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A scene during one of the debates between Presidential
candidates Senator John F. Kennedy and Vice-President Richard M. Nixon
which was televised by all networks in 1960.
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"The Andy
Griffith Show" a TV Classic ran on CBS from 1960 to 1968.
It was
a spinoff of "The Danny Thomas Show" in which Danny is pulled over for
speeding by Sheriff Andy in a small town in North Carolina.
Spinoffs include: Gomer Pyle USMC and Mayberry RFD. One of CBS'
rural comedy series which gave CBS a rather folksy image, one they
chose to shed in the 1970's. My
opinion: the black and white episodes with Don Knotts are are absolute
best, ignore the color episodes.
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"Dennis the Menace"
starred Jay North in the title role. and
was a regular Sunday night feture airing at 6:30-7pm CT from 1959 to
1963. This series was based on the Hank Ketcham comic
strip. His parents were played by Gloria Henry and Herbert
Anderson. The poor next door neighbor was played by long time
radio and TV character actor Joseph Kearns until his death in
1962. He was replaced by Gail Gordon before he became Mr. Mooney
for Lucy. This show ran in syndication for years after it's first run.
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"The Ed Sullivan Show"
ran on CBS from 1948(as "Toast of the
Town"unitl 1955) until 1971 when CBS choose to "modernize" the prime
time schedule. No other show reflected the entertainment cultural
variety of the United States more than "The Ed Sullivan Show." It
was an institution on Sunday nights having held the 7PM CT hour from
1949 to 1971.
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"Tightrope!" starred a pre-Mannix
Mike Conners as a police undercover agent who worked in corruption and
organized crime for CBS during the 1959-1960 season.
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One of the major TV
personalities of the 50's and 60's,
This title "The Garry Moore Show"
was from his daytime CBS show. Gary Moore who's
tradmarks were his crew
cut hair and bow tie also hosted "I'v Got a Secret" on CBS for many
years.
Garry
Moore
hosted a primetime
variety show on CBS from 1958 through 1967 and
became the stepping stone for many major future CBS star. Those
include Marion Lorne(Aunt Clara on Bewitched), Carol Burnett, Allen
Funt(Candid Camera), John Byner, Jackie Vernon and Chuck McCann.
Gary Moore won an Emmy Award for variety shows during the 1961-62
season. |
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| "Route 66" was an
anthology show with regular stars who
coasted in and out of peoples lives across the US, not entirely along
the path of U.S. Route 66. This CBS show ran from 1960 to 1964
and starred Martin Milner as Tod Stiles, Geroge Maharis, from 1960-63,
as Buz Murdock and replaced by Glenn Corbett from 1963-64. The
show was filmed on location, but the real star was the car: a Chevrolet
Corvette. The theme was a top 40 hit in 1962 recorded by Nelson
Riddle. |
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| "My Three Sons" began it's run
on ABC in 1960, but shifted
to the CBS schedule in 1965. Here father Fred MacMurray is making
one of his wise fatherly statements. Other cast members,
including the three sons were: Tim Considine(from the Micky Mouse
Club), Don Grady and Stanley Livingston. After Considine, the
oldest son left the series he was replaced from the younger end by real
life brother Barry Livington playing "Ernie" the adopted son. The
families housekeeper was non other than William Frawley(Fred in "I Love
Lucy") who played
"Bub" who died during the production of the show in 1965. He was
replaced by his brother Uncle Charley played by long time movie
character actor/grouch William Demarest. |
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Fresh
out of the ocean and his run on the syndicated "Sea Hunt", Lloyd
Bridges stars as "The Loner" on
CBS from 1965-66. Bridges played a former Union cavalry officer
roamed the west and helped the pioneers he came across.
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During
the 1964-64 season George C. Scott along with Elizabeth Wilson and
Cicely Tyson starred in "East Side
West Side" on CBS. It was a drama dealing with topical
issues from New York. Scott starred as a social worker. It
was liked by the critics for it's realism, but viewers found it a bit
depressing.
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Shows for kids were an important part of the weekday
afternoon programming on WCIA. At far left is long time WCIA
personality
Sid "Sheriff Sid" Perry spending time with central Illinois kids on
what
was probably "The Sheriff Sid
Show." An audience of kids, games
and the selection of Popeye cartoons entertained kids in central
Illinois and helped to establish long term viewing habits for those
kids, who later became adults!
Other shows included "The Little
Rascals(near right),"
"Cartoon Time," and "Popeye's Circus with Captain Eddie."
This is
from the WCIA's 50th Anniversary website. |
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Walter Cronkite making the announcement that
President
Kennedy has died. This was from November 22, 1963.
This was the graphic which introduced the
bulletin which
stated that "President Kennedy has been shot!" It interupted the
daytime serial "As The World Turns."
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Another of
the CBS rural comedies, "The Beverly
Hillbillies" was hated by the
critics, but loved by the audience from 1962 to 1971. This was
one of CBS longest running sit coms. My opinion: the early episodes were the
best with Bea Benaderet as Cousin Pearl Bodine(Jethro's mother) and Max
Baer, Jr. played his twin sister Jethrene.
