TV by the Decade :: November 1•7

Showtime

Only three decades produced new TV series during the first week of November. One of them was a groundbreaking cable series that ran for five seasons, one was a cable reality series that ran for five seasons, and one was a Disney Channel show that ran for three seasons. The rest had runs from just a few episodes to two seasons. Nothing on this week’s list could be considered ‘mainstream’ but some, at lesat the ones hinted at, do have their devoted followings. Let’s take a look to see if you remember any of this week’s shows. And be sure to click on a red link to help support Hotchka!

1950

• No new shows premiered this week in 1950.

1960

• No new shows premiered this week in 1960.

1970

• No new shows premiered this week in 1970.

1980

November 5 – Enos

• Cast: Sonny Shroyer, Samuel E. Wright, John Dehner, John Milford,
• Guest Cast: Catherine Bach, Michelle Pfeiffer, Morgan Woodward, William Schallert, Raymond St. Jacques, Rance Howard, Ike Eisenmann, Beverly Garland, L.Q. Jones, Denver Pyle, Gloria Stuart, Dolph Sweet, Norman Alden, James Best, Joanna Cassidy, Robert Hogan, Jayne Meadows, Louisa Moritz, Greg Mullavey, Don Stroud, Alfre Woodard
• Synopsis: A spin-off of The Dukes of Hazzard, the series focused on the adventures of Enos Strate, a former deputy in rural Hazzard County, after he moved to Los Angeles to join the LAPD.
• Network: CBS
• Broadcast History: One season, 18 episodes, last broadcast on May 20, 1981
• Trivia: To boost ratings, Daisy Duke, Uncle Jesse and Roscoe P. Coltrane visited Enos in Los Angeles. Enos returned to The Dukes of Hazzard in the fifth season due to a clause in Shroyer’s contract that allowed his return should Enos be cancelled. In the later Dukes TV movies, Enos was back in California, eventually becoming a detective.

November 8 – The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang

• Voice Cast: Henry Winkler, Ron Howard, Donny Most, Frank Welker, Didi Conn as Cupcake, Wolfman Jack
• Guest Cast: Rene Auberjonois, Kathy Garver, Kenneth Mars, Mitzi McCall, Don Messick, Henry Polic II, Kathryn Leigh Scott, June Foray, Jackie Joseph, Paul Winchell, Alan Oppenheimer
• Synopsis: The series focuses on Fonzie, joined by an anthropomorphic dog named Mr. Cool, and his friends as they are visited by Cupcake, a girl from the future who pilots a malfunctioning time machine. After Fonzie repairs the machine, a subsequent accident causes the group to become missing in time.
• Network: ABC
• Broadcast History: Two seasons, 24 episodes, last broadcast on November 28, 1981
• Trivia: The series has been described as a Doctor Who knock-off as the time machine resembles a phone booth. After the series ended, Fonzie and Mr. Cool moved to Laverne & Shirley in the Army, which was renamed Laverne & Shirley with The Fonz. Both series were syndicated with an animated Mork & Mindy series as the Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour.

1990

• No new shows premiered this week in 1990.

2000

November 1 – Normal, Ohio

• Cast: John Goodman, Anita Gillette, Joely Fisher, Greg Pitts, Julia McIlvaine, Cody Kasch, Orson Bean, Mo Gaffney, Charles Rocket
• Guest Cast: Anthony LaPaglia, Rick Ducommun, Martin Starr, Anthony Crivello, Tom Poston, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Fagerbakke, Melissa Peterman
• Synopsis: A grown man moves back home after coming out as gay.
• Network: FOX
• Broadcast History: One season, 13 episodes (including the unaired pilot and 6 unaired episodes), last broadcast on December 13, 2000
• Trivia: The original concept was an Odd Couple-style situation titled Don’t Ask. Goodman’s character was named Rex, who shared a West Hollywood apartment with college friend David (Anthony LaPaglia). The pilot was well-received but the creators didn’t feel the concept was strong enough for an ongoing series so David was written out and Rex was relocated to Ohio as Butch. At the time, Goodman’s character was deemed unrealistic because he didn’t exhibit the stereotypical traits of a gay man except in isolated moments when he would sing show tunes or color his sister’s hair. Goodman won the People’s Choice Award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series. The show was scheduled against the second half hour of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire and was a ratings flop. Goodman was pictured on the cover of the TV Guide Fall Preview issue with Geena Davis, Bette Midler and Michael Richards as a ‘fab foursome’. None of their shows lasted a full season.

