TV by the Decade :: August 14•20

HBO

As the Summer begins drawing to an end and the Fall season approaches, the broadcast networks had few major offerings over the last seven decades, and what they had leaned more heavily in the unscripted or news program genre. Cable TV had an explosion of new shows, particularly in 2002 and 2012 due to their series having shorter seasons. Unfortunately, not many of the new shows stuck around very long, but there are a couple that broke through with one cable comedy becoming influential on many series that followed. Kids shows, reality, and competition/game shows were the dominant series premiering this week, so read on to see if any of your favorites are celebrating anniversaries!

1952

August 14 – Pick the Winner

• Host: Walter Cronkite
• Synopsis: American political television series about the 1952 and 1956 election contests for President of the United States between Dwight D. Eisenhower and Adlai Stevenson.
• Network: CBS/DuMont
• Broadcast History: One season, 12 episodes, last broadcast on November 3, 1952
• Trivia: The series was carried on both networks, and co-sponsored by Westinghouse Electric. The series returned for the 1956 election, but only aired on CBS as DuMont had gone out of business by that time.

1962

• No new series premiered this week in 1962.

1972

• No new series premiered this week in 1972.

1982

August 19 – Born to the Wind

• Cast: Will Sampson, A Martinez, Henry Darrow, Rose Portillo, Dehl Berti, Emilio Delgado, Linda Redfearn, Guillermo San Juan, Ned Romero, Manu Tupou, Nick Ramus, James Cromwell, Rudy Diaz, Geraldine Keams
• Synopsis: The series centered on a small Native American tribe in an unnamed part North American at the turn of the 19th century.
• Network: NBC
• Broadcast History: 4 episodes, last broadcast on September 5, 1982
• Trivia: The series tried to paint an accurate portrait of Native American culture, and only once in the last episode did a White man appear.

