Tornante Television
Only six new series premiered this week in three decades, four of which had multiple season runs. Animation dominated this week with three new series making their debuts, two for children and one decidedly not. We also had a scripted drama about a tugboat captain, a British drama with a child actor who went on to become a major star, and a short-lived magic competition series. Scroll down the list to see the titles and learn a little bit about the show, and tell us if any of your favorites are celebrating milestone anniversaries this week!.
1954
Roland Reed Productions, Inc.
- August 21 – Waterfront (Syndication, Two seasons, 78 episodes)
Waterfront starred Preston Foster as the captain of a tugboat. Foster, an officer in the Coast Guard during World War II, learned how to handle a tugboat during production. The Coast Guard supplied the needed equipment, and Foster insisted on authenticity, filming on location in Los Angeles harbor. Foster stated that the show ended due to financial reasons, and he left to pursue another series, Test Pilot, which was not picked up. The entire run of 78 episodes was filmed between 1954 and 1955.
1964
- No new series premiered this week in 1964.
1974
- No new series premiered this week in 1974.
1984
- No new series premiered this week in 1984.
1994
- No new series premiered this week in 1994.
2004
- August 21 – Brandy & Mr. Whiskers (Disney Channel, Two seasons, 39 episodes)
Kaley Cuoco voiced the Golden Retriever Brandy Harrington on Brandy & Mr. Whiskers, while Mr. Whiskers, a white English lop robbit, was voiced by Charlie Adler. Sherri Shepherd, Tom Kenny, Jennifer Hale, Dee Bradley Baker, Kath Soucie, Grey DeLisle and Tara Strong contributed to the recurring character voices, while Thomas Lennon, Diedrich Bader, Kerru Kenney, Nestor Carbonell, Wayne Knight, Sara Rue and Charlie Schaltter voiced supporting characters. The series won the Daytime Emmy Award for Individual Achievement in Animation in 2005.
2014
BBC Worldwide Productions
- August 18 – Dora and Friends: Into the City! (Nickelodeon, Two seasons, 40 episodes)
- August 19 – Wizard Wars (Syfy, One season, 12 episodes)
- August 22 – BoJack Horseman (Netflix, Six seasons, 77 episodes, 1 special)
- August 23 – Intruders (BBC America, One season, 8 episodes)
Dora and Friends: Into the City! was a sequel to the original Dora the Explorer series. Guest voices included Megan Hilty, Raul Esparza, Christina Milian, Diane Guerrero, Prince Royce and Thalia. The series was preceded by a 43-minute pilot that was broadcast on August 7, 2011.
Wizard Wars was a reality competition series featuring magicians who would create and perform magic routines for a live studio audience. Penn & Teller headed the judges panel with magic critic Christen Gerhart and World Champion of Magic Jason Latimer. The show featured a ‘home team’ of magicians who would compete against a new team of challengers each week. The series was created by magic consultant Rick Lax and street magician Justin Flom. Flom filmed the pilot in Lax’s apartment on a $15 budget. Flom was also one of the ‘home team’ magicians. The series was initially granted a six-episode season, but ratings were solid enough for Syfy to order six more episodes for what was dubbed ‘Season 1.5’.
Will Arnett, Amy Sedaris, Alison Brie, Paul F. Tompkins, and Aaron Paul were the main voice cast of BoJack Horseman. The show was received initially with lukewarm reviews but reaction improved with the second half of the first season. The show was eventually hailed as one of the best animated series of the 2010s. The series received three Annie Awards, two WGA Awards, and three Primetime Emmy nominations. Four days after the series premiered, it was renewed for a second season. Amy Sedaris signed on to the series so she could work with Will Arnett, who voiced BoJack and was an executive producer. The casting of Alison Brie as Diane Nguyen was met with criticism and accusations of white-washing, which creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg felt hurt the show, but he applauded Brie’s performance.
Intruders was based on Michael Marshall Smith’s novel The Intruders. Mira Sorvino, James Frain and Millie Bobby Brown were among the regular cast.
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