TV by the Decade :: October 4•10

Spelling Television

The first full week of October has a lot of new shows to offer, from quiz shows, to teen soaps, to animated series. There are a lot of shows that are relatively unknown or completely forgotten by time, but we’re here to remember them. Aside from the shows that barely made it past a single season, there are several series that ran multiple seasons including a classic TV drama shot on the road, the show that invented teen soaps, a beloved mother-daughter dramedy, a crime procedural, a whimsical romantic comedy-drama, and an animated series that appealed to adults as well as children. Let’s take another stroll down memory lane to see if you remember the forgotten shows, and if any of your popular favorites are here this week! Be sure to click on any highlighted link to get more information about a purchase to help support Hotchka!

1950

October 5 – You Bet Your Life

Cast: Groucho Marx (host), George Fenneman (announcer)
Synopsis: A simple game of questions and answers between host Marx and a pair of contestants. The game usually took second place to the interplay between Groucho and the contestants.
Network: NBC
Broadcast History: 11 seasons, the last episode was broadcast on June 29, 1961
Trivia: The show began on radio n October 27, 1947 on ABC Radio for two seasons, moved to CBS Radio for one season, then to NBC Radio where it was broadcast simultaneously with the TV series until 1960. The radio versions of the show were edited slightly differently since the TV version often relied on the visual of Groucho’s reactions to the contestants. The final season on NBC was retitled The Groucho Show. The idea for the show was born out of Groucho’s completely ad-libbed radio appearance with Bob Hope after being forced to stand by in a waiting room for 40 minutes. Producer John Guedel approached Groucho with the game show idea, which he was reluctant to take on, but the promise of ad-libbing being more prominent than the game appealed to him. Episodes were filmed and edited for broadcast to remove any of the risqué humor that came from the ad-libs. The show for the live studio audience was always longer than what appeared on TV. The show’s theme song was ‘Hooray for Captain Spaulding’, Groucho’s signature song. Part of the game involved a secret word that if said would give the players an additional $100. Groucho often directed the conversation in a way to get the contestants to say the word. Some contestants who appeared on the show would later go on to become famous in their own right including Phyllis Diller, Ray Bradbury, Jack LaLanne, and Ronnie Schell. The Exorcist author William Peter Blatty made an appearance disguised as an Arabian prince but Groucho saw through the disguise. Blatty won $10,000, quit his job and focused on his writing. Harland Sanders appeared as a contestant and talked about his recipe for ‘finger-lickin’ fried chicken. Others appeared to play for charity including Francis X. Bushman, Edgar and Candice Bergen, Irwin Allen, Frankie Avalon, Don Drysdale, Tor Johnson, Ernie Kovacs, Liberace, Joe Louis, Edith Head and Johnny Weissmuller. Harpo Marx also appeared to promote his biography Harpo Speaks. The show was revived in 1980 for one season with Buddy Hackett, again in 1992 for one season with Bill Cosby, and a new version has been announced for 2021 with Jay Leno. NBC nearly destroyed the entire You Bet Your Life archive of tapes but offered them to Groucho for free. He had no interest but his grandson convinced him to take them, and when the tapes arrived Groucho was so dismayed by the sheer volume he called Guedel, who got them into syndication almost immediately in 1974.

October 7 – The Frank Sinatra Show

Cast: Frank Sinatra
Guest Cast: Don Ameche, Eddie ‘Rochester’ Anderson, The Andrews Sisters, Louis Armstrong, Jack Benny, Milton Berle, Joan Blondell, Victor Borge, Perry Como, Jackie Coogan, Broderick Crawford, Arlene Dahl, Dagmar, Laraine Day, Yvonne De Carlo, Leo Durocher, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Tennessee Ernie Ford, Phil Foster, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Jack Gilford, Jackie Gleason, Edmund Gwenn, Skitch Henderson, Buster Keaton, Pert Kelton, Frankie Laine, Peggy Lee, Liberace, James Mason, Pamela Mason, Mike Mazurki, Garry Moore, Jan Murray, J. Carrol Naish
Conrad Nagel, Basil Rathbone, Phil Silvers, Walter Slezak, Harold J. Stone, Yma Sumac, The Three Stooges, Rudy Vallée, Sarah Vaughan, Nancy Walker, Alan Young
Synopsis: Musical variety series hosted by Frank Sinatra who would perform songs and sketches with his guests.
Network: CBS
Broadcast History: Two seasons, last broadcast on November 13, 1952
Trivia: The show was also known as Bulova Watch Time. The show was broadcast live with episodes running 30 or 60 minutes. One episode is known to have run 45 minutes. The series saw its rating slip with the surprising popularity of Life is Worth Living on the DuMont Network. Sinatra’s affair with Ava Gardner and several unpopular singles also chipped away at the ratings.

1960

October 4 – Stagecoach West

Cast: Wayne Rogers, Richard Eyer, Robert Bray, James Burke
Guest Cast: Olan Soule, James Best, Warren Oates, John Dehner, Cesar Romero, Jack Lord, Ruta Lee, Dennis Patrick, DeForest Kelley, Dabbs Greer, Stafford Repp, Whit Bissell, Beverly Garland, Robert Vaughn, Dean Jones, Philip Carey, Darren McGavin, Madlyn Rhue, Pippa Scott, Henry Silva, Billy Gray, Jane Greer, J. pat O’Malley, Jack Warden, Dick York, James Coburn, Hazel Court, James Drury, Jean Hagen, Alvy Moore, Arthur O’Connell, Lee Van Cleef, Edgar Buchanan, Jack Elam, Lon Chaney Jr., BarBara Luna, Marion Ross, Denver Pyle, Tristram Coffin, William Schallert, Mary Tyler Moore, Harold J. Stone, Hampton Fancher
Synopsis: Luke Perry (Rogers) and Simon Kane (Bray) run a stagecoach line in the Old West, where they come across a wide variety of killers, robbers, and ladies in distress. They are accompanied by Simon’s young son David (Eyer).
Network: ABC
Broadcast History: One season, 38 episodes, last broadcast on June 27, 1961

