Exhibit: Network Television Promotion
Here’s a collection of network promotional spots, primarily from the 1960s through the 1980s, broken into four distinct categories.
These spots are promoting a specific television show but not a specific episode. The first spot, for The Brady Bunch takes scenes from the show and with the addition of a voiceover creates a whole new “experience” for viewers. The fourth spot, for The Odd Couple, shows what’s going on behind the scenes. The other two are simply scenes from various episodes.
The Brady Bunch (CBS, 1970)
The Green Hornet (ABC, 1966)
The Wild, Wild West (CBS, 1967)
The Odd Couple (CBS, 1970)
These are promotional spots for specific episodes of specific shows, also called episodic previews or the more colloquial “next time” spot. Intended to catch the attention of viewers — and hold it until the episode actually airs — these spots showcase dramatic, emotional or comedic moments.
Adventures in Paradise – “The Violent Journey” (ABC, March 28th, 1960)
Lost in Space – “The Space Creature” (CBS, November 15th, 1967)
Thriller – “The Grim Reaper” (NBC, June 13th, 1961)
Gibbsville – “All the Young Girls” (NBC, December 16th, 1976)
ER – “Blizzard” (NBC, December 8th, 1994)
Ford Theatre – “The Ardent Woodsman” (NBC, January 14th, 1954)
The Defenders – “The Hidden Fury” (CBS, March 28th, 1964)
Unlike generic or episodic spots, these are “event” promotional spots, advertising the premiere of a new series or the season premiere/finale of a returning show.
Funny Face (CBS, 1972)
The Fitzpatricks (CBS, 1978)
These spots promote more an entire evening’s programming for a specific network. The first, for ABC’s mid-season 1967 Thursday line-up, features several actresses promoting their shows. The others mostly rely on voiceover narration.
ABC Thursday Night Line-Up (1967)
(Black & White Print)
CBS Wednesday Night Line-Up (1978)
ABC Saturday Night Line-Up (1963)
NBC Tuesday Night Line-up (1994)
Partial NBC Saturday Night Line-up (1984)
Last Updated February 15th, 2009
September 15th, 2009 at 1:14AM
“THE BRADY BUNCH” and “THE ODD COUPLE” aired on ABC (the last permutation of the former, “THE BRADYS”, though, briefly aired on CBS in 1990). Incidentally, the “behind-the-scenes” footage featuring director Jerry Paris in “THE ODD COUPLE” promo was filmed during production of “It’s All Over Now, Baby Bird”, seen in December 1970.
As to “next week’s preview”- a tradition of most half-hour and hour-long dramatic shows from the late ’50s through today [although they're now part of the network "closing credits" flashed at the end of the episode- ALL the CBS shows have this disclaimer for their previews: "Stay tuned for scenes from our next episode"].
“LOST IN SPACE’ abandoned their “cliffhanger endings” during the first two seasons {”To Be Continued NEXT WEEK! SAME TIME- SAME CHANNEL!”} in favor of a straight preview in the third, which appeared after announcer Dick Tufeld proclaimed at the end of the evening’s story, “Stay tuned for some exciting scenes from next week’s episode!”…and a commercial break. The above preview originally appeared after the end of “Collision Of Planets” [November 8, 1967]- and “The Space Creature” was one of the best of season three…it even allowed Jonathan Harris to briefly revert to the “evil villain” persona he originally portrayed in the series’ initial episodes.
The “FORD THEATER” previews appeared only at the end of the original network telecasts of the series {they were eliminated when the series was syndicated as “ALL-STAR THEATER’” by producer Screen Gems/Columbia after 1957}. The above preview was seen after the end of the January 7, 1954 episode “The Fugitive” (nothing to do with the 1963-’67 series, that story was a melodrama about a newspaper reporter trying to convince an escaped convict to release a little girl he’s holding hostage AND give himself up). “The Ardent Woodsman” has some romance involved, but it’s about how “Pierre” [Gilbert Roland] and “Janet” [Phyllis Thaxter] try to thwart political corruption in their small Maine community.
