Rural purge
Encyclopedia
The "rural purge" of American television networks (in particular CBS
) was a series of cancellations between 1969 and 1972, the majority of which occurred at the end of the 1970-71 television season, of still popular rural-themed shows and shows with demographically-skewed audiences. It is commonly referred to as "the year CBS
killed everything with a tree in it," a phrase coined by Pat Buttram
, who played Mr. Haney on CBS's Green Acres
.
in the late 1960s, following research highlighting the greater attraction to advertisers of the younger urban viewer demographic and the institution of the FCC's
Prime Time Access Rule
, which led to the loss of a half-hour of network programming each night. While it is most commonly associated with CBS
, ABC
and NBC
also followed a similar pattern. The numerous cancellations prompted Pat Buttram
("Mr. Haney" on one of the canceled shows, Green Acres
) to make the oft-quoted observation: "It was the year CBS canceled everything with a tree—including Lassie
."
The first rurally-themed show canceled by Silverman was Petticoat Junction
. In September, 1970 The Mary Tyler Moore Show
premiered on CBS. All in the Family
premiered in January 1971 as a mid-season replacement. Both series provided the urban demographic, cutting-edge social relevance and ratings that CBS sought. These ratings successes prompted Silverman and the network to cancel Green Acres
, The Beverly Hillbillies
, Mayberry RFD, Hee-Haw, Lassie
, and The Jim Nabors Hour
at the end of the 1970-71 season. The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour
lasted until the end of the 1971-72 season.
Non-rural themed shows canceled included sitcoms Family Affair
, and Hogan's Heroes
in 1971, with the long running My Three Sons
ending in 1972. Variety shows that had been around since the late 1940s and early 1950s such as The Jackie Gleason Show
, and The Ed Sullivan Show
were canceled in 1970 and 1971 respectively. The Red Skelton Show
was canceled by CBS at the end the 1969-70 season only to be picked up by NBC (the series original network) for one more season. NBC would also revert Skelton's show to its original half-hour format in place of its more familiar hour long format on CBS. By the end of 1972 Lucille Ball
remained the only long time television star from television's golden era to still have her own show. Ball's show, Here's Lucy
, still rated in the Nielsen
top ten and would continue to pull in high ratings until its end in 1974. (Gunsmoke
, another carryover from the early era of television, also remained on the air until 1975; TV westerns were another genre that was fading in popularity, though most of the shows in the genre, other than Gunsmoke and Bonanza, were already off the air for a few years at the time of the purge, and only two Westerns, NBC's The Virginian
and The High Chaparral
, were canceled in 1971. Westerns had already been targeted for cancellation after concerns of violence led to pressure from parents' groups to tone down violence in television, and by 1969, no new Westerns were debuting.)
ABC also was looking for younger demographics, and in May 1971 canceled shows that skewed toward rural viewers (such as The Johnny Cash Show
) or older viewers (Make Room for Granddaddy
and The Lawrence Welk Show
). NBC also targeted rural and older oriented programs in its cuts, eliminating long-running programs such as Wild Kingdom
, The Andy Williams Show
and The Virginian
, all of which ran nine seasons or more.
Syndication proved to be a haven for many of the canceled programs. Welk's program, a mainstay of television since the early 1950s, immediately moved to first-run syndication, where it enjoyed an additional 11 years before Welk's retirement in 1982 (Mr. Welk was, by this time, 79 years old). Reruns of the show began almost immediately afterward, and continue to this day on PBS. Wild Kingdom, Lassie, and Hee-Haw also continued in first run syndication after their cancellations in 1971. Lassie ran until 1973, while Hee-Haw had even greater success, lasting until 1991. Wild Kingdom primarily aired reruns but continued to produce occasional new episodes in syndication through 1987.
