TV by the Decade :: June 19•25

HBO

Summer heats up this week in TV land as all but two decades see the premiere of new show, some that went on for multiple season runs and some that disappeared after just a handful of episodes. The longest running of these was a classic game show with a celebrity panel that followed in the footsteps of What’s My Line? and To Tell the Truth. 1992 had a project from Mark Frost and David Lynch that barely aired, while another sitcom sounds suspiciously like an MTV reality series that debuted many years later. 2002 brought poetry to HBO, and a sci-fi series to Showtime that lasted one season but took two years to air the episodes. 2012 had a Hot in Cleveland spin-off, a popular comedy inspired by Three Men and a Baby, and a new Aaron Sorkin series, among others. Take a look at the shows celebrating anniversaries this week and let us know if any of your favorites are here!

1952

June 19 – I’ve Got a Secret

• Cast: Garry Moore, Steve Allen (hosts), Bill Cullen, Henry Morgan, Faye Emerson, Jayne Meadows, Betsy Palmer, Bess Myerson (panelists), Kitty Carlisle, Joan Bennett, Johnny Carson, Audrey Meadows, Carl Reiner, Orson Bean, Betty White, Polly Bergen, Florence Henderson, Dick Clark, Esther Williams, Donna Reed, Eva Marie Saint, Lauren Bacall (guest panelists)
• Notable Guests: Boris Karloff, Ronald Reagan, Philo Farnworth, Bobby Fischer, John Cale, Colonel Sanders, Carol Burnett, Arthur Godfrey, Art Linkletter, Hugh O’Brian, Vivian Vance, Carol Channing, Arlene Francis, Peter Lawford, Peggy Cass, Woody Allen, Lucille Ball, Tony Randall, Andy Griffith, Olivia de Havilland, Soupy Sales, Merv Griffin, Phyllis Diller, Janet Leigh, Mickey Rooney, Paul Anka, Groucho Marx, Gloria Swanson, Buster Keaton, Basil Rathbone, Burgess Meredith, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Peter Lorre, Jack Lemmon, Vincent Price, Tab Hunter, Roy Rogers, Ginger Rogers, Eva Gabor, Lloyd Bridges, Liberace, Bette Davis, Anthony Perkins, Jackie Gleason, Ed Sullivan, Joan Crawford, Veronica Lake, Mickey Mantle, Cesar Romero, Debbie Reynolds, Fred Astaire, Paul Newman, Ernest Borgnine, Orson Welles, Ricardo Montalban, Tony Curtis, Myrna Loy, Jane Wyman, Jerry Lewis, Eve Arden, Kim Novak, Jack Benny, Julie Newmar, Liza Minnelli, Ethel Merman, William Frawley, Shelley Winters, Lynn Redgrave, Don Knotts, Desi Arnaz, Red Skelton, Carol Lynley, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Betsey Johnson
• Synopsis: A celebrity panel tries to determine a contestant’s secret: something that is unusual, amazing, embarrassing, or humorous about that person.
• Network: CBS
• Broadcast History: Sixteen seasons, 680 episodes, last broadcast on April 3, 1967
• Trivia: The series originated in black and white and switched to color in 1966, but existing copies of those episodes are in black and white. The show was revived in Syndication in 1972-73, in 1976 as a Summer replacement series on CBS, in 2000-2001 on Oxygen, and in 2006 on GSN. Host Garry Moore left the show after the 1963-64 season and was replaced with Steve Allen. Moore and the panel played themselves in the 1959 film It Happened to Jane, when the title character appeared on the show as a contestant. Early 1952 episode are presumed lost. The premiere episode, which was radically different, is also thought to be lost. Guest Samuel Seymour appeared on the February 9, 1956 episode, and his secret was that he was the last surviving member of the audience at Ford’s Theatre the night Lincoln was shot. He was five years old at the time and only saw John Wilkes Booth jump from the presidential box and injure his leg. He did not hear the shots because of the audience laughter during the play. He died two months after the episode was broadcast. The regular panelists often filled in for Moore when he was on vacation. Besides a small cash prize, adult contestants on the show also received a carton of Winston cigarettes. Winston was the show’s sponsor; they cancelled appearances by Groucho Marx and Ernie Kovacs because they smoked cigars. Harpo Marx appeared on the show as a guest, but the secret was that it was actually his brother Chico dressed as Harpo. None of the panelists guessed correctly. For a 1965 broadcast known as ‘The Night of the Big Switch’, the regular panel swapped places with the panel of To Tell the Truth.

