TV Shows that didn't hang around long enough (aka Brilliant but Cancelled)

Frank's Place!

 

I liked the first 3 seasons of The OC. They never should've killed off Marissa. That was the moment they jumped the shark. Mischa Barton wasn't the best actress in the world, but her character was central to the quartet that formed the basis for most of the storylines. I think the writers of Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill learned from The OC's mistakes and that was why they lasted a lot longer.

 

The Dick Wolf reboot of "Dragnet" with Ed O'Neill and Ethan Embry.
The reboot of "Fantasy Island" with Malcolm McDowell and Mädchen Amick, better than the original, IMO.
"Fernwood 2 Night/America 2 Night".
"The Tony Randall Show".
"Quark" with Richard Benjamin.
"Ivan the Terrible" with Lou Jacobi.
"Szysznyk" with Ned Beatty.
"House Calls" actually made it to 3 seasons, but very likely would have lasted much longer, had Lynn Redgrave not been unnecessarily fired.

 

I was sorry to see Happyish cancelled after only one year. Thought it was incredibly funny, imaginitve, hit the nail on the head much of the time and had an incredibly talented cast.

Shows how much I know.

 

The High Life on HBO and San Pedro Beach Bums

 

I remember "Szysznyk" there was one episode where a kid claimed to have caught Reggie Jackson's 3rd homerun in the 77 world series but he admitted later it was a foul ball. I cant imagine why I still remember that.

 

Doctor Doctor (The U.S. show starring Matt Frewer)

 

"Lotsa Luck" with Dom DeLuise
Hot L Baltimore

 

I watched "Lotsa Luck" every week when it was on, in 1974, I believe...I watched "Hot L Baltimore", it was my introduction to Conchata Ferrell.

 

"Busting Loose" with Adam Arkin
"Richie Brockleman, Private Eye"
"Riptide" with Joe Penny and Perry King

Wasn't there briefly a TV version of "Breaking Away"?

 

Seems to have been under publicized, but LOTSA LUCK, along with THE PAUL LYNDE SHOW have been showing every Saturday on Antenna -TV for a while now. PAUL at 6:30pm and LOTSA at 7pm.

Oh how I would love to see HOT L BALTIMORE again before I die. Along with THE CORNER BAR. They both made no sense to me as a 12 or so year old back in the day. But i watched, and still remember they seemed to offer something of quality.

 

John from Cincinnati.

 

Two very rare shows. Those short-run series that were shot on videotape prior to the home recording era are the hardest to find. Ivan, was I believe an Alan King production and his material was held by William Morris Agency. Their idea of storage was to discard so unless someone happened to record the show on Betamax or 3/4, it may be history. Szysznyk was CBS so those are likely still in existence.

 

Even Mel Brooks wasn't happy with the show. It was Mel Brooks humor sanitized for television which worked about as well as when they spun Animal House off for TV as Delta House. Raunchy comedy without any raunch doesn't work.

 

Ivan was on CBS also. I believe they were both summer replacement series in 1976 and '77, respectively. Ivan wasn't around very long, I believe there were only 5 or 10 episodes. Szysznyk did better, it was picked up for the '77-'78 season with repeats and new episodes. I thought both shows were very funny.

 

"Mr. T and Tina" with Pat Morita
"Holmes and Yoyo" with John Schuck & Richard B. Shull
"Adam's Rib" based on the Tracy-Hepburn film, with Blythe Danner and Ken Howard
"Thicker Than Water" with Julie Harris & Richard Long
"Rosetti and Ryan" with Tony Roberts & Squire Freidell
"Tenspeed & Brownshoe" with Jeff Goldblum & Ben Vereen
"Angie" with Donna Pescow & Robert Hays
"Jigsaw John" with Jack Warden
"Bronk" with Jack Palance
"The Stockard Channing Show"
"Paris" with James Earl Jones.
"Funny Face" with Sandy Duncan

 

Briscoe County was fantastic. The coming thing. So great.

 

Did Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman run for very long? I used to watch it 'back in tha day' without getting half of the humor... kind of the same story as Fernwood Tonite. I think I just liked/like obvious low budget '70s stuff for some reason; cable access, any local kiddie shows, early SNL, Barney Miller, Pink Lady & Jeff, Super Dave Osbourne, Canadian game shows with top prizes of $50, various Canadian and Australian shows (King Of Kensington, Skippy). It charms me I guess. That's why I loved that On The Air Channel Z thing so much, it reminded me of low-budget and local independent programming that was dying out. I made it all the way through Eraserhead once.

 

The Newsroom

 

I was a big fan of THE BEN STILLER SHOW on Fox. Not that I'd begrudge Stiller his lucrative movie career, but that was a terrific sketch cast.

 

Buck Henry was not involved on WTWR, like he was on Get Smart, per IMDB.

 

Never even heard of this show, but I watched that entire episode. You gotta love Cassavetes, I'm gonna watch more!

 

I'm already seven episodes into "Johnny Staccato" I love this show. Cassavetes is the coolest private eye ever! And his naturalism really shine in contrast to the old school thespians playing the characters.

 

I've only seen one episode of Johnny Staccato, I should definitely check out more when I get a little free time. Love the first-person hard-boiled narration!

 

Cassavetes just shines as the hipster private eye with a heart of gold. He looks about 25 and definitely would have appealed to the hipster crowd back in the early 60s He's like a young bogart, dangerous and a bit of a dandy with woman-killer good looks (oh, I wonder what that would be like?) but he's also Bowery Boy pure of heart and social-aware of things like teen pregnancy. It's a beautiful little show. I never saw this film of young Cassavetes. He lights up every scene with this heartfelt energy, and he is always absolutely believable. You know this was the start of the youth culture, because it's almost at times like we're in on a private generational with him, chuckling, and winking all the old school fogies on stage with 20-something Cassavetes, jazz musician, SJW, hipster PI . The best showcase ever for a young actor. I was blown away by Cassavetes' absolutely magnetic personality in this show. $%^& that hambone, James Dean.

Oh, the episode with Gena Rollins, oh what perfection she was!