Back before there were a gazillion TV channels, I’m sure you remember the scenario of sitting down to watch your favorite program and being greeted with an announcement like this:
You probably reacted with some form of sadness and despair: “Aww man, my show’s not on!? What am I going to watch now?” Then you start flipping channels to find out what you would watch. 50 years ago tonight, Star Trek was preempted for the second time in the first season, the program replacing it was highlights of the 1967 show of the Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey Circus. As you have probably heard, that circus is shutting down this year after 146 years in operation. Here is an ad for the airing of that show on WNBC in New York:
The interesting thing is that, while the Thursday 8:30-9:30pm time period was preempted by WATE for the Rawhide repeats, the powers that be decided not to do that and instead air this program! Guess they like lions and tigers and bears but not Vulcans! (Oh my!)
Now, I never really was a circus fan, so I probably would have flipped over to another network and watched something else.
In case you were curious what those programs were:
CBS
8:30pm – My Three Sons – “Charley O’ The Seven Seas” (not seen in Knoxville on WBIR – instead it would be the final 30 minutes of Theater 10 – “The Gift of Love”)
9:00pm – Beginning of the CBS Thursday Night Movie – “Major Dundee”
ABC
8:30pm – Bewitched – “The Crone of Cawdor”
9:00pm – That Girl – “The Honeymoon Apartment”
If I were somewhere else, I probably would go with My Three Sons. If I had to choose in Knoxville, it would be “Bewitched.”
By the way, have I ever told you how much I used to love that CBS Special Presentation intro of yesteryear?
I know I’m not the only one that loved that intro!
