1970 IN TELEVISION

The year '1970 in television' involved some significant events.
Below is a list of television-related events in 1970.
''For the American TV schedule, see: 1970-71 American network television schedule.''

Contents

Events

Debuts

Television shows

1940s

1950s

1960s

Ending this year

Births

Deaths

Events

★ January 3 - Jon Pertwee makes his first appearance as the Third Doctor in the ''Doctor Who'' serial ''Spearhead from Space''. It also marks the first time that the series was broadcast in colour.

★ July 31 - Chet Huntley has his last newscast with David Brinkley and retires, bringing down the curtain on a 14-year career at NBC News and, thus, as chief anchor of ''The Huntley-Brinkley Report''. The next day, Saturday, August 1, the program is renamed ''NBC Nightly News'', its title to this day.

★ October 5 - The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) begins broadcasting and National Educational Television is shut down.

★ In a cliffhanger on the soap opera ''Search for Tomorrow'', businessman Sam Reynolds is believed to be dead after he perished in Africa. One of the first "exotic" deaths for a soap opera character, it was in tune with actor Robert Mandan's wish to leave the show.

★ Minnie Pearl makes her first appearance on ''Hee Haw''.

★ December 25 - ''Pluto's Christmas Tree'' is broadcast on BBC1, the first complete Mickey Mouse cartoon to be shown on British television in colour.

★ December 31 - The final cigarette advertisement airs on US television.

★ April - TRT in Turkey launches television in that country.

★ Lloyd Robertson replaces Warren Davis as anchor of CBC's ''The National''.

★ March 16 - The FCC's "Miami channel 10 case" comes to a definite end as the station becomes WPLG.

★ January 19 - CBS launches "Operation 100", a all-out effort to destroy NBC and all it stands for. CBS starts out by enforcing an international boycott of all RCA properties (prior to wanton obiteration) and the "Dirty Dozen" (twelve key advertisers that do business primarily or solely with NBC). Some of these advertisers try to ditch a boycott, but the CBS "goon squads" retaliate by any means of sabotage at their disposal: pipe bombs, liquid solder, rocks, chains, lions, etc. Any advertiser that registers 4 hits in one week is considered unlikely to do any further business with NBC.
Meanwhile, CBS makes more than a hundred key counterprogramming moves, such as running several Ed Sullivan spectacles, preempting Get Smart for as much sustaining programming as they could afford in the understanding that such shows couldn't be Nielsen-rated, running some classic movies in unconventional time periods, and (most importantly) jamming the NBC network feeds. NBC is strangely undaunted, but when, on March 22, NBC proclaims itself the winner of that season (and the next), and actually has the audacity of announcing their intention to delay the start of CBS's 1970-71 season until two weeks after their own, CBS goes for the groin. Within three weeks, the CBS "goon squads" destroy: the transmitters of nearly a dozen NBC affiliates that have traditionally dominated their markets; all devices with which NBC intends to take advantage of the upcoming Prime Time Access Rule, and what little integrity is left of the Huntley-Brinkley Report. Some advertisers decide they've had too much and take the bulk of their business to Canada.

★ March 7 - The "eclipse of the century" is covered by all three networks.

Debuts

★ January 5 - Soap opera ''All My Children'' premieres on ABC (1970-present).

★ February 17 - ''McCloud'' pilot airs on NBC (1970-1977). The series becomes a regular show the following fall as part of ''Four in One''.

★ March 30 - Soap opera ''Somerset'' premieres on NBC (1970-1976), while fellow soaps ''A World Apart'' (1970-1971) and ''The Best of Everything'' (1970) make their debut on ABC. It marks the last time multiple soaps premiere on the same day in the US.

★ September 12 - ''Josie and the Pussycats'', premieres on CBS Saturday morning (1970-1974).

★ September 17 - ''The Flip Wilson Show'' premieres on NBC (1970-1974).

★ September 19 - ''Mary Tyler Moore'' premieres on CBS (1970-1977).

★ September 21 - ''NFL Monday Night Football'' premieres on ABC (1970-2006).

★ September 24 - ''The Odd Couple'' premieres on ABC (1970-1975).

★ September 24 - ''Barefoot in the Park'' premieres on ABC (1970-1971).

★ September 25 - ''The Partridge Family'' premieres on ABC (1970-1974).

★ ''Adventures in Rainbow Country'' premieres on CBC (1970-1971).

★ ''Doomwatch'' debuts on BBC1 (1970-1972).

★ ''Party Game'' premieres (1970-1980).

★ ''Play for Today'' supersedes ''The Wednesday Play'' on BBC1. The anthology drama series lasts until 1984.

★ September 16 - ''UFO'' debuts on ITV (1970-1971).

Television shows

1940s

★ ''Meet the Press'' (1947-present).

★ ''Candid Camera'' (1948-present).

★ ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' (1948-1971).

★ ''Bozo the Clown'' (1949-present).

★ ''Come Dancing'' (UK) (1949-1995).

1950s

★ ''Truth or Consequences'' (1950-1988).

★ ''Love of Life'' (1951-1980).

★ ''Search for Tomorrow'' (1951-1986).

★ ''Hallmark Hall of Fame'' (1951-present).

★ ''American Bandstand'' (1952-1989).

★ ''The Guiding Light'' (1952-present).

★ ''The Today Show'' (1952-present).

