Forgotten Network/Syndicated TV Shows of the Past

[OhioMediaWatch]

Also, "Cheers" has been repeated on many cycles on WGN, but since 1990, it was never seen on the superstation feed.

And to this day (literally), "Cheers" is covered on the local feed of Me-TV in Cleveland - via WOIO 19.2 - by a second episode of "The Dick Van Dyke Show".

WBNX 55(.1) is the reason, and they only air "Cheers" once a week...in the early morning hours of Sunday.

The recent run of "WKRP" on WGN America, back when Randy Michaels ran Tribune and put "Outta Site Retro Night" on Sundays, ran fine, though no one locally runs the show these days. But I'm pretty sure they don't do market-by-market preemptions on WGN America.

 

[bpatrick]

another western from the mid 1960`s.

the guns of will sonnet with walter brenon.he had a catch phraise."no brag .just fact."

That show had a second life of sorts in the '80s: trying to cash in on co-star Dack
Rambo's popularity on "Dallas," King World (I believe it was) dusted off it and "Branded,"
and put them both into reruns. I can remember WFAA and WXIA running them in the
wee hours of weekend mornings.

Brennan did do two shows that probably do qualify as "forgotten," both of them sitcoms:
"Tycoon" (ABC, 1964-65), where he played Walter Andrews, CEO of the conglomerate
Thunder Corporation (Van Williams played his assistant before going on to play "The Green
Hornet"); and the second season of "To Rome With Love" (CBS, 1970), where he played
John Forsythe's father-in-law and grandfather to the three girls on the show (shades of
William Frawley's Bub on "My Three Sons," as both shows were produced by Don Fedderson).

 

[Mario500]

Also, "Cheers" has been repeated on many cycles on WGN, but since 1990, it was never seen on the superstation feed.

WGN America has presented "Cheers" recently.

 

[azumanga]

UPN programming also was promoted heavily during this era (when the local version wasn't covered), despite the fact the network shows [on WWOR] never once saw the light of day on the superstation feed.

And when UPN started up, WWOR, like most other UPN affiliates, began calling themselves "UPN 9", much to the chagrin of viewers outside the NYC market.

 

[ShawnHill1]

Baywatch Nights, which ran from 1995-1997. Ratings were never strong but at least we had Angie Harmon and Donna D'Errico.

That was an odd show...it had David Hasselhoff's Mitch Buchanan character moonlighting as a private investigator besides his job as a Los Angeles County lifeguard; in the first season, it was a standard P.I.-type (like Cannon, Magnum, etc.), but the focus shifted in the second season with Mitch and his partner investigating supernatural beings, obviously capitializing on the success of The X-Files.

 

[WMC2006]

Yup, the premise had Baywatch cop Garner moving to Baywatch Nights to start a private investigation firm. Garner and that premise were dropped after season 1. You'd think that maybe they'd have sent Garner back to the mothership (Baywatch) but he was dumped completely. The paranormal stuff in the 2nd season was just stupid.

Everything that The Hoff touches does NOT turn to gold.

 

[jwgreek8606]

Here are several others:


Prime Suspect (syndicated, 1992), which was an America's Most Wanted ripoff

I sort of remember this one, produced out of KNBC-TV in Los Angeles, if I remember correctly. Around this time (late-'80s/early-'90s), a number of syndicators wanted to cash in on the success of AMW, Unsolved Mysteries, Cops, and Rescue 911. There was "Missing Reward" (hosted by Stacy Keach), "On Scene: Emergency Response" (like Cops, but only tagging along with paramedics instead of police officers), and "Emergency Call" (Rescue 911 with footage taken from real events--no dramatizations here).






You also forgot, Crimewatch Tonight. From 1989.

