Space: Above and Beyond....Fox should've done the original plan to have it on Fridays at 8, as the lead-in to the X-Files. Instead, they had it on Sunday nights, not only after NFL Football, but opposite 60 Minutes. Uneven start times, lackluster promotion, and infighting among producers led to the show getting the axe. If it had been on Fridays as originally intended, it would've had a much longer run.
Alternate histories of TV shows
- Thread starter AltSptHst
- Start date
First two quotes are from Wikipedia, third is a transcript of the Late Late Show.
Wikipedia said:
Wikipedia said:
The Late Late Show transcript said:
WarBastard
Banned
Weeds is changed so the main character grows a disgusting new altered DNA weed called an Anusplant
[In OTL, the BBCtv show ‘Butterflies’ was a situation comedy centred around a housewife, Ria Parkinson, who was bored and confused by her lifestyle]
BUTTERFLIES (1970)
A 12 part series from the BBC following the adventures of a team of scientists and soldiers who travel through time in an attempt to reverse the effects of a time travel observational mission to the Egypt of the Pharaohs. That mission went disastrously wrong when one of the time travellers accidently caused the death of a worker engaged on construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza. This caused a ripple effect which led to the world suffering a nuclear holocaust in the 1950s.
Led jointly by the scientist Donald Evans (played by Patrick Troughton) and soldier Rupert Seymour (Gerald Harper), with romantic interest supplied by a female engineer, Julie Macauley (Ingrid Pitt), the team move through time from ancient Egypt to D-Day in a frantic attempt to eliminate the changes to history. Those changes are referred to as ‘the butterfly effect’ and thus the team christen themselves ‘The Butterfly Catchers’.
Despite the popularity of the series, the writers (Donald Cotton and Terry Nation) declined the opportunity for a second series.
BUTTERFLIES (1970)
A 12 part series from the BBC following the adventures of a team of scientists and soldiers who travel through time in an attempt to reverse the effects of a time travel observational mission to the Egypt of the Pharaohs. That mission went disastrously wrong when one of the time travellers accidently caused the death of a worker engaged on construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza. This caused a ripple effect which led to the world suffering a nuclear holocaust in the 1950s.
Led jointly by the scientist Donald Evans (played by Patrick Troughton) and soldier Rupert Seymour (Gerald Harper), with romantic interest supplied by a female engineer, Julie Macauley (Ingrid Pitt), the team move through time from ancient Egypt to D-Day in a frantic attempt to eliminate the changes to history. Those changes are referred to as ‘the butterfly effect’ and thus the team christen themselves ‘The Butterfly Catchers’.
Despite the popularity of the series, the writers (Donald Cotton and Terry Nation) declined the opportunity for a second series.
The Dana Carvey Show is a satirical TV program airing Thursdays at 10 pm on FOX in the United States. Dana Carvey, its host, left SCTV in 1996 after a series of creative differences with NBC over his desire to introduce more subversive and experimental forms of comedy into SCTV, which in its then 15th year was considered the standard-bearer of American sketch comedy. Carvey brought with him several SCTV alumni, a talent drain that ultimately resulted in SCTV's cancellation the following year. Its opening-season cast starred SCTV alumni:
- Steve Carell (1996-1999; The Virgin; Anchorman; Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind)
- Stephen Colbert (1996-2002; The Daily Show with Stephen Colbert; Harvey Birdman: the Movie)
- Elon Gold (1996-2000; Clerks: The Cartoon)
- Norm MacDonald (1996-present)
- Heather Morgan (1996-2001; Animal Planet's Dog-Gone Funny)
- Robert Smigel (1996-present)
Critics claim that Dana Carvey has grown excessively absurd in recent years, citing, for example, a skit in which Senator Barack Obama nurses puppies with breast milk, and the infamous recurring "Master of Disguise" character. However, the show continues to receive wide praise for discovering new talent, many of whom go on to successful solo careers. In addition to its SCTV alumni, the show is credited with discovering:
- Charlie Kaufmann (1996-1998; Being John Malkovich; Human Nature; Adaptation.; Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind)
- Louis CK (1996-2002; The Daily Show with Stephen Colbert)
- The Onion News Team (1996-2002)
- Tracy Morgan (1997-2003; The Stove Top Show)
- Jimmy Fallon (1999-2005; The Late Late Show With Jon Stewart)
- Amy Sedaris (1999-2003; Strangers with Candy; The Amy & David Show)
- Michael Ouweleen (2000-2005; Harvey Birdman: the Movie)
- Jon Hamm (2002-2004; LOST)
- Lewis Black (2003-2009; The Black Humor Comedy Tour)
- Sarah Silverman (2003-2008; Late Night With Jimmy Kimmel)
- Dmitri Martin (2006-present)
- Aziz Ansari (2006-present)
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Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1989, 1990-1992) -- the first spinoff series of the original "Star Trek". Starring Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Jonathan Frakes as First Officer Bill Ryker, the original cast also included Denise Crosby as Counsellor Deanna Troi and Marina Sirtis as Security Chief Macha Hernandez (an obvious ripoff of Vasquez from Aliens).