1962

• No new series premiered this week in 1962.

1972

June 21 – The Super

• Cast: Richard S. Castellano, Ardell Sheridan, Margaret E. Castellano, Bruno Kirby, Phil Mishkin, Ed Peck, Virginia Vincent, Louis Basile, Janet Brandt
• Notable Guests: Penny Marshall, Vic Tayback, Wynn Irwin
• Synopsis: A single dad has a lot to deal with, being the super of a large apartment building in New York. Raising his teenage son adds to the complications.
• Network: ABC
• Broadcast History: One season, 12 episodes (2 unaired), last broadcast on August 23, 1972
• Trivia: Ardell Sheridan was Richard Castellano’s girlfriend at the time and they later married. Margaret Castellano was Richard’s real-life daughter. The show was developed as another blue-collar comedy to cash in on the success of All in the Family. Rob Reiner was one of the show’s creators, co-writing the first episode. The final two episodes were pre-empted by coverage of the 1972 Olympics and never aired.

1982

• No new series premiered this week in 1982.

1992

June 20 – On the Air

Lynch/Frost Productions

• Cast: Ian Buchanan, Nancye Ferguson, Miguel Ferrer, Gary Grossman, Mel Johnson Jr., Marvin Kaplan, David L. Lander, Kim McGuire, Marla Rubinoff, Tracey Walter, Irwin Keyes, Buddy Douglas, Raleigh Friend, Raymond Friend, Everett Greenbaum
• Notable Guests: Freddie Jones, Vanessa Angel, Richard Riehle, Chuck McCann, Angelo Badalamenti
• Synopsis: In the 1950s, a group of television performers attempt to put together a live variety program and often find disastrous results.
• Network: ABC
• Broadcast History: One season, 7 episodes (4 unaired), last broadcast on July 4, 1992
• Trivia: The series was created by Mark Frost and David Lynch following Twin Peaks. While three of the seven episodes were aired in the US, the third was pre-empted in much of the country. All seven episodes aired in the UK and other European countries, while at least four aired in Canada.

June 21 – Down the Shore

• Cast: Louis Mandylor, Cathryn de Prume, Anna Gunn, Lew Schneider, Tom McGowan, Nancy Sorel, Pamela Adlon
• Notable Guests: Carrie-Anne Moss, Anthony Starke, Jere Burns, Sam McMurray, Kathy Ireland, Liz Torres, Brenda Strong, Frances Bay, Garcelle Beauvais, Ann Turkel, Phil Rosenthal
• Synopsis: Three childhood friends get a beach house in New Jersey over the Summer in the hopes of meeting women. They share the house with three female co-workers.
• Network: FOX
• Broadcast History: Two seasons, 29 episodes, last broadcast on May 27, 1993
• Trivia: While the show was a comedy, one notable episode found Aldo briefly hospitalized and awaiting the results of an AIDS test, leaving his roommates to mull over the fact that casual sex can come with consequences. The final episode, ‘Swept Away in Belmar Bay’ was a take-off on the 1974 film Swept Away.

June 24 – Raven

• Cast: Jeffrey Meek, Lee Majors, Andy Bumatai
• Notable Guests: Leigh McCloskey, France Nuyen, James Hong, Sab Shimono, Elizabeth Berkley, Tamlyn Tomita, Felicity Huffman, M.C. Gainey, Tracy Scoggins, Leah Ayres, Dale Dye, Larry Manetti, Judson Scott, Clyde Kusatsu, Malachi Throne, Shiri Appleby, R. Lee Ermey, Marcia Cross, Sally Kirkland
• Synopsis: The adventures of Jonathan Raven, a ninja and ex-Special Forces soldier.
• Network: CBS
• Broadcast History: One season, 20 episodes (1 unaired), last broadcast on April 30, 1993
• Trivia: James Darren appears in an uncredited role. While star Jeffrey Meek, a practitioner in Akido and Taekwondo, developed many of his fight scenes, martial arts superstar Billy Blanks was also a fight choreographer from time to time.

