The year 1972 involved some significant events in television. Below is a list of notable television-related events.
Events January 3 – Show Boat is aired for the first time on network television in the United States, on NBC January 21 – The first convention of Star Trek fans is held in New York City's Statler-Hilton hotel Mid-February – John Lennon and Yoko Ono co-host an entire week on The Mike Douglas Show in the U.S. February 19 – Sammy Davis Jr. makes a guest appearance on All in the Family March 18 – After losing a 15-year court battle over the legality of its business relationship with The Herald-Traveler, CBS' Boston, Massachusetts affiliate WHDH-TV Channel 5 signs off the air. At 3 a.m. on March 19, WCVB takes over the Channel 5 frequency, simultaneously switching affiliations to the ABC network following CBS' loss of interest in the channel during the long legal wrangle. March 27 – The Amateur's Guide to Love begins on the air, making it CBS' first attempt to make a game show since 1968 when To Tell the Truth went off the air. It fails after 3 months April 4 – After a three-year courtship, Emily Nugent (Eileen Derbyshire) marries Ernest Bishop (Stephen Hancock) on ITV soap Coronation Street in the U.K. May – The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson relocates its production from New York City to the NBC studios in Burbank, California. The Tonight Show will remain there until relocating back to New York in February 2014 July 21 – Victoria Wyndham makes her first appearance as vixen (and later, good girl) Rachel Davis on the U.S. soap opera Another World August 1 – Three years after it was first filmed, the Israel Broadcasting Authority finally agrees to screen Barricades, a controversial documentary film that offers a sympathetic portrayal of Palestinians expelled from their homes in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War August 26 – Effective with this issue, TV Guide in the U.S. discontinues the practice of using a "C" to indicate color programs, and instead starts using a "BW" for monochrome, saving a lot of printer's ink in the process. At thIS time about half of the TV households in the U.S. have color sets September 1 – A day for CBS' daytime lineup that marks the end of an era. CBS airs reruns of popular primetime shows, The Lucy Show, The Beverly Hillbillies and My Three Sons for the final time, as reruns dominating CBS' daytime lineup (a tradition since 1959). The following Monday, all three shows move to syndication September 4 – Another eventful day for CBS' daytime schedule. The Price Is Right premieres on CBS. It becomes the longest running game show on American television. The Joker's Wild and Gambit also debut, bringing game shows back to CBS' schedule in a more successful attempt than The Amateur's Guide to Love, which was cancelled on June 23, and replacing the morning reruns dominating CBS' daytime lineup (a staple since 1959). September 9 – The Lawrence Welk Show opens its 18th season on location in Hawaii October 27 – The 5000th episode of CBS children's show Captain Kangaroo airs November 8 – Home Box Office (HBO) is launched, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania November 21 – In the second part of a two-part story which began the previous week, Beatrice Arthur's character, Maude Findlay, on the U.S. television sitcom Maude, decides to go through with an abortion, in a move that shocks CBS executives and Maude advertisers. (Rue McClanahan makes her first appearance as Vivian Cavender in this two-parter; she will become a regular cast member the following season) November 25 – The 1st OTI Festival is broadcast live via satellite by (TVE) from the , in Madrid, Spain, to all the (OTI) member broadcasters in Ibero-America, which aired it in their countries. December 31 ORTF 3ème Chaîne launches in France The first installment of Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve airs on NBC, beginning a yearly tradition of Dick Clark-hosted New Year's specials
Programs
60 Minutes (1968–) About Safety (1972–1973) All in the Family (1971–1979) All My Children (1970–2011) American Bandstand (1952–1989) Another World (1964–1999) As the World Turns (1956–2010) Blue Peter (UK) (1958–) Bonanza (1959–1973) Bozo the Clown (1949–) Candid Camera (1948–) Captain Kangaroo (1955–1984) Columbo (1971–1978) Come Dancing (UK) (1949–95) Coronation Street (UK) (1960–) Crossroads (UK) (1964–1988, 2001–2003) Dad's Army (UK) (1968–1977) Days of Our Lives (1965–) Devilman (Japan) (1972–1973) Dixon of Dock Green (UK) (1955–1976) Doctor Who (UK) (1963–1989, 1996, 2005–) Emmerdale Farm (1972–) Face the Nation (1954–) Four Corners (Australia) (1961–) General Hospital (1963–) Grandstand (UK) (1958–2007) Gunsmoke (1955–1975) Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951–) Hawaii Five-O (1968–1980) Hee Haw (1969–1993) Here's Lucy (1968–1974) Ironside (1967–1975) It's Academic (1961–) Jeopardy! (1964–1975, 1984–) Kashi no Ki Mokku (Adventures of Pinocchio) (Japan) (1972) Kimba the White Lion (1966–1967), re-runs Laugh-In (1968–1973) Leave It to Beaver (1957–1963) Lost In Space (1965–1968) Love is a Many