TV by the Decade :: Sept 29•Oct 5

Cherry Productions

As September comes to an end and we move into October, the major new series premieres will slack off after this week. But this week is still jam-packed full of very well-known series making their debuts across the decades. 1954 has two classic sitcoms, 1964 has a classic Saturday morning cartoon, 1984 gave us a horror anthology series and a mystery series with a major Hollywood and Broadway star as its lead, 1994 was chock-full of shows for kids, 2004 took us back to a law firm in Boston and a neighborhood full of mysterious goings-on, and 2014 continued the story of a popular sci-fi film franchise, and saw a comedy series grow more popular after it was cancelled. Scroll down to see all the shows that premiered this week, and tell us if any of your favorites are celebrating milestone anniversaries.

1954

Rodney-Young Productions

• September 30 – Shower of Stars (CBS, Four seasons, last broadcast on April 1, 1958)
• October 1 – Flash Gordon (Syndication/DuMont, One season, 39 episodes)
• October 1 – The Lineup (CBS, Six seasons, 190 episodes)
• October 2 – The Imogene Coca Show (NBC, One season, last broadcast on June 25, 1955)
• October 2 – The Jimmy Durante Show (NBC, Two seasons, 50 episodes)
• October 3 – Father Knows Best (CBS/NBC, Six seasons, 203 episodes)
• October 4 – December Bride (CBS, Five seasons, 156 episodes)
• October 5 – The Elgin Hour (ABC, One season, 19 episodes)

Anthology variety series Shower of Stars was broadcast in color by CBS, which was a departure from its normal programming at the time.

Flash Gordon was a West German/French/American co-production. The first 26 episodes were filmed in Germany, where only star Steve Holland and director Wallace Worsley Jr. spoke English. Worsley withdrew after 26 episodes due to a salary dispute, and the remaining 13 episodes were filmed in France. The series aired in Syndication in most of the US, but on the DuMont Network on the East Coast. Two episodes are held in the Library of Congress, while 24 episodes are in the public domain, available online through YouTube or other websites.

Syndicated reruns of The Lineup were broadcast as San Francisco Beat. The show originated as a CBS Radio series from 1950 to 1953. The TV series was filmed at the Desilu production facilities. The first five seasons consisted of 30-minute episodes, expanding to one hour in the final season. The show earned an Emmy nomination in 1956 for Best Action or Adventure Series.

The Imogene Coca Show began as a sitcom with co-star Billy de Wolf, but after two episodes it was reworked into a variety show from October 16, 1954 to January 1955. In February 1955 it was reworked again into another sitcom with a new situation and supporting cast that included Hal March.

Father Knows Best began on radio in 1949. CBS cancelled the TV series after one season but it was picked up by NBC where it aired for three seasons, and was cancelled again in 1958. CBS brought the series back where it aired for two more seasons. The pilot aired as an episode of The Ford Television Theatre, titled ‘Keep It in the Family’. Robert Young is the only cast member to move from radio to TV, including the pilot. The show became so popular the U.S. Department of the Treasury commissioned a special episode that was never shown on television, but distributed to schools, churches and civics groups to promote the purchase of savings bonds. The episode was included on the Season 1 DVD set. Young left the series in 1960 at the height of its popularity to pursue other opportunities. Two reunion films were broadcast in 1977.

December Bride also originated as a radio series that aired from 1952-1953. The series enjoyed high ratings for its first four seasons due to being scheduled after I Love Lucy on Monday, but CBS moved the show to Thursday for its fifth season and ratings fell dramatically. A number of guest stars made appearances as themselves including Desi Arnaz, Edgar Bergen, Rory Calhoun, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Fred MacMurray and Marjorie Main. A spin-off series, Pete & Gladys, featuring the character of Pete Porter (Harry Morgan) and his wife Gladys, who was never seen but often mentioned on December Bride, launched in 1960 and aired for two seasons.

The Elgin Hour was an anthology drama series that alternated weeks with The United States Steel Hour. Featured actors include John Cassavetes, Boris Karloff, Roddy McDowall, Kim Stanley, Teresa Wright, Joanne Woodward, and Robert Preston.