2002

June 21 – Russell Simmons presents Def Poetry

• Host: Mos Def
• Notable Guests: The Last Poets, Nikki Giovanni, Amiri Baraka, Sonya Sanchez, Saul Williams, J. Ivy, Jessica Care-Moore, Lemon, Beau Sia, Taylor Mali, Big Poppa E, Mayda del Valle, Mike Mcgee, Alix Olson, Rives, Jewel, Cedric the Entertainer, Dave Chappelle, Jamie Foxx, Erykah Badu, MuMs, Malcolm Jamal Warner, Jill Scott, Common, Kanye West, Smokey Robinson, MC Lyte, Tracy Morgan, Michael Eric Dyson, KRS-One and Doug E. Fresh, Kim Fields, Ruby Dee, Mike Epps, Musiq, Avery Brooks, Lauryn Hill, John Legend, Alicia Keys, Rev. Run, Phylicia Rashad, Wyclef Jean, DMX, Carole King, George Clinton, Nelly Furtado
• Synopsis: A spoken word poetry television series featuring performances by established and up-and-coming spoken word poets.
• Network: HBO
• Broadcast History: Six seasons, 44 episodes, last broadcast on May 18, 2007
• Trivia: Also known as Def Poetry and Def Poetry Jam. Spun off from Def Comedy Jam.

June 21 – Odyssey 5

• Cast: Peter Weller, Sebastian Roché, Christopher Gorham, Leslie Silva, Tamara Marie Watson, Gina Clayton, Jim Codrington, Amari Myles, Phillip Jarrett
• Notable Guests: Kenneth Mitchell, Sonja Smits, Geoffrey Lewis, Rick Worthy, Ted Raimi
• Synopsis: After witnessing the sudden implosion of Earth from orbit, a group of five Odyssey astronauts is sent five years back in time by an alien force to find the cause and prevent the disaster. A vast conspiracy stands in their way.
• Network: Showtime
• Broadcast History: One season, 19 episodes, last broadcast on October 15, 2002
• Trivia: Showtime put the series on hiatus after the 14th episode had aired, leaving the remaining episodes unaired until 2004 as ‘missing’ episodes. The series ended on an unresolved cliffhanger.

June 23 – Street Time

• Cast: Rob Morrow, Michelle Nolden, Alexander Conti, Scott Cohen, Erika Alexander, Christopher Bolton, Kate Greenhouse, Allegra Fulton, Simon Reynolds, Jack Knight, Terrence Howard, Jeffrey James, Rod Wilson, Jeff Pustil
• Notable Guests: Danny Waugh, Hector Elizondo, Red Buttons, Keith Carradine, Dash Mihok, Billy Dee Williams, Boris Kodjoe , Carlo Rota, Gale Harold, Swoosie Kurtz, Rick Fox, Chris Owens, Giancarlo Esposito, Robert Forster, Daniel Dae Kim, Judd Hirsch, Serena Williams
• Synopsis: Follows a fair parole officer and his parolee who wants to go straight but his former business associates are after him.
• Network: Showtime
• Broadcast History: Two seasons, 33 episodes, last broadcast on October 29, 2003

June 23 – Monster Garage

• Host: Jesse James
• Notable Guests: George Barris, Richard Petty, Tony Hawk, Bill Goldberg, CM Punk, Travis Walton
• Synopsis: A team of five people with mechanical, fabricating, or modifying expertise was assembled to modify a vehicle into a ‘monster machine’.
• Network: Discovery Channel
• Broadcast History: Five seasons, 80 episodes, last broadcast on June 12, 2006
• Trivia: There was a 1 in 10 monster build failure rate due to the strict rules.

June 23 – Totally in Tune

• Synopsis: The reality series focuses around eight students who attended Alexander Hamilton High School Academy of Music, in Los Angeles, California, dealing with many trials and tribulations of the students inside, and outside, the academy.
• Network: Disney Channel
• Broadcast History: One season, 10 episodes, last broadcast on August 18, 2002

June 24 – Sorority Life

• Synopsis: Reality series that consisted of girls pledging to become part of a sorority.
• Network: MTV
• Broadcast History: Three seasons, 28 episodes, last broadcast on November 19, 2003
• Trivia: The first season occurred at University of California, Davis, and followed six girls pledging to Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi, a four-year-old Jewish sorority that was relatively unknown on the campus at the time. The second season occurred at University at Buffalo, with six girls pledging to Delta Xi Omega. The third season occurred at the University of Southern California, with girls pledging to Zeta Sigma Phi, an independent multicultural sorority on campus founded in 1994. The show spun off Fraternity Life, which aired during the second and third seasons.