November 1 – The $treet

• Cast: Tom Everett Scott, Nina Garbiras, Christian Campbell, Melissa De Sousa, Rick Hoffman, Sean Maher, Giancarlo Esposito, Jennifer Connelly, Adam Goldberg, Bridgette Wilson-Sampras
• Guest Cast: Jennie Garth, Bradley Cooper, Jake Weber, Dan Hedaya, Molly Ringwald, Cote de Pablo, Colin Egglesfield, Tony Hale, Peter Dinklage, Larry Pine, Callie Thorne
• Synopsis: The series was about a small brokerage house, called Belmont Stevens located in New York City, and the lives of its employees.
• Network: FOX
• Broadcast History: One season, 12 episodes (5 unaired), last broadcast on December 13, 2000
• Trivia: The series was co-created by Darren Star. All 12 episodes were broadcast overseas.

November 4 – Sheep in the Big City

• Voice Cast: Kevin Seal, James Godwin, Ken Schatz, Stephanie D’Abruzzo, Mo Willems
• Guest Cast: Ruth Buzzi, Jerry Nelson
• Synopsis: The series follows a runaway sheep named Sheep in his new life in ‘the Big City’, where he tries to avoid a secret military organization. With an emphasis on sophisticated (in particular, literal) humor, using different forms of rhetoric from characters to plots, it included comic references to filmmaking and television broadcasting. It also features several unrelated sketches and shorts.
• Network: Cartoon Network
• Broadcast History: Two seasons, 26 episodes, last broadcast on April 7, 2002
• Trivia: The series pilot premiered as part of the network’s ‘Cartoon Cartoon Summer’ on August 18, 2000. The premiere of the show was the highest rated premiere for an original Cartoon Network series at the time.

December 3 – Queer as Folk

• Cast: Michelle Clunie, Thea Gill, Gale Harold, Randy Harrison, Scott Lowell, Peter Paige, Hal Sparks, Sharon Gless, Robert Gant, Jack Wetherall, Diane Higgins, Sherry Miller, Makyla Smith, Harris Allan, Stephanie Moore, Logan Hoover, Kegan Hoover, Peter MacNeill, Chris Potter, Dean Armstrong, Lindsey Connell, Alec McClure, Fab Filippo
• Guest Cast: Carlo Rota, Matt Battaglia, Robin Thomas, Lawrence Dane, Rosie O’Donnell, Stephen Amell, Gary Beach, John Neville, Cyndi Lauper, Tate Taylor
• Synopsis: The series follows the lives of five gay men living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Brian (Gale Harold), Justin (Randy Harrison), Michael (Hal Sparks), Emmett (Peter Paige), and Ted (Scott Lowell); a lesbian couple, Lindsay (Thea Gill) and Melanie (Michelle Clunie); and Michael’s mother Debbie (Sharon Gless) and his uncle Vic (Jack Wetherall). Another main character, Ben (Robert Gant), was added in the second season.
• Network: Showtime
• Broadcast History: Five seasons, 83 episodes, last broadcast on August 7, 2005
• Trivia: The first hour-long series on American television to portray the lives of LGBTQ people. Though set in Pittsburgh, most of the series was filmed in Toronto. Australian director Russell Mulcahy directed the pilot. The series was based on a popular UK series by the same name, and was adapted for other countries including South Korea. The bar Woody’s was a real Toronto bar that was used with little alteration. When characters travel to Toronto in Season 4, the bar’s exterior was changed to ‘Moosie’s’. Dance club scenes were filmed in the Toronto nightclub Fly.

