TV by the Decade :: September 10•16

Ten Thirteen Productions

The new Fall Season has begun this week across the decades with new series making their debuts in every decade, 1993 in particular having a banner week for extremely popular shows. 1953 and 1973 had two new shows each, but none of them ran longer than a full season. 1963 gave us a classic sci-fi/horror anthology series which had some surprising connections to Star Trek just a few years later. 1983 had some classic cartoons, plus a sitcom that was a hit but endured a lot of turmoil behind the scenes. In 1993, FOX told us the truth was out there, Bill Nye brought science to kids, Nickelodeon premiered a new kids game show, a new Saved By the Bell spin-off debuted, the Man of Steel and the woman who loved him returned to television, Steven Spielberg brought a talking dolphin to primetime, Conan O’Brien made his late night debut, Ricki Lake made her daytime debut, the classic character Madeline got animated, and a popular Cheers character got his own show. 2003 saw a few shows get caught up in the UPN/The WB merger, HBO took us to a Dust Bowl carnival, and a popular female rapper got her own sitcom. 2013 had three reality shows and one scripted network drama based on the tales of Washington Irving. Read on to learn more about these and other shows and tell us which ones are your favorites!

1953

• September 12 – Bonino (NBC, One season, 16 episodes)
• September 13 – The George Jessel Show (ABC, One season, 32 episodes)

Bonino was a live sitcom starring opera singer Ezio Pinza as a retired singer who stays home to care for his children. Conrad Janis, best known from Mork & Mindy, played the oldest son. Van Dyke Parks, whoh went on to become a well-known musician, played the youngest son.

1963

Daystar Productions

• September 16 – The Outer Limits (ABC, Two seasons, 49 episodes)

The opening narration for The Outer Limits stated ‘We are controlling transmission’, and the closing narration stated ‘We now return control of your television set to you’, which may be related to the pilot’s original title Please Stand By, which ABC rejected. Season 1 combined horror and science fiction, while Season 2 focused on ‘hard science fiction’, dropping the ‘monster of the week’ motif from the first season. The sole comedic episode of the series, ‘Controlled Experiment’, was actually a backdoor pilot for an unrealized sci-fi comedy series starring Barry Morse. The monster, or ‘bear’ as they were referred to, in ‘The Architects of Fear’ was considered so frightening by ABC affiliates that some stations broadcast a black screen during the appearances of the ‘Thetans’, while some stations delayed broadcast of the episode until 11 PM, and many refused to broadcast it at all. Several of the show’s ‘bears’ reappeared on Star Trek, including an ion storm that was re-used as the transporter beams. Several actors who would go on to Star Trek made guest appearances on The Outer Limits including Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, Grace Lee Whitney, and James Doohan. The series was revived in 1995 (ending in 2002), and several film adaptations have been attempted but to date none have made it to the big screen.

1973

• September 10 – Lotsa Luck (NBC, One season, 22 episodes, 1 unaired pilot)
• September 14 – Adam’s Rib (ABC, One season, 13 episodes)

Lotsa Luck was based on the British London Weekend Television series On the Buses. Adam’s Rib was a TV adaptation of the 1949 MGM motion picture of the same name.

1983

• September 10 – The Littles (ABC, Three seasons, 29 episodes)
• September 10 – Rubik, the Amazing Cube (ABC, One season, 12 episodes)
• September 10 – The New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show (ABC, Two seasons, 26 episodes)
• September 12 – Inspector Gadget (Syndication, Two seasons, 86 episodes)
• September 16 – Webster (ABC/Syndication, Six seasons, 150 episodes)

The Littles was based on the characters from The Littles, a series of children’s novels by American author John Peterson, and was one of the first three cartoons produced by DIC Entertainment for American television, and the only one to air on a broadcast network rather than in Syndication. The series was popular enough to spawn a feature film and a TV movie. Inspector Gadget was the first cartoon series syndicated by DIC to help the company expand into the North American market. The series was popular enough to air into the late 1990s, and spawned a 2015 sequel series and two live-action films.

Rubik, the Amazing Cube, based on the puzzle toy created by Ernő Rubik, was aired as part of The Pac-Man/Rubik, the Amazing Cube Hour block on ABC, and then aired in reruns as a stand-alone series in 1985. Rubik was voiced by Ron Palillo of Welcome, Back Kotter fame, speaking slowly and having his voice sped up to raise the pitch.

