ABC is Bringing Back “Battle of the Network Stars”

ABC is set to continue their trend of bringing back retro game shows like Match GameTo Tell the Truth, and The $100,000 Pyramid. The latest revival on the slate: Battle of the Network Stars. As Variety recalls, the competitive program ran from 1976 to 1985 and featured the likes of Ron Howard, Penny Marshall, Bruce Jenner, O.J. Simpson, Rob Reiner, LeVar Burton, Billy Crystal, David Letterman, Tony Randall, Robin Williams, Dick Van Dyke, Lynn Redgrave, Tom Selleck, William Shatner, Michael J. Fox, and others.

Battle of the Network Stars

Photo by Rasmussen/AP/REX/Shutterstock — Wilie Aames, of ABC-TV’s “Eight is Enough,” struggles to hold his ground in tug-of-war competition against a CBS team as Scott Baio, of ABC’s “Happy Days.” 

If you’re not familiar, as the name implies, Battle of the Network Stars finds celebrities battling it out in a series of athletic events. Variety reports that casting for the show has already begun and shooting has been set for May.

Incidentally, the Battle of the Network Stars concept was last brought back in 2003, although that incarnation aired on NBC.