1973–74 United States network television schedule
{{Short description|none}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{USTV|1973}}
The following is the 1973–74 network television schedule for the three major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 1973 through August 1974. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1972–73 season. All times are Eastern and Pacific, with certain 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.Highest-rated series is based on the annual top-rated programs list compiled by Nielsen Media Research and reported in: Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows (9th ed.). New York: Ballantine. {{ISBN|978-0-345-49773-4}}.
:{{Color box|yellow|border=darkgray}} Yellow indicates the programs in the top 10 for the season.
:{{Color box|cyan|border=darkgray}} Cyan indicates the programs in the top 20 for the season.
:{{Color box|FF22FF|border=darkgray}} Magenta indicates the programs in the top 30 for the season.
PBS, the Public Broadcasting Service, was in operation, but the schedule was set by each local station.
Sunday
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width:100%; margin:auto; text-align:center;" |
| colspan="2" style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| Network
! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 7:30 PM ! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 8:00 PM ! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 8:30 PM ! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 9:00 PM ! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 9:30 PM ! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 10:00 PM ! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 10:30 PM |
|---|
| colspan="2" style="background:silver;"| ABC
| style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="2"| The F.B.I. | style="background:#FF22FF;" colspan="4"| The ABC Sunday Night Movie (23/20.7) | style="background:white;" rowspan="5"| Local |
| rowspan="3" style="background:silver;"| CBS
! Fall | style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="2"| The New Perry Mason | style="background:#f0f0f0;" rowspan="3" colspan="2"| Mannix | style="background:cyan;" rowspan="2" colspan="2"| Barnaby Jones (17/21.4) |
| Winter
| style="background:#f0f0f0;" rowspan="2" colspan="2"| Apple's Way |
| Summer
| style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="2"| 60 Minutes |
| colspan="2" style="background:silver;"| NBC
| style="background:cyan;" colspan="2"| The Wonderful World of Disney (12/22.3) | style="background:cyan;" colspan="4"| NBC Sunday Mystery Movie (Columbo / McCloud / McMillan and Wife / Hec Ramsey) (14/22.2) |
Note: 60 Minutes aired at 6:00-7:00 pm on CBS from January to June 1974.
Monday
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width:100%; margin:auto; text-align:center;" |
| colspan="2" style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| Network
! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 8:00 PM ! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 8:30 PM ! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 9:00 PM ! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 9:30 PM ! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 10:00 PM ! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 10:30 PM |
|---|
| style="background:silver;" rowspan="2"| ABC
! Fall | style="background:#FF22FF;" colspan="2" rowspan="2"| The Rookies (25/20.3) | style="background:cyan;" colspan="4"| Monday Night Football (19/21.2) |
| Winter
| style="background:#FF22FF;" colspan="4"| ABC Monday Movie (26/20.2) |
| style="background:silver;" colspan="2"| CBS
| style="background:cyan;" colspan="2"| Gunsmoke (15/22.1) | style="background:#FF22FF;"| Here's Lucy (29/20.0) | style="background:#f0f0f0;"| The New Dick Van Dyke Show | style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="2"| Medical Center |
| style="background:silver;" rowspan="3" | NBC
! Fall | style="background:#f0f0f0;"| Lotsa Luck | style="background:#f0f0f0;"| Diana | style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="4" rowspan="2" | NBC Monday Night at the Movies |
| Winter
| style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="2" | The Magician |
| Summer
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" colspan="6" | The Baseball World of Joe Garagiola (8:00) / Monday Night Baseball (8:15) |
Tuesday
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width:100%; margin:auto; text-align:center;" |
| colspan="2" style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| Network
! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 8:00 PM ! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 8:30 PM ! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 9:00 PM ! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 9:30 PM ! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 10:00 PM ! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 10:30 PM |
