CBS
Not many new series premiered during the first week of April since most of the networks were busy counting down to the May season finales, but over the course of just three of the seven decades covered here, there are three major series that made their debuts. Two of them may have had short runs, but they still remain memorable and influential to this day, as does the third that ran for a decade. Let’s take a look at this week’s television premieres!
1950
- No new series premiered this week in 1950.
1960
- No new series premiered this week in 1960.
1970
- No new series premiered this week in 1970.
1980
- April 11 — Late night sketch show Fridays premieres on ABC. Launched during the last season of Saturday Night Live original cast, the show was often unfavorably compared to SNL as a weak clone. Some objections were raised over the show’s ‘shock humor’ and many ABC affiliates pulled the show after the third episode which featured cannibalism (‘Diner of the Living Dead’), disgusting habits (‘Women Who Spit’) and blasphemous humor (‘The Inflatable Nun’). The show also drew comparison with its ‘Friday Edition’ news segment with cast member Melanie Chartoff as the anchor (joined by Rich Hall in the second season). Starting with the second season, the show featured a celebrity guest host. With the debut of SNL‘s sixth season and all-new cast, reviews were negative and critics who once panned Fridays praised it as sharper, edgier and funnier than SNL, attributing that to the show’s sprawling, ambitious and pointed sociopolitical and situational sketches that dealt with subjects like the US dealings with El Salvador, refugess from Central America, a parody of Iran’s revolution, a Popeye parody with a band of hippies fighting a fascist regime led by Bluto, concerns over abuse of the Second Amendment, a satire of the Moral Majority, pokes at then President Ronald Reagan, and arguments of creationism vs evolution. The show’s high point was a 17-minute parody of The Rocky Horror Picture Show titled ‘The Ronnie Horror Picture Show’ that featured Reagan as Dr. Frank-N-Furter attempting to create the perfect Republican, who turns out to be a militant black man who leads Reagan’s followers in a revolution. The show was also notable for its serious moments such as a segment that aired after the 1981 assassination attempt on Reagan where the nine cast members recalled where they were during other assassination attempts. Fridays also embraced the New Wave music scene and incorporated that culture into the show to a better extent than SNL. The main cast over the show’s three seasons included Mark Blankfield, Maryedith Burrell, Melanie Chartoff, Larry David, Rich Hall, Darrow Igus, Brandis Kemp, Bruce Mahler, Michael Richards and John Roarke. Celebrity guests during Seasons 2 and 3 included Karen Allen, Valerie Bertinelli, Beau Bridges, George Carlin, Billy Crystal, Jamie Lee Curtis, Shelley Duvall, Marty Feldman, Genie Francis & Anthony Geary, Mark Hamill, George Hamilton, Valerie Harper, Marilu Henner, Tab Hunter, Madeline Kahn, Andy Kaufman, David L. Lander & Michael McKean, David Naughton, Victoria Principal, Lynn Redgrave, William Shatner, Brooke Shields and Shelley Winters. Musical guests included The Beach Boys, Pat Benatar, The Boomtown Rats, Jimmy Buffet, Kim Carnes, The Cars, Chubby Checker, Devo, Dire Straits, The Eagles, Heart, The Jam, Jefferson Starship, Journey, King Crimson, KISS, Kenny Loggins, The Manhattan Transfer, Paul McCartney, Eddie Money, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Plasmatics, The Pretenders, Bonnie Raitt, Boz Scaggs, Sister Sledge, Split Enz, The Tubes, Stevie Wonder and Warren Zevon. AC/DC, The Clash and The Stray Cats made their American television debuts on Fridays. One of the show’s most notorious moments came during a sketch with guest Andy Kaufman. During the sketch Kaufman refused to read his lines saying he couldn’t play stoned. An angry Michael Richards grabbed the cue cards and slammed them down on the table in front of Kaufman. Some of the show’s cast and crew became heated and a small brawl broke out on stage on live television until ABC cut the feed. The following week Kaufman appeared in a taped apology explaining the entire incident was planned but only he, the director, the producer and the three actors in the sketch were in on it. The incident was reenacted in the film Man on the Moon. The series faced cancellation when ABC decided to expand Nightline to five nights a week, pushing Fridays to midnight. ABC gave the show one last shot by airing it in primetime, but scheduled it against CBS powerhouse Dallas which did nothing to help the ratings. The show was promptly cancelled after that April 23, 1982 broadcast. A total of 58 episodes were produced.
