1978: What's on TV Friday Nights?

I was disappointed to learn that Donny & Marie have ditched the ice dancers for Season 4.  

But the truth is that 1978 me was probably moving away from that perky show for my TV79 Friday nights, anyway. NBC has my 7/7:30 Central eye wandering with new sitcoms showcasing Broadway Joe and Chachi!

As GoHeath noted, TV79 is not going down as a proud-as-an-anything moment in NBC history.

But there's a pretty good chance I'll give Channel 6 the benefit of the doubt with its new entries bookending old-standby Rockford Files Season 5.

And if I lose the Channel 6 steam by Eddie Capra at 9, I will happily flip to Flying High on Channel 12. I caught the preview pilot the other night, and that thing feels like it is poised to deliver the absolute best kind of made-for-TV movie (no guns/killing, more laughs than drama, familiar faces, lots of love) every freaking Friday night.

But, just to be clear, none of us is watching any of that stuff on this particular Friday night in 1978.

Well, I guess 27 percent of us were watching something else at 7 Central Sept. 15, 1978. Per the Associated Press, "The biggest audience ever for a televised sporting event watched ABC’s broadcast of the heavyweight championship rematch between Muhammad Ali and Leon Spinks live from New Orleans. ABC estimated the audience for the 15-round fight at 90 million and said that meant 73 percent of the sets in use at the time were tuned to the fight."

MaxPreps Kentucky Rankings

After four weeks of high school football, we have enough data to use the MaxPreps rankings for the KHSAA.  Here is the top 20:

1.  Lou. Trinity:  3-1

2.  Christian Academy-Louisville:  4-0

3.  Lou. St. Xavier:  3-0

4.  Boyle Co:  3-1

5.  Ft. Thomas Highlands:  3-1

6.  S. Warren:  4-0

7.  Lex. Frederick Douglass:  1-3

8.  Cooper:  2-2

9.  Franklin Co:  4-0

10.  Scott Co:  4-0

11.  Lou. Manual:  3-1

12.  Corbin:  3-1

13.  Lou. Male:  2-1

14.  Beechwood:  3-0

15.  Cov. Catholic:  2-2

16.  Pad. Tilghman:  3-1

17.  Bowling Green:  0-4

18.  Johnson Cent:  4-0

19.  Ryle:  2-2

20.  Woodford Co:  3-1

And here are the Power Eleven for western Kentucky:

16.  Pad. Tilghman:  3-1

29.  Mayfield:  3-1

30.  Madisonville-N. Hopkins:  4-0

42.  Union Co:  2-2

58.  Murray:  4-0

59.  Henderson Co:  1-2

61.  Graves Co:  1-3

73.  McCracken Co:  1-3

81.  Hopkinsville:  3-1

105.  Caldwell Co:  3-1

111.  Crittenden Co:  2-2

UCFC Update

On Saturday, Miami (Fla.) crushed South Florida 49-12 to take the Unofficial College Football Championship.  Miami will defend the title at home on Saturday against the University of Florida.

MLB Update

The Washington Nationals (62-87) and Minnesota Twins (65-84) have been eliminated.

The Milwaukee Brewers (91-59) and Philadelphia Phillies (89-61) have become the first two teams to clinch playoff spots.

1978: What's on TV Thursday Nights?

Mom pitched camp in the kitchen Thursday nights in 1978. Her portable was absolutely locked in all prime time to Channel 12.  

But, for me, it's more 7-9 p.m. Central sitcom domination by ABC.

The new show (a last-second shift from Monday nights) is the stud of the Channel 3 Thursday bunch. I found both Mindy and Mork to be adorable in their own ways.

And I'm satisfied to roll the next 90 minutes with What's Happening!! Season 3, Barney Miller Season 5 and Soap Season 2. Mom's Waltons/Hawaii Five-O/Barnaby Jones bender is helpful in this regard, as it is likely to keep her distracted from helicoptering the Channel 3 storylines on the portable in my bedroom.

As for 9 p.m., the new NBC show about broadcasting doesn't sound like nearly as much fun as the new CBS show about broadcasting. 

I might opt for a Season 4 Quincy, M.E. on SelectaVision. Or, every other Thursday night, I might expand my horizons with some public broadcasting, as PBS is bringing to its national audience an appealing creation germinating from its Chicago affiliate.