CBS Archives : The Retro Network

How David Letterman Landed on CBS: The Road to a 1993 Late Night Shake‑Up

When The Late Show with David Letterman premiered on August 30, 1993, it felt like a seismic shift in late night television. Viewers tuned in to see Bill Murray dance across the stage, Billy Joel play the first

The Planet of the Apes TV Series: A Lost Gem of 1970s Sci Fi

Mickey Yarber

The Planet of the Apes TV series tried to bring the franchise’s world to prime time, creating a weekly adventure that expanded the saga even as its short run turned it into a cult favorite.

A League of Their Own: The Sitcom That Couldn’t Match the Movie Magic

Mickey Yarber

The Rockford Peaches made a quick jump to prime time in 1993, but their sitcom run was so short and shaky that most viewers never even knew it existed.

Nine Forgotten Detective Shows from the ’80s

Mickey Yarber

Crime dramas ruled the 1980s, yet many promising contenders vanished almost as quickly as they arrived. These forgotten shows capture the era’s energy, ambition, and the risks of chasing a hit.

The Incredible Hulk Revisited

Mickey Yarber

The Incredible Hulk was more than a TV hero. He was a lonely green giant who made weeknights feel bigger, quieter, and strangely human in a way only that era of television could capture.

Remembering the Final Season of Airwolf

Ernest Dempsey

CBS enthralled millions of American viewers as well as international audiences with the airing of Airwolf in 1984. With Jan-Michael Vincent as the show’s hero Stringfellow Hawke, the lead pilot of the titular advanced combat

When Pat Sajak Took a Swing at Late‑Night TV

Mickey Yarber

Pat Sajak’s late‑night experiment didn’t last long, but for a moment it offered a gentler, friendlier alternative in a crowded era of television giants and became a small, charming footnote in late‑night history.

A Brief History of the TV Test Pattern

Mickey Yarber

Long before streaming menus and twenty‑four hour programming, television had quiet hours. Stations signed off at night and returned in the morning, and in the space between those two moments lived one of the most

How T. J. Hooker Became a Cult Favorite

Mickey Yarber

T. J. Hooker delivered pure 80s action, complete with dramatic foot chases, squealing tires, and William Shatner running like the city depended on it. The show mixed grit, heart, and unforgettable swagger, and it still hits that retro sweet spot.

When Dungeons and Dragons Became a Saturday Morning Adventure

Mickey Yarber

The Dungeons and Dragons cartoon dropped kids into a weekly fantasy quest, turning Saturday mornings into heroic adventures filled with monsters, magic, and the unforgettable hope that the next portal might finally lead home.

How Saturday Supercade Brought the Arcade to Saturday Mornings

Mickey Yarber

Saturday Supercade turned early‑80s arcade fever into Saturday‑morning magic, bringing Donkey Kong, Q*bert, Frogger and more to life in a wild, colorful cartoon block that felt like an entire arcade bursting out of the TV.

Revisiting Pryor’s Place

Mickey Yarber

Richard Pryor’s Saturday‑morning detour, Pryor’s Place, blended heart, humor, and gentle life lessons, creating a one‑season gem that felt unlike anything else on kids’ TV and still shines as a quirky, forgotten treasure of the ’80s.

Coy and Vance Duke: A Strange Chapter in Hazzard County History

Mickey Yarber

The brief Coy and Vance era on The Dukes of Hazzard became one of TV’s strangest detours, a replacement experiment that baffled fans, shook the show’s momentum, and left behind a uniquely memorable chapter in Hazzard history.

Wonder Woman and the Rise of the Modern TV Superhero

The Retro Network

Wonder Woman brought color, confidence, and pure heroism to ’70s television, with Lynda Carter’s iconic spin turning weeknights into something magical. Equal parts adventure and optimism, the series remains a bright, joyful touchstone in retro TV history.

How WKRP Turned a Radio Station Into TV Comedy Gold

Mickey Yarber

WKRP in Cincinnati mixed workplace chaos with genuine heart, turning a struggling radio station into one of TV’s most lovable ensembles. From on‑air mishaps to unforgettable characters, the series remains a charming slice of retro sitcom comfort.

The Rural Purge at CBS

Mickey Yarber

In the early 1970s, Fred Silverman undertook a radical plan to remake CBS. What resulted was the programming bloodbath known as the rural purge.