Gomer Pyle USMC was the first of the rural based shows to leave the air. However, this wasn't due to its rural theme, but instead to Jim Nabors
's desire to move to something else, 'reach for another rung on the ladder, either up or down'. Mayberry RFD, itself a direct continuation of The Andy Griffith Show
which Gomer Pyle
had spun off from, finished #4 for the year and was renewed for two more seasons. The first of the cancellations was The Red Skelton Show which had finished the 1969-70 season as the #7 show when axed by CBS. The show's move back to NBC and its altered format drew away its viewership, thus it fell out of the top 30 by the end of the 1970-71 season. Petticoat Junction
is another series that is often cited in the purge, but that show was already in decline (due in part to the death of star Bea Benaderet
) by the time it was canceled in 1970. What made these cancellations puzzling were the fact that they had come prior to 1970, at a time when CBS had yet to air any of their more "sophisticated" shows and gauge their popularity with the television audience. The success of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, All in the Family
, and newer variety shows such as The Flip Wilson Show
and The Carol Burnett Show
in 1970 would allow for the mass cancellations of most of the now "undesired shows" at the end of 1971 despite their high ratings and popularity. Both Green Acres
and The Beverly Hillbillies
had fallen out of the Nielsen top 30 by the end of the 1970-71 season, yet both shows had continued to win their respective time slots and had a loyal following, warranting renewal for another season. Other shows that were still pulling in even higher ratings when canceled included Mayberry RFD which finished the season at #15, Hee-Haw at #16, and The Jim Nabors
Hour at #29; The Beverly Hillbillies sat at #33. Nevertheless, the course had been set by the networks and the shows were cancelled to free up the schedules for newer shows.
The inclusion of demographics into determining a series' worth to its sponsors meant that high ratings alone did not necessarily warrant a series for renewal. Series such as ABC's The Brady Bunch
and The Partridge Family
rarely made it into the top 30 of shows; however, both series appealed to a younger demographic and thus were renewed for three more seasons.
was its many spinoffs including Maude
and The Jeffersons
. The program Good Times
, a spinoff of Maude, was therefore a third generation spinoff of All in the Family. Following the success of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
, the series production company MTM Productions would develop the popular The Bob Newhart Show
. M*A*S*H was added to the network in 1972 remaining constantly in the top fifteen of shows for the next eleven seasons.
Under Silverman's watch, game show
s returned to the network's daytime schedule during this period as well (unlike NBC or ABC, CBS had not carried a daytime game show since To Tell the Truth
ended its run in 1968, instead opting for reruns of 1960s prime-time sitcoms such as The Lucy Show
and Gomer Pyle, USMC, both of which had left the air by that point). Among the first group of game shows in 1972 was The Price Is Right
, which debuted in September 1972. Gambit
and The Joker's Wild
, the latter created by formerly disgraced
game show producer and host Jack Barry, would also debut the same day and have relatively long runs.
Despite the relatively large number of "old guard" variety show
s cancelled in the purge, Fred Silverman would actually continue to create new variety shows to replace the ones he canceled; one of the first was The Sonny & Cher Show
, which debuted in February 1971. It lasted three seasons before the couple divorced, but the two reunited for two more seasons, finishing its run in 1977. Silverman would later commission Donny & Marie
for ABC five years later; that show lasted three seasons and was particularly popular among younger viewers until co-host (and teen idol
) Donny Osmond
got married. He would also, with far less success, commission The Brady Bunch Hour
for ABC in 1976 and Pink Lady and Jeff for NBC in 1980, two series that were extremely poorly received.
1969-70 season
1970-71 season
1971-72 season
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
) was a series of cancellations between 1969 and 1972, the majority of which occurred at the end of the 1970-71 television season, of still popular rural-themed shows and shows with demographically-skewed audiences. It is commonly referred to as "the year CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
killed everything with a tree in it," a phrase coined by Pat Buttram
Pat Buttram
Maxwell Emmett "Pat" Buttram was an American actor, known for playing the sidekick of Gene Autry and for playing the character of Mr. Haney in the TV series Green Acres. He had a distinctive voice which, in his own words, "... never quite made it through puberty"...
, who played Mr. Haney on CBS's Green Acres
Green Acres
Green Acres is an American television series starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a couple who move from New York City to a country farm...
.
Instigation
The purge was instigated by CBS executive Fred SilvermanFred Silverman
Fred Silverman is an American television executive and producer. He worked as an executive at the CBS, ABC and NBC networks, and was responsible for bringing to television such programs as the series Scooby-Doo , All in the Family , The Waltons , and Charlie's Angels , as well as the...
in the late 1960s, following research highlighting the greater attraction to advertisers of the younger urban viewer demographic and the institution of the FCC's
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
Prime Time Access Rule
Prime Time Access Rule
The Prime Time Access Rule was instituted by the Federal Communications Commission in 1970 to restrict the amount of network broadcast programming that a local television station, Owned-and-operated station by or affiliated with a television network may air during "prime time"...