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This is
another of the CBS Classic Comedies of the 1960's. Produced by
Carl Reiner, Sheldon Leonard(I Spy) and Jerry Paris(Happy Days),
and starring Danville, Illinois' own Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore,
Rose Marie, Morey Amsterdam, Larry Mathews, Richard Deacon and Ann
Morgan Guilbert(Seinfeld).
Mary Tyler Moore and Dick Van Dyke from "The Dick
Van Dyke
Show." The show ran from 1961 to 1966 and unfortunately
none were
produced in color. Rob was Head Writer of "The Alan Brady Show",
a show within a show, but episodes also concentrated on his home life
as well.
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Now divorced
from Desi(although he still is listed as producer from the Desilu
Studios) Lucy stars as Lucy Carmichael and her "I Love Lucy" co-star
Vivian Vance for "The Lucy Show."
Her first choice for Fred in the original series
Gale Gordon co-starred as Mr. Mooney her poor boss. Her first
choice for Ethyl, Mary Jane Croft, also had a role. Lucy gained
her title of "The First Lady of American Television" with her solo Lucy
shows which ran on CBS from 1962 to 1974, as well as in reruns during
daytime. |
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Paul Davis was WCIA's News Director
and main Anchor during
much of the 1960's. He was there when WCIA produced the first
color newscasts when ads told viewers that Paul Davis had blue
eyes. Here the news was sponsored by Schlitz Beer with a logo
actually on the news desk. That's something that would never
happen today....or would it? That fact that WCIA had a national
sponsor for local news was an indication that being the only VHF
station in the market gave WCIA a great advantage in having an appeal
to national advertisers. Having access to much bigger ad dollars
guarenteed the success of WCIA!
This is
from the WCIA's 50th Anniversary website.
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| A spinoff of
"The Beverly Hillbillies" it was also a cousin to "Green Acres" which
ran on CBS. "Petticoat Junction"
starred long time CBS character
actress Bea Benaderet after completing her voice over role as Betty
Rubble in "The Flinstones." She starred as Kate Bradley
owner/operator of The Shady Rest Hotel at Hooterville. The three
daughters were played at one time or another by Jeannine Riley,
Gunilla Hutton, Meredith MacRae, Pat Woodell, Lori Saunders and Linda
Kaye(daughter of the producer/creator). |
"Slattery's People"
starred a bunch of current and future TV stars such as Richard
Crenna(off of Real McCoys), Edward Asner(future Lou Grant), Alejandro
Rey(future Flying Nun) as a politician in the state legislature.
James Slattery was played by Creanna on CBS from 1964-65.
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"My Favorite Martian"
was another one of the Sunday night
child friendly shows along with "Lassie," "Mr. Ed" and "Dennis the
Menace."
This show was about a newspaper reported played
by Bill
Bixby who discovers a martian played by Ray Walston who was stranded on
earth. Bixby's character Tim O'Hara passed the martian off as his
Uncle Martin. They were always trying to keep his identity
secret, while using his powers to make life a easier for
them. This aired from 1963 to 1966, Sundays at 6:30-7:00pm CT.
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"The Hop" was one
of WCIA's most
popular shows for the
teens. It aired on Saturday afternoons originally hosted by John
Coleman(the weatherman, pictured above left) and later by Ed
Mason("Captain
Eddie").
The
show, according to the WCIA 50th Annivesary
webstie, featured guests like Jerry Lee Lewis, Fabian and Frankie
Avalon during it's run.
These
pictures from the WCIA's 50th Anniversary website.
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"Huckleberry Hound Show"
was syndicated and broadcast on WCIA as part
of the weekday afternoon schedule at 5PM during the early 1960's.
Even though the cartoons were produced in color it was never shown in
color on WCIA.
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"Yogi Bear" was part of
the syndicated "Huckleberry Hound Show" but later was spun off in
syndication in his own show with Boo-Boo. Once again, this Hanna
Barbera Production was produced in color, but didn't appear in color on
WCIA.
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"The Guilding Light" has been a daytime serial favorite since 1961.
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"Love is a
Many Spendored Thing" was a CBS daytime drama which ran from
1967 to
1973.
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"My Name is Barbra"
aired on CBS on April 28, 1965 in
glorious Black and White. This one woman show featured a girl
growing up to womanhood. Each act featured a different age.
I'm assuming by the costume shown here she was a young girl. She
won two Emmy awards for this special.
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"The Judy Garland Show"
ran on CBS beginning in the Fall of
1963 and continued to March of 1964. The show went through
several format changes along with producers during it's short
run. Among the regular cast members was Danville's own Jerry Van
Dyke.
This
CBS Special featured as guest stars
the children of
Judy Garland including Liza Minelli and Lorna Luft.
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"Mister Ed"
premiered on CBS in 1961 where it ran until
1965. Sponosred by Studebaker. The series actually began in
January 1961 in syndication where it was picked up by CBS in October of
the same year. Mr. Ed was voiced by "Allan "Rocky" Lane a former
B-movie western star. Alan Young was his owner Wilber Post.
HIs wife, Carol, was played by Connie Hines.
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Another courtroom drama, "The
Defenders"aired on CBS from
1961 to 1965 and starred E.G. Marshall and Robert Reed(before "The
Brady Bunch"). Both actors starred as Lawrence Preston and
Kenneth Preston from the law firm of Preston and Preston. They
played father-son attorneys. It was based on a "Studio One" live
presentation which starred Ralph Bellamy and William Shatner as the
father-son attorneys as they defended the character played by a young
Steve McQueen accused of murder.