2012

June 20 – The Soul Man

TV Land

• Cast: Cedric the Entertainer, Niecy Nash, Wesley Jonathan, John Beasley, Jazz Raycole, Kellee Stewart, Gary Anthony Williams, Sherri Shepherd, Missi Pyle
• Notable Guests: Cedric Yarbrough, Yvette Nicole Brown, Kim Coles, Malcolm Barrett, Anthony Anderson, Kevin Nealon, Don Lake, Loretta Devine, Dawnn Lewis, David Alan Grier, Anna Maria Horsford, Kim Wayans, Betty White, Deion Sanders, Robert Forster, Tim Reid, Martin Lawrence, Jaleel White, Richard Riehle, George Wallace, David Koechner, Leslie Grossman, Steve Schirripa, Arden Myrin, Brandy Norwood, Mindy Sterling, Tamar Braxton, Al Jarreau, J.B. Smoove, Jamie Kennedy, Stormy Daniels, Tim Russ, Charles Robinson
• Synopsis: The series follows R&B superstar-turned-minister Reverend Boyce ‘The Voice’ Ballantine, who was living the high life in Las Vegas at the top of the music charts when he got ‘the calling’ and decided to relocate to St. Louis with his family to become a preacher in his father’s church. However, his family members are not exactly eager to give up the fabulous superstar life for their new humble one.
• Network: TV Land
• Broadcast History: Five seasons, 54 episodes, last broadcast on June 22, 2016
• Trivia: A spin-off from Hot in Cleveland. The 2011 episode ‘Bridezelka’ served as the backdoor pilot. Season 3 premiered with a special live episode. The series was originally titled Have Faith. The exterior of the Ballentine’s house is the same that was used for Tia and Tamera’s house on Sister, Sister.

June 20 – Baby Daddy

ABC Family

• Cast: Jean-Luc Bilodeau, Derek Theler, Melissa Peterman, Chelsea Kane, Tahj Mowry, Kayleigh Harris, Sura Harris, Harper Husak, Ember Husak, Peter Porte, Mila Beske, Zoey Beske, Ali Louise Hartman, Susanne Allan Hartman, Daniella Monet
• Notable Guests: Lacey Chabert, Eddie Cibrian, Matt Dallas, Mary Hart, Chris O’Shea, Phil Morris, Jackée Harry, Greg Grunberg, Reba McEntire, Kym Whitley, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Tuc Watkins, Wayne Brady, Leslie Jordan, Caroline Rhea, Lucy Hale, Mo Gaffney, Loni Anderson, Alec Mapa, Mary Pat Gleason, Dot-Marie Jones, Kim Coles, Dan Castellaneta, Kathy Kinney, Diedrich Bader, Mark DeCarlo, Drew Droege, Jonathan Silverman, Mario Diaz
• Synopsis: Ben Wheeler, a twenty-something bachelor, suddenly becomes a father when his baby daughter Emma is left at his doorstep. With the help of his overbearing mother Bonnie, his older brother Danny, and his two best friends Tucker and Riley, Ben works to turn his life around in order to provide for his daughter.
• Network: ABC Family
• Broadcast History: Six seasons, 100 episodes, last broadcast on May 22, 2017
• Trivia: The series was inspired by movies Three Men and a Baby and Baby Mama. As the show progresses, four sets of twins play Emma. All the main characters appear in one hundred episodes, except for Tahj Mowry, who missed only one episode. The original pilot was filmed with a different actor for Ben. Once Jean-Luc Bilodeau was cast to take over the role, they had to re-shoot the pilot.

June 20 – School Spirits

• Synopsis: The series features alleged paranormal encounters told through reenactments that are based on occurrences at schools and universities in America.
• Network: Syfy
• Broadcast History: One season, 6 episodes, last broadcast on August 1, 2012

June 21 – Snooki & Jwoww

• Cast: Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi, Jennifer ‘Jwoww’ Farley, Jionni LaValle, Roger Mathews
• Notable Guests: Sammi ‘Sweetheart’ Giancola, Deena Nicole Cortese, Ronnie Magro, Paul ‘Pauly D’ DelVecchio, Vinny Guadagnino
• Synopsis: Follows Jersey Shore BFF’s, Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi and Jenni ‘JWoww’ Farley as they start a new chapter in their lives and take over Jersey City.
• Network: MTV
• Broadcast History: Four seasons, 48 episodes, last broadcast on February 4, 2015
• Trivia: The second of three Jersey Shore spin-offs. The production initially sought to film in Hoboken, New Jersey, but were denied a permit. An invitation to the crew to film in Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania was later rescinded by Central Pennsylvania Film Office following a public outcry. The first season location in Jersey City was guarded by at least four police officers, who were also required to follow cast and crew when leaving the home, a condition of the shooting permit. Several businesses in the area denied permission to film, and Newark Mayor Cory Booker denied a filming permit the week Polizzi and Farley moved into the house. Filming was to last six weeks, but enough material to complete the alloted episodes had been shot in five weeks. When Polizzi learned she was pregnant prior to filming, the news caused MTV concern as it would preclude her from participating in wild activities that had earned her a following on Jersey Shore, forcing a change in the direction of the show. Season 2 was filmed in Manchester, NJ after being denied permission to film in Morristown, Toms River and Point Pleasant Beach. Taping began the third week of August 2012 with an eight-months pregnant Polizzi.