October 5 – My Sister Eileen

Cast: Elaine Stritch, Shirley Bonne, Jack Weston, Rose Marie, Raymond Bailey, Stubby Kaye, Leon Belasco
Guest Cast: Agnes Moorehead, John Banner, Bert Convy, Anne Helm, Jo Morrow, Richard Webb, Dick Wesson
Synopsis: My Sister Eileen focuses on Ruth (Stritch) and Eileen (Bonne) Sherwood, sisters from Ohio who moved to New York City to pursue their respective careers. Ruth, the more serious and more sensible of the two, aspires to be a writer, while the younger and more attractive Eileen dreams of achieving success as an actress.
Network: CBS
Broadcast History: One season, 26 episodes, last broadcast on April 21, 1961
Trivia: Based on a series of autobiographical short stories by Ruth McKenney published in The New Yorker, as well as the 1940 play, and 1942 and 1955 film adaptations. The original pilot episode titled ‘You Should Meet My Sister’ starred Anne Helm as Eileen and aired as an episode of Alcoa-Goodyear Theater on May 16, 1960.

October 6 – Angel

Cast: Annie Fargé, Marshall Thompson, Doris Singleton, Don Keefer
Guest Cast: Madge Blake, Mel Blanc, James Garner, Gale Gordon, Lamont Johnson, Joseph Kearns, Tommy Kirk, Howard McNear, Stafford Repp, Lyle Talbot, Jesse White, Mary Wickes
Synopsis: Fargé portrayed Angelique ‘Angel’ Smith, a pretty, young scatterbrained Frenchwoman who comes to the United States and marries a young architect, John Smith, played by Marshall Thompson. With her distinct French accent, Angel gets into various problems with the culture, language, and procedures in her new country.
Network: CBS
Broadcast History: One season, 33 episodes, last broadcast on June 14, 1961
Trivia: The series was compared to I Love Lucy, which makes sense because the series was created by Lucy producer Jess Oppenheimer. Doris Singleton recurred on I Love Lucy as Carolyn Appleby. The series struggled to find an audience scheduled against My Three Sons on ABC and Bachelor Father on NBC.

October 7 – The Law and Mr. Jones

Cast: James Whitmore, Janet De Gore, Conlan Carter
Guest Cast: J. Pat O’Malley, Parley Baer, Barbara Bain, Nancy Marchand, Norman Fell, Dick Powell, Vic Morrow, Whit Bissell, Ross Martin, Michael Parks, Tom Bosley, Jack Albertson, Sam Jaffe, Harry Townes, Martin Landau, Strother Martin, Peter Falk, Leo Penn, Joyce Van Patten
Synopsis: Whitmore starred as idealistic attorney Abraham Lincoln Jones, who had been a star athlete in college. His cases did not usually involve violence but white collar crimes, such as fraud, embezzlement, taxes, and contracts.
Network: ABC
Broadcast History: Two seasons, 45 episodes, last broadcast on July 12, 1962
Trivia: Falk received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role by an Actor or Actress in a Single Program. ABC cancelled the series after its first season but received thousands of letters protesting the cancellation. Whitmore said the show was cancelled because he refused to do the sponsor’s commercials for Gleem Toothpaste in character. It may have been the first show brought back after a write-in campaign.

October 7 – Mr. Garlund

Cast: Charles Quinlivan, Philip Ahn, Kam Tong
Synopsis: The series followed the adventures of Frank Garlund, a mysterious young financial wizard, whose only confidants were his Asian half-brother Kam Chang, and his foster-father Po Chang. Stories revolved around ‘Garlund’s rise in the world of international business and intrigue’, and the profound effect Garlund had on people’s lives.
Network: CBS
Broadcast History: One season, 6 episodes, last broadcast on December 23, 1960
Trivia: The show’s title was changed to The Garlund Touch after the premiere of the fifth episode.

October 7 – Route 66

Cast: Martin Milner, George Maharis (1960–1963), Glenn Corbett (1963–1964)
Guest Cast: Peter Lorre, Lon Chaney, Jr., Boris Karloff, Joe E. Brown, Buster Keaton, Inger Stevens, Elizabeth Ashley, Ed Asner, Lew Ayres, Ed Begley, Theodore Bikel, Whit Bissell, Beulah Bondi, Edgar Buchanan, James Caan, James Coburn, Joan Crawford, Keir Dullea, James Dunn, Robert Duvall, Barbara Eden, Betty Field, Nina Foch, Anne Francis, Peter Graves, Tammy Grimes, Sessue Hayakawa, Joey Heatherton, Miriam Hopkins, David Janssen, Ben Johnson, George Kennedy, Cloris Leachman, Robert Loggia, Jack Lord, Tina Louise, Dorothy Malone, E.G. Marshall, Lee Marvin, Walter Matthau, Darren McGavin, Ralph Meeker, Vera Miles, Roger Mobley, Chester Morris, Lois Nettleton, Julie Newmar, Leslie Nielsen, Arthur O’Connell, Susan Oliver, Nehemiah Persoff, Slim Pickens, Suzanne Pleshette, Stefanie Powers, Robert Redford, Ruth Roman, Marion Ross, Janice Rule, Soupy Sales, Martin Sheen, Sylvia Sidney, Lois Smith, Rod Steiger, Beatrice Straight, Rip Torn, Jo Van Fleet, Jessica Walter, Jack Warden, Tuesday Weld, Jack Weston, James Whitmore, Dick York, William Shatner, DeForest Kelley, Michael Conrad, Alan Alda, Ethel Waters
Synopsis: Route 66 followed two young men traversing the United States in a Chevrolet Corvette convertible, and the events and consequences surrounding their journeys.
Network: CBS
Broadcast History: Four seasons, 116 episodes, last broadcast on March 20, 1964
Trivia: The show was an indirect spinoff of ABC’s Naked City. Robert Morris was originally cast to co-star with Maharis, and both appeared in an episode of Naked City that served as a backdoor pilot. The tentative title for the series at that time was The Searchers, but that was the same name as a 1956 Western with John Wayne so it was changed. The Naked City episode was titled ‘Four Sweet Corners’. Morris died of a brain hemorrhage in May 1960 at the age of 25 before the series went into production. The show was reworked and Milner beat Robert Redford for the new role of Tod. A new pilot was shot and CBS picked up the series. The series was shot on location around the country, although most of the locations were far from the actual highway that provided the show’s name. The actual Route 66 passes through eight states while the series was filmed in 25 plus one episode in Canada. The highway was only briefly mentioned in three early episodes and was rarely shown. The series was one of the first to be filmed entirely on the road. One of the most historically significant episodes featured Karloff, Chaney Jr. and Lorre, with Karloff donning his Frankenstein’s monster makeup for the first time in decades, and Chaney made up to look like The Wolfman. One episode featured an assassination and was due to air one week after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, so the episode was pulled and not aired until the series went into syndication. Nelson Riddle was hired to compose the show’s theme song after CBS refused to pay royalties for the use of Bobby Troupe’s song ‘(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66’. In 1962, Ethel Waters was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, the first African American performer to receive on for a dramatic role. That year, Maharis was also nominated for Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Series. A revival/sequel series aired on NBC in 1993 but was cancelled after four episodes.