The New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show ran for one season of 13 episodes, then was renamed The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries for a second season of 13 episodes. The first season brought Daphne back to the series after a three year absence. Fred and Velma returned for the second season after a five year absence.

Webster aired on ABC for four seasons and in Syndication for its final two. The series was originally developed as a romantic comedy for stars Alex Karras and Susan Clark, who were married in real life. ABC execs saw Emmanuel Lewis in a Burger King commercial and wanted to develop a series for him, but fearing the process would take too long and he would begin to grow, it became necessary to integrate him into an already developed project. The idea was presented to Karras and Clark, who liked the idea of being a newly married couple thrust into sudden parenthood and the character of Webster was added to their show, which was developed under the title Another Ballgame. Once Webster was added, the title was changed to Then Came You, but producers insisted on shifting the focus to Webster instead of the romantic comedy, and actor Art LaFleur was also dropped from the series after the pilot. The couple did not approve of the changes, and fought ABC changing the title to Webster as they wanted to maintain the ensemble comedy, and early promotions carried the Then Came You title. ABC eventually prevailed and the title was changed to Webster just before the premiere. The show was an instant hit, drawing comparisons to NBC’s Diff’rent Strokes, which later joined Webster on ABC for its eighth and final season. Despite the success, Karras and Clark fought with the producers and network as scripts began to feature Webster almost exclusively, and things became so tense that Lewis was often whisked off the set, blaming himself for the trouble. ABC finally agreed to balance the storylines with the second season giving the couple more of the romantic comedy plots that they initially expected … on the condition that Lewis also received a producer’s credit. The three leads eventually bonded with Karras becoming a surrogate father to Lewis. The Season 3 episode ‘Almost Home’ was a backdoor pilot for a spin-off starring country music star Mac Davis, Fath Ford, Norman Fell and Allyn Ann McLerie.

1993

Grub Street Productions

• September 10 – The X-Files (FOX, Eleven seasons, 218 episodes)
• September 10 – Bill Nye the Science Guy (PBS/Syndication, Six seasons, 100 episodes)
• September 11 – Running the Halls (NBC/TNBC, One season, 13 episodes)
• September 11 – Entertainers with Byron Allen (Syndication, 16 seasons, 586 episodes)
• September 11 – Legends of the Hidden Temple (Nickelodeon, Three seasons, 120 episodes)
• September 11 – Droopy, Master Detective (FOX Kids, One season, 13 episodes)
• September 11 – The New Adventures of Captain Planet (TBS, last broadcast on May 11, 1996)
• September 11 – SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron (Syndication/TBS, Two seasons, 25 episodes, 1 special)
• September 11 – Saved by the Bell: The New Class (NBC/TNBC, Seven seasons, 143 episodes)
• September 12 – Baby Races (The Family Channel, One season, 26 episodes)
• September 12 – Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (ABC, Four seasons, 88 episodes)
• September 12 – Townsend Television (FOX, One season, 10 episodes)
• September 12 – seaQuest DSV (NBC, Three seasons, 57 episodes)
• September 13 – Late Night with Conan O’Brien (NBC, Sixteen seasons, 2,725 episodes)
• September 13 – Animaniacs (FOX Kids/The WB, Five seasons, 99 episodes)
• September 13 – The Bertice Berry Show (Syndication, One season)
• September 13 – Ricki Lake (Syndication, Twelve seasons, 2,510 episodes)
• September 14 – Bakersfield P.D. (FOX, One season, 17 episodes)
• September 14 – Madeline (The Family Channel/ABC/Disney Channel, Three seasons, 59 episodes, 1 pilot, 5 specials)
• September 14 – Phenom (ABC, One season, 22 episodes)
• September 15 – Moon Over Miami (ABC, One season, 13 episodes, 3 unaired)
• September 16 – The Sinbad Show (FOX, One season, 26 episodes, 2 unaired)
• September 16 – Frasier (NBC, Eleven seasons, 264 episodes)
• September 16 – Cobra (Syndication, One season, 22 episodes)

