History of ABC Movie of the Week in Timeline

The ABC Movie of the Week was a weekly television anthology series on ABC from 1969 to 1975. It showcased made-for-TV movies, providing a regular platform for original film content on network television. The series offered a variety of genres and stories, contributing to the landscape of television entertainment during its run.

1946: Film set in 1946 Los Angeles

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

1966: NBC Launches World Premiere Movie

In 1966, NBC created the first weekly umbrella series for made-for-TV movies with their 'World Premiere Movie', which ran in a two-hour time slot to lower expenses.

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March 21, 1968: Movie of the Week Concept Featured in Variety Magazine

On March 21, 1968, Roy Huggins' concept for a shorter movie time slot was featured in a cover story in Variety magazine, leading ABC to develop the 'Movie of the Week' without his direct involvement.

1969: ABC Movie of the Week Premieres

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

1971: ABC Movie of the Week 1971-72 Season Success

During the 1971–72 season, 'ABC Movie of the Week' finished as the fifth highest rated series of the year.

1971: ABC added a second Movie of the Week

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

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1971: Movie about a drug addict premiers in 1971

In 1971, Alice, a 15-year-old girl develops a drug addiction and runs away from home on a journey of self-destructive escapism.

1971: Duel airs 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 as part of the 'Movie of the Week'. This event catapulted Spielberg's career from television to theatrical films.

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1972: Footage from Saturday Movie of the Weekend opening featured in The 4:30 Movie

Around 1972-73, footage from the Saturday Movie of the Weekend opening was incorporated into the opening of WABC-TV's various movie umbrellas including their weekday afternoon movie showcase The 4:30 Movie.

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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 an airing of 'Brian's Song'.

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1972: Pilot for 1972-76 TV series of the same name

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

1973: ABC Adds Suspense Movie

During the 1973–74 season, ABC added 'ABC Suspense Movie' on Saturday nights, usually consisting of thriller, mystery and horror type films.

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1973: Pilot for 1973-74 TV series of the same name premiering on October 4

The pilot for the 1973-74 TV series of the same name premiering on October 4, 1973.

1975: End of the ABC Movie of the Week

In 1975, the 'ABC Movie of the Week' series ended its run on the ABC network due to collapsing ratings attributed to fatigue and perceived quality drop.

1975: ABC Ratings Collapse and Series Ends

In 1975, the series 'ABC Movie of the Week' ended as ABC's ratings collapsed that season. The series suffered from ratings fatigue and a perceived drop in quality.

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

In 1976, 'Tuesday Movie of the Week' was incorporated as part of 'ABC Late Night', a replacement of 'ABC's Wide World of Entertainment'.

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1982: ABC Late Night Ends

In 1982, 'ABC Late Night', which included repeats of 'Tuesday Movie of the Week', ended.

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2001: Slit-scan process used

In 2001, Harry Marks designed the opening title sequence and Douglas Trumbull animated the sequence using slit-scan process which he created for 2001: A Space Odyssey

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