TV by the Decade :: February 14•20

Disney Junior

Only four new series premiered this week, and all in a single decade: 2011. Of the four, the animated kids series and the reality docuseries had multiple seasons, while the two scripted shows, both on CBS, were cut short at 13 episodes. Let’s take a look to see if you remember any of these shows from just ten years ago.

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

• No new shows premiered this week in 1991.

2001

• No new shows premiered this week in 2001.

2011

February 14 – Jake and the Never Land Pirates

• Cast: David Arquette, Corey Burton, Jeff Bennett, Loren Hoskins, Madison Pettis, Jonathan Morgan Heit, Dee Bradley Baker
• Guest Cast: Cameron Boyce, Ariel Winter, Russi Taylor, Josh Duhamel, Jane Kaczmarek, Sharon Osbourne, Tori Spelling, Adam Wylie, Jack McBrayer, Jerry O’Connell, Teri Hatcher, Rhys Darby, Harland Williams, Lisa Loeb, Tiffani Thiessen, April Winchell, Ryan Kwanten, Carl Reiner, Aasif Mandvi, Jim Cummings, Steve Valentine, Estelle Harris, Mark Hamill, Rob Paulsen, Adam West, Tony Hale, Bobby Moynihan, David Tennant, Carol Kane, Jo Frost, Chris Kattan, Blair Underwood, Melanie Lynskey, Rosie O’Donnell, Melissa Rauch, Kevin Michael Richardson, Christian Slater, Rico Rodriguez, Malcolm McDowell, Jim Rash, Nestor Carbonell, Mae Whitman
• Synopsis: The show revolves around a group of three children; Captain Jake, Izzy, and Cubby who are pirates in Never Land, looking for treasure. Captain Hook usually sees Jake and his crew doing something fun and steals it from them, and Jake and his crew have to get it back. After they solve their problems, Jake and his crew count their gold doubloons (which they receive after solving ‘pirate problems’) and put them in their treasure chest known as the ‘Team Treasure Chest’.
• Network: Disney Junior
• Broadcast History: Four seasons, 116 episodes (215 segments), last broadcast on November 6, 2016
• Trivia: Also known as Captain Jake and the Never Land Pirates in the fourth season and associated merchandise. Based on Disney’s Peter Pan franchise. The first original Disney Junior series following the switch from Playhouse Disney. Almost every episode contains two 11-minute segments. A spin-off series of shorts, Playing With Skully, aired on September 19, 2012. A second shorts series, Jake’s Never Land Pirate School, premiered on November 26, 2012. A third spin-off, Mama Hook Knows Best, premiered on September 29, 2013, followed by a fourth, Jake’s Buccaneer Blast, on October 26, 2014.

February 14 – Mad Love

• Cast: Jason Biggs, Sarah Chalke, Judy Greer, Tyler Labine, Sarah Wright
• Guest Cast: Chris Parnell, Martin Starr, Pat Crawford Brown, Kathryn Hahn, Reid Scott, Brittany Snow, Geoff Stults, Joe Lo Truglio, Martin Mull
• Synopsis: Kate, Connie, Larry, and Ben are New Yorker thirtysomethings searching for love in the city. When Kate and Ben meet and fall for each other, their friends remain cynical about the relationship. Each episode ends with some of the characters in a bar which they frequent, discussing the events of the day.
• Network: CBS
• Broadcast History: One season, 13 episodes, last broadcast on May 16, 2011
• Trivia: The pilot was filmed under the title True Love. Minka Kelly portrayed Kate, while Ashley Austin Morris joined as Connie. Jason Biggs then joined the series, followed by Hal Williams, Dan Fogler and Sarah Wright. Prior to the filming of the pilot, Fogler was replaced by Tyler Labine, who had originally turned down the role of Larry. Lizzy Caplan signed to replace Morris. After the pilot, Sarah Chalke replaced Kelly and CBS ordered 13-episodes contingent on finding a replacement for Caplan, who had only signed to appear in the pilot. Judy Greer was cast as her replacement.

February 15 – Our America with Lisa Ling

• Host: Lisa Ling
• Synopsis: Each episode examines an aspect of American society that may be viewed as marginal or outside the mainstream.
• Network: OWN
• Broadcast History: Five seasons, 44 episodes, last broadcast on July 31, 2014

February 16 – Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior

• Cast: Forest Whitaker, Janeane Garofalo, Michael Kelly, Beau Garrett, Matt Ryan, Kirsten Vangsness, Christopher Nissley
• Guest Cast: Richard Schiff, Justine Bateman, Kate Burton, Noel Fisher, William Sanderson, French Stewart, Jason Connery, Bob Gunton, Raphael Sbarge, Jessica Tuck, Michael Beach, Adina Porter, Eric Roberts, Bill Cobbs, Giancarlo Esposito, Cooper Huckabee, Zoey Deutch, Ellen Geer, Chuck Liddell, Laura Spencer, Marc Singer
• Synopsis: On the streets of San Francisco a team of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Behavioral Analysis Unit use profiling to catch some of the most horrific serial killers and unidentifiable subjects.
• Network: CBS
• Broadcast History: One season, 13 episodes, last broadcast on May 25, 2011
• Trivia: This was the second show in the Criminal Minds franchise. The 18th episode of the fifth season of the original series served as the backdoor pilot for the spin-off. As with the original series, ABC owned the international rights. Kirsten Vangsness was the only member of the cast to have appeared on the parent series.