TV by the Decade :: June 6•12

ABC Family

The first full week of June saw the debuts of several long-running series from two different decades, both scripted and unscripted. One reality competition series even got two reboots after its cancellation. One scripted series ran for five seasons, and a second was prematurely cut short after two seasons despite its popularity. Let’s take a look to see which series made their debuts this week. Any of your favorites on the list?

1951

• No new series debuted in 1951.

1961

• No new series debuted in 1961.

1971

• No new series debuted in 1971.

1981

• No new series debuted in 1981.

1991

• No new series debuted in 1991.

2001

June 8 – Time Squad

• Cast: Rob Paulsen, Mark Hamill, Pamela Adlon
• Guest Cast: Daran Norris, Tom Kenny, Kevin Michael Richardson, John Kassir, Frank Welker, Joe Alasky, Earl Boen, Patti Deutsch, Marshall Efron, Glenn Shadix, Billy West, Bernard Fox, Maurice LaMarche, Jon Polito, Kath Soucie
• Synopsis: The adventures of the Time Squad, a team of dysfunctional characters who travel through time to rectify any deviations in history.
• Network: Cartoon Network
• Broadcast History: Two seasons, 26 episodes, last broadcast on November 26, 2003
• Trivia: The series received five Annie Award nominations. The first Cartoon Network series produced by Cartoon Network Studios, which was no longer a division of Hanna-Barbera after the death of Willian Hanna in 2001. Although Larry 3000 was based on C-3PO, Mark Hamill based his voice for the character on the ‘foppish prince’ in the Rocky & Bullwinkle cartoons, and Dr. Smith from Lost in Space.

June 11 – Fear Factor

• Host: Joe Rogan
• Synopsis: The show pits contestants against each other in a variety of three stunts for a grand prize, usually of $50,000.
• Network: NBC
• Broadcast History: Six seasons, 144 episodes, last broadcast on September 12, 2006
• Trivia: Adapted from the Dutch series Now or Neverland. NBC revived the series for a seventh season that debuted on December 11, 2011 and ended on July 16, 2012 after nine episodes. The show was revived again by MTV with host Ludacris on May 30, 2017, and ran for two seasons with 33 episodes, ending on August 21, 2018 bringing the series episode total to 186. Host Joe Rogan expected the show to be cancelled after a few episodes due to content concerns, and took the job just to get material for his stand-up act. He admitted he hated working on the show after the first season and would get stoned before each taping to get through the show. The show was a hit, but ratings began to decline after the fourth season, and by Season 6 it faced off against American Idol and ratings eroded further. NBC put the show on hiatus and replaced it with Friends spin-off Joey, which lasted just a few weeks. The remaining episodes aired in the Summer of 2006. The show was the first network reality show to enter syndication in 2004. Ratings for reruns of the show airing on the Chiller channel prompted the first revival on NBC. Only once in the show’s history did the $50,000 grand prize go unclaimed as no one was able to complete a final stunt. Any foods eaten on the show had to be FDA approved.

June 12 – Witchblade

• Cast: Yancy Butler, David Chokachi, Anthony Cistaro, Will Yun Lee, Eric Etebari, Lazar Rockwood, John Hensley, Kathryn Winslow, Nestor Serrano
• Guest Cast: Dov Tiefenbach, Keir Dullea, Roger Daltry, Malin Akerman, Robert John Burke, Jeffrey Donovan, Victor Slezak, Eric Roberts, Grace Slick
• Synopsis: NYPD Det. Sara Pezzini has a supernatural weapon and abilities to help her fight evil.
• Network: TNT
• Broadcast History: Two seasons, 23 episodes, last broadcast on August 26, 2002
• Trivia: Based on the Top Cow Witchblade comic book series. The series was preceded by a pilot TV movie that aired in August 2000. Despite the show’s high ratings, it was cancelled after two seasons with speculation that Yancy Butler’s battle with alcoholism and entering rehab was the factor. Top Cow editor Matt Hawkins admitted as much and said it remains the highest rated TV series to be cancelled.

