TV by the Decade :: July 12•18

Warner Horizon Television

Despite being in the middle of summer when TV viewing is generally at its lowest, three decades saw the premiere of several long-running scripted series, mostly on cable. CBS was one of the major broadcast networks that did have a history of trying out new series as ‘summer replacements’ and they struck gold in 1990. Other broadcast networks didn’t fare as well but in 2010 a handful of successful series debuted across several cable networks. Let’s take a look to see if any of your favorites premiered this week!

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

• No new series premiered this week in 1980.

1990

• July 12 — Dramedy series Northern Exposure premieres on CBS. The series was created by Joshua Brand and John Falsey, who also created St. Elsewhere and I’ll Fly Away, and started as an eight-episode summer replacement series. The story originally centered on New York doctor Joel Fleischman who is sent to practice in Anchorage, Alaska to repay the state for underwriting his medical education. But he is assigned to the much smaller, remote town of Cicely which is in need of a general practitioner. The story becomes a classic ‘fish out of water’ tale as Fleischman struggles to adjust to his new environment. During Seasons 4 and 4, star Rob Morrow spent much of his time fighting for an improved contract which led to producers reducing his presence on the show. Morrow left midway through Season 6 and his character was written off as having ‘gone native’, moving to a remote fishing village and embracing the wilderness in search of spiritual enlightenment. Morrow’s absence during the last two seasons was filled by new cast members Paul Provenza who played a new doctor, Phil Capra, recruited as Fleischman’s replacement, and Teri Polo as Phil’s wife Michelle Schowdowski, who worked as a reporter for the local paper. The series was well-received upon its debut, and produced many notable episodes including the pilot, which was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Writing, ‘Cicely’, the third season finale which won a Peabody Award, three Creative Arts Emmys, and a DGA Award, and the fifth season episode ‘I Feel the Earth Move’ which featured the second same-sex marriage story arc on US primetime television. Debuting while Twin Peaks was a phenomenon, Northern Exposure, which was filmed in Roslyn, Washington, was viewed as that show’s cheerier cousin, and the fifth episode of Season 1, ‘Russian Flu’, made explicit references to Twin Peaks including shots of the iconic waterfall (Snowqualmie Falls), music reminiscent of Angelo Badalamenti’s score, and references to donuts, cherry pie, and a lady holding a log. The show was nominated for a total of 38 Emmy Awards (16 in both 1992 and 1993), and won seven. The series was also nominated for 10 Golden Globe Awards, winning two in 1992 and 1993 for Best Drama Series. The main cast included Barry Corbin, Janine Turner, John Cullum, Cynthia Geary, John Corbett, Darren E. Burrows, Peg Phillips and Elaine Miles. Recurring cast members included Apesanahkwat, Anthony Edwards, Richard Cummings Jr., Graham Greene, Diane Delano, Adam Arkin and Valerie Mahaffey (who was the only actor on the show to win an Emmy as Outstanting Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 1992). After the show’s initial run in 1990 on Thursdays, it returned for a seven episode run on Monday, April 8, 1991 and joined CBS’s Fall schedule as a regular series on September 23, 1991. The series began its sixth season on Monday, September 19, 1994 but CBS put the show on hiatus in May of 1995 and brought the show back on Wednesdays at 10 PM which, producers say, killed it. The final episode was broadcast on July 26, 1995 with 110 episodes to its credit. Universal has released the series on DVD in the US with some controversy. The first season of eight episodes was released at a retail price of $60 due to the inclusion of all the original music used on the show. Universal cut corners for future releases and replaced the costly music with ‘elevator music’ to reduce the price of the DVDs. A UK Blu-ray of the complete series was released on March 19, 2018 and included all of the original music. This is a ‘Region B’ release so a Region-Free Blu-ray player is required to play it in the US. Several attempts have been made to revive the series, and it almost moved forward in 2018 with Brand and Falsey producing and Rob Morrow on board to return as Fleischman. Falsey died in 2019 and the revival was cancelled by CBS, but Universal, which owns the series, is free to pitch to other outlets. On November 15, 2019, Morrow revealed that revival efforts were ongoing, apparently with Brand and himself as producers. There has been no further news but with NBCUniversal launching its Peacock streaming service on July 15, 2020 (which will include revivals of Battlestar Galactica, Punky Brewster and Saved By the Bell), it seems to be the most obvious place to launch a revival.
• July 18 — Documentary series Top Cops premieres on CBS. Each episode featured two or three segments spotlighting commended police officers with dramatic recreations of the events that resulted in their honor. A total of 91 episodes were broadcast with the last airing on December 8, 1993.

