PBS
The term ‘dead of winter’ seems to fit February to a T. There are not a lot of new series premieres during this particular week through the decades, and of the handful that did premiere, only one of them had any real longevity. Let’s take a look and see what the networks had to offer.
1959
- No new series premiered this week in 1959.
1969
- February 17 — British sex symbol/singer Tom Jones is imported to American television with This Is Tom Jones, a musical-variety series from the UK to ABC. The series featured Jones, a variety of well-known guest stars, and comedy sketches by the Ace Trucking Company which included Fred Willard and Patti Deutsch. Over the course of the show’s three seasons, guests included Peter Sellers, Joey Heatherton, Richard Pryor, Davy Jones, Rich Little, Lynn Redgrave, Tim Conway, The Bee Gees, Shirley Jones, Dusty Springfield, Engelbert Humperdinck, George Carlin, Cass Elliot, Barbara Eden, Lainie Kazan, Jo Anne Worley, The Who, Stevie Wonder, Sonny & Cher, George Burns, John Davidson … and that was just a handful of the first season guests! For the first season, Jones was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy. The show ended its run on January 15, 1971 after 65 episodes … in color!
- February 22 — The anthology The Bold Ones added another drama to its rotating series with The Bold Ones: The Protectors starring Leslie Nielsen as conservative Deputy Chief Sam Danforth. and Hari Rhodes as liberal DA William Washburn. This was the least successful of the group, lasting just seven episodes, ending its run on March 8, 1970.
1979
- February 20 — Home improvement series This Old House premieres on PBS with host Bob Vila. The series focused on home remodeling projects over a number of weeks. The series began as a one-time, 13-episode series on WGBH in Boston and has since become one of the most popular and longest running programs on the network, producing spin-offs, a magazine, and for-profit websites. The show has been nominated for 82 Emmy Awards and won 17. One project, Weatherbee Farm, became infamous for a growing dispute between hosts Vila and Norm Abram (from The New Yankee Workshop series) and the homeowners over the direction of the project. Vila remarked at the end that the owners could have contributed more ‘sweat equity’ to the project. Vila quit the series in 1989 following a dispute about him doing commercials for another home improvement center, a competitor of the show’s sponsor Home Depot. Steve Thomas took over the hosting until 2003. Cast members who had complained about Vila putting too much focus on himself said the series become more of an ensemble production after he left. Kevin O’Connor took over the hosting duties in 2003 and continues to this day.
1989
- No new series premiered this week in 1989.
1999
- February 17 — The Planet’s Funniest Animals debuts on Animal Planet. The series featured funny and odd home videos submitted by viewers with humorous voice over by the host — similar to ABC’s America’s Funniest Home Videos. The show was hosted by Matt Gallant until 2005. Pre-Key & Peele star Keegan-Michael Key, then a cast member on MadTV, took over the hosting duties from 2005 until the show’s end in 2008. A British version of the series was also created using the same set, music and canned laughter, and was hosted by Richard Arnold. Both the US and UK series ran for nine seasons concluding on September 13, 2008.
2009
- February 17 — Variety series Dogg After Dark, hosted by Snoop Dogg, debuts on MTV. The series featured celebrity interviews, sketches and musical performances. The series was shot at Kress, a Los Angeles club on Hollywood Boulevard. The series ran for just seven episodes, ending on March 31, 2009. Guests included Paris Hilton, Kat Williams, Pharrell Williams, Ciara, Nick Cannon, Mike Epps, Fall Out Boy, Ice Cube, Soulja Boy, Busta Rhymes, Donald Faison, Limp Bizkit, Eddie Griffin and Nas.
Do you remember any of these shows? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below!
Share this post
