This is a list of American television-related events in 1977.

Events Date EventJanuary 3Holly Hallstrom becomes the third model on the CBS game show The Price Is Right along with Janice Pennington and Dian Parkinson. This lineup would remain unchanged for the next thirteen years until Kathleen Bradley joined in 1990.January 15Bill Murray joins the cast of NBC's Saturday Night Live, replacing Chevy Chase who left the previous year.January 30The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, based on The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew book series, premieres on ABC; Parker Stevenson and Shaun Cassidy star as Frank and Joe Hardy, and Pamela Sue Martin stars as Nancy Drew. The series at first alternated between the two characters, with The Brady Bunch Hour airing sporadically.February 4American Bandstand celebrates its 25th anniversary on television with a special hosted by Dick Clark and telecast by ABC. An "all-star band" made up of Chuck Berry, Seals & Crofts, Gregg Allman, Junior Walker, Johnny Rivers, the Pointer Sisters, Charlie Daniels, Doc Severinsen, Les McCann, Donald Byrd, Chuck Mangione and three members of Booker T and the MGs perform "Roll Over Beethoven."February 27Fed up with excessive violence and distorted images of sex on TV, the Reverend Donald Wildmon declares "Turn the Television Off Week." He is largely ignored.March 1The CBS game show Match Game is named the #1 rated game show on television for the fifth year in a row.March 4Freddie Prinze makes his final appearance on the NBC sitcom Chico and the Man. Prinze had actually taped the episode in question a mere hours before he fatally shot himself on January 28, 1977.March 7 Second Chance, the forerunner to Press Your Luck, premieres on ABC.March 11Sesame Street broadcasts its 1,000th episode on PBS.March 15Renata Scotto and Luciano Pavarotti are seen in "La bohème" on PBS and heard in stereo on local (mostly NPR) stations in the first live "simulcast" from the Met.March 19The series finale of The Mary Tyler Moore Show is broadcast on CBS.March 27In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, ABC affiliate WITI and CBS affiliate WISN-TV swap affiliations, reversing a swap that took place in 1961."In Brief." Broadcasting, September 27, 1976, pg. 28. (the text incorrectly states that WISN-TV had been a CBS affiliate since 1954, omitting the 1961 affiliation switch.)"Milwaukee connection." Broadcasting, October 18, 1976, pg. 36March 30Esther Rolle departs the CBS sitcom Good Times shortly after the conclusion of the two-part fourth-season finale, "Love Has a Spot On Its Lung." due to the dismissal of John Amos (who portrayed her on-screen husband James Evans) and the stereotypical behavior of its de facto star Jimmie Walker (who portrayed her son J.J. Evans). Rolle does not return until the sixth and final season in September 1978. April 22Cleveland's CBS station WJW-TV changes its name to WJKW-TV.June 6Lisa Peluso makes her first appearance on the CBS soap opera Search for Tomorrow as Wendy Wilkins, a role she would play until December 1985.June 27In San Diego, California, ABC, angered over the forced loss of their affiliation from XETV in nearby Tijuana, Mexico in 1973, moves from the station which forced the change, KCST-TV, to NBC affiliate KGTV. KCST-TV assumes KGTV's former NBC affiliation and is now KNSD, an NBC O&O.August 14NBC affiliate WRDU-TV changes its call sign to WPTF-TV, following Durham Life's purchase of the station.August 16Singer Elvis Presley dies in Memphis, Tennessee, at the age of 42. As a result, Elvis in Concert airs on CBS on October 3 that year to bad reviews.September 5In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, ABC affiliate WRBT (now WVLA-TV) and NBC affiliate WBRZ-TV swap affiliations. WBRZ-TV makes its move in search for stronger programming (ABC is, at the time, the nation's #1 rated television network, while NBC is in last place). The move is a precursor to similar events that will take place in the course of the next few years.September 14A tube top-clad woman named Yolanda Bowsley is called into Contestants' Row on the CBS game show The Price Is Right, and while running down her breasts pop out of her shirt. The incident was censored with a large blue bar but it is still remembered today. On the same episode, a new pricing game, named Secret "X", was introduced.Cheryl Ladd is introduced as Kris Munroe, the younger sister of former Angel Jill Munroe (Farrah Fawcett-Majors) in the second season premiere of Charlie's Angels on ABC.September 20The third part of the three-part fifth season premiere of Happy Days airs on ABC. The episode is highlighted by a scene in which Fonzie literally jumps over a shark while on water-skis. September 21Eleven-year old Janet Jackson joins the cast of the CBS sitcom Good Times for its final two seasons as Penny Gordon, an upstairs neighbor who is abused by her biological mother (Chip Fields), later adopted by Willona (Ja'Net DuBois), in the four-part season opener "The Evans Get Involved". Comedian Johnny Brown, who recurred as the building superintendent Bookman from Seasons 2 to 4, also joins the main cast.September 24Marla Gibbs joins the cast of the CBS sitcom The Jeffersons as a series regular in the fourth season as fan-favorite Florence Johnston. Zara Cully, who portrayed Mother Jefferson, appears in only three episodes that season, prior to her death at age 86 in February 1978.October 23CBS affiliates WTEN in Albany, New York and WCDC in Adams, Massachusetts swap affiliations with ABC affiliate WAST after WTEN/WCDC's incoming owners Knight-Ridder sign an affiliation deal for the station with ABC.October 24A new Peanuts special, It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown, airs on CBS. It shows and names "Heather", the Little Red-Haired Girl, thereupon ending the 'mystery'.November 6KTVZ in Bend, Oregon signs-on as an NBC affiliate. Bend is technically still part of the Portland DMA at the time, but in 1981, it becomes its own television market.November 30CBS commentator Eric Sevareid bade farewell in his final two-minute segment on The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite, after 48 years at CBS News.December 2Billy Crystal sets a winner's circle record by getting the contestant to the top of the pyramid in 26 seconds on ABC's The $20,000 Pyramid. The record still stands today.December 11In Huntsville, Alabama, NBC affiliate WAAY-TV swaps affiliations with ABC affiliate WYUR-TV in search for stronger programming (at the time, NBC is in last place among the three major networks, and ABC is in first place).December 17Miskel Spillman, guest hosts an episode of NBC's Saturday Night Live. Spillman, who is at the time, an 80-year-old German immigrant and grandmother from New Orleans, won the only "Anyone Can Host" contest. She is to date, the only non-celebrity to host an episode of SNL. She was also, the oldest host in SNL history until 88-year-old Betty White hosted on May 8, 2010. It is also in this episode that musical guest Elvis Costello halted his band the Attractions seven seconds into their scheduled performance of the song "Less Than Zero" in favor of "Radio Radio", which was a then unreleased song that was critical of mainstream broadcasting.

