Wednesday, January 11, 2012

The Battle of the Network Stars



Howard Cosell hosting
The Battle of the Network Stars

The other day, I asked my husband if he recalled watching The Battle of the Network Stars on TV as a kid. He had no idea what I was talking about. Doing some research, I was surprised to see this competitive two-hour ABC show actually aired from 1977 all the way through 1988.

Basically it reminded me of sports day at my grammar school only it involved our favorite '70s and '80s television stars. Hosted by the famous sports announcer Howard Cosell and managed by celebrity team captains, actors from the three major networks ABC, NBC and CBS would compete against each other in different obstacle courses and other activities.

I hate sports, however I loved watching famous folks such as Melissa GilbertErin Gray from Silver Spoons, Joyce DeWitt and Suzanne Somers from Three's CompanyScott Baio and many more battle against each other. Does anyone remember The Battle of the Network Stars? Here's a video clip to remind you.

3 comments:

Steve Bailey said...

The birthplace of reality tv in a way?

Martin Maenza said...

I very fondly remember these specials. They were a big thing! I watched them faithful and rooted for my favorite network (usually ABC since I watched the most shows on that network over the others). It was nice to see the celebrities outside of their shows and interacting.

Nina said...

I also remember a cartoon version? Captain caveman vs scooby doo...

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