, which led to the loss of a half-hour of network programming each night. While it is most commonly associated with CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
and NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
also followed a similar pattern. The numerous cancellations prompted Pat Buttram
Pat Buttram
Maxwell Emmett "Pat" Buttram was an American actor, known for playing the sidekick of Gene Autry and for playing the character of Mr. Haney in the TV series Green Acres. He had a distinctive voice which, in his own words, "... never quite made it through puberty"...
("Mr. Haney" on one of the canceled shows, Green Acres
Green Acres
Green Acres is an American television series starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a couple who move from New York City to a country farm...
) to make the oft-quoted observation: "It was the year CBS canceled everything with a tree—including Lassie
Lassie
Lassie is a fictional collie dog character created by Eric Knight in a short story expanded to novel length called Lassie Come-Home. Published in 1940, the novel was filmed by MGM in 1943 as Lassie Come Home with a dog named Pal playing Lassie. Pal then appeared with the stage name "Lassie" in six...
."
The first rurally-themed show canceled by Silverman was Petticoat Junction
Petticoat Junction
Petticoat Junction is an American situation comedy produced by Filmways which originally aired on CBS from 1963 to 1970. The series is one of three interrelated shows about rural characters created by Paul Henning; the others are The Beverly Hillbillies and Green Acres.The setting for the series...
. In September, 1970 The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mary Tyler Moore Show is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns that aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977...
premiered on CBS. All in the Family
All in the Family
All in the Family is an American sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. In September 1979, a new show, Archie Bunker's Place, picked up where All in the Family had ended...
premiered in January 1971 as a mid-season replacement. Both series provided the urban demographic, cutting-edge social relevance and ratings that CBS sought. These ratings successes prompted Silverman and the network to cancel Green Acres
Green Acres
Green Acres is an American television series starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a couple who move from New York City to a country farm...
, The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for nine seasons on CBS from 1962 to 1971, starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer, Jr....
, Mayberry RFD, Hee-Haw, Lassie
Lassie
Lassie is a fictional collie dog character created by Eric Knight in a short story expanded to novel length called Lassie Come-Home. Published in 1940, the novel was filmed by MGM in 1943 as Lassie Come Home with a dog named Pal playing Lassie. Pal then appeared with the stage name "Lassie" in six...
, and The Jim Nabors Hour
The Jim Nabors Hour
The Jim Nabors Hour was a variety television series hosted by Jim Nabors that aired on the CBS television network from 1969 to 1971.Fresh from his success with Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., which put his backwoods "Gomer Pyle" character from The Andy Griffith Show in a military context, the show not only...
at the end of the 1970-71 season. The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour
The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour
The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour was an American network television music and comedy variety show hosted by singer Glen Campbell from January 1969 through June 1972 on CBS. He was offered the show after he hosted a 1968 summer replacement for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour...
lasted until the end of the 1971-72 season.
Non-rural themed shows canceled included sitcoms Family Affair
Family Affair
Family Affair is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from September 12, 1966 to September 9, 1971. The series explored the trials of well-to-do civil engineer and bachelor Bill Davis as he attempted to raise his brother's orphaned children in his luxury New York City apartment. Davis' traditional...
, and Hogan's Heroes
Hogan's Heroes
Hogan's Heroes is an American television sitcom that ran for 168 episodes from September 17, 1965, to March 28, 1971, on the CBS network. The show was set in a German prisoner of war camp during the Second World War. Bob Crane had the starring role as Colonel Robert E...
in 1971, with the long running My Three Sons
My Three Sons
My Three Sons is an American situation comedy. The series ran from 1960 to 1965 on ABC, and moved to CBS until its end on August 24, 1972. My Three Sons chronicles the life of a widower and aeronautical engineer named Steven Douglas , raising his three sons.The series was a cornerstone of the CBS...
ending in 1972. Variety shows that had been around since the late 1940s and early 1950s such as The Jackie Gleason Show
The Jackie Gleason Show
The Jackie Gleason Show is the name of a series of popular American network television shows that starred Jackie Gleason, which ran from 1952 to 1970.-Cavalcade of Stars:...
