Last updated: January 1, 2005. This version: 8.00
Note: This another question that has been asked, on and off, over the years in rec.arts.tv. This section originates from a relatively recent thread on the subject started by Jonathan (jrcdehc@***nospam.nospam***hotmail.com) in rec.arts.tv on Nov. 19, 2002 - the answer is reconstructed from a post by Boardwalk7 (boardwalk7@aol.com) who based his answer on The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, by Tim Brooks & Earle F. Marsh - see Amazon.com. Variations on this question have been asked many times before, and since, then.
Answer: Here are the shows that have bounced from one broadcast network to another (i.e. cable networks and/or synidcation not included in the count) - shows on 4 different networks are listed by premiere dates; shows on 3 different networks are listed in alphabetical order; shows that switched between 2 networks are listed in (reverse) order by decade:
| On Four Different Networks | On Three Different Networks | On Two Different Networks |
Outside of Get Smart, all of the shows that switched among 4 networks originated in the 1940's & 1950's - there are a total of seven TV shows that aired on 4 different networks:
| Television Series | Networks It Aired On |
| Pantomime Quiz / Stump the Stars (1947-1957, 1962-1963, 1968-1970) |
KTLA/local syndication (1947) CBS (1949-1951, 1954, 1955-1957) NBC (1952, 1962-1963) DuMont (1953-1954) ABC (1955, 1968-1970) |
| Candid Camera (1948-1953, 1960-1967, 1974-1978, 1990, 1997-2000, 2001-pres) |
ABC (1948, 1951-1952) NBC (1949, 1953) CBS (1949-1950, 1960-1967, 1974-1978?, 1990, 1997-2000) Syndicated (1974-1978) Pax (2001-pres) |
| The Original Amateur Hour (1948-1970) |
DuMont (1948-1949) NBC (1949-1954, 1957-1958) ABC (1955-1957, 1960) CBS (1959, 1960-1970) |
| The Arthur Murray Party (1950-1960) |
ABC (1950, 1951-1952) DuMont (1950-1951, 1952-1953) CBS (1952, 1953, 1956) NBC (1953-1955, 1957-1960) |
| Tom Corbett: Space Cadet (1950-1952) |
CBS (1950-1951) ABC (1951-1952) NBC (1951 (mornings), 1954-1955) DuMont (1953-1954 (Sat. mornings)) |
| Down You Go (1951-1956) |
DuMont (1951-1955) CBS (1955) ABC (1955-1956) NBC (1956) |
| Get Smart! (1965-1970, 1989, 1995) |
NBC (1965-1969) CBS (1969-1970) ABC ("Get Smart Again!" 1989 reunion movie) FOX ("Get Smart" 1995 sequel) |
Most of the shows (except for the various Joey Bishop Shows, the various Tarzans, etc.) that switched among 3 networks originated in the 1940's & 1950's - there are, by my count, a total of thirty-three shows that aired on 3 different networks:
| Television Series | Networks It Aired On |
| The [Further] Adventures of Ellery Queen / Mystery Is My Business (1950-1952, 1954-1956, 1958-1959, 1975-1976) |
DuMont (1950-1951) ABC (1951-1952) Syndcated (1954-1956) NBC (1958-1959, 1975-1976) |
| The Andy Williams Show (1957, 1959, 1962-1967, 1969-1971) |
ABC (1957?) CBS (1959?) NBC (1962-1967. 1969-1971) |
| Animal World / Animal Kingdom (1968-1980) |
NBC (1968) CBS (1969, 1971) ABC (1970) Syndicated (1973-1980) |
| Author Meets the Critics (1948-1954) |
NBC (1948-1949) ABC (1949-1950, 1951) DuMont (1952-1954) |
| Bachelor Father (1957-1962, [1970]) |
