TV by the Decade :: May 9•15

Cartoon Network

Three new series premiered this week in two different decades, and two of those three series ran for six seasons each, while the third aired for just two seasons. All of the series this week are scripted, two for adults and one for kids (and adults as well). Let’s take a look and see if you remember any of these shows.

1951

• No new shows premiered this week in 1951.

1961

• No new shows premiered this week in 1961.

1971

• No new shows premiered this week in 1971.

1981

• No new shows premiered this week in 1981.

1991

May 11 – Sisters

• Cast: Swoosie Kurtz, Patricia Kalember, Sela Ward, Elizabeth Hoffman, Garrett M. Brown, Julianne Phillips, Heather McAdam, Jill Novick, Sharon Martin, Ed Marinaro
• Guest Cast: Ashley Judd, Sheila Kelley, Robert Klein, Nora Dunn, Paul Rudd, David Dukes, George Clooney, Eric Close, Jo Anderson, John Wesley Shipp, David Gianopoulos, Gregory Harrison, Bruce Weitz, Tuc Wtkins, Franc Luz, Philip Casnoff, Charlotte Rae, Tammy Lauren, Isabella Hoffman, George Furth, Doris Belack, William Katt, Sal Viscuso, Tamlyn Tomita, Shelley Morrison, Henry Gibson, Henry Darrow, Peggy Pope, Kirsten Dunst, Paul Dooley, Dennis Boutsikaris, Joyce Van Patten, Jayne Meadows, CCH Pounder, Jerry Hardon, Audrey Meadows, Nan Martin, Darren McGavin, Willard Scott, Louis Giambalvo, Harriet Sansom Harris, Raphael Sbarge, Amy Aquino, George Hearn, Diane Ladd, Ian Abercombie, Elya Baskin, Joyce Brothers, Denise Crosby, Nicolas Surovy, Granville Van Dusen, Jonathan Del Arco, Tony Jay, John McMartin, Chris Sarandon, Elayne Boosler, John Schneider, Concetta Tomei, Jeffrey COmbs, Robert Mandan, Larry Poindexter, Stuart Pankin, Carrie Snodgrass, Patrika Darbo, Wil Shriner, Barney Martin, Nicholas Pryor, Barbara Babcock, Joe Mantello, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Dorothy Lyman, James Hong, David Groh, John Schuck, Naomi Judd, James Karen, Marianne Muellerleile, Gary Beach, Bodhi Elfman, Dena Dietrich, Steve Hytner, Lin Shaye, Thomas Ian Nicholas, J.J. Johnston, Steven Culp, John O’Hurley, Iqbal Theba, Michael Trucco, Larry Anderson, Ilene Graff, Robert Duncan McNeill, Christina Pickles
• Synopsis: Follows the lives and loves of four close, but very different, sisters of the Reed family living in Winnetka, Illinois.
• Network: NBC
• Broadcast History: Six seasons, 128 episodes, last broadcast on May 4, 1996
• Trivia: Patrick Duffy, Leslie Moonves and Suzanne Somers made uncredited appearances as themselves. The first two seasons began with the sisters’ weekly chat in a steam bath, but was changed to a more traditional opening with the third season. An opening theme piano solo was also added. Patricia Kalember’s husband Daniel Gerroll guest starred as her character’s predatory therapist for 11 episodes in Season 5. Naomi Judd guest starred on the episode that marked the final appearance of Ashley Judd. The series received a total of eight Emmy Award nominations, winning once in 1994 for Sela Ward as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Swoosie Kurtz was nominated in the same category in 1993 and 1994. Kurtz was the only sister to appear in every episode. Sela Ward was pregnant during the fourth season, but producers chose to hide it instead of writing it into the script. She never had to take time off as she gave birth shortly after the season completed filming. Ward was offered the role of Frankie, but after reading the script she wanted to try out for Teddy instead. Sada Thompson was offered the role of the mother but declined.

2001

• No new shows premiered this week in 2001.

2011

May 9 – The Amazing World of Gumball

• Voice Cast: Dan Russell, Teresa Gallagher, Kerry Shale, Kyla Rae Kowalewski, Jacob Hopkins, Terrell Ransom Jr., Hugo Harold-Harrison, Sandra Dickinson, Logan Grove, Kwesi Boakye, Mic Graves, Jessica McDonald, Nicolas Cantu
• Guest Voice Cast: Brian Blessed, Shane Rimmer, David Warner, John Kassir, Derek Jacobi
• Synopsis: The series revolves around the life of a 12-year-old cat named Gumball Watterson and his frequent shenanigans in the fictional American city of Elmore, accompanied by his adopted goldfish brother and best friend Darwin.
• Network: Cartoon Network
• Broadcast History: Six seasons, 240 episodes, last broadcast on June 24, 2019
• Trivia: A feature of the series is a lack of stylistic unity with characters designed, filmed and animated using different styles and techniques. The end of the series was followed by the 219 miniseries Darwin’s Yearbook, and the 2020 miniseries The Gumball Chronicles. Series creator Ben Bocquelet used rejected characters he’d created for other projects and put them together in a school setting. Carrie the Ghost was in 3D if you put on 3D glasses. Carrie’s last name is Kruger, making her an homage to two classic horror characters. Gumball, Darwin and Anais are the only characters voiced by actual children. The series included crossovers with other shows including Miracle Star, a Chinese clone of the show, Clarence, Regular Show and Uncle Grandpa. Gumball also made a cameo appearance on OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes. A series of thirteen shorts titled Waiting for Gumball were also produced. On February 17, 2021, a TV movie titled The Amazing World of Gumball Movie was announced.

May 13 – Femme Fatales

• Cast: Tanit Phoenix Copley
• Guest Cast: Stephen Macht, Steve Railaback, Jeff Fahey, Paul Mazursky, Eric Roberts, Kyle Gass, Chris Mulkey, Angus Scrimm, Jeffrey Combs, Robert Picardo, Casper Van Dien, Isaiah Mustafa, Vivica A. Fox, Dean Haglund
• Synopsis: An anthology television series, inspired by the men’s magazine of the same name. Each episode features an antiheroic woman, intercut with softcore pornographic scenes. Lilith (Tanit Phoenix) introduces each episode Rod Serling-style and occasionally appears within the narrative.
• Network: Cinemax
• Broadcast History: Two seasons, 28 episodes, last broadcast on August 10, 2012
• Trivia: Richard Kind made an uncredited appearance as a studio executive that was an homage to Kirk Douglas’ character in The Bad & the Beautiful, and Adam Goldberg appeared uncredited as himself. Some characters made appearances in more than one episode. The title is incorrect French, which should read Femmes Fatale.