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{{short description|1970s American sitcom television series}}
{{About|the television series|the album by Loverboy|Temperature's Rising|other uses|Temperature Rising (disambiguation){{!}}Temperature Rising}}
{{featured article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2014}}
{{Infobox television
| image              = Temperatures Rising.jpg
| caption            = First season cast.<br>''Top row:'' [[Joan Van Ark]], [[James Whitmore]], [[Cleavon Little]]; ''bottom row:'' Nancy Fox, [[Reva Rose]]
| alt_name           = ''The New Temperatures Rising Show''
| genre              = [[Sitcom|Situation comedy]]
| developer          = [[William Asher]]
| starring           = {{unbulleted list|[[Cleavon Little]]|[[James Whitmore]] (1972–73)|[[Paul Lynde]] (1973–74)}}
| composer           = [[Vic Mizzy]] (1973–74)<ref name=mizzy/>
| country            = United States
| language           = English
| num_seasons        = 2
| num_episodes       = 46
| list_episodes      = List of Temperatures Rising episodes
| executive_producer = [[Harry Ackerman]]
| producer           = {{unbulleted list|[[William Asher]]|[[E. Duke Vincent|Duke Vincent]]|Bruce Johnson}}
| runtime            = 22–24 minutes
| company            = {{unbulleted list|[[Ashmont Productions]]|[[Screen Gems|Screen Gems Television]]}}
| channel            = [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
| first_aired        = {{Start date|1972|09|12}}
| last_aired         = {{End date|1974|08|29}}
}}

'''''Temperatures Rising''''' is an American television [[sitcom]] that aired on the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] network from September 12, 1972 to August 29, 1974. During its 46-episode run, it was presented in three different formats and cast line-ups. The series was developed for the network by [[William Asher]] and [[Harry Ackerman]] for [[Ashmont Productions]] and [[Screen Gems]]. Set in a fictional [[Washington, D.C.]] hospital, the series first featured [[James Whitmore]] as a no-nonsense chief of staff, forced to deal with the outlandish antics of a young intern ([[Cleavon Little]]) and three nurses ([[Joan Van Ark]], [[Reva Rose]], and Nancy Fox).

For the first season, 26 episodes were produced and broadcast. In the second season, Whitmore was replaced in the lead role by comedian [[Paul Lynde]], and Asher was replaced as producer by [[E. Duke Vincent|Duke Vincent]] and Bruce Johnson. The series was re-titled '''''The New Temperatures Rising Show''''', and featured a new supporting cast: [[Sudie Bond]], [[Barbara Cason]], [[Jennifer Darling]], [[Jeff Morrow]], and [[John Dehner]]. Cleavon Little was the only returning member of the original cast. In this season, Lynde was presented as the penny-pinching chief of staff, with Bond as his nagging mother and owner of the hospital.

''The New Temperatures Rising Show'' ran for 13 episodes before being placed on hiatus in January 1974 due to poor ratings. It returned in July in yet another incarnation. Asher returned as producer and restored the series to its original format—albeit with Lynde continuing in the lead. Reverting to the original title of ''Temperatures Rising'', Little remained in the show's cast, accompanied by a new line-up of supporting players: [[Alice Ghostley]], Barbara Rucker and, returning from the first season's cast, Nancy Fox. Offered as a [[mid-season replacement|summer replacement]] on Thursday nights, the third version of the sitcom ran for seven episodes, after which it was cancelled permanently.

==First season==

===Concept and development===
[[File:Cleavon Little Jayne Meadows Temperatures Rising 1972.JPG|thumb|right|[[Cleavon Little]] and [[Jayne Meadows]] in the episode "Good Luck, Leftkowitz" (1972) ]]
''Temperatures Rising'' was one of two sitcoms that the ABC network premiered in its [[1972–73 United States network television schedule|1972–73]] [[prime time]] schedule, the other being ''[[The Paul Lynde Show]]''.{{refn|group=nb|''[[The Paul Lynde Show]]'' featured [[Paul Lynde|the comedian]] as Paul Simms, a California attorney who lives with his wife Martha ([[Elizabeth Allen (actress)|Elizabeth Allen]]), daughters Barbara (Jane Actman) and Sally ([[Pamelyn Ferdin]]), and Barbara's husband Howie (John Calvin). Much of the show revolves around the [[generation gap|generational problem]] between Simms and Howie, with Howie presented as someone "with an [[encyclopedia|encyclopedic]] mind who can do just about anything superbly—except hold down a job".<ref name=donroyal/>}} Both series were produced and developed by William Asher and his partner Harry Ackerman for Ashmont Productions and Screen Gems, which had scored a major success for the network with ''[[Bewitched]]'', a fantasy sitcom that first aired in 1964 starring Asher's wife, [[Elizabeth Montgomery]]. Asher and Screen Gems made a deal with ABC to cancel ''Bewitched'' a year earlier than contracts stipulated, thereby allowing them the opportunity to develop the two new sitcoms.<ref name=transfusion/> Ackerman served as [[executive producer]] and Asher as [[television producer|producer]].<ref name=Sched16/>

Asher and Ackerman derived the format of the series from an unsold [[television pilot|pilot]] they had produced for ABC in 1965. Entitled ''This is a Hospital?'', and written by [[Sheldon Keller]], it starred comedian [[Shecky Greene]] as a mischievous intern who Asher referred to as "[[The Phil Silvers Show|Sgt. Bilko]] in a hospital".{{refn|group=nb|Shecky Greene: "I did ''This is a Hospital'' for Columbia - Screen Gems. It was terrible."<ref name=Shecky/>}} Asher also drew on the British ''[[Carry On (franchise)|Carry On]]'' franchise as his inspiration for ''Temperatures Rising''.<ref name=Waunakee/><ref name=Tur202/>