The X-Files originally aired for nine seasons, ending in 2002. A short, six-episode tenth season aired in 2016, and was popular enough to earn a ten-episode eleventh season in 2018. The series also spawned two feature films, one which was released during the initial series run, and the second in 2008. The show was inspired by earlier series including The Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, Tales from the Darkside, Twin Peaks, and especially Kolchak: The Night Stalker. The first five seasons, the second movie and the last two seasons were filmed in Vancouver. Production moved to Los Angeles for Seasons 6-9 to accommodate star David Duchovny. The show became the longest-running sci-fi series in television history, and also spawned two short-lived spin-offs, Millennium and The Lone Gunmen. During its first nine seasons, the series earned 62 Emmy nominations, winning 16 including a win for Gillian Anderson as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1997. The show also earned 12 Golden Globe nominations, winning five including Best Series – Drama in 1997. The show received 14 SAG nominations with Anderson winning twice in 1996 and 1997, and won a Peabody Award in 1996.

Bill Nye the Science Guy originated in Syndication and joined the PBS schedule with its second season. The series earned 23 Emmy nominations, winning 19. Kids game show Legends of the Hidden Temple was revived as an hour-long adult game show in 2021 by The CW. It lasted for one 13-episode season. Saved by the Bell: The New Class was the fourth series in the Saved By the Bell franchise, and the longest running. The show regularly changed its cast, with only Mr. Belding and Screech (beginning in Season 2) as the only consistent characters.

Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman was developed under the title Lois Lane’s Daily Planet. Producer Deborah Joy LeVine initially thought Dean Cain was too young for the role of Clark Kent/Superman, and told the casting director they were casting Superman not Superboy. But with more than a hundred prospects and none standing out, Cain was one of the few who earned a callback. Kevin Sorbo nearly got the part, but Cain’s reading of a scene with Jonathan Kent feeling that he didn’t fit in won over producers. K Callan got the role of Martha Kent by wearing a pink track suit to the audition instead of dressing as a stereotypical farmer, understanding the producers were looking for a modern version of the character.

seaQuest DSV was renamed seaQuest 2032 for its final season, with star Roy Scheider departing, replaced by Michael Ironside (who initially turned down the offer), although NBC demanded Scheider appear in several episodes throughout the season. Jonathan Banks was also considered as a replacement. Ironside joined the show after some agreements were made with the producers including his character not talking to the dolphin Darwin. Steven Spielberg was an executive producer during the first two seasons. Season 1 was marred by disputes between producers, NBC and cast members, changes in production staff and an earthquake. Season 2 saw continued disputed between the cast and the network. With a decline in ratings during the third season, NBC abruptly cancelled the series in the middle of the season. Edward Kerr hated the episode ‘Alone’ so much he left the set and is absent from the episode. He asked to be released from his contract at the end of Season 2, which explains why his character was critically injured in the season finale. NBC would only agree to release him if he appeared in a few Season 3 episodes so his character could be killed off in a more dramatic fashion.

Late Night with Conan O’Brien was the second incarnation of the Late Night franchise following David Letterman’s departure from NBC. Animaniacs moved from FOX Kids to The WB for its final three seasons. The series was revived for an additional three seasons on Hulu in 2020. Ricki Lake was nominated for the Daytime Emmy Award in 1994 for Outstanding Talk Show but lost to The Oprah Winfrey Show. The pilot for Madeline was broadcast on HBO, and was Emmy nominated for Outstanding Animated Program (One Hour or Less). Five specials preceded the series in Syndication. Season 1 was commissioned for the Family Channel, Season 2 was produced for ABC, and after the Walt Disney Company purchased both ABC and DIC Entertainment, Season 3 aired on Disney Channel. Christopher Plummer was the series’ narrator.

Phenom starred Judith Light, William Devane and Angela Goethals, but Devane receives no on-screen credit due to a dispute with the producers and ABC. Devane felt that due to his fame from Knots Landing, he should receive top billing, but the network felt that Light would draw in the female demographic advertisers desired, and would bring viewers back to the network who had made her previous series Who’s the Boss? a hit. Devane told producers if he couldn’t get a billing change he would rather go uncredited.

Moon Over Miami proved more popular in the UK than in the US, with all 13 episodes being broadcast during runs on both BBC One and BBC Two. After FOX cancelled The Sinbad Show, as well as other series with predominantly Black casts — including Roc, South Central and In Living Color — the network was accused of ‘institutional racism’ but the network insisted the cancellations were only due to low ratings.