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| "The Beatles on "The Ed
Sullivan Show" on February
9th,1964.
Here is Paul McCartney and George Harrison. The songs featured
included: All My Loving, Till There Was You, She Loves You, I Saw Her
Standing There and I Want to Hold Your Hand. On that first
appearance over 73 million people watched the Beatles. During
this show most normal activities in America came to a standstill.
They appeared eight more times on "The Ed Sullivan Show" over the
years. They received $10,000 plus expenses for their mini-concert.
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From the same appearence on "The
Ed Sullivan Show" here is
John Lennon of the Beatles.
The appearance of the Beatles on Sullivan's show made headlines and
began the period called "Beatlemania" which brought incedible
popularity for the Liverpool England group.
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I remember watching the
Beatles' apperances on WCIA/CBS during those dark days of 1964
after the Kennedy Assassination. Never again will a popular music
group have the impact on TV and America! |
"The Ed Sullvan Show"
featured the Beatles a total of 9
times through the 60's. Several of the appearances were either
filmed or video taped from London. This appearance was produced
in London and aired on Sullivan's show in 1964. This scene is
with Paul McCartney, George Harrison and in the background Ringo Starr.
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Here is John Lennon from the same appearance on "The Ed
Sullivan Show" in 1964. |
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The WCIA studios (below) utilizing the former Firestone Tire Store
on South Neil Street in Champaign.
The microwave tower is still at that location at 509 South Neil.
This is
from the WCIA's 50th Anniversary website. |
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"Julie and Carol at
Carnegie Hall" was a special
presentation of CBS in 1962. It won an Emmy for "Outstanding
Program Achievement in the Field of Drama" for Carol Burnett and Julie
Andrews in 1963. |
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Tom
Jones (below), was another of the long time personalities of
WCIA during the 60s' and early 70's. Not only was he a
sportscaster and Sports Editor(in 1971) but also hosted his own morning
show "Sunup" on WICA during
the 1960's.
This is
from the WCIA's 50th Anniversary website.
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| By the
1960's the format of the "Jack Benny
Show" became inconsistant at
best. Gone were the episodes which were sit com formatted, and
now Jack featured musical acts revolving around short skits with major
guest stars. Some of them were
really bad, including the one's with guest stars like Wayne Newton
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"The Munsters" aired
on CBS from 1964 to 1966. How can
you describe this sit com? To them, they were normal the rest of
the world was odd. The charecters were based on those Universal
Studios movie characters of Frankenstein's monster, along with the
bride of Frankenstein and Dracula. Here, though, they were
harmless, in fact lovable. Fred Gwynne played Herman, long time B
movie actress Yvonne DeCarlo played his wife Lilly while Al
Lewis played Grandpa Munster. The son was Eddie played
by Butch Patrick and neice Marilyn was the "normal" one played by
Beverly Owen and laer by Pat Priest. It lasted until being placed
opposite of "Batman" on ABC in 1966 which brought about the end of the
show.
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From 1960 to 1966 here is a partial list of CBS network shows seen on
WCIA, Channel 3: Lassie, Dennis the Menace, The Ed
Sullivan Show, G.E. Theater, Jack Benny Show, Candid Camera, What's My
Line, To Tell The Truth, Pete and Gladys, Bringing Up Baby, Danny
Thomas Show, Andy Griffith Show, Hennesey, Presidential Countdown,
Father Knows Best, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, Tom Ewell Show, Red
Skelton Show, Garry Moore Show, Aquanauts, Wanted: Dead or Alive, My
Sister Eileen, I've Got a Secret, Armstrong Circle Theatre: U.S. Steel
Hour, The Witness, Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre, Angel, Peck's Bad
Girl, Person to Person, DuPont Show with June Allyson, Rawhide, Route
66, Mr. Garlund, Twilight Zone, Eyewitness to History, Perry Mason,
Checkmate, Have Gun Will Travel, Gunsmoke, Window on Main Street, Dick
Van Dyke Show, Ichabod and Me, Alvin Show, Mrs. G. Goes to College,
Frontier Circus, Bob Cummings Show, The Investigators, CBS Reports,
Father of the Bride, Real McCoys, G.E. True Theater, Lucy Show, New
Loretta Young Show, Stump the Stars, Lloyd Bridges Show, Beverly
Hillbillies, Mr. Ed, The Nurses, Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Fair Exchange,
Jackie Gleason Show, Defenders, My Favorite Martian, Judy Garland Show,
East Side/West Side, Petticoat Junction, Clynis, Danny Kaye Show,
Password, Great Adventure, Phil Silvers Show, My Living Doll, Joey
Bishop Show, Candid Camera, Many Happy Returns, Slattery's People,
Doctors and the Nurses, Cara Williams Show, Baileys of Balboa, The
Entertainers, Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C., The Reporter, Gilligan's Island, Mr.
Broadway, Hazel, Steve Lawence Show, Lost in Space, Breen Acres, The
Munsters, My Three Sons, Smothers Brothers Show, The Trials of O'Brien
and The Loner.
