TV by the Decade :: January 10•16

Aaron Spelling Productions

With the holidays behind us and people settling in for a long, cold winter (in most places), the broadcast and cable networks begin to release some real heavy hitters this week throughout the decades. 1971 saw the launch of two classic series, one of which is still on the air today, and the other can still be seen in syndication. 1981 gave us two long-running, but very different, dramas, while 2001 saw the debuts of three sitcoms (two aimed at kids) and a reality show that was recently revived. 2011 had one multi-season comedy launch but the other shows that aired that year are mostly forgotten ten years later. Did any of your favorite shows debut this week? Let’s take a stroll down memory lane and find out!

1951

• No new shows premiered this week in 1951.

1961

January 13 – One Happy Family

• Cast: Dick Sargent, Jody Warner, Chick Chandler, Elisabeth Fraser, Jack Kirkwood, Cheerio Meredith
• Guest Cast: Willard Waterman, Maurice Gosfield, James Komack, George Tobias
• Synopsis: Unable to afford a place of their own, a meteorologist (Dick Cooper) and his wife (Penny Cooper) decided to move in with her parents (Barney and Mildred Hogan) and grandparents (Charley and Lovey Hackett) in the same house together.
• Network: NBC
• Broadcast History: One season, 15 episodes, last broadcast on June 23, 1961
• Trivia: NBC removed the show from the schedule after the March 10 episode, returning to finish its run on May 12.

1971

January 10 – Masterpiece Theatre

• Hosts: Alistair Cooke (1971–1992), Russell Baker (1992–2004), Gillian Anderson (Masterpiece Classic, 2008), Alan Cumming (Masterpiece Mystery), Matthew Goode (Masterpiece Contemporary, 2008), Laura Linney (Masterpiece Classic, 2009), David Tennant (Masterpiece Contemporary, 2009)
• Synopsis: The series is known for presenting adaptations of novels and biographies, but it also shows original television dramas.
• Network: PBS
• Broadcast History: 49 seasons to date
• Trivia: The longest running weekly primetime drama series in American television history. The series features programming from the UK’s BBC, ITV and Channel 4. The series was to debut with the first episode of The First Churchills under the banner title The Best of the BBC, but was changed to Masterpiece Theatre before the first broadcast. The series had no host between 2004 and 2008. Masterpiece generally contributes 10% of a program’s budget in exchange for input on casting and content, but not editorial control. Shows are licensed for several years then revert to the original owners. The word ‘Theatre’ was dropped in 2008 and the show was split into three sections: Masterpiece Classics, Masterpiece Mystery! and Masterpiece Contemporary. In 2017, Masterpiece Classics became simply Masterpiece. To celebrate the show’s 35th anniversary, The Best of Masterpiece hosted by Derek Jacobi was aired in March 2007. At the end of the program, Anthony Andrews thanked viewers for voting Brideshead Revisited as the seventh most popular series, then pointed out the show had run on Great Performances, not Masterpiece Theatre. The series has been referenced and parodied on Sesame Street, Disney Channel’s Mousterpiece Theater, In Living Color, and Mad TV.