1964

• October 3 – Underdog (NBC/CBS, Three seasons, 62 episodes)
• October 5 – Harris Against the World (NBC, One season, 13 episodes)
• October 5 – Karen (NBC, One season, 28 episodes)
• October 5 – Tom, Dick, and Mary (NBC, One season, 13 episodes)

Underdog was one of the early Saturday morning cartoon shows, airing for two seasons on NBC, and moving to CBS for its final season. The show continued to air in Syndication until 1973. Wally Cox, best known for his role as Mr. Peepers and one of the regulars on The Hollywood Squares, provided the voice of Underdog.

Karen, Harris Against the World and Tom, Dick, and Mary were aired together on NBC under the umbrella title 90 Bristol Court. All three shows were set at the same Los Angeles apartment complex, but the only connection the series shared was handyman Cliff Murdock. The comedy block concept ended after 13 weeks with the cancellation of Harris Against the World and Tom, Dick, and Mary. Karen continued as a stand-alone show, and Murdock was never seen again.

1974

• No new series premiered this week in 1974.

1984

Universal Television

• September 30 – Tales from the Darkside (Syndication, Four seasons, 94 episodes)
• September 30 – Murder, She Wrote (CBS, Twelve seasons, 264 episodes, 4 TV movies)
• October 3 – Charles in Charge (CBS/Syndication, Five seasons, 126 episodes)

The Tales from the Darkside pilot was first aired on October 29, 1983. The series was developed after the success of the theatrical anthology film Creepshow, both produced by Laurel Entertainment. As Warner Bros. owned some elements of Creepshow, the series had to omit aspects from the movie to move forward. Stephen King, who wrote Creepshow, also wrote the teleplay for the episode ‘Sorry, Right Number’. His story ‘Word Processor of the Gods’ was also adapted for the series.

Angela Lansbury was nominated for ten Golden Globes for her work on Murder, She Wrote, winning four, and was Emmy-nominated for every season of the show, a record for Best Actress in a Dramatic TV Series. The series itself was Emmy-nominated three times in the Outstanding Drama category, and six times by the Golden Globes, winning the Globes twice. The series was originally developed for Jean Stapleton, who was initially interested but ultimately turned it down, putting the project in danger. The show’s creators wanted Lansbury but didn’t think she would commit to a series, but she announced she would be available if the right project came along. She was sent the pilot script and felt she could do something with the character and accepted the role. After four seasons, Lansbury considered retiring due to her age and the pace of production which went from seven to eight days per episode. A compromise was reached that allowed her to rest and give the secondary characters significant storylines, with Lansbury only appearing at the beginning and end of each episode for the next two seasons. Lansbury became an executive producer on the show in 1992 and took on a more extensive role in production. Lansbury again considered retirement after the show’s 12th season, but that decision was going to be up to CBS. The series was only one of two in the Top Ten Nielsen ratings for the network, with 60 Minutes, and after eleven seasons on Sundays, the network moved the show to Thursdays to compete with NBC’s ‘Must See’ comedy block, head-to-head with Friends. Viewers protested and ratings dropped significantly. After airing two episodes on Sunday and seeing a dramatic increase in the ratings, CBS aired the final four Season 12 episodes on Sunday, but the network had already made the decision to not pick up a 13th season, but commissioned four TV movies to air over the next few years. The series had one crossover episode with Magnum, P.I. in which Fletcher visits Hawaii to investigate the murder of one of Robin Masters’ guests and clear Magnum of the killing. In 2011, Lansbury suggested she would like to return to the role of Jessica Fletcher, but by 2015 she felt it was best to remember the character as she was on the series instead of having to show her as a much older woman.

CBS cancelled Charles in Charge after one season, with the last episode airing in 1985. The show returned in Syndication with its two leads in 1987, with a new supporting cast and storyline.

1994

• October 1 – Wild C.A.T.s (CBS, One season, 13 episodes)
• October 3 – Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters from Beverly Hills (USA Network, One season 40 episodes)
• October 3 – The FOX Cubhouse (FOX Kids, Two seasons, 234 episodes)
• October 3 – Jim Henson’s Animal Show (FOX Kids/Animal Planet, Three seasons, 65 episodes)
• October 4 – Johnson and Friends (ABC Australia, Four seasons, 78 episodes)
• October 5 – Rimba’s Island (FOX Kids/Animal Planet, Two seasons, 28 episodes)

Wild C.A.T.s was based on the comic book series of the same name.