1990
- April 8 — Mystery drama Twin Peaks premieres on ABC. Created by David Lynch and Mark Frost, the series began with the death of Twin Peaks resident Laura Palmer, and followed the investigation by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper with assist from Sheriff Harry S. Truman. The show’s surrealism, offbeat humor, distinctive look and haunting soundtrack immediately drew in viewers and critics who became entranced by the show’s elements of detective fiction, uncanny tone, supernatural elements, and campy, melodramatic portrayal of eccentric characters. When the pilot was screened at the Museum of Broadcasting in Hollywood, advertising executives said the show had no chance at success because it was radically different than what viewers were used to seeing. ABC’s scheduling of the show on Thursday nights at 9PM against NBC’s Cheers — a time slot that did no favors for soaps Dynasty and The Colbys — was also seen by some as the network having a lack of faith. But the show received positive reviews and the two-hour pilot was the highest rated TV movie of the 1989-1990 season. The first regular episode scored ABC’s highest ratings in four years in that time slot, reducing the ratings for Cheers. But by the third episode, the show lost 14% of its viewers because it appealed to the same audience as Cheers. A production executive for the show expressed frustration with ABC’s scheduling, suggesting if ABC had put it on Wednesdays, it could have continued to build on its initial success. The first season consisted of just seven episodes plus the pilot, so ABC aired the season finale on Wednesday at 10 PM which gave the show its best ratings since the third episode. On May 22, 1990, ABC renewed the show for a second season. Some tension arose between Lynch and Frost leading into Season 2. While the main storyline was the mystery of Laura Palmer’s death, Lynch felt that was just a MacGuffin and the show was really about the people of Twin Peaks. Frost felt they owed it to the audience to reveal Laura Palmer’s killer. Unfortunately, the resolution of the Laura Palmer storyline and more obscure and drawn out storylines caused viewer interest to wane. Another storyline issue was the intended romance between Cooper and Audrey Horne. Star Kyle MacLachlan was romantically involved with co-star Laura Flynn Boyle who vetoed the romance, forcing writers to concoct new storylines to fill that gap. Sherilyn Fenn, who played Audrey, confirmed the claim stating that Boyle was jealous she was getting more screen time and that Kyle shouldn’t be involved with a character so young. As ratings quickly declined, Cooper was given a new love interest, Annie Blackburn (Heather Graham). The second season ended on a deliberate cliffhanger, but ABC cancelled the show, leaving that cliffhanger unresolved. Both Lynch and Frost expressed regret at resolving the Palmer storyline saying they never intended for that question to be answered but it was the network that pressured them to resolve the mystery prematurely. Frost noted that the network wanted the mystery solved by the end of the first season. The first season received fourteen Emmy nominations, a record for the time, but in the end it won just two awards for Outstanding Costume Design and Outstanding Editing for a Series. The second season garnered just four nominations. The show did win Golden Globes for its first season for Best TV Series – Drama, Best Actor in a TV Series – Drama (MacLachlan), Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture made for Television (Piper Laurie; Sherilyn Fenn was also nominated in this category). The show had major influence on other shows that came after including Psych, which featured a tribute episode called ‘Dual Spires’ that referenced the show and featured several actors. AMC’s The Killing drew comparisons, and Carlton Cuse admitted he ripped off Twin Peaks when creating Bates Motel for A+E, saying the original did only 30 episodes, so they did the 70 that were missing. The show also inspired the video game The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening as well as a number of survival horror and psychological thriller video games. The animated series Gravity Falls referenced the Black Lodge and other elements of Twin Peaks as well. The show also launched two popular CDs, one featuring the score by composer Angelo Badalamenti, and a second featuring songs performed by Julee Cruise with music by Badalamenti, including a vocal version of the show’s theme song. The series also begat a 1992 theatrical film prequel, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, that featured the last seven days of the life of Laura Palmer. Most of the cast returned except for Lara Flynn Boyle, who declined the invitation (she was replaced by Moira Kelly), and Fenn who had scheduling conflicts. MacLachlan was reluctant to return for fear of being typecast so his role was reduced. The film received mixed reviews and was booed at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival. One of the show’s most intriguing lines came in the show’s penultimate episode in the Black Lodge when Laura Palmer told Dale Cooper, ‘I’ll see you again in 25 years.’ Over the years, fans hoped Lynch would provide some new material to mark those 25 years and he did as Showtime announced a new series on October 6, 2014. Premiering on May 21, 2017, the series is a continuation 25 years later with most of the original cast returning to reprise their roles. Lynch and Frost have expressed interest in returning to the world of Twin Peaks, but the always cryptic Lynch stated that while one more story was ‘calling him’, there ‘were disturbances’, leaving the future of more stories up in the air.
2000
- No new series premiered this week in 2000.
2010
- April 5 — Animated series Adventure Time premieres on Cartoon Network. The series follows the adventures of a boy named Finn and his best friend and adoptive brother Jake, a dog with the magical ability to change size and shape at will. The pair live in the post-apocalyptic Land of Ooo where they interact with Princess Bubblegum, the Ice King, Marceline, BMO, and others. The series drew inspiration from many sources including Dungeons & Dragons and video games. The show’s origin can be traced back to a seven-minute stand-alone short of the same name that is now considered the show’s pilot. The short premiered on the Nicktoons Network and became a viral internet sensation. A series was pitched to Nicktoons, which rejected it twice. When Nicktoons’ rights to the show expired, the animation studio Frederator pitched it to other networks. Cartoon Network was interested providing they could prove the show would not be a ‘one-hit wonder’. The network wanted to see a script but Frederator convinced creator Pendleton Ward to rough out a storyboard instead to give the network a better insight into the show. The tactic proved successful and Cartoon Network approved the first season. The show was a ratings hit for the network and won several awards including eight Primetime Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, and three Annie Awards. On September 29, 2016 Cartoon Network announced the series would conclude after its tenth season. The series finale aired on September 3, 2018 after 283 episodes. On September 23, 2019, four specials collectively titled Adveture Time: Distant Lands were announced for the new HBO Max streaming service with two of the specials set to stream in 2020.
- April 5 — Animated series Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated premieres on Cartoon Network. This eleventh incarnation of the Scooby-Doo franchise — the first not to run on Saturday mornings — features the early days of the Scooby gang still solving mysteries in their home town, though it makes references to other incarnations of the franchise. The series takes a tongue-in-cheek approach to classic Scooby-Doo stories with outlandish technology, skills and scenarios making up each villain’s story, with a different spin on the ‘meddling kids’ quote at the end of every episode. The series was different from other Scooby series in that it featured a serialized story arc with dark elements, and ongoing relationship drama between the characters. It was also the first series in the franchise to feature real ghosts and monsters since The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo. The series paid homage to the horror genre with serious and parodic nods to A Nightmare on Elm Street, Saw, Twin Peaks and the works of H.P. Lovecraft. The second season included a heavy emphasis on Babylonian mythology, and other Hanna-Barbera characters made guest appearances on the show including Captain Caveman, Jabberjaw, Speed Buggy, The Funky Phantom, Blue Falcon and Dynomutt. The series marked the animated debut of Matthew Lillard as the voice of Shaggy after portraying the character in two live-action films. Casey Kasem, the original voice of Shaggy, voiced Shaggy’s father in five episodes. This would be his last voice-acting role before his death. The live-action Velma, Linda Cardellini, would voice recurring character Hot Dog Water. Mindy Cohn provided the voice for the animated Velma. Frank Welker voice Scooby and Fred, while Grey DeLisle voice Daphne. Recurring voice actors included Lewis Black, Tia Carrere, Gary Cole, Vivica A. Fox, Udo Kier, Tim Matheson and Patrick Warburton. The series ran for two seasons, producing 52 episodes, and concluding exactly two years after its premiere on April 5, 2013.
