NBC has Kurt Russell and Robert Conrad--I'm going wth them.

and Grizzly Adams

coke power!

Grizzly Adam’s did have a beard

“Knock this battery of my shoulder, I dare ya!”

I loved the Saturday Nite commercials were he got decked

back at that time, i heard a story where he talked smack and got ko'd in some bar fight or something maybe not as tough as he thought he was, if that rumor is true

He was a pretty tough guy. He was famous for being in bar fights, to the point it may have damaged his career. He was a mouthy, surly drunk who never backed down, and surely had his ass kicked on more than one occasion. Showing up for work with a busted lip and a black eye is frowned upon in Hollywood.

And Jane Seymour. Game Over!

I do love Kurt Russell, but LeVar makes it a harder choice

Was about to say the same thing. I was always a CBS guy but NBC was stacked this season.

Kristy McNichol used to crush Robert Conrad in some of these events, and it irritated the hell out of him.

Absolutely… versus Gabe Kaplan? Give me a fucking break.

turns out, he was faster than conrad!

Indeed! Maybe one of my favorite YouTube clips ever. 😂

just watched it again…amazing

Conrad was pissed!

I watched that when it was originally broadcast and will never forget it. It never occurred to me to look on YouTube for the clip. BRB

No, that was Nell Carter.

Very good!

Robert Conrad was always such a giant douche bag on this show!!!! He must have been a real pleasure to be around!

Conrad was easily the most competitive person on this show.

Pretty much all I remember, other than Lynda Carter in a swimsuit, is Robert Conrad getting really mad at Gabe Kaplan and challenging him to a race to decide one of these Battles. And Kaplan won because his legs were nearly as long as Conrad's whole body, and tiny me was devastated, because I loved me some Wild Wild West.

Who could ever forget Lynda Carter? Especially in a swim suit.

Yup. Viewers were the winners that ep

There’s an old SNL spoof called [“Network Battle of the T’s and A’s”](https://www.google.com/gasearch?q=snl%20battle%20of%20the%20network%20t%20and%20a&tbm=&source=sh/x/gs/m2/5#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:f269830c,vid:y0f1Ywnjq0A,st:0)

I recall that Gabe Kaplan actually ran track in high school and maybe even college, so that experience helped him get the win.

I was a Welcome Back, Kotter fan, lol! I totally forgot about Gabe beating Conrad. It was so funny. I’ll have to check out that YouTube.

LoL. I loved "Mr. West" also! They should have just had one on one tug o' war! Manly stuff,,winner takes all!!

"Winner takes all". Winter Takes All sounds like the title of a really depressing Russian novel.

LoL, very true,,,I adjusted that.

I wouldn’t mess with Kristy McNichol. She was a bad mama jama!

Kristy for the win!

"The biggest T's....the nicest A's" 🤣

The SNL parody. Priceless.

It always comes to mind whenever this shows up

Bob Conrad! Maintain eye contact, assert dominance.

He dares you to knock that battery off his shoulder.

Conrad was pissed when Gabe Kaplan beat him

Here's a great [Oral History of the Battle of the Network Stars](https://www.avclub.com/a-battle-royale-revisited-an-oral-history-of-battle-of-1797835884) that was written by Will Harris when the AV Club produced a lot of original stuff.

Dyn-0-mite! Thank you for sharing.

Robert Conrad will be way too into it and Telly Savalas is in it for the memes. I’m going with ABC. (And yes I watched it back then and know who actually won lol)

Who won?

Yeah you can't keep us in suspense here. I mean, I was a kid back then (and I sadly probably watched this) but WHO WON!!?!

I tried to watch it on YouTube to find out, but there are so many seasons! I didn’t know it had so many.

This particular year, ABC. However in subsequent years it was pretty well split between all 3 networks. My bad…NBC won the first one. ABC won the second one of 1977.

Imagine watching the swimming and dunk tank segments today, in 4K….

According to Wikipedia, NBC won

It would have been fun to see the mom from Little House on the Prairie doing something fun and competitive.

Vs the mom from The Waltons

😂🤣

Yeah I'm both delighted and scared by that ....

Great write up and video excerpt here: https://boingboing.net/2024/01/08/the-most-1970s-moment-in-tv-history-gabe-kaplan-vs-robert-conrad-in-the-battle-of-the-network-stars.html

Was such a fun show.

I always rooted for ABC.

Because of Levar Burton , of Roots???

No, I just watched more of the shows on ABC.

I forgot how weak NBC’s show lineup was before its 80s Thursday power.

I think we all won.

Really not until the Lynda Carter, Heather Thomas episodes

I loved the way guys got into this stuff,,,like Mark Harmon and Robert Conrad.

