TV by the Decade :: Aug 29•Sept 4

Greenblatt/Janollari Studio

With a new Fall season approaching, some of the networks began getting a jump on things in four different decades with, among others, the launch of a new soap opera, a British animation import, a solo show for a classic Looney Tunes character, and a popular sitcom that a network head managed to destroy in the space of one season. Check out this week’s notable — and not so notable — TV premieres and tell us if you remember any of these shows!

1951

August 29 – Young Mr. Bobbin

• Cast: Jackie Kelk, Patricia Hosley, Jane Seymour, Nydia Westman
• Guest Cast: Court Benson, Tex Antoine, Laura Weber
• Synopsis: A young high school graduate lives with his maiden aunts and is in love with the girl next door, Nancy.
• Network: NBC
• Broadcast History: One season, last broadcast on May 18, 1952
• Trivia: The show was broadcast live.

August 31 – Crime With Father

• Cast: Rusty Lane, Peggy Lobbin
• Guest Cast: Stephen Elliott, Ruth Manning, Ray Mulderick
• Synopsis: The series centered on Captain Jim Riland of the homicide squad, and his daughter Chris, who was better at solving cases then her father’s officers.
• Network: ABC
• Broadcast History: One season, last broadcast on January 18, 1952

September 3 – Search for Tomorrow

• Cast: Mary Stuart, Sherry Mathis, Larry Haines, Lisa Peluso, Michael Corbett, Marcia McCabe, Rod Arrants, Maree Cheatham, John Aniston, Susan Scannell, Cynthia Gibb, Jay Acovone, Linda Gibboney, Larry Fleischman
• Recurring Cast: Jane Krakowski, Matthew Ashford, Peter Haskell, Kevin Conroy, Stacey Glick, Leslie Stevens, Adam Storke, Jo Henderson, Olympia Dukakis, John Glover, Will Patton, Joe Lambie, Morgan Fairchild, Timothy Patrick Murphy, Sheryl Lee Ralph
• Guest Cast: Angela Bassett, Bill McCutcheon, Tony Spiridakis, David Strathairn, Meg Bennett, Joel Higgins, John James, Michelle Phillips, Robert Mandan, Val Dufour, Andrea McArdle, Maureen O’Sullivan, Sab Shimono, Judith Ivey, Humbert Allen Astredo, David Rasche, Glenn Scarpelli, Mary Louise Wilson, Ellen Barkin, Michael Jeter, Dan Lauria, Joanna Going, Wendie Malick, Robbie Benson, George Gaynes, Denise Nickerson, Michael Nouri, Christian Slater, Anita Gillette, David Gautreaux, Frankie Faison, Viggo Mortensen, Josef Sommer, Richard Romero, Tom Poston, Constance Ford, Ken Kercheval, Brett Halsey, Melissa Manchester, Joe Gifasi, June Havoc, Al Lewis, Don Knotts, Lee Grant, Nita Talbot, Larry Hagman, Mark Lenard, George Maharis, Audra Lindley, Sandy Duncan, Burr DeBenning, Trish Van Devere, Charles Siebert, Jill Clayburgh, Hal Linden, Michael Zaslow, Kathleen Beller, Natalie Schafer, Michael Shannon, Tom Ewell, Joe Morton, Robert Loggia, Pamela Des Barres, Polly Holliday, Barbara Babcock, Melanie Chartoff, Kevin Kline, David Canary, Kevin Bacon, Louis Edmonds, Vincent Spano, BarBara Luna, Wayne Rogers, Martin E. Brooks, Dody Goodman, Audrey Landers, Malachi Throne, Gretchen Wyler, Sheila MacRae, Peggy Cass, Arnold Stang, Geoff Pierson, Lucy Lee Flippin, John Pankow
• Synopsis: Set in the fictional town of Henderson in an unspecified state, the show focused primarily on the character of Joanne, known to the audience as ‘Jo’.
• Network: CBS / NBC
• Broadcast History: Thirty-five seasons, 9,130 episodes, last broadcast on December 26, 1986
• Trivia: Mary Stuart played Jo for the series’ entire run. Agnes Nixon wrote the first 13 weeks of episodes. The series aired for 15 minutes from 1951 to 1968. The series switched from live to taped broadcasts in March 1967. The series switched to color on September 11, 1967. CBS moved the show from its 30 year 12:30 PM timeslot to 2:30 PM on June 8, 1981, confusing fans and angering producer Procter & Gamble. CBS refused to return the series to its original time, so when the contract ended P&G sold the show to NBC. The last CBS episode aired March 26, 1982, and the first NBC episode aired March 29, 1982 where it found itself going head-to-head with CBS’s powerhouse The Young & the Restless. Many NBC affiliates didn’t carry the show, opting for syndicated programming or newscasts causing the ratings to plummet. The show stayed on the air mainly due to its elderly fan, a group not appealing to advertisers. On August 4, 1983, the master copy and backup went missing and the cast was forced to perform a live episode for the first time in 16 years. At the time of the show’s cancellation, it was the longest running daytime series in history. The series won five Daytime Emmy Awards during its run, three for acting: Larry Haines (Lead Actor, 1976), Val Dufour (Lead Actor, 1977) and Larry Haines (Supporting Actor, 1981).

