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October 11, 2021 4:53 pm  #1


Do You Remember These Thanksgiving TV Turkeys?

Not only are they obscure shows, some of them didn't even last a season. Sometimes it was the timeslot. Sometimes it was the show itself. Sometimes it was the competition. And sometimes it was a combination of all three. Here are some TV turkeys you won't want to warm up as leftovers. 

1969 - It never got old.  
An early version of "Lost" never got found. 



1974 - Lands with a thud
Another story about new beginnings gets a sudden end. Not even a young Snake Plisken could save this one. 



1975 - Out of sight
David McCallum no longer cries "U.N.C.L.E." but stars in a show called "The Invisible Man." It's an appropriate title, because no one ever sees it. 



1976 - If at first you don't succeed...
The invisible gimmick didn't work for McCallum, so why not replace him and try again. Didn't work the second time around, either.



1974 - Not hitting it out of the park
Who wouldn't want to watch a show that takes place every week in a national park? Turns out, just about everybody.



1985, 1993 - You gotta have "Friends"
But at the time, she didn't. Courtney Cox finally hit the big time after these two disasters.




1985 - How you doin'? Turns out, not so good. 
In the same year that Cox flopped, so did Matt ("Matthew") LeBlanc.



1993 - Before the Friday Night Lights Came On
And before Ben Affleck became a star. 



1987 - Hair today, gone tomorrow
Before there was George Costanza, there was Jason Alexander with hair. But that's about the only thing memorable about this show. 


1979 - S-tarred & Feathered
Before they were famous, Jim Belushi and Michael Keaton at least got the title right. It was a stiff and soon they weren't working. 

 

October 11, 2021 11:14 pm  #2


Re: Do You Remember These Thanksgiving TV Turkeys?

TV 101 was actually pretty good.

 

October 12, 2021 7:47 am  #3


Re: Do You Remember These Thanksgiving TV Turkeys?

I remember The New People only because I was waiting for the second 45 minute series entitled The Music Scene to air. Both series lasted only 17 episodes and were gone by January 1970. Perhaps because of their CBS competition? Then #2 Gunsmoke and #6 Here's Lucy.

 

October 12, 2021 5:52 pm  #4


Re: Do You Remember These Thanksgiving TV Turkeys?

Tomas Barlow wrote:

TV 101 was actually pretty good.

You're not wrong about that. I remember enjoying it as well, although it didn't last long, so my memory is a bit hazy. 

Here are a few more TV turkeys, that got the stuffing beaten out of them. 

1993 - Insult To Injury
Outside of CPO Sharkey, Don Rickles never managed to find a TV vehicle that worked for him. This one was no exception.



1989 - These Neighbours Moved Out Quickly
I actually like the idea of this one - although it turned out to be beyond "imagination."



1987 - If at first you don't succeed...
They did try again. There's very little difference between this show and the current ABC hit "The Rookie."



1988 - If at first you don't succeed, part II
Hudson and Rex anyone? This one wasn't on City but CTV. 



1986 - Great cast, terrible show
They weren't on "Easy Street" for long.



1978 - Beyond Belief
Norman Lear of All In The Family fame and McLean Stevenson of MASH. What could wrong? Turns out, plenty. 



1973 - Speaking of McLean Stevenson...
An obvious MASH clone. But it didn't win the ratings war.



1969 - Stop the music!
This actually sounds like it could have been interesting if they'd done it right. They didn't. 



1968 - Slave drivers
A former slave and a former slave owner forced to work together. Talk about strange bedfellows. Except nobody talked about it much at all. Can you imagine anyone proposing this show today?



1995 - A good idea that didn't work
I remember this show and liked it quite a bit. But it went Nowhere, Man



1983- Monkey Business
Why does TV never seem to learn that shows starring chimps and monkeys never reach an ape-x? 

     Thread Starter
 

October 13, 2021 8:41 am  #5


Re: Do You Remember These Thanksgiving TV Turkeys?

Unlike CBS's "The Oldest Rookie" which lasted 14 episodes, ABC's "The Rookie" is currently in its 4th season.