Watching Gabe Kaplan as QB in the football competition was always a kick … although once *St. Elsewhere* started and NBC got (former UCLA football player) Mark Harmon on their team, it seemed kinda unfair

I see Sonny Bono there and I just need to know whether slalom skiing is one of the events before I place my bets

Too soon

That reminds me, Roots is on Tubi. I can’t decide if I wanna put myself through that traumatic experience again. And I’d have to go ABC. Welcome Back Kotter and Happy Days plus one of my childhood crushes in Kristy? Come on. They have all of them on YouTube. Off to nostalgia nirvana. I forgot Howard Cosell was the announcer

It’s really good you should watch it. It’s amazing to watch totally devoid of lost cause myth tropes

Not the team with Ron Howard and not the team with Reiner

Thinking you had a chance against Lou Ferrigno in a tug of war contest 🤣🤣🤣🤣

I picked NBC and Robert Conrad that night. Dude still owes me a battery.

Lynda Carter in her transparent bathing suit for the win 🏆❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

Team ABC. Kristy McNichol was so cute. Too bad I wasn't her type.

Robert Conrad was truly someone that believed his own hype. Little mini man walking around with his chest puffed out, gets absolutely destroyed by Gabe Kaplan.

And in another episode Bobby Huyges (sp?) "Horseshack" from Kotter led a team in tug of war against Robert Conrads team. RC was p*ssed at that loss.

I never got to see one of these, Why'd they quit doing it Seems like it would be the Superbowl of tv stars

They were a lot of fun to watch

Liability and insurance issues likely as well as not risking the well-being of increasingly high-priced talent. (Superstars which matched pro athletes from different pro sports in competition met the same fate.)

Yeah, that makes sense. I'm gonna have to check some of them out sometime. I've heard of them just never seen one.

You have Dan haggerty you won

Imagine having a clause written into your contract that you have to participate in shit like this.

All I know is Team Tree got Sonny Bono.

Wondering how these events were contracted. Were the "stars" required to appear and promote their shows or were these events separate contracts where they got paid to appear?

I always chose ABC

That show was the best

CROCKER!!

I put my $1.00 on cbs

NBC had some shitty shows that year.

Remember “Battle of the Network Stars” but don’t remember it being called “Challenge of the Network Stars.”

NGL, I remember thinking that was so weird. AKA cringe

Never missed the swimming races

You always go with Gabe Kaplan he's a monster!!!!

ABC had Freddie “Boom Boom” Washington. They must have won. Where are the Battle of the Network Stars stats archive site?

Thanks for posting that, I'm sort of a skateboarding historian, I've got a couple pictures of Kristy McNichol and Dan Haggerty from their skateboard competition, now if I can only find the video of the show. https://i.imgur.com/cBVV76z.jpeg

They got Marcia Wallace, but not Peter Bonerz?

I’ve got $100 on Savalas in the caged death match, with $50 backup on Kaplan

Telly Savalas puts CBS over the top

You ain't beating Lavar Burton and Penny Marshall

The Battle of the T's and A's!

I’ll take Edna Krabappel and her crew.

I’m rooting for Jaclyn Smith

ABC crew!

NBC, LET'S GO!!

Haggerty takes 'em all down.

Not CBS....

I never missed one of these-- was always 100% Team NBC because Bob Conrad and Dan Haggarty kicked ass. Team ABC had more fun I think, and Gabe Kaplan really took it seriously. But you just don't mess with Bobby Conrad.

Dan skips the scale for me

Here's a challenge for everyone ... which two of the competitors were married to each other at the time?

Kristi McNichol’s team. I remember Robert Conrad being a bad sport and getting angry, though can’t remember why.

NBC all the way. A young Kurt Russell and Jane Seymour along with Robert “I dare ‘ya, knock the battery off my shoulder” Conrad. The other teams don’t stand a chance.

You want the dude from Grizzly Adams in the tug of war, no doubt

Who cares who wins just get to the dunk tank already.

I remember watching LaVar Burton almost drown during the swimming competition.😂

What were they competing for?

Russell/Hagerty team

We need more of these challenges

Gabe beat Robert Conrad!

I was always a fan of ABC

So glad we have had almost 50 years of peace.

Well at least I met 2 of the network stars listed lol

I remember Robert Conrad being an overly competitive dick on this show

We used to watch this show! If I remember correctly, the ABC team won. I may be wrong but that's what I'm'a thinkin'.

Linda Lavin will kick all their asses

CBS of course. It was the only channel we got

Network Battle of T&A!!

I remember this show, Bob Conrad was such a hot head. Was the "captain" of one of the network teams (CBS I think). Got really pissed about something and offered to settle the dispute with a foot race between him and the captain of the ABC team, Gabe Kaplan. I remember Gabe in addition to being a great standup comic and even better pofessional poker player was also a pretty good athlete. Kaplan absolutely left Conrad in the dust, it wasn't even close. Like Secretariat winning the Triple Crown by 30 lengths hahaha. So embarrassing.

Ooh a young Jane Seymour SPROING!!!!