The FOX Cubhouse was comprised of several series, with a different series shown every day of the week. The series included Jim Henson’s Animal Show, Johnson and Friends, Rimba’s Island, Britt Allcroft’s Magic Adventures of Mumfie and Budgie the Little Helicopter. Jim Henson’s Animal Show moved to Animal Planet for its third season. The Australian series Johnson and Friends debuted in 1990 and was picked up for the FOX Cubhouse in 1994, which produced the fourth season in 1995 (Season 4 did not air in Australia until 1997). Rimba’s Island featured humans in fursuits playing anthropomorphic animals. It is believed to be the first series where all episodes were reviewed and approved of by the National Education Association and the National Parent-Teacher Association.

2004

• September 29 – Kevin Hill (UPN, One season, 22 episodes)
• October 2 – Darcy’s Wild Life (Discovery Kids, Two seasons, 33 episodes)
• October 2 – Austin Stephens: Snakemaster (Animal Planet, Two seasons, 28 episodes)
• October 3 – Boston Legal (ABC, Five seasons, 101 episodes)
• October 3 – Desperate Housewives (ABC, Eight seasons, 180 episodes)
• October 3 – Cold Turkey (PAX TV, Two seasons, 16 episodes)
• October 4 – Model Citizens (PAX TV, One season, 7 episodes)
• October 5 – BET Style (BET, One season, 36 episodes)
• October 5 – Wanda Does It (Comedy Central, One season, 6 episodes)
• October 5 – Second Verdict (PAX TV, One season, 13 episodes)

Darcy’s Wild Life also aired on NBC as part of the Discovery Kids on NBC Saturday morning programing block.

Boston Legal was a direct spin-off and continuation of The Practice. The series was nominated for 26 Emmy Awards during its run, including Outstanding Drama Series in 2007 and 2008, and received a Peabody Award in 2005. James Spader won the Lead Actor in a Drama Series Emmy in 2005 and 2007, having previously won the award in 2004 for the same role on The Practice. William Shatner won the Supporting Actor Emmy in 2005. He also won for Guest Actor for the same role on The Practice in 2004. Christian Clemenson won the Guest Actor in a Drama Series Emmy in 2006. Shatner also won the Golden Globe for Supporting Actor in a Series in 2004. The show’s working title was Fleet Street, and was changed to The Practice: Fleet Street before settling on Boston Legal. Show creator David E. Kelley has stated that it was ABC’s decision to end the series, and that he had to fight to get the shortened 13-episode fifth season to wrap things up.

By the end of its eight season run, Desperate Housewives surpassed Charmed with the most episodes of an hour-long series with all-female leads. The first season featured thirteen main actors who were all credited in the opening title sequence. HBO, CBS, NBC, FOX, Showtime and Lifetime all turned down creator Marc Cherry’s pitch for the series. Two new ABC execs decided to pick up the show after the success of The O.C. on FOX showed a primetime soap could work. Shortly after ordering the series and Lost, Disney fired the ABC execs. ABC did not like Cherry’s title for the show and suggested Wisteria Lane or The Secret Lives of Housewives. The show was renewed for a second season, along with Lost, after only three episodes had aired. The show premiered in the Sunday, 9:00 PM timeslot and remained there for its entire run. A few weeks after the series premiered, the owners of NBC wanted to know who at the network had passed on ordering the series. The show used a five year time jump to begin the fifth season which helped revitalize the show, allowing them to start almost from scratch. The series earned 38 Emmy nominations during its run, winning seven including two for Kathryn Joosten for Guest Actor in a Comedy Series and one for Felicity Huffman in the Lead Actress in a Comedy Series category. Eva Longoria was the only one of the core four leads to not receive an Emmy nomination.

