My Journey Through 1970s TV: Thursday Nights, 1974

 

One of the more interesting discoveries I’ve made during this exercise of reviewing ‘70s network prime time schedules is the trends that come and go. Take this night in 1974, which features three new shows all shot on location. That can be expensive, and in this case it wasn’t money well spent as all three shows didn’t last that long. But I’m sure the viewers they attracted enjoyed the fresh scenic visuals. 

 

Thursday, 1974

 

ABC

The Odd Couple

Paper Moon

The Streets of San Francisco

Harry O

 

I have fond memories of watching The Odd Couple on Sunday nights, but I have no memory at all of when it aired on Thursday, or of the show that followed. 

 

 

Paper Moon was TV’s latest attempt to adapt a popular movie into an equally popular series. That was a persistent trend throughout the decade, even long after ratings showed such experiments were rarely successful.  M*A*S*H worked, but Love Story, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, Born Free and this show among many others suggest that the odds are stacked against a lucrative transition.

 

I didn’t go into watching this one (which I just did recently) with an open mind, because I’m in the minority that didn’t think the movie was all that great either. Also, one of the books I wrote put me in close enough contact to Ryan O’Neal’s orbit to make it difficult to enjoy him in anything. That wasn’t an issue with the series, in which his role of Moses Pray was played by Christopher Connelly, opposite young Jodie Foster as Addie, the role for which Tatum O’Neal won the Academy Award. Jodie would have to wait another 15 years for her first Oscar.

 

The premise of the movie didn’t figure to work well across an entire season, much less multiple seasons, which is why the relationship between Moses and Addie was quickly softened in the very first episode. And once that happened, it really wasn’t Paper Moon anymore.

 

This was the first of the three shows mentioned above shot on location – in this case, rural Kanas.

 

The Streets of San Francisco was the network’s highest rated series this night at #22, and was followed by another new series, Harry O, starring David Janssen as a private investigator in San Diego. I enjoyed this series enough to splurge on the pricey DVD sets. Janssen is always a compelling actor to watch, especially when he plays a character that can’t catch a break. 

 

 

CBS

The Waltons

CBS Thursday Night Movie

 

The Waltons continues its ratings dominance, finishing at #8. This is still early in the run, when the grandparents are around and Johnboy is not yet off to college.

 

NBC

Sierra

Ironside

Movin’ On

 

I wish NBC had been more patient with Sierra, or moved it to a timeslot where it wouldn’t be crushed by The Waltons. R.A. Cinader, who produced Adam-12 and Emergency, presents another series with straightforward looks at professional public servants at work – in this case, the rangers that serve and protect our national parks.

 

 

At a time when the only park ranger TV fans knew was the one stopping Yogi Bear from stealing picnic baskets, this was an insightful look at what the job entailed, the challenges and the rewards. It takes its time as it accurately depicts not only what rangers do but also how they do it. It would not surprise me if some of the safety and life-saving actions performed on the show were remembered by viewers in moments when they could be used to help someone in distress.

 

The stunning location scenery, much of it in Yosemite National Park, added another aspect of authenticity to its stories, and the theme song was also memorable, with lyrics by John Denver. It was performed by Denny Brooks, who sounds a little like Denver on helium. But among the cast only Michael Warren went on to greater TV success. 

 

 

Following Ironside (in its final season) it was back on the location shooting road for another new series starring Claude Akins and Frank Converse. “It a takes a special breed, to be a truck drivin’ man,” according to the theme song written and performed by Merle Haggard. 

 

 

But if you watched Movin’ On you know it must also take a special breed to run a trucking company when drivers take time out from their scheduled deliveries to help people in trouble every week. The series lasted two seasons and about 40 episodes. Not appointment TV for me, but something I’d watch if there was nothing else on, especially when a guest star like Lois Nettleton, Cameron Mitchell or Lisa Eilbacher was along for the ride. 

 

 

No shows added to the “missed” list! Now let’s get those big wheels rollin’ on to Friday night next time.

 

Shows Missed:

The Don Knotts Show (1970)

San Francisco International Airport (1970)

Nancy (1970)

The Headmaster (1970)

The Man and the City (1971)

Search (1972)

Assignment: Vienna (1972)

The Delphi Bureau (1972)

Jigsaw (1972)

The Little People (1972)

The Sixth Sense (1972)

Tenafly (1973)

Faraday & Company (1973)

Love Story (1973)

Sons and Daughters (1974)

Manhunter (1974)