ABC
The fall season is in full swing by this point in time so new series debuts are few and far between, and only two decades had new shows making their debuts: three scripted series, and two unscripted sports talk format shows. Of the scripted series, one was a cartoon featuring a team of superheroes, one was a sitcom that didn’t finish airing its episodes, and one was a fantasy series that developed a very strong fanbase, keeping it on the air for seven seasons. Let’s take a look at the shows that celebrate anniversaries this week!
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
Warner Bros. Television
October 17 – Justice League
- Voice Cast: Carl Lumbly, Phil LaMarr, Michael Rosenbaum, George Newbern, Maria Canals-Barrera, Kevin Conroy, Susan Eisenberg
- Notable Guests: Mark Hamill, Clancy Brown, Phil Morris, Susan Sullivan, Powers Boothe, Kristin Bauer van Straten, Ron Perlman, Rene Auberjonois, Robert Picardo, Dana Delany, Dave Thomas, Gary Cole, Dennis Haysbert, Ian Buchanan, Ted McGinley, Patrick Duffy, Hector Elizondo, Eric Roberts, Michael T. Weiss, Keith David, Oded Fehr, David Naughton, Tom Sizemore, Michael Ironside, William Katt, Kurtwood Smith, Julie Bowen, Pam Grier, Danica McKellar, Robert Englund, Stephen Root, Fairuza Balk, Alfred Molina, Virginia Madsen, Richard Moll, John Rhys-Davies, Brad Garrett, Dan Castellaneta, Lisa Edelstein, Neil Patrick Harris, Michael Dorn, Rob Zombie, Garrett Morris, John C. McGinley, Lukas Haas
- Synopsis: Seven of the most formidable heroes form arguably the most powerful team ever.
- Network: Cartoon Network
- Broadcast History: Two seasons, 52 episodes, last broadcast on May 29, 2004
- Trivia: This is the first animated show to feature J’onn J’onzz, the Martian Manhunter.
October 22 – Pardon the Interruption
- Hosts: Tony Kornheiser, Michael Wilbon, Tony Reali
- Notable Guests: Charles Barkley, Troy Aikman, Mark Cuban, Ben Roethlisberger, Tiki Barber, Brent Musburger, Kobe Bryant, Danica Patrick, Kurt Warner, Andy Roddick, Stephen Curry, Deion Sanders, Metta World Peace, Hines Ward, Shaquille O’Neal, Eli Manning, Regis Philbin, Tiger Woods, LeBron James, James Carville, Terrell Owens, Terry Bradshaw, Doug Flutie, Peyton Manning, Michael Strahan, Joe Theismann
- Synopsis: Two former sportswriters discuss the day’s top stories of the sports world.
- Network: ESPN
- Broadcast History: 3000+ episodes to date
- Trivia: The show won a Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Studio Show in 2009, 2016, and 2019.
October 22 – Unscripted with Chris Connelly
- Host: Chris Connelly
- Synopsis: ESPN’s hipper, MTV-inspired version of its Up Close interview show. Connelly talks with the day’s news-making athletes and other movers and shakers in the sports world.
- Network: ESPN
- Broadcast History: One season, last broadcast on June 25, 2002
2011
October 18 – Man Up!
- Cast: Mather Zickel, Dan Fogler, Christopher Moynihan, Teri Polo, Amanda Detmer, Henry Simmons, Jake Johnson, Charlotte Labadie
- Notable Guests: Candice Patton, John Michael Higgins, Dan Cortese, Don Lake, Markie Post, Billy Dee Williams, Geoff Pierson
- Synopsis: Three 21st century men attempt to channel their inner toughness and redefine what it means to be a ‘real man.’
- Network: ABC
- Broadcast History: One seasons, 13 episodes (5 unaired), last broadcast on December 6, 2011
- Trivia: Only 8 episodes were broadcast, but all 13 were available on the ABC website until January 2012. ABC replaced the series with Work It, which was cancelled after two episodes.
October 23 – Once Upon a Time
- Cast: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Morrison, Lana Parrilla, Josh Dallas, Jared S. Gilmore, Robert Carlyle, Raphael Sbarge, Jamie Dornan, Eion Bailey, Emilie de Ravin, Meghan Ory, Colin O’Donoghue, Michael Raymond-James, Michael Socha, Rebecca Mader, Sean Maguire, Andrew J. West, Dania Ramirez, Gabrielle Anwar, Alison Fernandez, Mekia Cox, Beverley Elliott, Lee Arenberg, David Avalon, Faustino Di Bauda, Gabe Khouth, Michael Coleman, Mig Macario, Keegan Connor Tracy, Jeffrey Kaiser
- Notable Guests: David Anders, Barbara Hershey, Giancarlo Esposito, Kristin Bauer van Straten, Ethan Embry, Greg Germann, Tiera Skovbye, Elizabeth Mitchell, Alan Dale, Sonequa Martin-Green, Sebastian Stan, Merrin Dungey, Sam Witwer, Wil Traval, Christopher Gorham, Oded Fehr, Jorge Garcia, John Rhys-Davies, Brad Dourif, Robin Givens, Richard Schiff, Amy Acker, Abraham Benrubi, David Cubitt, Nicholas Lea, Yvette Nicole Brown, Annabeth Gish, Greyston Holt, Costas Mandylor, Cassidy Freeman, Paul Scheer, Ernie Hudson, Ryan Robbins, Sebastian Roché, Rebecca Wisocky
- Synopsis: A young woman with a troubled past is drawn to a small town in Maine where fairy tales are to be believed.
- Network: ABC
- Broadcast History: Seven seasons, 155 episodes, last broadcast on May 18, 2018
- Trivia: The role of Rumplestiltskin was written specifically for Robert Carlyle. Prince Charming was originally supposed to die in the pilot episode but the writers decided it would be difficult to continue the show without him. The storyline of Snow White and Prince Charming’s second baby was written to accommodate Ginnifer Goodwin’s real-life pregnancy.
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