2000

• July 12 — Drama series Young Americans premieres on The WB. The series was a spin-off and summer replacement for Dawson’s Creek and had originally been ordered for the 1999 Fall season but was delayed to do unresolved conflict between the network and studio, Columbia TriStar. The main character of Will Krudski (Rodney Scott) was introduced late in Season 3 of Dawason’s Creek as a childhood friend of the group who’s kept in contact with Pacey. The series was set in the town of New Rawley at the Rawley Academy, a prestigious boarding school. Will earns a scholarship to the academy and begins a summer session as a means to escape his abusive father. Will then confesses to his roommate that he cheated on the entrance exam which Professor Finn overheard. Before making a decision to expel Will, Finn has him write an essay on who he is. Throughout the series, Will continues to face moral dilemmas while trying to find his place at the academy. There is also potential forbidden love between Scout and Bella, who may have the same father. Jacqueline enrolls at the academy as Jake in an attempt to get her mother to notice her but develops feelings for the dean’s son Hamilton, who then questions his sexuality since he is attracted to ‘Jake’. None of the stories converge until the final two episodes of the season … and series, which lasted just eight episodes. The main cast also included Mark Famiglietti, Katherine Moennig, Ian Somerhalder, Kate Bosworth and Ed Quinn. Guest stars included Matt Czuchry, Charlie Hunnam, Michelle Monaghan, Beau Gravitte and Glynnis O’Connor. Jeremy Sisto had been cast as Finn in the pilot but between the pilot and reshoots he’d been cast in the title role of CBS miniseries Jesus. Several other secondary cast members were replaced when the series moved production from Atlanta to Havre de Grace, Maryland with only the five principal cast members remaining. A new town square, gas station and Friendly’s restaurant were built for the production of the show. The series was supposed to debut at mid-season but was put on hold until Coca-Cola offered to sponsor the show which was then billed as ‘Coca-Cola presents Young Americans‘, and the character of Will was written into Dawson’s Creek to tie the two shows together. Steve Carell did a segment on the show on The Daily Show calling the pilot ‘an hour-long commercial’ for Coca-Cola, whose products were seen or mentioned in most episodes. A scene from the pilot featuring characters from Rawley running in slow motion and stripping off their clothes while jumping in a lake was parodied by another WB show, Grosse Pointe. The eighth and final episode of the series was broadcast on August 30, 2000.
• July 17 — Comedy-drama series Opposite Sex premieres on FOX. The series follows the life of Jed Perry (Milo Ventimiglia), a 15-year-old who moves to Northern California with his family after the death of his mother. Jed enrolls at the prestigious Evergreen Academy, learning the former all-girls school has just recently gone co-ed. The only male attendees are Jed, Philip (Kyle Howard) and Cary (Chris Evans … yes, THAT Chris Evans). The boys face issues with the girls who are resistant to the changes and make it clear their presence is unwanted. The series was intended to debut in the 1999-2000 season but was delayed for various reasons. 13 episodes were ordered but only eight were broadcast and it’s unknown if the last five episodes were ever produced. The female members of the cast included Margot Finley, Lindsey McKeon, and Allison Mack (yes, THAT Allison Mack). The show was met with fair reviews but its target audience was not generally at home watching TV during the summer months. The final episode aired on September 4, 2000.

