In the 1970s, CBS was a powerhouse of a network. While there were only three major television networks (CBS, ABC, and NBC) competing for an audience each week, it was financially important to have the highest ratings across several blocks of primetime television time so the advertising rates could be boosted. CBS had shows that were frequently at the top of the ratings in the 1970s, and they weren’t bashful about promoting their ratings success. Beyond the ratings, CBS had an impressively diverse lineup of shows in the 1970s, and had since the early 1950s. In the mid-1970s, CBS offered a deck of playing cards that featured many of its prominent shows and television events. Unlike the decks of cards that I have previously reviewed that were specific to M*A*S*H, this deck was a subtle way to promote active shows and celebrate the history of the network.
Unfortunately, this deck of cards, or its box, doesn’t list the date these were released. Based on the shows featured, it was definitely released in the 1970s. It would seem logical for this deck of cards to have been released for the 50th anniversary of CBS in 1978, but that is possibly called into question based on the cast photo used on the card featuring M*A*S*H. This deck of cards features M*A*S*H on the four of clubs, but it is a photo of the original cast and not the M*A*S*H cast of 1978. So was this released earlier than that? Was it used to promote the network? Was it sold to the public? I am not sure, and the research I’ve done hasn’t turned up many results. But his deck does seem to feature the history of the network with a show or movie highlighting of the 52 cards. The shows featured include: The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Ed Sullivan Show, Mr. Ed, The Honeymooners, Wonder Woman, 60 Minutes, Lassie, The Andy Griffith Show, The Waltons, Gunsmoke, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, What’s My Line?, All in the Family, Perry Mason, Lou Grant, The Carol Burnett Show, Captain Kangaroo, The Beverly Hillbillies, Gilligan’s Island, I Love Lucy, and much more!
The deck of cards didn’t only feature shows from CBS when it was released, but it also included historical shows. The cards highlighted the breadth of the network from sitcoms, dramas, news programming, talk shows, cartoons, westerns, comedies, game shows, and special events including holiday classics like How the Grinch Stole Christmas and CBS being the network to air The Wizard of Oz. This deck of cards is essentially a who’s who of CBS, and, history! I do believe, based on the breadth of the shows presented across over two decades of programming, that this deck was likely released to celebrate the 50th anniversary of CBS in 1978. That makes the use of the season one M*A*S*H cast an interesting choice, but it is great to see M*A*S*H featured among the great network television events that CBS aired. There are a number of groundbreaking shows that started on CBS, and M*A*S*H certainly ranks among them.
