TV by the Decade :: Nov 26•Dec 2

Williams Street

With the Fall season coming to an end and as the networks begin to move into the holidays — which are usually dominated by specials and reruns so as not to waste new episodes while viewership is low — three decades this week did produce some notable new programming. 1993 produced a popular kids show, a groundbreaking comedy special, and a primetime soap that befell a natural disaster. 2003 had a movie spin-off of a popular animated series, two scripted shows that ended their brief runs with unaired episodes, and two reality series that had multi-season runs. 2013 gave us one reality program and a cult favorite animated series that is still on the air today. Check out the list below to learn more and tell us if your favorites are celebrating anniversaries this week!

1953

• No new series premiered this week in 1953.

1963

• No new series premiered this week in 1963.

1973

• No new series premiered this week in 1973.

1983

• No new series premiered this week in 1983.

1993

Gordon Productions

• November 28 – The Adventures of Pete & Pete (Nickelodeon, Three seasons, 34 episodes, 5 specials, 26 shorts)
• December – Out There (Comedy Central, Special)
• December 2 – Second Chances (CBS, One season, 10 episodes)

The Adventures of Pete & Pete began in 1989 as 1 minute 30 second shorts, followed by five 30 minute specials, and then the full series. The series was filmed mainly in Leonia, New Jersey, as well as a variety of other NJ locations including the Willowbrook Mall in Wayne, NJ, and Bayonne High School in Bayonne, NJ. Guest stars on the show include Selma Blair, Ellen Cleghorne, Martin Donovan, Chris Elliott, Janeane Garofalo, Frank Gifford, Ellen Greene, Debby Harry, Patty Hearst, William Hickey, David Johansen, LL Cool J, Lucious Jackson, Alicia Keys, Ann Magnuson, Bebe Neuwirth, Vincent Pastore, Geoff Pierson, Kate Pierson, J.K. Simmons, Michael Stipe, and Drew Carey in an uncredited cameo.

Out There was the groundbreaking first of two comedy specials that featured openly LGBT and/or gay-friendly comedians. The special was hosted by Lea DeLaria and was taped on National Coming Out Day, October 11, in San Francisco. Performers included David Drake, Melissa Etheridge, Ian McKellan, Kathy Najimy, Phranc, Suzanne Westenhoefer and Bea Arthur. The second special aired on October 11, 1994.

Second Chances was not granted a second chance after the January 1994 Northridge earthquake damaged the show’s sets. Instead of paying to repair them, CBS just cancelled the series. Another factor involved the pregnancies of series stars Connie Sellecca and Megan Follows, who would have been far along by the time the sets were repaired and unable to film without anyone noticing they were suddenly expecting. Some of the cast and crew were ported over to the summertime replacement series Hotel Malibu, which was touted as a spin-off of Second Chances.

2003

Bunim/Murray Productions

• November 28 – Kim Possible: A Sitch in Time (Disney Channel, TV movie)
• December 2 – Celebrity Poker Showdown (Bravo, Five seasons, 48 episodes)
• December 2 – The Simple Life (FOX/E!, Five seasons, 55 episodes)
• December 2 – The Tracy Morgan Show (NBC, One season, 18 episodes, 2 unaired)
• December 2 – Line of Fire (ABC, One season, 13 episodes, 2 unaired)

Kim Possible: A Sitch in Time is the first film based on the original television series Kim Possible. The movie featured a mix of traditional and CG animation. The film aired between the 13th and 15th episode of the second season of Kim Possible. The film has been shown in reruns split into three episodes of Season 2, 26-28. The film is only available on Disney+ as three episodes.

Celebrity Poker Showdown featured eight tournaments during its run. The first seven tournaments were taped at the Palms Casino in Paradise, Nevada in front of a live studio audience. With the eighth tournament, Harrah’s Entertainment became the ‘official casino of Celebrity Poker Showdown.’ Kevin Pollak hosted the first tournament, with Dave Foley taking over for the rest. David Cross won games in the first and third tournaments, Dulé Hill won in the second and seventh, Kevin Nealon won in the fourth and seventh, Jason Alexander won in the fifth and eighth, and Michael Ian Black won in the second and eighth. Nicole Sullivan won the first tournament, Maura Tierney won the second, Seth Meyers the third, Mekhi Phifer the fourth, Brad Garrett the fifth, Kathy Najimy the sixth, Steven Culp the seventh, and Jason Alexander the eighth.

The Simple Life featured socialite friends Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie struggling to perform menial, low-paying jobs. The concept for the series was inspired by the 1960s sitcom Green Acres, with the original plan to move an entire family to the South with cameras observing them as they attempted to fit in without their usual wealth and trappings. While Paris Hilton was meeting with the studio’s casting department, they all realized they had their show and she and her sister Nicky were to be the stars. The shyer Nicky opted not to participate and Paris did press stating she would do it alone, but FOX wanted a duo and she convinced Richie to join her. A falling out between the two led to the cancellation of the series after its third season, despite Hilton and Richie being contractually obligated for two more seasons. E! picked up the show for the fourth and fifth seasons. The show earned consistently high ratings during its entire run on both networks.

Bobby J. Thompson portrayed the son of Tracy Morgan on The Tracy Morgan Show, and again played Morgan’s son on 30 Rock. The two unaired episodes were broadcast during the show’s run on TV One. Line of Fire was created by Rod Lurie and starred Leslie Bibb and Anson Mount.

2013

• December 2 – Bakery Boss (TLC, Two seasons, 13 episodes)
• December 2 – Rick and Morty (Adult Swim, Seven seasons, 67 episodes to date)

Rick and Morty has its roots in an animated short parody film of Back to the Future created by Justin Roiland for Channel 101, a short-film festival cofounded by Dan Harmon. The series has been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Animated Program, winning the award in 2018 and 2020. A long-term deal with Cartoon Network will carry the show through its tenth season. Adult Swim cut ties with Roiland in 2023 amid allegations of domestic abuse and recast his roles with soundalike actors. The first draft of the pilot was completed in six hours. The theme song for Rick and Morty by Ryan Elder was originally used in a rejected Cartoon Network pilot Roiland made called Dog World, which was referenced in the episode ‘Lawnmower Dog’. Animation for the show is done using Toon Boom Harmony, a vector-based 2D puppet software. The post-production work is done in Adobe After Effects, and background art is done in Adobe Photoshop. Roiland has acknowledged that the show’s animation style is influenced by The Simpsons and Ren & Stimpy. The characters are often drawn with odd or asymmetrical features, in order to avoid looking ‘too normal to live in the Rick and Morty universe’. Rick and Morty have a cameo in the film Space Jam: A New Legacy, and were featured in the couch gag for the 26th season finale episode of The Simpsons.