My Journey Through 1970s TV: Wednesday Nights, 1978

As has become all too typical in reviewing these late 1970s schedules, ABC has once again mowed down its competition, which tonight seems mostly content with airing movies and not even trying to compete on the series front. ABCEight is EnoughCharlie’s AngelsVegasAll three of ABC’s Wednesday offering finished in the top 25, while CBS and NBC failed to land a single show that high in the ratings. Looking back, I was a bit surprised that in its second season Eight is Enough (#11) ranked one spot higher than the third season of Charlie’s Angels (#12). This was, after all, the only Angels season without any cast turnover. Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd all returned, as did Farrah Fawcett for two episodes. But the Bradford family proved slightly more popular, and the addition of Betty Buckley to the cast after the passing of Diana Hyland helped to ease what might have been a difficult transition for the audience.This was year one for Vegas (or Vega$ as it was promoted), starring…