History of ABC Movie of the Week in Timeline

ABC Movie of the Week was a weekly television anthology series that showcased made-for-TV movies on the ABC network. It ran from 1969 to 1975, offering viewers a diverse range of stories and genres specifically produced for television audiences.

1946: Plot takes place in Los Angeles

In 1946, in Los Angeles, a mysterious blonde hires a dwarf and his private-eye partner to find her missing boyfriend.

1966: NBC Premieres World Premiere Movie

In 1966, NBC created the first weekly umbrella for made-for-tv films with their World Premiere Movie in a two-hour time slot.

March 21, 1968: Movie of the Week concept featured in Variety Magazine

On March 21, 1968, Roy Huggins' Movie of the Week proposal, which had been rejected by NBC and CBS, was featured in a cover story in Variety magazine, leading ABC executives to contact him.

1969: ABC Movie of the Week launch

In 1969, the ABC Movie of the Week, an American weekly television anthology series featuring made-for-TV movies, started airing on the ABC network.

1971: ABC added a second Movie of the Week

Beginning with the 1971 season, ABC added a second MotW on Saturday night and adjusted the titles of the shows to the Movie of the Week and Movie of the Weekend.

1971: Duel debut on ABC Movie of the Week

In 1971, Steven Spielberg's first feature film, Duel, based on a Richard Matheson short story from Playboy, aired on ABC Movie of the Week, launching his career.

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1971: Debut of movie about Alice's drug addiction

In 1971, a film about 15-year-old Alice, her drug addiction, and her journey of self-destruction debuted. The movie is based on the book and uses the 'diary-entries' as the voice-over narrative.

1971: ABC Movie of the Week Season Success

The 1971-72 season of ABC Movie of the Week finished as the fifth-highest-rated series of the year.

1972: Pilot for the TV series of the same name premiering in the fall season.

In 1972 the pilot for the 1972-76 TV series of the same name premiered in the fall season.

1972: ABC Earns Awards for Brian's Song

In 1972, ABC earned four Emmys, a Peabody Award, and citations from the NAACP and American Cancer Society for airing Brian's Song.

1972: Rotating Cameraman footage used in ABC's movie umbrellas

In 1972, the opening for the Saturday Movie of the Weekend featured footage of a silhouetted "rotating cameraman" operating a 35 mm movie camera. This footage was later incorporated into the opening of ABC's New York City television station WABC-TV's various movie umbrellas.

1973: ABC Added the ABC Suspense Movie

During the 1973-74 season, ABC added another movie on Saturday nights to their schedule, this time titled the ABC Suspense Movie.

1973: Pilot for the TV series of the same name premiering on October 4.

In 1973 the pilot for the 1973-74 TV series of the same name premiered on October 4.

1975: ABC Movie of the Week ends

In 1975, the ABC Movie of the Week series ended as ABC's ratings collapsed that season. Analysts blamed the overreliance on the show, ratings fatigue, and drop in quality.

1976: Tuesday Movie of the Week incorporated into ABC Late Night

In 1976, the Tuesday Movie of the Week was incorporated as part of ABC Late Night, a replacement for ABC's Wide World of Entertainment. The late-night version mainly featured repeats of movies.

1982: ABC Late Night Ended

ABC Late Night, which incorporated the Tuesday Movie of the Week, ended in 1982.

2001: Slit-scan process used for title sequence.

In 2001, the title sequence was designed by Harry Marks and animated by Douglas Trumbull using the slit-scan process that he had created for 2001: A Space Odyssey.

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