 

[jwgreek8606]

Just dug up a few more:

E/R (CBS, 1984), starring Elliott Gould and some young chap named George Clooney
Together We Stand (CBS, 1986), also starring Elliott Gould
Our World (ABC, 1986), which wouldn't have been forgotten if ABC put it on Saturdays instead of Thursdays opposite that 800-pound gorilla known as The Cosby Show!!
The Price Is Right Special (CBS, 1986), six primetime summer episodes of TPIR which CBS had the ill-fated task of airing opposite you-know-who
The Reel to Reel Picture Show (Ion, 2000), which was competely forgotten right from the start, and why? Just like Pitfall (syndicated, 1981) and Alex Trebek, host Peter Marshall didn't get paid JACK SQUAT for his duties; the contestants never got their prizes either!!!


Yea, Our World would have been good on Saturdays opposite Hunter on NBC and after Heart of the City. But NBC had a killer lineup on Saturdays too with The Golden Girls.

Monopoly (ABC, 1990)
Rodeo Drive (Lifetime, 1990)
Sanchez of Bel Air (syndicated/USA Network, 1986), four years Will Smith moved in
Brooklyn South (CBS, 1997), co-starring Yancy Butler who would later star in...
Witchblade (TNT, 2001)

 

[jwgreek8606]

The Pat Sajak Show (CBS 1989). Pat Sajak's short lived late night talk show. Four years before Dave!
Camp Midnite (USA late 80s/early 90s) USA late night talk show
Classic Rock with Wolfman Jack on of all things TNN


And the short lived game show

Novie Masters on AMC with Gene Rayburn. Gene Rayburn's final game show.

 

[johnnya2k6]

Foul-Ups, Bleeps, and Blunders (ABC, 1984); Steve Lawrence and Don Rickles were no match for Dick Clark and Ed McMahon (on the hot Bloopers and Practical Jokes over on NBC)
The Yellow Rose (NBC, 1983)
Overtime with Pat O'Brien (CBS, 1990; I think it was on late night Fridays)
Encyclopedia Brown (HBO, 1990)
The $treet (Fox, 2000), starring future Oscar winner Jennifer Connelly and just added to that other thread
Puttin' On The Hits (syndicated, 1984)
Buffalo Bill (NBC, 1983) and The Slap Maxwell Story (ABC, 1987), both starring Dabney Coleman
Saturday Night Special (Fox, 1996), a sketch comedy show produced by Roseanne Barr
Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann (ABC, 2008), featuring Dancing With The Stars judges Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba; it was pretty much thrown in during the last writers' strike
The Chair (ABC, 2002), hosted by John McEnroe (proving that he sucks at both talk shows and game shows!)
The Chamber (Fox, 2002), around the same time as The Chair

And two game shows from Carsey-Werner, who hasn't produced anything since That '70s Show ended years ago:
You Don't Know Jack (ABC, 2001), the game show version of the hit computer game series starring Paul Reubens as Troy Stevens
You Bet Your Life (syndicated, 1992), starring Bill Cosby

 

[WMC2006]

Flo, spinoff from Alice, 1980-1981, starring Polly Holliday. Kiss my grits!
Fish, spinoff from Barney Miller, 1977-78, starring Abe Vigoda.

 

[71dude]

Checking In (Apr. 1981) - spinoff from The Jeffersons starring Marla Gibbs and Larry Linville

 

[Stitch]

Has "Down to Earth" been mentioned? Ran on SuperStation WTBS in the mid '80s. The show concerned a '20s flapper who was run over, went to heaven, but sent back as an angel who acted as a maid/nanny. One of those 'only the kids know what's really going on' plot devices. According to IMDB, the show went through a number of cast changes.

 

[arnoldevns]

Carter Country is the one I remember. It was about the antics surrounding a small-town police department in Georgia. (hence the title of the show) It starred Victor French, who later went on to much bigger fame as co-star of "Highway to Heaven." I think it was on a network for one season in the late 70s or early 80s, then went to first-run syndication. It wound up airing late Saturday nights (if I recall correctly) on WFAA in DFW.

