1971–72 United States network television schedule (Saturday morning)

The following is the 1971–72 network television schedule for the three major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 1971 through August 1972. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1970–71 season. All times are Eastern and Pacific, with certain exceptions, such as '' Monday Night Football''. This season would be the first time the prime time schedule would be shortened to three hours (with the exception of Sunday and Tuesday), giving the 7:30 p.m. slot back to local stations, as implemented in the Prime Time Access Rule.

New fall series are highlighted in bold.

Each of the 30 highest-rated shows is listed with its rank and rating as determined by Nielsen Media Research.Highest-rated series is based on the annual top-rated programs list compiled by Nielsen Media Research and reported in: Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (2007). ''The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows'' (9th ed.). New York: Ballantine. .

: Yellow indicates the programs in the top 10 for the season.
: Cyan indicates the programs in the top 20 for the season.
: Magenta indicates the programs in the top 30 for the season.

The Public Broadcasting Service was in operation, but the schedule was set by each local station.

Sunday

Note: ''60 Minutes'' aired at 6:00-7:00 pm on CBS from January to June 1972.

Monday

Tuesday

Note: The NBC 1972 summer series ''Ponderosa'' consisted of reruns of ''Bonanza'' episodes from the 1967-1970 period. More recent reruns of ''Bonanza'' also aired that summer under the shows original name in its regular Sunday evening time slot. ''NBC Action Playhouse'' consisted of reruns from '' Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre'', with new introductions by Peter Marshall.

Wednesday

Note: The ABC 1972 summer series ''ABC Comedy Hour Presents the Kopykats'' consisted of reruns of ''ABC Comedy Hour'' from earlier in the year.

Thursday

Note: ''My World and Welcome to It'' consisted of reruns of NBC's 1969-70 sitcom.

Friday

* formerly ''First Tuesday''

Saturday

By network

ABC

Returning Series
*''The ABC Monday Night Movie''
*'' ABC Movie of the Week''
*''ABC NFL Monday Night Football''
*'' The ABC Sunday Night Movie''
*'' Alias Smith and Jones''
*''Bewitched''
*'' The Brady Bunch''
*'' The Courtship of Eddie's Father''
*''The F.B.I.''
*''Love, American Style''
*''Marcus Welby, M.D.''
*''The Mod Squad''
*''Nanny and the Professor''
*''The Odd Couple (1970 TV series), The Odd Couple''
*''The Partridge Family''
*''Room 222''
*''The Smith Family (TV series), The Smith Family''

New Series
*''The ABC Comedy Hour'' *
*''The Corner Bar'' *
*''Getting Together''
*''The Ken Berry 'Wow' Show'' *
*''Longstreet (TV series), Longstreet''
*''The Man and the City''
*''The Marty Feldman Comedy Machine'' *
*''Monday Night Special'' *
*''ABC Movie of the Week, Movie of the Weekend''
*''Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law''
*''The Persuaders!''
*''Shirley's World''
*''The Sixth Sense (American TV series), The Sixth Sense'' *
*''The Super (TV series), The Super'' *

Not returning from 1970–71 United States network television schedule, 1970–71:
*''Barefoot in the Park (TV series), Barefoot in the Park''
*''Dan August''
*''The Danny Thomas Show, Danny Thomas in Make Room for Granddaddy''
*''The Immortal (1970 TV series), The Immortal''
*''Mel Tormé, It Was a Very Good Year''
*''The Johnny Cash Show (TV series), The Johnny Cash Show''
*''The Lawrence Welk Show'' (moved to broadcast syndication, syndication)
*''Let's Make a Deal''
*''Matt Lincoln''
*''The Most Deadly Game''
*''The Newlywed Game'' (remained on its daytime lineup)
*''The Pearl Bailey Show''
*''The Reel Game''
*''The Silent Force (TV series), The Silent Force''
*''That Girl''
*''This Is Tom Jones''
*''The Val Doonican Show''
*''The Young Lawyers''
*''The Young Rebels''

CBS

Returning Series
*''60 Minutes''
*''All in the Family''
*''Arnie (TV series), Arnie''
*''The Carol Burnett Show''
*''CBS Thursday Night Movie''
*''The Doris Day Show''
*''The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour''
*''Gunsmoke''
*''Hawaii Five-O (1968 TV series), Hawaii Five-O''
*''Here's Lucy''
*''Mannix''
*''The Mary Tyler Moore Show''
*''Medical Center (TV series), Medical Center''
*''Mission: Impossible (1966 TV series), Mission: Impossible''
*''My Three Sons''
*''The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour''
*''Suspense Theatre''