June 24 – The Great Escape

• Host: Rich Eisen
• Synopsis: Three teams of two people are put to the test to see if they can escape elaborate traps and mazes without being caught. The first team to win gets a cash prize. Sites to escape include an airplane graveyard, a spooky bayou swamp, an old abandoned insane asylum and The infamous Rock – Alcatraz.
• Network: TNT
• Broadcast History: One season, 9 episodes, last broadcast on August 26, 2012
• Trivia: Ten episodes were ordered but only nine aired. Each route was carefully crafted as to keep contestants from going too far off the target course, particularly in dangerous environment such as a bayou. Production arrives about a week before filming to prepare the area and create any necessary props for the challenge or the course.

June 24 – The Newsroom

• Cast: Jeff Daniels, Emily Mortimer, John Gallagher Jr., Alison Pill, Thomas Sadoski, Dev Patel, Olivia Munn, Sam Waterston
• Notable Guests: Jane Fonda, Adina Porter, Chris Chalk, Chris Messina, Terry Crews, David Harbour, Jon Tenney, Hope Davis, Marcia Gay Harden, Hamish Linklater, Grace Gummer, Constance Zimmer, Aya Cash, B. J. Novak, Mary McCormack, Clea DuVall, David Krumholtz, Stephen Root, Lauren Tom, Michael Carbonaro, Adam Arkin, Kathryn Hahn, Philip Baker Hall, Kat Dennings, John DiMaggio, Joanna Gleason
• Synopsis: A newsroom undergoes some changes in its workings and morals as a new team is brought in, bringing unexpected results for its existing news anchor.
• Network: HBO
• Broadcast History: Three seasons, 25 episodes, last broadcast on December 14, 2014
• Trivia: Jesse Eisenberg appeared in an uncredited role. Sorkin had been an off-camera guest at MSNBC’s Countdown with Keith Olbermann in 2010 to observe the show’s production to research the world of cable news. He also spent time shadowing Hardball with Chris Matthews as well as other programs on Fox News and CNN. Instead of having characters react to fictional news events, the series was set in the recent past and tracked real-world stories as they unfolded to give the show a sense of realism. The working title was More as This Story Develops. The day after the second episode aired, HBO ordered a second season. Controversy arose when the title was changed to The Newsroom, which was the same title as a popular Canadian series. Critics felt the American show would face unflattering comparisons. Ken Finkleman, the Canadian show’s creator, confirmed he granted HBO permission to reuse the title. MSNBC shot down a scene in the pilot with host Chris Matthews and Andrew Brietbart because the network was displeased with how the show portrayed the corporate culture and skewered left-leaning media. Jane Fonda was said to be playing a female version of her former husband Ted Turner, founder of CNN. Her name, Leona Lansing, was taken from real estate developer Leona Helmsley and former Paramount Pictures CEO Sherry Lansing. The fictional Atlantis World Media building is actually the Bank of America Tower on Sixth Avenue and 42nd Street in Manhattan. The pilot was shot on 16mm film while the series was shot digitally. The series had less than ten credited writers. The series finale title, ‘What Kind of Day Has It Been?’ is the same as the first season finale episode titles of Aaron Sorkin’s three previous series, The West Wing, Sports Night and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. The show’s pilot was the first for Sorkin that received no Emmy nominations.

June 25 – The Cycle

• Hosts: Krystal Ball, Ari Melber, Touré, Abby Huntsman
• Synopsis: An ensemble news and political talk show. All four hosts appear on every show, with each host taking turns to facilitate the discussions.
• Network: MSNBC
• Broadcast History: Last broadcast on July 31, 2015
• Trivia: Steve Kornacki and S.E. Cupp were two of the original hosts with Krystal Ball and Touré. Kornacki was replaced with Ari Melber when Kornacki was named new host of Up after Chris Hayes was given Ed Schultz’s time slot. Cupp left the show to host CNN’s revival of Crossfire and was replaced with Abby Huntsman.