TV Guide Fall Preview covers

TV Guide’s annual Fall Preview edition was always a thick, chunky Special (the September 10, 1977 Preview edition was the biggest seller in TV Guide’s history) and an opportunity for Jerry Alten, the Art Director (1967-1992) to get away from the weekly photo or illustration of some showbiz star and go for a typographic cover. 

    The odd thing about so many of them was hyphenating the word Preview, finally done away with in 1996.  Over the years these Specials got thicker and thicker and the staples were replaced with perfect binding in 1980.

    Alten chose a lot of well-known graphic artists to design these covers: Milton Glaser; Michael Forman; Barry Zaid; George Giusti; Michael Doret among others.  After 2000 the Preview covers lost their unique type look and changed to the usual celebrity style.  The covers below are a small selection of the Preview Specials.

September14, 1968.

September 13, 1969.

September 12, 1970.

September 11, 1971.

September 9, 1972 and the same design was used for September 8, 1973 cover.

September 7, 1974.  Goerge Giusti

September 6, 1975.

September 18, 1976.  Seymour Chwast.

September 10, 1977.

September 9, 1978.  George Giusti.

September  8, 1979

September 13, 1980.  Barry Zaid.

September 12, 1981.



September 11, 1982.



September 10, 1983.

September 8, 1984.  Bernard Bonhomme.

September 14, 1985.  Michael Foreman.



September 13, 1986.  Milton Glaser.

September 12, 1987.  Byrd/Beserra Studios.

October 1, 1988.  Milton Glaser.



September 9 1989.  Jeffrey Lynch



September 15, 1990.  Mike Radencich.

September 14,1991.  Mike Radencich.

September 12, 1992.  Jeff Lynch.



September 18, 1993.



September 17, 1994.

September 16, 1995.  Studio Macbeth.

September 14, 1996.  Tom Nikosey.

September 13, 1997.  Tom Nikosey.

September 12, 1998.  Michael Doret.

September 11, 1999.  Ann Field.

September 30, 2000.

September 13, 2003.  Alberto Tolet..  This cover is the same as the September 14 1957 Preview