, and The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
were canceled in 1970 and 1971 respectively. The Red Skelton Show
The Red Skelton Show
The Red Skelton Show is an American variety show that was a television staple for two decades, from 1951 to 1971. It was second to Gunsmoke and third to The Ed Sullivan Show in the ratings during that time. Skelton, who had previously been a radio star, had appeared in several motion pictures as...
was canceled by CBS at the end the 1969-70 season only to be picked up by NBC (the series original network) for one more season. NBC would also revert Skelton's show to its original half-hour format in place of its more familiar hour long format on CBS. By the end of 1972 Lucille Ball
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy...
remained the only long time television star from television's golden era to still have her own show. Ball's show, Here's Lucy
Here's Lucy
Here's Lucy is Lucille Ball's third network television sitcom. It ran on CBS from 1968 to 1974.-Background:Though The Lucy Show was still hugely popular during the previous season, finishing in the top five of the Nielsen Ratings , Ball opted to end that series at the end of that season and create...
, still rated in the Nielsen
Nielsen
Nielsen , is a Danish patronymic surname, literally meaning son of Niels, Niels being the Danish version of the Greek male given name Νικόλαος, Nikolaos . It is the second most common surname in Denmark, shared by about 5% of the population. It is also used in Norway, although the form Nelsen and...
top ten and would continue to pull in high ratings until its end in 1974. (Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West....
, another carryover from the early era of television, also remained on the air until 1975; TV westerns were another genre that was fading in popularity, though most of the shows in the genre, other than Gunsmoke and Bonanza, were already off the air for a few years at the time of the purge, and only two Westerns, NBC's The Virginian
The Virginian (TV series)
The Virginian is an American Western television series starring James Drury and Doug McClure, which aired on NBC from 1962 to 1971 for a total of 249 episodes. Filmed in color, The Virginian became television's first 90-minute western series...
and The High Chaparral
The High Chaparral
The High Chaparral is a Western-themed television series starring Leif Erickson and Cameron Mitchell which aired on NBC from 1967 to 1971. The show was created by David Dortort, who had previously created the hit Bonanza for the network...
, were canceled in 1971. Westerns had already been targeted for cancellation after concerns of violence led to pressure from parents' groups to tone down violence in television, and by 1969, no new Westerns were debuting.)
ABC also was looking for younger demographics, and in May 1971 canceled shows that skewed toward rural viewers (such as The Johnny Cash Show
The Johnny Cash Show
The Johnny Cash Show is a live album by country singer Johnny Cash, recorded at the Grand Ole Opry and released on Columbia Records in 1970. Though one of Cash's lesser-known live records, it spawned the highly successful single "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", which helped kickstart the career of...
) or older viewers (Make Room for Granddaddy
The Danny Thomas Show
The Danny Thomas Show is an American sitcom which ran from 1953-1957 on ABC and from 1957-1964 on CBS...
and The Lawrence Welk Show
The Lawrence Welk Show
The Lawrence Welk Show is an American televised musical variety show hosted by big band leader Lawrence Welk. The series aired locally in Los Angeles for four years , then nationally for another 27 years via the ABC network and first-run syndication .In the years since first-run syndication...
). NBC also targeted rural and older oriented programs in its cuts, eliminating long-running programs such as Wild Kingdom
Wild Kingdom
Wild Kingdom, sometimes known as Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, is an American television show that features wildlife and nature. It was originally produced from 1963 until 1988, and was revived in 2002...
, The Andy Williams Show
The Andy Williams Show
The Andy Williams Show is a television variety show which ran from 1959 to 1971 , and a short-lived run in syndication, beginning in the fall of 1976...
and The Virginian
The Virginian (TV series)
The Virginian is an American Western television series starring James Drury and Doug McClure, which aired on NBC from 1962 to 1971 for a total of 249 episodes. Filmed in color, The Virginian became television's first 90-minute western series...
, all of which ran nine seasons or more.
Syndication proved to be a haven for many of the canceled programs. Welk's program, a mainstay of television since the early 1950s, immediately moved to first-run syndication, where it enjoyed an additional 11 years before Welk's retirement in 1982 (Mr. Welk was, by this time, 79 years old). Reruns of the show began almost immediately afterward, and continue to this day on PBS. Wild Kingdom, Lassie, and Hee-Haw also continued in first run syndication after their cancellations in 1971. Lassie ran until 1973, while Hee-Haw had even greater success, lasting until 1991. Wild Kingdom primarily aired reruns but continued to produce occasional new episodes in syndication through 1987.