===Original cast===
Set in Capitol General, a fictional Washington, D.C., hospital, the series centered on five characters. Cleavon Little starred as Dr. Jerry Noland, a ghetto-raised intern who works on the side as the hospital [[bookmaker|bookie]] and finds humor in anything from an operation to a con job.<ref name=Robesonian/><ref name=Cleavon/> Joan Van Ark played Annie Carlisle, the hospital's beautiful,<ref name=bonanza/> young, sexy<ref name=Robesonian/> head nurse, who is "always covering up for the inept crew".<ref name=hospitalsitcom/> Reva Rose played Nurse Mildred "Millie" MacInerny, who offers satirical comments on the shenanigans going on in the hospital.<ref name=donroyal/> Nancy Fox was cast as Ellen Turner, a shy student nurse who becomes Noland's most faithful follower.<ref name=donroyal/><ref name=bonanza/> [[James Whitmore]] starred as Dr. Vincent Campanelli, the hospital's chief of surgery.{{refn|group=nb|James Whitmore's son, Steve, served as his [[stand-in]] during production of the series' first season.<ref name=steve/>}} Campanelli is presented as an Italian-American former combat surgeon,{{refn|group=nb|Whitmore had actually served in the [[United States Marine Corps]] during [[World War II]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/34994353/james_whitmore_war_service/ |title=Whitmore Went to War to Win Prized Anoinette Perry Award |publisher=[[Brooklyn Eagle|The Brooklyn Daily Eagle]] |date=April 25, 1948}}</ref>}} who looks upon Noland with both pride and shock and refers to the young intern and nurses Carlisle, MacInerny, and Turner as the "[[Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse|Four Horsemen]] of Aggravation".<ref name=delicate/>

Little's guest appearance on ''[[All in the Family]]'' led to his casting in ''Temperatures Rising'',<ref name=newtvcomedy/> which in turn led to the leading role in the 1974 [[Mel Brooks]] comedy film ''[[Blazing Saddles]]''. Little's casting reflected "pressure from the government and Negro organizations and concerned whites who believe that black representation on television was long overdue".<ref name=moreblacks/> William Asher later stated that ''Temperatures Rising'' gave him a chance to work with a black actor.<ref name=Asher/> Fox was cast in ''Temperatures Rising'' after [[Elizabeth Montgomery]] spotted her in a commercial for [[Close-Up (toothpaste)|Close-Up]] toothpaste.<ref name=fred/> Asher had considered her for a part in ''[[The Paul Lynde Show]]''. During the time that ''Temperatures Rising'' was in production, Fox declined an offer to leave the series and star in another, ''[[Needles and Pins (TV series)|Needles and Pins]]''.<ref name=nancygot/><ref name=hadachoice/><ref name=smiling/>

===Overview===
In a 2000 interview, William Asher described ''Temperatures Rising'' as being about "a young black surgeon who was always into mischief and things, but he was a very competent surgeon. James Whitmore was the head surgeon and he used to drive Whitmore crazy".<ref name=Asher/> The pilot episode of ''Temperatures Rising'' was written by Sheldon Keller, who turned to his ''This is a Hospital?'' script for inspiration.<ref name=Tur202/> It features Noland broadcasting a bingo game in code over the hospital's public-address system. [[Jack Albertson]] guest starred as a United States Senator.<ref name=72sept10/> Subsequent episodes feature Noland performing a secret operation on a young baseball player while Campanelli deals with a hospital inspector ([[Ed Platt]]),<ref name=72sept17/> and [[John Astin]] as a gangster wanting Noland to be his personal physician.<ref name=72oct8/> In another episode, Noland hypnotizes a patient ([[Alice Ghostley]]) and, accidentally, Nurse Turner as well. This nearly costs the hospital a large donation from a potential benefactor ([[Charles Lane (actor, born 1905)|Charles Lane]]).<ref name=72oct1/> In later episodes, Campanelli is seen having a brief romance with Nurse Turner's aunt ([[Beverly Garland]]),<ref name=72nov12/> Noland helps out a new intern ([[Bernie Kopell]]) who has a reputation for being a jinx,<ref name=72oct22/> and also performs a witchcraft ritual on a patient ([[Alan Oppenheimer]]) who thinks he has been cursed.<ref name=72nov26/>

Albertson returned in a later episode that features Dr. Campanelli participating in a documentary film about hospital surgery. Unfortunately, Campanelli develops stage fright during filming. Noland then takes over the operation and receives all the acclaim.<ref name=72nov19/> Kopell returned to his role as a hospital orderly in two episodes, one in which he causes a furor with a hospital scandal sheet,<ref name=72dec31/> the other showing Noland having to save him from being fleeced by a patient who is also a [[card sharp|card shark]].<ref name=73jan28/>

There was some racially tinged comic bantering in the series, such as scenes with Noland giving cotton to a nurse and stating, "Honey, picking cotton is part of my heritage," or observing some adhesive strips labeled "flesh colored" and remarking, "Maybe this is your idea of flesh colored, but it wouldn't make it in my neighborhood." Aside from these, racial issues were avoided, as Asher and Ackerman felt that ABC was not interested in having them mixed into the comedy.<ref>{{harvnb|Turow|1989|p=203}}</ref>

In discussing the series Asher noted:
<blockquote>We too often forget the humanity of doctors and nurses. They become godlike to most of us and yet it is their humanity that makes them so interesting and enjoyable. We are not doing a drama and have no intention of doing anything like dealing with life and death issues. We want to make people laugh so we de-emphasize the more serious elements of hospital life. It isn't that he [Noland] just sees things differently, he also deals with them differently. That is why Noland will dream up a baby derby, a gambling night at the hospital, a variety show at Christmas and off-track betting when patients get bored with the hospital routine.<ref name=delicate/></blockquote>