|---|
| style="background:silver;" rowspan="2"| ABC
! Fall | style="background:#f0f0f0;"| The New Temperatures Rising Show | style="background:#FF22FF;" colspan="3" rowspan="2"| ABC Tuesday Movie of the Week (21/21.0) | style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="2" rowspan="2"| Marcus Welby, M.D. |
| Winter
| style="background:cyan;"| Happy Days (16/21.5) |
| style="background:silver;" colspan="2"| CBS
| style="background:yellow;"| Maude (6/23.5) | style="background:yellow;" colspan="2"| Hawaii Five-O (5/24.0) | style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="3"| The New CBS Tuesday Night Movies / Hawkins / Shaft |
| style="background:silver;" rowspan="2"| NBC
! Fall | style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="2"| Chase | style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="2"| The Magician | style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="2" rowspan="2"| Police Story |
| Winter
| style="background:#FF22FF;" | Adam-12 (23/20.7) | style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="3"| NBC Tuesday Mystery Movie: Banacek / Tenafly / Faraday and Company / The Snoop Sisters |
Wednesday
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width:100%; margin:auto; text-align:center;" |
| colspan="2" style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| Network
! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 8:00 PM ! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 8:30 PM ! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 9:00 PM ! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 9:30 PM ! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 10:00 PM ! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 10:30 PM |
|---|
| style="background:silver;" rowspan="3" | ABC
! Fall | style="background:#f0f0f0;" | Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice | style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="3" rowspan="3" | ABC Wednesday Movie of the Week | style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="2" rowspan="2" | Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law |
| November
| style="background:#f0f0f0;" | Dick Clark Presents the Rock and Roll Years |
| Winter
| style="background:#f0f0f0;" | The Cowboys | style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="2"| Doc Elliot |
| style="background:silver;" rowspan="4" | CBS
! Fall | style="background:yellow;" colspan="2" | The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour (7/23.3) | style="background:yellow;" colspan="2" rowspan="4" | Cannon (9/23.1) | style="background:yellow;" colspan="2" rowspan="4" | Kojak (7/23.3) |
| Summer
| style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="2"| The Bobbie Gentry Show |
| Follow-up
| style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="2"| Tony Orlando & Dawn |
| August
| style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="2"| The Hudson Brothers Show |
| style="background:silver;" rowspan="2" | NBC
! Fall | style="background:#FF22FF;"| Adam-12 (23/20.7) | style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="3"| NBC Wednesday Mystery Movie: Banacek / Tenafly / Faraday & Company / The Snoop Sisters | style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="2"| Love Story |
| Winter
| style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="2"| Chase | style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="4"| NBC Wednesday Night at the Movies |
Thursday
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width:100%; margin:auto; text-align:center;" |
| colspan="2" style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| Network
! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 8:00 PM ! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 8:30 PM ! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 9:00 PM ! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 9:30 PM ! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 10:00 PM ! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 10:30 PM |
|---|
| style="background:silver;" rowspan="4"| ABC
! Fall | style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="2"| Toma | rowspan="3" style="background:magenta;" colspan="2" rowspan="4"| Kung Fu (27/20.1) | rowspan="3" style="background:magenta;" colspan="2" rowspan="4"| The Streets of San Francisco (22/20.8) |
| Winter
| style="background:#f0f0f0;"| Chopper One | rowspan="2" style="background:#f0f0f0;" rowspan="2"| Firehouse |
| Summer
| style="background:#f0f0f0;" rowspan="2"| Temperatures Rising |
| August
| style="background:#f0f0f0;" | Just for Laughs |
| style="background:silver;" colspan="2"| CBS
| style="background:yellow;" colspan="2"| The Waltons (2/28.1) | style="background:#FF22FF;" colspan="4"| CBS Thursday Night Movie (30/19.9) |
