Prime-time network TV listings for Wednesday October 7, 1981:

	8:00 PM	8:30 PM	9:00 PM	9:30 PM	10:00 PM	10:30 PM
CBS	Mr. Merlin: Pilot	WKRP In Cincinnati: An Explosive Affair (1)	TV Movie: Coward Of The County (1981)
ABC	American League Playoffs
NBC	Real People		Diff'rent Strokes: Junk Food Junkie (R)	The Facts Of Life: Sex Symbol (R)	Nichols And Dymes

Sports

Movie

Drama

News

Special

Variety

Comedy

Program details:

[CBS 8:00] Mr. Merlin [Reg]: Pilot
Season 1, episode 1
W: Larry Tucker, Larry Rosen D: John Astin
With Mallie Jackson (Julie), DeAnna Robbins (Susan), Vincent Bufano (Rocco), Susan Bayer (Woman), Buddy Farmer (Policeman), Cindy Folkerson (Jane), Todd Martin (Private Investigator), Carl Rey (Steve Harrington). Merlin, the sorcerer of King Arthur's Court, is alive in present day San Francisco in the guise of a garage owner and is looking to retire -- if he can find a replacement.

[ABC 8:00] American League Playoffs New York Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers in the opening game of the Eastern Division best-of-five series.

[NBC 8:00] Real People A convention of tattooed people; a women's basketball team that only plays against men; a fashion show for dogs; a bird psychologist.

[CBS 8:30] WKRP In Cincinnati [Reg]: An Explosive Affair (1)
Season 4, episode 1
W: Steve Marshall D: Linda Day
With Rosemary Forsyth (Joyce Armor), Lou Richards (Officer Madigan). The station receives a bomb threat from a terrorist group; the station's former receptionist visits and tells Mr. Carlson she has a "hot proposition" for him.

[CBS 9:00] TV Movie: Coward Of The County (1981)
W: Clyde Ware, Jim Byrnes D: Dick Lowry
With Kenny Rogers, Fredric Lehne, Largo Woodruff, Mariclare Costello, Noble Willingham. A sensitive youth is branded a coward during the early days of World War II when he honors a pledge he made to his dying father not to fight.

[NBC 9:00] Diff'rent Strokes [Reg]: Junk Food Junkie
Season 3, episode 11
W: Dawn Aldredge D: Gerren Keith
With Dody Goodman (Aunt Sophia), Shavar Ross (Dudley Johnson), Steven Mond (Robbie), Lillian Lehman (Miss Rawls). Arnold's poor dental checkup and a visit by Drummond's health-conscious sister launches Drummond on a campaign to have junk food machines banned from Arnold's school, even though Arnold's drive for class presidency may depend on keeping the machines in place. (Repeat program, originally aired 1/28/1981)

[NBC 9:30] The Facts Of Life [Reg]: Sex Symbol
Season 2, episode 11
W: Linda Marsh, Margie Peters, Ann Gibbs, Joel Kimmel, Sally Sussman Morina D: John Bowab
With Dan Spector (Neil Richards), Holly Gagnier (Helen). A boy with whom Natalie studies spreads rumors about their friendship that damage her reputation while supposedly helping his own. (Repeat program, originally aired 2/4/1981)

[NBC 10:00] Nichols And Dymes [special]
W: Bob Comfort, Rick Kellard D: Rod Daniel
With Steven Bauer, Robin Strand, Kate Murtaugh, E.A. Sirianni, George McDaniel, Bill Cross, Teddi Siddall, Donald Gibb. Comedy pilot about two unconventional country-boy motorcyclists who become federal agents and attempt to break up an interstate truck hijacking ring.