Catfish Picture Company
As we get deeper into the Fall season, new network series debuts are few and far between, with absolutely nothing premiering in 1962 or 1992. 1952 had three new series, two of them anthologies and one of those was broadcast on all three networks over the course of four seasons. One sitcom starring Bob Cummings, My Hero, seemed to enjoy great popularity, with critics comparing it to I Love Lucy, but a decision was made to not produce more episodes as the star and his wife waited to see if the series would increase Cummings’ demand for film roles (of which he turned down three during production of the series). Cummings also blamed aiming the show at kids for its demise, saying kids are a fickle audience and once you lose them you’re finished forever. Not having a backlog of scripts was also a problem, and Cummings rectified both issues with his next series.
Popular TV canine Lassie made the transition to animations with the not well-received Lassie’s Rescue Rangers in 1972. Lassie’s trainer called the show trash, and the National Association of Broadcasters echoed his sentiment, criticizing the show’s inclusion of violence, crime and stupidity into ‘the worst show for children of the season’. Ouch. 1982 saw a TV miniseries come to CBS for three nights with an all-star cast — Stacy Keach, Colleen Dewhurst, Lloyd Bridges, Brian Kerwin, Julia Duffy, Warren Oates, Sterling Hayden, Paul Winfield, Robert Vaughn, Rory Calhoun, Geraldine Page, Rip Torn and Gregory Peck — that revolved around two families during the Civil War. It was nominated for four Primetime Emmys, and won the People’s Choice Award for Favorite TV Mini-Series. 2002 had a short-lived animated series on MTV from a veteran writer of Family Guy. 2012 had one scripted comedy, one animated series and several reality programs including one that began as a feature film and is still on the air today. Read on to see what shows are celebrating anniversaries this week and tell us if any of your favorites are on the list!
1952
- November 8 – My Hero (NBC, One season, 33 episodes)
- November 9 – Omnibus (CBS, Four seasons/ABC, One season/NBC, Three seasons; 152 episodes)
- November 11 – Your Jeweler’s Showcase (CBS, One season, 36 episodes)
1962
- No new series debuted this week in 1962.
1972
Filmation Associates
- November 11 – Lassie’s Rescue Rangers (ABC, One season, 16 episodes)
1982
- November 14 – The Blue and the Gray (CBS, 3-episode miniseries)
1992
- No new series debuted this week in 1992.
2002
November 7 – 3-South (MTV, One season, 13 episodes, 3 unaired)
2012
Hasbro Studios
- November 7 – LOLwork (Bravo, One season, 6 episodes)
- November 8 – Salvage Dawgs (DIY Network, Eleven seasons, 143 episodes)
- November 9 – The Mind of a Chef (PBS, Five seasons/Facebook Watch, One season; 86 episodes)
- November 10 – Littlest Pet Shop (Disocvery Family, Four seasons, 104 episodes)
- November 10 – Wedding Band (TBS, One season, 10 episodes)
- November 12 – Catfish: The TV Show (MTV, Eight seasons, 210 episodes to date)
- November 12 – The Untold History of the United States (Showtime, 12-episode docuseries)
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