Production of ''Temperatures Rising'' was underway by August 1972 with filming done at [[Warner Bros.#New owners|the Burbank Studios]] in [[Burbank, California]].<ref name=Robesonian/>

===Original reviews===
In his review of the premiere episode of ''Temperatures Rising'' for the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', critic Don Page felt that [[James Whitmore]] was "totally wasted in this silly exercise" and that "guest [[Jack Albertson]] almost saves it with his portrayal of an annoyed senator. Otherwise, the diagnosis is terminal comedy".<ref name=hospitalsitcom/> Likewise, Cecil Smith, another writer for the ''Times'', claimed it was the "worst show of the season. Avoid it like the plague".<ref name=criticallook/>

Other reviews were more favorable. Columnist Joan Crosby noted that "This is the kind of show you don't think you'll laugh at, but you do, mostly because the cast is so good."  She noted that Cleavon Little, Joan Van Ark, and Reva Rose were, respectively, "marvelous", "pretty", and "funny", and that Nancy Fox "wins this year's cute-as-a-kitten award".<ref name=joancrosby/> Barbara Holsopple, TV and radio editor for the ''[[Pittsburgh Press]]'', noted that "ABC did a gutsy turnabout in taking the heavy drama out of a hospital and replacing it with comedy. The venture worked well, thanks to excellent performances from the ''Temperatures Rising'' cast". She  praised Albertson, noted that Whitmore "was little seen", and that the series: "is the kind of tidy little show that brings chuckles".<ref name=bonanza/> Win Fanning, a syndicated columnist, stated that: "the comedy writing and performances by a beautifully integrated cast give ''Temperatures'' a bright, light quality so seldom achieved in a situation comedy", and that it was: "loaded with one-liners and sight gags, which, if kept on the level of the opener, promise many hours of hilarity". Fanning praised Little as "one of the comedy finds of any TV season", and Fox as "a fresh new face and talent giving promise of a long, successful career ahead".<ref name=debut/> More praise for the series came after the broadcast of its fourth episode. An unidentified reviewer, writing for the ''Armored Sentinel'' (of [[Temple, Texas]]), stated "If you're suffering from a case of the 'downs,' this series is a sure pick up!" The reviewer went on to note that "the brightest spot of the series is wacky Nancy Fox. Her role applies the wackiness of [[Goldie Hawn]], but in situation comedy form. I'd watch the show just for her! The whole series is wacky and funny; it's downright good. I highly recommend it."<ref name=welbyill/>

===First season ratings===
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible collapsed floatright"  style="width:47%; font-size:85%;"
|-
! colspan=6|Selected weeks showing Nielsen ratings positions for Tuesdays at 8:00 PM
|-
! style="width:12%;"|Week ending !! width=8%|[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]<br/>''Temperatures''<br/>''Rising'' !! width=8%|[[CBS]]<br/>''Maude'' !! width=8%|[[NBC]]<br/>''Bonanza'' !! width=8%|NBC<br/>Movies !! class="unsortable" style="width:3%;"|Ref
|- align=center
| align=left|November 5, 1972 || 47 || 12 || 46 || {{N/A}}|| <ref name=ntworksclose/>
|- align=center
| align=left|December 10, 1972 || 45 || 8 || 52 || {{N/A}} || <ref name=holidayspecials/>
|- align=center
| align=left|January 7, 1973 || 42 || 14 || 55 || {{N/A}} || <ref name=allinthefamily/>
|- align=center
| align=left|January 14, 1973 || 29 || 16 || 48 || {{N/A}} || <ref name=paar/>
|- align=center
| align=left|January 21, 1973 || 29 || 16 || 52 || {{N/A}} || <ref name=abclineup/>
|- align=center
| align=left|February 4, 1973 || 47 || 6 || {{N/A}} || 52 || <ref name=bunkers/>
|- align=center
| align=left|February 11, 1973 || 43 || 8 || {{N/A}} || 41 || <ref name=secondnew/>
|}
ABC placed ''Temperatures Rising'' in its 8:00 PM Tuesday night time-slot, where it debuted on September 12, 1972.<ref name=Robesonian/>{{refn|group=nb|Prior to the debut of ''Temperatures Rising'', its Tuesday night time slot was occupied by the second half of the popular hour-long crime drama series ''[[The Mod Squad|Mod Squad]]''. When the [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]] forced the networks to reduce their prime-time scheduling from 3½ hours to three, ''Mod Squad'' had to be moved to Thursday nights at 8:00. On September 14, 1972—two days after ''Temperatures Rising'' first aired—the fifth year of ''Mod Squad'' began with "The Connection", a special two-hour season premiere that featured Cleavon Little as one of its guest stars.<ref name=movedmod/><ref name=littleguests/>}} Because one of the stars was black, some of ABC's [[network affiliate|affiliated]] stations in the southern and midwestern parts of the United States refused to air the series or broadcast it in a different time slot.<ref name=Tur203/>  Airing opposite it were ''[[Bonanza]]'' on [[NBC]], and the new sitcom ''[[Maude (TV series)|Maude]]'' on [[CBS]].<ref name=premieres/> ''Bonanza'' was entering its fourteenth year and offered up an ambitious two-hour season premiere dealing with the marriage of [[Little Joe Cartwright]] ([[Michael Landon]]).{{refn|group=nb|Originally this was to be about the wedding of [[Dan Blocker]]'s character, Hoss Cartright.  However, the episode was revised following Blocker's death in the summer of 1972.<ref name=bonanza/>}} ''Maude'', starring [[Beatrice Arthur]] in the title role, was a [[spin-off (media)|spin-off]] of ''[[All in the Family]]''. Both shows presented ''Temperatures Rising'' with stiff opposition in the "[[Nielsen ratings|ratings game]]".<ref name=bonanza/> The two-hour season premiere of ''Bonanza'' performed exceptionally well in the ratings. ''Maude'' did much better than ''Temperatures Rising'' in the [[New York City]] area, while ''Temperatures Rising'' fared better than ''Maude'' in the [[Los Angeles]] area.<ref name=favorites/> In subsequent weeks, ''Bonanza'''s ratings dropped sharply and NBC [[cancellation (television)|cancelled]] the series in November 1972.<ref name=bonanzadrop/>{{refn|group=nb|The final broadcast of ''Bonanza'' was on January 16, 1973.<ref name=final/>}} According to Asher: "''Temperatures Rising'' put ''Bonanza'' out of business and was beating ''Maude'' in the Los Angeles area until mid-season, when NBC switched to some heavy movies which hurt us".<ref name=transfusion/> Despite this the series finished its first year with a consistent 29 [[share (ratings)|share of the ratings]] at a time when a 30 share was enough to assure renewal for another season. ABC, however, wanted to improve the ratings and decided to make significant changes to ''Temperatures Rising'' for its second season.<ref name=transfusion/><ref name=tur204>{{harvnb|Turow|1989|p=204}}</ref> The first season finished 48th out of 75 shows, with an average 17.3 rating.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thetvratingsguide.com/2020/02/1972-73-ratings-history.html |title=1972-73 Ratings History |date=July 1, 2021}}</ref>

