HBO
Three new series premiered this week in two different decades, with runs between two and seven seasons, and one of them going on to become a multiple-Emmy winner and a classic of comedy television (and political satire). One show even managed a five season run on two networks and in syndication. Read on to see if your favorite shows are celebrating anniversaries this week!
1952
- No new series premiered this week in 1952.
1962
- No new series premiered this week in 1962.
1972
- No new series premiered this week in 1972.
1982
- No new series premiered this week in 1982.
1992
April 17 – Sightings
- Host: Tim White
- Synopsis: A look at the world of the paranormal, including visitors from outer space, ghosts and spirits, cryptozoology, and other phenomena outside the realm of conventional science.
- Network: FOX / Syndication / Sci-Fi Channel
- Broadcast History: Five seasons, 114 episodes, last broadcast on September 11, 1997
- Trivia: The series began with a special that aired on October 17, 1991 titled The UFO Report: Sightings. Two more specials followed: Ghost Report and The Psychic Experience. With high ratings for the specials, a weekly 30-minute format was produced which launched on FOX on April 17, 1992. Henry Winkler was one of the show’s executive producers. When the show went into Syndication in 1994, it was expanded to an hour. The show moved to Sci-Fi Channel in 1996 but ended in 1997. Five more special episodes were produced in 1998 with the title Sightings: In Depth and Beyond. One of the show’s short segments was made into a Showtime movie titled Heartland Ghost, which tells the story of a Sightings crew being victimized by a poltergeist during an investigation.
2002
- No new series premiered this week in 2002.
2012
April 19 – Kathy
- Cast: Kathy Griffin, Maggie Griffin, Tiffany Rinehart, Michelle Collins, Meredith Morris
- Notable Guests: Wilson Phillips, A.J. McLean, Lance Bass, Chelsea Handler, Whitney Cummings, Robert Verdi, Ralph Garman, Anderson Cooper, Jane Fonda, Lisa Ling, Jimmy Kimmel, Jane Lynch, Lisa Kudrow, Chris Noth, Chris Colfer, Larry King, Craig Ferguson, ASAP Rocky, Kate Walsh, Steven Weber, Aubrey Plaza, Margaret Cho, Johnny Weir, Carmen Electra, Jaime Pressly, Pauley Perrette, Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman, Michelle Trachtenberg, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Darren Criss, Lily Tomlin, Eva Longoria, Kristin Chenoweth, Josh Groban
- Synopsis: Late-night talk show hosted by Kathy Griffin.
- Network: Bravo
- Broadcast History: Two seasons, 24 episodes, last broadcast on March 28, 2013
- Trivia: The show was originally broadcast Thursday at 10:00 PM, but was moved to 11:30 PM midway through its second season. The show’s studio was previously home to The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.
April 22 – Veep
- Cast: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Anna Chlumsky, Tony Hale, Reid Scott, Timothy Simons, Matt Walsh, Sufe Bradshaw, Kevin Dunn, Gary Cole, Sam Richardson, Sarah Sutherland, Clea DuVall
- Notable Guests: Diedrich Bader, Hugh Laurie, Randall Park, Kathy Najimy, Patton Oswalt, Margaret Colin, Peter MacNicol, Paul Scheer, John Slattery, Toks Olagundoye, Kate Burton, K Callan, Brian Doyle-Murray, John Carroll Lynch, Christopher Meloni, Mimi Kennedy, Allison Janney, Dave Foley, Stephen Fry, Amy Brenneman, Kumail Nanjiani, William Fichtner, Tracie Thoms, Mo Gaffney, Heidi Gardner, Michaela Watkins, Thomas Lennon, Jim O’Heir, June Diane Raphael, Jim Palmer, Keegan-Michael Key, Michael McKean, Stephen Root, Jean Smart, Adam Scott
- Synopsis: Former Senator Selina Meyer finds that being Vice President of the United States is nothing like she hoped and everything that everyone ever warned her about.
- Network: HBO
- Broadcast History: Seven seasons, 65 episodes, last broadcast on May 12, 2019
- Trivia: The series was an adaptation of UK series The Thick of It by creator Armando Iannucci. A pilot of the same title was produced for ABC starring John Michael Higgins and directed by Christopher Guest. Iannucci was not involved, distancing himself from the project calling it ‘terrible’. A new pilot with the new title was produced for HBO with Iannucci having more creative control, and a series was ordered in April 2011. The series’ first four seasons featured an entirely British writing staff, many of whom had worked on the original UK series. Iannucci left the series after the fourth season due to the rigors of travel between London and Baltimore, where the show was filmed. David Mandel took over and became the show’s first American writer. The series moved from Baltimore to Los Angeles with its fifth season after being awarded better tax incentives. Part of the fifth season was filmed in Washington D.C. Every scene was rehearsed with the actors improvising to make it funnier, observed by the writers who would take notes and incorporate them into the shooting script. No real-life contemporary politician appears or are mentioned on the show. Selina wears red in the first scene of every first episode of each season. The series was nominated for the Outstanding Comedy Series Emmy for each of its seven seasons, winning for the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth seasons. Julia Louis-Dreyfus won six Emmys, three SAG Awards, and received five consecutive Golden Globe nominations. Tony Hale was nominated for six consecutive Emmys in the Supporting Actor category, winning twice. Anna Chlumsky also received six Emmy nominations, while Matt Walsh received two. Gary Cole, Martin Mull, Hugh Laurie and Peter MacNicol received one nomination each.
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