40 Years of Watching TV
To mark turning 40 today, here are some of the highlights from the world of TV over my first four decades.
1972: HBO was launched. Notable TV shows that debuted included "Sanford & Son," "Emergency," "Fat Albert," "Kung Fu," "The Waltons" and one of my all-time favorite shows, "MASH."
The top-rated series that year was "All In The Family," with a high-rating of 34.0 and a share of 54.0. In other words, 54 percent of all TVs that were turned on when "All In The Family" ran were tuned into that show.
1982: The Weather Channel was launched. "Knight Rider" debuts. NBC doesn't have a single show in the Top 20 in the Nielsens.
The top-rated show is "Dallas," with a high rating of 28.4 and a 45.0 share. This would have been the season after the "Who Shot JR?" storyline.
1990: (The year I graduated high school): "MTV Unplugged," the only worthwhile thing MTV has ever done, debuts. E! is launched. Series debuts include "Twin Peaks," "In Living Color," "Wings," and the original "Law & Order."
Top-rated show of the season is "Cheers," with a high rating of 21.3. I can't seem to find the share number.
1993: (The year I graduated college): Fox expands broadcasting to all seven days. Three different Amy Fisher movies air on the Big 3. "NYPD Blue" launches, as does "DS9," "Homicide," "The X-Files," "Walker, Texas Ranger" and "Lois & Clark." "Cheers" wraps up after 11 seasons.
The top-rated show? "60 Minutes," at 21.3.
1997: (The year I moved to Macon): Bryant Gumbel leaves "Today." "The Simpsons" becomes the longest-rated prime-time animated series. Debuts include "South Park," "King of The Hill," and "Buffy, The Vampire Slayer."
"Seinfeld" is the top-rated show at 21.27.
2002: Debuts include "American Idol," "The Bachelor," "Monk," and "CSI: Miami." Shows that ended this year include "Buffy" and "The X-Files."
The top-rated show is "Friends" at 15.3, with a 25.5 share.
2012: Currently, the top-rated drama is "NCIS," though "AI" is the top-rated show overall.
It's kind of interesting to look back on how TV has evolved over the years. If "Seinfeld" had debuted this season, with the sort of ratings it got when it first aired, it never would have made it past its third episode. It would be somewhere on the shelf, next to "Work It."
MONDAY'S BEST BETS: A lot of reruns tonight. For some reason, CBS is in rerun mode for most of the week. ABC is new with "The Bachelor," while the CW has a big wedding episode for "Gossip Girl" followed by "Hart of Dixie" from 8-10 p.m. Fox is new with "House" and "Alcatraz" at the same time.
On cable, there are new episodes of "Being Human" and "Lost Girl" from 9-11 p.m. on SyFy.
This story was originally published January 30, 2012 at 2:02 PM with the headline "40 Years of Watching TV."