Did Robert Conrad Really Hate Gabe Kaplan After ‘Battle of the Network Stars’?

If someone really wanted to understand just how different television was in the ’70s, they would only need to look at one program: Battle of the Network Stars. Back before the days of endless streaming services and hundreds of cable channels, audiences basically just had NBC, ABC, and CBS. Eventually, Fox would show up, but that wouldn’t be for another decade or so. As one might expect, the rivalry between these three networks was very real.

In 1976, someone had the brilliant idea of taking that ratings war and turning it into a real-life sporting event. They gathered up the biggest television actors of the day, dressed them in bright tracksuits, and made them compete in swimming, tug-of-war, and relay races.