The Secret Circle
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telegonus — 9 years ago(July 02, 2016 12:28 AM)
I'm late to the party, but better late than never. Favorite shows that didn't last more than a season:
Mr. Lucky, Frontier Circus, G.E. True, I'm Dickens, He's Fenster, The Everglades, The Gallant Men, Ripcord, East Side, West Side, The Rogues, The Trials Of O'Brien, Hawk
(1966 Burt Reynolds series filmed in NYC, lasted about half a season), and from much later,
James At 15/16
, which I believed ran for just one full season, changed its title in mid-season when James had a birthday. Excellent show, the brainchild of novelist Dan Wakefield. -
amyghost — 9 years ago(September 17, 2016 06:43 AM)
James
was one of those groundbreaking shows, like the longer-lived
Family
, that are almost completely forgotten today but which were instrumental in setting the tone for more 'adult' intelligent television drama content in the modern era.
Because the series has remained so hugely popular in syndication, people often forget that
The Honeymooners
lasted just one season as a stand-alone show (not counting the segments produced for the old Jackie Gleason variety show).
50 Is The New Cutoff Age. -
telegonus — 9 years ago(September 17, 2016 10:26 AM)
Yes, Amyghost:
The Honeymooners
(1955-56 season) wasn't a success when it was first broadcast despite the skit itself being hugely popular on Jackie Gleason's variety show a few years earlier. One curious thing about that show is that it was based on something already fondly remembered by TV viewers, thus the syndicated hit it became was based on some kind of (what to call it?
) collective memory, which in turn became part of a much larger collective memory, which then, the mid-60s went on to become an hour long musical show in color that also enjoyed great success at the time, seems nearly forgotten now.
The Honeymooners
"canonical" season is that one from 1955-56 despite its having been around much earlier, then again, revived much later. I can't resist a comment that much of the appeal of the show seemed to be (less so now, I would imagine) its capturing of a great Depression era mood, putting it on film, with an astonishing exactitude, serving it up to the viewer in the form of comedy, romance and more than a touch of nostalgia that retains its charm even today. -
amyghost — 9 years ago(September 18, 2016 06:28 AM)
That wonderfully bleak set, with the awful kitchen, and the never-seen bedroom. Norton must have been far more affluent as a sewer worker, since the occasions when he and Trixie's apartment were shown, they certainly appeared to live in far less dire circumstances than the Kramdens
.
Interesting how the series had already been a popular audience favorite via The Jackie Gleason show, but failed to win over that same audience as a stand-alone. The only other two series I can think of which were spun off from skits on pre-existing variety shows are The Simpsons and the syndicated Mama's Family, both of which have enjoyed great success and gone on to far outlive their parent productions (The Tracy Ullman Show and The Carol Burnett Show, respectively). That could be a topic for a thread in itself: series which were spun off from skits on variety shows. Can anyone think of any others?
50 Is The New Cutoff Age. -
danielstewart-99148 — 9 years ago(September 24, 2016 06:07 PM)
I didn't see much of it, I can't even find on Youtube, but Cupid with Jeremy Piven was really good from what I saw. It gets a 7.8 overall rating. It would be somewhat dark for most of the show and then resolve well. To me, Jeremy Piven gave it a sort of Bruce Wills from Moonlighting feel.
The Prisoner from the 1960s is must viewing, though it was pushed to being 17 episodes by TV executives, so could have made an even better mini-series.
I didn't know The Jetsons or The Honeymooners were only one season, that is surprising.
Firefly was amazing, it took me a few episodes to warm up to, as I watched it after Battle Star Galactica, which is one my favorites and darker, but it and Serendipity are Sci-Fi classics. Mentioning BSG does make me note that I wish Caprica could of had another season.
Rome was really good, and even though 2 seasons, I wish HBO had given them more time and not rushed to put it all into 2nd season. -
LorqVonRay1999 — 2 years ago(November 26, 2023 07:15 AM)
Police Squad! (1982)
Firefly (2002)
The Adventures of Brisco County Jr (1993)
Battlestar Galactica (1978)
Miss Guided (2008)
Tales of the Gold Monkey (1982)
The Lieutenant (1963)
The Flash (1990)
Logan's Run (1977)