January 12 – All in the Family

• Cast: Carroll O’Connor, Jean Stapleton, Sally Struthers, Rob Reiner, Danielle Brisebois
• Recurring Cast: Mike Evans, Isabel Sanford, Allan Melvin, Jason Wingreen, Betty Garrett, Sherman Hemsley, Danny Dayton, Bob Hastings, Vincent Gardenia, Billy Halop, Mel Stewart, Liz Torres
• Guest Cast: Sorrell Booke, Burt Mustin, Estelle Parsons, Clyde Kusatsu, Eugene Roche, Barbara Cason, Barnard Hughes, Charles Siebert, Dennis Patrick, James Cromwell, Ruth McDevitt, George Wyner, Theodore Bikel, Bea Arthur, Roscoe Lee Brown, George Furth, Michael Conrad, Michael Pataki, Richard Stahl, Roger Bowen, Harvey Lembeck, Val Bisoglio, A Martinez, Bill Macy, Sudie Bond, Zara Cully, Norman Lear, James Hong, Marty Brill, Philip Carey, Doris Singleton, William Windom, Sammy Davis Jr., Liam Dunn, Richard Dysart, Jack Weston, Gregory Sierra, Larry Storch, Henry Fonda, Richard Masur, Greg Mullavey, Vic Tayback, Tim O’Connor, Cliff Osmond, Bernadette Peters, F. Murray Abraham, Lee Bergere, Jack Gilford, Doris Roberts, K Callan, David Dukes, Nita Talbot, Nedra Volz, Anthony Geary, Cleavon Little, Noam Pitlik, David Soul, Hector Elizondo, James Gregory, Graham Jarvis, Rue McClanahan, John Randolph, Ron Glass, Arlene Golonka, Robert Mandan, David Doyle, Robert Guillaume, Billy Crystal, Christopher Guest, John Karlen, Darryl Hickman, Terry Kiser, M. Emmet Walsh, Demond Wilson, Eileeen Brennan, Charles Durning, Mary Kay Place, Charlotte Rae, Roger C. Carmel, Bob Dishy, Roxie Roker, Richard Lawson, Franklin Cover, Art Metrano, Lynne Moody, Paul Benedict, Ellen Travolta, Berlinda Tolbert, Candice Azzara, Rich Little, Maurice Marsac, Ray Sharkey
• Synopsis: A working class man constantly squabbles with his family over the important issues of the day.
• Network: CBS
• Broadcast History: Nine seasons, 205 episodes, last broadcast on April 8, 1979
• Trivia: Based on the British sitcom Till Death Us Do Part. When Normal Lear purchased the rights to the UK show, he incorporated his own family experiences with his father into the series. The series was not a ratings hit during its first season, but became the most watched show in the US during summer reruns. The show was the Number 1 series on television from 1971 to 1976, the first series to top the Nielsen ratings for five consecutive years. The series continued in September 1979 as Archie Bunker’s Place, which ran for four seasons. The original pilot was titled Justice for All and was developed for ABC. Tom Bosley, Jack Warden, and Jackie Gleason were all considered for the role of Archie Justice. CBS had wanted to buy the original show and tailor it for Gleason, who was under contract, but Lear beat them out for the rights. Mickey Rooney was offered the role but turned it down because he felt Archie was ‘un-American’. In the pilot, the family name was Justice with O’Connor and Stapleton as Archie and Edith. Kelly Jean Peters played Gloria and Tim McIntire played her husband, Richard. ABC gave Lear money to shoot a second pilot titled Those Were the Days. Candice Azzara played Gloria and Chip Oliver played Richard. D’Urville Martin played Lionel Jefferson in both pilots. With viewer complaints forcing ABC to cancel Turn-On after one episode, the network was uneasy about airing a series with a foul-mouthed, bigoted lead character and rejected the series. Richard Dreyfus was considered for the role of Michael. With CBS’ infamous ‘rural purge’, the network was looking for more ‘urban’ shows and was interested in Lear’s project. Gleason was no longer under contract, so Lear was able to keep O’Connor as the star. CBS bought the rights from ABC, retitled the show as All in the Family, and filmed a new pilot with the cast that went on to appear in the series. Lear wanted to film the show in black and white but CBS rejected that idea. Instead the sets and costumes were kept to neutral colors to give the impression of sepia tone. All in the Family was the first major American series to be videotaped in front of a live studio audience. Previous shows had used film with many adding a laugh track later. Due to its success, videotaping sitcoms with a studio audience became the common format during the 1970s. The format also gave the show the feel of an original live broadcast. For the final season, the show was no longer taped with an audience. A completed episode was screened for the studio audience of One Day at a Time and the laughter was recorded and added to the broadcast episode. Norman Lear took pride in the fact that a laugh track was never used on the show. Six different performances of O’Connor and Stapleton singing the show’s theme song were recorded over the run of the series. In subsequent versions, the closing lyrics were sung with more deliberate articulation because viewers complained they could not understand the words. Stock footage of Manhattan shot for the 1968 pilot was used during the show’s opening credits through the series’ run, showing the Manhattan skyline completely devoid of the World Trade Center which did not begin to become a prominent feature until 1971. Lear said the song with Archie and Edith at the piano was used because they did not have the budget to produce an elaborate opening titles segment. All in the Family has been seen in syndication since the 1980s but the cast forfeited their residual rights for a cash payout early in the production run. The series has been noted as having the most spin-off for a primtetime series, five total with two having their own spin-off. The first was Maude which spun off Good Times. The Jeffersons was second, and the longest running at 11 seasons. It spun off Checking In which centered on the Jeffersons’ former maid Florence. Archie Bunker’s Place and Gloria were the next spin-offs, with 704 Hauser (the Bunkers’ address) airing briefly in 1994. All in the Family is the first of four sitcoms in which all the lead actors won Primetime Emmy Awards (The Golden Girls, Will & Grace and Schitt’s Creek are the others).

