As many shows as there were that were fun to watch in the 70s, there was much more painful dreck to sift through. For every SWAT and Emergency, there were at least 10 painful variety shows to sit through. Some of these were at the cusp of great comedy, and others, well...
What I mean when I say that the HS is symptomatic of everything that was wrong with TV in the 70s is that I can just picture the pitch meeting @ CBS. If I remember the events surrounding the HS correctly, CBS wanted to turn Star Wars into a weekly series, but GL said no. When asked if he would consider a TV special, he agreed. So here's CBS, trying to package a TV special, wondering which drug-addled, grade Z celebrities it can get, as well as who is under contractual obligation (read: Bea Arthur), as well as trying to appeal not only to kids, but to all ages. The mind reels...