Popularity of canceled shows
The validity of canceling so many shows sparked controversy as many of the programs were still highly rated at the time.Gomer Pyle USMC was the first of the rural based shows to leave the air. However, this wasn't due to its rural theme, but instead to Jim Nabors
Jim Nabors
James Thurston "Jim" Nabors is an American actor and singer. Born and raised in Sylacauga, Alabama, Nabors moved to Southern California because of his asthma. While working at a Santa Monica nightclub, The Horn, he was discovered by Andy Griffith and later joined The Andy Griffith Show, playing...
's desire to move to something else, 'reach for another rung on the ladder, either up or down'. Mayberry RFD, itself a direct continuation of The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show is an American sitcom first televised by CBS between October 3, 1960, and April 1, 1968. Andy Griffith portrays a widowed sheriff in the fictional small community of Mayberry, North Carolina...
which Gomer Pyle
Gomer Pyle
Gomer Pyle is a bubbly, gentle, rural auto mechanic character played by American singer/ television actor Jim Nabors. Gomer Pyle became a character on the TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show, when actor Howard McNear, who played Floyd the barber, suffered a stroke and took a respite from acting. Jim...
had spun off from, finished #4 for the year and was renewed for two more seasons. The first of the cancellations was The Red Skelton Show which had finished the 1969-70 season as the #7 show when axed by CBS. The show's move back to NBC and its altered format drew away its viewership, thus it fell out of the top 30 by the end of the 1970-71 season. Petticoat Junction
Petticoat Junction
Petticoat Junction is an American situation comedy produced by Filmways which originally aired on CBS from 1963 to 1970. The series is one of three interrelated shows about rural characters created by Paul Henning; the others are The Beverly Hillbillies and Green Acres.The setting for the series...
is another series that is often cited in the purge, but that show was already in decline (due in part to the death of star Bea Benaderet
Bea Benaderet
Bea Benaderet was an American actress born in New York City and raised in San Francisco, California. She is best remembered for her wide variety of television work, which included a starring role in the 1960s television series Petticoat Junction and Green Acres as Shady Rest Hotel owner Kate...
) by the time it was canceled in 1970. What made these cancellations puzzling were the fact that they had come prior to 1970, at a time when CBS had yet to air any of their more "sophisticated" shows and gauge their popularity with the television audience. The success of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, All in the Family
All in the Family
All in the Family is an American sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. In September 1979, a new show, Archie Bunker's Place, picked up where All in the Family had ended...
, and newer variety shows such as The Flip Wilson Show
The Flip Wilson Show
The Flip Wilson Show is a variety show that aired in the U.S. on NBC from September 17, 1970 to June 27, 1974. The show starred American comedian Flip Wilson; the program was one of the first American television programs starring a black person in the title role to become highly successful with a...
and The Carol Burnett Show
The Carol Burnett Show
The Carol Burnett Show is a variety / sketch comedy television show starring Carol Burnett, Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, Lyle Waggoner, and Tim Conway. It originally ran on CBS from September 11, 1967, to March 29, 1978, for 278 episodes and originated from CBS Television City's Studio 33...
in 1970 would allow for the mass cancellations of most of the now "undesired shows" at the end of 1971 despite their high ratings and popularity. Both Green Acres
Green Acres
Green Acres is an American television series starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a couple who move from New York City to a country farm...
and The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for nine seasons on CBS from 1962 to 1971, starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer, Jr....
had fallen out of the Nielsen top 30 by the end of the 1970-71 season, yet both shows had continued to win their respective time slots and had a loyal following, warranting renewal for another season. Other shows that were still pulling in even higher ratings when canceled included Mayberry RFD which finished the season at #15, Hee-Haw at #16, and The Jim Nabors
Jim Nabors
James Thurston "Jim" Nabors is an American actor and singer. Born and raised in Sylacauga, Alabama, Nabors moved to Southern California because of his asthma. While working at a Santa Monica nightclub, The Horn, he was discovered by Andy Griffith and later joined The Andy Griffith Show, playing...
Hour at #29; The Beverly Hillbillies sat at #33. Nevertheless, the course had been set by the networks and the shows were cancelled to free up the schedules for newer shows.