October 8 – Make That Spare

Cast: Johnny Johnston (1960-1961, 1962-1964), Win Elliot (1961-1962)
Synopsis: 15 minute bowling program in which each bowler was given a series of pin configurations and one roll of the bowling ball to knock down all the pins and convert the (hypothetical) spare. As the bowlers progressed, the spares became more challenging and the point values increased.
Network: ABC
Broadcast History: Four seasons, last broadcast on September 11, 1964
Trivia: The show was paired with Fight of the Week, and when that show was cancelled it took Make That Spare with it. If fights, which normally ended at 10:45, ran late, Make That Spare would be pre-empted. The show was broadcast live from the Paramus Bowling Center in Paramus, NJ. Since the show was broadcast live, it’s unknown how many episodes survive but those that do are in the public domain because ABC never copyrighted the show.

October 10 – Bringing Up Buddy

Cast: Frank Aletter, Enid Markey, Doro Merande
Guest Cast: Irene Ryan, Jimmy Hawkins, Lee Meriwether, Merry Anders, Joanna Barnes, Edgar Buchanan, Arte Johnson, Joan Staley, Olive Sturgess, Gloria Talbott
Synopsis: Frank Aletter plays the orphaned Buddy Flower, a bachelor stockbroker, who is reared by his overprotective and meticulous aunts, Violet Flower (Enid Markey) and Iris Flower (Doro Merande).
Network: CBS
Broadcast History: One season, 35 episodes, last broadcast on June 28, 1961
Trivia: Frank Albertson appeared in five episodes as Mr. Cooper. His real life wife Grace Gillern Albertson appeared twice as Mrs. Cooper. The series was created by Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher who created Leave It to Beaver and would go on to create The Munsters.

October 10 – Klondike

Cast: Ralph Taegar, Mari Blanchard
Guest Cast: James Coburn, Joi Lansing, L.Q. Jones, Paul Frees, Edgar Buchanan, Jack Elam, George Kennedy, Whit Bissell, Claude Akins, Dabbs Greer, Virginia Gregg, J. Pat O’Malley, Lon Chaney Jr., Howard McNear, Jack Albertson, Frank Cady, Richard Kiel, Olan Soule, Jeanette Nolan, Jackie Coogan
Synopsis: Klondike was set during the early days of the Klondike Gold Rush 1897 in the town of Skagway in the Alaskan Klondike region.
Network: NBC
Broadcast History: One season, 17 episodes, last broadcast on February 13, 1961

1970

October 10 – The Most Deadly Game

Cast: Ralph Bellamy, George Maharis, Yvette Mimieux
Guest Cast: Joe Don Baker, Tom Bosley, Eileen Brennan, Jeff Bridges, Terry Carter, Frank Converse, Roger Davis, Marj Dusay, Barbara Hale, Pat Harrington Jr., Norman Lloyd, BarBara Luna, Carol Lynley, Greg Mullavey, Richard Mulligan, Sheree North, Andrew Prine, John S. Ragin, Quinn Redeker, William Smith, Inger Stevens, Daniel J. Travanti, Jessica Walter, Billy Dee Williams, Hugh Beaumont, May Britt, Dick Cavett, Anjanette Comer, Bert Convey, John Fiedler, Wilfred Hyde-White, Mildred Natwick
Synopsis: The series follows the lives of three criminologists who only take on high-profile cases.
Network: ABC
Broadcast History: One season, 12 episodes, last broadcast on January 16, 1971
Trivia: The series was produced by Aaron Spelling.

1980

October 4 – Thundarr the Barbarian

Voice Cast: Dick Tufeld, Robert Ridgely, Henry Cordern, Nellie Bellflower
Guest Voice Cast: Michael Ansara, Stacy Keach Sr., Keye Luke, Chuck McCann, Nancy McKeon, Julie McWhirter, Alan Oppenheimer, Avery Schreiber, Joan Van Ark, Janet Waldo
Synopsis: Thundarr the Barbarian is set in a future (c. 3994) post-apocalyptic wasteland divided into kingdoms or territories — the majority of which are ruled by wizards – and whose ruins typically feature recognizable geographical features from the United States. Thundarr (voiced by Robert Ridgely), a muscular warrior, whose companions include Princess Ariel, a formidable young sorceress, and Ookla the Mok, travel the world on horseback, battling mostly evil wizards who combine magical spells with reanimating technologies from the pre-catastrophe world.
Network: ABC
Broadcast History: Two seasons, 21 episodes, last broadcast on October 31, 1981
Trivia: Comic book artist and writer Jack Kirby worked on the show’s production design. Alex Toth did the main character design. Despite decent ratings, the series was cancelled as Paramount want to make room for the animated Laverne & Shirley in the Army. The series was referenced and was a plot device of the episode ‘One Watson, One Holmes’ from the third season of Elementary.

