FremantleMedia North America
Several decades this week had new series premieres, but the most successful of them were about cops and medicine. 1973 had a long-running scripted, Emmy winning police drama, while 1993 had an even longer-running unscripted series that ran for nearly 800 episodes. Of 2013’s eight new series, six of them lasted for a single season, one aired for three seasons, and the unscripted medical (in the loosest sense of the word since it’s more about ‘real housewives’) is still on the air today. Read on to learn about these shows and more — including a game show embroiled in scandal — and tell us if you remember any of these shows!
1953
- No new series debuted this week in 1953.
1963
- No new series debuted this week in 1963.
1973
Screen Gems
- March 20 – Police Story (NBC, Six seasons, 98 episodes)
Police Story aired on NBC for four seasons as a regularly scheduled series, followed by a fifth season of irregularly scheduled TV movies, and then three more TV movies in 1979, 1980 and 1987. The series won the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Dramatic Series in 1976, and it was also nominated in 1974, 1975 and 1977. ABC ‘revived’ the show from October 29 to December 3, 1988 using scripts from the original series to fill in for the ABC Mystery Movie, which had been delayed because of a writers’ strike.
1983
- No new series debuted this week in 1983.
1993
- March 22 – Family Secrets (NBC, One season, 59 episodes, 1 unaired)
- March 22 – Real Stories of the Highway Patrol (Syndication, Six seasons, 780 episodes)
- March 23 – TriBeCa (Fox, One season, 7 episodes)
Family Secrets was a game show produced at the Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando, FL. Contestants were families who were visiting the park. Controversy arose when one family cast turned out not to be an actual family, but a father, daughter and the father’s girlfriend who posed as her mother. They won $6,000 in cash and prizes, but when the girl’s real mother learned of their appearance on the show, she contacted producers and they agreed to pull the episode, airing a rerun in its place. The girl did eventually receive her prizes, but the family did not get the cruise or cash they had won. The father and his girlfriend married on the same day the show ended, June 11, 1993. Low ratings weren’t the only factor contributing to the show’s cancellation — they were not finding enough families at the park who met eligibility requirements.
Real Stories of the Highway Patrol was described as Cops meets America’s Most Wanted, and was spoofed or referenced on several other shows including Beavis and Butt-Head, SNL, and King of the Hill, and in movies The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Wrongfully Accused.
TriBeCa was an anthology series co-produced by Robert De Niro, which was known for attracting name talent in front of and behind the camera. For the premiere episode, Laurence Fishburn earned an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. Despite the award and critical acclaim, the show ended due to low ratings.
2003
- March 20 – On the Spot (The WB, One season, 5 episodes)
On the Spot was a sketch comedy series with scripted and improv comedy. The cast included Arden Myrin, Mindy Sterling, Tim Conway and Dweezil Zappa.
2013
Eyeworks USA
- March 19 – Splash (ABC, One season, 8 episodes)
- March 19 – Urban Tarzan (Spike, One season, 14 episodes)
- March 20 – Foodiculous (Travel Channel, One season, 6 episodes)
- March 21 – Forecasting the End (The Weather Channel, One season, 6 episodes)
- March 23 – Monsters vs. Aliens (Nickelodeon, One season, 26 episodes)
- March 24 – Married to Medicine (Bravo, Nine seasons, 155 episodes to date)
- March 24 – Monsters and Mysteries in America (Destination America, Three seasons, 28 episodes)
- March 25 – Loaded (The Weather Channel, One season, 6 episodes)
Splash was based on a Dutch TV format and announced straight to series as Celebrity Splash. The series title was shortned to Splash on January 25, 2013 when eight of the ten contestants were revealed. Of the ten, four withdrew from the competition — Chuy Bravo and Katherine Webb due to injury, Kendra Wilkinson for personal reasons, and Louie Anderson. Brandi Chastain replaced Bravo. Rory Bushfield, the eventual winner, ruptered an eardrum in Week 3, and Nicole Eggert was also injured the third week during the taping of the show. Drake Bell suffered a concussion and two black eyes performing a not properly practiced dive in Week 6, and Nicole Eggert fell on her back during her final dive, losing the competition to Bushfield.
Monsters vs. Aliens was based on the 2009 animated movie. The series ended due to low ratings and the network’s desire to get back to more ‘Nick-ish’ shows.
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