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"Mr Terrific" was a
response to the other super hero sit comes of the day, including
"Captain Nice" and "Batman." "Mr. Terrific" starred Stephen
Strimpell as the gas station attendant Stanley Beamish. His top
secret power pills allowed him to work for the Bureau of Secret
Projects and fight crime for about an hour....two pills, an hour and 20
minutes, but he was the only person who could use the pills. The
January through August 1967 series also starred Dick Gautier and John
McGiver.
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"Gilligan's Island"
aired on CBS from 1964 to 1967.
The first two seasons were in black and white. It was met with
scorn from the critics, but audences, especially kids, loved it.
The show really hit full steam when it was syndicated during the late
60's into the 70's. It was so popular that NBC in the late 70's
produced a series of "Gilligan's Island" TV movies beginning in
1978. Do I really need to run through the cast?
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"My Three Sons",
second incarnation with Barry
Livingston(Chip) and real life brother Stanley Livingston(Ernie) as two
of the three sons. Don Grady(Robbie) was by then the older of the
three. One of the shows which went color in 1966 on CBS. This show was so unrealistic it was
pathetic! It's like it was written by 80 year old men who thought
that this was the way young guys acted.
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"Family Affair" ran
on CBS from 1966 to 1971. The show
starred Brian Keith as Bill Davis, Sebastian Cabot as man servant Mr.
French, with children Cissy played by Kathy Garver, Jody played by
Johnnie Whitaker and Buffy(pictured) played by Anissa Jones. Her
doll was Mrs. Beezely. Here's
another of the totally unrealistic CBS family sitcoms much like "My
Three Sons." This style of shows was why CBS was regarded as the
"old folks network" an gave ABC the foothold to be considered the young
people's network.
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"Gomer Pyle-U.S.M.C."
was a spinoff series from "The Andy
Griffith Show" and ran on CBS from 1964 to 1970. It was one of
the rural comedies of CBS which fatured Jim Nabors as the lovable
naive, bumbling character from Mayberry. The show also starred
Frank Sutton as his Sgt. Carter, along with Ronnie Schell, (a pre-That
Girl) Ted Bessel and (a pre Father Mulcahay-MASH) William
Christopher. The show went color in 1966. |
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In 1965 WCIA made the major committment to bring central
Illinois local
programming in color by purchasing equipment from RCA.
By the Fall of 1967, the entire CBS broadcast schedule was broadcast in
color. |
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On August 19th,
1965 "The CBS Morning News with Mike Wallace" became
the first network news program broadcast in color. The same
evening, "The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite" was
the first half hour network newscast broadcast in color, but wasn't
regularly in color until January 31, 1966. Click on the CBS logo
above to view the actual 10-second color presentation logo.
By 1965, half of the
primetime schedule was broadcast in
color. By the fall of 1966 the entire primetime broadcast
schedule was broadcast in color. CBS was the last of the three
networks to do
so, in spite of being the first to broadcast in color in the early
1950's. CBS suspended color broadcasting throughout the rest of
the 50's into the early 60's mainly because CBS would have had to
purchase equipment from RCA, the owners of NBC their competitor.
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(Below): "The Prisoner"
was a British export, which was a
"continuation" of a former British and CBS series "Secret Agent
Man." That's the series in which Johnny Rivers sang the
theme. "The Prisoner" was a limited series which shows the secret
agent in
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"The Danny Kaye Show"
was a Wednesday night regular from
1963 to 1967. The show was a musical variety show with
monologues, pantomime and sketches while Danny sang, danced and played
music. Supporting cast members included Harvey Korman, Joyce Van
Patten as well as the Johnny Mann Singers. "The Danny Kaye Show"
ran during the 9-10pm CT hour.
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"Ed Sullivan" in
color during the 1966 season on CBS.
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By the late
1960's, most of the daytime serials were being produced in color.
On February 20, 1967 "As the World
Turns" was broadcast in color.
March 13, 1967 was the first day of colorcasting for "Guiding Light"
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Walter Cronkite witnessing the first steps on the Moon by
Neil Arnstrong during the CBS coverage in 1969..
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"Hogan's Heroes"
was about as improbable as a
sitcom can
come, but it was a hit on CBS from 1965 to 1971. It starred Bob
Crane, Werner Klemperer, John Banner, Robert Clary, Richard Dawson,
Ivan Dixon, Larry Hovis and others as POW's in Stalag 13. Here
they conducted underground sabotage against the Nazi's during WW
II. This scene was from the 1966 season in which CBS aired the
show in color. "Hogan's Heroes" was produced by Bing Crosby
Productions.
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"The
Smothers Brothers" ran on CBS
from 1967 to 1969.
The comedy variety series also starred Pat Paulsen(who ran a
makebelieve campaign for President), Bob Einstein(Curb Your
Enthusiasm), Mason Williams(song "Classical Gas"), Jennifer Warnes(song
"Right Time of the Night"), John Hartford, Sally Struthers(All in
the Family), Don Novello(Father Guido Sarduci), Steve Martin and
others. An incredible cast and CBS blew it.
Constant problems getting sketches
cleared by CBS censors
who were sensitive with antiwar messages and political and religious
satire. CBS cancelled the show in 1969 even though the ratings
were high. It moved to ABC a little more than a year later,
but the chemistry wasn't there. In 1975 NBC gave them a shot, but
their show didn't have the edge it had before and only lasted a few
months in 1975. These particular scenes were from the CBS run of
the show.
