-rated programs list compiled by Nielsen Media Research and reported in: Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows (9th ed.). New York: Ballantine. 978-0-345-49773-4. The Public Broadcasting Service was in operation, but the schedule was set by each local station. Legend #C0C0C0 darkgray Gray indicates encore programming. #6699CC darkgray Blue-gray indicates news programming. lightgreen darkgray Light green indicates sporting events. #FA8072 darkgray Red indicates series being burned off and other regularly scheduled programs, including specials and movies. light white darkgray highlight lime Lime highlights indicates the number-one most watched program of the season. light white darkgray highlight yellow Yellow highlights indicates the top-10 most watched programs of the season. light white darkgray highlight cyan Cyan highlights indicates numbers 11-20 most watched programs of the season. light white darkgray highlight magenta Magenta highlights indicates numbers 21-30 most watched programs of the season. light white darkgray highlight black Highlights indicates that it falls in multiple of the above categories. Sunday Network 7:30 PM 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM ABC Local programming The F.B.I. (17/22.4) The ABC Sunday Night Movie magenta (26/20.8) CBS Fall The CBS Sunday Night Movie Cade's County Local programming Summer The Life of Leonardo da Vinci NBC The Wonderful World of Disney (19/22.0) The Jimmy Stewart Show Bonanza (20/21.9) The Bold Ones: The New Doctors / The Lawyers Note: 60 Minutes aired at 6:00-7:00 pm on CBS from January to June 1972. Monday Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM ABC Fall Nanny and the Professor Local programming ABC NFL Monday Night Football (25/20.9) #00FFFF Winter Monday Night Special The ABC Monday Night Movie CBS Fall Gunsmoke (4/26.0) Here's Lucy (10/23.7)(Tied with The Mary Tyler Moore Show) The Doris Day Show (23/21.2)(Tied with The Carol Burnett Show) My Three Sons Arnie Winter The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour (27/20.2) Summer Suspense Theatre Follow-Up Cade's County NBC Fall Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (22/21.4) NBC Monday Night at the Movies Summer The Baseball World of Joe Garagiola (8:00) / Monday Night Baseball (8:15) Tuesday Network 7:30 PM 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM ABC The Mod Squad (21/21.5) ABC Movie of the Week (5/25.6) yellow Marcus Welby, M.D. (3/27.8) CBS Fall The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour Hawaii Five-O (12/23.6) Cannon (28/19.8)(Tied with Room 222) Local programming Summer The Jerry Reed When You're Hot You're Hot Hour Follow-up The John Byner Comedy Hour NBC Fall Ironside (15/23.0) Sarge The Funny Side November Sarge The Funny Side James Garner as Nichols Winter Local programming Summer Ponderosa (R) NBC Action Playhouse (R) Note: The NBC 1972 summer series Ponderosa consisted of reruns of Bonanza episodes from the 1967-1970 period. More recent reruns of Bonanza also aired that summer under the shows original name in its regular Sunday evening time slot. NBC Action Playhouse consisted of reruns from Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, with new introductions by Peter Marshall. Wednesday Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM ABC Fall Bewitched The Courtship of Eddie's Father The Smith Family Shirley's World The Man and the City Winter The Courtship of Eddie's Father The ABC Comedy Hour The Persuaders! Local programmingSpring The Smith Family The Marty Feldman Comedy Machine Summer The Super The Corner Bar ABC Comedy Hour Presents the Kopykats (R) CBS Fall The Carol Burnett Show (23/21.2)(Tied with The Doris Day Show) Medical Center (13/23.5) Mannix (7/24.8) Summer The David Steinberg Show NBC Adam-12 (8/23.9)(Tied with Funny Face) The NBC Mystery Movie: Columbo / McCloud / McMillan & Wife (14/23.2) cyan Night Gallery Note: The ABC 1972 summer series ABC Comedy Hour Presents the Kopykats consisted of reruns of ABC Comedy Hour from earlier in the year. Thursday Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM ABC Alias Smith and Jones Longstreet Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law CBS Fall Bearcats! CBS Thursday Night Movie Winter Me and the Chimp My Three Sons Summer My World and Welcome to It (R) NBC Fall The Flip Wilson Show (2/28.2) Nichols The Dean Martin Show November Ironside (15/23.0) Summer Dean Martin Presents the Bobby Darin Amusement Co. Note: My World and Welcome to It consisted of reruns of NBC's 1969-70 sitcom. Friday Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM ABC The Brady Bunch The Partridge Family (16/22.6) Room 222 (28/19.8)(Tied with Cannon) The Odd Couple Love, American Style CBS Fall The Chicago Teddy Bears O'Hara, U.S. Treasury The New CBS Friday Night Movie (30/19.5) Winter O'Hara, U.S. Treasury The New CBS Friday Night Movie magenta (30/19.5) The Don Rickles Show Summer The Governor & J.J. NBC Fall The D.A. World Premiere Movie / Chronolog* (once a month) #6699CC Local programming Winter Sanford and Son (6/25.2) Summer The Partners * formerly First TuesdayO'Connor John J. 1971-11-07 Television en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1971/11/07/archives/kvetched-at-any-news-shows-lately.html 2023-11-20 0362-4331 Saturday Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM ABC Fall Getting Together Movie of the Weekend The Persuaders! Winter Bewitched The Sixth Sense Summer The Ken Berry "Wow" Show CBSFall All in the Family (1/34.0) Funny Face (8/23.9)(Tied with Adam-12) The New Dick Van Dyke Show (18/22.2) The Mary Tyler Moore Show (10/23.7)(Tied with Here's Lucy) Mission: ImpossibleWinter The Mary Tyler Moore Show (10/23.7)(Tied with Here's Lucy) Arnie NBC Fall The Partners The Good Life NBC Saturday Night at the Movies Winter Emergency! By network ABC Returning Series The ABC Monday Night Movie ABC Movie of the Week ABC NFL Monday Night Football The ABC Sunday Night Movie Alias Smith and Jones Bewitched The Brady Bunch The Courtship of Eddie's Father The F.B.I. Love, American Style Marcus Welby, M.D. The Mod Squad Nanny and the Professor The Odd Couple The Partridge Family Room 222 The Smith Family New Series The ABC Comedy Hour * The Corner Bar * Getting Together The Ken Berry 'Wow' Show * Longstreet The Man and the City The Marty Feldman Comedy Machine * Monday Night Special * Movie of the Weekend Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law The Persuaders! Shirley's World The Sixth Sense * The Super * Not returning from 1970–71: Barefoot in the Park Dan August Danny Thomas in Make Room for Granddaddy The Immortal It Was a Very Good Year The Johnny Cash Show The Lawrence Welk Show (moved to syndication) Let's Make a Deal (remained on its daytime lineup) Matt Lincoln The Most Deadly Game The Newlywed Game (remained on its daytime lineup) The Pearl Bailey Show The Reel Game The Silent Force That Girl This Is Tom Jones The Val Doonican Show The Young Lawyers The Young Rebels CBS Returning Series 60 Minutes All in the Family Arnie The Carol Burnett Show CBS Thursday Night Movie The Doris Day Show The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour Gunsmoke Hawaii Five-O Here's Lucy Mannix The Mary Tyler Moore Show Medical Center Mission: Impossible My Three Sons The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour Suspense Theatre New Series Bearcats! Cade's County Cannon The Chicago Teddy Bears The David Steinberg Show * The Don Rickles Show * Funny Face * The Jerry Reed When You're Hot You're Hot Hour * The John Byner Comedy Hour * The Life of Leonardo da Vinci * Me and the Chimp * The New Dick Van Dyke Show O'Hara, U.S. Treasury Not returning from 1970–71: Animal World The Beverly Hillbillies The CBS Newcomers Comedy Playhouse The Ed Sullivan Show Family Affair The Governor & J.J. Green Acres Headmaster Hee Haw (moved to syndication) Hogan's Heroes The Ice Palace The Interns The Jim Nabors Hour Lassie (moved to syndication) Mayberry R.F.D. The New Andy Griffith Show Storefront Lawyers The Tim Conway Comedy Hour To Rome with Love NBC Returning Series Adam-12 Bonanza The Bold Ones Columbo The Dean Martin Show The Flip Wilson Show Ironside McCloud Monday Night Baseball NBC Action Playhouse NBC Monday Night at the Movies The NBC Mystery Movie NBC Saturday Night at the Movies Night Gallery Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In The Wonderful World of Disney New Series The D.A. Dean Martin Presents the Bobby Darin Amusement Co. * Emergency! * The Funny Side The Good Life The Jimmy Stewart Show McMillan & Wife Nichols The Partners Sanford and Son * Sarge Not returning from 1970–71: The Andy Williams Show The Bill Cosby Show Bracken's World The Des O'Connor Show The Don Knotts Show Four in One From a Bird's Eye View The High Chaparral Julia Kraft Music Hall Make Your Own Kind of Music The Men from Shiloh The Name of the Game Nancy NBC Comedy Theater The Psychiatrist The Red Skelton Show San Francisco International Airport Strange Report Wild Kingdom (moved to syndication) Note: The * indicates that the program was introduced in midseason. References Additional sources Castleman, H. & Podrazik, W. (1982). Watching TV: Four Decades of American Television. New York: McGraw-Hill. 314 pp. McNeil, Alex. Total Television. Fourth edition. New York: Penguin Books. 0-14-024916-8. Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (1985). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows (3rd ed.). New York: Ballantine. 0-345-31864-1. Category:United States primetime network television schedules Category:1971 in American television Category:1972 in American television