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The first full week of March brings out a lot of new series, but few of them were very memorable. There was the notorious 1980 variety show, a reality show better known now for its catch phrase, and one well-loved long-running drama and another well-regarded reality series. So let’s strap ourselves into the TV time machine and see if you remember any of these shows!
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
- March 1 — Variety series Pink Lady and Jeff premieres on NBC, although the show was alternately billed simply as Pink Lady due to contractual obligations. The show was centered around the then hot duo of the title, a Japanese girl group, whom Fred Silverman thought would be great in an American variety series. The problem was they spoke no English even though producers Sid & Marty Krofft were assured they did. Comedian Jeff Altman, who was under contract to NBC, was brought in to to provide comedy and act as a translator for his co-stars. Pink Lady, Mie and Kei, were forced to learn songs for the show in English as well as dialogue, and once it was learned nothing could be changed, even when a guest star was booked at the last minute (Lorne Greene agreed to be on the show four hours before taping). Bookings were not easy with the Kroffts offering big paydays to A-listers like Larry Hagman. The Kroffts were also able to lure in folks they’d previously worked with like Alice Cooper, Florence Henderson, Donny Osmond (NBC basically wanted the show to be The Donny & Marie Show), Red Buttons and Bobby Vinton. Cheap Trikc and two-time guest Blondie never actually appeared on set as music videos for their latest songs were incorporated into the episodes. Other guests included Bert Parks, Sherman Hemsley, Sid Caesar, Teddy Pendergrass, Greg Evigan, Hugh Hefner and Jerry Lewis. After the poorly rated premiere, NBC moved the show to Friday night and added Jim Varney to the cast. Nothing could save the show and it was cancelled after five episodes, ending on April 4, 1980.
- March 3 — Reality series That’s Incredible! premieres on ABC. The show was ABC’s response to NBC’s hit Real People but amped things up by featuring real people with extraordinary abilities, such as speed talker John Moschitta, Jr. and a man who could catch a bullet between his teeth. Some of the stunts were deemed so dangerous the footage was often captioned with the ‘Do Not Try This Yourself’ warning. In the early 1980s, Army Lt. Col. Earl Woods brought his five-year-old son Eldrick to the show to demonstrate his ability to putt a gold ball into a hole from different areas. That child is better known today by the name Tiger. The show was hosted by John Davidson, Cathy Lee Crosby and Frank Tarkenton and finished its first season at Number 3 overall. The show remained in the Top 30 for its next three seasons, but fell out of the Top 30 in its fifth and final season. The show was revived for the 1988-89 season as Incredible Sunday with Davidson, Cristina Ferrare and Trcey Gold hosting. It also spun off Those Amazing Animals, hosted by Burgess Meredith, Priscilla Presley and Jim Stafford (with Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Ron & Valerie Taylor and Joan Embery) from August 24, 1980 to August 23, 1981.
- March 4 — Variety series The Big Show premieres on NBC. The show was an attempt to revive the then-dying variety genre with a hugh set that included an ice rink and swimming pool, filling a 90-minute time slot (with at least one two-hour broadcast to its credit). The show was, in fact, a revival of an NBC radio show by the same name which ran from 1950-51 which was designed to prevent old-time radio from falling into obscurity. Coming during NBC’s Fred Silverman era, the show was expensive and poorly received, cancelled after just a few months on the air. It was, however, nominated for six Emmy Awards and won one for Outstanding Costume Design. Regulars on the series included, Mimi Kennedy, Shabba-Doo and Pamela Myers. Guests included Steve Allen, Nell Carter, Graham Chapman, David Copperfield, Geoffrey Holder, Gary Coleman and Sid Caesar. Ice skaters who performed include Peggy Fleming, Dorothy Hammill, John Curry and Toller Cranston. The show ended on June 3, 1980.
- March 5 — Sci-fi series Beyond Westworld premieres on CBS. The series was a sequel to the hit 1973 film Westworld and ignored the events of the 1976 sequel Futureworld. In the series, Security Chief John Moore (Jim McMullan) of the Delos Corporation has to stop the evil scientist Simon Quaid (James Wainwright) from taking over the world with the Delos robots. The series also starred Connie Sellecca, William Jordan, Severn Darden and Nancy Harewood. Only five episodes were produced and only three of those episodes ever aired before the show was cancelled. The series still managed two Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Achievement in Makeup and Outstanding Art Direction for a Series. The complete series has been released on DVD by the Warner Archive.