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"Hawaii Five-O"
was one of the most popular crime
dramas of the 60's and 70's on CBS. It ran from 1968 to
1980. Here is Jack Lord(Below) as Det. Steve McGarrett.
Other cast
members included James MacArthur and Kam Fong. The catch phrase
for this series was, "Book 'em Dano." One of the main attractions
was the Hawaiian Islands and the scenery.
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Jethro, Max Baer Jr., and
Granny, Irene Ryan of the "Beverly
Hillbillies" checking out what was on TV in Mr. Drysdale's
office. There were probably
wondering
why people were still watching their program. This was long after
they "jumped the shark" and moved the storyline to England after Jed
bought a castle.
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From 1966 to 1970 here is a partial list of CBS network shows seen on
WCIA, Channel 3: Lassie, It's About Time, Ed Sullivan,
Garry Moore Show, Candid Camera, What's My Line, Gilligan's Island, Run
Buddy Run, Lucy Show, Andy Griffith Show, Family Affair, Jean Arthur
Show, I've Got a Secret, Dakatari, Red Skelton Hour, Petticoat
Junction, CBS News Hour, Lost in Space, Beverly Hillbillies, Green
Acres, Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C., Danny Kaye Show, Jericho, My Three Sons,
CBS Thursday Night Movie, Wild Wild West, Hogan's Heroes, CBS Friday
Night Movie, Jackie Gleason Show, Pistol's and Petticoats, Mission:
Impossible, Gunsmoke, Gentle Ben, Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, Family
Affair, Carol Burnett Show, Good Morning Show, He and She, Dundee and
the Culhane, Cimarron Strip, Mannix, Here's Lucy, Mayberry R.F.D.,
Doris Day Show, Good Guys, Jonathan Winters Show, Blondie, Hawaii
Five-O, To Rome with Love, Leslie Uggams Show, Lancer, Govenor and
J.J., 60 Minutes, Clen Campbell Good Time Hour, Medical Center, Jim
Nabors Hour, Get Smart, Tim Conway Comedy Hour, Hee Haw, Storefront
Lawyers, The Interns, Arnie and the Mary Tyler Moore Show.
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Mike Connors played
Joe Mannix in "Mannix" which
aired on
CBS from 1967 to 1975. The show also starred Joseph Campanella as
Lou Wickersham and Gail Fisher as Peggy Fair. Robert Reed also
co-starred as Lt. Adam Tobias during the years of the Brady Bunch.
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This show was
called one of the most violent shows of the
time, but was also one of the longest running shows on the CBS
schedule. It started out as a secret agent/detective show, but
during the second season he became indepentant private eye with Peggy
Fair as his assistant.
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| "Bridget
Loves Bernie" was one of the relavent ethnic
comedis of teh early 1970's. This one had the Jewish young cab
driver-writer played by David Birney getting together with the Irish
Catholic girl played by Meredith Baxter. If the names ring a bell
, it's because the two stars later got married in real life. The
series ran on CBS during the 72-73 season. Pictured below is the
happy couple. |
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"Maude" was a
spinoff of "All in the
Family" as the title
character was Edith Bunker's liberal cousin. She was played by
Bea Arthur(pictured).
"Maude" was the center of controversy for WCIA
during the 1970's as a demostration against the series was staged at
the station when the character Maude, had an abortion.
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Maude was extremely outspoken and dealt with many
issues brought about by her daughter Carol, played by Adrienne Barbeau
and Maude's husband Walter played by Bill Macy(shown). Other
characters
included her maid Florida Evans played by Esther Rolle(who went on to
reprise the character in "Good Times"), Conrad Bain and Rue McClanahan
were the next door neighbors the Harmons. Even though it was a Sitcom,
it also had a serious theme as Maude had an abortion, went through
menoause and had a face lift. It ran on CBS from 1972 to 1978.
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M*A*S*H
became a hit for CBS during it's run from 1972 through 1983. It
was based on the Robert Altman movie of the same name which was a
medical drama/black comedy in 1970. It starred Alan Alda, Loretta
Swit, Wayne Rogers, Mike Farrell, McLean Stevenson, Harry Morgan, Larry
Linville, David Ogden Stiers, Jamie Farr and Gary Burghoff(the only
cast member who was in the original movie). It was later
syndicated and ran on WCIA at 10:30pm for a number of years before
David Letterman made the move to late night on CBS. It's
continued at various time slots in syndication on WCIA and later on
sister station WCFN.
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Starting in 1966,
"Petticoat Junction" went through some cast
changes....but same characters...and was now in color and it continued
until 1970.
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"The Edge of Night"
continued it's run on CBS when it was
cancelled and moved to ABC in 1975.
