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Airwolf article from the Associated Press January 1984
Networks' Helicopters Battle
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By Peter Kerr
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A helicopter wars update: As of two months ago, the television networks were going to recycle an idea that had worked at movie-theater box offices — new adventures featuring helicopters.
ABC-TV was preparing to do battle in the skies in the 8 P.M. Friday time period with "Blue Thunder," a show based on the theatrical film. The network presented its aircraft as "an incredible armored helicopter crammed with state-of-the-art technology." Its ground crew included two former football players, Bubba Smith and Dick Butkus.
CBS-TV described its "Airwolf," as "the attack helicopter of the future, an awesome aerial weapon that can travel faster than sound." The helicopter came equipped with nuclear-tipped missiles and a tough, alienated and sensitive pilot named Stringfellow Hawk.
Not to be outdone, NBC-TV weighed in with the least deadly of the machines, an old Sikorsky helicopter, on an adventure series called "Riptide " The NBC helicopter had something that the others did not. It was pink.
So far, it seems, NBC's simple pink helicopter, on Tuesdays at 9 P.M., has done quite well. On its second regular appearance on the air, on Jan. 17, it earned 19 rating points and a 27 share. A rating point is a percent of all the homes with television sets; a share represents a percentage of households watching at a given time. "Riptide" probably benefited from the popularity of the adventure show preceding it, "The A-Team."
ABC's "Blue Thunder" got off to a slower start. It earned only a 13.5 rating and a 21 share last Friday. CBS's "Airwolf" last Saturday had a 16.1 rating and a 27 share. Its regular time is 9 P.M. Saturdays.
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