Can you guess the titles of these 1971 made-for-TV movies?

The Waltons and Steven Spielberg both got their start in TV movies that year.

 

The made-for-TV movie is a lost art. Sure, some cable channels crank them out, but networks were once creating true cinema-worthy fare. Look at the year 1971 for proof.

Oscar-winners like Sally Field and Steven Spielberg were showcasing their talents on broadcast television.

The movies also had some pretty sensational plots and titles. See if you can guess the names of the following movies from their synopses on IMDb.

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  1. On Christmas Eve 1933, the Waltons prepare for the holiday, in this pilot film for the beloved series 'The Waltons.'
  2. Based on the real-life friendship of NFL teammates Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers, this movie remains one of the most-loved football movies.
  3. A business commuter is pursued and terrorized by the malevolent driver of a massive semitruck, in Steven Spielberg's directorial debut.
  4. When an orbiting research space station is menaced by a Chinese nuclear weapon, its 2,000 inhabitants take action to disarm and dispose of the missile without resorting to violence. Starring Gary Lockwood of '2001: A Space Odyssey.'
  5. Through unforeseen circumstances, a male chauvinist cop and a dedicated feminist become roommates. Starring Barbara Eden, Farrah Fawcett, Julie Newmar, Harry Morgan and more!
  6. Four elderly ladies with a lot of time on their hands get the idea to create a fictional "girl" for a computer dating service. However, things take a turn for the worse when their description of the "girl" attracts a psychopath.
  7. A group of 21st-century colonists inhabit the underwater city called Pacifica. They find they must defend the city against hostile alien forces.
  8. A high-school senior and his girlfriend get married when they find out she's pregnant. Desi Arnaz Jr. stars as the title character in…?
  9. Two young boys must retrieve a church bell from the depths of a murky lagoon in a Louisiana swamp. Complicating matters is the fact that the lagoon is home to a large and deadly alligator. Mike Lookinland (Brady Bunch) and Mitch Vogel (Bonanza) star in…?
  10. A fourth-year medical student marries a millionaire's daughter, but he insists that they live on the little money that he earns. Sally Field stars in…?

Can you guess the titles of these 1971 made-for-TV movies?

Your Result...

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87 Comments

PulsarStargrave 24 months ago
5/5 I BOMBED on this one! The Spielberg one was easy because it's classic that made it to VHS! The others were films I vaguely remembered, largely due to their catchy titles! There were a LOT of good to great T.V. MOVIES and Mini series that are just sitting in vaults slowly turning into gun powder!

GAUGUIN THE SAVAGE (David Carradine)
THE MARK OF ZORRO (Frank Langella)
A STRANGER IN OUR HOUSE (Wes Craven/Linda Blair)
THE THORN BIRDS (Richard Chamberlain/Barbara Stanwick (last role?)
THE NIGHT STALKER

And DICK VAN DYKE's excellent trilogy:
THE COMIC
THE MORNING AFTER
DROP OUT FATHER

...just to name a mere handful! I hope some enterprising " classic TV station " would snap 'em up! ( Hint, Hint)
Mukusthebadd1 42 months ago
Ha! FOUR out of ten! Time to go drink a quart of Mayonaise!
MarkSpeck 43 months ago
9 out of 10. Never heard of The Boy From Dead Man's Bayou, but all the others I had some familiarity with.
EllisClevenger 43 months ago
You got 9 out of 10
Nice work! You're kind of a big duel.
Missed #7
John 43 months ago
6/10. Terrible score. But now I really want to see "City Beneath The Sea".
Mob39 43 months ago
You got 10 out of 10 Ha!! I guessed most of them! I picked the goofiest names! That was the 70’s for you! 🤣
indianangel 43 months ago
Considering I was born in 58 I don't think I did too bad considering I was only 13 when most of these were aired
Flash4001 43 months ago
I only really knew 1. The other 5 I got were random.guesses. The one I was familiar with was "Brian's Song"
russhowe57 43 months ago
9 out of 10. Missed number 10. Actually watched all but the last one in the day.
MrBill 43 months ago
6/10; lots of guesswork. I was only in my early years of grade school back then.
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