1977 in American television

This is a list of American television-related events in 1977.

Events

Date	Event
January 3	Holly Hallstrom becomes the third model on the CBS game show The Price is Right along with Janice Pennington and Dian Parkinson. This lineup would remain unchanged for the next thirteen years until Kathleen Bradley joined in 1990.
January 15	Bill Murray joins the cast of Saturday Night Live, replacing Chevy Chase who left the previous year.
January 31	The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries premieres on ABC, featuring teen detectives Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys. The series alternates between The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew each week, with Pamela Sue Martin as Nancy Drew and Parker Stevenson and Shaun Cassidy as Frank and Joe Hardy. Co-starring includes Ed Gilbert as Fenton Hardy, Edith Atwater as Aunt Gertrude Hardy, and Lisa Eilbacher as Callie Shaw in the Hardy Boys part, with William Schallert as Carson Drew, Jean Rasey as George Fayne, and George O'Hanlon, Jr. as Ned Nickerson in the Nancy Drew part.
February 4	American Bandstand celebrates its 25th anniversary on television with a special hosted by Dick Clark. An "all-star band" made up of Chuck Berry, Seals & Crofts, Gregg Allman, Junior Walker, Johnny Rivers, the Pointer Sisters, Charlie Daniels, Doc Severinsen, Les McCann, Donald Byrd, Chuck Mangione and three members of Booker T and the MGs perform "Roll Over Beethoven."
February 27	Fed up with excessive violence and distorted images of sex on TV, the Reverend Donald Wildmon declares "Turn the Television Off Week." Few do.
March 1	The CBS game show Match Game is named the #1 rated game show on television for the fifth year in a row.
March 7	Second Chance, the forerunner to Press Your Luck, premieres on ABC.
March 15	Renata Scotto and Luciano Pavarotti are seen in "La bohème" on PBS and heard in stereo on local (mostly NPR) stations in the first live "simulcast" from the Met.
June 6	Lisa Peluso makes her first appearance on the CBS soap opera Search for Tomorrow.
August 16	Television stations nationwide interrupt regular programming following news of the death of Elvis Presley.
September 14	A tube top-clad woman named Yolanda Bowsley is called into Contestant's Row on The Price is Right, and while running down her breasts pop out of her shirt. The incident was censored with a large blue bar but it is still remembered today.
October 24	A new Peanuts special, It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown, airs on CBS. It shows and names "Heather", the Little Red-Haired Girl, thereupon ending the 'mystery'.
November 6	KTVZ in Bend, Oregon signs-on as a NBC affiliate. Bend is technically still part of the Portland DMA at the time, but in 1981, it becomes its own television market.
November 30	CBS commentator Eric Sevareid bade farewell in his final two-minute segment on The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite, after 48 years at CBS News.
December 2	Billy Crystal sets a winner's circle record by getting the contestant to the top of the pyramid in 26 seconds on ABC's The $20,000 Pyramid. The record still stands today.

Programs

Series on air in 1977

ABC

• American Bandstand (1952–1989)
• The Edge of Night (1956–1984)
• General Hospital (1963–present)
• One Life to Live (1968–2012)
• All My Children (1970–2011)
• Monday Night Football (1970–present)
• Schoolhouse Rock! (1973–1996)
• The Six Million Dollar Man (1973–1978)
• Happy Days (1974–1984)
• Baretta (1975–1978)
• Barney Miller (1975–1982)
• Good Morning America (1975–present)
• Ryan's Hope (1975–1989)
• Tom and Jerry (1965–1972, 1975–1977, 1980–1982)
• Welcome Back, Kotter (1975–1979)
• Charlie's Angels (1976–1981)
• Family Feud (1976–1985, 1988–1995, 1999–present)
• Laverne & Shirley (1976–1983)
• What's Happening!! (1976–1979)

CBS

• Love of Life (1951–1980)
• Search for Tomorrow (1951–1986)
• The Guiding Light (1952–2009)
• Face the Nation (1954–present)
• Captain Kangaroo (1955–1984)
• As the World Turns (1956–2010)
• The Carol Burnett Show (1967–1978)
• 60 Minutes (1968–present)
• Hawaii Five-O (1968–1980)
• The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970–1977)
• All in the Family (1971–1979)
• The Bob Newhart Show (1972–1978)
• Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1972–1984)
• M*A*S*H (1972–1983)
• Maude (1972–1978)
• The Price Is Right (1972–present)
• The Waltons (1972–1981)
• Barnaby Jones (1973–1980)
• Kojak (1973–1978)
• Match Game '77 (1962–1969, 1973–1984, 1990–1991, 1998–1999)
• The Young and the Restless (1973–present)
• Good Times (1974–1979)
• Rhoda (1974–1978)
• Tattletales (1974–1978, 1982–1984)
• The Jeffersons (1975–1985)
• One Day at a Time (1975–1984)
• Alice (1976–1985)
• Wonder Woman (1976–1979)