1961

• No new series debuted in 1961.

1971

• No new series debuted in 1971.

1981

September 1 – Danger Mouse

• Voice Cast: David Jason, Terry Scott, Edward Kelsey, Victor Knight, Brian Trueman, John Stocker, Jimmy Hibbert
• Synopsis: Danger Mouse, the greatest secret agent in the world, must follow Colonel K’s orders (and try not to break Professor Squawkencluck’s inventions) to foil Baron Greenback’s and his henchman Stiletto’s plans.
• Network: ITV
• Broadcast History: Ten seasons, 89 episodes, last broadcast on March 19, 1992
• Trivia: Danger Mouse was based on Patrick McGoohan’s Danger Man. The series was originally intended to be more serious. The show began airing in the US on Nickelodeon on June 4, 1984, the first animated show to appear on the network. To keep high production costs down, footage was re-used and some scenes were set in the North Pole or ‘in the dark’ with just eyeballs visible. The series was nominated for seven BAFTA TV awards and 4 BAFTA Film awards. The show spawned the spin-off Count Duckula in 1988. The character of Stiletto was re-dubbed for American broadcast from an Italian accent to Cockney to avoid offending Italian-American viewers. Villain Baron GreenBack was named Baron GreenTeeth in the pilot episode.

1991

August 31 – What Would You Do?

• Cast: Marc Summers, Robin Marrella
• Guest Cast: Lee Grimes, Kreskin, Dee Bradley Baker, Rod maxwell, David Cassidy, Robert Loftus
• Synopsis: During each show, the audience viewed a previously taped segment or stock film featuring children or families or others put in unusual situations. The tape was stopped before the outcome and Summers asked the audience to vote on either what they would do in the same situation or what the outcome would be. After the results were tallied, the outcome was played.
• Network: Nickelodeon
• Broadcast History: Two seasons, 90 episodes, last broadcast on November 26, 1993
• Trivia: The show was taped at Universal Studios Florida, with some early segments taped at Universal Studios Hollywood. Robin Marrella left the show in 1993 over pay, but continued to work with Marc Summers on Family Double Dare, also on Nickelodeon. Instead of replacing Marrella, a kid from the audience was chosen to be ‘Co-Host of the Day’.

September 1 – Taz-Mania

• Cast: Jim Cummings, Rob Paulsen, Maurice LaMarche, Miriam Flynn, Kellie Martin, Debi Derryberry
• Guest Cast: Dan Castellaneta, John Astin, Stan Freberg, Arleen Sorkin, Roger Rose
• Synopsis: The daily satirical adventures of the Looney Tunes star The Tazmanian Devil, along with his extended family, friends, and enemies on the island of Tazmania.
• Network: FOX
• Broadcast History: Four seasons, 65 episodes, last broadcast on May 22, 1995
• Trivia: All 65 episodes were produced between 1991 & 1993.

