That time KYW Philadelphia booted Richard Pryor from primetime TV, one of just two major stations to do so

In 1977, Richard Pryor got his own primetime TV show on NBC. Now considered one of the best and most influential standup comics ever, he was known for pushing barriers — and some station execs were worried about the tone and subject matter of his material.

What kind of things did they object to? What you might expect.

Skits that mentioned sexual activity or made reference to racial tensions were too much for families to handle, the studio heads at KYW Philadelphia decided (back then, Channel 3 was NBC). So they bumped 2 of 4 episodes from 8 p.m. on a weeknight to 11:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Turned out Philly was just one of two markets in the nation — along with Boston — to push Pryor out of the spotlight. Scroll through the thread below to read how it all went down.

The short-lived Richard Pryor Show aired in primetime all over the county…

Except in Philadelphia….where it ran…Sunday night?

This week’s “Headline of Yore” is from TODAY’s Daily News in 1977:

"KYW-TV & Pryor: The Agony and the Ecstasy"

Thread… pic.twitter.com/m5VxdWG3ra
— Avi Wolfman-Arent (@Avi_WA) September 15, 2022

I’m guessing Richard Pryor needs no introduction, but in case you didn’t know…

Pryor was a groundbreaking comedian…widely regarded as one of the most influential stand ups ever.

In May of 1977, he did a hit special for NBC… pic.twitter.com/mr3e311oYR
— Avi Wolfman-Arent (@Avi_WA) September 15, 2022

The success of that special inspired the creation of The Richard Pryor Show, a sketch and variety show that premiered in the fall of 1977.

Controversially, NBC slated the Richard Pryor Show to run Tuesdays at 8 pm — smack in the middle of what was then called “family hour.” pic.twitter.com/bxPrr7Hf2q
— Avi Wolfman-Arent (@Avi_WA) September 15, 2022

According to Daily News columnist Chuck Stone, Pryor himself was wary of the timeslot — preferring the show air at 10.

But NBC was trying to wrestle viewership away from ABC, whose Tuesday lineup included hits like “Happy Days.”

NBC wanted to make a splash. pic.twitter.com/VzfofU857d
— Avi Wolfman-Arent (@Avi_WA) September 15, 2022

Sure enough…as the debut approached…the Philadelphia Inquirer’s TV viewing guide listed “The Richard Pryor Show” at 8 pm on Tuesday.

Then 8pm on Tuesday rolled around. People tuned into NBC’s Philadelphia station and saw…a Jacques Cousteau special instead.

Why? pic.twitter.com/6oqePQILXT
— Avi Wolfman-Arent (@Avi_WA) September 15, 2022

Well…the night before the debut, executives at NBC’s Philadelphia affiliate saw the show and decided it was too vulgar for Tuesday at 8pm.

Without warning, they postponed the show until SUNDAY…at 11:30 pm. Pretty much the opposite of primetime. pic.twitter.com/MmlIYnPZF8
— Avi Wolfman-Arent (@Avi_WA) September 15, 2022

Philadelphia and Boston were reportedly the only two markets to move the Richard Pryor Show out of prime time — an irony that DN Columnist Chuck Stone was quick to note… pic.twitter.com/142odruMRm
— Avi Wolfman-Arent (@Avi_WA) September 15, 2022

A sidebar here for some who may be confused:

At the time, KYW-TV (Channel 3) was the city’s NBC station. It wasn’t yet affiliated with CBS.

So when we talk about KYW in 1977…we are talking about NBC…
— Avi Wolfman-Arent (@Avi_WA) September 15, 2022

KYW’s vice president told Daily News columnist Chuck Stone that Pryor’s show was “terrific…but…wrong for the time period.”

He mentioned one skit about “transvestism” and another where Pryor plays the first Black president and talks about dating white women. pic.twitter.com/guD7LmHD7d
— Avi Wolfman-Arent (@Avi_WA) September 15, 2022

This began a yo-yo pattern at KYW. The next week, execs let the Richard Pryor Show run in primetime on Tuesday.

The week after…they decided the content was inappropriate and kicked it back to Sunday night. pic.twitter.com/8wjInMiSH3
— Avi Wolfman-Arent (@Avi_WA) September 15, 2022

This could’ve been quite confusing local viewers…except…well…the Richard Pryor Show only lasted four episodes.
— Avi Wolfman-Arent (@Avi_WA) September 15, 2022

Perhaps some TV history heads can fill in the gaps here.

I’ve seen some indications that the show was yanked for poor ratings…and other indications that Pryor wanted out of the deal so he could pursue movies.
— Avi Wolfman-Arent (@Avi_WA) September 15, 2022

Either way, many Philadelphians likely missed the short, wild ride of The Richard Pryor Show.

Which means they missed performances from John Witherspoon, Paul Mooney, Sandra Bernhard, and…one of the very first TV appearances by a young comic named…Robin Williams.

End thread. pic.twitter.com/JSdhEcj8YQ
— Avi Wolfman-Arent (@Avi_WA) September 15, 2022

The final twist/post-script:

NBC put the Richard Pryor Show in primetime to knock off Happy Days. It didn't. And then…months later…cast member Robin Williams got his big break playing the alien Mork *on* Happy Days.
— Avi Wolfman-Arent (@Avi_WA) September 15, 2022