TV by the Decade :: February 4•10

DIC Productions

It was a pretty quiet week with just four new series premiering in three difference decades. Animation ruled this week with two new long-running, award-winning shows making their debuts in 1994. 1974 gave us a rural drama that had a hard hill to climb, and 2014 gave us a blink-and-you-missed-it reality show. Scroll down to see what shows had their premieres this week and tell us if any of them were your favorites!

1954

No new series premiered this week in 1954.

1964

No new series premiered this week in 1964.

1974

February 10 – Apple’s Way (CBS, Two seasons, 28 episodes)

Apple’s Way was created by Earl Hamner Jr., who also created The Waltons. The show debuted as a mid-season replacement for The New Perry Mason, but had a hard time drawing in viewers as it was competing against The Wonderful World of Disney on NBC and The F.B.I. on ABC. The series was rebooted for its second season to focus more on social issues of the day rather than the more rural-specific stories of Season 1. The show was cancelled during the second season and replaced with Cher’s new solo variety series. The cast included Ronny Cox, Frances Lee McCain, Vincent Van Patten and Kristy McNichol. Two decades after the series aired, Cox and McCain were reunited in the primetime soap Second Chances.

1984

No new series premiered this week in 1984.

1994

Walt Disney Television Animation

February 5 – Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego? (FOX Kids, Four seasons, 40 episodes)
February 6 – Aladdin (Disney Channel/Syndication/CBS, Three seasons, 86 episodes)

Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego? was based on a series of computer games, and in 1995 was spun-off into its own video game, Carmen Sandiego Junior Detective. Every script had to be approved by Broderbund, the video game company, as they were concerned about the level of violence in other FOX Kids series at the time. Rita Moreno provided the voice of Carmen. Tim Curry voiced the villain Dr. Gunnar Maelstrom. Other notable voice actors include James Avery, Jim Belushi, Rocky Carroll, Alaina Reed Hall, Dorian Harewood, Amy Hill, Michael Horse, Maurice LaMarche, Kevin Michael Richardson, Robbie Rist, Eugene Roche, Kath Soucie and Frank Welker. The series won the 1995 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children’s Animated Program.

Aladdin premiered four months before the direct-to-video sequel to the film, The Return of Jafar, but the series takes place after the events of the movie. Most of the original film’s cast reprised their voice roles with the exception of Robin Williams as Genie, with Dan Castellaneta taking over (Williams did return for the second animated film sequel, Aladdin and the King of Thieves). Douglas Seale replaced Val Bettin as the Sultan. The series first aired as a preview on The Disney Channel for nine episodes. Beginning in September 1994, the second 69-episode season aired in Syndication as part of the Disney Afternoon block and on CBS. A third 8-episode season aired on CBS (prior to Disney’s purchase of ABC) in September 1995. With a total of 86 episodes, the series was one of the few exceptions to Disney’s then-rule of a 65-episode limit for any of its series. Aladdin and the King of Thieves served as the series finale. Notable guest voices include Jason Alexander, James Avery, Kellie Martin, Jonathan Brandis, Frank Welker, Ron Perlman, Tony Jay, Bebe Neuwirth, Keith David, Matt Frewer, Julie Brown, Héctor Elizondo, Tim Curry, Tress MacNeille, Tone Loc, Dorian Harewood, Jonathan Harris, René Auberjonois, Kate Mulgrew, Malcolm McDowell, Tahj Mowry and Ron Glass. The series received seven Daytime Emmy nominations between 1995 and 1996, winning four: Outstanding Film Sound Editing, Outstanding Film Sound Mixing and Outstanding Music Direction and Composition (1995), and Outstanding Sound Mixing – Special Class (1996).