DAILY DIRT: From Marcus Welby to Efrem Zimbalist Jr., these were the familiar names on our 1970 TV screens

Daily Dirt for Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025

Who was YOUR favorite Cartwright brother? Hoss, Adam or Little Joe? … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 1,189 of The Daily Dirt.

1. Today is the second of three stops this week for The Daily Dirt Wayback Machine.

We’re examining what we were watching on TV in January 1970 — 55 years ago, when most of us were viewing these shows on black-and-white televisions. At that time, color TVs were still a luxury for most.

How many of the following programs register in your memory banks? The ensuing shows were the top 10 most-viewed in America back in the winter of ’70:

1. “Marcus Welby, M.D.” (ABC): At this time, medical show were quite the rage on the networks, and this was arguably the best. The soft-spoken Robert Young was a big hit from day one. The series ran for seven strong seasons.

2. “The Flip Wilson Show” (NBC): Wilson was one of the premier comics at the time, and his show normally featured one of the top pop music acts, too, which helped attract younger viewers. James Brown, the Temptations and Bobby Darin personified the musical guests.

3. “Here’s Lucy” (CBS): Lucille Ball was gold for CBS back in the day. Her comedy sitcoms were guaranteed to draw a big viewing audience. My parents loved this and other shows she was in, but her schtick always seemed to wear thin after about five minutes for the youngest Eighinger.

4. “Ironside” (NBC): Honestly, I was never a fan of this show until it reached syndication.

5. “Gunsmoke” (CBS): Who didn’t love Matt Dillon and Miss Kitty?

6. “ABC Movie of the Week” (ABC): Each of the major networks had a movie night at this point, which meant showcasing a run-of-the-mill, cheaply made “feature film” that filled two hours of a nightly schedule. Blah.

7. Hawaii Five-O” (CBS): Detective shows were also boffo box office during this period, and this was one of the all-time kings. I don’t mean to rain on Jack Lord’s parade, but the remake of this concept (which ran 2010-2020, also on CBS) was far better.

8. “Medical Center” (CBS): Ironically, this medical show matched “Marcus Welby” with its seven-year run during the same time frame (1969-76), but never received the props its ABC rival did.

9. “Bonanza” (NBC): Fourteen seasons, 432 episodes. We’ll always be grateful for Hoss, Little Joe, Adam, Ben and Hop Sing. 

10. “The F.B.I.” (ABC): Sunday nights would not have been the same without agent Efrem Zimbalist Jr. saving the world. Do you realize that before he starred in “The FBI,” Zimbalist had integral roles on “77 Sunset Strip” and “Maverick?”

Next Up: 60 years ago, 1965.

2. Did you know (Part 262)

• That in 1974 NASA revealed that a spacesuit cost between $15-22 million, which comes out to about $83-122 million today.
• That CNN has a prerecorded broadcast it plans to air when the world is ending. “The Doomsday Video” was created before CNN launched in 1980.
• That research has found we spend about 5,000 hours of our life looking for misplaced items. I highly question that figure. If I can’t find something in five minutes I simply call David Adam.
• That if you spelled “dammit I’m mad” backwards, it would still be “dammit I’m mad”.
• That most Pizza Huts will be offering heart-shaped pepperoni or cheese pizzas for a limited time, presumably until around mid-February.

3. This week’s celebrity birthdays:

• Singer Phil Collins is 74 today.
• Actor Gene Hackman is 95, also today.
• MLB Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan turns 78 on Friday.
• Singer Justin Timberlake will be 44, also on Friday
• Supermodel Christie Brinkley will be 71 on Sunday.

Steve Thought O’ The Day — Speaking of Christie Brinkley, it was back in 1975 when she was first featured on the pages of Sports Illustrated, but she wasn’t on the cover of that issue. That was Cheryl Tiegs.

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. The Daily Dirt publishing staff goes above and beyond to provide what the readers want.