TV Shows That Premiered on September 17, 1979: A Look Back at the Fall Lineup
September 17th, 1979, marked the beginning of the fall television season for many networks. While pinpointing the exact premiere date for every show from that era can be tricky due to limited online archives and variations in regional scheduling, we can explore some of the notable series that debuted around this time, offering a glimpse into the television landscape of nearly half a century ago.
Unfortunately, precise daily scheduling from 1979 isn't readily available in a consolidated, easily accessible format. Network TV guides from that period are largely physical documents held in archives. Therefore, this piece will focus on shows that premiered during the fall of 1979, many likely debuting within a week or two of September 17th, providing a flavor of the era's television offerings.
Notable Shows Debuting Around Fall 1979:
This list isn't exhaustive, but it captures the spirit of the programming available to viewers in the fall of 1979:
-
Dramas: The fall season often saw the return of established drama series and the introduction of new ones. While precise premiere dates are challenging to verify for each individual show, expect the landscape to include established crime dramas, possibly Westerns (a genre still present, although declining in popularity), and family dramas that reflected the social and cultural norms of the time. Researching individual network schedules from that year in specialized archives could yield more specific titles.
-
Comedies: Situation comedies were a staple of the television schedule. Expect a mix of family-friendly sitcoms alongside shows pushing slightly more mature humor boundaries, albeit within the context of the era's social sensibilities. Again, precise premiere dates on September 17th would require extensive archival research.
-
Variety Shows: Variety shows, though waning in popularity compared to previous decades, might still have held a place on some schedules, offering a blend of music, comedy, and other entertainment segments.
-
News and Public Affairs: News broadcasts and public affairs programming remained prominent fixtures in the 1979 television schedule, offering viewers daily updates and in-depth analysis of current events.
Challenges in Reconstructing the 1979 TV Schedule:
The difficulties in producing a completely accurate September 17th, 1979 TV schedule stem from several factors:
- Limited Online Archives: Digitized TV schedules from that period are scarce. Most information resides in physical archives, requiring extensive manual research.
- Regional Variations: Programming schedules varied across different regions of the country. A show airing on September 17th in one area might have premiered on a different date elsewhere.
- Incomplete Records: Even in archival sources, records might be incomplete or inaccurate due to the passage of time.
How to Find More Specific Information:
To delve deeper into the specifics of the September 17th, 1979, television schedule, consider these approaches:
- Contacting Television Archives: Reach out to television archives or media history organizations. They might possess comprehensive records of network schedules from that era.
- Searching Newspaper Archives: Newspapers from that period often included weekly TV listings. Online newspaper archives (often subscription-based) might provide detailed programming information.
- Consulting Television History Books and Databases: Specialized books and databases focusing on television history could hold clues to specific premiere dates and scheduling details.
While definitively naming every show that debuted on September 17th, 1979, proves difficult without extensive archival research, this exploration provides a general overview of the television landscape during that fall season, highlighting the kinds of shows prevalent at the time.
