Shows that were cancalled too late

[Bob1370]

"Bewitched" should have hung up the broom when Dick York
left; to me, Dick Sargent was always a grump, and the addition
of a second child (Adam) added nothing to the show."

I've read that Dick Sargent was actually Columbia/Screen Gems TV's first choice to play Darrin Stephens back in 1963 when original casting for the pilot was being done, and Tammy Grimes was projected to be the original Samantha. But Grimes in the end turned the show down. Bill Asher then took over the show's production right after Screen Gems lost Grimes--show creator Sol Saks says Columbia recruited Asher and Elizabeth Montgomery (who were married at the time) as a package deal, with Asher to run the show and Montgomery to star, because they still thought it could be a major hit as long as the right people were in key creative positions. They were clearly right.

Dick York was Asher's and Montgomery's choice for the part of Darrin, handled it well and stayed with it through the 1968-69 season as long as his health allowed. When York had to step away before the start of the 1969-70 season (debilitating back injury) Sargent was free, got the call, and stayed with the show the last three seasons of its run.

One other sidebar...Elizabeth Montgomery did seriously consider packing it in at the end of season 5 (which would have been York's last as well) but ABC enticed her to do three more seasons by offering her a piece of the show.

 

[onairb]

Hawaii Five-0, season 12: 'Book 'em Danno! What? He quit? Uh, Book 'em Chin-Ho...oh, yeah, right, he quit first, so we killed him. Book 'em, Great Big Hawaiian Guy and New Girl!' ;D
MASH, season 11: 'DAMN this war..and damn the next one, too!' :
Knott's Landing, season 14: 'I always wondered why that show was never cancelled!'-Al Bundy, after asking to meet God, but learning that the Almighty was watching 'His favorite television show'.
My Three Sons season 12: 'Get this..Fred MacMurray..in a KILT!'
Bonanza season 14: 'Gee, Pa, will anybody notice Hoss's untimely death, or my perm?' ;D

 

[Mark Giardina]

Life with Jim. I could never understand why that show remained on the air for as long as it did.

Smallville. Ten years is a lifetime in television programming and how this show managed to hang on for a decade still amazes me. Anyone have any thoughts as to why?

Also: Someone brought up an excellent point when commenting that "dated shows" are never successful in reruns just because they are dated. Nehru jackets and bell bottoms is a perfect example when I see programs like "Laugh-In."

 

[bpatrick]

"Bewitched" should have hung up the broom when Dick York
left; to me, Dick Sargent was always a grump, and the addition
of a second child (Adam) added nothing to the show."

I've read that Dick Sargent was actually Columbia/Screen Gems TV's first choice to play Darrin Stephens back in 1963 when original casting for the pilot was being done, and Tammy Grimes was projected to be the original Samantha. But Grimes in the end turned the show down. Bill Asher then took over the show's production right after Screen Gems lost Grimes--show creator Sol Saks says Columbia recruited Asher and Elizabeth Montgomery (who were married at the time) as a package deal, with Asher to run the show and Montgomery to star, because they still thought it could be a major hit as long as the right people were in key creative positions. They were clearly right.

Dick York was Asher's and Montgomery's choice for the part of Darrin, handled it well and stayed with it through the 1968-69 season as long as his health allowed. When York had to step away before the start of the 1969-70 season (debilitating back injury) Sargent was free, got the call, and stayed with the show the last three seasons of its run.

One other sidebar...Elizabeth Montgomery did seriously consider packing it in at the end of season 5 (which would have been York's last as well) but ABC enticed her to do three more seasons by offering her a piece of the show.

I've also heard that Tammy Grimes and Dick Sargent were the first choices to play Samantha and Darrin; Sargent ended up on the short-lived "Broadside," which debuted on ABC the same year as "Bewitched" (1964) but lasted only one season. Ms. Grimes made a "busted pilot" called "The Fun Couple" before that disastrous 1966 series, "The Tammy Grimes Show" (which was also lead-in to "Bewitched" on Thursday nights), that lasted only four weeks and which co-starred none other than Dick Sargent. That show, IIRC, was produced by William Dozier at 20th Century-Fox.

Kind of off-topic, but I remember seeing a picture of a promo for ABC's Thursday-night block of Tammy Grimes, "Bewitched," and "That Girl," labeled "Dollhouse 90" (a play on "Playhouse 90" as the three shows aired in a block from 8:30-10 ET) with pictures of Tammy Grimes, Elizabeth Montgomery, and Marlo Thomas. I think it was in "The Worst TV Shows Ever' chapter on "The Tammy Grimes Show".

 

[jwk1979]

BTW, Andy once said he'd planned to hang it up when Don Knotts quit, but that CBS offered him too much money to do some more. IIRC, he was part-owner of "Mayberry R.F.D." as well.

The way I always heard it was Andy Griffith had only planned on doing five years of TAGS and was quite adamant about season 5 being the final season. He informed the cast and crew of his decision and they were free at the end of the season to pursue other offers. Don Knotts signed a movie deal with Universal and most of the writers secured of writing jobs. In the meantime, CBS kept offering Andy Griffith more and more money to come back for three more seasons. When he decided to accept CBS offer to come back, Don Knotts and the majority of the writers were already committed to other projects and weren't able to come back.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

One series that comes to mind is the Man from U.N.C.L.E

 

[FreddyE1977]

Did anyone mention Three's Company? Once the revolving door of blondes started up they
might as well have shut it down. Pretty much you had the whole routine down by the end
of Season One anyhow.

The last couple of seasons of The Drew Carey Show. After Winfred-Lauder went out of business.
I never bought the idea of Drew working for an internet start-up. (heck, never bought the idea of
an internet startup being based in Cleveland in the first place)

The Dukes of Hazzard. Once you no longer had the budget to trash a couple of real Chryslers in
each episode and were reduced to using scale models you were done for.

Welcome Back, Kotter after John Travolta left. Juan Epstein was never gonna carry that show.

Someone made a spot-on analysis about Laugh In. I had never seen a show in reruns so badly dated,
and hence less funny, as the audience had lost all frame of reference. In it's time it was a scream.

 

[jwk1979]

Welcome Back, Kotter after John Travolta left. Juan Epstein was never gonna carry that show.

Actually, John Travolta never left "Welcome Back, Kotter", he was only in about 12 episodes the last season it was one, but he never OFFICALLY left. Gabe Kaplin only appeared in about half of the episodes the final year it was on the air. It should have left a year earlier.