Hollywood Flashback: ‘Battle of the Network Stars’ Turned Celebs Into Gladiators

Competition among the original big three networks seems natural, but what happens when you bring that rivalry to life on a playing field with actors? Nearly 50 years ago, ABC did just that with Battle of the Network Stars.

The competition series debuted in November 1976 and featured stars from ABC, CBS and NBC facing off in such sporting events as swimming, kayaking, volleyball, golf and tennis. Howard Cosell, known for leading ABC’s Monday Night Football, hosted the celebrity battle, adding cachet to the proceedings. Among the competitors: Lynda Carter, Farrah Fawcett, Ron Howard, Penny Marshall, Loretta Swit, Jimmie Walker and Robert Conrad, plus actual athletes like Caitlyn Jenner and Reggie Jackson.

“We were out at Malibu, and the first day, I started driving home and was so fatigued I couldn’t get my leg off the gas onto the brake,” Adrienne Barbeau, star of CBS’ Maude, tells The Hollywood Reporter with a laugh. “It was like, ‘OK, Adrienne, it’s time to start going to the gym.’ ” The show “wasn’t something I volunteered for, that’s for sure,” she adds. But participants didn’t go home empty-handed: By the time later seasons rolled around, each member of the winning team collected upward of $40,000 (about $150,000 today).

Battle producer Vin Di Bona told THR in 2013 that the concept had a short shelf life. “All the stars wanted to do it because there was a rivalry,” he said. “They really wanted to outdo themselves.”

During a chat with Jimmy Kimmel in 2017, Billy Crystal — who competed in 1978 as a castmember on ABC’s Soap — recalled his obstacle-course victory over David Letterman, who was representing CBS as a performer on Mary, a variety show hosted by Mary Tyler Moore. After Kimmel played footage of the battle, Crystal addressed the camera with, “Letterman, if you’re watching: Shave the beard, and let’s do it again.”

The series ended in 1988, though ABC revived it in 2017 with such stars as Lance Bass, Taye Diggs and Marlee Matlin. As for why viewers enjoyed the show, Barbeau quips, “Maybe just us making fools of ourselves.”

This story appeared in the Aug. 20 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.