1992

August 15 – The Larry Sanders Show

• Cast: Garry Shandling, Jeffrey Tambor, Wallace Langham, Rip Torn, Penny Johnson Jerald, Janeane Garofalo, Linda Doucett, Scott Thompson, Jeremy Piven, Kathryn Harrold, Mary Lynn Rajskub
• Notable Guests: Bob Odenkirk, Jon Stewart, David Paymer, Bruno Kirby, Joshua Malina, James Karen, Roseanne Barr, Dana Carvey, Dana Delany, Kevin Nealon, Bruce Greenwood, David Duchovny, Sarah Silverman, Steven Wright, Mindy Sterling, Jeff Goldblum, John Ritter, Jason Alexander, Robin Williams, Martin Mull, David Letterman, Elvis Costello, Sandra Bernhard, Mimi Rogers, Bob Saget, Clint Black, Shawn Colvin, Jim Belushi, Illeana Douglas, Jon Lovitz, John Stamos, Bobcat Goldthwait, Carol Burnett, Ed Begley Jr., David Warner, Pat Sajak, Ellen DeGeneres, Ryan O’Neal, David Spade, George Segal, Jerry Seinfeld, Kristin Davis, Elizabeth Ashley, Tom Arnold, Courteney Cox, Colin Quinn, Sally Field, Amy Aquino, Burt Reynolds, Chris Farley, Jay Leno, Ed McMahon, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sharon Stone, Danny DeVito, Rob Reiner, Bernadette Peters, George Wendt, Dave Thomas, Jennifer Aniston, Chevy Chase, Chris Elliott, Henry Winkler, Chris Isaak, Marg Helgenberger, Brett Butler, Sting, Tom Poston, Ben Stiller, Lori Loughlin, Don Rickles, Winona Ryder, Laura Dern, Tim Allen, Lea Thompson, Vince Vaughn, Dave Chappelle, Michael Bolton, George Foreman, Adam Sandler, Howard Stern, Suzanne Somers, Doc Severinsen, Sugar Ray Leonard, Gene Siskel, Rita Moreno, Jimmie Walker, Kris Kristofferson, French Stewart, Ray Wise, Richard Belzer, Mary Gross, Regis Philbin, Norm MacDonald, Julianna Margulies, Farrah Fawcett, Molly Hagan, Victoria Principal, Jennie Garth, Larry King, Beck, They Might Be Giants, Angie Dickinson, Tim Conway, Jeff Foxworthy, Bridget Fonda, Gina Gershon, Warren Beatty, Jerry Stiller, Drew Carey, Colin Hay, Bob Costas, Billy Crystal, Peter Falk, Robert Hays, Ian Buchanan, Richard Simmons, Alec Baldwin, Phil Hartman, Alex Trebek, Hugh Hefner, Warren Zevon, Pauly Shore, Wayne Rogers, Rob Lowe, k.d. lang, Gloria Steinem, Charles Nelson Reilly, Marlee Matlin, Harvey Fierstein, Laura Leighton, Daisy Fuentes, Norm Crosby, Kristen Johnston, Eriq La Salle, Smash Mouth, Ben Folds Five, William Shatner, Catherine O’Hara, Michael Richards, Earl Holliman, Helen Hunt, Corbin Bernsen, Kathy Ireland, John Pleshette, Mandy Patinkin, Michael Boatman, Brooke Shields, Nicollette Sheridan, Al Franken, Drew Barrymore, Terry Bradshaw, Wu-Tang Clan, Teri Garr, Daniel Baldwin, Robin Quivers, Los Lobos, Haley Joel Osment, Gerrit Graham, Joyce Brothers, Susan Anton, Tom Snyder, Rosie O’Donnell, Polly Draper, Andy Williams, Roosevelt Grier, Ray Combs, Carl Reiner, Donny Osmond, Jon Favreau, Greg Kinnear, Heidi Klum, Kathy Kinney, Noah Wyle, Scott ‘Carrot Top’ Thompson, Sean Penn, Tom Petty
• Synopsis: A comedic behind the scenes look at a late night talk show.
• Network: HBO
• Broadcast History: Six seasons, 90 episodes, last broadcast on May 31, 1998
• Trivia: Hervé Villechaize, Richard Lewis, and Steve Higgins appeared in uncredited roles. The show won 24 major awards including three Primetime Emmys, five CableACE Awards, two British Comedy Awards, two Peabodys and a BAFTA. It was nominated for 56 Primetime Emmy Awards, the first cable series to be nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series. Shandling became the permanent Tonight Show guest host after Joan Rivers was basically fired, and was seen as a potential successor to Johnny Carson. When Jay Leno took over, Shandling was offered a late night show at 1 AM but he preferred to create a show about a talk show. The show’s links to The Tonight Show are so strong it verges on parody. While profanities were permitted as the show was on HBO, alternate versions of scenes were filmed with broadcast-suitable language but the practice stopped midway through the second season after the actors objected to shooting the extra takes. The talk show segments were shot on videotape with a four camera set-up and lighting that mimicked an actual talk show taping (the first season even used a live studio audience), while the off-set scenes were shot on film. Jeremy Piven left the show during the second season because he felt his character was not given enough to do. Linda Doucett was written out of the show at the end of Season 3 after her real-life relationship with Shandling soured. She sued for sexual harassment and wrongful termination, and the case was settled out of court for $1 million. Janeane Garofalo left in the fifth season due to decreasing screen time. Due to the workload and behind-the-scenes turmoil, including a lawsuit filed by Shandling against his manager Brad Grey after most of the show’s writers left to work on other Brillstein-Grey shows, Shandling decided the sixth season would be the last. The finale aired 16 days after the Seinfeld finale and garnered significantly better reviews. Ironically, Jerry Seinfeld guested on the episode. Seinfeld cast members often appeared on the show because they were both produced at the same studio facility. Judd Apatow made his directorial debut on the show. Shandling, Rip Torn and Jeffrey Tambor are the only actors to appear in every episode. 187 celebrities appeared as themselves on the show.

August 15 – Roundhouse

• Cast: Bryan Anthony, Alfred Carr Jr., Jennifer Cihi, John Crane, Mark David, Shawn Daywalt, Ivan Dudynsky, Micki Duran, Amy Ehrlich, Seymour Willis Green, Crystal Lewis, Dominic Lucero, Shawn Muñoz, David Nicoll, Natalie Nucci, Natasha Pearce, Julene Renee-Preciado, David Sidoni, Lisa Vale
• Synopsis: Sketch Comedy show for adolescents with skits revolving around a central theme to teach a lesson.
• Network: Nickelodeon
• Broadcast History: Four seasons, 52 episodes, last broadcast on December 24, 1996
• Trivia: All of the music was written specifically for the show. Following the first season, Dominic Lucero was diagnosed with lymphoma and left the show for treatment. He returned for three episodes of the third season but died during production of the fourth season at the age of 26. The series finale opened with the dedication ‘This one’s for our friend Dominic, who couldn’t be here’. Lucero requested his condition not be made public, but his name and picture remained in the opening credits for the show’s entire run. The first season was filmed at Nickelodeon Studios in Universal Studios Florida, with the final three filmed at CBS Studio Center in Hollywood, California.

August 16 – I Witness Video

• Hosts: Patrick Van Horn (1992–93), John Forsythe (1993–94)
• Synopsis: Each episode featured videos sent in by viewers. The videos shown featured robberies, hostage situations, fires, and natural disasters, including tidal waves, and earthquakes and had interviews with the people involved.
• Network: NBC
• Broadcast History: Last broadcast on July 10, 1994
• Trivia: The series began as six specials that were aired beginning February 23, 1992.