1981

January 12 – Dynasty

• Main Cast: John Forsythe, Linda Evans, Joan Collins, Gordon Thomson, John James, Michael Nader Michael Nader, Jack Coleman, Heather Locklear, Pamela Bellwood, Pamela Sue Martin, William Beckley, Diahann Carroll, Virginia Hawkins, Emma Samms, Lee Bergere, Catherine Oxenberg, Leann Hunley, Kathleen Beller, Geoffrey Scott, Jameson Sampley, Al Corley, Terri Garber, Wayne Northrop
• Additional Cast: Christopher Cazenove, Ted McGinley, Betty Harford, Michael Praed, Peter Mark Richman, Lloyd Bochner, Jessica Player, Stephanie Beacham, Paul Burke, James Healey, Deborah Adair, Ray Abruzzo, James Farentino, Kate O’Mara, Billy Campbell, Bo Hopkins, George Hamilton, Dale Robertson, Ken Howard, Ali MacGraw, Richard Lawson, Tracy Scoggins
• Guest Cast: Cassie Yates, Rock Hudson, Helmut Berger, Maxwell Caulfield, Richard Anderson, Kevin Conroy, Grant Goodeve, J. Eddie Peck, Lance LeGault, John Saxon, Billy Dee Williams, Richard Hatch, Brian Dennehy, Tim O’Connor, James Hong, Daniel Davis, Charlton Heston, Carole Cook, Bert Remsen, Barbara Stanwyck, Theodore Bikel, R.G. Armstrong, David Ackroyd, Paul Shenar, Christopher Neame, John Randolph, Ken Swofford, Alan Fudge, Robert Hooks, Ian Abercrombie, Matthew Lawrence, Kevin McCarthy. Bibi Besch, Bradford Dillman, Juliet Mills, CLyde Kusatsu, David Hedison, Clive Revill, Ricardo Montalban, Jack Bannon, Ed Marinaro, Anthony Zerbe, Kathryn Leigh Scott, Belinda Montgomery, Edward Winter, Norman Alden, Lurene Tuttle, James Karen, Lawrence Pressman, Greg Mullavey, Stepfanie Kramer, Peter Marc Jacobson, Robert Pine, Russell Johnson, Molly Cheek, Dick Durock, Simon MacCorkindale, James Wainwright, Harry Andrew, Ferdy Mayne, Henry Darrow, John Considine, Viveca Lindfors, Allyn Ann McLerie, Gerald Ford, Madlyn Rhue, Peter Duchin, Betty Ford, Virginia Gregg, Ed Nelson, Doris Singleton, Henry Kissinger, Richard Herd, David Spielberg, Concetta Tomei, George Wallace, Marvin Davis, Rance Howard, David White, Nicholas Pryor, Lynne Marie Stewart, Rachel Ward
• Synopsis: The trials and tribulations of two feuding families, the Carringtons and the Colbys, both oil rich families in Denver, Colorado.
• Network: ABC
• Broadcast History: Nine seasons, 220 episodes, last broadcast on May 11, 1989
• Trivia: Series creator Esther Shapiro said the inspiration for the show was I, Claudius. Intended as competition for Dallas on CBS, the show’s original title was Oil, and the two main families were named the Parkhursts and the Corbys. George Peppard had originally been cast as Blake Carrington but had issues with the sometimes unsympathetic character. The pilot was delayed by a Screen Actors Guild strike, and finally aired as a three-hour event on January 12, 1981. Joan Collins failed to appear in the sixth season premiere while locked in tense contract negotiations, requiring her scenes to be rewritten with some given to Krystle. Collins returned by the second episode. Season Five’s Moldavian Massacre cliffhanger drew nearly 26 million viewers. 