2014

Lucasfilm

• September 30 – Manhattan Love Story (ABC, One season, 11 episodes, 7 unaired)
• September 30 – Selfie (ABC, One season, 13 episodes, 6 unaired)
• October 1 – Stalker (CBS, One season, 20 episodes)
• October 2 – A to Z (NBC, One season, 13 episodes)
• October 2 – Bad Judge (NBC, One season, 13 episodes)
• October 2 – Gracepoint (FOX, One season, 10 episodes)
• October 2 – Food Truck Face Off (Food Network, One season, 13 episodes)
• October 2 – Dead Again (A&E, One season, 9 episodes)
• October 3 – Star Wars Rebels (Disney XD, Four seasons, 75 episodes)
• October 3 – On the Menu (TNT, One season, 10 episodes)
• October 4 – Reluctantly Healthy (CW, One season, 10 episodes)
• October 4 – Survivor’s Remorse (Starz, Four seasons, 36 episodes)
• October 4 – The Pinkertons (Syndication, One season, 22 episodes)
• October 5 – Manzo’d with Children (Bravo, Three seasons, 30 episodes)
• October 5 – Mulaney (FOX, One season, 13 episodes)

Manhattan Love Story was the first series cancelled during the 2014-2015 TV season. The unaired episodes were made available on ABC’s website on a weekly basis beginning December 2, 2014. All seven of the remaining episodes were released to Hulu on December 4, 2014.

Selfie was also pulled from ABC’s schedule after the seventh episode, with the remaining episodes dropping on Hulu and the ABC website on a weekly basis beginning November 25, 2014. The series earned more interest from critics and viewers after the unaired episodes began streaming on Hulu and a campaign was launched to bring the show back. The character names Eliza Dooley and Henry Higgs were references to Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins from the play Pygmalion and the musical My Fair Lady, which inspired the series. The role of Henry was intended for a white Englishman several years older than Eliza (the already cast Karen Gillan), which required an extensive casting process. The show creators decided to just focus on who the character was and realized they needed a great actor. John Cho’s name came up, and ABC suggested the color blind casting. Executive producer Julie Anne Robinson said she had to persuade everyone up and down the line that Cho was perfect for the part. He became the first Asian American to play a romantic lead on a US comedy television series. Sam Saperstein was written as a white Jewish man, but Black actor David Harewood was cast. Gillan was filming Guardians of the Galaxy at the same time and had to shave her head for the role of Nebula. For the pilot she wore a generic wig, and for the rest of the series wore a personal wig made from her own hair.

Stalker ended on an unresolved cliffhanger. A to Z was cancelled after the fifth episode when ratings dropped by 50%, though NBC opted to air all of the produced episodes. Bad Judge was also cancelled after its fifth episode with NBC airing the remaining eight episodes.

Gracepoint was an American remake of the UK drama Broadchurch, which starred David Tennant and Olivia Colman. Tennant carried over to the US series, although with a different character name, with Anna Gunn as his co-star. FOX promoted the show as a limited series.

Star Wars Rebels is set fourteen years after Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, and progresses toward the original Star Wars film. The series includes new characters, some from the original trilogy and from the previous animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. James Earl Jones provided the voice of Darth Vader, the final time he would do so before signing over the rights to recreate his voice in future Star Wars projects. Ian McDiarmid also reprised the role of Darth Sidious/Emperor Palpatine, while Anthony Daniels, Frank Oz, and Billy Dee Williams voiced C-3PO, Yoda and Lando Calrissian, respectively. Katee Sackhoff guested as the voice of Bo-Katan Kryze, a role she would reprise in live-action on the Disney+ series The Mandalorian.

The Pinkertons was officially licensed with the Pinkerton detective agency, and features stories based on actual cases from the Pinkerton detective agency archives dating to the 1860s. Manzo’d with Children was a spin-off of The Real Housewives of New Jersey.

Mulaney was originally developed for NBC under the title Mulaney Don’t Drink, set at a time in John Mulaney’s life when he got sober at 23 and was trying to figure out what a good person does. He felt the show lost something when the higher ups suggested he took that out of the story. NBC ultimately rejected the pilot. Mulaney retooled the concept and pitched it to FOX, which cautiously ordered six episodes, later adding an additional ten. The day before the third episode aired, FOX cut three episodes from the additional ten ordered, which shut down production as the 13th episode had been filmed and Episode 14 was about to start. The show was panned by critics, drawing unfavorable comparisons with Seinfeld.