Week 5 of the 1973-1974 season started on Monday, October 8th, 1973 and ended on Sunday, October 14th, 1973. The highest-rated program was All in the Family on CBS with a 32.0/53 Nielsen rating/share. Here are the 10 lowest-rated programs:
| ## | Program | Network | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 53 | Dan August | CBS | 14.2/26 |
| 54 | Toma | ABC | 14.0/21 |
| 55 | Love, American Style | ABC | 13.2/24 |
| 56 | ABC Suspense Movie (“Double Indemnity”) | ABC | 12.7/22 |
| 57 | ABC Sunday Movie (“John and Mary”) | ABC | 12.7/20 |
| 58 | Perry Mason | CBS | 11.6/19 |
| 59 | CBS Reports | CBS | 10.9/19 |
| 60 | Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice | ABC | 10.1/16 |
| 61 | Partridge Family | ABC | 9.2/15 |
| 62 | Calucci’s Department | CBS | 8.4/14 |
Source:
“CBS Shows Still 1st, Last in Nielsen List.” Los Angeles Times. 25 Oct. 1973: D20.
Dan August was a rerun of a Burt Reynolds series from several years earlier. The only reason it was run in the fall was due to production problems on Kojak. While most series debuted in September, Kojak didn’t begin until late October.
I would believe that Perry Mason was the short-lived re-make.
Yes, The New Perry Mason as it was officially named was one of the first TV reboots. Since Raymond Burr was doing Ironside, Monte Markham played the title role. It was canceled at mid-season and Burr returned in a series of TV movies that ran from 1985 until his death in 1993.
I’m glad THE BRADY BUNCH rose out of the Bottom 10 this week. “Peter and the Wolf” was 1 of the show’s better episodes from the series & the last season in particular.
Unfortunately LOVE, AMERICAN STYLE was still sitting near the bottom in advance of its January cancellation.
THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY was dying again against ALL IN T HE FAMILY. I think I’ve read that ABC actually did want to renew the show (I’m not sure about that w/ these lousy ratings.), but David Cassidy wanted to quit the show anyway, so it wasn’t renewed after this season.
Yes, and the plan was that a young Rick Springfield would have played Keith if there had been a fifth season!
Thanks, Charles. I think I read about Rick Springfield’s possibly taking over as Keith somewhere else too.
I was among the few watching this week’s PARTRIDGE FAMILY, I think, as I distinctly remember seeing “Reuben Kincaid Lives”, with Margaret Hamilton playing Reuben’s mom. Clara. Reuben was probably partially named for her, as she gives his full name as “Reuben Clarence Kincaid”, so a bit of trivia about Reuben came out this late in the series.
I have read that had the series gone on, Rick Springfield would have replaced David Cassidy. I have also read that Cassidy was so identified with Keith Partridge that it would be easier to cancel the show than replace him. Sounds like the truth is somewhere in between.