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Bonnie Franklin in "One
Day at a Time" which aired on CBS
for nine years beginning in 1975. It was a Sunday night staple of
CBS during many of it's years on the schedule. Bonnie Franklin
starred as Ann Romano a divorced mother of two daughters played by
Mackenzie Phillips(Julie) and Valerie Bertinelli(Barbara). Pat
Harrington Jr. played Swayne Schneider, the apartment building
maintanance man. Reruns were also shown on CBS daytime beginning
in 1979. |
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| "The Waltons" began
with a TV Christmas Special with a
slightly different cast in 1971. One character which had the same
actor was John Boy Walton, played by Richard Thomas(pictured). It
was narrated by Earl Hamner Jr. and defined life during the depression
in the south. The large family, the large supporting cast, great
production and great writing made this one a family favorite especially
in rural areas and with the WCIA audience. It's credited with the
cancellation of "Flip" on NBC with Flip Wilson. |
It was the reverse of "The Beverly Hillbillies" when the
downtown urban Douglas's moved from the city to the
country....Hooterville, to be exact. Yea, the same place, just
down the tracks from "Petticoat Junction." "Green Acres" starred Eddie
Albert, Eva Gabor and a cast of charactors. It ran on CBS before
the great "Rural TV cancellation in 1971, 1965 to 1971. |
Here is Chad Everett on CBS' "Medical Center." It ran
from 1969 to 1976. The story was based in a L.A. based hospital,
part of a university complex. Everett played Dr. Joe
Gannon. It co-starred James Daly as Dr. Paul Lochner. Other
regulars included Jayne Meadows as Nurse Chambers, Corinne Camacho as
Nurse Courtland and Audrey Totter as Nurse Wilcox. "Medical
Center" was the longest running medical drama in the history of
prime-time TV at 7 years!
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From 1969 to 1971, "Scooby-Doo,
Where are You?" was part of
the Hanna Barbera Saturday morning catalog. It premiered in 1969
with the production of 17 episodes, and 8 episodes in 1970 and 71. Four
teens, Fred, Daphne, Velma and Shaggy and Scooby-Doo solved
supernatural mysteries. Voices were provided by: Scooby-Don
Messick(also Astro on "The Jetsons"), Shaggy-Casey Kasem(of radio's
"American Top 40"), Fred-Frank Welker, Velma-Nicole Jaffee and
Daphne-Indira Stefanianna Christopherson. |
Telly Savalas was "Kojak"
which ran on CBS from 1973 to
1978. Along with catch phrases like "who loves ya baby?" he was
street smart and outspoken. Other cast members included Dan
Frazer playing Frank McNeil, Kevin Dobson as Lt. Bobby Crocker and his
real life brother George Savalas as Det. Stavros. The series was
shot in New York and he maintained a supply a his trademark lollipops.
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(Click
on each thumbnail image above to see a larger version of each
poster)
"Soulside" was produced by WCIA as part of their public affairs
committment to the community during the late 1960's and early
1970's. It dealt with issues of the Black community of
Champaign-Urbana and Central Illinois. It was originally hosted
by former NFL player, actor, artist Harold Bradley Jr.. "Soul
Side" was a 30 minute show which aired at seems at various times on the
WCIA schedule, including Sunday at 6PM, as well as week nights during
prime time at various days and times. Some of the subjects
touched on were housing, jobs, health issues, politics, music, culture,
lifestyles and more. Included here are a few of the posters
produced by the Art Department at WCIA during the time of the shows
airing. Other hosts included Beverly Murray, Tom McDaniel,
Quenten Bradford and Anne Franklin. It's also noted just
how progressive the production and subject matter was for central
Illinois television at the time. It's the dedication to the
community and the efforts of WCIA and it's staff members during it's
history which gives the station the reputation it has enjoyed over the
years. The posters above are just a few of the many pictures
which were submitted to this website. If you have a particular
request for any "Soulside" program you might remember, but not featured
here, e-mail your request. I may have it on file.
Many
thanks toJohn Steege(son-in-law of Harold Bradley Jr.) who
contributed
the reproductions of the original posters from "Soulside" on WCIA.
Also,
thanks to other Harold Bradley Jr. family members,
Oliver Bradley as well as Kevin and Michaela
Brown, who contributed
information
about "Soulside" and "Close Up" which also featured
the
efforts of Mr. Bradley.
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It was a risky show..so risky...because it dealt with current day issus
that were previously thought unsuitable for television.
Subjects included racism, women's liberation, rape, impotence,
homosexuality and breast cancer.
It grew from being #34 on it's first season to being the most watched
TV show of the 1970's. Spin offs of "All in the Family" included
"Maude," "The Jeffersons," "Archie Bunker's Place," "Gloria," "704
Hauser," "Good Times"(spin off from Maude), and "Checking in"(spin off
of the Jeffersons).
Other cast membes included Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers.
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"Mission
Impossible" aired on CBS from 1966 to 1973 and featured several
cast
changes during it's run. The cast included Barbara
Anderson, Barbara Bain, Sam Elliot, Lynda Day George, Peter Graves,
Steven Hill, Martin Landau, Peter Lupus, Greg Morris, Leonard Nimoy and
Lesley Ann Warren.
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"Good Times" a
sitcom about life in the Chicago projects, starring Jimmie Walker, John
Amos, Esther Role. This was a spinoff of "Maude" with the common
character being Esther Role as the former maid of Maude.
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MTM Enterprises, brought
CBS some major hits of the 1970's and 80's. The shows included
"Mary Tyler Moore," "Newhart," "Rhoda," "Phyllis,""Lou Grant," "The
Betty White Show," "The White Shadow," WKRP in Cincinnati" and "Paris."