==Second season==

===New premise and producers===
As early as November 1972, [[James Whitmore]] expressed a desire to leave ''Temperatures Rising'', claiming that "the show [was] basically a broad [[farce]] and I didn't feel it was right for me".<ref name=whitwife/> Screen Gems head John Mitchell and ABC chief programmer [[Barry Diller]] decided to replace Whitmore with comedian Paul Lynde, whose sitcom, ''[[The Paul Lynde Show]]'', was airing on Wednesday nights. At the time, Lynde was scoring second only to [[Peter Falk]] in TV popularity polls even though his sitcom, which aired opposite ''[[The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour]]'' on CBS, was floundering in the ratings. Asher was against making this change but was overruled as his contractual commitments to ABC had finished.<ref name=transfusion/><ref name=Asher/><ref name=tur204/>

Of the change Asher stated:
<blockquote>The network–ugh–they're so stupid sometimes. The shows [''Temperatures Rising'' and ''The Paul Lynde Show''] were doing good, they weren't big hits, but they were doing good. They felt that if they could put Paul [Lynde] and Cleavon Little together that they would have a big hit. I didn't want to do that. I said I ''won't'' do it, not at the sacrifice of the show. It's wrong. I don't think it's a good idea. But they wanted to bring in somebody else as the head of the hospital. They wanted his [Lynde's] mother to be head of the hospital and his conflicts would be with her and I just didn't think it was right. I didn't want to write it. I just didn't want to do it [and] I didn't. Someone else came in. It was a big thing with the network. They cancelled ''The Paul Lynde Show'' and put Paul in ''Temperatures Rising''."<ref name=Asher/></blockquote>

Asher was replaced as producer by Bruce Johnson and [[E. Duke Vincent]], whose previous credits included ''[[Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.|Gomer Pyle – USMC]]'', ''[[The Jim Nabors Hour]]'', ''[[Arnie (TV series)|Arnie]]'', and ''[[The Brian Keith Show|The Little People]]''.{{refn|group=nb|Despite the changes, William Asher and Harry Ackerman retained ownership of the series.<ref name=tur204/>}} They changed the title of the series to ''The New Temperatures Rising Show'', and the tone went from lighthearted wackiness to a form of [[black comedy]] similar to ''[[The Hospital]]'', a 1971 film written by [[Paddy Chayefsky]], starring [[George C. Scott]]. The sitcom became "a savage satire of the medical profession" with $185-a-day hospital rooms, incompetent, fee-splitting doctors, operations on the wrong patients, misread [[X-ray]]s, and rampant [[medical malpractice|malpractice]].<ref name=transformation/> Commenting on the series Vincent noted:

<blockquote>We're not doing stories about a fouled-up hospital. These things really happen. Every story we've told is true. They're the results of untrained people, inadequate staff, horrendous costs, worn-out equipment, the demands of doctors. The doctors, not the patients, are the customers; they're the ones the hospitals have to please&nbsp;...<ref name=transformation/></blockquote>

===Revised cast===
[[File:Temperatures Rising Second Season.jpg|thumb|left|250px|The cast of the second season. ''Front row:'' [[Jennifer Darling]], Sudie Bond, [[Barbara Cason]]; ''back row:'' [[Cleavon Little]], [[Paul Lynde]], [[Jeff Morrow]] ]]
For this new season, Johnson and Vincent dropped Joan Van Ark, Reva Rose, and Nancy Fox from the series, leaving Cleavon Little as the only returning cast member. His character, Dr. Jerry Noland, was now being presented as the hospital's only sane figure.<ref name=transformation/> Paul Lynde played Dr. Paul Mercy, the sneering, unscrupulous, hospital administrator<ref name=Lyndestars/> while Sudie Bond was cast as Martha Mercy, his obnoxious, overbearing mother and the owner, and permanent resident, of the hospital. She constantly calls him with her pager to complain about everything.<ref name=transformation/><ref name=quits/> Also in the new cast were [[Barbara Cason]] as Miss Tillis, the head of administrative and accounting: "...&nbsp;who would let you bleed to death filling out forms",<ref name=Lyndestars/> [[Jennifer Darling]] as the romantically inclined nurse "Windy" Winchester, and [[Jeff Morrow]] as Dr. Lloyd Axton, a fraudulent surgeon who has published two books, ''Profit in Healing'' and ''Malpractice and Its Defense''.<ref name=quits/><ref name=compprime/> After only two episodes, Morrow was replaced by [[John Dehner]] as "society" Dr. Charles Claver.<ref name=dehner/>

