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September 6, 2021 10:09 am  #1


Septembers To Remember On TV

Well, it's here - September. Not sure about you, but next to February - when we get the coldest and worst weather and it's been winter forever - this is the most depressing month of the year for me. But as an OTA TV fan, I've always liked the month because it's when the new fall shows debut or return. And yes, there's plenty of info on the web now, but I still miss the Fall Preview Issue of TV Guide, which was always my favourite edition of the year. 

All that being said, here's a Labour Day lookback at some of the events of the month on TV that you may have forgotten about, never knew or simply didn't notice. 

Sept. 4, 1972

A momentous date in TV history in two ways. It was the day a game show would debut on CBS that no one could have predicted would still be on the air almost 50 years later. That same morning, Canadians across the country - and the world - were watching a sporting event that would become legendary and is still talked about to this day. It was so big, they wheeled TVs into classrooms to let kids watch it. That's never happened since. 





Sept. 8, 1966

It's a day that will live in sci fi annals forever - when the world first saw the original Star Trek on NBC. Hard to believe now that it was almost cancelled in its second year, saved by a viewer write-in campaign. But nothing could prevent its demise the following season. Today, it's an embedded part of the culture. Back then, it was just a new TV show with low ratings on a Friday night. 





Sept. 11

It's become one of the most infamous dates in history, but long before the attacks in the U.S., change was brewing on Sept. 11ths past. Check out what happened in the days before 9/11 was permanently embedded in our lives. It started with a warning the week before for CBC viewers in 1972.




On Sept. 11th, the change was official.



That same day of that same year, another sign-on was capturing attention - Canada's version of the Today Show.



A few years earlier, in 1967, this ad appeared in TV Guide on Sept. 11, touting a time when the little Hamilton station-that-could became famous for its world premiere movie debuts. 


 
Sept. 24, 1960

This small listing from TV Guide on a Saturday morning in 1960 doesn't look like much. But it marks the very last Howdy Doody Show that aired on NBC, marking the end of a legendary kids' program that had been on the air almost since the start of TV itself. (It debuted on Dec. 27, 1947 and put the phrase "The Peanut Gallery" into the modern lexicon.)

In the final show, they kept announcing that Clarabell the Clown had an "important announcement" to make - a big deal since the character had never spoken a single word in more than a decade on the air. As the clock ran down on the hour, the camera pulled into his painted face, he stared into the lens and reluctantly and solemnly intoned, "Goodbye Kids!" And with that, an era in early TV ended. 







Sept. 26, 1960

As Canada gets ready to process two more election debates this coming week, this one set the stage for all the televised political faceoffs that followed. History records that those who listened on the radio thought Nixon won. And those who watched the charismatic Kennedy on TV were sure he claimed the victory. 




The Rise And "Fall" OF The CBC

My how times change. Check out this CBC Fall Preview line-up in 1971. It was long before Canadian content was king on the Corp., although they still had a few home grown shows. 




A year later, in 1972, not much had changed - although a few of the shows did.



By 1978, there was still a lot of American content on the Canadian broadcaster. 



Sept. 1978 & 1984

Finally, two undated entries, both from the ninth month of the year. The first proves that the local CBC outlet tried - and apparently failed - to enter the morning news show race with this program. Leslie Jones and Dale Goldhawk would find other work after it ended.  



And here's what the Global TV line-up looked like back in the year George Orwell warned us about. 

 

September 6, 2021 10:16 am  #2


Re: Septembers To Remember On TV

For that last one "Global's got it" They should have put the game shows together in a separate column.


RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person. 
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.

 
 

September 6, 2021 12:16 pm  #3


Re: Septembers To Remember On TV

Of the three series that NBC premiered Sept 8, 1966, Star Trek lasted for 79 episodes, Tarzan 57 and The Hero only 16.

 

September 6, 2021 6:23 pm  #4


Re: Septembers To Remember On TV

Is that Global promo actually from 1984? I notice Sports Probe is in there; I thought that aired in the 70s and then was replaced by Sportsline in 1981. Also no mention of Wheel of Fortune, which was in Global’s lineup in 1984-85.

Funny seeing Fantasy Island there, as Global is promoting that series again for this fall.

 

September 6, 2021 7:06 pm  #5


Re: Septembers To Remember On TV

MJ Vancouver wrote:

Funny seeing Fantasy Island there, as Global is promoting that series again for this fall.

The Fantasy Island reboot deserves the boot according to a few reviews making the rounds.

This is cool R.A., I used to love T.V.Guide, grabbing the current version for something to read to pass the time (National Enquirer was too embarrassing) while waiting in line at the grocery store, checking out the late night movies etc. then putting it back if it was a crappy week and there wasn't anything I wanted to remember to watch. (They really jacked up the price in the mid 80's)

 

September 6, 2021 7:09 pm  #6


Re: Septembers To Remember On TV

must be a typo...   probably from the Fall of '77 or '78....   Sports Probe started production in 1976 iirc...

