Blye-Bearde Productions
The beat goes on for one 1971 summer series that found success and a permanent spot on a network schedule, but almost all of the rest of this week’s new Summer series found it hard to hold up under the heat of August, earning themselves shorter than hoped for runs. But a comedian did find success in 2001 with a series that equaled the 1971 show in number of seasons, but still fell short on the episode count. Let’s took a look to see which of these shows you remember!
1951
- No new series debuted in 1951.
1961
- No new series debuted in 1961.
1971
August 1 – The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour
- Cast: Sonny & Cher, Peter Cullen (1971-1974), Freeman King (1971-1974), Murray Langston (1971-1974), Clark Carr (1971-1972), Tom Solari (1971-1972), Ted Zeigler (1971-1972), Steve Martin (1972-1975), Billy Van (1973-1976), Bob Einstein (1973-1974), Teri Garr (1973-1974)
- Guest Cast: Merv Griffin, Tennessee Ernie Ford, William Conrad, Jim Nabors, Joe Namath, Ken Berry, Jean Stapleton, Danny Thomas, Jackson 5, Sally Struthers, Lyle Waggoner, Jimmy Durante, Carol Burnett, Chad Everett, Jerry Lewis, Telly Savalas, Robert Goulet, Andy Griffith, Jack Palance, Ricardo Montalban, Ed McMahon, Jeanette Nolan, Glen Campbell, Carroll O’Connor, Mary Wilson, Mike Connors, Larry Storch, Bobby Vinton, George Burns, Tony Curtis, Lorne Greene, Burt Reynolds, Bobby Sherman, Gary Merrill, Truman Capote, Chuck Connors, Kris Kristofferson, Vincent Price, Dennis Weaver, Joel Grey, O.J. Simpson, Rita Coolidge, Howard Cosell, John Davidson, Billie Jean King, The Temptations, Carol Lawrence, Bill Medley, Ted Neeley, George Foreman, Phyllis Diller, Harvey Korman, Jim Brown, Art Carney, Bobby Darin, Sandy Duncan, Dennis Edwards, Ralph Edwards, Van Johnson, Howard Keel, Tony Randall, Ronald Reagan, Dinah Shore, Kate Smith, Rick Springfield, Andy Williams, Don Adams, Paul Anka, Chuck Berry, John Byner, Edd Byrnes, Dick Clark, The Coasters, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Bob Guccione, Hugh Hefner, Wolfman Jack, Lassie, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Peter Noone, Neil Sedaka, Martha Smith, Mark Spitz, Frankie Valli, Cindy Birdsong, Joyce Brothers, The Righteous Brothers, Glenn Ford, Wilfrid Hyde-White
- Synopsis: Musical-Comedy Variety Show
- Network: CBS
- Broadcast History: Four seasons, 67 episodes, last broadcast on May 29, 1974
- Trivia: CBS chief Fred Silverman saw Sonny & Cher performing in a club and offered them a series. The show began as a summer replacement but high ratings earned the show a permanent time slot later in the year. The show was a Top 20 hit for its entire run, and was cancelled only because of Sonny & Cher’s divorce, though they returned in 1976 with the similarly formatted The Sonny & Cher Show. The opening and closing of the show, as well as the ‘concert’ segments with Sonny & Cher and the musical guests, were taped in front of a live audience. The comedy sketches were generally taped without an audience due to blocking, costuming, and other production requirements, with a laugh track added in post production. The series was nominated for 22 Emmy Awards, winning one in 1972 for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety or Music. The series was nominated twice for the Golden Globe for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy in 1973 and 1974, and Cher won a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical.
1981
August 7 – The Krypton Factor
- Host: Dick Clark
- Synopsis: With the aim of finding the ‘perfect human’, this show ran contestants through a wide variety of competitions, designed to test knowledge, memory, reflexes, strength, endurance and coordination.
- Network: ABC
- Broadcast History: One season, five episodes, last broadcast on September 4, 1981
- Trivia: The series was revived in 1990 with host Willie Aames. It aired on season in Syndication from September 15, 1990 – September 7, 1991.
1991
- No new series debuted in 1991.
2001
August 1 – All About Us
- Cast: Alecia Elliott, Marieh Delfino, Crystal Celeste Grant, Alicia Lagano
- Guest Cast: Eddie Matos, Mark Correy, Marcus Coloma, Shannon O’Hurley, Justin Cooper, Justin Cooper, Michelle Phillips, Riley Smith
- Synopsis: The series focuses on the development of four teenage girls who live and attend high school in Chicago.
- Network: NBC
- Broadcast History: One season, 13 episodes, last broadcast on November 10, 2001
- Trivia: The premiere episode was directed by Fred Savage. The Saturday morning series was cancelled after one season because NBC decided to abandon programming Saturday mornings, leasing the time to Discovery Networks programming.