The inclusion of demographics into determining a series' worth to its sponsors meant that high ratings alone did not necessarily warrant a series for renewal. Series such as ABC's The Brady Bunch
The Brady Bunch
The Brady Bunch is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz and starring Robert Reed, Florence Henderson, and Ann B. Davis. The series revolved around a large blended family...
and The Partridge Family
The Partridge Family
The Partridge Family is an American television sitcom about a widowed mother and her five children who embark on a music career. The series originally ran from September 25, 1970 until August 31, 1974, the last new episode airing on March 23, 1974, on the ABC network, as part of a Friday-night lineup...
rarely made it into the top 30 of shows; however, both series appealed to a younger demographic and thus were renewed for three more seasons.
Replacement shows
Silverman replaced much of the canceled programming in 1971 and 1972 with urban-oriented, "relevant" fare. Following All in the FamilyAll in the Family
All in the Family is an American sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. In September 1979, a new show, Archie Bunker's Place, picked up where All in the Family had ended...
was its many spinoffs including Maude
Maude
- Places :*Maude, New South Wales, a village on the lower Murrumbidgee River in Australia*Maude, Victoria, a town in Australia*Cape Maude, a high ice-covered cape forming the east end of Vaughan promontory in Antarctica...
and The Jeffersons
The Jeffersons
The Jeffersons is an American sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from January 18, 1975, through June 25, 1985, lasting 11 seasons and a total of 253 episodes. The show was produced by the T.A.T. Communications Company from 1975–1982 and by Embassy Television from 1982-1985...
. The program Good Times
Good Times
Good Times is an American sitcom that originally aired from February 8, 1974, until August 1, 1979, on the CBS television network. It was created by Eric Monte and Michael Evans, and developed by Norman Lear, the series' primary executive producer...
, a spinoff of Maude, was therefore a third generation spinoff of All in the Family. Following the success of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mary Tyler Moore Show is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns that aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977...
, the series production company MTM Productions would develop the popular The Bob Newhart Show
The Bob Newhart Show
The Bob Newhart Show is an American situation comedy produced by MTM Enterprises, which aired 142 original episodes on CBS from September 16, , to April 1, . Comedian Bob Newhart portrayed a psychologist having to deal with his patients and fellow office workers...
. M*A*S*H was added to the network in 1972 remaining constantly in the top fifteen of shows for the next eleven seasons.
Under Silverman's watch, game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
s returned to the network's daytime schedule during this period as well (unlike NBC or ABC, CBS had not carried a daytime game show since To Tell the Truth
To Tell the Truth
To Tell the Truth is an American television panel game show created by Bob Stewart and produced by Goodson-Todman Productions that has aired in various forms since 1956 both on networks and in syndication...
ended its run in 1968, instead opting for reruns of 1960s prime-time sitcoms such as The Lucy Show
The Lucy Show
The Lucy Show is an American situation comedy that aired on CBS from 1962 until 1968. It was Lucille Ball's follow-up to I Love Lucy. A significant change in cast and premise for the 1965-66 season divides the program into two distinct eras; aside from Ball, only Gale Gordon, who joined the program...
and Gomer Pyle, USMC, both of which had left the air by that point). Among the first group of game shows in 1972 was The Price Is Right
The Price Is Right (U.S. game show)
The Price Is Right is an American game show which was created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Contestants compete to identify the pricing of merchandise to win cash and prizes. The show is well-known for its signature line of "Come on down!" when the announcer directs newly selected contestants to...
, which debuted in September 1972. Gambit
Gambit (game show)
Gambit is a television game show, created by Wayne Cruseturner and produced by Heatter-Quigley Productions, that originally ran on CBS from September 4, 1972 to December 10, 1976. A slightly retooled version, Las Vegas Gambit, aired on NBC from October 27, 1980 to November 27, 1981, originating...
and The Joker's Wild
The Joker's Wild
The Joker's Wild is an American television game show that aired at different times during the 1970s through the 1990s. Contestants answered questions based on categories that were determined randomly by a mechanism resembling a slot machine....
, the latter created by formerly disgraced
Quiz show scandals
The American quiz show scandals of the 1950s were a series of revelations that contestants of several popular television quiz shows were secretly given assistance by the show's producers to arrange the outcome of a supposedly fair competition....
game show producer and host Jack Barry, would also debut the same day and have relatively long runs.
Despite the relatively large number of "old guard" variety show
Variety show
A variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...
s cancelled in the purge, Fred Silverman would actually continue to create new variety shows to replace the ones he canceled; one of the first was The Sonny & Cher Show
The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour
The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour is an American variety show based on the married couple of American pop-singer Cher and her husband, Sonny Bono. The show ran on CBS in the United States, when it premiered in August 1971...
