Anyone remember "Turn On"? (from the '60s)

It was ABC's answer to Laugh-In. It lasted one episode. It had tons of promo, and it was horrible. The only thing I remember about it is that I seem to recall that the commercials were worked into the program. I don't have a specific recollection of this, it's just stuck in my head.

I do remember that even back then, before the internet and cable and all of that stuff, there was such an uproar that ABC killed it on the spot. Pretty amazing, actually.

 

It was--perhaps the ultimate one-shot TV show of its time(very rare back then, I think Jackie Gleason's YOU'RE IN THE PICTURE is the only other show that suffered a similar fate, being just plain bad).

The irony about TURN-ON was that George Schlatter, the mastermind behind ROWAN AND MARTIN'S LAUGH-IN and, later, REAL PEOPLE in the 80's(is that the right title?), was the brains behind this dud. This is what Brooks & Marsh wrote in their "Directory Of Prime-Time TV Shows":

"Despite the ballyhoo, what it turned out to be was an excercise in extremely bad taste. When the show's rampant sexual double-entendres and complete depersonalization led many ABC affiliates to refuse to carry it after the first telecast, and Bristol-Myers dropped sponsorship, it was canceled."


Tim Conway was the first and only guest star; among what would have been regulars was Teresa Graves(also of LAUGH-IN), Chuck McCann, and Mel Stuart, who I believe went on to play the original George Jefferson on ALL IN THE FAMILY. Airdate was February 5, 1969, 8:30-9pm.


ED

 

I just remembered. It was not the commercials at odd parts of the show, it was THE CREDITS!! Man, that was weird!