NBC

• Meet the Press (1947–present)
• The Today Show (1952–present)
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962–1992)
• The Doctors (1963–1982)
• Another World (1964–1999)
• Days of Our Lives (1965–present)
• The Wonderful World of Disney (1969–1979)
• McCloud (1970–1977)
• McMillan & Wife (1971–1977)
• Emergency! (1972–1977)
• Sanford and Son (1972–1977)
• The Tomorrow Show (1973–1982)
• Chico and the Man (1974–1978)
• Columbo (1971–1978)
• Dean Martin Celebrity Roast (1974–1984)
• Land of the Lost (1974–1976)
• Little House on the Prairie (1974–1983)
• Police Woman (1974–1978)
• The Rockford Files (1974–1980)
• Saturday Night Live (1975–present)^[e]
• Wheel of Fortune (1975–present)
• The Gong Show (1976-1980)
• Quincy, M.E. (1976–1983)
• The Bionic Woman (1976–1978)
• C.P.O. Sharkey (1976-1978)

PBS

• Sesame Street (1969–present)
• The Electric Company (1971–1977)
• Masterpiece Theatre (1971–present)
• Nova (1974–present)

In syndication

• Candid Camera (1948–present)
• Truth or Consequences (1950–1988)
• The Lawrence Welk Show (1955–1982)
• The Mike Douglas Show (1961–1981)
• Hee Haw (1969–1993)
• Soul Train (1971–2006)
• Dinah! (1974-1980)
• Match Game PM (1975–1981)
• In Search of... (1976–1982)
• The P.T.L. Club (1976–1987)

Debuts

Date	Show	Network
January 3	Lovers and Friends	NBC
	Shoot for the Stars
January 10	Circus of the Stars	CBS
January 17	Busting Loose
January 30	The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries	ABC
January 31	The Andros Targets	CBS
February 2	Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected	NBC
February 18	Hunter	CBS
March 7	Second Chance	ABC
March 15	Eight Is Enough
	Three's Company
March 20	Loves Me, Loves Me Not	CBS
March 23	How Do You Like Your Eggs?	QUBE
April 1	This Week in Baseball	Syndication
April 19	The Amazing Spider-Man	CBS
May 7	Quark	NBC
June 13	It's Anybody's Guess
July 18	The Better Sex	ABC
August 3	The Kallikaks	NBC
September 5	The Fitzpatricks	CBS
September 10	Baggy Pants and the Nitwits	NBC
	CB Bears
	I Am the Greatest: The Adventures of Muhammad Ali
	The New Archie and Sabrina Hour
	The Red Hand Gang
	Search and Rescue
	Space Sentinels
	Thunder
	Scooby's All-Star Laff-A-Lympics	ABC
	The Skatebirds	CBS
	Space Academy
September 12	The Betty White Show
	Young Dan'l Boone
	Lucan	ABC
September 13	Soap
	Mulligan's Stew	NBC
	The Richard Pryor Show
September 14	Inside the NFL	HBO
September 15	Carter Country	ABC
	CHiPs	NBC
September 16	Sanford Arms
	Logan's Run	CBS
September 17	Operation Petticoat	ABC
September 19	The San Pedro Beach Bums
September 20	Lou Grant	CBS
September 21	The Oregon Trail	NBC
September 22	Man from Atlantis
September 24	The Love Boat	ABC
October 1	We've Got Each Other	CBS
October 3	Knockout	NBC
	To Say the Least
October 9	On Our Own	CBS
October 27	James at 15	NBC
December 1	Pinwheel	Nickelodeon

Returning this year

Title	Last aired	Previous network	New title	New network	Date of return
The Mickey Mouse Club	1959	ABC	The New Mickey Mouse Club	Syndication	January 17

Ending this year

Date	Show	Debut
January 7	New Howdy Doody Show	1976
January 26	The Practice
March 3	The McLean Stevenson Show
March 18	Sanford and Son	1972
March 19	The Mary Tyler Moore Show	1970
March 30	The Streets of San Francisco	1972
April 13	Sirota's Court	1976
April 15	The Electric Company	1971
April 17	McCloud	1970
April 24	McMillan & Wife	1971
April 27	Loves Me, Loves Me Not	1977
May 16	The Andros Targets
May 27	Hunter
July 30	The Feather and Father Gang	1976
August 24	Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected	1977
August 31	The Kallikaks
September 2	Let's Make a Deal	1971
October 4	The Richard Pryor Show	1977
October 14	Sanford Arms
November 16	Busting Loose
November 30	The Oregon Trail
December 3	Emergency!	1972
December 13	Mulligan's Stew	1977
December 19	The San Pedro Beach Bums