 

September 6, 2021 7:51 pm  #7


Re: Septembers To Remember On TV

betaylored wrote:

MJ Vancouver wrote:

Funny seeing Fantasy Island there, as Global is promoting that series again for this fall.

The Fantasy Island reboot deserves the boot according to a few reviews making the rounds.

This is cool R.A., I used to love T.V.Guide, grabbing the current version for something to read to pass the time (National Enquirer was too embarrassing) while waiting in line at the grocery store, checking out the late night movies etc. then putting it back if it was a crappy week and there wasn't anything I wanted to remember to watch. (They really jacked up the price in the mid 80's)

TV Guide was able to maintain its original 1953 price of .15 until June 1, 1974 when the price increased to .20. Another increase to .25 was implemented with 1974 Fall Preview issue. By the turn of the century, a copy would set you back $1.79. I think today it runs $4.99 for a two week issue.

 

September 6, 2021 9:19 pm  #8


Re: Septembers To Remember On TV

mace wrote:

betaylored wrote:

MJ Vancouver wrote:

Funny seeing Fantasy Island there, as Global is promoting that series again for this fall.

The Fantasy Island reboot deserves the boot according to a few reviews making the rounds.

This is cool R.A., I used to love T.V.Guide, grabbing the current version for something to read to pass the time (National Enquirer was too embarrassing) while waiting in line at the grocery store, checking out the late night movies etc. then putting it back if it was a crappy week and there wasn't anything I wanted to remember to watch. (They really jacked up the price in the mid 80's)

TV Guide was able to maintain its original 1953 price of .15 until June 1, 1974 when the price increased to .20. Another increase to .25 was implemented with 1974 Fall Preview issue. By the turn of the century, a copy would set you back $1.79. I think today it runs $4.99 for a two week issue.

thanks Mace, my mid eighties memory of the price going up probably had more to do with my paltry paycheck, they didn't pay DJ's very well back then, good things times have changed... 📺

Last edited by betaylored (September 6, 2021 9:24 pm)

 

September 7, 2021 6:40 am  #9


Re: Septembers To Remember On TV

betaylored wrote:

mace wrote:

betaylored wrote:


The Fantasy Island reboot deserves the boot according to a few reviews making the rounds.

This is cool R.A., I used to love T.V.Guide, grabbing the current version for something to read to pass the time (National Enquirer was too embarrassing) while waiting in line at the grocery store, checking out the late night movies etc. then putting it back if it was a crappy week and there wasn't anything I wanted to remember to watch. (They really jacked up the price in the mid 80's)

TV Guide was able to maintain its original 1953 price of .15 until June 1, 1974 when the price increased to .20. Another increase to .25 was implemented with 1974 Fall Preview issue. By the turn of the century, a copy would set you back $1.79. I think today it runs $4.99 for a two week issue.

thanks Mace, my mid eighties memory of the price going up probably had more to do with my paltry paycheck, they didn't pay DJ's very well back then, good things times have changed... 📺

If you want to have some fun check out the TV Guide archives. In it you will find the cover of every issue published. Most people have seen Lucy's baby on the premiere issue. A stern looking Jack Webb appears on the April 10th cover. I wish there were archives of the Fall Previews. It would be interesting to read the original reviews of series such as Perry Mason, Gunsmoke etc. to see if they were predicted to be one season wonders or ratings juggernauts.

 

September 8, 2021 8:49 pm  #10


Re: Septembers To Remember On TV

MJ Vancouver wrote:

Is that Global promo actually from 1984? I notice Sports Probe is in there; I thought that aired in the 70s and then was replaced by Sportsline in 1981. Also no mention of Wheel of Fortune, which was in Global’s lineup in 1984-85.

Funny seeing Fantasy Island there, as Global is promoting that series again for this fall.

After being offline for a few days (sorry - couldn't be helped, but all is fine now) I went back into my archives and checked. And yes, it appears this actually was from 1978 as you suspected. Well spotted!

     Thread Starter
 

September 10, 2021 1:34 pm  #11


Re: Septembers To Remember On TV

RadioActive wrote:

Sept. 8, 1966

It's a day that will live in sci fi annals forever - when the world first saw the original Star Trek on NBC. Hard to believe now that it was almost cancelled in its second year, saved by a viewer write-in campaign. But nothing could prevent its demise the following season. Today, it's an embedded part of the culture. Back then, it was just a new TV show with low ratings on a Friday night. 



TV writer Bill Brioux reveals Star Trek actually debuted in Canada two days earlier than in the U.S.

Why did Star Trek start two days earlier in Canada? We check the captain’s log

     Thread Starter