- April 11 — Reality series Basketball Wives premieres on VH1. The series chronicled the lives of a group of women who are the wives and girlfriends, or who have been romantically links, to those in the professional basketball industry. The first five seasons were films in Miami and the cast included dancer Royce Reed, Michael Olowokandi’s ex-girlfriend Suzie Ketcham, Matt Barnes’ fiancée Gloria Govan, Eric Williams’ wife Jennifer Williams, Antoine Walker’s ex-fiancée Evelyn Lozada, and Shaquille O’Neal’s wife Shaunie O’Neal. Tami Roman, ex-wife of Kenny Anderson, joined the cast in Season 2; Meeka Claxton, wife of Speedy Claxton, was added for Season 3 but she did not return for Season 4. Season 5 featured a major cast shake-up for the first time with only Ketcham, Roman, Lozada, and O’Neal returning from Season 4, with Tasha Marbury, wife of Stephon Marbury, joining the cast. Another cast change occurred in Season 6 — returning after a five year hiatus on April 17, 2017 and relocating to Los Angeles — with only Roman, Lozada and O’Neal returning, with several newcomers joining in Seasons 6 and 7. All cast members from Season 7 returned for Season 8, with Tami Roman exiting the show during the 13th episode for new career opportunities. An eighth season premiered on June 19, 2019, with a ninth season’s fate to be announced. To date, 118 episodes have been produced.
- April 11 — Reality series Brandy & Ray J: A Family Business premieres on VH1. The series follows singer and actress Brandy Norwood and he brother Ray J as the overcome daily struggles in their family business. The main cast also included their mother and manager Sonja Bates-Norwood, and father and vocal coach Willie Norwood. The show also featured guest celebrities including Rodney Jerkins, Timbaland, Tyrese, Flo Rida, Kelly Rowland, Big Boy, Ludacris and Gucci Mane. The series ran for two seasons, producing 22 episodes with the final episode broadcast on February 27, 2011.
- April 11 — Drama series Treme premieres on HBO. The series takes its name from a neighborhood in New Orleans and begins three months after Hurricane Katrina as residents try to rebuild their lives, their homes and their unique culture. The main cast included Khandi Alexander, Rob Brown, Kim Dickens, John Goodman, Michiel Huisman, Melissa Leo, Clarke Peters, Steve Zahn, David Morse and Jon Seda. Recurring cast members over the show’s four seasons included Elizabeth Ashley, Steve Earle, Michael Cerveris and Sam Robards. The show received a Primetime Emmy nomination for its first season for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series, and Steve Earle was nominated for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for the song ‘The City’. The show’s shortened five-episode fourth season in 2013 received nominations for Outstanding Miniseries and Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special for the final episode. The series received a Peabody Award in 2011. 36 episodes were produced over the show’s four seasons with the finale broadcast on December 29, 2013.
- April 11 — Reality series What Chilli Wants premieres on VH1. The series starred Chilli, one-third of the R&B trio TLC, and her quest to find love – and a husband with the hopes of having another baby — with the help of author and relationship coach Tionna T. Smalls. The series aired for two seasons, producing 16 episodes and ending in February 27, 2011.
Did you or do you watch any of these show? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below!
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