1990

October 4 – Beverly Hills, 90210

Cast: Jason Priestley, Shannen Doherty, Jennie Garth, Ian Ziering, Gabrielle Carteris, Luke Perry, Brian Austin Green, Douglas Emerson, Tori Spelling, Carol Potter, James Eckhouse, Joe E. Tata, Mark Damon Espinoza, Kathleen Robertson, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, Jamie Walters, Hilary Swank, Vincent Young, Lindsay Price, Daniel Cosgrove, Vanessa Marcil
Guest Cast:
Synopsis: The series follows the lives of a group of friends living in the upscale and star-studded community of Beverly Hills, California, as they transition from high school to college and into the adult world.
Network: FOX
Broadcast History: Ten seasons, 293 episodes, last broadcast on May 17, 2000
Trivia: The series suffered from poor ratings in its first season but gained popularity when FOX aired a special ‘summer season’ of the show while most others were in reruns, becoming one of the network’s top shows when it returned in the Fall. The show is credited with creating the teen soap genre. Jennie Garth, Tori Spelling, Brian Austin Green, and Ian Ziering were the only cast members to appear all ten seasons and also appeared on the first episode of Melrose Place. Early show titles included Class of Beverly Hills. Garth auditioned five times and was the first to be cast. Tori Spelling auditioned for the role of Kelly (Garth’s eventual role) under the name Tori Mitchell but was recognized and cast as Donna. Tori brought Shannen Doherty to her father’s attention after seeing Heathers. Lyman Ward was cast as Jim Walsh in the pilot but was replaced by James Eckhouse who reshot Ward’s scenes. Luke Perry auditioned for Steve Sanders, the role that went to Ian Ziering. Perry’s Dylan McKay did not appear in the first episode, and was only intended to appear in a story arc of one or two episodes. FOX did not want Perry as a regular but Aaron Spelling did and kept him on, giving him a bigger role during the first two seasons until the network was won over. In the first season, Donna’s mother was Nancy Martin, played by Jordana Capra. In Season 2, her name was Felice Martin and she was played by Katherine Cannon. Terence Ford and Arthur Brooks both played Dylan’s father Jack in one episode each before Josh Taylor assumed the role. Doherty, who had been having issues with the cast and producers during the fourth season, was finally fired after cutting her hair halfway through filming an episode, causing continuity issues. Producers reluctantly wrote a pregnancy storyline for Gabrielle Carteris’ pregnancy but didn’t like the more adult direction the character was taking and wrote her out of the show at the end of Season 5. In Season 5, Jamie Walters was introduced as Donna’a abusive boyfriend with the plan to rehabilitate the character in Season 6. Walters signed a $1 million contract but fans were so angry that Donna would stay with her abuser that a furious Aaron Spelling demanded Walters be fired. Unfortunately, the stigma of playing an abuser stuck with Walters. Jason Priestly was afraid Brandon and Kelly would end up together so he left the show in Season 8. The show spawned four spin-off: Melrose Place (1992 & 2009), Models Inc (1994), and (2008). A revival series of sorts, BH90210, premiered on FOX on August 7, 2019 featuring most of the main cast members playing fictionalized versions of themselves. The show received one Emmy nomination during its ten year run for Milton Berle as Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.

2000

October 4 – Titans

Cast: Casper Van Dien, Yasmine Bleeth, John Barrowman, Elizabeth Bogush, Kevin Zegers, Perry King, Victoria Principal Jack Wagner, Lourdes Benedicto, Ingo Rademacher, Josie Davis, Jason Winston George
Guest Cast:
Synopsis: Aviation magnate Richard Williams (Perry King) is engaged to the much-younger Heather (Yasmine Bleeth), but is unaware that she previously had an affair with his son, Chandler (Casper Van Dien). A pilot, Chandler is unsure whether he should tell his father the truth, but Chandler soon discovers that Heather is pregnant with his child. Meanwhile, Heather clashes with Richard’s former wife Gwen (Victoria Principal), who lives in a mansion across the street. After Richard and Heather marry, Chandler’s scheming brother Peter (John Barrowman) finds out about her affair with Chandler.
Network: NBC
Broadcast History: One season, 13 episodes (2 unaired), last broadcast on December 18, 2000
Trivia: Produced by Aaron Spelling, the show was marketed as Dynasty for a new generation. The show debuted to strong ratings which fell but climbed again for the fourth episode. NBC moved the show to Mondays with the fifth episode and ratings dropped significantly, and the show was cancelled the next day.

