TV by the Decade :: September 8•14

Universal Television

It’s Premiere Week — Part 1 — with dozens of new series making their debuts across all decades. One notable 1954 series about a lovable dog went on to become one of the longest running series in TV history. A 1964 sci-fi series was spun off from a popular 1961 feature film. 1974 gave us a sitcom spun-off from another very popular sitcom, a family series based on a series of beloved novels, another series spun-off from a popular film franchise, a horror series that has attained cult status, and sitcom that had a tragic end. 1984 gave us the syndicated debut of a classic game show still running today, as well as a collection of animated shows based on videogames and toys. 1994 produced a cop show set in a multiverse of other series by the same creator, a classic family drama, and a groundbreaking sitcom that had an ill-effect on its star. 2004 gave us yet another spin-off from a popular comedy series, an animated series starring a certain Dark Knight, and 2014 gave us a zombie series that was the comedic answer to The Walking Dead. Check out more about these series below and see what other new shows made their debuts this week. Are any of your favorites on the list? Tell us in the comments section below!

1954

September 9 – Captain Midnight (CBS, Two seasons, 39 episodes)
September 10 – Dear Phoebe (NBC, One season, 31 episodes)
September 12 – Lassie (CBS/Syndication, Nineteen seasons, 591 episodes)
September 13 – Medic (NBC, Two seasons, 59 episodes)

Episodes 1-116 of Lassie are also known as Jeff’s Collie, and episodes 117-352 are also known as Timmy & Lassie. It is the eighth longest-running scripted American primetime television series. The first 17 seasons aired on CBS, with the final two airing in Syndication. The show was originally in black-and-white, and transitioned to color in 1965. Tommy Rettig starred as Jeff Miller for the first three seasons. The series transitioned from the Miller family to the Martin family with Season 4, with Jon Provost as Timmy and Cloris Leachman as Ruth. June Lockhart took over the role of Ruth in Season 5 and remained with the series for four more seasons. The series shifted again beginning with Season 11 to Lassie’s adventures with the U.S. Forest Service, with Robert Bray as Ranger Corey Stuart. Season 17 found Lassie getting into her own different adventures each week similar to The Littlest Hobo, and Seasons 18-19 had Lassie settle in at the Holden Ranch, with Ron Hayes as Garth Holden. Lassie was played by six different collies during the run of the series, with additional collies performing stunts. The series earned two Emmy Awards for Best Children’s Program in 1955 and 1956. It also won the Peabody Award in 1956. Lassie, June Lockhart and Jon Provost all were awarded stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Timmy’s shirt, jeans and Keds sneakers are displayed at the Smithsonian Institution. The show was parodied on an episode of The Flintstones with a dinosaur named ‘Sassie’ and her Lassie-like adventures.

1964

September 14 – Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (ABC , Four seasons, 110 episodes)

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea is based on the 1961 feature film of the same name, which enabled the series to use the film’s sets, costumes, props, special effects models and occasional footage. It was the first of Irwin Allen’s science fiction TV series, and the longest running. It was also the longest running American science fiction series of the 1960s with continuing characters. The first season was filmed in black-and-white (the pilot was filmed in color but broadcast in black-and-white), with the remaining episodes produced in color. The first two seasons take place in the future of the 1970s, while the last two seasons take place in the 1980s. The Season 2 episode ‘The Sky’s On Fire’ was a basic reworking of the feature film’s story. While the series was initially about underwater exploration and a secret mission to guard the planet from hostile Cold War forces, the final two seasons leaned into more paranormal storylines that were popular at the time. Episodes 28 and 73 are both titled ‘The Creature’.