2001

September 3 – Disney’s The Legend of Tarzan

• Voice Cast: Michael T. Weiss, Olivia d’Abo, Jim Cummings, April Winchel, Jeff Bennett, Nicollette Sheridan
• Guest Voice Cast: Rene Auberjonois, Frank Welker, Joe Flaherty, Jason Marsden, Dave Thomas, Kevin Michael Richardson, Erik von Detten, James Avery, Craig Ferguson, Phil LaMarr, Tara Strong, Diahann Carroll, Keith David, Grey Griffin, John O’Hurley, Sheena Easton, Maurice LaMarche, Brock Peters, Kath Soucie, Fred Willard, Jason Alexander, Diedrich Bader, Bruce Campbell, Max Casella, Alexis Denisof, John DiMaggio, Tate Donovan, Bill Fagerbakke, Mark Harmon, Neil Patrick Harris, Lance Henriksen, Tony Jay, Thomas Lennon, Dawnn Lewis, Kenneth Mars, Kathy Najimy, Charles Napier, Rob Paulsen, Ron Perlman, Stephen Root, Steven Weber, Clarence Williams III
• Synopsis: The further adventures of the jungle hero Tarzan and his friends.
• Network: UPN
• Broadcast History: Two seasons, 39 episodes, last broadcast on February 5, 2003
• Trivia: Based on the 1999 Disney animated film, which was based on the Tarzan novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The character of Burroughs appears in one episode. The Season 2 episodes were re-edited into a direct-to-video sequel to the film, Tarzan & Jane, with some segments edited to appear as flashbacks. None of the original voice actors from the film returned for the series.

September 3 – One on One

• Cast: Kyla Pratt, Robert Ri’chard, Flex Alexander, Kelly Perine, Sicily Johnson, Jonathan Chase, Camille Mana, Nicole Paggi, Ray J, Shondrella Avery
• Guest Cast: Tichina Arnold, Ron Canada, Tamala Jones, Josh Henderson, Joan Pringle, Omar Gooding, Greg Cipes, Holly Robinson Peete, Kel Mitchell, Curtis Armstrong, Toby Huss, Kim Coles, Beth Littleford, Brandy Norwood, Cristián de la Fuente, Smokey Robinson, Omarion, Kim Fields, David Faustino, Robin Givens, Hal Sparks, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Alfonso Ribeiro, Romeo Miller, Shannon Elizabeth, Eve, Tim Meadows, Maria Menounos, Ruben Studdard, John Salley, Laila Ali, Niecy Nash, Amy Hill, Michael Irvin, Mehcad Brooks, Jack Plotnick, Common, SOlange, Angie Stone, Kevin Frazier, Kadeem Hardison, Mystro Clark, Robin Riker, Daryl Sabara, Ja’net DuBois, Dedee Pfeiffer, Mark Deklin, Haylie Duff, Floetry, Clyde Kusatsu, Chingy, Emmanuel Lewis, Nate Dogg, Method Man, John J. York, Avant, New Edition, David Leisure, Mindy Cohn, Jeff Dunham, Mario, Felicia Day, Giuliana Rancic, Jackée Harry, Kym Whitley, India Arie, Renée Elise Goldsberry, David Garrison, Napoleon Dumo, La La Anthony, JD Pardo
• Synopsis: A sportscaster must take on the responsibility of being a full-time dad when his teenage daughter moves in with him.
• Network: UPN
• Broadcast History: Five seasons, 113 episodes, last broadcast on May 15, 2005
• Trivia: The series was set in Baltimore for the first four seasons (exteriors of the condo building are Henderson’s Wharf in the Fells Point area of Baltimore), then changed to Los Angeles for the last. The show’s cancellation, which happened a few months before UPN and The WB merged to form The CW, was blamed on the changes instituted in Season 5 to cater to a different audience than the one built over the previous four season. The show did produce a spin-off, Cuts, that ran for two seasons and was cancelled after the network merger. The theme song was performed by Shanice, who was married to star Flex Alexander. The series became available on Netflix October 15, 2020. Kyla Pratt was 12 when the pilot was shot, and 14 when the series was picked up which is why she appears older in the second episode. Kyla Pratt and Robert Ri’chard are the only cast members to appear in every episode.

2011

• No new series debuted in 2011.