===Revised concept===
For the [[1973–74 United States network television schedule|1973–74 television season]] ABC continued to air the revamped ''Temperatures Rising'' on Tuesday nights at 8:00 PM. CBS continued to air ''Maude'', and NBC introduced ''[[Chase (1973 TV series)|Chase]]'', an hour-long crime drama starring [[Mitchell Ryan]], in the same time slot. Although the season premiere of ''Maude'' and ''Chase''{{'}}s debut aired on September 11, 1973, ABC delayed the premiere of ''The New Temperatures Rising Show'' until September 25.<ref name=shoddiest/><ref name=73sept23/>{{refn|group=nb|On September 11, 1973, instead of broadcasting ''Temperatures Rising'' / ''The New Temperatures Rising Show'', ABC aired ''The Furst Family of Washington'', an [[television pilot|unsold pilot]] starring [[Godfrey Cambridge]] and [[Theresa Merritt]];<ref name=shoddiest/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvobscurities.com/2016/07/tv-guide-ad-furst-family-of-washington/|title=Television Obscurities|date=July 2016}}</ref> that pilot would later be re-developed into ''[[That's My Mama]]'', which debuted in the Fall of 1974. On September 18 the network aired ''Egan'', a special half-hour drama starring former [[New York City Police Department|New York City Police Officer]] [[Eddie Egan]] as himself.<ref name=73sept16/>}}

The episodes produced by Johnson and Vincent included Dr. Mercy exploiting a 125-year-old Civil War veteran<ref name=73sept30/> and dealing with a strike by the doctors and nurses.<ref name=73oct7/> Another episode saw Noland create a mythical patient and then claim that the patient died, the cause of death being the result of a lack of cardiac [[crash cart]]s on each floor of the hospital.<ref name=73oct28/> Johnson and Vincent's favorite episode was one where the X-rays of a professional footballer are misread, resulting in him being placed by mistake in "Crutchfield's Traction", in which holes are drilled in his head and tongs inserted in them.<ref name=transformation/>

===Second season reviews===
In reviewing ''The New Temperatures Rising Show'', [[Associated Press]] television writer Jay Sharbutt noted:
<blockquote>First the hopeful note: There are faint signs the tinkering with ''Temperatures'' format could make the series funny later on, but only if the writing improves. The show now leaves most of the mugging to Lynde and no longer insists that each regular is wacky. It's all feeble stuff but the cast is vastly improved and the new approach portends to better things ahead.<ref name=oldfav/></blockquote>
Likewise, ''Los Angeles Times'' critic Cecil Smith, who considered the original format "maybe the three worst shows on television rolled into one" now remarked: "Paul Lynde for the first time that I can recall has a part worthy of his mettle. The people surrounding him are first rate."<ref name=Lyndestars/>

===Sinking ratings===
Despite some heavy promotion, the [[black comedy]] approach was not what audiences wanted to see, especially with Paul Lynde. As a result, the [[Nielsen ratings|ratings]] for the series fell well below the levels of the previous season.<ref name=transfusion/> The last of ''The New Temperatures Rising Show'''s thirteen episodes aired on January 8, 1974.<ref name=73dec30/> The following Tuesday, January 15, ABC premiered ''[[Happy Days]]'' in its place.<ref name=happydays/>{{refn|group=nb|On that same day and time NBC replaced ''Chase'' with their popular series ''[[Adam-12]]''.<ref name=happydays/>}} According to co-producer Mitchell, "...&nbsp;the audience didn't buy that ''at all''. They just didn't get it. It was funny if you like black comedy, but if you don't it would disturb you. So the show failed miserably and we lost the job and the show."<ref name=duke/>

==Summer replacement==

===Third concept===
When John Mitchell and Barry Diller noticed that ''The New Temperatures Rising Show'' was failing, they contacted William Asher and asked him to salvage the series. According to Asher:
<blockquote>They asked if I'd go back to the old ''Temperatures'', only this time with Paul [Lynde]. At this point we were still hoping to make it for the midseason. After a couple of weeks we agreed that the show should go off the air in January, but continue production so that we would have 11 shows ready for airing any time they wanted them. Some of the nonsense and hijinks of the first season are gone and we have managed to keep a touch of reality of the second version.<ref name=transfusion/></blockquote> As to why the series was not cancelled, Asher remarked, "I can answer that in two words: Paul Lynde."<ref name=transfusion/>

===Final cast===
For the third format, the show reverted to its original title ''Temperatures Rising'', and the proposed number of episodes was reduced from eleven to seven. The series' production resumed on November 17, 1973, after a three-week shutdown.<ref name=newformat/> Sudie Bond, Barbara Cason, Jennifer Darling, and John Dehner were dropped from the cast and a new line-up was assembled. Paul Lynde continued as Dr. Paul Mercy while [[Alice Ghostley]] played Edwina Moffitt, the admissions nurse and Dr. Mercy's sister.<ref name=firstofseven/> She had appeared (in a completely different role) as a guest star in an episode in the first season of ''Temperatures Rising''. Nancy Fox returned as student nurse Ellen Turner,<ref name=firstofseven/> and Barbara Rucker was introduced as Nurse Amanda Kelly.<ref name=firstofseven/> Cleavon Little returned for a third time as Dr. Jerry Noland, whose character was now being presented as somewhere between the jive-talking surgeon of the first season and the serious one of the second.<ref name=transfusion/>

===Last format and cancellation===
''Temperatures Rising'' returned to the ABC network on July 18, 1974 after a six-month hiatus. Its new time slot, Thursday nights at 8:00 PM, had previously been occupied by ''[[Chopper One]]'', an adventure series.<ref name=firstofseven/> The situations presented this time around included Dr. Mercy saving the life of a popular country music singer ([[Dick Gautier]]),<ref name=uptominute/> and setting up a surveillance system so that staff would be kept on their toes.<ref name=74july21/>

