A Shorty Walk

I can add another show to the TV Shorty List.

"A Walk Through the 20th Century with Bill Moyers" (CBS Cable, 1982)

One and done! But it wasn't Bill Moyers fault. Honest. Here are a few excerpts of proof.

John J. O'Connor (New York Times, Sep 7, 1982) wrote:

BILL MOYERS is officially employed by CBS News but that technicality hasn't hampered his ambitious need for special projects. Since returning to CBS, he has completed a series on ''Creativity'' for public television. And now, beginning tonight at 8:30, he can be seen on 20 hour-long programs produced for CBS Cable (carried on Manhattan Cable's Channel K in New York City).

Reflecting the importance attached to finding sponsors in CBS Cable's continuing efforts to stay in business, the official title of the new series is ''General Motors Presents ... A Walk Through the 20th Century With Bill Moyers.''

Good. Now we have an ep title and proof that it likely aired. Only one week later, CBS Cable announced it was shutting down before the end of the year. CBS Cable died at 4AM on December 17, 1982.

But did "A Walk" continue to air during those three months? Nope.

Gus Stevens (San Diego's The Tribune, Jan. 11, 1984) wrote:

Now Moyers has returned to television, starting tonight when PBS launches "A Walk Through the 20th Century With Bill Moyers." The first episode, a special 90-minute effort, will air on Channel 15 at 9.

CBS Cable originally commissioned the Moyers series, but only one program was cablecast before CBS Cable went dark. With the series in danger of being scrapped, a $2 million grant from Chevron saved the day, and operations were shifted to PBS.

After tonight, each episode will be an hour long and will be shown on selected Wednesdays through October. The subjects for about a dozen programs have been selected.

And there's the proof.