The first season's penultimate episode "Conspiracy" saw the rather under-utilised main character Worf being killed off (at the hands of the possessed Admiral Quinn); the beginning of the second season saw further cast changes, with Deanna Troi and Dr Beverly Crusher both being written out of the show (due to Denise Crosby quitting and Gates McFadden being fired) and the latter being replaced by Dr Kate Pulaski (Diana Muldaur), and the character of Data becoming the ship's Chief Engineer (with former Conn Officer Geordi LaForge taking over at Operations).
Although the show was renewed for a second season on the strength of having a ready-made fanbase, the first two seasons were not well-received and the show was put on hiatus. Eventually, a television movie was commissioned, Star Trek: The Next Generation -- The Best of Both Worlds, with Gates McFadden returning as Dr Crusher. The television movie aired in early 1990 to wide acclaim, and the show was renewed for a third season.
However, Patrick Stewart decided not to return as a main cast member, making a guest appearance in the two-part season premiere to explain his character taking a leave of absence from Starfleet to recover from his ordeal with the Borg and to work on the Atlantis Project on Earth. Jonathan Frakes took over as the main star, with Bill Ryker becoming Captain of the Enterprise and Paula Shelby (Elizabeth Dennehy), a guest character in the television movie, becoming First Officer. The character of Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) also departed in the third season premiere, leaving the ship for Starfleet Academy. Captain Picard would make a guest appearance later that season in the episode "QPid", which involved Q forcing him and the crew of the Enterprise into a Robin Hood scenario with Dr Crusher in the role of Maid Marian -- at the end of the episode, it is indicated that Picard will return to Starfleet.
The fourth season saw the introduction of Ensign Robin Lefler (Ashley Judd) as the new Conn Officer. Patrick Stewart also made four guest appearances over the fourth season with Picard as the captain of a new starship: in the season premiere (part two of the Klingon Civil War arc), in the episode "The First Duty" (which also guest-starred Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher), and the two-part finale. The fourth season also saw the introduction of recurring villain Commander Sela, played by Denise Crosby, as a personal foil to Captain Ryker (particularly for her uncanny resemblance to his old flame).
The show was concluded at the end of the fourth season, having aired 100 episodes (including the television movie). The two-part series finale featured Commanders Tomalak and Sela as the main villains (the former being killed off at the end), and included the cliffhanger of the Enterprise's saucer section crashing down onto a planet's surface.
The series continued in the form of several movies, with the Enterprise having been redesigned with a new saucer section (in order to make it look more cinematic and less disproportionate, a complaint that had been circling around behind-the-scenes for most of the series). The first film, The Next Generation: All Good Things, was released in late 1993.