Changes of network affiliation

Show	Moved from	Moved to
The Bionic Woman	ABC	NBC
Wonder Woman		CBS

Made-for-TV movies

Debut	Name	Network
May 13	The San Pedro Bums	ABC
November 10	The Incredible Hulk	CBS
November 26	The Hobbit	NBC
December 11	It Happened One Christmas	CBS

Miniseries

Debut	Name	Network
January 23	Roots	ABC
April 3	Jesus of Nazareth	NBC

Births

Date	Name	Notability
January 7	Dustin Diamond	Actor (Saved by the Bell)
January 8	Amber Benson	Actress (Buffy, the Vampire Slayer) and singer
January 21	Jerry Trainor	Actor (Drake & Josh, iCarly, Wendell & Vinnie, T.U.F.F. Puppy)
February 3	Maitland Ward	Actress (The Bold and the Beautiful, Boy Meets World)
March 8	Alison Becker	Actress (Mayne Street, Dating Rules from My Future Self, Parks and Recreation)
	James Van Der Beek	Actor (Dawson's Creek)
March 10	Bree Turner	Actress (Undressed, Grimm)
March 15	Brian Tee	Actor (Chicago Med)
March 24	Jessica Chastain	American actress
March 26	Bianca Kajlich	Actress (Rules of Engagement, Undateable)
March 28	Annie Wersching	Actress (General Hospital, 24, Bosch, The Vampire Diaries)
April 12	Jordana Spiro	Actress (The Huntress, My Boys, The Mob Doctor)
	Sarah Jane Morris	Actress (Brothers & Sisters)
April 14	Sarah Michelle Gellar	Actress (Swans Crossing, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Ringer, The Crazy Ones)
April 24	Rebecca Mader	Actress (Justice, Lost, Once Upon a Time)
April 26	Jason Earles	Actor (Hannah Montana, Kickin' It)
	McKenzie Westmore	Actress (Passions, All My Children)
April 30	Alexandra Holden	Actress
May 12	Rebecca Herbst	Actress (Days of Our Lives, General Hospital)
May 23	Heather Wahlquist	Actress
June 1	Sarah Wayne Callies	Actress (Prison Break, The Walking Dead)
	Andrea Bogart	Actress (General Hospital)
June 2	Zachary Quinto	Actor (American Horror Story)
June 5	Liza Weil	Actress (Gilmore Girls, How to Get Away with Murder)
July 1	Liv Tyler	Actress (The Leftovers)
July 13	Ashley Scott	Actress (Dark Angel, Birds of Prey, Jericho)
	Kari Wahlgren	Voice actress (Naruto, Henry Hugglemonster, Phineas and Ferb, Fish Hooks, Gravity Falls)
July 18	Kelly Reilly	British actress (Black Box)
July 27	Jason Zimbler	Actor (Clarissa Explains It All)
July 30	Jaime Pressly	Actress (My Name Is Earl)
August 2	Edward Furlong	Actor (CSI: NY)
August 27	Janet McLachlan	Actress
September 1	Adrienne Wilkinson	Actress (Venice: The Series, Suspense)
September 24	Elizabeth Bogush	Actress (Titans, The Mountain)
September 27	Mike Maronna	Actor (The Adventures of Pete & Pete)
October 13	Kiele Sanchez	Actress (Married to the Kellys, Related, The Glades, Kingdom)
October 20	Jennifer Hall	Actress (Up All Night)
November 10	Brittany Murphy	Actress (King of the Hill) (d. 2009)
November 16	Gigi Edgley	Australian actress (Farscape, The Secret Life of Us, Rescue Special Ops)
	Maggie Gyllenhaal	Actress, singer and brother of Jake Gyllenhaal
November 18	Miranda Raison	British actress (MI-5, Spotless)
November 25	Jill Flint	Actress (Royal Pains, The Night Shift)
November 29	Beatrice Rosen	Actress (Cuts, Backstrom)
December 6	Lindsey Alley	Actress (The Mickey Mouse Club, On the Patio)
December 17	Katheryn Winnick	Canadian actress (Vikings)
December 29	Katherine Moennig	Actress (The L Word, Three Rivers, Ray Donovan)
December 30	Lucy Punch	Actress (The Class, Ben and Kate)

Deaths

Date	Name	Age	Notability
January 28	Burt Mustin	92	Actor (Leave It to Beaver)
January 29	Freddie Prinze	22	Actor and comedian (Chico and the Man)
February 28	Eddie "Rochester" Anderson	71	Comedian (The Jack Benny Program)
March 27	Diana Hyland	41	Actress (The Fugitive)
June 14	Alan Reed	69	Actor (original voice of Fred Flintstone in The Flintstones)
August 16	Elvis Presley	42	Singer and actor (The Ed Sullivan Show)
August 19	Groucho Marx	86	Comedian, television host (You Bet Your Life)
August 22	Sebastian Cabot	59	Actor (Family Affair)
August 29	Jean Hagen	54	Actress (Make Room for Daddy)
October 14	Bing Crosby	74	Singer-songwriter and actor