Television Series of the 1970s - by Vincent Terrace (Hardcover)

About the Book

From Archie Bunker to John-Boy Walton, this book profiles characters who were featured in some of the most popular television shows of the 1970s. Each entry includes personal details that were revealed during each show's run: names, addresses, maiden names, nicknames, date of ...

Book Synopsis

From Archie Bunker to John-Boy Walton, this book profiles characters who were featured in some of the most popular television shows of the 1970s. Each entry includes personal details that were revealed during each show's run: names, addresses, maiden names, nicknames, date of births, phone numbers, relatives, and other fascinating details.

Review Quotes

For those interested in trivia about 1970s television series, this book is for you!!

Sprinkled throughout [the] book are archival photos, airdates and so much nostalgic goodies that even the most diehard of TV fans will be thrilled and excited turning each and every page.

Television historian Terrace's latest follows the theme of his books on series from the 1950s and '60s. Indeed, for 71 shows that began their runs in the '70s, cast listings and basic plot overviews are provided, along with a wealth of trivia that stands to stump even the most knowledgeable television aficionados. Who knew that Fred (Sanford and Son) had a collection of Blind Mello Jello records or that Mary's (The Mary Tyler Moore Show) favorite lunch was chef's salad? Terrace's book is a fun read that will bring back memories for some and offer little-known facts for all. This book (and the others in the series) have broad appeal; give them to readers with a general interest in the eras or in television trivia in general.

The most recent installment in the publisher's TV series by decade written by Terrace closely follows his volume on the 1960s. Here he sticks to the format and features only those programs that premiered in the subsequent decade, covering such favorites as All in the Family, which ran from 1971 to 1979. Organized alphabetically by title, this volume showcases some 70-plus series. Each entry includes network, years in production, cast listing, and a 'basis' note (i.e., a show's brief premise). Some entries include overall series information as well. The 'essential facts and quirky details' are indeed part of the biographies of each of the characters' entries that follow. One can find sundry details such as their age and height, shoe size, vices, the names of favorite sports teams or membership on bowling teams; even Archie Bunker's blood pressure is recorded. Entries continue with an 'Other Characters' section with notes regarding actor or character changes and shifts in the series' progression. Sections treating spin-offs and updates complete the entries.... Best suited to libraries collecting comprehensively in television history or serving rabid trivia mavens.

Summing Up: Recommended. General readers.

About the Author

Vincent Terrace is a television historian for BPOLIN Productions, a film/TV production company. He has written more than thirty books, including Television Series of the 1950s: Essential Facts and Quirky Details (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016), Television Series of the 1960s: Essential Facts and Quirky Details (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016), Television Introductions: Narrated TV Program Openings since 1949 (Scarecrow, 2013), and Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010, 2nd ed. (2011).