2011

June 6 – Switched at Birth

• Cast: Katie Leclerc, Vanessa Marano, Constance Marie, D.W. Moffett, Lea Thompson, Lucas Grabeel, Sean Berdy, Ryan Lane, Gilles Marini, Marlee Matlin
• Guest Cast: Max Adler, Austin Butler, Kenneth Mitchell, RJ MItte, Alec Mapa, Bess Armstrong, Sam Adegoke, Joey Lauren Adams, Sandra Bernhard, Robin Thomas, Nyle DiMarco, Justina Machado, Zoey Deutch, Meredith Baxter, William Lucking, Dee Wallace, Michael Reilly Burke, Corbin Bernsen, Joanna Cassidy, John Michael Higgins, Toks Olagundoye, Mimi Kennedy, Spencer Garrett, Shelley Long, Courtney Gains, Jamie Brewer, Robin Riker, Jessica Tuck, Melanie Chartoff, Tabitha Brown, Cameron Dye, Jim O’Heir, Brian Tyler Cohen, Alexandra Shipp
• Synopsis: The series revolves around two teenagers who were switched at birth and grew up in very different environments: one in an affluent suburb, and the other in a working-class neighborhood.
• Network: ABC Family/Freeform
• Broadcast History: Five seasons, 103 episodes, last broadcast on April 11, 2017
• Trivia: It is the first mainstream TV series to feature multiple deaf and hard-of-hearing regulars with scenes shot entirely in American Sign Language. The series won an honorary Peabody Award in 2013. In August 2011, ABC Family extended the 10-episode first season to 30 episodes. The lead characters are supposed to both be 15 years old, but Vanessa Marano was 18 when production started and Katie Leclerc was 24.

June 12 – The Glee Project

• Judges: Ryan Murphy, Robert Ulrich, Zach Woodlee, Nikki Anders, Ian Brennan
• Contenders: (Season 1) Alex Newell, Cameron Mitchell, Samuel Larsen, Damian McGinty Jr., Lindsay Pearce, Bryce Ross-Johnson. (Season 2) Blake Jenner, Ali Stroker, Tyler Ford
• Synopsis: A competition where 10 contenders compete each week for a role on the show Glee.
• Network: Oxygen
• Broadcast History: Two seasons, 21 episodes (plus 2 specials), last broadcast on August 14, 2012
• Trivia: The winner would receive a minimum seven-episode arc on Glee. Damian McGinty and Samuel Larsen won the first season. Both were retained beyond the initial seven episodes. Runners-up Lindsay Pearce and Alex Newell received a two-episode arc. Cameron Mitchell quit the competition in Episode 7 but won the ‘fan favorite’ competition and $10,000. Newell appeared in several Season 4 episodes, and became a regular in Season 5. Several Glee cast members appeared as mentors during the second season, joining the returning Darren Criss and Kevin McHale. Blake Jenner won the second season and appeared in 18 Season 4 episodes before being promoted to a regular in Season 5. Runner-up Ali Stroker made an unexpected appearance in the fourth season.

June 12 – The Protector

• Cast: Ally Walker, Tisha Campbell, Miguel Ferrer, Chris Payne Gilbert, Terrell Tilford, Thomas Robinson, Sage Ryan
• Guest Cast: Jeffrey Nordling, Patty Duke, Mark Roman, Mark Consuelos, Vivica A. Fox, Michael Irby, Isabella Hoffman, Justina Machado, Arye Gross, Larry Miller, Krista Allen, Tina Lifford, Beau Mirchoff, Tamlyn Tomita, Connor Trinneer, Nicholas Turturro, Bellamy Young, David Gautreaux
• Synopsis: Single mother Gloria Sheppard juggles her demanding personal and professional lives: raising two children while working as an LAPD homicide detective.
• Network: Lifetime
• Broadcast History: One season, 13 episodes, last broadcast on September 19, 2011
• Trivia: Known as Exit 19 when the series was originally ordered by CBS and co-produced by ABC Studios. Geena Davis was originally cast as Gloria. Also cast were Matthew Lillard and Rosie Perez. CBS decided not to move forward with the series on May 10, 2008. Lifetime began redeveloping the pilot in July 2009. ABC Studios remained as co-producers. The series was greenlighted on February 7, 2011 and retitled The Protector.