 

[cd637299]

Carter Country is the one I remember. It was about the antics surrounding a small-town police department in Georgia. (hence the title of the show) It starred Victor French, who later went on to much bigger fame as co-star of "Highway to Heaven." I think it was on a network for one season in the late 70s or early 80s, then went to first-run syndication. It wound up airing late Saturday nights (if I recall correctly) on WFAA in DFW.

'Twas ABC.

 

[Wright County Guy]

Has "Down to Earth" been mentioned? Ran on SuperStation WTBS in the mid '80s. The show concerned a '20s flapper who was run over, went to heaven, but sent back as an angel who acted as a maid/nanny. One of those 'only the kids know what's really going on' plot devices. According to IMDB, the show went through a number of cast changes.

Part of a triumvirate with "Safe at Home" and that other show I CAN NEVER REMEMBER!!!

And for cast changes with "Down to Earth" was Dick Sargent, who was the 2nd dad on that show about 20 years after being the 2nd Darren on "Bewitched".

 

[bpatrick]

Carter Country is the one I remember. It was about the antics surrounding a small-town police department in Georgia. (hence the title of the show) It starred Victor French, who later went on to much bigger fame as co-star of "Highway to Heaven." I think it was on a network for one season in the late 70s or early 80s, then went to first-run syndication. It wound up airing late Saturday nights (if I recall correctly) on WFAA in DFW.

'Twas ABC.

It was on ABC for two seasons. In the 1977-78 season it aired Thursdays at 9:30/8:30; in the 1978-79 season, Saturdays at 8/7. It proved to be something of a disappointment, both from a critical and ratings standpoint.

Anybody remember the show that followed "Carter Country" on ABC's 1977-78 Thursday-night schedule, "The Redd Foxx Show"? ABC had stolen him away from NBC and "Sanford And Son," but his variety show went the way of most variety shows in the late '70s: to a quick death. The spinoff that replaced "Sanford And Son," "Sanford Arms," didn't fare any better.

 

[anotherguyTN]

Anybody remember the show that followed "Carter Country" on ABC's 1977-78 Thursday-night schedule, "The Redd Foxx Show"? ABC had stolen him away from NBC and "Sanford And Son," but his variety show went the way of most variety shows in the late '70s: to a quick death. The spinoff that replaced "Sanford And Son," "Sanford Arms," didn't fare any better.

After that Redd Foxx tried to come back to NBC on Sanford (minus Son) that was a flop as well.

 

[Braves2005]

Charlie and Company (CBS) (1985-1986): Flip Wilson's attempt to copy The Cosby Show which turned out to be a major flop but gave us a look at a pre-"Family Matters" Jaleel White.

The Betty White Show (CBS) (1977-1978): Saw this in reruns when it aired on Nick at Nite Sunday nights back in the late 1990's and thought it was a good show even though it lasted only 13 episodes. Betty played a TV actress who appeared on her own show "Undercover Woman" along with her ex-husband played by John Hillerman.

Make Room For Granddaddy (ABC) (1970-1971): Danny Thomas' revival of Make Room For Daddy (The Danny Thomas Show), I wished that this show would come to DVD and the only time it has been seen was when it was an extra show on the Here's Lucy Season 3 DVD set when Lucille Ball appeared as her Lucy Carter character when she visited Danny and Kathy. I would like to see the little boy who played Danny's grandson and Rusty Hamer and Angela Cartwright as grownups. It also featured several guest stars (the Diana Ross episode would be awesome to watch as I've heard that it was a great episode)

 

[Toledo Eleven]

Anybody remember the show that followed "Carter Country" on ABC's 1977-78 Thursday-night schedule, "The Redd Foxx Show"? ABC had stolen him away from NBC and "Sanford And Son," but his variety show went the way of most variety shows in the late '70s: to a quick death. The spinoff that replaced "Sanford And Son," "Sanford Arms," didn't fare any better.

After that Redd Foxx tried to come back to NBC on Sanford (minus Son) that was a flop as well.

Here's an ABC ad for Barney Miller, Carter Country and The Redd Foxx Show: http://vintagetoledotv.squarespace.com/print-ads-abc/abc-print-ads/3833762