TV by the Decade :: November 14•20

20th Century Fox Television

As networks are dead in the middle of the November Sweeps period, broadcasters focus more on stunt programming for series already on the air, or they load up their schedules with specials to draw in more viewers so they can set advertising rates higher — or lower — depending on the viewership. For that reason, daytime programming outranks primetime as far as new series debuts with two news programs (one of which is still on the air today) and a game show (which also aired in primetime concurrently with its daytime version) making their premieres. 1981 and 2001 did see two new scripted primetime series make their debuts, but only one of them made it past its first season. Read on to see what new shows made their debuts this week across the decades!

1951

November 18 – See It Now

• Host: Edward R. Murrow
• Synopsis: Newsmagazine and documentary series
• Network: CBS
• Broadcast History: Seven seasons, 188 episodes, last broadcast on July 7, 1958
• Trivia: The series was aired weekly during its first four seasons, but by Season 5 it aired irregularly month by month. The series won four Emmy Awards and a 1952 Peabody Award.

1961

November 14 – Yours for a Song

• Cast: Bert Parks (host), Johnny Gilbert (announcer)
• Synopsis: Game show in which two contestants alternated picking songs, then singing their lyrics each with six words missing, earning a cash prize of $10.00 for each correctly guessed word. After the song was completed, the host would lead the audience in a sing-along.
• Network: ABC
• Broadcast History: Two seasons, last broadcast on March 29, 1963.
• Trivia: A nighttime version of the show aired from November 14, 1961 to September 18, 1962. The prize money was doubled for the primetime edition. The daytime version was replaced by General Hospital, ABC’s first ‘modern-day’ soap opera, on April 1, 1963. Tapes of the series are believed to have been destroyed as per network practices at the time, but two episodes do survive at the UCLA Film & Television Archive.

1971

• No new shows premiered this week in 1971.

1981

November 15 – This Week

• Hosts: David Brinkley (November 15, 1981 – November 10, 1996), Sam Donaldson and Cokie Roberts (November 17, 1996 – September 8, 2002), George Stephanopoulos (September 15, 2002 – January 10, 2010 and January 8, 2012 – present), Jake Tapper (March–July 2010), Christiane Amanpour (August 1, 2010 – December 25, 2011), Martha Raddatz, co-host (January 24, 2016 – present), Jonathan Karl, co-host (February 21, 2021 – present)
• Synopsis: American Sunday morning political affairs program
• Network: ABC
• Broadcast History: Thirty-eight seasons to date
• Trivia: Originally titled as This Week with David Brinkley and currently billed as This Week with George Stephanopoulos. The series began broadcasting from the Newseum in Washington DC on April 20, 2008, becoming the first Sunday morning news program to be broadcast in high definition. The show moved out of that studio in 2013.

November 20 – McClain’s Law

• Cast: James Arness, Marshall Colt, George DiCenzo, Carl Franklin
• Notable Guests: Richard Lynch, Arte Johnson, Barbara Babcock, Bibi Besch, Thom Christopher, Conchata Ferrell, Jenny O’Hara, Michael O’Hare, Markie Post, Ana Alicia, Xander Berkeley, Philip Baker Hall, Bill Paxton, Gregory Sierra
• Synopsis: A former police detective, who was medically retired after being wounded in the leg in a gun battle in the line of duty, returns to duty thirteen years later to avenge the murder and robbery of a friend, and ends up coming out of retirement in order to share his expertise with a younger generation of police officers.
• Network: NBC
• Broadcast History: One seasons, 16 episodes, last broadcast on March 20, 1982
• Trivia: Marshall Colt was not only cast for his acting ability; he was cast for his height as well. At 6’5″, he was close to the height of James Arness at 6’6″. After the last of the original episodes aired, NBC reran the show until August 24, 1982.

1991

• No new shows premiered this week in 1991.

2001

November 14 – The Bernie Mac Show

• Cast: Bernie Mac, Kellita Smith, Jeremy Suarez, Dee Dee Davis, Camille Winbush
• Notable Guests:, Naya Rivera, Anthony Anderson, Carl Reiner, Niecy Nash, Irma P. Hall, Janet Hubert, Carlos Mencia, Glynn Turman, Brian Posehn, Tommy Davidson, Taylor Lautner, Sugar Ray Leonard, Matt Damon, Ice Cube, Don Cheadle, Billy Crystal, Don Rickles, Wesley Snipes, Angela Bassett, Chris Rock, Greg Germann, Shaquille O’Neal, Penn Jillette, Theresa Saldana, India Arie, Snoop Dogg, Ellen DeGeneres, Paula Abdul, Mo’Nique, Hugh Hefner, June Squibb, Steve Austin, Isaac Hayes, Dick Butkus, Lucy Lawless, Garcelle Beauvais, Jay Leno, Teller, Ashton Kutcher, Anna Maria Horsford, Phil McGraw, Randy Jackson, Serena Williams, Kate Flannery, Chelsea Handler, Charles Robinson, Craig Robinson, Flavor Flav, Danielle Panabaker, Orlando Jones, David Faustino, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Natasha Lyonne, Dom DeLuise, Parker Posey
• Synopsis: A stand up comedian suddenly becomes a father when he takes custody of his sister’s three children.
• Network: FOX
• Broadcast History: Five seasons, 104 episodes, last broadcast on April 14, 2006
• Trivia: An uncredited Frank Welker provided animal voice effects for one episode. Halle Berry appeared uncredited in one episode. The show won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series and a Peabody Award for its first season. Mac was also nominated for Emmy and Golden Globe Awards.

2011

• No new shows premiered this week in 2011.