Splendored Thing (1967–73) Love of Life (1951–1980) Love, American Style (1969–1974) Magpie (UK)(1968–1980) Mannix (1967–1975) Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969–1976) Mary Tyler Moore (1970–77) Masterpiece Theatre (1971–) McCloud (1970–1977) McMillan & Wife (1971–1977) Meet the Press (1947–) Mission: Impossible (1966–1973) Monday Night Football (1970–) Monty Python's Flying Circus (UK) (1969–1974) Old Grey Whistle Test (UK) (1971–1987) One Life to Live (1968–2012) Opportunity Knocks (UK) (1956–78) Panorama (UK) (1953–) Play for Today (UK) (1970–1984) Play School (1966–) Rainbow (1972–1992) Room 222 (1969–1974) Search for Tomorrow (1951–1986) Sesame Street (1969–) Soul Train (1971–2006) The Benny Hill Show (1969–1989) The Brady Bunch (1969–1974) The Carol Burnett Show (1967–1978) The Dean Martin Show (1965–1974) The Doctors (1963–1982) The Doris Day Show (1968–1973) The Edge of Night (1956–1984) The Flip Wilson Show (1970–1974) The Good Old Days (UK) (1953–1983) The Guiding Light (1952–2009) The Late Late Show (Ireland) (1962–) The Lawrence Welk Show (1955–1982) The Mike Douglas Show (1961–1981) The Mod Squad (1968–1973) The Money Programme (UK) (1966–) The New Dick Van Dyke Show (1971–1974) The Newlywed Game (1966–1974) The Odd Couple (1970–75) The Partridge Family (1970–1974) The Price Is Right (1972–) The Secret Storm (1954–1974) The Sky at Night (UK) (1957–) The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour (1971–1974) The Today Show (1952–) The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962–1992) The Wonderful World of Disney (1969–1979) This Is Your Life (UK) (1955–2003) Tom and Jerry (1965–1972, 1975–1977, 1980–1982) Top of the Pops (UK) (1964–2006) Truth or Consequences (1950–1988) What the Papers Say (UK) (1956–) Where the Heart Is (1969–1973) World of Sport (UK) (1965–1985) Z-Cars (UK) (1962–1978)
Debuts January 4 – Des chiffres et des lettres on ORTF 2ème Chaîne in France (1972–) January 13 – Me and the Chimp on CBS (1 season) January 14 – Sanford and Son on NBC (1972–1977) January 15 – Emergency! on NBC (1972–1977) January 16 – The Moonstone on BBC1 (1972) March 13 – Number 96 on Australia's 0–10 Network (1972–1977) April 4 – John Craven's Newsround (now titled Newsround) on BBC1 April 7 – Ultraman Ace on TBS in Japan (1972–73) May 21 – Bel Ami on ABC (1972) June 21 – The Super (1972–1972) on ABC. June 22 – The first Tattslotto draw on HSV-7 Melbourne July 5 – Tony Bennett at the Talk of the Town on Thames Television (first and only series) July 8 – Android Kikaider on TV Asahi (formerly NET) (1972–1973) August 16 – About Safety on PBS September 4 – The New Price Is Right (1972–present), The Joker's Wild (1972–1975, 1977–1986), and Gambit (1972–1976) all on CBS. Any Number, Bonus Game, and Double Prices were the three games played on the first episode of The New Price Is Right, which loses the "New" by mid-1973, and is currently television's longest running game show in history, having started its 43rd season in September 2014. September 8 – Are You Being Served? (1972–1985) on BBC1 September 9 Runaround on NBC (1972–1973) Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1972–1984) and The New Scooby-Doo Movies (1972–1973) both on CBS September 11 – Mastermind (1972–97, 2002–) on BBC1; The Rookies (1972–1976) on ABC September 12 Maude, a spinoff of All in the Family on CBS (1972–1978) Temperatures Rising on ABC (1972–1974) September 13 The Julie Andrews Hour on ABC; although only on for one season, it won seven Emmy Awards including Best Musical Variety Series. The Paul Lynde Show (1972-1973) on ABC. September 14 – The Waltons on CBS (1972–1981) September 15 – Ghost Story on NBC (1972–1973) September 16 The Bob Newhart Show (1972–1978) and Bridget Loves Bernie (1972–1973) on CBS The Streets of San Francisco on ABC (1972–1977) September 17 M*A*S*H on CBS (1972–1983) The Adventures of Black Beauty (1972–74) on ITV October 2 – The Stanley Baxter Picture Show (1972–75) on ITV October 3 – 4 Country Reporter on then-CBS affiliate KDFW Channel 4 (now a Fox O&O station); in 1986, the show moves into first-run syndication under the new name Texas Country Reporter, eventually airing nationally on the RFD-TV satellite/cable channel (, the show will mark 35 years on television) October 14 – Kung Fu on ABC (1972–75) October 16 – Emmerdale Farm starts transmissions in the daytime on ITV (1972–) October 19 – Prisoner-of-war drama Colditz on BBC1 The Beachcombers (1972–1989) and This Is the Law (1972–1976) both on CBC Canada AM on CTV (1972–) November 4 – Great Performances on PBS (1972–)
Ending this year Date Show DebutJanuary 8The Good Life (US) 1971March 1 The Courtship of Eddie's Father (US) 1969March 10 O'Hara, U.S. Treasury (US)1971March 12The Jimmy Stewart Show (US)March 25 Bewitched (US) 1964March 31 Bright Promise (US) 1969The Return of Ultraman (Japan) 1971April 27 Me and the Chimp (US) 1972August 14 Doomwatch (UK) 1970August 23 The Super (US) 1972August 24My Three Sons (US) 1960September 2The Road Runner Show 1966November 10 Clangers (UK) 1969November 29 Kate (UK) 1970December 4 Father Brown (West Germany)1966
Births