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| 1982 TV GUIDE Fall Preview Issue |
Thirty years ago, HERC did not own a DVR let alone a VCR. There were no onscreen channel listings or interwebtube sites devoted to TV. Back in 1982, HERC's only guide in the wilderness that was network television in 1982 was the TV Guide. And the single biggest and best issue of TV Guide was the Fall Preview issue. After the excitement of going back to school began to fade, HERC began to look forward to what new and returning shows the fall season would bring. [He's a weirdo.] And, as if it was the textbook for some self-study program, HERC would pore over and over the TV Guide Fall Preview issue until he had worked out his viewing schedule. Risks had to be taken (would he watch a new show or stick with an old favorite?) and hard choices had to be made. In the fall of 1982, the hardest choice was on Thursday nights: returning favorite Magnum, P.I. or new show (based on the movie) Fame.
Here's ABC's Fall 1982 promo clip:
Here's CBS's Fall 1982 promo clip:
Here's NBC's Fall 1982 promo clip:
For a rare glimpse inside HERC's head, here is his nightly viewing calendar from the fall of 1982:
7:00-7:30 Square Pegs [CBS]
7:30-8:00 That's Incredible [ABC]
8:00-8:30 M*A*S*H [CBS]
8:30-9:00 Newhart [CBS]
7:00-7:30 Happy Days [ABC]
7:30-8:00 Laverne & Shirley [ABC]
8:00-8:30 Three's Company [ABC]
9:00-10:00 Hart To Hart [ABC]
7:00-8:00 Real People [NBC]
8:00-9:00 Fall Guy [ABC]
7:00-8:00 Fame [NBC]
8:00-8:30 Cheers [NBC]
8:30-9:00 Taxi [NBC]
7:00-8:00 Dukes Of Hazzard [CBS]
8:00-9:00 Greatest American Hero [ABC]
7:00-7:30 Diff'rent Strokes [NBC]
8:00-9:00 Love Boat [ABC]
9:00-10:00 Fantasy Island [ABC]
6:00-7:00 Ripley's Believe It Or Not [ABC]
7:00-8:00 CHiPs [NBC]
8:00-8:30 The Jeffersons [CBS]
8:30-9:00 One Day At A Time [CBS]
9:00-10:00 Trapper John, M.D. [CBS]
Do the math and that's 17 hours a week, not counting Saturday morning cartoons and any after school watching. It should come as no surprise that HERC got his homework done before 7PM most nights. What may come as a surprise to some of our younger viewers is that there used to be first run television shows on Saturday nights instead of the rerun and reality wasteland it is now.
Speaking of now, HERC is armed and ready, locked and loaded for the Fall 2012 TV season. While he has not purchased an issue of TV Guide in about 5 years (he did buy the first Fall Preview issue after they expanded to a full-sized magazine), he has been doing reading and research online [the TV Guide Fall Preview is online] ever since the network upfronts in May and followed all the gossip and buzz over the summer. Here's what his Fall 2012 viewing guide looks like - keep in mind, that due to his busy schedule, HERC almost never watches a show as it is broadcast - he prefers to use DVR and watch it on his schedule while skipping commercials. The DVRs (there are two here in the Hideway) also allow HERC to avoid conflicts by recording up to four shows at the same time.
MON
7:00-7:30 How I Met Your Mother [CBS]
7:00-8:00 Bones [FOX]
TUE
7:00-7:30 Raising Hope [FOX]
7:30-8:00 Ben & Kate [FOX]
7:00-8:00 Hart Of Dixie [CW]
8:00-8:30 New Girl [FOX]
8:00-8:30 Go On [NBC]
8:30-9:00 The Mindy Project [FOX]
9:00-10:00 Private Practice [ABC]
WED
7:00-7:30 The Middle [ABC]
7:00-8:00 Arrow [CW]
7:00-7:30 Animal Practice [NBC]
7:30-8:00 The Neighbors [ABC]
8:00-8:30 Modern Family [ABC]
8:00-9:00 Supernatural [CW]
8:30-9:00 Suburgatory [ABC]
9:00-10:00 CSI [CBS]
9:00-10:00 Nashville [ABC]
THU
7:00-7:30 The Big Bang Theory [CBS]
7:00-7:30 30 Rock [NBC]
7:30-8:00 Up All Night [NBC]
8:00-9:00 Person Of Interest [CBS]
8:00-8:30 The Office [NBC]
8:00-9:00 Glee [FOX]
8:30-9:00 Parks & Recreation [NBC]
9:00-10:00 Elementary [CBS]
FRI
7:00-7:30 Whitney [NBC]
7:30-8:00 Community [NBC]
8:00-9:00 Grimm [NBC]
SUN
7:00-7:30 The Simpsons [FOX]
9:00-10:00 The Mentalist [CBS]
Math check...carry the one... WOW! That's 25 hours a week not counting expanded basic cable [FX, TNT] and premium cable [HBO, SHOWTIME] shows. Throw those in and HERC is consuming more than 30 hours a week of televised scripted comedy and drama shows. And barely watching any commercials. He's a freakin' TV zombie! (It should be noted that Glee doesn't really count - HERC fasts forward through everything but the musical performances in that one, watching most episodes in less than 8-10 minutes.)
Check back over the next few weeks as HERC goes a little deeper into the shows form the past he loves, the current shows he never misses and the upcoming shows he's excited about.
Tell HERC what shows you like, past or present, in the comments.
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