This was the television schedule on all three United States television networks for the fall season beginning in September 1971. All times are Eastern and Pacific, with a few exceptions, such as Monday Night Football . This season would be the first time the prime time schedule would be shortened to three hours (with the exception of Sunday and Tuesday), giving the 7:30 p.m. slot back to local stations, as implemented in the Prime Time Access Rule .
New fall series are highlighted in bold .
The highest-rated show for the year is colored in lime yellow cyan magenta
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) was in operation, but the schedule was set by each local station.
Fall schedule [ ] Sunday [ ]
PM
8:00
8:30
9:00
9:30
10:00
10:30
ABC
The F.B.I. #17 22.4 rating
The ABC Sunday Night Movie #26 20.8 rating
CBS
The CBS Sunday Night Movies (began at 7:30)
Cade's County Local
NBC
The Wonderful World of Disney * #19 22.0 rating (began at 7:30)
The Jimmy Stewart Show Bonanza #20 21.9 rating
The Bold Ones : The New Doctors / The Lawyers
Title change from NBC's Wonderful World of Color effective July 18, 1971. Monday [ ]
PM
8:00
8:30
9:00
9:30
10:00
10:30
ABC
Nanny and the Professor
Local
ABC NFL Monday Night Football #25 20.9 rating
CBS
Gunsmoke #4 26.0 rating
Here's Lucy #11 23.7 rating
The Doris Day Show #24 21.2 rating
My Three Sons
Arnie
NBC
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In #22 21.4 rating
NBC Monday Night at the Movies
Tuesday [ ]
PM
8:00
8:30
9:00
9:30
10:00
10:30
ABC
The Mod Squad #21 21.5 rating (began at 7:30)
Movie of the Week #5 25.6 rating
Marcus Welby, M.D. #3 27.8 rating
CBS
The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour (began at 7:30)
Hawaii Five-O #12 23.6 rating
Cannon Local
NBC
Ironside #15 23.0 rating (began at 7:30)
Sarge The Funny Side Local
Wednesday [ ]
PM
8:00
8:30
9:00
9:30
10:00
10:30
ABC
Bewitched
The Courtship of Eddie's Father
The Smith Family
Shirley's World The Man and the City
CBS
The Carol Burnett Show #23 21.2 rating
Medical Center #13 23.5 rating
Mannix #7 24.8 rating
NBC
Adam-12 #9 23.9 rating
The NBC Mystery Movie : Columbo McCloud / McMillan & Wife Night Gallery
Thursday [ ]
PM
8:00
8:30
9:00
9:30
10:00
10:30
ABC
Alias Smith and Jones
Longstreet Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law
CBS
Bearcats! The CBS Thursday Night Movies
NBC
The Flip Wilson Show #2 28.2 rating
Hell
The Dean Martin Show
Friday [ ]
PM
8:00
8:30
9:00
9:30
10:00
10:30
ABC
The Brady Bunch
The Partridge Family #16 22.6 rating
Room 222 #28 19.8 rating
The Odd Couple
Love, American Style
CBS
The Chicago Teddy Bears O'Hara, U.S. Treasury The New CBS Friday Night Movies #30 19.5 rating
NBC
The D.A. World Premiere Movie
Local
Note: On NBC, the sitcom Sanford and Son
Saturday [ ]
PM
8:00
8:30
9:00
9:30
10:00
10:30
ABC
Getting Together Movie of the Weekend The Persuaders!
CBS
All in the Family #1 34.0 rating
Funny Face The New Dick Van Dyke Show The Mary Tyler Moore Show #10 23.7 rating
Mission: Impossible
NBC
The Partners The Good Life NBC Saturday Night at the Movies
Mid-Season Schedule [ ] Summer Schedule [ ] Pickups and Cancellations [ ] References [ ] Castleman, H. & Podrazik, W. (1982). Watching TV: Four Decades of American Television . New York: McGraw-Hill. 314 pp.
McNeil, Alex. Total Television . Fourth edition. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-024916-8 .
Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (1985). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows (3rd ed.). New York: Ballantine. ISBN 0-345-31864-1 . Template:Use mdy dates