Frasier, a spin-off of Cheers, won 37 Emmy Awards during its run, a record at the time for a scripted series. Among the wins were Outstanding Comedy Series for five consecutive years. Unusual for a long-running series, the main cast remained intact for all 11 seasons. Kelsey Grammer portrayed Frasier Crane for a total of 20 years between Cheers, Frasier and a one-time guest appearance on Wings (which won him an Emmy Award), tying James Arness as Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke. The record has since been surpassed in animation by the voice cast of The Simpsons, and by Richard Belzer’s portrayal of John Munch and Mariska Hargitay’s portrayal of Olivia Benson in the Law & Order franchise. Grammer was briefly the highest paid actor on television in the US, with Jane Leeves the highest paid British actress. Grammer will be reprising the role for a new Paramount Plus revival in October 2023.

2003

• September 10 – Jake 2.0 (UPN, One season, 16 episodes, 4 unaired)
• September 11 – The Mullets (UPN, One season, 11 episodes, 3 unaired)
• September 11 – Run of the House (The WB, One season, 19 episodes, 3 unaired)
• September 11 – Steve Harvey’s Big Time Challenge (The WB, Two seasons, 43 episodes)
• September 12 – All About the Andersons (The WB, One season, 16 episodes)
• September 13 – Romeo! (Nickelodeon, Three seasons, 53 episodes)
• September 13 – Eye for an Eye (Syndication, Five seasons, 268 episodes)
• September 14 – Carnivàle (HBO, Two seasons, 24 episodes)
• September 14 – K Street (HBO, One season, 10 episodes)
• September 15 – Living It Up! With Ali & Jack (Syndication, One season, 175 episodes)
• September 15 – The Sharon Osbourne Show (Syndication, One season)
• September 15 – Eve (UPN, Three seasons, 66 episodes)
• September 15 – Rock Me Baby (UPN, One season, 22 episodes)
• September 16 – All of Us (UPN/The CW, Four seasons, 88 episodes)

Eye for an Eye was a fictional court show comedy series from National Lampoon. The judge was portrayed by personal injury lawyer Akim Anastopoulo, known on the show as Judge Extreme Akim.

Carnivàle set an audience record for HBO with its premiere, and maintained high ratings during its first season. With ratings slipping in Season 2, HBO cancelled the series, cutting short what has been intended as a six-season series, with a new main storyline told over two seasons. The show was nominated for 15 Emmy Awards, winning five. HBO budgeted each episode of the series at about $4 million. The first season included about 5,000 costumed actors. The carnival set was moved to various locations in California to replicate the states of Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico.

Each episode of K Street was largely improvised, focusing on the major political news of the week. Living It Up! With Ali & Jack was to be a competitor to Live with Regis & Kelly, but failed to gain steam and ended up being the lowest-rated syndicated show of the season.

Eve was developed as a vehicle for the rapper/singer under the title The Opposite Sex, and came about after the success of Brandy’s show Moesha. The title was changed after being picked up to appeal to the rapper’s fans. The series was cancelled along with other five of eight other UPN Black comedies ahead of the UPN/The WB merger to become The CW, leading to criticism from media outlets for reducing representation of Black characters and roles for Black actors on television. All of Us was one of the three surviving Black comedies to make the transition to The CW, but it only lasted for one more season.

2013

20th Century Fox Television

• September 11 – Thieves Inc. (Food Network, One season, 6 episodes)
• September 11 – Too Young To Marry? (Oxygen, One season, 4 episodes)
• September 15 – The Great Santini Brothers (History Channel, One season, 6 episodes)
• September 16 – Sleepy Hollow (FOX, Four seasons, 62 episodes)

Sleepy Hollow was loosely based on the 1820 short story ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’, by Washington Irving, with added concepts from ‘Rip Van Winkle’, also by Irving. Aerial footage was filmed over the actual town of Sleepy Hollow and the Tappan Zee region of New York. The pilot filmed in Gastonia, Salisbury and Charlotte, North Carolina, with the rest of Season 1 and Season 2 filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina. Seasons 3 and 4 filmed in Conyers, Lawrenceville and metro Atlanta, Georgia. The show had a crossover with fellow FOX drama Bones.