My Journey Through 1970s TV: Sunday Nights, 1978

As we start a new year in our journey through the prime-time schedules of the 1970s, we find that Sundays in 1978 delivered an intriguing selection of new shows that didn’t last, but in some cases had an impact far beyond what their brief runs would suggest.ABCThe Hardy BoysBattlestar: GalacticaABC Sunday Night MovieI can’t say I remember much from 1978 with perfect clarity, but I do recall the build-up for Battlestar: Galactica. This was going to be Star Wars for television, and the glimpses we were shown prior to its debut seemed to back up that lofty ambition.The special effects were a breakthrough for TV at the time, dazzling viewers even if they were watching on a 16” Zenith. The merchandising tie-ins were ready to go, in anticipation of a profitable holiday season – action figures, Viper and Cylon Raider spaceships, lunchboxes, comic books, trading cards.And then the show debuted. It still looked good, and there were a lot of pretty people in the cast (Richard Hatch, Maren…