New Series
*''Bearcats!''
*''Cade's County''
*''Cannon (TV series), Cannon''
*''The Chicago Teddy Bears''
*''The David Steinberg Show'' *
*''The Don Rickles Show'' *
*''The Sandy Duncan Show#Funny Face, Funny Face'' *
*''Jerry Reed, The Jerry Reed When You're Hot You're Hot Hour'' *
*''The John Byner Comedy Hour'' *
*''The Life of Leonardo da Vinci'' *
*''Me and the Chimp'' *
*''The New Dick Van Dyke Show''
*''O'Hara, U.S. Treasury''

Not returning from 1970–71 United States network television schedule, 1970–71:
*''Animal World (TV series), Animal World''
*''The Beverly Hillbillies''
*''The CBS Newcomers''
*''Comedy Playhouse''
*''The Ed Sullivan Show''
*''Family Affair''
*''The Governor & J.J.''
*''Green Acres''
*''Headmaster (TV series), Headmaster''
*''Hee Haw'' (moved to broadcast syndication, syndication)
*''Hogan's Heroes''
*''The Ice Palace''
*''The Interns (TV series), The Interns''
*''The Jim Nabors Hour''
*''Lassie (1954 TV series), Lassie'' (moved to broadcast syndication, syndication)
*''Mayberry R.F.D.''
*''The New Andy Griffith Show''
*''Storefront Lawyers''
*''The Tim Conway Comedy Hour''
*''To Rome with Love (TV series), To Rome with Love''

NBC

Returning Series
*''Adam-12''
*''Bonanza''
*''The Bold Ones''
*''Columbo (TV series), Columbo''
*''The Dean Martin Show''
*''The Flip Wilson Show''
*''Ironside (1967 TV series), Ironside''
*''McCloud (TV series), McCloud''
*''Monday Night Baseball''
*''NBC Action Playhouse''
*''The NBC Monday Movie, NBC Monday Night at the Movies''
*''The NBC Mystery Movie''
*''NBC Saturday Night at the Movies''
*''Night Gallery''
*''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In''
*''Walt Disney anthology television series, The Wonderful World of Disney''

New Series
*''The D.A. (1971 TV series), The D.A.''
*''Bobby Darin, Dean Martin Presents the Bobby Darin Amusement Co.'' *
*''Emergency!'' *
*''The Funny Side''
*''The Good Life (1971 TV series), The Good Life''
*''The Jimmy Stewart Show''
*''McMillan & Wife''
*''Nichols (TV series), Nichols''
*''The Partners''
*''Sanford and Son'' *
*''Sarge (TV series), Sarge''

Not returning from 1970–71 United States network television schedule, 1970–71:
*''The Andy Williams Show''
*''The Bill Cosby Show''
*''Bracken's World''
*''The Des O'Connor Show''
*''The Don Knotts Show''
*''Four in One (TV series), Four in One''
*''From a Bird's Eye View''
*''The High Chaparral''
*''Julia (1968 TV series), Julia''
*''Kraft Music Hall (TV series), Kraft Music Hall''
*''Make Your Own Kind of Music (TV series), Make Your Own Kind of Music''
*''The Virginian (TV series), The Men from Shiloh''
*''The Name of the Game (TV series), The Name of the Game''
*''Nancy (TV series), Nancy''
*''NBC Comedy Theater''
*''The Psychiatrist (TV series), The Psychiatrist''
*''The Red Skelton Show''
*''San Francisco International Airport (TV series), San Francisco International Airport''
*''Strange Report''
*''Wild Kingdom''

Note: The * indicates that the program was introduced in midseason.

References

Additional sources

* Castleman, H. & Podrazik, W. (1982). ''Watching TV: Four Decades of American Television''. New York: McGraw-Hill. 314 pp.
* McNeil, Alex. ''Total Television''. Fourth edition. New York: Penguin Books. .
* Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (1985). ''The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows'' (3rd ed.). New York: Ballantine. .

{{DEFAULTSORT:1971-72 United States Network Television Schedule
United States primetime network television schedules
1971 in American television
1972 in American television