| style="background:silver;" rowspan="3" | NBC
! Fall | style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="2" rowspan="2" | The Flip Wilson Show | style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="2" rowspan="3" | Ironside | style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="2"| NBC Follies |
| Winter
| style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="2"| Music Country USA |
| Summer
| style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="2"| The Mac Davis Show | style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="2"| The Dean Martin Comedy World |
Friday
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width:100%; margin:auto; text-align:center;" |
| colspan="2" style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| Network
! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 8:00 PM ! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 8:30 PM ! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 9:00 PM ! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 9:30 PM ! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 10:00 PM ! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 10:30 PM |
|---|
| style="background:silver;" rowspan="2"| ABC
! Fall | style="background:#f0f0f0;" rowspan="2"| The Brady Bunch | style="background:#f0f0f0;"| The Odd Couple | style="background:#f0f0f0;"| Room 222 | style="background:#f0f0f0;"| Adam's Rib | style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="2"| Love, American Style |
| Winter
| style="background:cyan;" colspan="2"| The Six Million Dollar Man (11/22.7) | style="background:#f0f0f0;"| The Odd Couple | style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="2"| Toma |
| style="background:silver;" rowspan="3"| CBS
! Fall | style="background:#f0f0f0;"| Calucci's Department | style="background:#f0f0f0;"| Roll Out! | style="background:cyan;" colspan="4" rowspan="3"| The CBS Friday Night Movie (19/21.2) |
| Winter
| style="background:#f0f0f0;"| Dirty Sally | style="background:cyan;" rowspan="2" | Good Times (17/21.4) |
| Summer
| style="background:#f0f0f0;"| Your Hit Parade |
| style="background:silver;" rowspan="3" | NBC
! Fall | style="background:yellow;" rowspan="3" | Sanford and Son (3/27.5) | style="background:#f0f0f0;"| The Girl with Something Extra | style="background:#f0f0f0;"| Needles and Pins | style="background:#f0f0f0;" rowspan="2" | The Brian Keith Show* | style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="2" rowspan="2" | The Dean Martin Show |
| Winter
| style="background:#f0f0f0;"| Lotsa Luck | style="background:#f0f0f0;"| The Girl with Something Extra |
| Summer
| style="background:#f0f0f0;"| The Brian Keith Show* | style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="4"| NBC Friday Night at the Movies |
(*) Formerly The Little People
Saturday
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width:100%; margin:auto; text-align:center;" |
| colspan="2" style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| Network
! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 8:00 PM ! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 8:30 PM ! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 9:00 PM ! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 9:30 PM ! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 10:00 PM ! style="background:silver; text-align:center;"| 10:30 PM |
|---|
| style="background:silver;" rowspan="2" | ABC
! Fall | style="background:#f0f0f0;" rowspan="2" | The Partridge Family | style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="3" rowspan="2" | ABC Suspense Movie | style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="2"| Griff |
| January
| style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="2"| Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law |
| style="background:silver;" rowspan="2" | CBS
! Fall | style="background:yellow;" rowspan="2" | All in the Family (1/31.2) | style="background:yellow;" rowspan="2" | M*A*S*H (4/25.7) | style="background:yellow;" rowspan="2" | The Mary Tyler Moore Show (9/23.1) | style="background:cyan;" rowspan="2" | The Bob Newhart Show (12/22.3) | style="background:#FF22FF;" colspan="2"| The Carol Burnett Show (27/20.1) |
| Summer
| style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="2"| Barnaby Jones |
| style="background:silver;" colspan="2"| NBC
| style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="2"| Emergency! | style="background:#f0f0f0;" colspan="4"| NBC Saturday Night at the Movies |
By network
=[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]=
{{col-begin}}
{{col-3}}
Returning Series
- ABC Monday Movie
- ABC Movie of the Week
- The ABC Sunday Night Movie
- ABC Tuesday Movie of the Week
- ABC Wednesday Movie of the Week
- The Brady Bunch
- The F.B.I.
- Kung Fu
- Love, American Style
- Marcus Welby, M.D.
