Monday, April 14, 2008

Show Canceled Almost during the show itself



stolen from Mediaweek.com

the great Marc Berman writes about CBS canceling "Secret Talents of the Stars" after one episode and was kind enough to make a list of shows that were also canned after one airing. I think he forgot a couple. Part of my theory is based on "There's got to be more." Also I remember a show in the late 70's on NBC that the network big wigs canceled while it was airing. The show limped to the closing credits and was never heard of again. It was animated dirty jokes. I thought it was called the joke book. My brother wold know. Any knows?

Embarrassingly enough I've seen at least three of those shows. "Co-Ed Fever aired at the same as another "Animal House" rip off, "Brothers and Sisters." Check out the first actor's Imdb page. His picture is both of a modern day guy in his late 30's and a modern day guy in his late 50's. Ver-si-tile! "Quick, get me a guy who can play both the young hot shot at the office and the grizzled old timer." "Get me Larry ANDERSON! STAT"He had a part on the show "Sisters."


The Secret Lives of the Stars sounds like every pitch a studio exec must hear. If you are at a party and someone hears that you work in TV they come to you with this idea. The 2nd AD at work pitched this idea to me. I told her they were doing it at CBS. She said she knew, she was up for the job. I don't get it either.



Secret Talents of the Stars is the 10th network series historically to be canceled after just one telecast. The others (in order of airing) are You’re in the Picture (CBS: 1961), Turn-On (ABC: 1969), Co-Ed Fever (ABC: 1979), South of Sunset (CBS: 1993), Public Morals (CBS: 1996), Lawless (Fox: 1997), Dot Comedy (ABC: 2000), The Will (CBS: 2005) and Emily’s Reasons Why Not (ABC: 2006).

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

"Jokebook" aired on NBC April 23, 1982 through May 7, 1982 - three weeks - according to my copy of The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons (Second Edition). The Hanna-Barbera prime time show had twenty or so animated jokes, including the future Oscar winning short, "The Fly." Scatman Crothers sang the theme song.

"Turn-On" was a "Laugh-In" rip-off. Its only guest star was Tim Conway, according to my copy of The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present (Eighth Edition).