, which debuted in February 1971. It lasted three seasons before the couple divorced, but the two reunited for two more seasons, finishing its run in 1977. Silverman would later commission Donny & Marie
Donny & Marie (1976 TV series)
Donny & Marie was an American variety show which aired on ABC from January 1976 to January 1979. The show stars brother and sister pop duo Donny Osmond and Marie Osmond...
for ABC five years later; that show lasted three seasons and was particularly popular among younger viewers until co-host (and teen idol
Teen idol
A teen idol is a celebrity who is widely idolized by teenagers; he or she is often young but not necessarily teenaged. Often teen idols are actors or pop singers, but some sports figures have an appeal to teenagers. Some teen idols began their careers as child actors...
) Donny Osmond
Donny Osmond
Donald Clark "Donny" Osmond is an American singer, musician, actor, dancer, radio personality, and former teen idol. Osmond has also been a talk and game show host, record producer and author. In the mid 1960s, he and four of his elder brothers gained fame as the Osmond Brothers on the long...
got married. He would also, with far less success, commission The Brady Bunch Hour
The Brady Bunch Hour
The Brady Bunch Hour is an American variety television series produced by Sid and Marty Krofft in association with CBS Television Distribution, which aired on ABC between 1976 to 1977....
for ABC in 1976 and Pink Lady and Jeff for NBC in 1980, two series that were extremely poorly received.
Shows canceled due to the purge
Note: The following shows were canceled at their end of the respective seasons. Some shows did not have a rural theme, but were perceived to appeal primarily to rural audiences or had a low youth/urban audience.1969-70 season
- Petticoat JunctionPetticoat JunctionPetticoat Junction is an American situation comedy produced by Filmways which originally aired on CBS from 1963 to 1970. The series is one of three interrelated shows about rural characters created by Paul Henning; the others are The Beverly Hillbillies and Green Acres.The setting for the series...
(CBS, 1963–1970) - The Red Skelton ShowThe Red Skelton ShowThe Red Skelton Show is an American variety show that was a television staple for two decades, from 1951 to 1971. It was second to Gunsmoke and third to The Ed Sullivan Show in the ratings during that time. Skelton, who had previously been a radio star, had appeared in several motion pictures as...
(NBC, 1951–53, CBS, 1953–1970, NBC, 1970-71. Canceled by CBS and renewed by NBC). - The Jackie Gleason ShowThe Jackie Gleason ShowThe Jackie Gleason Show is the name of a series of popular American network television shows that starred Jackie Gleason, which ran from 1952 to 1970.-Cavalcade of Stars:...
(CBS, 1962–1970) - The Hollywood PalaceThe Hollywood PalaceThe Hollywood Palace is an hour-long American television variety show that was broadcast weekly on ABC from January 4, 1964 to February 7, 1970. It began as a mid-season replacement for the short-lived Jerry Lewis Show, another variety show which had lasted only three months...
(ABC, 1964–1970)
1970-71 season
- Green AcresGreen AcresGreen Acres is an American television series starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a couple who move from New York City to a country farm...
(CBS, 1965–1971) - The Beverly HillbilliesThe Beverly HillbilliesThe Beverly Hillbillies is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for nine seasons on CBS from 1962 to 1971, starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer, Jr....
(CBS, 1962–1971) - Mayberry RFD (CBS, 1968–1971)
- Hee-Haw (CBS, 1969–1971, first run syndication 1971-1991)
- LassieLassieLassie is a fictional collie dog character created by Eric Knight in a short story expanded to novel length called Lassie Come-Home. Published in 1940, the novel was filmed by MGM in 1943 as Lassie Come Home with a dog named Pal playing Lassie. Pal then appeared with the stage name "Lassie" in six...
(CBS, 1954–1971, first run syndication 1971-1973) - Family AffairFamily AffairFamily Affair is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from September 12, 1966 to September 9, 1971. The series explored the trials of well-to-do civil engineer and bachelor Bill Davis as he attempted to raise his brother's orphaned children in his luxury New York City apartment. Davis' traditional...
(CBS, 1966–1971) - Hogans Heroes (CBS, 1965–1971)
- The Jim Nabors HourThe Jim Nabors HourThe Jim Nabors Hour was a variety television series hosted by Jim Nabors that aired on the CBS television network from 1969 to 1971.Fresh from his success with Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., which put his backwoods "Gomer Pyle" character from The Andy Griffith Show in a military context, the show not only...
