1970–71 United States network television schedule

none March 2025 1970 The following is the 1970–71 network television schedule for the three major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 1970 through August 1971. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1969–70 season. All times are Eastern and Pacific, with certain exceptions, such as Monday Night Football. This was the first time that the top rated show of the season aired on ABC. 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 by October 1970; however, schedules were set by each affiliated station. In April 1970, Congress passed a law banning the advertising of cigarettes on television and radio, effective January 2, 1971. This season would be the last one for the traditional 3½-hour prime time schedule. 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 The Young Rebels The F.B.I. (10/23.0) The ABC Sunday Night Movie (28/19.7) Winter Local CBS Fall Lassie Hogan's Heroes The Ed Sullivan Show The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour The Tim Conway Comedy Hour December The HoneymoonersSummerThe CBS Sunday Night MovieThe Ice PalaceAugustAnimal WorldComedy PlayhouseThe Sonny & Cher Comedy HourSix Wives of Henry VIII NBCFall Wild Kingdom The Wonderful World of Disney (13/22.4)(Tied with Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In) The Bill Cosby Show Bonanza (9/23.9) The Bold Ones: The New Doctors / The Lawyers / The SenatorSummerLocalThe Red Skelton Show NOTE: On CBS, Comedy Playhouse was an anthology series composed of unsold television pilots. Monday Network 7:30 PM 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM ABC Fall The Young Lawyers The Silent Force Monday Night Football Winter Let's Make a Deal The Newlywed Game The Reel Game The ABC Monday Night Movie Spring It Was a Very Good Year CBS Fall Gunsmoke (5/25.5) Here's Lucy (3/26.1) Mayberry R.F.D. (15/22.3) The Doris Day Show (20/20.7) The Carol Burnett Show (25/19.8)(Tied with The Partridge Family and NBC Monday Night at the Movies) Summer The Lucy Show (R) Suspense Playhouse Follow-up The CBS Newcomers NBCFall The Red Skelton Show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (13/22.4)(Tied with The Wonderful World of Disney) NBC Monday Night at the Movies (25/19.8)(Tied with The Carol Burnett Show and The Partridge Family)SpringFrom a Bird's Eye ViewSummerNBC Comedy TheaterFollow-upSpecialsMonday Night Baseball Note: NBC Comedy Theater featured repeats of Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, with new introductions by Jack Kelly. 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 (11/22.7) ABC Movie of the Week (6/25.1) Marcus Welby, M.D. (1/29.6) CBS Fall The Beverly Hillbillies Green Acres Hee Haw (16/21.4) To Rome With Love CBS News Hour / 60 Minutes Winter All in the FamilySummerCimarron Strip (R)Specials NBC Fall The Don Knotts Show Julia NBC Tuesday Night at the Movies / First Tuesday Winter Julia The Don Knotts Show Summer The Bill Cosby Show Follow-up Make Your Own Kind of Music Wednesday Network 7:30 PM 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM ABC Fall The Courtship of Eddie's Father Danny Thomas in Make Room for Granddaddy Room 222 The Johnny Cash Show Dan August Winter Room 222 The Smith Family (21/20.6) The Young Lawyers Summer Love on a Rooftop (R) The Immortal NFL Action CBS Fall Storefront Lawyers The Governor & J.J. Medical Center (8/24.5) Hawaii Five-O (7/25.0) Winter Men at Law To Rome with Love NBCFall The Men from Shiloh (18/21.2) Kraft Music Hall Four in One: McCloud / San Francisco International Airport / Night Gallery / The PsychiatristSummerThe Des O'Connor Show Notes: Love on a Rooftop consisted of reruns of the series, which originally aired during the 1966-1967 season. The Men from Shiloh formerly was entitled The Virginian. Thursday Network 7:30 PM 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM ABC Fall Matt Lincoln Bewitched Barefoot in the Park The Odd Couple The Immortal Winter Alias Smith and Jones Danny Thomas in Make Room for Granddaddy Dan August Local CBS Fall Family Affair The Jim Nabors Hour (29/19.5) The CBS Thursday Night Movies (30/19.3) Summer Lancer (R) NBC Fall The Flip Wilson Show (2/27.9) Ironside (4/25.7) Nancy The Dean Martin Show (24/20.0) Winter Adam-12 (12/22.6) SummerNBC Action Playhouse The Dean Martin Summer Show Starring Your Host Vic Damone (R) Notes: On CBS, Lancer consisted of reruns of the 1968–1970 series. On NBC, NBC Action Playhouse featured repeats of Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, with new introductions