28 million tuned in for the Season Six premiere to see who survived and were disappointed when only two minor characters were killed off. The characters of Jeff and Fallon departed the series for the spin-off The Colbys in 1985, but returned after its cancellation for Dynasty‘s eighth season. To cut costs for the final season, Linda Evans’ and Joan Collins’ screen time was reduced, with Collins contracted for just 13 of the season’s 22 episodes. Evans left the show after appearing in six Season 9 episodes. Former The Colbys cast members Stephanie Beacham and Tracy Scoggins joined the cast. As ratings declined, the once Number 1 series ranked 69th for the ninth season and ended on a cliffhanger. ABC produced a two-part mini-series in 1991, Dynasty: The Reunion, to wrap up unresolved storylines. Most of the main cast returned, with Linda Evans joining at the last minute before the final script was written. Jack Coleman was unavailable to return as Steven Carrington, so he was replaced with Al Corley who originated the role during the first two seasons. Gordon Thomson was scheduled to return as Adam Carrington, but would not adjust his shooting schedule on the daytime soap opera Santa Barbara. He was replaced with Robin Sachs. Costume designer Nolan Miller designed approximately 3,000 costumes during the show’s run, saying he never wanted to see anyone wear the same thing twice. John Forsythe was the only cast member to appear in all 220 episodes, and he and John James were the only two original cast member to appear in the series’ final episode. The series was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best TV Drama Series every year from 1981-1986, winning in 1983. Forsythe and Collins were also nominated every year from 1981-1986, and Evans was nominaed between 1981-1985. Evans won in 1982 in a tie with Dallas star Barbara Bel Geddes. Forsythe won in 1983 and 1984, and Collins won in 1983. John James and Gordon Thomson were also nominated in the Supporting Actor category in 1985 and 1987 respectively. The series was also nominated for 24 Emmy Awards during its run, but won just once for Outstanding Costumes. A reunion special aired on CBS in 2006 with most of the main cast appearing, including the original actors who played the Carrington children. Heather Locklear, John James and Diahann Carroll declined to participate. The special was filmed at the Filoli Estate, the location used for the exterior of the Carrington mansion. Pamela Sue Martin, Al Corley, Gordon Thomson, John James and Pamela Bellwood reunited again for an episode of Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family, with Linda Evans sending a note to the cast which was read on the air. A Dynasty prequel feature film set in the 1960s was announced in January 2011, and in September 2011 Collins gave an interview in which she mentioned the possibility of appearing in a TV series revival. A reboot of the show with an all-new cast debuted on The CW in 2017.