October 5 – Gilmore Girls

Cast: Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel, Melissa McCarthy, Keiko Agena, Scott Patterson, Yanic Truesdale, Kelly Bishop, Edward Herrmann, Liza Weil, Jared Padalecki, Milo Ventimiglia, Sean Gunn, Chris Eigeman, Matt Czuchry
Guest Cast: Liz Torres, Sally Struthers, Michael Winters, David Sutcliffe, Chad Michael Murray, Dakin Matthews, Marion Ross, Alex Borstein, Carole King, Emily Bergl, Adam Brody, Sebastian Bach, Danny Strong, Kathleen Wilhoite, Michael DeLuise, Gregg Genry, Sherilyn Fenn, Krysten Ritter
Synopsis: The show’s main focus is on the relationship between single mother, Lorelai Gilmore, and her daughter Rory, who live in Stars Hollow, Connecticut, a small fictional town filled with colorful characters. The series explores issues of family, romance, education, friendship, disappointment, and ambition, along with generational divides and social class.
Network: The WB (seasons 1–6), The CW (season 7)
Broadcast History: Seven seasons, 153 episodes, last broadcast on May 15, 2007
Trivia: The series was The WB’s second most popular show in its fifth season. After several pitches were turned down, creator Amy Sherman-Palladino suggested a show about a mother and daughter with very little thought put into the idea. The WB bought it. Stars Hollow was inspired by the town Washington Depot in Connecticut after Sherman-Palladino had made a trip there. West Hartford and New Milford also served as inspirations. The show’s dialog and pace were inspired by 1930s screwball comedies and Katharine Hepbrun-Spencer Tracy films. Dorothy Parker’s acerbic wit was also an influence on Sherman-Palladino. Funding for the pilot came from the Family Friendly Programming Forum, the first series to receive such support. Sherman-Palladino’s husband Daniel quit his job as a producer on Family Guy to become an executive producer on Gilmore Girls. While the pilot was shot in Toronto, the series was filmed on the Warner Bros. back lot. The bird’s eye view of ‘Stars Hollow’ seen during the opening credits is actually South Royalton, Vermont. The cast was required to be word-perfect in every scene, never changing a word of the script, leading to more retakes than normal for a weekly TV series. The seventh season finale was written as a series finale that could also serve as a new chapter for a new season since no one knew if the show would be renewed. The cast and crew never had a final wrap party or an opportunity to say goodbye. With an ending that did not satisfy the show’s fans and interest in more, Sherman-Palladino was able to pitch a revival to Netflix that consisted of four 90-minute episodes. Every cast member but Edward Herrmann, who had died a year earlier, appeared on the revival.

October 5 – Pelswick

Voice Cast: Rob Tinkler, Julie Lemieux, David Arquette, Peter Oldring, Phil Guerrero, Kim Kuhteubl, Tracey Moore, Tony Rosato, Ellen Ray Hennessy
Synopsis: The series is about a teenage boy who uses a wheelchair, emphasizing that he lived a normal life. It was based on the books created by John Callahan.
Network: Nickelodeon
Broadcast History: Two seasons, 26 episodes, last broadcast on November 15, 2002
Trivia: Callahan’s dark humor had to be toned down to create a show suitable for children. Reruns aired on ‘Nick on CBS’ from September 14, 2002, to January 25, 2003.

October 6 – CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

Cast: William Petersen, Marg Helgenberger, Gary Dourdan, George Eads, Paul Guilfoyle, Jorja Fox, Eric Szmanda, Robert David Hall, Louise Lombard, Wallace Langham, Lauren Lee Smith, Laurence Fishburne, Liz Vassey, David Berman, Ted Danson, Elisabeth Harnois, Elisabeth Shue, Jon Wellner
Guest Cast: Eric Stonestreet, Scott Wilson, Glenn Morshower, Xander Berkeley, Mark Valley, Liev Schreiber, Tracee Ellis Ross, Anita Gillette, Nicholas Lea, Method Man, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Dean Norris, Aasif Mandvi, Peri Gilpin, Lorraine Toussaint, Matt Lauria, Eric Roberts, Larry Poindexter, Titus Welliver, Danny Bonaduce, Katee Sackhoff, Jason Segel, A Martinez, Krista Allen, Channon Roe, John Pyper-Ferguson, Reginald VelJohnson, David Andrews, Michael Cudlitz, Max Martini, Justin Bieber, John Getz, Mark Sheppard, Arye Gross, Sam Jones III, Anthony Starke, Michael Landes, Andrew Prine, Jaclyn Smith, James Eckhouse, Garret Dillahunt, Kate Vernon, Amy Aquino, Raphael Sbarge, Jonathan Banks, Patricia Arquette, Chris Mulkey, Annabella Sciorra, Seth Gabel, Jim Beaver, Sam Witwer, Grant Show, Clayne Crawford, Jeff Kober, Billy Magnussen, Peter Onorati, Tim Matheson, Edie McClurg, Aldis Hodge, Dennis Christopher, Cooper Huckabee, Matt Shively, Pamela Reed, John Rubinstein, Nick Searcy, April Bowlby, Joey King
Synopsis: Mixing deduction and character-driven drama, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation follows a team of crime-scene investigators, employed by the Las Vegas Police Department, as they use physical evidence to solve murders.
Network: CBS
Broadcast History: Fifteen seasons, 337 episodes, last broadcast on September 27, 2015
Trivia: The spec script was turned down by ABC, NBC and FOX. CBS had a deal with William Peterson who wanted to do the CSI pilot. The execs liked it so much it was added to the 2000 schedule immediately, but with CBS picking the show up, Disney’s Touchstone pulled out, not wanting to spend money on a show for another network (Disney owns ABC). Touchstone hoped that would force CBS to cancel the project but producer Jerry Bruckheimer got Alliance Atlantis to come on board and CBS was also added as a producer. CSI was expected to benefit from The Fugitive remake, but CSI had much better ratings. With the show doing well on Fridays, CBS moved it to Thursdays after Survivor where it stayed until Season 11. While set in Las Vegas, the show was mostly filmed in Santa Clarita, CA with occasional location shooting in Vegas.