1990
- March 3 — Drama series H.E.L.P. premieres on ABC. John Mahoney starred as Chief Patrick Meacham of the NYC Fire Department. Wesley Snipes played police officer Lou Barton and David Caruso played police officer Frank Sardoni. The premise was based around an experimental combined emergency services station (the Harlem Eastside Life-saving Program) that located fire, police and EMS services in one building. Though unsuccessful as a series, running just six episodes before cancellation, the concept was revived more successfully in 1999 for the NBC series Third Watch. The cast also included Fionnula Flanagan and Kim Flowers.
2000
- March 3 — Anthology drama series Passion Cove premieres on Cinemax. Each episode featured guest stars would would rent the beach house in the fictional town of Passion Cove, usually finding love when all they were looking for was lust. A swimming pool and beach provided continuity between episodes, and series star Caroline Ambrose would appear periodically as rental agent Samantha, but had no role in the individual stories. The series ran for two seasons and produced 26 episodes, concluding on April 27, 2001.
- March 7 — Spy-fi series Secret Agent Man premieres on UPN. The series starred Costas Mandylor as Monk, a secret agent who was part of a team with Holliday (Dina Meyer) and Davis (Dondre Whitfield. The team reported to Brubeck (Paul Guilfoyle). The frequent villain was former agent Prima (Musetta Vander). The series was originally scheduled to air in September 1999, but producers asked for more time to develop props and special effects. The series also did not have a traditional pilot, ordered to series on a presentation reel alone. Only 12 episodes were produced and the show was cancelled due to poor ratings, coming to an end on July 28, 2000.
2010
- March 1 — Reality series Little Parents, Big Charlie premieres on TLC. The series focused on Craig and Becky Hennon, a married couple with dawrfism, and the struggles they face raising their son Charlie, who is of average height. The eight-episode season was preceeded by two specials which aired on July 23, 2009 and November 11, 2009. After the fourth episode on March 8, 2010, TLC burned off the final four episodes on the Discovery Health Channel from June 1, 2010 – June 22, 2010.
- March 2 — Dramedy Parenthood premieres on NBC. The series was loosely based on the hit 1989 comedy film of the same name, and was actually the second attempt at bringing the movie to the small screen after a 1990-91 NBC sitcom. The second series was pitched by Friday Night Lights creator Jason Katims who wanted to update the film for television. The new iteration would focus on the Braverman clan: an older couple, their four children and their families. The series was well-received by critics but never developed more than a cult following for the network. Still, the series ran for six seasons with the 103 and final episode broadcast on January 29, 2015. The series cast included Peter Krause, Lauren Graham, Dax Shepard, Monica Potter, Erika Christensen, Sam Jaeger, Sarah Ramos, Max Burkholder, Mae Whitman, Bonnie Bedelia and Craig T. Nelson.
- March 5 — Reality series Who Do You Think You Are? premieres on NBC. The concept of the series follows a different celebrity each episode as they go on a journey to trace parts of their family tree sometimes uncovering shocking facts about their heritage. Lisa Kudrow served as a producer for the series which was used by NBC as a replacement for the 10 PM slot recently available after the network’s Jay Leno debacle. NBC subsequently renewed the show for two additional seasons before cancelling the series. TLC stepped in and picked up the show which ran on the cable network for seven more seasons before NBC announced it was bringing the show back for an 11th season (with air dates still to be announced). Subjects over the first three seasons included Kudrow, Sarah Jessica Parker, Emmitt Smith, Matthew Broderick, Brooke Shields, Spike Lee, Tim McGraw, Rosie O’Donnell, Kim Cattrall, Lionel Richie, Steve Buscemi, Gwenyth Paltrow, Ashely Judd, Martin Sheen, Marisa Tomei, Blair Underwood, Reba McEntire, Helen Hunt, Rita Wilson, Edie Falco, Rob Lowe, Jason Sudeikis and Paula Deen. To date, 78 episodes have been produced.
Did you or do you watch any of these show? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below!
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