January 15 – Hill Street Blues

• Main Cast: Daniel J. Travanti, Veronica Hamel, Michael Conrad, Bruce Weitz, Joe Spano, Michael Warren, Charles Haid, James B. Sikking, Betty Thomas, Kiel Martin, Taurean Blacque, Rene Enriquez, Ed Marinaro, Barbara Bosson, Robert Prosky, Ken Olin, Mimi Kuzyk, Dennis Franz, Robert Clohessy, Megan Gallagher
• Additional Cast: Jon Cypher, Robert Hirschfeld, Barbara Babcock, Trinidad Silva, Vincent Lucchesi, Jeffrey Tambor, Dennis Dugan, George Wyner, Lisa Sutton, Jennifer Tilly, Del Zamora, Judith Hansen, Peter Jurasik, Panchito Gomez, Larry D. Mann, Lee Weaver, Deborah Richter, Pat Corley, David Caruso, Bobby Ellerbee, Alfre Woodard
• Guest Cast: Andy Garcia, Dwight Schultz, Joaquin Phoenix, James McDaniel, Forest Whitaker, CCH Pounder, Linda Hamilton, Danny Glover, Michael Lerner, Helen Shaver, George Wallace, Daphne Reid, Mimi Rogers, Anne-Marie Johnson, Terry Alexander, Chris Noth, Edward James Olmos, Terry Kiser, Robin Gammell, Leo Rossi, Joe Santos, Felton Perry, Brent Spiner, Cuba Gooding Jr., Ally Sheedy, Stanley Kamel, Hector Elizondo, Paul McCrane, Ron Rifkin, Laurence Fishburne, James Tolkan, Jonathan Frakes, Tim Robbins, James Cromwell, Chazz Palminteri, Bryan Cranston, Penny Johnson Jerald
• Synopsis: The show chronicles the lives of the staff of a single police station located on Hill Street in an unnamed large city. The “blues” are the police officers in their blue uniforms.
• Network: NBC
• Broadcast History: Seven seasons, 146 episodes, last broadcast on May 12, 1987
• Trivia: The show won a record eight Emmy Awards for its first season (surpassed by The West Wing in 1999), and was nominated for a total of 98. Unique for its time, production used hand-held cameras and off-screen dialogue to augement the documentary feel of the series. Though filmed in Los Angeles, the city was never defined on the series. Creator Steven Bochco said he intended it to be a hybrid of Chicago, Buffalo and Pittsburgh. The show’s theme song by Mike Post was released as a single and reached Number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The pilot was set to debut in the Fall of 1980 but NBC decided to hold it for mid-season so as not to get lost in the shuffle of new programming. Director Robert Butler developed the show’s visual style but left the series after four episodes citing a failure to recognize his contributions to the show. He would return to direct one additional episodes. 13 episodes were ordered for the first season, with two episodes airing each week for the first two weeks. Due to the show’s growing popularity, NBC ordered an additional four episodes to carry the season through the May sweeps. The episodes were made into two two-hour episodes to close the season. In the original ending, Officer Coffey (Ed Marinaro) was killed but producers decided to keep him, so the scene was reshot with Coffey being seriously injured and taken to the hospital. Only 18 episodes were completed for the second season because of a writers strike that delayed the season premiere until late October. Season 3, which was the most popular in terms of viewership, anchored NBC’s new ‘Must See TV’ block with Cheers, Taxi and Fame. Michael Conrad was increasingly absent from the season as he battled cancer. He died in November 1983 but continued to appear on the series until midway through the fourth season in February 1984. The show won its fourth and final Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series that season. Barbara Bosson, Bochco’s wife, left the show during its sixth season due to a contract dispute and producers’ wishes that her character return to being a shrewish thorn in her ex-husband’s side. Season Six opened with a roll call fooling viewers into thinking the entire cast had been replaced. It was revealed to be the night shift as the action then cut to the day shift. This was the first season Travanti and Hamel were not nominated for Emmy Awards. Season 6 was the last which featured the roll call at the start of every episode. NBC moved the show from its regular Thursday time slot to Tuesdays midway through Season 7 to make way for LA Law. The season introduced the first lesbian recurring character on a major network, and was the only season for which Bruce Weitz was not nominated for an Emmy. Betty Thomas was the sole cast member to be nominated every season. The final season was also the only season the series was not nominated in the Best TV Drama category. At the 1982 Emmys, for the first time in history, a single category of nominees — Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series — were from a single series. Nine cast members total were nominated that year with Travanti and Conrad taking home their awards. Dennis Franz was spun-off into a half-hour comedy series, Beverly Hills Buntz, which aired just nine of its thirteen episodes.