October 6 – FreakyLinks

Cast: Ethan Embry, Lisa Sheridan, Karim Prince, Lizette Carrion, Dennis Christopher
Guest Cast: Peter Onorati, Tamlyn Tomita, Alan Young, John Billingsley, Connor Trinneer, Eric Balfour, Frederick Koehler, Betsy Palmer, Leslie Jordan, Eric Szmanda, Angus Scrimm, Constance Zimmer, Larry Poindexter, Jeffrey Combs, Steve Valentine
Synopsis: FreakyLinks centered on Derek Barnes (played by Ethan Embry), who ran a website called “FreakyLinks.com” that sought out the dark and forbidden truths behind paranormal phenomena and urban legends, assisted by his friends Chloe (Lisa Sheridan) and Jason (Karim Prince).
Network: FOX
Broadcast History: One season, 13 episodes, last broadcast on June 22, 2001
Trivia: The feel of the show was modeled on The X-Files. The show’s original title was Fearsum, and was created by Haxan, creators of The Blair Witch Project, which hoped to use the same website strategy to promote the show long before it hit the airwaves. The website generated some interest but not enough to translate into ratings for the show. The series was placed on hiatus after the ninth episode on January 25, 2001, with the remaining four episodes airing in June of that year. A cult fandom developed for the show and an online petition was created to request a second season, possibly the first of its kind.

October 6 – Madigan Men

Cast: Gabriel Byrne, Roy Dotrice, John Hensley, Grant Shaud, Sabrina Lloyd
Guest Cast: George Wendt, Margaret Colin, Chip Zien, Doris Belack, Charlie Day, Christine Ebersole, Judy Reyes, Mel Harris, Kate Mara
Synopsis: Irishman Benjamin Madigan is a successful New York architect, recently divorced, who tries to get back into the dating scene with help from teenage son Luke. Seamus, Ben’s widower father, also moves in with the Madigan men, and much hilarity ensues.
Network: ABC
Broadcast History: One season, 12 episodes (3 unaired), last broadcast on December 15, 2000
Trivia: Clea Lewis played Wendy in the pilot; the role was recast with Sabrina Lloyd. The series was placed on hiatus after the ninth episode due to cast and crew changes but was cancelled with three episodes unaired.

October 6 – The Trouble With Normal

Cast: David Krumholtz, Brad Raider, Jon Cryer, Larry Joe Campbell, Paget Brewster
Guest Cast: Jim Beaver, Constance Zimmer, Jonathan Banks, Jon Hamm, Samm Levine, David Ogden Stiers, Bess Meyer, Eugene Roche, Sherri Shepherd, Hinton Battle, Shawn Pyfrom, Charles Robinson
Synopsis: The misadventures of four paranoid young men whose fear of urban conspiracy leads them to seek counseling in a therapy group run by therapist Claire Garletti.
Network: ABC
Broadcast History: One season, 13 episodes (8 unaired), last broadcast on November 3, 2000
Trivia: Only five episodes aired in the US, but all 13 were broadcast in Australia. The show’s pilot title was ‘People Who Fear People’ and starred Maria Pitillo and Mackenzie Astin who were replaced by Brewster and Raider. James Burrows directed the pilot but was not involved in the series moving forward.

October 7 – The District

Cast: Craig T. Nelson, Lynne Thigpen, Jayne Brook, Roger A. Brown, Sean Patrick Thomas, Justin Theroux, David O’Hara, Elizabeth Marvel, Jonathan LaPaglia
Guest Cast: Jean Smart, Michelle Forbes, John Amos, Ving Rhames, Kelly Rutherford, Jaclyn SMith, Vanessa Bell Calloway
Synopsis: Former Newark, New Jersey Police Commissioner and New York Transit police officer Jack Mannion is hired as the commissioner of the bureaucracy-laden Washington, D.C. police force. Together with his detectives and allies he must fight crime as well as internal corruption and the powers of Congress in order to reorganize and renovate the force.
Network: CBS
Broadcast History: Four seasons, 89 episodes, last broadcast on May 1, 2004
Trivia: Inspired by the real-life experiences of former NYC Deputy Police Commissioner Jack Maple, who wrote the book The Crime Fighter with Chris Mitchell, and prepared a TV series concept with Terry George. Maple died of colon cancer on August 4, 2001. Jean Smart received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series in 2001. Lynne Thigpen died of a cerebral hemorrhage on March 12, 2003. The third season finale had a tribute to her character.

October 7 – Maximum Exposure

Cast: Cam Brainard (narrator)
Synopsis: A reality TV program showcasing video clips on a variety of subjects targeted at teens and young adults. The show was noted both for its fast-paced action and its analysis of slow-motion replays.
Network: Syndication
Broadcast History: Three seasons, 52 episodes, last broadcast on May 25, 2002
Trivia: Brainard was credited as ‘Smart-Aleck Announcer Dude’.

October 7 – Noah Knows Best

Cast: Phillip Van Dyke, Rachel Roth, Richard Kline, Willie Green, Marcia Strassman, Stacy Meadows, Cori Yarckin, Dempsey Pappion
Guest Cast: Mark DeLisle, Isaac Hanson, Taylor Hanson, Zac Hanson, Barney Martin, Liz Sheridan
Synopsis: Noah Beznick and his sister Megan deal with sibling rivalry.
Network: Nickelodeon
Broadcast History: One season, 13 episodes (5 unaired), last broadcast on December 17, 2000
Trivia: The last sitcom of its kind to be filmed at Nickelodeon Studios in Florida because the concept was too outdated by the time the series premiered, with many suggesting the series stuck too closely to the formula of Clarissa Explains It All which premiered in 1991.

