TV by the Decade :: Nov 29•Dec 5

A+E Networks

It’s another small week for new TV show premieres as networks generally use the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas as a place for holiday specials, not wanting to ‘waste’ new episodes or big premieres at a time when people are distracted with other things. With four new shows across three decades this week, we got the first soap opera developed for television and not a radio adaptation, a short-lived series prequel to a popular movie, a new animated series with everyone’s favorite Transformers, and a reality show that is still popular today. Let’s take a look at this week’s premieres to see which ones you remember, and don’t forget to use the highlighted links to help support Hotchka!

1950

December 4 – The First Hundred Years

• Cast: Jimmy Lydon, Robert Armstrong, Nana Bryant, Valerie Cossart, Nancy Malone, Dan Tobin, Robert Donley, Olive Stacey, Anne Sargent
• Synopsis: Daytime soap opera that began with the wedding of Chris Thayer and Connie Martin, which lasted for the first week of episodes. The couple settled down in a huge, unkept white elephant mansion, a present from Connie’s father. The newlyweds are adjusting to married life in New York City. Both sets of parents live nearby to give sage advice and not interfere too much in their children’s lives.
• Network: CBS
• Broadcast History: Episode count is unknown. The last episode was broadcast on June 27, 1952.
• Trivia: The series is credited as the first original on-going daytime serial on network television. The Teleprompter was invented by Hubert Schlafly for this show. While a Top Ten show in the daytime ratings, sponsor Procter & Gamble felt the audience was not large enough and cancelled the series. It was replaced by radio serial Guiding Light, which went on to air for 57 years (the show ran a combined 72 years between radio and television).

1960

• No new shows premiered this week in 1960.

1970

• No new shows premiered this week in 1970.

1980

November 29 – Breaking Away

• Cast: Shaun Cassidy, Tom Wiggin, Thom Bray, Jackie Earle Haley, Barbara Barrie, Vincent Gardenia
• Guest Cast: Dominique Dunne, Mark Metcalf, Julia Duffy, Jeff Daniels, Olympia Dukakis, Jeff Corey, Chris Lemmon, Thomas Lennon
• Synopsis: Four buddies live in Bloomington, Indiana, facing life as working class “cutters” in a college town. Focus is on Dave Stohler and his $1200 La Strada bike.
• Network: ABC
• Broadcast History: One season, 8 episodes (1 unaired), last broadcast on January 10, 1981
• Trivia: The series is a prequel to the 1979 movie of the same name. The film’s director, Peter Yates, served as the executive producer. The series was created by the film’s writer Steve Tesich. Dennis Christopher played Stohler in the movie. Barrie, Haley and John Ashton reprised their film roles on the series. The series was affected by the 1980 actors strike and production was delayed until the Fall. Once the show made it to air, it was mostly overlooked by TV viewers and was cancelled after eight episodes were produced, with only seven airing during its original run. ABC reran the show in the Summer of 1981, and A&E aired the show between 1985 and 1987.

1990

• No new shows premiered this week in 1990.

2000

December 4 – DJ Games

• Synopsis: Daily documentary series featuring radio call-in games as hosted by morning and afternoon-drive disc jockeys.
• Network: Game Show Network
• Broadcast History: Unknown

2010

November 29 – Transformers: Prime

• Voice Cast: Peter Cullen, Sumalee Montano, Jeffrey Combs, Frank Welker, Kevin Michael Richardson, Tania Gunadi, Josh Keaton, Steve Blum, Andy Pessoa, Ernie Hudson, Daran Norris
• Guest Voice Cast: Markie Post, Gina Torres, Michael Ironside, Clancy Brown, Tony Todd, John Noble, George Takei, Robert Forster, Reggie Bannister, John DiMaggio, Dwayne Johnson
• Synopsis: The series focuses on the Autobots of “Team Prime”, which consists of Optimus Prime, Ratchet, Arcee, Bumblebee and Bulkhead. Throughout their battles, the Autobots are aided by three human children, and with their help attempt to protect the Earth from the villainous Decepticons, and their warlord and leader Megatron.
• Network: The Hub
• Broadcast History: Three seasons, 65 episodes, last broadcast on July 26, 2013
• Trivia: The series was created by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, screenwriters of the first two live-action films. The first five episodes were broadcast as a mini-series from November 29-December 3, with the remaining Season One episodes broadcast weekly beginning on February 11, 2011. The third season was given the subtitle ‘Beast Hunters’ and featured the Predacons, the Transformers’ ancestors who went extinct but were recreated by the Decepticons to serve their purposes. The series was followed by the TV movie Predacons Rising, broadcast on October 4, 2013, which concluded the series storyline.

December 1 – Storage Wars

• Cast: Dan Dotson, Laura Dotson, Emily Wears, Dave Hester, Darrell Sheets, Brandon Sheets, Barry Weiss, Jarrod Schulz, Brandi Passante, Ivy Calvin, Rene Nezhoda, Casey Lloyd, Mary Padian, Kenny Crossley, Shana Dahan, Edwina Registre, Justin Bryant
• Synopsis: The show follows professional buyers who visit storage facilities throughout the state and bid on lockers after rent has not been paid for three months.
• Network: A&E
• Broadcast History: Twelve seasons to date, 269 episodes, Season 12 concluded on January 30, 2019.
• Trivia: Storage Wars can be seen internationally in Singapore, Canada, Croatia, Australia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Italy, Portugal, Poland, Germany, Spain, France, Denmark, New Zealand, Brazil, Argentina, Russia, India and Turkey. 26 episodes were filmed for the second season, but six episodes were held for air during the second half of the show’s third season. The show spawned spin-offs set in Texas, New York and Miami, with Storage Wars: Texas having the longest run of three seasons. The first international version was Storage Wars: Canada, followed by Storage Wars France: Enchères surprises. Dave Hester filed a lawsuit against the show and network claiming entire storage units had been staged and appraised prior to production, which the network denied. Hester attempted to invoke the Communications Act of 1934, which A&E said did not apply as cable television did not exist in 1934, nor was Storage Wars a game show that involved skill or chance. A&E won a partial victory and Hester was ordered to pay the network’s legal fees. One of his claims of wrongful termination was upheld, with Hester and A&E coming to a settlement that paved the way for his return to the show. The show has been parodied on Adult Swim’s Loiter Squad and on a Season 24 episode of The Simpsons titled ‘Gorgeous Grampa’.