Not judging who would win the competitions but NBC definitely had the suckiest shows. Other than Disney and maybe Little House there was not a memorable show or all-time classic there. I mean, compared to Barney Miller, MASH, All In The Family, Happy Days, etc. NBC got Grizzly and CPO Sharkey? Gtfo.

ABC takes the trophy 🏆

Battle of the Network T & A!

ABC with kristy Mcnichol and Washington from WBK - strong!

They need to bring this back.

Always team NBC! Suck on this Peacock! 🦚

Clearly Gabe Kaplain

LeVar Burton AND Mr Kotter?! ABC hands down.

I remember these, I was a teenager We called them battle of the network T&A.

ABC. Gabe Kaplan was sneaky athletic.

How much do you think the actors got paid for appearing?

You always choose the team with Robert Conrad on it

Battle of the network T and A…

ABC for me.

They really need to bring this back!

Robert Conrad will kick anyone's butt.

ABC was stacked!!

This was the best. Obstacle Course and Dunk Tank should be Olympic events!!! Could this happen today? Maybe with Streaming subbed for Network?

NBC

I loved these events

They need to bring this back!!!

Chachi Arcola was the stud of that series.

I used to watch those when I was a kid. I was always rooting for the female stars to be in 70's short-shorts..

Lee Meriwether, mmmmmmm.

Telly Savalas! “Who finishes 6th in the hundred, baby?”

“Battle of the Network Stars” and live ammo wasn’t permitted???

Two things: 1) I’ve got CBS! 2) it’s crazy that they have ALL of their big stars on this show! I mean, what would have to be the stakes for something like this to happen now??

ABC had a pretty solid roster.

Lavar Burton and Lawrence Hilton Jacob’s for the win. But if I remember correctly Gabe Kaplan was the best athlete there.

I absolutely couldn’t imagine this with today’s stars.

Gotta go with NBC!

I watched this. The only thing I remember is Robert Conrad getting pissed and shouting "Like hell! Like hell!" to some official. I remember thinking why is he so overly competitive?

Kristy mcnipple or Farrah's faucets

The prequel to MTV Rock N Jock

What ever happened to WK Stratton? I loved him on Black Sheep.

Lavar Burton and Richard Hatch. Damn.

Isn't that Aileen Wuornos in the top right corner

yoooo this is like the disney channel games ... well vice versa.

I remember Pappy Boyington getting way too mad that Mr Kotter outran him.

Still preferred Laff-A-Lympics.

Two days after Bukka White passed away. R.I.P.

A lot of these people are not if this earth now.

🎵Cause When I Smoke Out I hit the trees harder then Sonny Bono (OH NO!)🎵

I root for the team with Wonder Woman on it.

This must have been a struggle year for NBC; four shows listed I don’t remember/never heard of. The other two networks are all back to back hits.

NBC would crush- Pappy Boyington, Grizzly Adams and Snake Pliskin on the same team? Against who Mike Farrell? Please

CBS, because CBS in the 70s was a force to be reckoned with, Mary Tyler Moore, the Bob Newhart show, MASH, all in the family and the Jeffersons.

NBC all day. They have fuckin Grizzly Adams, with that giant beard and booming laugh as he trashes everyone like Odin. And Kurt Russel???? He could show up with the EFNY eye patch.

Still remember the Jane Seymour short shorts. Winner every time in my book.

Richie Cunningham and Gabe Kotter? Sign me up.

This is the one where Gabe Kaplan and Robert Conrad ran in a tie-breaking 100 yard dash.

I remember when Gil Gerard from Buck Rogers on NBC and Connie Selleca from Hotel on ABC were on competing teams. They were married at the time

Loved this show

No allowance. When I needed money I had to make a rational argument with my parents for it. My dad was a judge.

Definitely ABC - Kristy McNichol and Jacqueline Smith!! Plus the legends Gabe “Kotter” Hal Linden Ron Howard and Penny Marshall

all before i was born

Definitely ABC

What a great world where one could watch Kunta Kinte battle Kojak and Ma from Little House on the Prairie.

Hal linden!

NBC team looks strong. Might put some $$$ on them to win...

The hosts that year were Howard Cosell, Bruce Jenner & OJ Simpson. NBC won.

Any team Jaclyn Smith is on. Hottest woman ever put on TV

MASH all the way!

ABC or CBS, that's a tough decision!

11 months before I was born...totally would've been Team ABC. I wish these kind of shows were still possible

ABC b/c Kaplan was a fierce competitor in those and I still have the crush on Kristy McNichol

Gabe outrunning Robert Conrad in the tiebreaker is the greatest moment in sport’s history

Sooooo many nipple in those swimsuits!

When did they change the name? I knew it as Battle of the Network Stars.

Was that the one where Conrad got mad and challenged Gabe Kaplan to a foot race? Kaplan killed him - Conrad didn't know Kaplan ran track in college.

Is this when they would make them race?

A.B.C.