- Monday Night Football
- The Odd Couple
- Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law
- The Partridge Family
- The Rookies
- Room 222
- The Six Million Dollar Man
- The Streets of San Francisco
- Temperatures Rising
{{col-3}}
New Series
- ABC Suspense Movie
- Adam's Rib
- Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice
- Chopper One *
- The Cowboys *
- Dick Clark Presents the Rock and Roll Years *
- Doc Elliot
- Firehouse *
- Griff
- Happy Days *
- Just for Laughs *
- Toma *
{{col-3}}
Not returning from 1972–73:
- Alias Smith and Jones
- The Burns and Schreiber Comedy Hour
- The Corner Bar
- Here We Go Again
- The Julie Andrews Hour
- Love Thy Neighbor
- The Men: Assignment Vienna / The Delphi Bureau / Jigsaw
- The Mod Squad
- The Paul Lynde Show
- The Sixth Sense
- The Strauss Family
- Thicker than Water
- A Touch of Grace
{{col-end}}
=[[CBS]]=
{{col-begin}}
{{col-3}}
Returning Series
- 60 Minutes
- All in the Family
- Barnaby Jones
- The Bob Newhart Show
- Cannon
- CBS Thursday Night Movie
- The Carol Burnett Show
- The New Dick Van Dyke Show
- Gunsmoke
- Hawaii Five-O
- Here's Lucy
- M*A*S*H
- Mannix
- The Mary Tyler Moore Show
- Maude
- Medical Center
- The New CBS Tuesday Night Movies
- The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour
- The Waltons
- Your Hit Parade
{{col-3}}
New Series
- Apple's Way *
- The Bobbie Gentry Show *
- Calucci's Department
- Dirty Sally *
- Good Times *
- Hawkins
- The Hudson Brothers Show *
- Kojak
- The New Perry Mason
- Roll Out
- Tony Orlando and Dawn *
{{col-3}}
Not returning from 1972–73:
- Anna and the King
- Bridget Loves Bernie
- The Doris Day Show
- Mission: Impossible
- The New Bill Cosby Show
- The Sandy Duncan Show
{{col-end}}
=[[NBC]]=
{{col-begin}}
{{col-3}}
Returning Series
- Adam-12
- Banacek
- The Brian Keith Show
- Columbo
- The Dean Martin Show
- Emergency!
- The Flip Wilson Show
- Hec Ramsey
- Ironside
- The Magician
- McCloud
- McMillan & Wife
- Monday Night Baseball
- NBC Monday Night at the Movies
- The NBC Mystery Movie
- NBC Saturday Night at the Movies
- Sanford and Son
- The Wonderful World of Disney
{{col-3}}
New Series
- Chase
- The Dean Martin Comedy World *
- Diana
- Faraday & Company
- The Girl with Something Extra
- Lotsa Luck
- Love Story
- The Mac Davis Show *
- The Magician
- Music Country USA *
- NBC Follies
- Needles and Pins
- Police Story
- The Snoop Sisters *
- Tenafly
{{col-3}}
Not returning from 1972–73:
- Banyon
- The Bobby Darin Show
- The Bold Ones
- Bonanza
- Dean Martin Presents Music Country
- Escape
- First Tuesday
- Ghost Story/Circle of Fear
- The Helen Reddy Show
- Madigan
- NBC Reports
- Night Gallery
- Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
- Search
{{col-end}}
Note: The * indicates that the program was introduced in midseason.
References
{{reflist}}
=Additional sources=
- Castleman, H. & Podrazik, W. (1982). Watching TV: Four Decades of American Television. New York: McGraw-Hill. 314 pp.
- McNeil, Alex. Total Television. Fourth edition. New York: Penguin Books. {{ISBN|0-14-024916-8}}.
- Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (1985). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows (3rd ed.). New York: Ballantine. {{ISBN|0-345-31864-1}}.
{{US TV schedule}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:1973-74 United States Network Television Schedule}}
Category:United States primetime network television schedules