The final episode of ''Temperatures Rising'' aired on August 29, 1974.<ref name=74aug25/>{{refn|group=nb|Following the demise of ''Temperatures Rising'' ABC moved ''[[The Odd Couple (1970 TV series)|The Odd Couple]]'' into the Thursday, 8:00 PM, time-slot.<ref name=74sept8/>}} The attempt to resuscitate the series was unsuccessful, and ABC finally cancelled it permanently. Andy Siegel, a comedy development executive for ABC at the time, felt the series failed because audiences did not want to watch a show displaying inadequate medical care, even though it was done in a humorous fashion. In reminiscing about the series he stated: "When people see doctors on television they really want to feel that they're in good hands. That no matter what happens it is a reassuring experience."<ref name=Tur205/> William Asher, in a 2000 interview, summed up the demise of the series by saying: "It didn't get on. It's too late. You can't do that to an audience. They won't accept it."<ref name=Asher/>

The second season ranked 68th out of 80 shows, with an average 13.6 rating.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thetvratingsguide.com/2019/12/1973-74-tv-ratings-history.html |title=The TV Ratings Guide |date=July 1, 2021}}</ref>

==Episodes==
{{Further|List of Temperatures Rising episodes}}

==References==

===Notes===
{{Reflist|30em|group=nb}}

===Footnotes===
{{Reflist|30em|refs=
<ref name=moreblacks>{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1842&dat=19720914&id=jAosAAAAIBAJ&sjid=K8gEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3150,2417893&hl=en |title=More Blacks Will Be Seen on TV This Fall |date=September 14, 1972 |newspaper=[[TimesDaily|Florence Times]] |access-date=November 10, 2015}}</ref>
<ref name=mizzy>{{cite web |title=Vic Mizzy Filmography: Television Shows |url=http://www.vicmizzy.com/filmography.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201173750/http://www.vicmizzy.com/filmography.php |url-status=usurped |archive-date=February 1, 2014 |publisher=Vic Mizzy |date=2013 |access-date=June 23, 2014}}</ref>
<ref name=transfusion>{{cite news |title=Temperatures Rising in State of Transfusion |first=Dick |last=Adler |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |page=D1 |date=January 10, 1974}}</ref>
<ref name=Asher>{{cite web |url=http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/shows/temperatures-rising# |title=Temperatures Rising |first=William |last=Asher |author-link=William Asher |publisher=Academy of Television Arts & Sciences |date=2013 |type=Video interview – Chapter 9 |access-date=May 30, 2014}}</ref>
<ref name=Robesonian>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/43330844/ |title=Lighthearted Hospital Comedy |newspaper=[[The Robesonian]] |date=August 6, 1972 |page=20}} {{subscription required}}</ref>
<ref name=Cleavon>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmovie.com/artist/cleavon-little-p42706 |title=Cleavon Little |first=Hal |last=Erickson |publisher=AllMovie |date=2014 |access-date=June 19, 2014}}</ref>
<ref name=fred>{{cite news |newspaper=Fredericksburg Standard |title=Schnelle Relative on TV program over ch. 12 |location=Fredericksburg, Texas |date=September 20, 1972 |page=9}}</ref>
<ref name=Sched16>{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1917&dat=19720916&id=7nchAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mYkFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2012,314714 |title=King Orders Anna Out of Siam  |newspaper=[[The Daily Gazette|Schenectady Gazette]] |date=September 16, 1972 |access-date=June 19, 2014}}</ref>
<ref name=newtvcomedy>{{cite news |title=New TV Comedy Stars Cleavon Little |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Sentinel]] |page=B |date=August 10, 1972}}</ref>
<ref name=bonanza>{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19720913&id=rVQqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SFMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7401,4898991 |title=Bonanza Powerhouse Overshadows New Fun Comedies |first=Barbara |last=Holsopple |newspaper=[[Pittsburgh Press]] |page=83 |date=September 13, 1972 |access-date=June 19, 2014 |archive-date=January 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114155020/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19720913&id=rVQqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SFMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7401%2C4898991 |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=hospitalsitcom>{{cite news |title=Hospital Sitcom on ABC |first=Don |last=Page |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=September 12, 1972 |page=D13}}</ref>
<ref name=joancrosby>{{cite news |first=Joan |last=Crosby |title=TV Scout Looks at The New Season |newspaper=[[Odessa American]] |page=6 |date=September 5, 1972}}</ref>
<ref name=steve>{{cite web |first=Steve |last=Whitmore |title=My dad, James Whitmore, Part Seventeen |website=Steve Whitmore |publisher=Just another WordPress.com site |url=https://stevewhitmore.wordpress.com/2016/06/05/my-dad-james-whitmore-part-seventeen/ |date=June 5, 2016 |access-date=April 5, 2017}}</ref>
<ref name=donroyal>{{cite news |title=ABC's Two-Hitter in Laugh League Makes Strong Bid for Season Run |first=Don |last=Royal |newspaper=[[The Sun (Lowell)|The Sun]] |location=Lowell, Massachusetts |page=3 |date=December 24, 1972}}</ref>
<ref name=nancygot>{{cite news |title=Nancy Got TV Role After Commercials |first=Ruth |last=Thompson |newspaper=The Titusville Herald |location=[[Titusville, Pennsylvania]] |date=April 7, 1973 |page=11}}</ref>
<ref name=hadachoice>{{cite news |title=Had a Choice |newspaper=[[Mt. Vernon Register-News]] |date=April 21, 1973 |page=21}}</ref>
<ref name=smiling>{{cite news |title=Smiling to Stardom |newspaper=[[Salt Lake City Tribune]] |date=July 1, 1973 |page=H9}}</ref>
<ref name=delicate>{{cite news |title=Cover Close-Up: Delicate Mixture |newspaper=[[Pasadena Star-News]] |date=December 31, 1972 |page=4}}</ref>
<ref name=Waunakee>{{cite news |title=Today and Tomorrow |first=Ralf |last=Hardester |newspaper=Waunakee Tribune |location=[[Waunakee, Wisconsin]] |date=March 11, 1965 |page=3}}</ref>