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"The Mary Tyler Moore Show"
ran on CBS from 1970 to 1977 and
became a classic, right out of the box. Mary played Mary Richards
an idealized single woman moving to Minneapolis to produce a local TV
news broadcast. The cast included Ed Asner as Lou Grant, Ted
Knight as Ted Baxter(the news anchor), Gavin MacLeod as Murray
Slaughter(a writer), friends Valerie Harper as Rhoda Morgenstern and
Cloris Leachman as Phyllis Linstrom. Both Harper and Leachman
went on to star in "Rhoda" and "Phyllis" on CBS during the 70's.
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This was the final scene when the series left the air
on September 3rd, 1977. Mary's real life husband Grant
Tinker were the force behind MTM Productions which went on to produce
other shows for CBS. In spite of high ratings, they decided to
end the series in 1977.
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"Rhoda" was spun off
from "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and
aired on CBS from 1974-1978. Valerie Harper was in the starring
role with Julie Kavner, playing her sister, Brenda. The story
line has Rhoda leaving Minneapolis to move back to New York where she
was born. Here she dealt with her sister Brenda as well as her
parents played by Nancy Walker and Harold Gould. The best ratings
of the series was the marriage of Rhoda and Joe Gerard on October 28,
1974. Her marriage fell apart after two seasons of ratings
declines and boring story lines and she and Joe divorced during the
1977 season.
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More to come
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"WKRP in Cincinnati"
aired on CBS from 1978 to 1982 and
featured the adventures of a struggling radio station in
Cincinnati. The cast included Howard Hesseman, Gordon Jump, Gary
Sandy, Loni Anderson, Tim Reid, Jan Smithers, Richard Sanders and Frank
Bonner.
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"Phyllis" was
another spin off of "Mary Tyler Moore" and
aired on CBS from 1975-77. Cloris Leachman was in the title role
and featured stories about her in laws and her free spirited daughter
Bess played
by Lisa Gerritsen. Workmates were played by Barbara Colby, who
was murdered in real life, and replaced by Liz Torres and Richard
Schaal. She lived with her inlaws after the death of her husband
Lars, who was referred to throughout the series. This was one of my personal
favorites. Cloris Leachman was incredibly funny and the moments
with Phyllis's inlaws were priceless! |
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From 1970 to 1980 here is a partial list of CBS network shows seen on
WCIA, Channel 3: Lassie, Hogan's Heroes, Ed Sullivan,
Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, Tim Conway Comedy Hour, Gunsmoke, Here's
Lucy, Mayberry R.F.D., Doris Day Show, Carol Burnett Show, Beverly
Hillbillies, Green Acres, Hee Haw, To Rome with Love, 60 Minutes,
Storefront Lawyers, Govenor and J.J., Medical Center, Hawaii Five-O,
Family Affair, Jim Nabors Hour, CBS Thursday Night Movie, The Interns,
The Headmaster, CBS Friday Night Movie, Mission:Impossible, My Three
Sons, Arnie, Mary Tyler Moore Show, Mannix, CBS Sunday Night Movie,
Cade's County, Cannon, Bearcats, Chicago Teddy Bears, O"Hara U.S.
Treasury, New CBS Friday Night Movies, All in the Family, Funny Face,
New Dick Van Dyke Show, Anna and the King, M*A*S*H, Sandy Duncan Show,
New Bill Cosby Show, Maude, The Waltons, Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour,
Bridget Loves Bernie, Bob Newhart Show, New Adventures of Perry Mason,
Barnarby Jones, Kojack, Calucci's Dept., Roll Out, Apple's Way, Rhoda,
Good Times, Sons and Daughters, Manhunter, Planet of the Apes, Paul
Sand in Friends and Lovers, Three for the Road, Cher, Bronk, Phyllis,
Joe and Sons, Switch, Beacon Hill, Tony Orlando and Dawn, Kate McShane,
Big Eddie, The Jeffersons, Doc, Delvecchio, All's Fair, Executive
Suite, One Day at a Time, Ball Four, Alice, Blue Knight, Spencer's
Pilots, On Our Own, Young Dan'l Boone, Betty White Show, Rafferty, The
Fitzpatricks, Lou Grant, Busting Loose, New Advetures of Wonder Woman,
Logan's Run, We've Got Each Other, Tony Randall Show, Mary, Kaz, WKRP
in Cincinnati, People, Paper Chase, In the Beginning, Incredible Hulk,
Flying High, American Girls, Dallas, Archie Bunker's Place, Trapper
John M.D., White Shadow, California Fever, Last Resort, Struck by
Lightning, Dukes of Hazzard, Working Stiffs, Bad News Bears, Big
Shamus-Little Shamus, Paris, Flo, Ladies Man, House Calls, Enos, Magun
P.I., Knot's Landing, Tim Conway Show, Freebie and the Bean and Secrets
of Midland Heights.
