ABC 1967-1968, A Very Special Season: Saturday

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This is a promotional spot for ABC’s new Saturday night lineup for the 1967-1968 season, which featured The Dating Game, The Newlywed Game, The Lawrence Welk Show and The Iron Horse. Not mentioned in this promo spot is ABC Scope, which ran from 10:30-11PM Saturday nights on ABC. The network used the slogan “A Very Special Season” and distinctive kaleidoscopic imagery to promote its new and returning programs. New programs included N.Y.P.D., Cowboy in Africa, Good Company, The Flying Nun, Off To See the Wizard and Judd, for the Defense. Due to Labor Day, ABC kicked off its premiere week on Tuesday, September 5th.


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7 Replies to “ABC 1967-1968, A Very Special Season: Saturday”

  1. All times Eastern:

    7:30 THE DATING GAME
    8:00 THE NEWLYWED GAME
    {these were able to “hang on”, opposite CBS’ “JACKIE GLEASON SHOW”, because they already had a loyal following on weekday afternoons}
    8:30 THE LAWRENCE WELK SHOW
    {this aired for 16 years on ABC, and other 11 in first-run syndication..and because Welk saved his kinescopes and videotapes, edited repeats are STILL appearing on most public television stations, on weekends, to this day}
    9:30 THE IRON HORSE
    {it was a bad mistake to move this good western from Mondays to Saturdays in the fall of ’67- just as it was a mistake to move “THE HOLLYWOOD PALACE” from Saturdays at 9:30 to Tuesdays at 10 that season (it returned in January 1968, while “IRON HORSE” disappeared)}
    10:30 ABC SCOPE
    {why no mention of this weekly documentary, which was currently focusing on the Vietnam War?
    Because not ONE major affiliate was carrying it at its scheduled time [in New York, WNDT, Channel 13- the “educational” television station- was showing it via “delayed broadcast” when WABC-TV, the network’s flagship station, wasn’t even bothering to!]}.

    1. Not to mention game shows being much cheaper to produce than other kinds of programming…and actually, I thought it made sense for ABC to move IRON HORSE to Saturday, to attract people who thought they were losing GUNSMOKE—which, as those in the know know, was renewed and put in the Monday time slot on CBS where IRON HORSE had been.

  2. It is indeed him, Chris. Gary was the voice behind all of these “Very Special Season” promos, as well as the fall ’67 “BATMAN” promo introducing “Batgirl” {“Ah, ‘ZAP’ and ‘ZONK’, ‘BIFF’ and ‘SPLAT’…what reassuring words. Well, ‘The Dynamic Duo’ now becomes- ‘THE TREMENDOUS TRIO’! ‘BATMAN’, in color, on ABC”.}.

    1. If LAUGH-IN hadn’t happened….do you think Garish would have become as identified with ABC as Ernie Anderson would be?

  3. IRON HORSE, a Dragonet Production in association with Screen Gems. The Hollywood Palace returned to Saturday nights at 9:30 in January of 1968, with Dick Tufeld as announcer and a different host/hostess every weekend. The Dating Game and The Newlywed Game were hi-tops in the 7:30 to 8:30 hour. R.I.P., Chuck Barris.

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