CBS (1957-1959) NBC (1959-1961) ABC (1961-1962) [BBC, 1970] |
| Big Town (1950-1956) |
CBS (1950-1954) DuMont (1953 (reruns only)) NBC (1954-1956) |
| Blind Date / Your Big Moment (1949-1953) |
ABC (1949-1951) NBC (1952) DuMont (1953) |
| Break the Bank (1948-1957, 1976) |
ABC (1948-1949, 1954-1956, 1976) NBC (1949-1952, 1953, 1956-1957) CBS (1952-1953) |
| Charlie Wild, Private Detective (1950-1952) |
ABC (1950-1951) NBC (1951-1952) DuMont (1952) |
| Dollar a Second (1953-1957) |
DuMont (1953-1954) NBC (1954, 1955, 1957) ABC (1954-1955, 1955-1956) |
| The Eddy Arnold Show (1952-1956) |
CBS (1952-1954?) NBC (1954-1956?) ABC (1956) |
| Ethel and Albert (1953-1956) |
NBC (1953-1954) CBS (1955) ABC (1955-1956) |
| Father Knows Best (1954-1963) |
CBS (1954-1954, 1958-1962) NBC (1955-1958) ABC (1962-1963) |
| The Ford (Television) Theatre (Hour) (1948-1957) |
CBS (1948-1951) NBC (1952-1956) ABC (1956-1957) |
| The Goldbergs (1949-1955) |
CBS (1949-1951) NBC (1952-1954) DuMont (1954) Syndicated (1954-1955) |
| The Joey Bishop Show (1961-1965, 1967-1969) |
NBC (1961-1964, sitcom) CBS (1964-1965, sitcom) ABC (1967-1969, talkshow) |
| Let's Make A Deal (1963-1977, 1980-1981, 1984-1986, 1990-1991, 1996) |
NBC (1963-1968, 1990-1991) ABC (1968-1976) Syndicated (1971-1977, 1980-1981, 1984-1986) FOX (1996) |
| Life Begins at Eighty (1950-1956) |
NBC (1950-1952) DuMont (1952-1956) ABC (1956) |
| Man Against Crime (1949-1956) |
CBS (1949-1953) DuMont (1953-1954) NBC (1953-1954, 1956) |
| Mary Kay and Johnny (1947-1950) |
DuMont (1947-1948) NBC (1948-1949, 1950) CBS (1949) |
| Masquerade Party (1952-1960) |
NBC (1952, 1957, 1959, 1960) CBS (1953-1954, 1958, 1959-1960) ABC (1954-1957) |
| The Match Game (1962-1969, 1973-1982, 1983-1984, 1990-1991, 1998-1999) |
NBC (1962-1969, 1983-1984) CBS (1973-1979) Syndicated (1975-1982, 1998-1999) ABC (1990-1991) |
| Password (, etc.) (1961-1967, 1971-1975, 1979-1982, 1984-1989) |
CBS (1961-1967) ABC (1971-1975) NBC (1979-1982, 1984-1989) |
| The Price Is Right (1956-1965, 1972-pres) |
NBC (1956-1963) ABC (1963-1965) CBS (1972-pres) |
| The Sammy Kaye Show (1950-1959) |
NBC (1950-1951) CBS (1951-1958?) ABC (1958-1959?) |
| The Smothers Brothers Show (1965-1966, 1967-1970, 1975, 1988-1989) |
CBS (1965-1966, 1967-1969, 1988-1989) ABC (1970) NBC (1975) |
| The Steve Allen Show (1950-1952, 1956-1960, 1962-1964) |
CBS (1950-1952) NBC (1956-1960) ABC (1962-1964) |
| Tarzan (1966-1968, 1969, 1991-1992, 2003) |
NBC (1966-1968) CBS (1969) Syndicated (1991-1992?) WBN (2003) |
| The Ted Steele Show (1948-1949) |
NBC (1948?) DuMont (1948?) CBS (1949?) |
| Topper (1953-1956) |
CBS (1953-1955) ABC (1956-1957 (reruns)) NBC (1956 (reruns)) |
| Twenty Questions (1949, 1950-1955) |
NBC (1949) ABC (1950-1951, 1954-1955) DuMont (1951-1954) |
| Disneyland / Walt Disney Presents / Wonderful World of Color / The Wonderful (Magical) World of Disney (1954-1983, 1986-1990, 1997-pres) |
ABC (1954-1961, 1986-1988, 1997-pres) NBC (1961-1981, 1988-1990) CBS (1981-1983) |
| The Wendy Barrie Show (1948-1950) |
DuMont (1948?) ABC (1949?) NBC (1950?) |
This is a numerous list, best listed by decade (going by the premiere date of the series):
| Decade - 2000's (1 series): | |