<ref name=72sept10>{{cite news |title=Television Schedule |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=September 10, 1972 |page=D15}}</ref>
<ref name=72sept17>{{cite news |title=Television Schedule |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=September 17, 1972 |page=N24}}</ref>
<ref name=72oct1>{{cite news |title=Television Schedule |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=October 1, 1972 |page=O24}}</ref>
<ref name=72oct8>{{cite news |title=Television Schedule |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=October 8, 1972 |page=O16}}</ref>
<ref name=72nov12>{{cite news |title=Television Schedule |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=November 12, 1972 |page=M24}}</ref>
<ref name=72oct22>{{cite news |title=Schedule |newspaper=[[Boone News-Republican]] |date=October 21, 1972 |page=7}}</ref>
<ref name=72nov26>{{cite news |title=Television Schedule |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=November 26, 1972 |page=R20}}</ref>
<ref name=72nov19>{{cite news |title=Television Schedule |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=November 19, 1972 |page=V20}} / {{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2202&dat=19721121&id=v5hcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OFgNAAAAIBAJ&pg=7040,1715586&hl=en |title=TV Highlights |publisher=Gettysburg Times |date=November 21, 1972 |access-date=January 21, 2016}}</ref>
<ref name=72dec31>{{cite news |title=Television Schedule |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=December 31, 1972 |page=I16}}</ref>
<ref name=Shecky>{{cite web |url=http://classicshowbiz.blogspot.com/2011/05/interview-with-shecky-greene-part-two.html |title=An Interview with Shecky Greene - Part Two |website=Classic Television Showbiz |date=June 23, 2011 |access-date=December 9, 2016 |archive-date=February 22, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170222153738/http://classicshowbiz.blogspot.com/2011/05/interview-with-shecky-greene-part-two.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=73jan28>{{cite news |title=Tuesday Program Notes |newspaper=Fredericksburg Standard |location=[[Fredericksburg, Texas]] |date=January 24, 1973 |page=26}}</ref>
<ref name=criticallook>{{cite news |title=A Critical Look at the New TV Season |first=Cecil |last=Smith |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |page=E1 |date=September 27, 1972}}</ref>
<ref name=debut>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19720912&id=PeANAAAAIBAJ&sjid=x2wDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5273,1575581 |title=Temperatures Rising, Maude Debut Tonight, Pre-reviewed |first=Win |last=Fanning |newspaper=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] |date=September 12, 1972 |page=31 |access-date=June 24, 2014 |archive-date=January 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114154923/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19720912&id=PeANAAAAIBAJ&sjid=x2wDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5273%2C1575581 |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=welbyill>{{cite news |title=It's Enough to Make Dr. Welby Ill |newspaper=Armored Sentinel |location=[[Temple, Texas]] |date=November 27, 1972 |page=24}}</ref>
<ref name=ntworksclose>{{cite news |title=All Networks Close On Weekly Averages |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=November 17, 1972 |page=G29}}</ref>
<ref name=holidayspecials>{{cite news |title=Holiday Specials on Top of New Nielsen |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=December 22, 1972 |page=D24}}</ref>
<ref name=allinthefamily>{{cite news |title=Family, Sanford Top National Nielsens |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=January 22, 1973 |page=F16}}</ref>
<ref name=paar>{{cite news |title=Paar Boosts ABC Share in Nielsens |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=January 24, 1973 |page=G18}}</ref>
<ref name=abclineup>{{cite news |title=ABC Lineup Fails to Dent CBS Lead |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=February 3, 1973 |page=G14}}</ref>
<ref name=bunkers>{{cite news |title=Bunkers Bury Bard in New Nielsens |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=February 15, 1973 |page=H22}}</ref>
<ref name=secondnew>{{cite news |title=Columbo Up to Second in New Nielsen Ratings |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=February 22, 1973 |page=G24}}</ref>
<ref name=movedmod>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2202&dat=19720405&id=05ZeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=EVENAAAAIBAJ&pg=7069,3034916 |title=Moved Mod Squad |newspaper=[[The Gettysburg Times]] |date=April 5, 1972 |page=21 |access-date=June 24, 2014 |archive-date=January 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114155033/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2202&dat=19720405&id=05ZeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=EVENAAAAIBAJ&pg=7069%2C3034916 |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=littleguests>{{cite news |title=Cleavon Little Guests – Mod Squad Opens 5th Season |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=August 31, 1972 |page=B2A}}</ref>
<ref name=premieres>{{cite news |title=Television Premieres Abound Tonight |newspaper=[[The Palm Beach Post]] |page=B7 |date=September 12, 1972}}</ref>
<ref name=favorites>{{cite news |title=Clues to Shows' Popularity Found in Ratings of Debuts |first=Rick |last=Du Brow |newspaper=[[The Register-Mail|Galesburg Register]] |date=September 19, 1972 |page=6}}</ref>
<ref name=bonanzadrop>{{cite news |title=NBC will drop Bonanza in Middle of Its 14th Season |first=Cecil |last=Smith |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=November 7, 1972 |page=A3}}</ref>
<ref name=final>{{cite news |title=Last Episode of Bonanza Aired 40 Years Ago on Jan. 16 |url=http://www.carsonnow.org/story/01/03/2013/last-episode-bonanza-aired-40-years-ago-jan-16 |first=Chic |last=DiFrancia |newspaper=Carson City News |location=[[Carson City, Nevada]] |date=January 16, 1973 |access-date=August 5, 2014}}</ref>
