Miller-Boyett Productions
Only two decades had no new TV premieres this week, while the rest gave us a variety of programs from TV movies to a sitcom revival. 1976 had two TV movies, both with major stars, both mostly forgotten today. 1986 gave us an Americanized version of a British sitcom, and had it not failed after two seasons, the look of a different show that came after would have been very different. 1996 produced a notorious TV movie based on an infamous late night TV battle, and an animated series that acted as a sequel to a feature film about a friendly ghost. 2006 had another animated series that was a first for its network, and 2016 gave us a reality series about comedy, and a streaming revival of a classic TGIF sitcom. Scroll down to see the programs that premiered this week, and tell us if any of your favorites are celebrating milestone anniversaries.
1956
- No new shows premiered this week in 1956.
1966
- No new shows premiered this week in 1966.
1976
ABC Circle Films
- February 27 – Griffin and Phoenix (ABC, TV movie)
- February 29 – Peter Pan (ITV, TV movie)
Griffin and Phoenix was a TV movie starring Peter Falk and Jill Clayburgh. The film was released theatrically in some countries outside the US as Today is Forever, from 1977 to 1980. It earned an Emmy nominations for Cinematography. The film received a VHS release, but has never been released on DVD or Blu-ray. Clayburgh died in 2010 from the same type of cancer her character had in the film. The film was remade in 2006 with Dermot Mulroney and Amanda Peet.
Peter Pan was broadcast in the US on NBC on December 12, 1976 as a presentation of the Hallmark Hall of Fame. Mia Farrow played Peter, with Danny Kaye as Captain Hook. Julie Andrews sang ‘Once Upon a Bedtime’ over the opening credits. The show did not reuse songs from the previous version with Mary Martin, instead it includes 14 new but now forgotten compositions by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse. It won an Emmy for its visual effects and was nominated for Outstanding Children’s Special. The special was never rebroadcast, but was featured in 2011 at the Paley Center in New York City as part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival. In March of 1976, Kaye appeared in another children’s adaptation, Pinocchio, as Gepetto, with Sandy Duncan in the title role.
1986
Taft Entertainment Television
- February 24 – You Again? (NBC, Two seasons, 26 episodes)
You Again? was based on the British sitcom Home to Roost. The American version starred Jack Klugman and John Stamos. UK cast member Elizabeth Bennett appeared on both series simultaneously as housekeeper Enid (Thompson in the UK and Tompkins in the US), requiring frequent commuting from London to Los Angeles. After a day and time change at the start of the second season, ratings fell and the show was cancelled in January 1987, allowing Stamos to transition to Full House later in the year.
1996
HBO Pictures
- February 24 – The Late Shift (HBO, TV movie)
- February 24 – The Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper (FOX Kids/FOX Family Channel, Four seasons, 52 episodes)
The Late Shift was based on the 1994 book of the same name that chronicled the late night conflict between Jay Leno and David Letterman. Daniel Roebuck played Leno, and John Michael Higgins played Letterman. Kathy Bates played Leno’s agent Helen Kuchnick. The film earned seven Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Made for Television Movie and Supporting nods for Bates and Treat Williams, but neither of the leads were nominated. Bates won the film’s sole Golden Globe nomination for Supporting Actress. Letterman called the clips he saw ‘the biggest waste of film since my wedding photos’ and likened Higgins’ performance to a ‘circus chimp’ and ‘budding psychotic’. During the film’s production, Letterman invited Higgins to appear on his show, but Higgins declined. After the broadcast, Higgins accepted an invitation but Letterman purposely let the show run long that night so Higgins was bumped, with the promise to reschedule which never materialized. While a guest on Conan O’Brien’s version of The Tonight Show during his final week, Quentin Tarantino suggested he direct a sequel to The Late Show as a revenge film, with O’Brien playing himself but O’Brien wanted Tilda Swinton to play him. Swinton later expressed interest in playing O’Brien should a sequel come about.
The Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper was a sequel series to the 1995 Casper feature film, which was expected to have a film sequel but poor box office and other obligations of stars Christina Ricci and Bill Pullman but that on ice. Only 46 episodes aired on FOX Kids, while the remainder aired on FOX Family Channel.
2006
- February 25 – Kappa Mikey (Nicktoons Network, Two seasons, 52 episodes)
Kappa Mikey was originally to air on the Noggin network’s The N teen block, but was moved to Nicktoons, becoming the first half-hour series to premiere exclusively on the network. The series was animated with Adobe Flash with some CGI moments. Sergei Aniskov directed the entire series.
2016
- February 26 – Fuller House (Netflix, Five seasons, 75 episodes)
- February 29 – truInside (truTV, One season, 10 episodes)
Fuller House is a sequel series to ABC’s Full House, with most of the original cast appearing as regulars or in guest roles with the exception of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, who did not return in the shared role of Michelle Tanner. The producers decided to have the character live in New York City to focus on her fashion enterprise. The Olsens’ younger sister Elizabeth was offered the role, but she declined as well. The series earned an Emmy nomination in 2018 for Outstanding Children’s Program.