| Television Series | Networks It Aired On |
| Grounded for Life (2001-2005) |
FOX (2001-2002) WBN (2002-2005) |
| Decade - 1990's (14 series): | |
| Television Series | Networks It Aired On |
| Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003) |
WBN (1997-2001) UPN (2001-2003) |
| Clueless (1996-1999) |
ABC (1996-1997) UPN (1997-1999) |
| The Critic (1994-1995) |
ABC (1994) FOX (1995) |
| Davis Rules (1991-1992) |
ABC (1991) CBS (1991-1992) |
| Getting By (1993-1994) |
ABC (1993) NBC (1993-1994) |
| The Hughleys (1998-2002) |
ABC (1998-2000) UPN (2000-2002) |
| JAG (1995-pres) |
NBC (1995-1996) CBS (1996-pres) |
| The Jeff Foxworthy Show (1995-1997) |
ABC (1995-1996) NBC (1996-1997) |
| The Naked Truth (1995-1998) |
ABC (1995-1996) NBC (1996-1998) |
| The PJ's (1999-2001) |
FOX (1999-2000) WBN (2000-2001) |
| Roswell (1999-2002) |
WBN (1999-2001) UPN (2001-2002) |
| Sabrina, The Teenage Witch (1996-2003) |
ABC (1996-2000) WBN (2000-2003) |
| Sister, Sister (1994-1999) |
ABC (1994-1995) WBN (1995-1999) |
| Step By Step (1991-1998) |
ABC (1991-1997) CBS (1997-1998) |
| Decade - 1980's (9 series): | |
| Television Series | Networks It Aired On |
| Bosom Buddies (1980-1982, 1983, 1984) |
ABC (1980-1982, 1983 (reruns)) NBC (1984 (reruns)) |
| Family Matters (1989-1998) |
ABC (1989-1997) CBS (1997-1998) |
| Father Dowling Mysteries (1989-1991) |
NBC (1989-1990) ABC (1990-1991) |
| In The Heat Of The Night (1988-1994) |
NBC (1988-1992) CBS (1992-1994) |
| Late Night with David Letterman / Late Show with David Letterman (1982-pres) |
NBC (1982-1993) CBS (1993-pres) |
| Matlock (1986-1995) |
NBC (1986-1993) ABC (1993-1995) |
| Police Squad! (1982) |
ABC (1982) CBS (1988? (reruns)) |
| TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes (1984-1993) |
ABC (1984-1992?) NBC (1992-1993?) |
| Valerie / Valerie's Family / The Hogan Family (1986-1991) |
NBC (1986-1990) CBS (1990-1991) |
| Decade - 1970's (11 series): | |
| Television Series | Networks It Aired On |
| The Bionic Woman (1976-1978) |
ABC (1976-1977) NBC (1977-1978) |
| Columbo (1968, 1971-1978, 1989-2003?) |
NBC (1968, 1971-1978) ABC (1989-2003?) |
| Diff'rent Strokes (1978-1986) |
NBC (1978-1985) ABC (1985-1986) |
| The Eddie Capra Mysteries (1978-1979) |
NBC (1978-1979) CBS (1979?) |
| Kojak (1973-1978, 1985-1987, 1989-1990) |
CBS (1973-1978, 1985-1987? (as TV movies)) ABC (1989-1990 (as TV movies)) |
| Police Story (1973-1977, 1977-1980, 1987, 1988) |
NBC (1973-1977; 1977-1980, 1987 (as movies)) ABC (1988 (also as TV movies)) |
| (The $10,000, etc.) Pyramid (1973-1988, 1991-1992, 2002-2004) |
CBS (1973-1974, 1982-1987, 1988) ABC (1974-1980) Syndicated (1974-1979, 1981, 1985-1988) Syndicated (1991-1992, 2002-2004) |
| Taxi (1978-1983) |
ABC (1978-1982) NBC (1982-1983) |
| The Tony Randall Show (1976-1978) |
ABC (1976-1977) CBS (1977-1978?) |
| Wheel of Fortune (1975-pres) |
NBC (1975-1989) CBS (1989-1991) Syndicated (1991?-pres) |
| Wonder Woman (1976-1979) |
ABC (1976-1977) CBS (1977-1979) |
| Decade - 1960's (12 series): | |
| Television Series | Networks It Aired On |
| The Andy Griffith Show (1960-1968, 1986, 1993, 2003) |
CBS (1960-1968; 1993, 2003 (as reunion movies)) NBC (1986 (as "Return to Mayberry" TV movie)) |