2010

• July 12 — Reality series Kid in a Candy Store premieres on Food Network. The show follows host Adam Gertler on his ‘hunt to find the craziest desserts in the world of candy confections.’ The series ran for two seasons, producing 20 episodes.
• July 12 — Crime drama Rizzoli & Isles premieres on TNT. Based on the Rizzoli and Isles novels by Tess Gerritsen, the series starred Angie Harmon as Detective Jane Rizzoli and Sasha Alexander as medical examiner Dr. Maura Isles. The series pilot was largely based on the novel ‘The Apprentice’ with Jane and Maura investigating a killer with serial killer Charles Hoyt’s modus operandi plus an interest in necrophilia. The pair discovered the copycat, John Stark, had met Hoyt in medical school, had his identity erased for CIA black ops, and mimicked Hoyt’s MO in a killing spree during that operation. New twists were introduced as a recent murder victim is actually Maura’s previously unknown half-brother and the discovery that her father is notorious criminal Patrick Doyle. Another of Hoyt’s apprentices appears, Lola, whom Hoyt uses to his advantage through Stockholm Syndrome to stalk Jane. The plan it to kidnap Jane until Hoyt can escape from prison but Jane is able to distract her long enough for Frankie Rizzoli, Jane’s brother, to kill her with her own pistol. Hoyt returns again by having another inmate stabbed, luring Jane to the prison so he can taunt her about another unsolved murder he committed. Aided by a third apprentice, Hoyt manages to capture Jane and Maura, only to have Jane beat and then stab him as he and the apprentice try to kill Maura. The main cast also included Lorraine Bracco, Bruce McGill, Lee Thompson Young, Jordan Bridges, Brian Goodman, Idara Victor and Adam Sinclair. The recurring cast included Annabeth Gish, Brian Dennehey, Donnie Wahlberg, John Doman, Jacqueline Bisset, Colin Egglesfield, Chris Vance, Billy Burke, Chazz Palminteri, Matthew Del Negro, Michael Massee, and Sharon Lawrence. The original casting choices for Rizzoli & Isles were Ashley Judd & Winona Ryder. Others considered for the role of Rizzoli were Alyssa Milano, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Melina Kanakaredes, Nia Vardalos, & Carla Gugino. For Isles, Rose McGowan, Sarah Paulson, Elizabeth Berkley, & Jennifer Connelly were considered. Connelly was also up for Rizzoli. John Lithgow, Brad Dourif, Mark Hamill, Paul Reubens, Peter Weller, Michael Ironside, & Robert Englund were considered for the role of Hoyt before Michael Massee was cast. The series ran for secen seasons and produced 105 episodes. The final episode was broadcast on September 5, 2016.
• July 13 — Drama series Covert Affairs premieres on USA Network. The series centered on CIA trainee Annie Walker (Piper Perabo) and August ‘Auggie’ Anderson (Christopher Gorham), a blind tech operative and Annie’s guide in her new life working in the Domestic Protection Division. Annie’s initial cover is that she works in Acquisitions for the Smithsonian Museum but is later let go. In Season 4 her new cover is that of a glamorous and well-connected importer/exporter with expensive tastes and not-quite-legal dealings. Annie evolved from a wide-eyed young operative to a hardened spy over the course of the series, with those changes reflected in the opening credits graphics which, like the focus on Annie’s home life with her sister, were gone by Season 4. The main cast also included Kari Matchett, Anne Dudek, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Peter Gallagher, Hill Harper and Nic Bishop. The recurring cast included Oded Fehr, Eion Bailey, Gregory Itzin, Sarah Clarke, Richard Coyle, Perrey Reeves and Amy Jo Johnson. The series ran for five seasons, producing 75 episodes with the finale broadcast on December 18, 2014. USA Network officially cancelled the series on January 6, 2015.
• July 15 — Paranormal investigation series Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files premieres on Syfy. The show followed a team of investigator who review various photos and viral videos of alleged paranormal activity. If the evidence is deemed intriguing enough, the team will set out on an investigation to try and recreate and explain the sighting. In the first half of the second season, a ‘You Decide’ segment was introduced which showed a piece of video and asked the home viewers to decide if it was fact or faked. The answer would be revealed after the commercial break. The investigative team included Ben Hansen, Jael de Pardo, Bill Murphy, Austin Porter, Lanisha Cole, Devin Marble, Larry Caughlan Jr. and Chi-Lan Lieu. Guests included Josh Gates and Kofi Kingston. The show was met with criticism of the investigative competence of the team and an accusation of producers asking a group to alter a ‘paranormal video’ of a Ouija board planchette moving to make it more dramatic. The group, The Rocky Mountain Paranormal Research Society, deliberately faked the video using a hidden string but the producers wanted more dramatic movement before they would consider using the footage on the show. The series ran for two seasons, producing 36 episodes with the last broadcast on May 16, 2012.
• July 16 — Reality series DC Cupcakes premieres on TLC. The series follows sisters Sophie LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis as they run Georgetown Cupcake in Washington D.C. The series ran for three seasons and produced 28 episodes. The last broadcast was on July 1, 2013.
• July 16 — Reality series Lucha Libre USA: Masked Warriors premieres on MTV2. The series chronicled the rise of Mexican-style wrestling in the United States. Tapings were held in multiple venues across the US. For Season 2, the first four episodes aired on MTV2 with the remaining episodes moving to streaming service Hulu. A documentary feature, Behind the Mask, was broadcast on MTV2. It followed wrestlers from Mexico, the US and other parts of the world performing physical acts, background stories and staged confrontations. The series ran for two seasons consisting of 20 episodes, plus the documentary, and ended on October 3, 2012.
• July 16 — Reality series Man, Woman, Wild premieres on Discovery Channel. The show featured former US Army Special Forces survival expert Mykel Hawke and his TV journalist wife Ruth England, who have to survive for a half-week with limited supplies in wild and inhospitable locations around the world. An emergency crew remained on permanent stand-by during filming and was utilized during the first season when England was overcome by severe heat exhaustion and dehydration in a Mexican desert. After the second season, Hawke confirmed there would not be a third stating, ‘The show in it’s [sic] current format was too hard on us and our family, so, we chose to stop.’ Locations included the Amazon, Botswana, Louisiana, Tasmania, Mexico, Utah, Cook Islands, Denali National Park (Alaska), The Smoky Mountains (Tennessee), Dominica, Montserrat, Pearl Islands, Croatia and the Scottish Highlands. 22 episodes were produced with the last broadcast on January 19, 2012. The couple did resurrect the format in 2014 for the Travel Channel series Lost Survivors.
• July 18 — Documentary series Strange Sex premieres on TLC. The series looked at sexual dysfunction, polyamory, sex addiction, and fetishes among other things. Prior to the six-episode first season, Strange Sex was a one-hour documentary that aired on Discovery Health on November 4, 2009. A second season consisting of ten episodes premiered on April 3, 2011. The last of the series’ 16 episodes aired on May 22, 2011.

 
Did you or do you watch any of these shows? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below!