1976–77 United States network television schedule

none March 2025 1976 The following is the 1976–77 network television schedule for the three major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 1976 through August 1977. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1975–76 season. All times are Eastern and Pacific, with certain exceptions, such as Monday Night Football. 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. yellow darkgray Yellow indicates the programs in the top 10 for the season. cyan darkgray Cyan indicates the programs in the top 20 for the season. FF22FF darkgray Magenta indicates the programs in the top 30 for the season. PBS, the Public Broadcasting Service, was in operation, but the schedule was set by each local station. The Muppet Show (syndicated in the U.S.) premiered this season. Sunday Network 7:00 PM 7:30 PM 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM ABC Fall Cos The Six Million Dollar Man (7/24.2) The ABC Sunday Night Movie (8/23.4)(Tied with Baretta and One Day at a Time) Winter Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries CBS Fall 60 Minutes (18/21.9)(Tied with Hawaii Five-O) The Sonny and Cher Show Kojak Delvecchio Winter Rhoda Phyllis Switch Summer Starland Vocal Band Show NBC The Wonderful World of Disney NBC Sunday Mystery Movie: Columbo / McCloud / McMillan / Quincy, M.E. / Lanigan's Rabbi (beginning winter) The Big Event (6/24.4) Monday Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM ABC Fall The Captain and Tennille ABC NFL Monday Night Football (22/21.2) Winter The ABC Monday Night Movie (3/26.0) Spring The Brady Bunch Hour Most Wanted The Feather and Father Gang Summer The ABC Monday Night Comedy Special Monday Night Baseball August Holmes & Yoyo Follow-up The ABC Monday Night Comedy Special CBS Fall Rhoda Phyllis Maude All's Fair Executive Suite Winter The Jeffersons (24/21.0) Busting Loose The Andros Targets Summer The Shields and Yarnell Show The Sonny and Cher Show August Szysznyk NBC Little House on the Prairie (15/22.3)(Tied with The Waltons) NBC Monday Night at the Movies (20/21.8) Note: The Brady Bunch Hour previously aired on a sporadic basis starting in November 1976, before becoming a weekly series in February 1977. Tuesday Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM ABC Fall Happy Days (1/31.5) Laverne & Shirley (2/30.9) Rich Man, Poor Man Book II (21/21.6) Family Winter Eight Is Enough (23/21.1) Summer Rich Man, Poor ManFollow-upThe ABC Tuesday Night Movie CBS Fall The Tony Orlando and Dawn Rainbow Hour M*A*S*H (4/25.9) One Day at a Time (8/23.4)(Tied with The ABC Sunday Night Movie and Baretta) Switch! Winter Who's Who KojakSummerThe Family HolvakMid-SummerThe Jack Benny ShowPhyllis NBC Baa Baa Black Sheep Police Woman Police Story Note: On ABC, the 1977 summer miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man consisted of reruns of the 1976 miniseries. On CBS, The Family Holvak consisted of reruns of the 1975 NBC series before being replaced by a four-week run of The Jack Benny Show (with Phyllis in the 8:30 slot), featuring episodes from its 1963-64 season. Wednesday Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM ABCFall The Bionic Woman (14/22.4) Baretta (8/23.4)(Tied with The ABC Sunday Night Movie and One Day at a Time) Charlie's Angels (5/25.8)SummerDonny & MarieFollow-upEight Is EnoughCharlie's AngelsBaretta CBS Fall Good Times (26/20.5) Ball Four All in the Family (12/22.9) Alice (30/20.0) The Blue Knight October The Jeffersons (24/21.0) The CBS Wednesday Night Movie Winter The Jacksons Spring Loves Me, Loves Me Not Summer Alice Follow-up Busting Loose NBC Fall The Practice NBC Movie of the Week The Quest December C.P.O. Sharkey The McLean Stevenson Show Sirota's Court The Practice Winter The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams C.P.O. Sharkey The McLean Stevenson Show Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected Spring Sirota's Court Kingston: Confidential Summer 3 Girls 3 July C.P.O. Sharkey Comedy TimeAugust The Kallikaks Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected NOTE: On NBC, Comedy Time was a summer anthology series composed of unsold television pilots that aired on Wednesdays in July and on Thursdays on July 21 and 28, August 25, and September 1. Thursday Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM ABC Fall Welcome Back, Kotter (13/22.7) Barney Miller (17/22.2) The Tony Randall Show (29/20.1) The Nancy Walker Show The Streets of San Francisco Winter What's Happening!! (25/20.9) Barney Miller (17/22.2) The Tony Randall Show (29/20.1) Westside Medical Spring Three's Company (11/23.1) CBS The Waltons (15/22.3)(Tied with Little House on the Prairie) Hawaii Five-O (18/21.9)(Tied with 60 Minutes) Barnaby Jones NBC Fall Gemini Man NBC's Best Sellers Van Dyke and Company November Van Dyke and Company Gibbsville Winter The Fantastic Journey NBC's Best SellersSummer Comedy Time / SpecialsNBC Thursday Night at the Movies Notes: NBC originally planned to air Snip (a sitcom starring David Brenner) on