★ ''Panorama'' (UK) (1953-present).

★ ''The Good Old Days'' (UK) (1953-1983).

★ ''Face the Nation'' (1954-present).

★ ''The Secret Storm'' (1954-1974).

★ ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' (1962-1992).

★ ''Captain Kangaroo'' (1955-1984).

★ ''Dixon of Dock Green'' (UK) (1955-1976).

★ ''Gunsmoke'' (1955-1975).

★ ''The Lawrence Welk Show'' (1955-1982).

★ ''This Is Your Life'' (UK) (1955-2003).

★ ''As the World Turns'' (1956-present).

★ ''Opportunity Knocks'' (UK) (1956-1978).

★ ''The Edge of Night'' (1956-1984).

★ ''What the Papers Say'' (UK) (1956-present).

★ ''The Sky at Night'' (UK) (1957-present).

★ ''Blue Peter'' (UK) (1958-present).

★ ''Grandstand'' (UK) (1958-2007).

★ ''Bonanza'' (1959-1973).

1960s

★ ''Coronation Street'' (1960-present).

★ ''My Three Sons'' (1960-1972).

★ ''Four Corners'' (Australia) (1961-present).

★ ''It's Academic'' (1961-present).

★ ''The Mike Douglas Show'' (1961-1981).

★ ''The Beverly Hillbillies'' (1962-1971).

★ ''The Late Late Show'' (Ireland) (1962-present).

★ ''Z-Cars'' (UK) (1962-1978).

★ ''Doctor Who'' (UK) (1963-1989, 1996, 2005-present).

★ ''General Hospital'' (1963-present).

★ ''The Doctors'' (1963-1982).

★ ''Another World'' (1964-1999).

★ ''Bewitched'' (1964-1972).

★ ''Crossroads'' (UK) (1964-1988, 2001-2003).

★ ''Jeopardy!'' (1964-1975, 1984-present).

★ ''Top of the Pops'' (UK) (1964-2006).

★ ''Days of Our Lives'' (1965-present).

★ ''Green Acres'' (1965-1971).

★ ''Hogan's Heroes'' (1965-1971).

★ ''The Dean Martin Show'' (1965-1974).

★ ''Tom and Jerry'' ('1965-1972', 1975-1977, 1980-1982).

★ ''World of Sport'' (1965-1985).

★ ''Dark Shadows'' (1966-1971).

★ ''Family Affair'' (1966-1971).

★ ''Play School'' (1966-present).

★ ''That Girl'' (1966-1971).

★ '' (1966-1973).

★ ''The Money Programme'' (UK) (1966-present).

★ ''The Newlywed Game'' (1966-1974).

★ ''Ironside'' (1967-1975).

★ ''Love is a Many Splendored Thing'' (1967-1973).

★ ''Mannix'' (1967-1975).

★ ''The Carol Burnett Show'' (1967-1978).

★ ''60 Minutes'' (1968-present).

★ ''Dad's Army'' (UK) (1968-1977)

★ ''Hawaii Five-O'' (1968-1980).

★ ''Here's Lucy'' (1968-1974).

★ ''Julia'' (1968-1971).

★ ''Laugh-In'' (1968-1973).

★ ''Magpie'' (UK) (1968-1980).

★ ''Mayberry R.F.D.'' (1968-1971).

★ ''One Life to Live'' (1968-present).

★ ''The Doris Day Show'' (1968-1973).

★ ''The Mod Squad'' (1968-1973).

★ ''Bright Promise'' (1969-1972).

★ ''Hee Haw'' (1969-1993).

★ ''Love, American Style'' (1969-1974).

★ ''Marcus Welby, M.D.'' (1969-1976).

★ ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'' (UK) (1969-1974).

★ ''Room 222'' (1969-1974).

★ ''Sesame Street'' (1969-present).

★ ''The Benny Hill Show'' (UK) (1969-1989).

★ ''The Brady Bunch'' (1969-1974).

★ ''The Clangers'' (UK) (1969-1972).

★ ''The Johnny Cash Show'' (1969-1971).

★ ''The Wonderful World of Disney'' (1969-1979).

★ ''Where the Heart Is'' (1969-1973).

Ending this year

★ April 3 - ''Here Come the Brides'' (1968-1970).

★
★ ''The Flying Nun'' (1967-1970).

★ April 4 - ''Petticoat Junction'' (1963-1970).

★ May 7 - ''Daniel Boone'' (1964-1970).

★ May 15 - ''Get Smart'' (1965-1970).

★ May 26 - ''I Dream of Jeannie'' (1965-1970).

★ May 27 - ''The Wednesday Play'' (UK) (1964-1970).

Births

★ April 13 - Rick Schroder, actor.

★ February 25 - Julie Hesmondhaigh, actress.

★ August 16 - Bonnie Bernstein, American sportscaster, ESPN

★ August 23 - Jay Mohr, actor, comedian.

★ October 2 - Kelly Ripa, actress, television host.

★ October 13 - Serena Altschul, American reporter

★ November 23 - Zoe Ball, television presenter.

Deaths

★ April 23 - Herb Shriner, actor.

★ April 30 - Inger Stevens, actress (Katy on ''The Farmer's Daughter''), suicide.

★ June 11 - Frank Silvera, actor

★ September 29 - Edward Everett Horton, actor