Programs Debuting this year

Date Title Network January 3 Lovers and Friends NBC Shoot for the Stars January 10 Circus of the Stars CBS January 17 Busting Loose January 30 The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries ABC January 31 The Andros Targets CBS February 2 Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected NBC February 18 Hunter CBS March 7 Second Chance ABC March 15 Eight Is Enough Three's Company March 20 Loves Me, Loves Me NotCBS March 23 How Do You Like Your Eggs?QUBE April 1 This Week in Baseball Syndication May 7 Quark NBC June 13 It's Anybody's Guess July 6 Comedy Time July 18 The Better Sex ABC August 3 The Kallikaks NBC September 5 The Fitzpatricks CBS September 10 Baggy Pants and the Nitwits NBC CB Bears I Am the Greatest: The Adventures of Muhammad Ali The New Archie and Sabrina Hour The Red Hand Gang Search and Rescue Space Sentinels Thunder Scooby's All-Star Laff-A-Lympics ABC The Skatebirds CBS Space Academy September 12 The Betty White Show Young Dan'l Boone Lucan ABC September 13 Soap Mulligan's Stew NBC The Richard Pryor Show September 14 Inside the NFLHBO September 15 Carter Country ABC CHiPs NBC September 16 Sanford Arms Logan's Run CBS September 17 Operation PetticoatABCSeptember 19 The San Pedro Beach BumsABC The Amazing Spider-ManCBS September 20 Lou Grant CBS September 21 The Oregon Trail NBC September 22 Man from Atlantis September 24 The Love Boat ABC October 1 We've Got Each Other CBS October 3 Knockout NBC To Say the Least October 9 On Our Own CBS October 27 James at 15 NBC December 1 PinwheelNickelodeon

