Warner Bros. Television
The second week of January offered a few new series, some memorable and short-lived, others with longer runs (and one is still on the air). One comic book inspired series may have been a little ahead of its time … even if it was the second time this particular property had hit the airwaves. Read on to see if you remember any of these shows, or if you still watch the one that is currently on the air!
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
- January 14 — Game show Chain Reaction premieres on NBC. This first of four versions of the show, to date, was hosted by Bill Cullen. The main game play featured two teams of three, one contestant and two celebrity guests, who were shown the first and last word in an eight-word chain. Letters would be revealed for the next word in the chain which would correspond to the words above and below it, and the team would have to guess the word to remain in control of the board, earning points for each correct answer. The game would end with the first team to score 50 points. The winning team’s contestant would then play the Instant Reaction round where the two celebrity guests would create a sentence one word at a time, back and forth, to get their contestant to guess the word they were describing. The contestant could win up to $10,000 and would return to play again as long as they continued to win the main game round. The bonus round would be developed into its own game show titled Go which premiered on NBC in October of 1983. This version of Chain Reaction produced 115 episodes and ended on June 20, 1980, one of three game shows, including High Rollers and The Hollywood Squares, to be cancelled by NBC to make room for the new daytime talk show hosted by David Letterman … which ran just four months.
- January 17 — Drama series Skag premieres on NBC. The series starred Karl Malden as the foreman of a Pittsburgh steel mill, Pete Skagska, a simple man trying to keep his family together. The series was introduced with a three-hour movie as an installment of NBC’s The Big Event on January 6, introducing Skag’s family and work life. Wife Jo was played by Piper Laurie, with his two sons David and John played by Craig Wasson and Peter Gallagher respectively. Major work and home issues were coming to a boil when Skag suffered a debilitating stroke, forcing him to make some major decisions during the show’s very short run, ending on February 21 after just five regular broadcasts and the pilot. A six episode was scheduled for February 28 but never aired.
1990
- No new series premiered this week in 1990.
2000
- January 16 — Medical drama City of Angels premieres on CBS. The show centered around the personal and professional lives of the doctors and nurses at Angels of Mercy Hospital in Los Angeles. The series starred established actors like Blair Underwood, Vivica A. Fox, Michael Warren, Robert Morse and Kyle Secor, but was also a launching point for the careers of Hill Harper, Viola Davis, Maya Rudolph and Gabrielle Union. The series ran for two truncated seasons producing 25 episodes, however the last episode went unaired. The 24th and final episode aired on December 21, 2000.
- January 17 — Sci-fi series Cleopatra 2525 premieres in syndication as part of Universal Television’s ‘Back2Back Action Hour’ with Jack of All Trades. The plot focused on Cleo (Jennifer Sky) who is put into suspended animation following complictions during breast augmentation surgery. Cleo awakens 525 years in the future and joins two other women, Hel (Gina Torres) and Sarge (Victoria Pratt), in their fight against the Baileys, armed flying machines that now control Earth. The show’s theme song was based on the 1969 hit ‘In the Year 2525’ with altered lyrics. The show ran for two seasons, producing 28 episodes. The final episode aired on March 5, 2001, ending with a permanent cliffhanger.
2010
- January 13 — Documentary adventure series Solving History with Olly Steeds premieres on Discovery Channel. The program followed British explorer and investigative journalist Oliver Steeds as he traveled around the world investigating historical claims and theories. The series ran for just one season consisting of eight episodes with Steeds investigating topics like the Ark of the Covenant, the Nazca Lines, Atlantis, Devil’s Island and Robin Hood. The last episode was broadcast on May 13, 2010.
- January 14 — Reality series Carnie Wilson: Unstapled premieres on Game Show Network (GSN). The show followed singer Carnie Wilson, who was also the host of GSN’s The Newlywed Game, as she worked to lose excessive weight gained over the past decade. The series was not met with positive critical reactions, many criticizing a game show branded network for airing this type of reality series. Wilson was also criticized for not coming off well and for gaining weight while on The Fresh Diet. Wilson also sued GSN over pay she claimed was due, while GSN countered that she had not fulfilled her contract by missing appearances on various TV shows to promote the series. The two parties settled in 2012. A total of nine episodes were produced with the last airing on March 11, 2010.
- January 15 — Action drama Human Target premieres on FOX. The series was loosely based on the comic book of the same name and was actually the second series based on this title (the first aired on ABC in 1992). Mark Valley starred as Christopher Chance, a private contractor, bodyguard and security expert who integrates himself completely into his clients’ lives to become a human target (in the comic he took on the client’s identity). Chance is assisted by his business partner Winston (Chi McBride) and hired gun Guerrero (Jackie Earle Haley). Former client Ilsa Pucci (Indira Varma) become Chance’s benefactor while experienced thief Ames (Janet Montgomery) joins the team to seek redemption. Lennie James, Armand Assante and Tony Hale appeared in recurring roles. Haley was meant to have a one-time appearance in the pilot with a different character assisting Chance each episode but producers liked his performance so much they invited him to be a series regular. The show’s second season felt like it had been given an overhaul to appeal more to female viewers, alienating fans of the first season and leading to a drop in ratings over the course of the season. The final three episodes of Season 2 did gain viewers, notably Episode 12 which aired after American Idol, giving the show its best ratings since the beginning of the first season. The final episode of Season 2 aired on February 9, 2011 and FOX announced the show’s cancellation on May 10, 2011. In all, 25 episodes were produced and aired.
- January 16 — Docudrama Pit Boss premieres on Animal Planet. The show followed Shorty Rossi, the owner of Shorty’s Rescue, which rescues and rehabilitates pit bulls in the Greater Los Angeles area. The series ran for six seasons, producing 53 episodes. The sixth and final season finale aired on March 30, 2013.
- January 18 — Reality series American Pickers premieres on History. The series follows antique and collectible pickers Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz who travel around the country to buy various items for resale, for clients or for their personal collections. To date, the show has produced 301 episodes and is still on the air with Season 21 debuting on October 21, 2019.
- January 18 — Mockumentary series My Life as Liz premieres on MTV. The show starred Liz Lee as a misfit high school senior living in a small Texas town. Liz is proud to be the geek in her conservative, religious suburb and is happy to have good friends Bryson Gilreath, Colin ‘Sully’ Sullivan, Miles Reed and Troy Yingst on her side. Liz’s main antagonist is Cori Cooper and her minions Taylor Terry and Tori Langley. The second season focused on Liz’s move to New York and adjusting to her new friends. The series produced two seasons consisting of 21 episodes, with the final episode airing on May 3, 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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