Take 5 Productions
This is an interesting week as we leave February and head into March. Four decades had new series making their premieres, but relatively few of them were successful. All of 1983’s series lasted just one season, and only one of them could have what may be a cult following (and even then it’s probably a very small cult). Disney ruled in 1993 with one animated series that ran for four seasons in Syndication. 2003 had six new shows, and one was actually 11 years old before it made its US debut. 2013 gave us 14 new shows with five running two or more seasons, the champion being History Channel’s Vikings at six. Take a look at this week’s list of celebratory series and tell us if you remember any of them.
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
Don Reo Productions
- February 26 – Wizards and Warriors (CBS, One season, 8 episodes)
- March 2 – High Performance (ABC, One season, 4 episodes)
- March 4 – At Ease (ABC, One season, 14 episodes plus pilot)
Bill Bixby, TV’s Incredible Hulk, directed Wizards and Warriors episodes 1, 4 and 5. Though very short-lived as it was, Theadora Van Runkle won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Costumes for a Series. The series was also nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Hairstyling.
1993
- February 28 – Bonkers (Syndication, Four seasons, 61 episodes)
Bonkers had a ‘preview airing’ on The Disney Channel in early 1993 before launching in Syndication. The show was spun off from the Disney’s Raw Toonage segments titled He’s Bonkers.
2003
- February 26 – Fraternity Life (MTV, Two seasons, 26 episodes)
- March 1 – Stuart Little (HBO Family, One season, 13 episodes)
- March 3 – The Center (BET, last broadcast on January 25, 2007)
- March 3 – Yu Yu Hakusho (Adult Swim/Toonami, 112 episodes)
- March 3 – Married by America (Fox, One season, 8 episodes)
- March 4 – The Family (ABC, One season, 9 episodes)
Fraternity Life was a spin-off of 2002 series Sorority Life. Stuart Little was an animated series based on the 1945 E. B. White children’s book Stuart Little, as well as the live-action / computer-animated film adaptations. The original Japanese version of Yu Yu Hakusho aired on Fuji Television from October 10, 1992 to December 17, 1994. The US broadcast was dubbed and edited for mature content. A 2004 British adaptation of The Family was titled What the Butler Saw.
2013
Nicholas Wootton Productions
- February 26 – Golden Boy (CBS, One season, 13 episodes)
- February 26 – Armed & Ready (Travel Channel, One season, 6 episodes)
- February 26 – Mac Miller and the Most Dope Family (MTV2, Two seasons, 14 episodes)
- February 26 – Robot Combat League (Syfy, One season, 9 episodes)
- February 27 – Stranded (Syfy, One season, 6 episodes)
- February 27 – Rescue My Renovation (DIY Network, Four seasons, 52 episodes)
- February 28 – The Ben Show (Comedy Central, One season, 8 episodes)
- February 28 – Nathan for You (Comedy Central, Four seasons, 32 episodes)
- March 2 – Blackboard Wars (OWN, One season, 6 episodes)
- March 3 – Red Widow (ABC, One season, 8 episodes)
- March 3 – Vikings (History, Six seasons, 89 episodes)
- March 3 – Welcome to Myrtle Manor (TLC, Three seasons, 30 episodes)
- March 4 – LA Shrinks (Bravo, One season, 8 episodes)
- March 4 – Are You Tougher Than a Boy Scout? (National Geographic Channel, One season, 6 episodes)
Golden Boy starred Theo James. Armed & Ready focused on Kevin Michael Connolly, who was born without legs, as he travels around the United States pursuing various challenges, such as learning how to street luge, joust, or move around in zero gravity. Red Widow was based on a 2010 Dutch drama series titled Penoza. Vikings aired in various countries around the world, but the American versions had nudity and sex scenes edited out. Welcome to Myrtle Manor was retitled Trailer Park: Welcome to Myrtle Manor in its second season to allow for the possibility of spin-offs set in other trailer parks across the country.
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