January 16 – Harper Valley PTA

• Cast: Barbara Eden, Fannie Flagg, Jenn Thompson, Anne Francine, Rod McCary, Bridget Hanley, George Gobel
• Guest Cast: Mills Watson, Edie McClurg, Lewis Arquette, Christopher Stone, Jed Allan, Parley Baer, Jonathan Frakes, Robert Hogan, Stubby Kaye, John McCook, Susan Ruttan, Abe Vigoda, Neville Brand, Joyce Bulifant, Cassandra Peterson, Richard Schaal, Larry Storch, Sal Viscuso
• Synopsis: Based on the 1978 film of the same name, which was itself based on the 1968 country song of the same name recorded by singer Jeannie C. Riley, the series went on to flesh out the story in the song, as it told of the adventures of Stella Johnson (Eden), a single mother to teenager Dee (Thompson), who lived in the fictional town of Harper Valley, Ohio. The town was dominated by the namesakes of the founder, the Harper family, most prominently represented by the mayor, Otis Harper, Jr. Mrs. Johnson’s flouting of the small town’s conventions, and exposure of the hypocrisy of many of its other residents, provided the series’ humor.
• Network: NBC
• Broadcast History: Two seasons, 30 episodes, last original broadcast on May 1, 1982
• Trivia: As the PTA aspect of the story became played out, it was dropped and the series was retitled Harper Valley for the second season. As with Eden’s previous series I Dream of Jeannie, her character Stella had to deal with a devious twin for which Eden donned a black wig.

1991

• No new shows premiered this week in 1991.

2001

January 10 – Grounded for Life

• Cast: Donal Logue, Megyn Price, Kevin Corrigan, Lynsey Bartilson, Griffin Frazen, Jake Burbage, Bret Harrison, Richard Riehle, Miriam Flynn, Mike Vogel
• Guest Cast: Gregory Jbara, Autumn Reeser, Elizabeth Berridge, Stephen Root, Shannon Woodward, Mila Kunis, Adam Brody, Jerry Ferrara, Curtis Armstrong, Dave Foley, Miranda Cosgrove, Scott Thompson, Ashton Kutcher, Vincent Pastore, Wilmer Valderrama, Loudon Wainwright III, Kevin McDonald, Danny Trejo, Octavia Spencer, Lee Garlington, Jim O’Heir, Patrick Bristow, Geoff Stults, Natasha Lyonne, Valerie Perrine, Ashley Tisdale, Kat Graham, Alessandra Torresani, Ken Jeong, Susan Krebs, Wendie Jo Sperber
• Synopsis: Thirty-something Irish Catholic couple Sean and Claudia deal with their three children as well as Sean’s judgmental father and carefree brother.
• Network: FOX/The WB
• Broadcast History: Five seasons, 91 episodes (2 unaired), last broadcast on January 28, 2005
• Trivia: FOX cancelled the show two episodes into its third season. It was immediately picked up by The WB for the rest of the season and aired for two additional seasons. The show’s unusual storytelling often started an episode with a scene from the end or middle and filled in the gaps with flashbacks. Two Season 3 episodes, ‘Oh, What a Knight’ and ‘Part-Time Lover’, did not air in primetime but can be seen in syndication. FOX only aired 17 of the 22 Season 1 episodes during the first season. The five held back were included in Season 2, which produced 17 original episodes, giving it a 22 episode season. Only 11 episodes of the third season aired across FOX and The WB. Episodes 12 & 13 never aired, and episodes 14-19 were included as part of Season 4, which produced 22 original episodes. The addition of the Season 3 episodes made it the longest season at 28 episodes. Season 5 with 13 episodes was the only season to air its episodes intact. The BBC remade the show in 2011 as In with the Flynns, producing six episodes for its first season using stories and scenes from the US version. A second season of six episodes featured original stories. The complete series was added to Netflix in February 2015 in HD for the first time. The show moved to Amazon Prime Video, free with ads, in August 2017 also in HD as part of a deal with FilmRise. A complete series DVD set was released by Mill Creek.