August 16 – Secret Service

• Host: Steven Ford
• Notable Guests: Nicholas Campbell, Henry Czerny, Shawn Thompson, Kim Coates, Tom Cavanagh, Clark Johnson, Lawrence Dane, Laurie Holden, Stephen McHattie, David Hewlett,Steve Landesberg, Brett Halsey, John Byner, Gordon Pinsent
• Synopsis: Re-enactments of real Secret Service cases.
• Network: NBC
• Broadcast History: One season, 21 episodes, last broadcast on November 17, 1993

August 18 – Arresting Behavior

• Cast: Leo Burmester, Chris Mulkey, Ron Eldard, Joey Simmrin, Amy Hathaway, Lee Garlington, Eric Balfour
• Synopsis: The series centered on partners Bill Ruskin and Donny Walsh who were followed by hand-held cameras as they worked in Vista Valley, California.
• Network: ABC
• Broadcast History: Seven episodes, last broadcast on September 2, 1992
• Trivia: The series parodied the new genre of police reality such like Cops.

2002

August 16 – He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

• Voice Cast: Cam Clarke, Garry Chalk, Scott McNeil, Brian Dobson, Lisa Ann Beley, Kathleen Barr, Gabe Khouth, Paul Dobson, Nicole Oliver, Michael Donovan, Richard Newman, Brian Drummond
• Notable Guest Voices: John Payne, Mark Acheson, Don Brown, Christopher Judge, Mark Gibbon, Colin Murdock
• Synopsis: On the planet Eternia, a young prince gains the ability to become a powerful warrior to defend Castle Grayskull against the dark lord Skeletor.
• Network: Cartoon Network
• Broadcast History: Two seasons, 39 episodes, last broadcast on January 10, 2004
• Trivia: Update of the 1980s series produced to coincide with the revival of Mattel’s toy line. Last He-Man series to feature a Canadian voice cast. Skeletor was given fangs in this version as a nod to the look of the live-action version from the film played by Frank Langella. The green tiger Cringer could talk in the original series but did not in this version because producers wanted to appeal to an older audience.

August 17 – ¡Mucha Lucha!

Fwak! Animation

• Voice Cast: Carlos Alazraqui, Kimberly Brooks, Candi Milo, Hector Elizondo, Eric Estrada, Benito Martinez, Paul Rodriguez, George Lopez, Joani Bye, Luis Felipe Giraldo, Joe Cantu, Lorenzo Lamas, Lee Majors, Wilmer Valderrama
• Notable Guest Voices: Garry Chalk, Frank Welker, Alessandro Juliani, Fred Tatasciore
• Synopsis: The series mainly centers on three friends, Rikochet, Buena Girl, and the Flea, as they struggle through the Foremost World-Renowned International School of Lucha, where they study.
• Network: Kids’ WB
• Broadcast History: Three seasons, 52 episodes, last broadcast on February 26, 2005
• Trivia: Known as ¡Mucha Lucha!: Gigante during its third and final season. First television animated series intended for children created with Adobe Flash. The entire series was produced in widescreen but aired in a standard TV format. It was never seen in the widescreen aspect ratio until it was available for streaming.

2012

August 14 – The Burn with Jeff Ross

• Host: Jeff Ross
• Notable Guests: Gilbert Gottfried, T.J. Miller, Natasha Leggero, Anthony Jeselnik, Amy Schumer, Bobby Lee, J.B. Smoove, Rachael Harris, Jimmy Kimmel, Michael Ian Black, Dave Attell, Judah Friedlander, Marc Maron, Hannibal Buress, Aisha Tyler, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Sarah Silverman, Johnny Knoxville, John Stamos, Brody Stevens, Patrick Warburton, Seann William Scott, Whoopi Goldberg, Larry David, Common, Andy Dick, Tom Arnold, Gene Simmons, Joy Behar, Lisa Lampanelli
• Synopsis: Jeff Ross will skewer the week’s pop culture topics in-studio, and hit the streets to take aim at public enemies, such as meter maids, the paparazzi, and those who need to be taken down a notch, like Betty White.
• Network: Comedy Central
• Broadcast History: Two seasons, 12 episodes, last broadcast on February 12, 2013

August 14 – The Week the Women Went

• Narrator: Jeff Foxworthy
• Synopsis: The show follows the town of Yemassee, South Carolina as all of the adult women in the community leave for a week. The men are then left on their own to take on the responsibilities of the women, which includes childcare, house cleaning, and employment.
• Network: Lifetime
• Broadcast History: Five episodes, last broadcast on September 11, 2012
• Trivia: American version of a BBC show of the same name.

August 15 – Oh Sit!

• Hosts: Jamie Kennedy, Jessi Cruickshank, Tanika Ray
• Synopsis: A ‘high-octane musical chairs competition’.
• Network: The CW
• Broadcast History: Two seasons, 20 episode, last broadcast on December 19, 2013
• Trivia: The series was officially announced with the title Extreme Musical Chairs. Despite low ratings, the show was renewed for a second season.