by Peter Marshall, and The Dean Martin Summer Show Starring Your Host Vic Damone consisted entirely of reruns of the show of the same name from the summer of 1967. Friday Network 7:30 PM 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM ABC Fall The Brady Bunch Nanny and the Professor The Partridge Family (25/19.8)(Tied with The Carol Burnett Show and NBC Monday Night at the Movies) That Girl Love, American Style This Is Tom Jones Winter The Odd Couple Love, American Style CBS Fall The Interns Headmaster The CBS Friday Night Movies Winter The New Andy Griffith Show Summer Headmaster (R) NBC Fall The High Chaparral The Name of the Game Bracken's World Winter Strange Report Saturday Network 7:30 PM 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM ABC Fall Let's Make a Deal The Newlywed Game The Lawrence Welk Show The Most Deadly Game Local Winter The Lawrence Welk Show The Pearl Bailey Show Local Summer The Val Doonican Show CBS Mission: Impossible My Three Sons (19/20.8) Arnie The Mary Tyler Moore Show (22/20.3) Mannix (17/21.3) NBCFall The Andy Williams Show Adam-12 (12/22.6) NBC Saturday Night at the Movies (23/20.1)Winter NBC Saturday Night at the Movies (23/20.1)Local By network ABC Returning Series The ABC Monday Night Movie ABC Movie of the Week The ABC Sunday Night Movie Bewitched The Brady Bunch The Courtship of Eddie's Father The F.B.I. The Johnny Cash Show The Lawrence Welk Show Let's Make a Deal Love, American Style Marcus Welby, M.D. The Mod Squad Nanny and the Professor The Newlywed Game Room 222 That Girl This Is Tom Jones New Series Alias Smith and Jones Barefoot in the Park Dan August Danny Thomas in Make Room for Granddaddy The Immortal It Was a Very Good Year * Matt Lincoln Monday Night Football The Most Deadly Game The Odd Couple The Partridge Family The Pearl Bailey Show * The Reel Game * The Silent Force The Smith Family * The Val Doonican Show * The Young Lawyers The Young Rebels Not returning from 1969–70: Animal World (moved to CBS) The Engelbert Humperdinck Show The Flying Nun The Ghost & Mrs. Muir Harold Robbins' The Survivors Here Come the Brides The Hollywood Palace It Takes a Thief Jimmy Durante Presents the Lennon Sisters Johnny Cash Presents the Everly Brothers Show Land of the Giants Mr. Deeds Goes to Town The Music Scene The New People Now Paris 7000 Pat Paulsen's Half a Comedy Hour The Smothers Brothers Show CBS Returning Series 60 Minutes Animal World (moved from ABC) The Beverly Hillbillies The Carol Burnett Show CBS Thursday Night Movie The CBS Friday Night Movies The Doris Day Show The Ed Sullivan Show Family Affair The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour The Governor & J.J. Green Acres Gunsmoke Hawaii Five-O Hee Haw Here's Lucy Hogan's Heroes The Jim Nabors Hour Lassie Mannix Mayberry R.F.D. Medical Center Mission: Impossible My Three Sons Suspense Playhouse To Rome with Love New Series All in the Family * Arnie The CBS Newcomers * Comedy Playhouse * Headmaster The Ice Palace * The Interns The Mary Tyler Moore Show The New Andy Griffith Show * The Six Wives of Henry VIII * The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour * Storefront Lawyers The Tim Conway Comedy Hour Not returning from 1969–70: The 21st Century CBS News Adventure CBS Playhouse Comedy Tonight Get Smart The Good Guys The Jackie Gleason Show Lancer The Leslie Uggams Show Petticoat Junction The Red Skelton Show (moved to NBC) The Tim Conway Show Where's Huddles? NBC Returning Series Adam-12 The Andy Williams Show The Bill Cosby Show Bonanza The Bold Ones Bracken's World Columbo The Dean Martin Show The Des O'Connor Show The High Chaparral Ironside Jambo Julia Kraft Music Hall The Men from Shiloh Monday Night Baseball The Name of the Game NBC Action Playhouse NBC Comedy Theater NBC Monday Night at the Movies The NBC Mystery Movie NBC Saturday Night at the Movies Night Gallery The Red Skelton Show (moved from CBS) Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In Strange Report Wild Kingdom The Wonderful World of Disney New Series The Don Knotts Show The Flip Wilson Show Four in One From a Bird's Eye View * Make Your Own Kind of Music * McCloud Nancy The Psychiatrist * San Francisco International Airport Not returning from 1969–70: Andy Williams Presents Ray Stevens Daniel Boone Dean Martin Presents the Golddiggers in London The Debbie Reynolds Show Dragnet 1970 I Dream of Jeannie Letters to Laugh-In My World and Welcome to It Then Came Bronson 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:1970 in American television Category:1971 in American television