January 10 – Temptation Island

• Host: Mark L. Walberg
• Synopsis: Reality series in which several couples agree to live with a group of singles of the opposite sex, in order to test the strength of their relationships.
• Network: Fox (2001–2003), USA Network (2019–present)
• Broadcast History: Five seasons, 50 episodes to date
• Trivia: Based on the Dutch TV-program Blind Vertrouwen (translated as Blind Faith). The first season was taped on Ambergris Caye in Belize. Seasons 4 and 5 were filmed on Maui, Hawaii.

January 12 – Lizzie McGuire

• Cast: Hilary Duff, Lalaine, Adam Lamberg, Jake Thomas, Hallie Todd, Robert Carradine
• Guest Cast: Dot-Marie Jones, Haylie Duff, David Carradine, Aaron Carter, Erik Estrada, Kat Graham, Frankie Muniz, Zachary Quinto, Steven Tyler, Eileen Brennan, Dabbs Greer, Doris Roberts
• Synopsis: The daily adventures of an adolescent girl whose real thoughts and emotions are expressed by her sarcastic animated alter ego.
• Network: Disney Channel
• Broadcast History: Two seasons, 65 episodes, last broadcast on February 14, 2004
• Trivia: The series received two Emmy Awards nominations in 2003 and 2004 for Outstanding Chidlren’s Program. The show’s working title was What’s Lizzie Thinking? Producer Stan Rogow said the show’s visual design was inspired by Run Lola Run. Lalaine did not appear in the last few episodes or The Lizzie McGuire Movie as she was working on other projects. The series ended with 65 episodes, which was the Disney Channel standard at the time. A series revival was put into production for the Disney+ streaming service, but the show’s creator left after creative differences with Disney, who wanted a more family-friendly series while Terri Minski and Hilary Duff wanted a more realistic, grown-up take, and the revival was cancelled after two episodes were produced.

January 14 – Taina

• Cast: Christina Vidal, Khaliah Adams, Chris Knowings, David Oliver Cohen, LaTangela, Lisa Lisa, Josh Cruze
• Guest Cast: Nick Cannon, Liz Torres, Romeo Miller, Kelly Rowland, Melanie Chartoff, Dorothy Lyman, Shakira, Solange, Alex Acosta
• Synopsis: Taina Morales is a Latina teenage girl who wants to be a superstar singer and actress. She attends the Manhattan High School of the Performing Arts and the series is based on her school and home life.
• Network: Nickelodeon
• Broadcast History: Two seasons, 26 episodes, last broadcast on May 11, 2002
• Trivia: Nickelodeon’s last sitcom to be filmed at the Nickelodeon Studios in Orlando, Florida before production moved to Nickelodeon on Sunset in Hollywood for the second season. Despite high ratings, the series was cancelled due to high production costs and the network believing the show only appealed to girls. The show had delivered Nick’s highest ratings in three years. Scripts for a third season and a TV movie were already written when the show was cancelled.

January 15 – 100 Centre Street

• Cast: Joseph Lyle Taylor, Manny Perez, Phyllis Newman, Paula Devicq, Margo Martindale, Chuck Cooper, Alan Arkin, Joel de la Fuente, Manos Pantelidis, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Alice Spivak
• Guest Cast: Dennis Boutsikaris, Bobby Cannavale, Kerry Washington, Denis O’Hare, Aunjanue Ellis, Larry Pine, Boyd Gaines, Austin Pendleton, Tony Musante, Kate Burton, Robert Clohessy, Ann Dowd, Giancarlo Esposito, Dana Ivey, Dina Merrill, Estelle Parsons, Judy Reyes, Anika Noni Rose, Nipsey Russell, Marian Seldes, Anna Deavere Smith, Fisher Stevens, Eli Wallach, Chandra Wilson, Tom Wopat, Leo Burmester, Joie Lee, James Naughton, Lance Reddick
• Synopsis: The lives and work of the staff of a New York City courthouse are the show’s focus.
• Network: A&E
• Broadcast History: Two seasons, 31 episodes, last broadcast on March 5, 2002
• Trivia: The series was created by director Sidney Lumet.

