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It’s another slow week as we roll into the holiday season, with most of the new series this week appearing on cable channels. The major networks did make a few attempt but only one of the three shows had any success, that one being a 2015 comedy series set in a big box store. In 1975 NBC tried to add a new segment to its Mystery Movie series with no success, and in 1995 FOX attempted to rip off Talk Soup. 2005 saw the introduction of a miniseries that became a short-lived continuing series, and a 2015 competition series had a decidedly holiday theme. Scroll down to see all the shows that premiered this week across the decades, and tell us if any of your favorites are celebrating milestone anniversaries.
1955
- No new series premiered this week in 1955.
1965
- No new series premiered this week in 1965.
1975
- November 30 – McCoy (NBC, One season, 5 episodes, 1 pilot movie)
The McCoy episodes were produced as two-hour TV movies as part of the NBC Sunday Mystery Movie series, alternating with Columbo, McCloud and McMillan & Wife. Tony Curtis starred.
1985
- No new series premiered this week in 1985.
1995
- December 3 – What’s So Funny? (FOX, One season, 4 episodes)
What’s So Funny? was a clip show in the vein of Talk Soup, which premiered in 1991.
2005
Showtime
- December 4 – Sleeper Cell (Showtime, Two seasons, 18 episodes)
- December 6 – Madden Nation (ESPN2, Four seasons, 32 episodes)
- December 6 – Party/Party (Bravo, One season, 6 episodes)
Intended to be a limited series, the first season of Sleeper Cell was nominated for the Outstanding Miniseries Emmy Award. Season 2 carried the subtitle American Terror. Each season’s episodes were aired nightly. The show’s original title was The Cell.
Party/Party was a reality series that followed two sets of parents putting together the most memorable party for their children. The party themes in each episode were similar, and focused on the different approaches the parents took.
2015
truTV
- November 30 – Superstore (NBC, Six seasons, 113 episodes)
- December 1 – Real Rob (Netflix, Two seasons, 16 episodes)
- December 2 – Rev Runs Around the World (Travel Channel, One season, 16 episodes)
- December 2 – Santas in the Barn (TruTV, One season, 8 episodes)
- December 6 – Work Out New York (Bravo, One season, 8 episodes)
The pilot for Superstore was shot in a redressed K-Mart, with K-Mart signage visible throughout the episode. The rest of the series was shot on a set constructed on two soundstages. America Ferrera was the last actor cast. When she announced she would be leaving the show at the end of Season 5, production had been cut short due to the COVID pandemic. She wanted her character to have proper closure so she appeared in the first two episodes of Season 6 and came back for the final three episodes of the series. The show’s setting, the Cloud 9 Superstore chain, also appeared in The Mindy Project, Good Girls, I Feel Bad and Kenan.
Santas in the Barn was a reality competition series to determine America’s Best Santa, with a $100,000 prize on the line. Work Out New York was originally announced as The Fit Club.