October 8 – Ed

Cast: Tom Cavanagh, Julie Bowen, Jana Marie Hupp, Josh Randall, Lesley Boone, Michael Ian Black, Rachel Cronin, Mike Starr, Justin Long, Daryl ‘Chill’ Mitchell, Ginnifer Goodwin
Guest Cast: John Slattery, Sabrina Lloyd, Gregory Harrison, Rena Sofer, Lea Thompson, Nicki Aycox, Kelly Ripa, Dan Lauria, Mike Hodge, Neil Patrick Harris, Jim Parsons
Synopsis: The show revolved around Ed Stevens (Cavanagh), a hotshot New York lawyer who, on the same day he is fired from his job (for drafting a contract with a misplaced comma that ended up costing his firm $1.6 million), comes home to discover his wife having an affair with a mailman that she claimed she met at a Starbucks. Dejected, Ed decides to return to his hometown of Stuckeyville, Ohio to spend some time. Upon his arrival, he is reunited with friends that he has missed, as well as Carol Vessey (Bowen), a woman he had a crush on in high school. Determined to win her heart, Ed decides to stay, buying a rundown bowling alley and setting up a new law firm in the process, earning him the undesired nickname ‘The Bowling Alley Lawyer’.
Network: NBC
Broadcast History: Four seasons, 83 episodes, last broadcast on February 6, 2004
Trivia: The series was co-produced by David Letterman’s Worldwide Pants Inc. The show’s pilot was never aired but a summary of footage appeared at the beginning of the first regular episode to set up the story. Donal Logue appeared in the pilot but was replaced by Michael Ian Black. Several actresses played Ed’s ex-wife including Janeane Garofalo in the pilot and Lea Thompson for several episodes near the end of the series. The show was set up at CBS as Ed, then retitled Stuckeyville, then changed back to Ed again after the project moved to NBC. While set in the fictional Ohio town, the majority of the series was filmed in locations around New Jersey, with many of the street and town names mentioned on the show being real New Jersey locations. The Stuckeybowl was the former Country Club Lanes. A portion of the building was cleared and housed sets for the interior of Stuckeyville High School, the courtroom and The Smiling Goat. The show’s theme song was ‘Next Year’ by Foo Fighters, but was changed to ‘Moment in the Sun’ by Clem Snider for the second season. ‘Next Year’ was reinstated for the third season forward after resolving rights issues for use of the song. Outside the US, ‘Moment in the Sun’ continued to be used until the end of the series.

October 8 – Hype

Cast: Steve Kramer, Michael Roof, Frank Caliendo, Jennifer Elise Cox, Gavin Crawford, Daniele Gaither, Nadya Ginsburg, Christen Nelson, Shayma Tash, Chris Williams
Synopsis: The series focused on sketches parodying pop culture, particularly the overinflation of cultural and public relations hype.
Network: The WB
Broadcast History: One season, 17 episodes, last broadcast on February 18, 2001
Trivia: The series was ordered after Scott King, Lanier Laney and Terry Sweeney wrote a sketch for MADtv parodying The WB’s hit seriesFelicity. After the show’s cancellation, Callendo and Gaither joined MADtv.

October 8 – Nikki

Cast: Nikki Cox, Nick von Esmarch, Susan Egan, Toby Huss
Guest Cast: Christine Estabrook, Steve Valentine, Phill LaMarr, Arden Myrin, Kathy Kinney, Randy Savage, Amanda Bearse, David Garrison, Drew Carey, Sheryl Underwood, Ian Gomez
Synopsis: Cox portrays Nikki White, a Las Vegas showgirl living in Las Vegas with her husband Dwight White (Nick von Esmarch), a professional wrestler. The working class couple attempts to follow their passions while finding fame and fortune in Las Vegas.
Network: The WB
Broadcast History: Two seasons, 41 episodes (6 unaired), last broadcast on January 27, 2002
Trivia: Each Season 1 episode began with a musical number where Nikki and her fellow showgirls would perform in ‘the worst casino in Las Vegas’. The concept was dropped for Season 2, which employed a standard theme song, after the casino is sold. Bearse and Garrison play characters with the same names as their Married… with Children characters. The WB ordered a full 22-episode second season, but production was shut down after 19 episodes were completed, and only 13 of those second season episodes were aired.

October 10 – The Geena Davis Show

Cast: Geena Davis, Peter Horton, Mimi Rogers, Kim Coles, John Francis Daley, Makenzie Vega, Esther Scott, Harland Williams
Guest Cast: Katey Sagal, Graham Norton
Synopsis: Sexy and sophisticated Manhattan party-planner Teddie Cochran starts dating writer Max Ryan. The two hit it off, and Teddie soon moves into Max’s suburban home along with his two children, six-year-old Eliza and 13-year-old Carter. Motherless for some time (Max is a widower), the two are not exactly welcoming of Teddie. Along with her two girlfriends Hilary and Judy, Teddie must use her unique blend of wits and sarcasm to get through her new lifestyle.
Network: ABC
Broadcast History: One season, 22 episodes (1 unaired), last broadcast on July 10, 2001
Trivia: The series was originally pitched with the idea of a Sex and the City type of character becoming a suburban housewife. After some development, ABC decided to tailor the series to its star. The show was pulled from ABC’s schedule after the 19th episode on March 13, 2001 and replaced by What About Joan? with Joan Cusack. One of the last two episodes was aired on July 10, 2001. All 22 episodes were broadcast in the UK on the now defunct ABC1 network from 2004 to 2007. Every episode was directed by Andy Cardiff except for the unaired final episode.

October 10 – Gideon’s Crossing

Cast: Andre Braugher, Rubén Blades, Rhona Mitra, Hamish Linklater, Ravi Kapoor, Russell Hornsby
Guest Cast: Polly Draper, Rachel Wilson, Eric Dane, Billy Dee Williams, Timothy Bottoms, Michael Nouri, Kevin J. O’Connor, John Billingsley, Nicolas Coster, Lee Garlington, John Michael Higgins, Robert Joy, Frederick Koehler, John Carroll Lynch, Stephen Macht, Bruce McGill, Marianne Muellerleile, Jon Polito, John Pyper-Ferguson, John Rubinstein, Susan Ruttan, Connor Trinneer, Pruitt Taylor Vince, M. Emmet Walsh, Amy Aquino, Michael Badalucco, Kathy Baker, Ed Begley Jr., Rosalind Chao, James Hong, Camryn Manheim, Marlee Matlin, Nicholas Pryor, Jonathan Scarfe, Azura Skye, Heidi Swedberg, Mark Valley, Constance Zimmer
Synopsis: Medical drama loosely based on the experience of real-life physician Jerome Groopman and his book The Measure of Our Days.
Network: ABC
Broadcast History: One season, 20 episodes (1 unaired), last broadcast on April 9, 2001
Trivia: The 17th episode, ‘Flashpoint’, was a crossover with The Practice.