September 15th, 2009 at 2:18AM
To most viewers, 7:30pm(et) on Saturday nights in the fall of 1963 meant “JACKIE GLEASON AND HIS AMERICAN SCENE MAGAZINE” on CBS- but for a younger crowd, ABC’s “HOOTENANNY!” was the show they was intended for them- folk music (and other sub-genres) performed against a backdrop of college campus auditoriums and “performing arts” facilities…although some of the “big names” in folk boycotted the program when the producers refused to allow Pete Seeger to appear [he continued to be "blacklisted" on commercial television for his political beliefs until his appearance on "THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS COMEDY HOUR" in late 1967]. Jack Linkletter (Art’s son, now deceased) was supposed to be the “Dick Clark” figure of the program, to subtly assure parents and older viewers that the music was perfectly “in tune” with their own tastes…yet, the ratings were such {”The Great One” was too established at that hour} that “HOOTENANNY!” was gone by the end of the season.
And, of course, EVERYBODY loved Lawrence Welk- and his primary sponsor, Geritol {”the high potency vitamin and iron tonic that helps you FEEL STRONGER FAST”}. [Incidentally, the show had another "participating sponsor" at the time, whose logo, like Geritol's, appeared above Welk's bandstand during the program- Waste-King/Universal appliances- but was "blacked out" by ABC for this promo at :35.] Welk and his “Champagne Music” always had an older audience, but families gathered around the set at 8:30pm in droves, because Welk’s “musical family” was, in essence, theirs (including The Lennon Sisters). This is why, after ABC “dumped” his series in the spring of 1971, Lawrence landed in syndication, and flourished [even MORE successful than he was on the network] over the next eleven years until his “retirement” from active TV production in 1982.
The same could not be said for Jerry Lewis, who followed Welk at 9:30pm that fall [naturally, a separate promo was produced for HIM] with a gargantuan two-hour variety/talk show that was TOO MUCH…a genuine disaster for him AND the network. On the other hand, if it hadn’t failed…”THE HOLLYWOOD PALACE” wouldn’t have replaced Jerry in January 1964, from the same theater!
{There’s space for a staff announcer to add at :54, “Saturday night, beginning at 7:30/6:30 Central Time, over most of these stations”.}
September 16th, 2009 at 12:54AM
Sandy Duncan’s “FUNNY FACE” aired at the start of the 1971-72 season; CBS’ fall slogan that year was “Where The Good Times Are”. I’ve seen another [short] fall promo from that season spotlighting the return of “ALL IN THE FAMILY’” {”The Bunkers move to Saturdays at 8, 7 Central”}, which preceeded “FUNNY FACE”. The series prematurely ended because Sandy had to undergo eye surgery due to a tumor (sadly, she lost sight in her left eye as a result), but CBS executive Fred Silverman promised that “Sandy Stockton” would return the following season, after Duncan’s recovery. She did, in “THE SANDY DUNCAN SHOW”, which lasted just 13 weeks, ending halfway through the 1972-’73 season.
September 16th, 2009 at 1:44AM
The ABC promo featuring Elizabeth Montgomery, Judy Carne and Marlo Thomas was shown the first week of January 1967, as the network prepared another “Second Season” change in their schedule- especially Thursdays, where “THE TAMMY GRIMES SHOW”, at 8:30pm(et), almost single-handedly destroyed their momentum that night at the beginning of the season. A prime-time edition of “THE DATING GAME” filled in from October through December 1966, but ABC wanted to solidify its hold on viewers after “F TROOP” at 8pm ["THE DATING GAME" moved to Saturdays at 7:30 that January, where it gained a steady audience during the next four years]- they decided to move “BEWITCHED” up a half-hour, add “LOVE ON A ROOFTOP” (which was no match for CBS” “PETTICOAT JUNCTION” and “NBC TUESDAY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES” at 9:30), followed by “THAT GIRL”. Because Liz and Judy Carne filmed their series on adjoining soundstages at Columbia, it was easy for them to appear together in “Samantha & Darrin’s living room” (with Marlo, “borrowed” from her facilities at Desilu) to promote the new portion of their evening schedule. It seemed to work out for two of the three shows; “LOVE ON A ROOFTOP”, however, was unceremoniously cancelled at the end of the season.
By the way, the voice of the “surveyor” was that of veteran “tough-guy” actor Gerald Mohr; he did a lot of commercial and other voice-overs during that period (including several ABC promos), and was the voice of “Reed Richards” in the original animated version of “THE FANTASTIC FOUR” in the fall of ‘67 {on ABC}.