1974

MTM Enterprises

September 9 – Rhoda (CBS, Five seasons, 110 episodes)
September 9 – Dinah! (Syndication, Six seasons, 568 episodes)
September 11 – Little House on the Prairie (NBC, Nine seasons, 204 episodes, 4 specials)
September 12 – Harry O (ABC, Two seasons, 44 episodes)
September 13 – Chico and the Man (NBC, Four seasons, 88 episodes)
September 13 – The Rockford Files (NBC, Six seasons, 123 episodes, 9 TV movies)
September 13 – Police Woman (NBC, Four seasons, 91 episodes)
September 13 – The Texas Wheelers (ABC, One season, 8 episodes)
September 13 – Kolchak: The Night Stalker (ABC, One season, 20 episodes)
September 13 – Planet of the Apes (CBS, One season, 14 episodes, 1 unaired)
September 14 – The New Land (ABC, One season, 13 episodes, 7 unaired)
September 14 – Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers (CBS, One season, 15 episodes)

Rhoda was a spin-off from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, with Valerie Harper reprising her role as Rhoda Morgenstern. The series was a ratings success during its first two seasons, but viewers turned on the show after producers decided to dissolve the marriage of Rhoda and Joe Gerard, because they believed Rhoda had lost her edge as a married woman. Ratings never recovered and CBS cancelled the show midway through its fifth season, leaving four episodes unaired until the show entered the Syndication market. During its run, the show earned 11 Golden Globe nominations, winning Best Television Series – Comedy and Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy for Harper in 1974. It also earned 17 Emmy Award nominations, winning Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1975, and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 1978 for Julie Kavner. A primetime animated spin-off pilot, Carlton Your Doorman, aired on May 21, 1980 and won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program, but was not picked up to series.

Little House on the Prairie is loosely based on Laura Ingalls Wilder’s best-selling series of Little House books. Michael Landon was approached to direct the show’s TV movie pilot, which he agreed to do on the condition he could play Charles Ingalls. The pilot was based on the third book of the Little House series. After Landon and Karen Grassle left the series after Season 8, a ninth season was considered for Syndication but was retitled Little House: A New Beginning instead and broadcast on NBC. Melissa Gilbert appeared in 190 of the show’s 204 episodes and three post-series movies. Landon appeared in all but four of the Seasons 1-8 episodes. He did guest in Season 9 and appeared in two of the post-series TV movies. Grassle only returned for one of the post-series TV movies. Melissa Sue Anderson departed at the end of Season 7 and guested in Season 8.

Chico and the Man was said to be based on the Cheech & Chong skits ‘The Old Man in the Park’ and ‘Pedro and Man’. The pair stated they had been approached to star in the show by series creator James Komack but declined. NBC suggested Jack Albertson to play The Man, and while he was not impressed with the pilot script he trusted Komack’s reputation with shows like The Courtship of Eddie’s Father and Welcome Back, Kotter. Komack spotted Freddie Prinze on The Tonight Show and thought he would be perfect for Chico, and he won the role even though NBC execs initially rejected him. Sadly, Prinze shot himself on January 28, 1977 and died the following day at the age of 22. The last episode to star Prinze, ‘Ed Talks to God’, was taped several hours before his death. Producers contemplated ending the series but wrote Chico out of the show and completed the season with three episodes in which Chico was said to have gone to Mexico to visit his father. A 12-year-old boy named Raul was brought in to replace Chico for the fourth season. In a two-part episode, Raul finds some of Chico’s belongings and begins playing a guitar, which Ed smashes in anger. Raul runs away to Mexico believing Ed doesn’t love him anymore. Ed finds him and explains that Chico died, but doesn’t say how, giving closure to Chico’s fate in the series. NBC put the show on hiatus after one additional episode, with the remaining episodes airing through the Summer of 1978, with one episode remaining unaired.

Kolchak: The Night Stalker was preceded by two TV movies, The Night Stalker and The Night Strangler. The series was a major influence on The X-Files. It marked the first professional writing credits for Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale. David Chase (The Sopranos) worked as a story editor, his first regular staff position in Hollywood. Star Darren McGavin found himself rewriting many of the scripts and acting as a producer with no credit. He became tired of the show’s gruelling schedule and ‘monster of the week’ storylines and asked to be released from his contract with two episodes remaining to be filmed. ABC agreed due to the show’s dwindling ratings. Two addition TV movies, The Demon and the Mummy and Crackle of Death, were cobbled together from previously aired episodes with some new footage, and a voice over from McGavin to maintain some continuity with the series. CBS began airing the series late night in 1979 where it became a huge success. It was reaired two more times in 1981 and in 1978-1979. Universal held back four episodes to create the TV movies, but all 20 episodes finally aired for the first time since 1975 on the Sci Fi Channel in the early 1990s.

