1972–73 United States network television schedule
1972–73 United States network television schedule
This was the television schedule on all three United States television networks for the fall season beginning in September 1972. All times are Eastern and Pacific, with a few exceptions, such as Monday Night Football.
New fall series are highlighted in bold.
Each of the 30 highest-rated shows is listed with its rank and rating as determined by Nielsen Media Research.[1]
- Yellow indicates the programs in the top 10 for the season.Cyan indicates the programs in the top 20 for the season.Magenta indicates the programs in the top 30 for the season.
Note: This was the first full season in which all networks, on every day of the week except for Sunday, started airing programs at 8:00 instead of 7:30, as dictated by the FCC under its Prime Time Access Rule, intended to increase diversity in programming.
PBS is not included; member stations have local flexibility over most of their schedules and broadcast times for network shows may vary.
Sunday
Network | 7:30 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ABC | Local | The F.B.I. (29/19.2) (Tied with The ABC Monday Movie and Kung Fu) | The ABC Sunday Night Movie (23/20.0) (Tied with The Rookies) | |||||
CBS | Fall | Anna and the King | MAS*H | The Sandy Duncan Show | The New Dick Van Dyke Show | Mannix | Local | |
Winter | The New Dick Van Dyke Show | Mannix | Barnaby Jones (25/19.9) (Tied with The Little People and The ABC Wednesday Movie of the Week) | |||||
NBC | The Wonderful World of Disney (9/23.5) | The NBC Sunday Mystery Movie (Columbo / McCloud / McMillan and Wife / Hec Ramsey) (5/24.2) (Tied with Bridget Loves Bernie) | Night Gallery |
Note: 60 Minutes aired at 6:00-7:00 pm on CBS from January to June 1973.
Monday
Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ABC | Fall | The Rookies (23/20.0) (Tied with The ABC Sunday Night Movie) | ABC NFL Monday Night Football (18/21.0) | ||||
Winter | ABC Monday Night Movie (29/19.2) (Tied with The F.B.I. and Kung Fu) | ||||||
CBS | Fall | Gunsmoke (7/23.6) (Tied with The Mary Tyler Moore Show) | Here's Lucy (15/21.9) | The Doris Day Show | The New Bill Cosby Show | ||
Spring | Medical Center | ||||||
NBC | Fall | Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In | NBC Monday Night at the Movies (28/19.3) | ||||
Summer | The Baseball World of Joe Garagiola (8:00) / Monday Night Baseball (8:15) |
Tuesday
Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ABC | Temperatures Rising | ABC Tuesday Movie of the Week (17/21.5) | Marcus Welby, M.D. (13/22.9) | ||||
CBS | Maude (4/24.7) | Hawaii Five-O (3/25.2) | The New CBS Tuesday Night Movies | ||||
NBC | Fall | Bonanza | The Bold Ones: The New Doctors | NBC Reports | |||
Winter | NBC Tuesday Night at the Movies | First Tuesday |
Wednesday
Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ABC | Fall | The Paul Lynde Show | ABC Wednesday Movie of the Week (25/19.9) (Tied with Barnaby Jones and The Little People) | The Julie Andrews Hour | |||
Winter | Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law | ||||||
Summer | Thicker than Water | ||||||
Follow-up | Love Thy Neighbor | ||||||
CBS | Fall | The Carol Burnett Show (22/20.3) | Medical Center (19/20.6) (Tied with The Partridge Family and The Waltons) | Cannon (14/22.4) | |||
Winter | The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour | ||||||
Spring | Dan August | ||||||
NBC | Adam-12 (11/23.3) | NBC Wednesday Mystery Movie: **Madigan / Cool Million / Banacek ** | Search |
Note: Dan August consisted of reruns of the 1970-1971 ABC series.
Thursday
Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ABC | Fall | The Mod Squad | **The Men: Assignment Vienna / The Delphi Bureau / Jigsaw** | Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law | |||
Winter | Kung Fu (29/19.2) (Tied with The ABC Monday Movie and The F.B.I.) | The Streets of San Francisco | |||||
CBS | The Waltons (19/20.6) (Tied with The Partridge Family and Medical Center) | CBS Thursday Night Movie | |||||
NBC | Fall | The Flip Wilson Show (12/23.1) | Ironside (10/23.4) | The Dean Martin Show | |||
Summer | The Helen Reddy Show | Dean Martin Presents Music Country |
Friday
Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ABC | Fall | The Brady Bunch | The Partridge Family (19/20.6) (Tied with The Waltons and Medical Center) | Room 222 | The Odd Couple | Love, American Style | |
Summer | Love Thy Neighbor | ||||||
CBS | Fall | The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour | The CBS Friday Night Movies | ||||
Follow-up | Mission: Impossible | ||||||
Summer | 60 Minutes | ||||||
NBC | Fall | Sanford and Son (2/27.6) | The Little People (25/19.9) (Tied with Barnaby Jones and The ABC Wednesday Movie of the Week) | Ghost Story | Banyon | ||
Winter | Circle of Fear |
Note: Ghost Story was retooled slightly and retitled Circle of Fear (under the same production team) with the episode broadcast January 5, 1973.
Saturday
Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ABC | Fall | Alias Smith and Jones / Kung Fu | The Streets of San Francisco | The Sixth Sense | |||
Winter | Here We Go Again | A Touch of Grace | The Julie Andrews Hour | **The Men: Assignment Vienna / The Delphi Bureau / Jigsaw** | |||
Summer | The Paul Lynde Show | The Strauss Family | |||||
Follow-up | The Burns and Schreiber Comedy Hour | ||||||
CBS | Fall | All in the Family (1/33.3) | Bridget Loves Bernie (5/24.2) (Tied with The NBC Sunday Mystery Movie) | The Mary Tyler Moore Show (7/23.6) (Tied with Gunsmoke) | The Bob Newhart Show (16/21.8) | Mission: Impossible | |
Follow-up | The Carol Burnett Show (22/20.3) | ||||||
Summer | Mission: Impossible | ||||||
NBC | Emergency! | NBC Saturday Night at the Movies |