Here are the Top Ten programs from the final two weeks (the 30th and 31st) of the 1966-1967 season according to the Nielsen ratings. I’m able to continue providing these lists thanks to a generous reader who would like to remain anonymous. Note that these aren’t the two-week combined NTI reports but the individual Top Ten lists for each week.
For the 30th week of the season, which ran Monday, April 3rd, 1967 through Sunday, April 9th, 1967, CBS had six of the top ten highest-rated programs and four of the top five. ABC and NBC each had two. NBC’s highest was Bonanza, which placed third with a 25.4 rating while ABC’s highest was Bewitched, which was sixth with a 25.1 rating. Fifth was a Sid Caesar special on CBS, broadcast from 8:30-9:30PM on Wednesday, April 5th.
## | Program | Net | Rating |
---|---|---|---|
1. | The Red Skelton Hour | CBS | 28.7 |
2. | The Andy Griffin Show | CBS | 28.0 |
3. | Bonanza | NBC | 25.4 |
4. | The Lucy Show | CBS | 25.3 |
5. | “Sid Caesar Special” | CBS | 25.2 |
6. | Bewitched | ABC | 25.1 |
7. | The Lawrence Welk Show | ABC | 24.0 |
8. | Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. | CBS | 23.0 |
9. | Hogan’s Heroes | CBS | 22.9 |
10. | Get Smart | NBC | 22.8 |
The 31st and final week of the 1966-1967 season was filled with specials. The top three slots were all specials with the 39th Annual Academy Awards on ABC topping the list with an astounding 41.2 rating. An AFTRA strike ended just hours before the awards ceremony was set to begin. Second was a repeat of “Charlie Brown’s All-Stars” on CBS, broadcast from 8:30-9PM on Monday, April 10th. And third was a Dick Van Dyke special, also on CBS, which was aired on Tuesday, April 11th from 8:30-9:30PM. Sixth was a Danny Thomas special on NBC, which ran from 9-10PM on Wednesday, April 12th.
All told, CBS had five of the top ten, NBC had three and ABC two.
## | Program | Net | Rating |
---|---|---|---|
1. | “39th Annual Academy Awards” | ABC | 41.2 |
2. | “Charlie Brown’s All-Stars” | CBS | 30.7 |
3. | “Dick Van Dyke Special” | CBS | 29.8 |
4. | The Andy Griffith Show | CBS | 28.6 |
5. | Bonanza | NBC | 26.8 |
6. | “Danny Thomas Special” | NBC | 25.6 |
Bewitched | ABC | 25.6 | |
8. | Family Affair | CBS | 25.5 |
9. | I Spy | NBC | 24.3 |
10. | Green Acres | CBS | 24.0 |
And thus did the regular 1966-1967 television season draw to a close. I haven’t decided whether to tackle another season or pick and chose interesting ratings tidbits to share. We’ll see.
The “Sid Caesar Special” was actually entitled, “The Sid Caesar Imogene Coca Carl Reiner Howard Morris Special” (appearing inbetween “LOST IN SPACE” and “GOMER PYLE, U.S.M.C.”), and was the first time all four had appeared together in front of a camera since the end of “YOUR SHOW OF SHOWS” in June 1954. It was a GLORIOUS reunion, videotaped in color; unfortunately, it seems to be available only on black & white kinescope film. The special won an Emmy…and they never reunited professionally on TV again.
I watched that special as a youngster with my late Mom, and I thought it was the funniest thing I had ever seen.
But my Mom, who had seen “Your Show Of Show” in the ‘Fifties, shot back “You think Sid Caesar is funny now? You should have seen him in the 1950’s!”.