WLS Channel 7 - 30th Anniversary Special (Part 5, 1978)

Here's Part 5 of WLS Channel 7's 30th Anniversary Special, broadcast from Chicago's Park West and hosted by Eyewitness News anchors Fahey Flynn and Joel Daly, with a little assist in this part from Battlestar Galactica star Lorne Greene.

Includes:

Fahey opening this segment with the words "From the past to the present and on to the future," as part of his and Joel's intro of Lorne Greene who presides over a sneak preview of ABC's coming season, after some kind words of the anchors, the station, and the city, and a few comments about Mayor Michael Bilandic. (In-between his phrases, as the audience is applauding, we see brief shots of the likes of Sandi Freeman, Fran Allison and Burr Tillstrom.)

This is followed by a "We're the One" promo (voiceover by Ernie Anderson) of the network's comedy lineup, with previews of Three's Company (in what would be Norman Fell and Audra Lindley's final season with the show before they went off to star in the spin-off The Ropers), The Love Boat (with such guest stars as Robert Urich, Suzanne Somers and Florence Henderson appearing in certain spots, as well as the show's regular cast), Donny & Marie, Soap, Barney Miller (in what would be Jack Soo's final season; he died in early 1979), Welcome Back, Kotter, Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Mork & Mindy; plus specials including Jackie Gleason Honeymooners Christmas (his fourth and final special of new episodes), Olivia Newton-John, Alan King, Barry Manilow, John Denver, the Carpenters, Paul Lynde, The Captain & Tennille with Hal Linden, and The Osmonds; also, Battle of the Network Stars (including a shot of Gabe Kaplan), The Heroes of Rock 'n' Roll (with clips of Elvis, Little Richard, KISS and Alice Cooper), Playboy's 25th Anniversary, Rona Barrett (where the gossip columnist interviews such celebrities as Shaun Cassidy, Debby Boone, John Travolta and Jane Fonda), the Academy Awards, American Music Awards, Opryland at Christmas (with such country music luminaries as Roger Miller, Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton), Benji's Christmas; specials for children including The Pink Panther, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, Rudolph's Shiny New Year, Nestor, The Long-Eared Christmas Donkey and Halloween Is Grinch Night; All-Star Family Feud (with such stars as John Ritter, Susan Richardson and Gavin MacLeod facing off), Barbara Walters Specials (including Burt Reynolds), Marie Osmond in The Gift of Love; and ABC Theatre presentations of "The Early Beatles," "Mothering," "House on Garibaldi Street," "Back from the Blind," "Rachel and Jackie" (about the love story of baseball pioneer Jackie Robinson and his wife) and "Private Citizen."

Preview of showing of upcoming movies for fall season before commercial break (voiceover by Gary Gears), followed by birthday wishes for WLS from Three's Company's John Ritter

This aired on local Chicago TV on Saturday, September 9th 1978 during the 9pm to 10pm timeframe.

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