| Burke's Law / Amos Burke: Secret Agent (1963-1965, 1965-1966, 1994-1995) |
ABC (1963-1965, 1965-1966 (sequel)) CBS (1994-1995 (2nd sequel)) |
| Ensign O'Toole (1962-1963, 1964) |
NBC (1962-1963) ABC (1964 (reruns)) |
| The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1968-1970) |
NBC (1968-1969) ABC (1969-1970) |
| Hawk (1966, 1976) |
ABC (1966) NBC (1976 (reruns)) |
| Hazel (1961-1966) |
NBC (1961-1965) CBS (1965-1966) |
| Jeopardy! (1964-1975, 1978-1979, 1984-pres) |
NBC (1964-1975, 1978-1979) Syndicated (1984-pres) ABC (1990, "Super Jeopardy!") |
| The John Davidson Show (1969, 1976, 1980-1982) |
ABC (1969, variety show) NBC (1976, variety show) NBC (1980-1982, talkshow) |
| The Johnny Cash Show / Johnny Cash and Friends (1969-1971, 1976) |
ABC (1969-1971) CBS (1976) |
| Mission: Impossible (1966-1973, 1988-1990) |
CBS (1966-1973) ABC (1988-1990 (sequel)) |
| My Three Sons (1960-1972) |
ABC (1960-1965) CBS (1965-1972) |
| My World and Welcome To It (1969-1970, 1972) |
NBC (1969-1970) CBS (1972 (reruns)) |
| Decade - 1940's & 1950's: | |
| Television Series | Networks It Aired On |
| Alfred Hitchcock Presents / The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1955-1965, 1985-1986) |
CBS (1955-1960 (30 mins), 1962-1964 (60 mins)) NBC (1960-1962 (30 mins), 1964-1965 (60 mins)) NBC (1985-1986 (revival)) |
| Armstrong Circle Theatre (1950-1963) |
NBC (1950-1957) CBS (1957-1963) |
| The Bob Cummings Show / Love That Bob (1955-1959) |
NBC (1955) CBS (1955-1957) NBC (1957-1959) |
| Dragnet (1951-1959, 1967-1970, 2003) |
NBC (1951-1959 (30 mins), 1967-1970 (30 mins)) ABC (2003 (60 mins)) |
| [The] Edge of Night (daytime) (1956-1984) |
CBS (1956-1975) ABC (1975-1984) |
| The Jack Benny Show (1950-1965) |
CBS (1950-1964) NBC (1964-1965) |
| Kraft (Mystery) Theatre / Kraft Television Theatre (1947-1958) |
NBC (1947-1958) ABC (1953-1955, aired concurrently with NBC!) |
| Make Room for Daddy / The Danny Thomas Show / Make Room for Grandaddy (1957-1965, 1970-1971) |
ABC (1953-1957) CBS (1957-1965) ABC (1970-1971, "Make Room for Grandaddy") |
| Name That Tune (1953-1959, 1970-1971, 1974-1981, 1977, 1984-1985) |
NBC (1953-1954, 1970-1971, 1974-1975, 1977) CBS (1954-1959) Syndicated (1974-1981, 1984-1985) |
| Perry Mason (1957-1966, 1985-1994) |
CBS (1957-1966) NBC (1985-1994 (as TV movies)) |
| The Red Skelton Show (1951-1971) |
CBS (1951-1970) NBC (1970-1971) |
| Search for Tomorrow (daytime) (1951-1986) |
CBS (1951-1982) NBC (1982-1986) |
| To Tell the Truth (1956-1977, 1990-1991) |
CBS (1956-1968) Syndicated (1968-1977) NBC (1990-1991) |
| The Twilight Zone (1959-1965, 1985-1989, 2002-2003) |
CBS (1959-1960, 1985-1986) Syndicated (1986-1989) UPN (2002-2003) |
| The United States Steel Hour (1953-1963) |
ABC (1953-1955) CBS (1955-1963) |
| The Voice of Firestone (1949-1963) |
NBC (1949-1954) ABC (1954-1963) |
Note: I've gotten lazy here - I hope to return at a future time and put the airing dates in for these ones... Actor's Studio (ABC, CBS) |
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| On Four Different Networks | On Three Different Networks | On Two Different Networks |
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