Talkback
The third full week of February gave us 16 new series in just two decades, eight series for each. Of those 16 only three were on traditional broadcast networks and the rest were to take up space on cable. And not many of the 16 were successful. The majority only aired for one or two seasons but there are a couple of anomalies. In 2003, one single season series did actually get a two season run, but the second try was more of a reboot as it came six years later and on a different network. One two season series actually had three seasons, but the first season aired in a different country three years before the US debut. 2003 also gave us a failed adaptation of a wildly popular feature film, and a political talk show that is still on the air today. 2013’s shows didn’t fare nearly as well with only one show making it to three seasons (six if you count the three fictional seasons the show references). Two shows were cancelled and pulled from the schedules with unaired episodes that finally did see the light of day at later dates, and one show had a second season ordered that never even made it to air. It certainly was an interesting week for this batch of mostly forgotten shows. But do you remember any of them? Tell us in the comments section below.
1953
- No new series debuted this week in 1953.
1963
- No new series debuted this week in 1963.
1973
- No new series debuted this week in 1973.
1983
- No new series debuted this week in 1983.
1993
- No new series debuted this week in 1993.
2003
Brad Grey Television
- February 19 – I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! (ABC, One season, 16 episodes)
- February 21 – Da Ali G Show (HBO, Two seasons, 12 episodes)
- February 21 – Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO, Twenty-one seasons, 625 episodes to date)
- February 21 – Family Business (Showtime, Four seasons, 37 episodes)
- February 24 – My Big Fat Greek Life (CBS, One season, 7 episodes)
- February 24 – Animal Jam (TLC and Discovery Kids. One season, 30 episodes)
- February 24 – Hi-5 (TLC and Discovery Kids, Two seasons, 70 episodes)
- February 24 – The Paz Show (TLC and Discovery Kids, 80 episodes)
I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! was based on the very popular British reality series and aired nightly until March 5, 2003. John Lehr was the host and celebs included Cris Judd, Melissa Rivers, John Melendez, Downtown Julie Brown, Tyson Beckford and Robin Leach. Produced in Australia, the time difference created serious issues with the live feed. The show was revived by NBC on June 9, 2009 for 14 episodes, this time from Costa Rica. Myleene Klass and Damien Fahey were the hosts, and the format followed the UK version. Celebs included Lou Diamond Phillips, Torrie Wilson, John Salley, Stephen Baldwin, Janice Dickinson, Daniel Baldwin, Heidi Montage, and Spencer Pratt. This version only aired four nights a week until June 24.
Da Ali G Show began airing its first season in the UK on Channel 4 on March 30, 2000. HBO aired Seasons 2 and 3 in the US. There were a total of 18 episodes over the three seasons. FXX reaired the series, including episodes not previously aired in the US, in 2014 under the title Ali G: Rezurection. Family Business was known as Porn: A Family Business in the UK, and was centered around Adam Glassner and his Seymour Butts line of videos.
My Big Fat Greek Life was a continuation of the 2002 movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding, with Nia Vardalos reprising her film role and overseeing the show with co-executive producers Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, who also guested on one episode. The lead characters’ names were changed from Toula and Ian to Nia and Thomas. The premiere was the highest rated network premiere since 1998’s Jesse, drawing nearly 23 million viewers. But rating declined during the season, finishing with 10.5 million viewers, leading to the show’s cancellation.
Animal Jam, Hi-5, and The Paz Show all aired as part of the ‘Ready Set Learn!’ programming block on TLC and Discovery Kids.
2013
Rockne S. O’Bannon Television
- February 19 – Cult (The CW, One season, 13 episodes)
- February 19 – The Jeselnik Offensive (Comedy Central, Two seasons, 18 episodes)
- February 20 – Weed Country (Discovery, One season, 6 episodes)
- February 20 – Pot Cops (Discovery, One season, 3 episodes)
- February 21 – Upload with Shaquille O’Neal (truTV, One season, 10 episodes)
- February 22 – Alien Dawn (Nicktoons, Two seasons, 26 episodes)
- February 22 – Out There (IFC, One season, 10 episodes)
- February 25 – Burning Love (E!, Three seasons, 42 episodes)
Cult was cancelled and removed from the CW schedule after the seventh episode aired. The remaining six episodes were burned off over the Summer beginning June 28, 2013. Weed Country and Pot Cops were part of Discovery Channel’s ‘Weed Wednesdays’ block of programming.
In April 2013, truTV ordered an additional six episodes of Upload with Shaquille O’Neal to begin airing on February 26, 2014 but they were never released. Alien Dawn ended its run on April 12, 2013 leaving 11 episodes unaired. They were finally broadcast when TeenNick aired a marathon on July 27, 2014. The 11 episodes were considered a second season even though they were part of the first season production order.
Burning Love, a spoof of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette dating series, originally premiered on Yahoo! Screen’s Comedy Channel on June 4, 2012 and was then picked up for television broadcast by E! The series was nominated for an Emmy Award in the Outstanding Special Class – Short-format Live-Action Entertainment Programs category. The three seasons of the show in the show’s chronology are actually Seasons 2, 4 and 5. There are references to a fictitious first season featuring bachelor Joe Rutherford (Ben Stiller) and a third season featuring bachelorette Annie (Abigail Spencer). The actual third season of the series also announced a fictional ‘sixth season’ titled Burning Love: A Fanty Tale, with superfan Hathwell Granger Crisping.
Share this post