August 15 – Toy Hunter

• Host: Jordan Hembrough
• Synopsis: The series document the exploits of toy dealer Jordan Hembrough as he visits collections from some of the most popular cities on the East and West Coasts.
• Network: Travel Channel
• Broadcast History: Three seasons, 41 episodes, last broadcast on April 16, 2014
• Trivia: The first two seasons are streaming on Discovery Plus.

August 16 – The Next: Fame Is at Your Doorstep

• Host: Allison Hagendorf
• Mentors: Gloria Estefan, Joe Jonas, John Rich, Nelly
• Synopsis: Music competition to find new talent, the winner of the competition will receive a recording contract with Atlantic Records.
• Network: The CW
• Broadcast History: One season, 10 episodes, last broadcast on October 4, 2012
• Trivia: Queen Latifah was one of the show’s producers. Joe Jonas was going to say no to the offer of mentoring but the producers pushed hard to get him with the pitch that the show was different from similar music competitions. He finally accepted but producers then regretted the decision because of his lack of personality on camera, especially compared to John Rich, who was the highlight of each episode. Gloria Estefan accepted the offer because she liked that she wasn’t judging anyone.

August 19 – Copper

BBC America

• Cast: Tom Weston-Jones, Kyle Schmid, Anastasia Griffith, Ato Essandoh, Kevin Ryan, Dylan Taylor, Tessa Thompson, Franka Potente, Ron White, Kiara Glasco, Geordie Johnson, Adrian Griffin, Donal Logue, Alex Paxton-Beesley
• Notable Guests: Alfre Woodard, Giacomo Gianniotti, William Baldwin, Lee Tergesen, Babs Olusanmokun, Eamonn Walker
• Synopsis: In the 1860s, an Irish-American Civil War veteran joins the New York City police force.
• Network: BBC America
• Broadcast History: Two seasons, 23 episodes, last broadcast on September 22, 2013
• Trivia: BBC America’s first original scripted program after previously only airing co-productions and shows from the United Kingdom. Before production, the cast was asked to develop and share their own characters’ backstories.

August 19 – Lovetown, USA

• Synopsis: Follows the community in Kingsland, GA as they take on Oprah’s challenge to become one loving community in 30 days.
• Network: OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network
• Broadcast History: One season, 8 episodes, last broadcast on October 14, 2012

August 19 – Married to Jonas

• Cast: Kevin Jonas, Danielle Jonas
• Recurring Cast: Kevin Jonas Sr., Denise Jonas, Joe Jonas, Nick Jonas, Frankie Jonas[
• Synopsis: Primarily focuses on Kevin Jonas, the eldest of the Jonas Brothers and his married life with his wife Dani Jonas. However, the first season also focused on the 2012 ‘comeback’ of the Jonas Brothers.
• Network: E!
• Broadcast History: Two seasons, 16 episodes, last broadcast on May 26, 2013

August 19 – One Car Too Far

• Cast: Gary Humphrey, Bill Wu
• Synopsis: A miniseries in which former United Kingdom Special Forces soldier Gary Humphrey and California-based automotive enthusiast Bill Wu attempt to survive various climates using only the parts of an automobile.
• Network: Discovery Channel
• Broadcast History: Five episodes, last broadcast on September 16, 2012

August 20 – R&B Divas: Atlanta

• Cast: Monifah Carter, Syleena Johnson, Keke Wyatt (Seasons 1-3); Faith Evans, Nicci Gilbert (Seasons 1-2); Angie Stone (Seasons 2-3); LaTocha Scott (Season 2); LaTavia Roberson, Kameelah Williams (Season 3)
• Synopsis: The show offers an inside look at how the award-winning singers balance their music careers and personal lives as they work towards producing an album in memory of Whitney Houston.
• Network: TV One
• Broadcast History: Three seasons, 30 episodes, last broadcast on July 9, 2014
• Trivia: Originally titled Ladies of R&B.

August 20 – The Inbetweeners

MTV

• Cast: Bubba Lewis, Zack Pearlman, Joey Pollari, Mark L. Young, Alex Frnka
• Notable Guests: Brian Patrick Clarke, David Koechner, Hulk Hogan, Kevin Moody
• Synopsis: Four high school friends are not cool or popular, but not total dorks, either.
• Network: MTV
• Broadcast History: One season, 12 episodes, last broadcast on November 5, 2012
• Trivia: Remake of the UK series of the same name. ABC had unsuccessfully attempted to Americanize the series in 2008. Taika Waititi directed the pilot, as well as Episodes 2, 4, 5 and 8. A feature film was in development but was cancelled after the series was cancelled. The series was widely regarded as one of the worst American adaptations of a UK series ever.