<ref name=whitwife>{{cite news |title=Whitmore, Wife Tell How Series Roles Ended |first=Jim |last=O'Brien |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=August 10, 1973 |page=D15}}</ref>
<ref name=transformation>{{cite news |title=The Transformation of Temperatures Rising Brings on Nervousness |first=Cecil |last=Smith |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=October 7, 1973 |page=N2}}</ref>
<ref name=Lyndestars>{{cite news |title=Lynde Stars in New Temperatures |first=Cecil |last=Smith |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=September 12, 1973 |page=C12}}</ref>
<ref name=quits>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/18209130/ |title=Paul Lynde Quits Law to Practice Medicine |first=Bob |last=Martin |newspaper=[[Press-Telegram]] |location=Long Beach, California |page=C12}} {{subscription required}}</ref>
<ref name=dehner>{{cite news |newspaper=Panama City News Herald |location=Panama City, Florida |date=October 21, 1973 |title=On the Set |page=50}}</ref>
<ref name=compprime>{{harvnb|Brooks|Marsh|2007|p=1365}}</ref>
<ref name=shoddiest>{{cite news |first=Cecil |last=Smith |title=The New Season: It Might Be the Shoddiest One in Several Years |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=September 9, 1973 |page=M2, M24}}</ref>
<ref name=73sept23>{{cite news |title=Television Schedule |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=September 23, 1973 |page=M26}}</ref>
<ref name=73sept16>{{cite news |title=Television Schedule |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=September 16, 1973 |page=M21}}</ref>
<ref name=73sept30>{{cite news |title=Television Schedule |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=September 30, 1973 |page=M24}}</ref>
<ref name=73oct7>{{cite news |title=Television Schedule |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=October 7, 1973 |page=N20}}</ref>
<ref name=73oct28>{{cite news |title=Television Schedule |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=October 28, 1973 |page=M24}}</ref>
<ref name=oldfav>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1982&dat=19730925&id=B79GAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZDMNAAAAIBAJ&pg=871,4071649 |first=Jay |last=Sharbutt |title=Old Favorites Dominate New TV Season – But Then There's Return of Temperatures |newspaper=The Evening News |location=[[Newburgh, New York]] |date=September 25, 1973 |page=8B |access-date=June 29, 2014 |archive-date=January 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114155038/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1982&dat=19730925&id=B79GAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZDMNAAAAIBAJ&pg=871%2C4071649 |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=duke>{{cite web |title=An Interview with E. Duke Vincent |url=http://classicshowbiz.blogspot.com/2011/06/interview-with-e-duke-vincent.html |website=Classic Television Showbiz |date=June 10, 2011 |access-date=July 5, 2014 |archive-date=August 21, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140821145120/http://classicshowbiz.blogspot.com/2011/06/interview-with-e-duke-vincent.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=73dec30>{{cite news |title=Television Schedule |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=January 6, 1974 |page=I20}}</ref>
<ref name=happydays>{{cite news |title=Television Schedule |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=January 13, 1973 |page=M21}}</ref>
<ref name=newformat>{{cite news |title=New Format Slated for Temperatures |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=November 19, 1973 |page=D19}}</ref>
<ref name=firstofseven>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/19121939/ |title=First of Seven New Episodes of Temperatures Rising Airs Tonight at 8 |newspaper=[[Naples Daily News]] |date=July 14, 1974 |page=19H}} {{subscription required}}</ref>
<ref name=uptominute>{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1665&dat=19740814&id=yZVPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ryQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6556,4339605&hl=en |title=Up-to-the-Minute Program Preview |newspaper=[[Times-News (Hendersonville, North Carolina)|Times-News]] |date=August 14, 1971 |access-date=January 15, 2015 |page=9}}</ref>
<ref name=74july21>{{cite news |title=Television Schedule |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=July 21, 1974 |page=S21}}</ref>
<ref name=74aug25>{{cite news |title=Three Summer |newspaper=[[Press Telegram]] |date=August 29, 1974 |page=20}}</ref>
<ref name=74sept8>{{cite news |title=Television Schedule |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=September 8, 1974 |page=O36}}</ref>
<ref name=Tur202>{{harvnb|Turow|1989|p=202}}</ref>
<ref name=Tur203>{{harvnb|Turow|1989|pp=203–204}}</ref>
<ref name=Tur205>{{harvnb|Turow|1989|p=205}}</ref>
}}

===Bibliography===
* {{cite book |first1=Tim |last1=Brooks |first2=Earle F. |last2=Marsh |title=[[The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–Present]] |edition=Ninth |publisher=[[Ballantine Books]] |location=New York |date=2007 |isbn=978-0-345-49773-4}}
* {{cite book |last=Turow |first=Joseph |date=1989 |title=Playing Doctor: Television, Storytelling, and Medical Power |location=New York |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-504490-4}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Comedy|Television}}
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{epguides|id=TemperaturesRising}}
* Photo gallery from [https://www.gettyimages.com/photos/the-new-temperatures-rising-show?family=editorial&phrase=%27The%20New%20Temperatures%20Rising%20Show%27&sort=mostpopular#license Temperatures Rising]

[[Category:1970s American single-camera sitcoms]]
[[Category:1970s American workplace comedy television series]]
[[Category:1972 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:1974 American television series endings]]
[[Category:1970s American medical television series]]
[[Category:Television series by Sony Pictures Television]]
[[Category:American English-language television shows]]
[[Category:Television shows set in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Television series by Screen Gems]]
[[Category:American Broadcasting Company sitcoms]]