2010

November 4 – Oddities

• Cast: Mike Zohn, Evan Michelson, Ryan Matthew
• Guest Cast: Jonathan Davis, Genesis P-Orridge, Amy Sedaris, Chloë Sevigny, Lloyd Kaufman, Moby, Paul Dinello, Dita Von Teese,
• Synopsis: Oddities focuses on the day-to-day operation of Obscura Antiques & Oddities. The store’s employees search flea markets, personal collections, auctions, and antique shows for unique and unusual artifacts.
• Network: Discovery Channel, Science Channel
• Broadcast History: Five seasons, 73 episodes, last broadcast on April 27, 2014
• Trivia: The show produced two spin-offs: Oddities: San Francisco and Odd Folks Home.

November 5 – The Benson Interruption

• Host: Doug Benson
• Guest Cast: Nick Swardson, Nick Kroll, Chris Hardwick, Rob Huebel, Mary Lynn Rajskub, The Sklar Brothers, Paul Scheer, Michael Ian Black, Thomas Lennon, Brian Posehn, Greg Proops, Tig Notaro, T. J. Miller
• Synopsis: Three stand-up comedians per episode perform their acts in front of an audience, with Benson sitting on a throne by the side of the stage. When the time to present a humorous punch line approaches, Benson interrupted the comic with a comment with the intent of adding to the humor of the joke.
• Network: Comedy Central
• Broadcast History: One season, 6 episodes, last broadcast on December 17, 2010
• Trivia: Based on the long-running stage show hosted by Benson in Los Angeles.

November 5 – Hubworld

• Host: Justin Willman
• Synopsis: Hubworld provided looks at current programs then on The Hub, including shows such as Family Game Night, the network’s animated franchises such as G.I. Joe: Renegades, Transformers: Prime, Dan Vs. and My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. Segments included Willman’s comedic news and current events monologue called ‘Back it Up’, and ‘Hub Happenings’, which involved Willman riffing on short clips of Hub programming.
• Network: Discovery Family
• Broadcast History: Two seasons, 52 episodes, last broadcast on October 29, 2011

November 7 – Married to Rock

• Cast: AJ Celi, Etty Farrell, Josie Stevens, Susan Holmes McKagan
• Synopsis: The series focuses on the lives of the spouses of four rock musicians and also attempts to debunk common myths about the lifestyles of rock artists and their families.
• Network: E!
• Broadcast History: One season, 8 episodes, last broadcast on December 26, 2010

November 7 – Shake It Up

• Cast: Bella Thorne, Zendaya, Davis Cleveland, Roshon Fegan, Adam Irigoyen, Kenton Duty, Caroline Sunshine, R. Brandon Johnson, Anita Barone, Ainsley Bailey
• Guest Cast: Phil Morris, Anthony Starke, Joel Brooks, Renée Taylor, Tyra Banks, Kiersey Clemons, Cat Deeley, Bronson Pinchot, Harriet Sansom Harris, Leslie Jordan, Larry Miller, Loretta Devine, Anita Gillette, Noah Centineo, Jack Plotnick, Marissa Jaret Winokur, Jay Thomas, Garrett Clayton, Cameron Boyce, Stuart Pankin, Christopher Rich, Mary Jo Catlett, William Ragsdale, Amy Okuda, Blue Man Group, Candice Azzara, Yvette Nicole Brown, Carly Rae Jepsen, George Lopez, Alfonso Ribeiro, Haley Lu Richardson
• Synopsis: The show follows the adventures of CeCe Jones (Bella Thorne) and Rocky Blue (Zendaya) as they star as background dancers on a local show, ‘Shake It Up Chicago’. It also chronicles their misadventures on and off-set and their troubles and rising social status at school.
• Network: Disney Channel
• Broadcast History: Three seasons, 75 episodes, last broadcasts on November 10, 2013
• Trivia: Kenton Duty did not return as a regular for the third season, but was expected to make guest appearances. Duty never returned to the series. The show was Disney’s first attempt at a female buddy-comedy show. The show’s original title was Dance, Dance Chicago. This was Disney’s third series to feature a show-within-a-show. Bella Thorne had never danced prior to being cast on the show and had to take classes three days a week. Caroline Sunshine cancelled a family vacation so she could audition, and won the role of Tinka. The series had one crossover episode with Good Luck Charlie, and produced a TV movie, Shake It Up: Made in Japan which aired as an extended Season 2 finale episode.