Resuming this year Title Final aired Previous network New title Returning network Date of returnThe Mickey Mouse Club1959ABCThe New Mickey Mouse ClubSyndicationJanuary 17

Ending this year Date Title DebutJanuary 7New Howdy Doody Show 1976January 26The PracticeMarch 3The McLean Stevenson ShowMarch 13DelvecchioMarch 13Phyllis1975March 18Sanford and Son1972March 19The Mary Tyler Moore Show1970March 30The Streets of San Francisco1972April 13Sirota's Court1976April 15The Electric Company1971April 17McCloud1970April 24McMillan & Wife1971April 27Loves Me, Loves Me Not1977May 16The Andros TargetsMay 27HunterJuly 30The Feather and Father Gang1976August 24Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected1977August 31The KallikaksSeptember 1Comedy TimeSeptember 2Let's Make a Deal 1963October 4The Richard Pryor Show1977October 14Sanford ArmsNovember 16Busting LooseNovember 30The Oregon TrailDecember 3Emergency!1972December 13Mulligan's Stew1977December 19The San Pedro Beach BumsDecember 30Storybook Squares1969

Changing networks Show Moved from Moved toThe Bionic Woman ABC NBCWonder WomanCBS The Tony Randall ShowThe Mickey Mouse ClubSyndication

Made-for-TV movies Debut Name Network May 13The San Pedro Bums ABC October 10 Killer on Board NBCNovember 10 The Incredible Hulk CBS November 23 The Last of the Mohicans NBCNovember 26The Hobbit NBCDecember 11 It Happened One Christmas ABC

Miniseries Debut Name Network January 23Roots ABCFebruary 6How the West Was WonABCFebruary 10Seventh Avenue NBCMarch 10The Rhinemann ExchangeABCApril 3 Jesus of Nazareth NBC

Networks and services Launches Network Type Launch date Notes Source CBN Satellite Channel Satellite television April 29 Tri-State Christian Television Cable television May 20 Madison Square Garden Sports Network Cable television September 22

Conversions and rebrandings There are no conversions and rebrandings for Cable and satellite television channels in this year.

Closures There are no closures for Cable and satellite television channels in this year.

Television stations

Sign-ons Date City of License/Market Station Channel Affiliation Notes/Ref. January 17 Medford, Oregon KSYS 8 PBS March 6 Plattsburgh, New York WCFE-TV 57 April Corpus Christi, Texas KORO 28 Spanish International Network Now a Univision affiliate April 10 Fresno, California KMTF 18 PBS May 1 Mason City, Iowa KYIN 24 Part of Iowa Public Television June 30 Long Beach/Los Angeles, California KSCI 18 Independent September 10 South Bend, Indiana WHME 46 October 17 Boston, Massachusetts WXNE-TV 25 October 21 Rock Springs, Wyoming KTUX 13 CBS November 6 Bend, Oregon KTVZ 21 NBC December 1 New Haven, Connecticut WEDY 65 PBS Part of Connecticut Public Television December 8 Fayetteville, Arkansas KTVP 29 CBS December 15 Park Falls/Superior, Wisconsin WLEF-TV 36 PBS Part of Wisconsin Public Television December 21 Fort Wayne, Indiana WFFT-TV 55 Independent December 28 Sheridan, Wyoming KSGW-TV 12 NBC (primary) CBS (secondary) Satellite of KOTA-TV/Rapid City, South Dakota Unknown New York City W60AI 60 Independent Signed on as a translator of WWHT

Network affiliation changes