Planet of the Apes was based on the popular series of movies. After successfully broadcasting the first three movies, CBS entertained ideas for a sci-fi TV series, passing over other contenders including Gene Roddenberry’s Genesis II. Roddy McDowall, who played ape Cornelius in the first and third film, and Caesar, the son of Cornelius, in the last two films, is the only cast member to appear in the series as ape Galen.

1984

September 8 – Dragon’s Lair (ABC, One season, 13 episodes)
September 8 – Mighty Orbots (ABC, One season, 13 episodes)
September 8 – Turbo Teen (ABC, One season, 13 episodes)
September 8 – Challenge of the GoBots (Syndication, Two seasons, 65 episodes)
September 10 – Jeopardy! (Syndication, Forty seasons, 8,000-plus episodes to date)
September 10 – Voltron: Defender of the Universe (Syndication, Three seasons, 124 episodes)
September 13 – Glitter (ABC, One season, 14 episodes)
September 14 – Hawaiian Heat (ABC, One season, 10 episodes, 1 TV movie)

Dragon’s Lair was based on the 1983 videogame of the same name. Challenge of the GoBots was based on the toy line released by Tonka. Voltron: Defender of the Universe is an adaptation of the Japanese super robot anime series Beast King Go-Lion, which was dubbed into English and edited to create Voltron episodes. Later episodes also use footage from the mecha anime Armored Fleet Dairugger XV.

1994

Keyser/Lippman Productions

September 8 – New York Undercover (FOX, Four seasons, 89 episodes)
September 10 – Bump in the Night (ABC, Two seasons, 26 episodes, 1 special)
September 10 – The Magic School Bus (PBS, Four seasons, 52 episodes)
September 10 – Beethoven (CBS, One season, 13 episodes)
September 10 – The Tick (FOX Kids, Three seasons, 36 episodes)
September 11 – The Boys Are Back (CBS, One season, 18 episodes, 2 unaired)
September 12 – Party of Five (FOX, Six seasons, 142 episodes)
September 12 – The Gordon Elliott Show (Syndication, Three seasons, last broadcast on September 5, 1997)
September 12 – Jones & Jury (Syndication, One season, last broadcast on May 5, 1995)
September 12 – The New Price is Right (Syndication, Two seasons, 80 episodes)
September 12 – The Newz (Syndication, Two seasons, 61 episodes)
September 12 – The Suzanne Somers Show (Syndication, One season, 65 episodes)
September 13 – On Our Own (ABC, One season, 20 episodes)
September 14 – All American Girl (ABC, One season, 19 episodes)

New York Undercover was co-created and produced by Dick Wolf, and its storylines take place in the same universe as Wolf’s Law & Order, Chicago and FBI series, as well as Homicide: Life on the Street. The show’s original title was Uptown Undercover, a reference to executive producer Andre Harrell’s record label Uptown Records. Actors Malik Yoba and Michael DeLorenzo held up production for three days before production began on Season 3 with demands for a higher salary, a gym and trailers for the stars and better food provided on set. Wolf declined their demands, telling them the show wasn’t Friends (where the actors banded together for a salary increase of $1 million each). The actors returned to work but tensions remained between Wolf and DeLorenzo, leading to his character being killed off in the Season 3 finale. Yoba remained for the fourth and final season.

