Telepictures Productions
The new Fall Season is on the horizon, and as is typical the first week of September brings a rollout of new animated series, talk shows, newsmagazines, and reality shows with very few new scripted series yet. This week across the decades was no exception. 1973, 1983, 1993 and 2003 all had new animated series, several of which were hits and have become classics with one based on a popular sci-fi TV series and two based on popular comic book characters. 1983 also had two scripted series, with one of them taking a three year break between its only two seasons. Among 1993’s series is a late night talk show that was infamous for its lackluster performance and quick cancellation, but 2003 saw a daytime talk show take off and run for 19 years. 2013 was made up mostly of reality shows, talk shows and entertainment magazines but the week also gave us an unusual game show with a very specific time limit. Read on to see what shows made their debuts this week and tell us if any of your favorites are celebrating anniversaries.
1953
- No new series debuted this week in 1953.
1963
- No new series debuted this week in 1963.
1973
Paramount Television
- September 8 – Star Trek (NBC, Two seasons, 22 episodes)
- September 8 – Super Friends (ABC, One season, 16 episodes)
The animated version of Star Trek featured all of the main cast except for Walter Koenig as Chekov due to budgetary reasons. James Doohan (Scotty) and Majel Barrett (Chapel) voiced additional characters and were to also voice Sulu and Uhura but Leonard Nimoy refused to participate if George Takei and Nichelle Nichols were not included. Nimoy noted cutting the actors would remove the only ethnic diversity the original series had, and he also knew of the financial hardships some cast members had faced after the original series’ cancellation. Nimoy also complained about not including Koenig, so to ease some of the tension the production company purchased one script written by the actor. The first three episode were recorded as an ensemble, but Shatner and Nimoy went on tour with plays at the time so they recorded in whichever city they were in. Mark Lenard (Sarek), Stanley Adams (Cyrano Jones) and Roger C. Carmel (Harry Mudd) guested as the animated versions of their live action characters.
Super Friends was based on the Justice League comics and was the first iteration of the Super Friends series. Superheroes Superman, Batman & Robin, Wonder Woman and Aquaman had previously appeared in their own series, and the voice actors were carried over to Super Friends. ABC aired reruns of the series until the Fall of 1977.
1983
- September 5 – He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (Syndication, Two seasons, 130 episodes)
- September 8 – We Got It Made (NBC/Syndication, Two seasons, 46 episodes)
- September 9 – Lottery! (ABC, One season, 17 episodes)
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe debuted in the UK on September 5, but did not air in the US until September 26. Reruns continued in Syndication until 1988. USA Network purchased the series and began airing it in 1990. The show broke the boundaries of censorship rules at the time, allowing He-Man to actually hit his opponents (though wrestling moves were used rather than actual punches, or He-Man would just pick up and throw his opponents). The show spawned the spin-off, She-Ra: Princess of Power.
NBC cancelled We Got It Made after one season. The series was revived for Syndication three years later in 1987 with only Teri Copley and Tom Villard returning. The role played by Matt McCoy was replaced with John Hillner. Lottery! was another ABC anthology series with Ben Murphy and Marshall Colt as the only regular cast members.
1993
Sega of America
- September 5 – 2 Stupid Dogs (TBS, Two seasons, 26 episodes)
- September 5 – Daddy Dearest (FOX, One season, 11 episodes, 1 unaired)
- September 5 – NFL Matchup (ESPN, Still in production)
- September 5 – Super Secret Secret Squirrel (TBS)
- September 6 – Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog (Syndication, One season, 65 episodes, 1 special, 1 pilot)
- September 6 – American Journal (Syndication, Five seasons, last broadcast on September 11, 1989)
- September 7 – The Chevy Chase Show (FOX, One season, 29 episodes)
- September 8 – Thea (ABC, One season, 19 episodes)
2 Stupid Dogs was Hanna-Barbera’s answer to Ren & Stimpy. Super Secret Secret Squirrel was a series of shorts to fill segments in 2 Stupid Dogs. The pilot for Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog was only used in test screenings to sell the show, the first taking place on August 20, 1992. It was not aired as part of the series but was placed online on March 4, 2009.
American Journal was also known as American Journal: Coast to Coast, and as AJ in its final season.
The Chevy Chase Show, a late night talk show, was infamously cancelled after six weeks on the air, and was the last late night talk show to air on FOX until Talkshow with Spike Feresten debuted in 2006. The show was originally pitched to Dolly Parton and she suggested Chase, who signed a $3 million deal with the network. To make way for the show, FOX cancelled late night game show Studs. The network spent $1 million to renovate the Aquarius Theater, renaming it the Chevy Chase Theater. Within 48 hours of the show’s cancellation, the name was painted over. The theater was eventually renamed Nickelodeon on Sunset until it closed in 2017. Chase later parodied the show’s failure in a Doritos commercial that aired during Super Bowl XXVIII, in which the spot is literally cancelled midway through its production and Chase is banned from the studio lot. ‘Tough year,’ he remarks. ‘Good chip.’
Thea marked the first time an African American comedienne, Thea Vidale, was the star of a series named after her.
2003
- September 4 – Game Makers (G4, Three seasons)
- September 7 – Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks (PBS Kids, Three seasons, 52 episodes)
- September 8 – Anderson Cooper 360° (CNN, 1,521 episodes to date, Still in production)
- September 8 – The Ellen DeGeneres Show (Syndication, Nineteen seasons, 3,294 episodes)
- September 8 – Starting Over (Syndication, Three seasons, last broadcast on May 24, 2006)
- September 9 – Happy Family (NBC, One season, 22 episodes)
- September 9 – Whoopi (NBC, One season, 22 episodes)
The Ellen DeGeneres Show was often known simply as ellen, and received 171 Daytime Emmy Awards nominations, winning 61 including four for Outstanding Talk Show and seven for Outstanding Talk Show Entertainment.
Happy Family starred John Larroquette and Christine Baranski.
2013
All3Media America
- September 3 – My Big Fat Revenge (Oxygen, One season, 8 episodes)
- September 3 – We’re the Fugawis (History, One season, 10 episodes)
- September 4 – DigFellas (Travel Channel, One season, 8 episodes)
- September 6 – Hello Ross (E!, Two seasons, 26 episodes)
- September 9 – The Million Second Quiz (NBC, One season, 10 episodes)
- September 9 – The Test (Syndication, One season, 118 episodes)
- September 9 – Supreme Justice With Judge Karen (Syndication, One season, 110 episodes)
- September 9 – OK!TV (Syndication/Reelz, Still in production)
The Million Second Quiz was a 24-hour competition that literally lasted for 1,000,000 seconds, or 11 days, 13 hours, 46 minutes and 40 seconds. NBC aired the competition live every night except for September 15 due to football, and the premiere drew 52 million viewers. Ratings began to sag due to glitches with the show’s app that allowed users to play along, and because of the show’s confusing format.
OK!TV is an entertainment news program based on the British magazine of the same name. After the publication’s US parent company changed from American Media to Meredith Corporation, the show’s title was changed to Celebrity Page in 2016.
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