2011

January 11 – Let’s Stay Together

• Cast: Bert Belasco, Joyful Drake, Nadine Ellis, RonReaco Lee, Erica Hubbard, Kyla Pratt, Christian Keyes
• Guest Cast: Kym Whitley, Jackée Harry, Daphne Reid, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, T’Keyah Crystal Keymáh, Tichina Arnold, Ron Canada, Anna Maria Horsford, La La Anthony, Jasmine Guy, Queen Latifah, NeNe Leakes, Victoria Rowell, Rickey Smiley, Debbie Allen, Ernie Hudson, Big Boi, Kim Coles, Damien Dante Wayans, Kandi Burruss, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Eva Marcille, Nicole Ari Parker, Countess Vaughn
• Synopsis: Couples navigate the highs and lows of modern relationships in this romantic-comedy series.
• Network: BET
• Broadcast History: Four seasons, 55 episodes, last broadcast on April 29, 2014
• Trivia: Soul Food star Malinda Williams was originally cast as Stacy, but was replaced for unknown reasons with Nadine Ellis. Erica Hubbard appeared infrequently during the second season due to her pregnancy.

January 11 – Lights Out

• Cast: Holt McCallany, Pablo Schreiber, Catherine McCormack, Stacy Keach, Meredith Hagner, Ryann Shane, Lily Pilblad, Billy Brown, Reg E. Cathey
• Guest Cast: Ben Shenkman, Pedro Pascal, Eamonn Walker, Elizabeth Marvel, Bill Irwin, Reiko Aylesworth, Anna Chlumsky, Valerie Perrine, Sam McMurray, David Morse, Mahershala Ali, Melora Hardin, Elias Koteas
• Synopsis: A former heavyweight boxing champion struggles to find his identity after retiring from the ring.
• Network: FX
• Broadcast History: One season, 13 episodes, last broadcast on April 5, 2011

January 11 – Onion SportsDome

• Cast: Matt Walton, Matt Oberg, Danyelle Sargent
• Guest Cast: Gary Payton, Dennis Kenney, Ahmad Bradshaw
• Synopsis: Sports television parody of SportsCenter on ESPN from the makers of The Onion
• Network: Comedy Central
• Broadcast History: One season, 10 episodes, last broadcast on March 15, 2011

January 12 – Off the Map

• Cast: Jonathan Castellanos, Valerie Cruz, Caroline Dhavernas, Jason George, Zach Gilford, Mamie Gummer, Martin Henderson, Rachelle Lefevre
• Guest Cast: Elizabeth Peña, Cheech Marin, Judy Reyes, Jayne Brook, Jere Burns, Jonathan Cake, Michael McKean, Ralph Waite, Dean Norris, Tessa Thompson, Cynthia Stevenson, Tim Guinee, Justina Machado, Ed Begley Jr.
• Synopsis: The series is set in a remote South American village, where seven doctors search for reasons that brought each of them to medicine.
• Network: ABC
• Broadcast History: One season, 13 episodes, last broadcast on April 6, 2011
• Trivia: Shonda Rimes was an executive producer on the series. The series was filmed in Puerto Rico and Oahu, Hawaii using production facilities remaining from Lost.

January 13 – Police Women of Cincinnati

• Cast: Sergeant Chantia ‘Tia’ Miller, Officer Colleen Deegan, Officer Mandy Curfiss, Officer Rose Valentino
• Synopsis: The series follows four female members of the Cincinnati Police Department (CPD).
• Network: TLC
• Broadcast History: One season, 8 episodes, last broadcast on March 3, 2011
• Trivia: The fifth installment of TLC’s Police Women documentary series. Controversy surrounded a moment in Episode 4 where Officer Curfiss handcuffed and arrested an African American male who refused entry into his home for an unwarranted search. Two years after the episode aired, Police Chief James Craig launched an investigation and discovered the moment was staged and there was no arrest or charges filed.