Thursdays at 9:30 with The Practice preceding it at 9:00. On August 28, NBC announced a "massive reshuffling" of its schedule and pulled Snip,https://www.tvobscurities.com/articles/cancelled_before_they_premiered/ Programs Cancelled Before They Premiered - TVObscurities which never aired. Comedy Time was a summer anthology series composed of unsold television pilots that aired on NBC on Wednesdays in July and on Thursdays on July 21 and 28, August 25, and September 1. Friday Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM ABC Donny & Marie The ABC Friday Night Movie (28/20.2) CBS Fall Spencer's Pilots The CBS Friday Night Movie Winter Code R The Sonny & Cher Show Executive Suite Follow-up Hunter April Nashville 99 Follow-upThe CBS Friday Night Movie Summer A Year at the Top The Keane Brothers Show NBC Fall Sanford and Son (27/20.3) Chico and the Man The Rockford Files Serpico Winter Quincy, M.E. Note: A special program, Campaign '76, aired on CBS from 7:30 to 8:00 p.m. from September to early November in preparation for the 1976 presidential election. Saturday Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM ABC Fall Holmes & Yoyo Mr. T and Tina Starsky & Hutch Most Wanted Winter Blansky's Beauties Fish Dog and Cat SummerWonder Woman The Feather and Father GangFollow-upMr. T and TinaSugar Time!Most Wanted CBS Fall The Jeffersons (24/21.0) Doc The Mary Tyler Moore Show The Bob Newhart Show The Carol Burnett Show October The Mary Tyler Moore Show The Bob Newhart Show All in the Family (12/22.9) Alice (30/20.0) Spring The Andros Targets Summer Switch Follow-up The Diahann Carroll Show NBC Emergency! NBC Saturday Night at the Movies By network ABC Returning Series The ABC Friday Night Movie The ABC Monday Night Movie ABC NFL Monday Night Football The ABC Sunday Night Movie Baretta Barney Miller The Bionic Woman Donny & Marie Family Happy Days Laverne & Shirley Monday Night Baseball Starsky & Hutch The Six Million Dollar Man The Streets of San Francisco Welcome Back, Kotter New Series The ABC Tuesday Night Movie Blansky's Beauties * The Brady Bunch Hour * The Captain and Tennille Charlie's Angels Cos Dog and Cat * Eight Is Enough * The Feather and Father Gang * Fish * Future Cop * The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries * Holmes & Yoyo How the West Was Won * Mr. T and Tina Most Wanted The Nancy Walker Show Rich Man, Poor Man Book II Sugar Time! Three's Company * The Tony Randall Show Westside Medical * What's Happening!! Wonder Woman * Not returning from 1975–76: Almost Anything Goes Barbary Coast Bert D'Angelo/Superstar Good Heavens Harry O Marcus Welby, M.D. Matt Helm Mobile One On the Rocks Rich Man, Poor Man The Rookies Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell S.W.A.T. The Swiss Family Robinson That's My Mama When Things Were Rotten Viva Valdez CBS Returning Series 60 Minutes All in the Family Barnaby Jones The Blue Knight The Bob Newhart Show The Carol Burnett Show Doc Good Times Hawaii Five-O The Jacksons The Jeffersons Kojak M*A*S*H The Mary Tyler Moore Show Maude One Day at a Time Phyllis Rhoda The Sonny and Cher Show Switch The Tony Orlando and Dawn Rainbow Hour The Waltons New Series Alice All's Fair The Andros Targets * Ball Four Busting Loose * Code R * Delvecchio The Diahann Carroll Show * Executive Suite Hunter * The Keane Brothers Show * Loves Me, Loves Me Not * The Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr. Show Nashville 99 * The Shields and Yarnell Show * Spencer's Pilots Starland Vocal Band Show * Szysznyk * Who's Who * A Year at the Top * Not returning from 1975–76: Beacon Hill Big Eddie Bronk The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Show Cannon CBS Thursday Night Movie Cher Ivan the Terrible I've Got a Secret Joe and Sons Johnny Cash and Friends Kate McShane The Kelly Monteith Show Medical Center Popi Sara Three for the Road NBC Returning Series Chico and the Man Columbo Emergency! Little House on the Prairie McCloud McMillan & Wife The NBC Sunday Mystery Movie NBC Monday Night at the Movies NBC Saturday Night at the Movies Police Story Police Woman The Practice The Rockford Files Sanford and Son The Wonderful World of Disney New Series 3 Girls 3 * Baa Baa Black Sheep The Big Event Comedy Time * C.P.O. Sharkey * The Fantastic Journey * Gemini Man Gibbsville * The Kallikaks * Kingston: Confidential * Lanigan's Rabbi * The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams * The McLean Stevenson Show * NBC's Best Sellers * The Quest Quincy, M.E. * Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected * Serpico Sirota's Court * Van Dyke and Company Not returning from 1975–76: City of Angels Comedy Theatre (returned in 1979) The Cop and the Kid Doctors' Hospital The Dumplings Ellery Queen The Family Holvak Fay Grady The Invisible Man Jigsaw John Joe Forrester The John Davidson Show The Mac Davis Show McCoy Medical Story The Montefuscos Movin' On Petrocelli The Rich Little Show 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:1976 in American television Category:1977 in American television