August 1 – The Nightmare Room
- Narrator: James Avery
- Guest Cast: Sam Jones III, Allison Mack, Madeline Zima, Kevin Meaney, Dan Byrd, Brian Gaskill, Justin Berfield, Amanda Bynes, Shia LaBeouf, Drake Bell, Roger Lodge, David Naughton, Kerrie Keane, David Carradine, Ken Foree, Tippi Hedren, John C. McGinley, Robert Englund, Angus Scrimm, Dylan Sprouse, Kaley Cuoco, Frankie Muniz, Erik Aude, Cole Sprouse, Holly Marie Combs, James Karen, Beth Broderick
- Synopsis: Anthology series centered on teens facing supernatural threats, many based on the books by R.L. Stine.
- Network: Kids’ WB
- Broadcast History: One season, 13 episodes, last broadcast on March 16, 2002
- Trivia: Kids’ WB’s only live-action series. The series received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing.
August 5 – Insomniac with Dave Attell
- Cast: Dave Attell
- Guest Cast: Jerry Lawler, Ronald Primas, Briana Banks, Rick Harrison, Tom Rhodes
- Synopsis: Join ‘tour-guide’ Dave Attell as he takes a look at nightlife in different cities around the country until sunrise.
- Network: Comedy Central
- Broadcast History: Four seasons, 45 episodes, last broadcast on November 11, 2004
- Trivia: Six one-hour specials were broadcast after the show ended. Due to budgetary constraints, composer/music producer Bob Golden had Dave Attell speak/sing the song’s lyric for the demo recording. The network liked it so much that the demo became the final broadcast theme song with no revisions – Attell’s original vocal performance remains.
2011
August 1 – Secret Mountain Fort Awesome
- Voice Cast: Peter Browngardt, Pat Duke, Steve Little, Paul Rugg
- Guest Voice Cast: Clive Revill, Tom Kenny, Grey Griffin, Pat Fraley, Dee Bradley Baker, Dee Snider, Kath Soucie, Steve Blum
- Synopsis: Five monsters try to live the most awesome lives possible, while trying to also avoid the hatred thrown at them by humans.
- Network: Cartoon Network
- Broadcast History: Two seasons, 26 episodes, last broadcast on March 29, 2012
- Trivia: Loosely based on the antagonists that appeared in Uncle Grandpa. The show premiered as a sneak peak on August 1, followed by a formal premiere on September 26. Designers Robertryan Cory and Chris Tsirgiotis won Emmy Awards for Outstanding Individual in Animation” at the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony.
August 2 – Take the Money and Run
- Cast: Paul Bishop, Mary Hanlon-Stone
- Synopsis: Contestants try to hide a briefcase filled with $100,000 from professional detectives and other investigators in various locales around the United States.
- Network: ABC
- Broadcast History: One season, 6 episodes, last broadcast on September 6, 2011
August 5 – Friends with Benefits
- Cast: Ryan Hansen, Danneel Ackles, Zach Cregger, André Holland André Holland, Jessica Lucas
- Guest Cast: Lee Garlington, Paula Marshall, Brian McNamara, Ryan McPartlin, Pete Wentz, Collette Wolfe, Jillian Bell, Brent Briscoe, Kyle Davis, Tina Lifford, Rebecca Mader, Mikey Day, Camilla Luddington, Arielle Vandenberg, Dave Foley, Christina Pickles
- Synopsis: The series follows a group of friends living in Chicago. It involves a very close friendship between two of the friends, who are each looking for the perfect mate, and the others who question their relationship, but at the same time, have their own romantic problems to deal with.
- Network: NBC
- Broadcast History: One season, 13 episodes (1 unaired), last broadcast on September 9, 2011
- Trivia: The series was originally developed for ABC. The series was intended to debut at mid-season , but was delayed until Summer. The last, unaired episode was made available through various streaming services. In the pilot, Fran Kranz was cast as Aaron but he was replaced by Zach Cregger for the series. The character of Hoon in the pilot was portrayed by Ian Reed Kesler, but for the series the character became Fitz, played by Andre Holland.
August 7 – Hillbilly Handfishin’
- Cast: Skipper Bivins, Trent Jackson
- Synopsis: Hillbilly Handfishin’ takes a group of city-slickers & drops them off in the hands of self-proclaimed hillbilly, hand-fisherman, Skipper Bivins. He teaches them the art of noodling, the act of catching fish with one’s bare hands & feet. These individuals must overcome fears & become one with nature in order to catch a big one.
- Network: Animal Planet
- Broadcast History: Two seasons, 19 episodes, last broadcast on August 5, 2013
- Trivia: The pilot episode aired on September 24, 2010.
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