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With Christmas coming and network TV filled with holiday specials, the list of new TV series debuts is restricted to a single decade this week where a handful of shows premiered with one still running today, albeit as a summer staple, and another under a slightly altered title because of the spin-offs it begat. Let’s take a look
1959
- No new series premiered this week in 1959.
1969
- No new series premiered this week in 1969.
1979
- No new series premiered this week in 1979.
1989
- No new series premiered this week in 1989.
1999
- No new series premiered this week in 1999.
2009
- December 8 — Reality seriesTeen Mom debuts on MTV, a spin-off of 16 and Pregnant. The show focuses on the lives of several young mothers navigating family and romantic relationships. The first season focused on Maci Bookout, Catelynn Lowell, Amber Portwood and Farrah Abraham, who are also featured in the first season of 16 and Pregnant. The series has birthed its own spin-offs including Teen Mom 2, Teen Mom 3, Teen Mom: Young and Pregnant and Teen Mom: Young Moms Club. With the launch of the spin-offs, Teen Mom was retitled Teen Mom OG beginning with the fifth season. The show is still on the air after eight seasons and 165 episodes to date.
- December 9 — Reality series Campus PD debuts on G4. With a style and tone similar to Cops, the series focused specifically on college and university campuses and the authorities who patrol them. Locations included Florida State University, University of Cincinnati, New Mexico State University, Binghamton University, Montclair State University and Indiana State University. A helicopter accident during filming at Indiana University of Pennsylvania left four people on the chopper with minor to critical injuries. One of the passengers died from respiratory complications during his recovery. The helicopter had crashed into student housing resulting in the students being relocated for the rest of Finals Week. Footage from the episode was used but none of the footage from the helicopter was used. The episode aired with a tribute to Greg Jacobson. Four seasons were produced with a total of 46 episodes. The last episode aired March 6, 2012.
- December 12 — Competition series American Ninja Warrior debuts on G4. The series, inspired by the Japanese competition series Sasuke, features competitors attempting to complete a series of obstacles with increasing difficulty in various cities across the US with the hope of advancing to the finals in Las Vegas to earn the title ‘American Ninja Warrior’. To date, only three competitors have finished the final course: Isaac Caldiero, Geoff Britten, and Drew Drechsel. The series was originally hosted by Blair Herter and Alison Haislip, with Matt Iseman replacing Herter for the second season. Haislip was then assigned the sideline reporter position with MMA fighter Jimmy Smith as Iseman’s co-host, and they all remained in place for the third season. The third season also aired a primetime special on NBC, leading to the fourth season qualifiers being broadcast on G4 and the city finals courses on NBC. The fourth season featured Olympic medalist Jonny Mosely replacing Smith and Angela Sun replaced Haislip. The fifth season also split the broadcast between G4 and NBC with new co-host Akbar Gbaja-Biamila replacing Mosley and Jenn Brown on the sidelines replacing Sun. This team remained in place through the sixth season which aired solely on NBC as G4 had transitioned into the Esquire Network, which aired the NBC reruns until the eighth season. Kristine Leahy replaced sideline reporter Brown in Season 7 and remained through Season 10. The Season 11 lineup included Iseman, Gbaja-Biamila and new sideline reporter Zuri Hall. The show has become a Summer staple on NBC, and over the course of 11 seasons has produced 162 episodes.
- December 13 — Docuseries series The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty debuts on A&E. The series was intended to be a one-off special centering around The Jacksons and their planning of a new album and tour to celebrate the group’s 40th anniversary in the music industry. Brother Michael was not involved in the filming which began in January 2009. The production had completed shooting days before Michael’s death in June 2009 which lead the production company to shoot more footage with the family and air it as a TV series with new footage showing the family coping with the loss of Michael. Critical reaction to the series was harsh, calling it ‘lame’, ‘stagey, self-conscious and … self-serving’ and ‘controlled’. Six episodes were ultimately produced for the first season, which ended on January 17, 2010, and it was said the brothers were in negotiations to film a second season which, to date, has not happened.
- December 14 — Musical competition series The Sing-Off debuts on NBC. The series featured a cappella groups competing for a cash prize and a recording contract with Sony Music. NBC aired three of the show’s four seasons as holiday filler in December of 2009, 2010, 2013 and 2014, with the third season airing September-November of 2011, which also produced the one winner that has gone on to great popularity and their own NBC TV specials, Pentatonix. The show was hosted by Nick Lachey with judges Ben Folds, Shawn Stockman and Nicole Scherzinger, who was replaced by Sara Bareilles in the second season. Bareilles left the show and was replacd by Jewel for the fourth season. After the third season, NBC did not formally renew the show for a fourth season and it was presumed cancelled but NBC announced the show’s fourth season on March 13, 2013, nearly a year after the Season 3 finale. The fifth ‘season’ was actually a two-hour special on December 17, 2014 with Lachey, Stockman and Jewel returning, and Patrick Stump replacing Folds. No new seasons or special have been announced since then. In all, 28 episodes have been broadcast over the five seasons.
Did you or do you watch any of these show? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below!
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