Party of Five suffered from low ratings during its first two seasons, with TV Guide naming it ‘The Best Show You’re Not Watching’. There was speculation the show would be cancelled but it won the Golden Globe for Best Television Series – Drama in 1996 and its popularity grew over the remaining seasons. The show was nominated again in 1997. The series scored just one Emmy nomination for Sound Editing in 1996. One of the show’s stars, Jennifer Love Hewitt, was spun-off into her own show in 1999, Time of Your Life, which aired for just one season. The series was pitched by the network as a more lighthearted show but the producers disliked the Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead premise of a bunch of teens without parents running wild, taking the show in a more dramatic direction. Jerry O’Connell was offered the role of Bailey, but chose to do Sliders instead. Scott Wolf auditioned for the role and was cast the same day, the first of the actors to be cast. Neve Campbell was still living in Canada at the time of her audition, which she did while visiting Los Angeles interviewing with different talent agencies. She won the role of Julie and moved to L.A. after the show was picked up to series.

All American Girl starred Margaret Cho and was loosely based on her personal life growing up in a Korean American family in San Francisco. Cho later said that was just a way to bring her fans to the show. ABC promoted the series as the first to star Asian Americans, but the network had broadcast Mr. T and Tina, about a Japanese American man and his two children, nearly 20 years earlier. Unlike the stars of Roseanne, Ellen and Grace Under Fire, Cho had little input into the show’s creative process. Network execs began to criticize Cho for her weight, which she said was not a problem before filming began, and urged her to go on a crash diet. She lost 30 pounds in two weeks resulting in Cho having to be hospitalized with kidney failure, leading to health issues that persisted for years after the show ended.

2004

September 9 – Joey (NBC, Two seasons, 46 episodes)
September 9 – Medical Investigation (NBC, One season, 20 episodes)
September 11 – The Batman (Kids’ WB, Five seasons, 65 episodes)
September 11 – Da Boom Crew (Kids’ WB, One season, 13 episodes, 9 unaired)
September 12 – Jack & Bobby (The WB, One season, 22 episodes)
September 12 – Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide (Nickelodeon, Three seasons, 54 episodes)
September 12 – Unfabulous (Nickelodeon, Three seasons, 41 episodes)
September 13 – A Place of Our Own (PBS, Four seasons, 100 episodes)
September 13 – Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan (National Geographic, Nine seasons, 162 episodes)
September 13 – The Insider (Syndication, Thirteen seasons, 4,074 episodes)
September 13 – The Tony Danza Show (Syndication, Two seasons, 330 episodes)
September 13 – The Benefactor (ABC, One season, 6 episodes)
September 13 – LAX (NBC, One season, 13 episodes)
September 13 – Higglytown Heroes (Playhouse Disney, Three seasons, 65 episodes)

Joey was the spin-off of Friends starring Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani. Robert Costanzo, who played Joey’s father on the first season of Friends, reprised his role on the series making him and LeBlanc the only two actors from Friends to reprise their roles. None of the other Friends cast appeared on the show, but David Schwimmer did direct several episodes.

The Batman won six Daytime Emmy Awards during its run out of twelve nominations.

2014

The Asylum

September 8 – The Meredith Vieira Show (Syndication, Two seasons, 290 episodes)
September 8 – Love Prison (A&E, One season, 7 episodes)
September 10 – I Heart Nick Carter (VH1, One season, 8 episodes)
September 12 – Z Nation (Syfy, Five seasons, 68 episodes)
September 13 – Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn (Nickelodeon, Four seasons, 82 episodes)

Z Nation was produced by The Asylum. A TV movie was to be aired to bridge the events of Seasons 2 and 3, but it was presented as the first two episodes of Season 3 instead. The Asylum posted to social media in March 2024 that a sixth season of the show may be in the works. Series star Kellita Smith cameoed as her character Roberta Warren in Syfy’s Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!, after remarking on a tornado in a Season 1 episode, ‘They ain’t sharks!’ Russell Hodgkinson appeared in 2017’s Sharknado 5: Global Swarming as his character Doc. The Sharknado films were also produced by The Asylum. A prequel series, Black Summer, was produced for Netflix and streamed for two seasons.

Share this post