(CBS, 1969–1971) - The Red Skelton ShowThe Red Skelton ShowThe Red Skelton Show is an American variety show that was a television staple for two decades, from 1951 to 1971. It was second to Gunsmoke and third to The Ed Sullivan Show in the ratings during that time. Skelton, who had previously been a radio star, had appeared in several motion pictures as...
(Cancelled for good by NBC) - The Lawrence Welk ShowThe Lawrence Welk ShowThe Lawrence Welk Show is an American televised musical variety show hosted by big band leader Lawrence Welk. The series aired locally in Los Angeles for four years , then nationally for another 27 years via the ABC network and first-run syndication .In the years since first-run syndication...
(Locally in Los Angeles 1951-1955, ABC, 1955–1971, first run syndication 1971-1982) - The Johnny Cash ShowThe Johnny Cash ShowThe Johnny Cash Show is a live album by country singer Johnny Cash, recorded at the Grand Ole Opry and released on Columbia Records in 1970. Though one of Cash's lesser-known live records, it spawned the highly successful single "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", which helped kickstart the career of...
(ABC, 1969–1971) - This is Tom JonesThis Is Tom JonesThis is Tom Jones is an ATV variety series starring Tom Jones. The series was exported to the United States by ITC Entertainment and was networked there by ABC....
(ABC, 1969–1971) - The Governor & J.J.The Governor & J.J.The Governor & J.J. is a television series that ran from 1969 to 1970 on CBS in the United States and in Canada, where it ran on CBC. Selected episodes were rerun by CBS during the summer of 1972. It was produced by Talent Associates and CBS Productions...
(CBS, 2 seasons) - The HeadmasterThe Headmaster (TV series)Headmaster is a half-hour television comedy-drama starring Andy Griffith and broadcast by CBS in the United States during the 1970-71 season....
(CBS, 1 season) - The Interns (CBS, 1 season)
- Storefront Lawyers (CBS, 1 season)
- The Tim Conway Comedy HourThe Tim Conway Comedy HourThe Tim Conway Comedy Hour was a variety and sketch comedy show broadcast in the United States by CBS as part of its 1970 fall lineup.The Tim Conway Comedy Hour was one of several attempts to develop a starring vehicle for Tim Conway, who had been very popular as a sidekick in McHale's Navy and in...
(CBS, 1 season) - To Rome With LoveTo Rome With LoveTo Rome With Love is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from September 1969 to September 1971.-Synopsis:To Rome With Love is the story of a widowed college professor, Michael Endicott, who decided to leave his native Iowa following the death of his wife and accept a new position as an instructor...
(CBS, 2 seasons) - Make Room For GranddaddyThe Danny Thomas ShowThe Danny Thomas Show is an American sitcom which ran from 1953-1957 on ABC and from 1957-1964 on CBS...
(ABC, 1 season, revival of the earlier Make Room for Daddy which had run from 1953 to 1964) - The VirginianThe Virginian (TV series)The Virginian is an American Western television series starring James Drury and Doug McClure, which aired on NBC from 1962 to 1971 for a total of 249 episodes. Filmed in color, The Virginian became television's first 90-minute western series...
(NBC, 9 seasons) - The Andy Williams ShowThe Andy Williams ShowThe Andy Williams Show is a television variety show which ran from 1959 to 1971 , and a short-lived run in syndication, beginning in the fall of 1976...
(NBC, 10 seasons) - Wild KingdomWild KingdomWild Kingdom, sometimes known as Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, is an American television show that features wildlife and nature. It was originally produced from 1963 until 1988, and was revived in 2002...
(NBC, 9 seasons)
1971-72 season
- The Glen Campbell Goodtime HourThe Glen Campbell Goodtime HourThe Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour was an American network television music and comedy variety show hosted by singer Glen Campbell from January 1969 through June 1972 on CBS. He was offered the show after he hosted a 1968 summer replacement for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour...
(CBS, 1969–1972) - My Three SonsMy Three SonsMy Three Sons is an American situation comedy. The series ran from 1960 to 1965 on ABC, and moved to CBS until its end on August 24, 1972. My Three Sons chronicles the life of a widower and aeronautical engineer named Steven Douglas , raising his three sons.The series was a cornerstone of the CBS...
(ABC, 1960–65, and CBS, 1965–1972)