Here's a list of some from the 70s:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/1970s-shows-we-wish-we-could-forget/ss-AA1whgHM?ocid=socialshare&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3BP7tO3J5qMTIAtxZLGTeJDlQ5N74PAGAIx5rLQZ8QxQo_sqrbCa1DZf4_aem__LzB1e47ISc2DZw_mR5bdA#image=40
Other fun facts about some of these shows:
1. In the Beginning and Hello Larry were two of four sitcoms McLean Stevenson starred in since leaving MASH. The McLean Stevenson Show and Condo were the others. All aired while MASH was still in production (though MASH ended before Condo)
2. All That Glitters featured the first transgender character on TV. She was played by Linda Gray, who would begin her far more iconic role of Sue Ellen on Dallas a year later.
3. The response to 3's a Crowd (the game show) was a rare instance of conservative religious groups and feminist groups joining forces.
4. Co-Ed Fever was CBS's attempt to cash in on frat comedies inspired by Animal House. In fact, all three networks were doing this. ABC's entry was Delta House, which was the "official" adaptation of Animal House, featuring much of the film's cast, and was the acting debut of Michelle Pfeiffer. NBC's was Brothers and Sisters, which featured Chris Lemmon (Jack's son) and Mary Crosby (daughter of Bing, and later portrayer of Kristin Shepherd, JR Ewing's would be assassin on Dallas). All premiered in January 1979, and all were gone by April, with Delta House lasting the longest.
5. Supertrain was not just expensive, but so expensive it nearly bankrupted NBC. It was an attempt to be the "Love Boat on rails" (Love Boat premiered on ABC--ironically, during Silverman's tenure on that network). The network, then under the leadership of Fred Silverman (who had run all three networks at some point), was struggling to survive. Silverman's tenure was rocky, full of poor decisions. Little House on the Prairie and CHiPs were the only two hits at the time, though Diffrent Strokes and Facts of Life would premiere during this time as well.
In addition to Supertrain, NBC was cranking out flop after flop, including the aforementioned Hello Larry (see entry #1), Pink Lady and Jeff (a variety show at a time when such shows were on the decline--Google it to read more about what a colossal trainwreck it was), and the disastrous 6th season of Saturday Night Live. Also, in addition to Supertrain's prohibitively high production costs, NBC had lost potential revenue due to the boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics.
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09 Feb 2025, 5:47 am