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| WCIA didn't show "Tattle
Tales" from CBS on weekday
afternoons. In spite of that, I include it here, simply because
it was one of my favorites watching it on KHQA in Quincy when I was at
Western Illinois University. Burt Convy hosted the show as well
as earlier hosting "Super Password" and later "Win Lose or Draw" in
syndication. "Tattle Tales" aired on CBS at 3pm CT and WCIA
didn't air the show because of "The Early Show." |
Gene Rayburn hosted an updated CBS version of his original "Match Game" which aired
on NBC duirng the 60's. This time, Match
Game aired beginning in 1973-79 and included 6 celebrity guest stars
who would complete phrases and sentences to be matched by
contestants. The real show was the many double-entendres and the
comic talents of the stars including Charles Nelson Reilly, Richard
Dawson and Brett Somers. Other often guests included Betty White,
Fannie Flagg and Dick Martin. The show also ran in syndication as
"Match Game PM"and was revived by NBC in the 80's as part of the Match
Game-Hollywood Squares Hour. |
"The Carol Burnett Show" began
in 1967 and became one of CBS
longest running comedy variety shows. It was a success during a
time when the variety show as a genre was dying a quick death. It
ran on CBS until 1978. A great supporting cast made this show the
success that it was with older viewers who remembered the great comedy
variety shows of the past.
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"The Carol Burnett Show"
thrived while other comedy variety
shows were dying. It later moved in 1979 to ABC as "Carol Burnett
and Company."
Other cast members during the CBS run included Harvey Korman,
Lyle Waggoner, Vicki
Lawrence, Tim Conway and for a while Danville's own Dick Van Dyke and
later Kenneth Mars. Here was one of the classic sketches with
Korman in the Clark Gable role and Burnett as Scarlett having made a
gown from the curtains in the window. Her line, "I saw it in the
window and couldn't pass it up."
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"The Monkees"
premiered on NBC during it's first run between 1966 and 1968 than ran
reruns on CBS from 1969 to 1973 on Saturday mornings. For more
details
see WICD/WICS pages. |
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"Dallas" ran on CBS
from 1978 to 1991 and was a national
sensation during it's run through the 80's. This nighttime serial
starred ex-"I Dream of Jeannie" star, Larry Hagman in a much different
role as J.R. Ewing. There's more about "Dallas" in Part 3.
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Many of the
WCIA "Early Shows" as well as the "Late Show" movies were from the
Paramount package of films. The "Camp
Night at the Late Show"
featured the Paramount movies of W.C. Fields, Mae West, and the Marx
Brothers. If I remember correctly, it ran on Tuesday nights at
10:30pm CT. (see more on "The Early Show" in Part 3 of WCIA.)
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WCIA ran "Star Trek"
in syndication, until it was picked up by
WILL(the PBS affiliate). |
"Star Trek"
premiered on NBC in 1966 and ran for three
seasons. At least during it's first season the local NBC
affiliates, WICS/WICD did not air the series, choosing instead to show
reruns of "Laramie." The show grew in syndication after it's
network run throughout the 70's, enough to bring about a major motion
picture franchise over 10 years after the original series left the
air. |
Here's DeForest Kelly as Doctor McCoy, William Shatner as
Captain Kirk and James Doohan as Engineer Montgomery "Scotty" Scott on
the bridge of the USS Enterprise.
"Star Trek" popped up in
syndication on WCIA during the 70's. |
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"Captain Kangaroo" was a staple in early mornings on CBS during the
1950's and 60's, but by the 70's he was running only on Saturday
mornings.
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"To Rome With Love" starred John
Forsythe, Kay Medford, and even Walter Brennan during it's run on CBS
from 1969 to 1971. Forsythe(pre Dynasty), was Michael Endicott, a
teacher at the American Overseas School in Rome.
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Relevent
programming was beginning to make an appearance on CBS. This one
combined relevance with the estabished star power of Broderick
Crawford. "The Interns" ran on
CBS in 1970-71 and also starred young actors Stephen Brooks,
Christopher Stone, Hal Frederick and Mike Ferrell(later M*A*S*H)
among others.
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Buddy
Ebsen formerlly of the rural classic TV sitcom "The Beverly
Hillbillies" later came back as a retired P.I. in "Barnaby Jones." This Quinn
Martin Production also starred Lee Meriweather as his daughter-in-law,
Betty Jones. She joined him to find the person responsible in the
death of his son, her husband, and kept on fighting crime through the
1973 to 1980 seasons.
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This
one was a very unique sit com as it included two former co-stars of
another classic, "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." "The Betty White Show" included
Betty White and Georgia Engel. It was a show within a show
concept, which spoofed the TV industry. Betty was a star of a
fictional TV police show "Undercover Woman" and was on the down side of
her movie career. The Director of the show was her ex-husband
played by John Hillerman(later of "Magnum P.I."). The beautiful
Caren Kaye played a much younger actress who was a threat to the career
of White. It ran on CBS during the 1977-78 season.
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"Cannon" starred veteran radio/TV
actor William Conrad. After an incredible career as a radio
actor(he played Matt Dillon in the radio version of "Gunsmoke" during
the 1950's, along with many other appearances on classic radio
shows). Now he had his own series which ran on CBS from 1971
through 1976.
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Another
veteran actor came to the small screen from the large screen after his
movie career slowed. Glenn Ford starred as Sam Cade, the Sherriff
of Madrid County, California in "Cade's
County" a modern day western themed series. It ran on CBS
and WCIA in 1971-72.
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"Switch" was somewhat inspired by
"the con" as was done in the very popular movie of the era, "The
Sting." This was a modern day version, with Robert Wagner playing
the former con artist, and Eddie Albert playing the police detective
who recruited him to help the department fight crime. Others in
the cast included Charlie Callas, Sharon Gless and others. This
one ran from 1975 to 1978.
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