2010

October 8 – Gigantic

Cast: Grace Gummer, Tony Oller, Ryan Rottman, Jolene Purdy, Malcolm David Kelley, Gia Mantegna
Guest Cast: Helen Slater, Jai Rodriguez, Ashley Loren, Jordana Brewster, Snoop Dogg, Didi Conn, James Hong
Synopsis: Gigantic revolves around 17-year-old Anna Moore (Grace Gummer) and her younger brother Walt (Tony Oller), teens who live the lives of Hollywood ‘it’ kids as the children of famous movie star couple John and Jennifer Moore.
Network: TeenNick
Broadcast History: One season, 18 episodes, last broadcast on April 22, 2011
Trivia: Grace Gummer is the daughter of Meryl Streep and Gia Mantegna is the daughter of Joe Mantegna.

October 10 – Family Game Night

Host: Todd Newton
Synopsis: Family Game Night is an American television game show based on Hasbro’s family of board games and EA’s video game franchise of the same name.
Network: The Hub/Discovery Family
Broadcast History: Five seasons, 105 episodes, last broadcast on November 9, 2014
Trivia: Season 1 games included Guess Who?, Scrabble Flash, Cranium (Data Head, Creative Cat, Star Performer, Word Worm), Bop It! Boptagon, Guesstures Free Fall, Operation Relay, Bounce ‘n Boogie Boggle, Connect 4 Basketball, Twister Lights Out, Sorry! Sliders, Yahtzee Bowling, Monopoly Crazy Cash Machine. Season 2 removed Guess Who? as the opening game, as well as Operation Relay and Scrabble Flash. New Cranium games were added along with Simon Flash, Operation Slam Dunk, Ratuki Go-Round, Trouble Pop Quiz, Green Scream, Spelling Bee. Season 3 added Battleship, Sorry!, Operation, and Monopoly Community Chest. Season 4 introduced Monopoly Remiz, Jenga, Yahtzee, and Barrel of Monkeys while modifying older games. Season 5 did not add new games but added a celebrity to play with the family to win money for a charity.

October 10 – My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic

Voice Cast: Tara Strong, Ashleigh Ball, Andrea Libman, Tabitha St. Germain, Cathy Weseluck
Guest Cast: John de Lancie, Kyle Rideout, Maurice LaMarche, Veena Sood, Patton Oswalt, ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic, Caitlyn Bairstow, Rachel Bloom, Meredith Salenger, William Shatner, Felicia Day
Synopsis: The show follows a studious anthropomorphic unicorn (later an alicorn) pony named Twilight Sparkle as her mentor, Princess Celestia, guides her to learn about friendship in the town of Ponyville. Twilight and her dragon assistant Spike become close friends with five other ponies: Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie. Each of the ponies represent a different facet of friendship, and Twilight discovers herself to be a key part of the magical artifacts known as the “Elements of Harmony”. The ponies travel on adventures and help others around Equestria while working out problems that arise in their own friendships.
Network: The Hub/Discovery Family
Broadcast History: Nine seasons, 222 episodes, last broadcast on October 12, 2019
Trivia: The show was The Hub’s highest rated series in its broadcast history. A spin-off series, My Little Pony: Pony Life, is scheduled to debut on YouTube in late 2020. The series drew in a large audience of adults, mainly young and middle-aged men who dubbed themselves ‘Bronies’.

October 10 – Pound Puppies

Cast: Eric McCormack, John DiMaggio, Michael Rapaport, Alanna Ubach, Yvette Nicole Brown, Rene Auberjonois, M. Emmet Walsh, Elizabeth Daily, Brooke L. Goldner, Cree Summer
Guest Cast: Kath Soucie, Betty White, Tara Strong, Pamela Adlon, Tress MacNeille, Danny Cooksey, Lauren Tom, Jennifer Carpenter, Clancy Brown, Dabney Coleman, Maurice LaMarche, Rob Paulsen, Charles Shaughnessy, Tom Kenny, Diedrich Bader, J.K. Simmons, Sam McMurray, Phil LaMarr, Dave Thomas, Jim Parsons, George Takei, Frank Welker, Tim Conway, Margaret Cho, Clifton Collins Jr., Jeff Corwin, Dave Foley, Wayne Knight, Gary Cole, Ellen Greene, Katherine Helmond, Richard Lewis, Gavin MacLeod, James Remar, Eddie Deezen, Luke Perry, French Stewart, Stephen Tobolowsky, Carnie Wilson, Mary Gross, Glenne Headly, John Larroquette
Synopsis: A group of pound dogs make it their mission to place puppies with their perfect person and have lots of adventures along the way.
Network: The Hub
Broadcast History: Three seasons, 65 episodes, last broadcast on November 16, 2013
Trivia: It was the second series to adapt the Pound Puppies into a cartoon format after the 1986 series. The series bears some resemblance to Hogan’s Heroes and films like Stalag 17 and The Great Escape.

October 10 – The Twisted Whiskers Show

Voice Cast: Kathleen Barr, David Kaye, Peter Kelamis, Bill Kopp, Scott McNeil, Colin Murdock, Lee Tockar
Synopsis: A Canadian-French-American animated comedy series based on the Twisted Whiskers greeting cards created by Terrill Bohlar for American Greetings.
Network: The Hub
Broadcast History: One season, 26 episodes (52 segments), last broadcast on December 1, 2010

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