The first season's penultimate episode "Conspiracy" saw the rather under-utilised main character Worf being killed off (at the hands of the possessed Admiral Quinn); the beginning of the second season saw further cast changes, with Deanna Troi and Dr Beverly Crusher both being written out of the show (due to Denise Crosby quitting and Gates McFadden being fired) and the latter being replaced by Dr Kate Pulaski (Diana Muldaur), and the character of Data becoming the ship's Chief Engineer (with former Conn Officer Geordi LaForge taking over at Operations).
Although the show was renewed for a second season on the strength of having a ready-made fanbase, the first two seasons were not well-received and the show was put on hiatus. Eventually, a television movie was commissioned, Star Trek: The Next Generation -- The Best of Both Worlds, with Gates McFadden returning as Dr Crusher. The television movie aired in early 1990 to wide acclaim, and the show was renewed for a third season.
However, Patrick Stewart decided not to return as a main cast member, making a guest appearance in the two-part season premiere to explain his character taking a leave of absence from Starfleet to recover from his ordeal with the Borg and to work on the Atlantis Project on Earth. Jonathan Frakes took over as the main star, with Bill Ryker becoming Captain of the Enterprise and Paula Shelby (Elizabeth Dennehy), a guest character in the television movie, becoming First Officer. The character of Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) also departed in the third season premiere, leaving the ship for Starfleet Academy. Captain Picard would make a guest appearance later that season in the episode "QPid", which involved Q forcing him and the crew of the Enterprise into a Robin Hood scenario with Dr Crusher in the role of Maid Marian -- at the end of the episode, it is indicated that Picard will return to Starfleet.
The fourth season saw the introduction of Ensign Robin Lefler (Ashley Judd) as the new Conn Officer. Patrick Stewart also made four guest appearances over the fourth season with Picard as the captain of a new starship: in the season premiere (part two of the Klingon Civil War arc), in the episode "The First Duty" (which also guest-starred Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher), and the two-part finale. The fourth season also saw the introduction of recurring villain Commander Sela, played by Denise Crosby, as a personal foil to Captain Ryker (particularly for her uncanny resemblance to his old flame).
The show was concluded at the end of the fourth season, having aired 100 episodes (including the television movie). The two-part series finale featured Commanders Tomalak and Sela as the main villains (the former being killed off at the end), and included the cliffhanger of the Enterprise's saucer section crashing down onto a planet's surface.
The series continued in the form of several movies, with the Enterprise having been redesigned with a new saucer section (in order to make it look more cinematic and less disproportionate, a complaint that had been circling around behind-the-scenes for most of the series). The first film, The Next Generation: All Good Things, was released in late 1993.
And now the alternate history of the 1980's Break the Bank
Hosts:
Gene Rayburn (Sep. 16, 1985-Dec. 20, 1985)
Joe Farago (Dec. 23, 1985-June 16, 1989)
Announcer: Michael Hanks
Assistants:
Kandace Kuehl (first week only)
Julie Hayek (September 23, 1985-January 1986)
Airdate: Sep. 16, 1985-Jun.. 16, 1989
Packagers: Kline and Friends Inc., in association with D.L. Blair Entertainment
Origination: Hollywood Center Studios
Opening Spiel (Oct.-Dec. 1985, Feb. 1986-end of run):
"This is our Prize Vault! Behind these doors is a fortune in cash, fabulous prizes, a brand-new car, and television's most exciting, fun-filled bonus game!"
(clips of bonus round are shown)
"A test of knowledge will open these vault doors for one of our lucky couples as they try to...Break the Bank!"
PREMISE: Two teams solved word puzzles for the chance to play one of the most inane bonus rounds in TV history.
RULES:
Two male-female teams (husband/wife, boyfriend/girlfriend, friends, etc.) are asked up to 6 questions, the answers to which serve as clues leading to the identity of a person, place, or thing (a la "Password Plus"). Correct answers to the questions earn seconds for use in the bonus round (more on that later); the values of each question are as follows:
Question #1: 5 secs.
Question #2: 10 secs.
Question #3: 20 secs.
Question #4: 40 secs.
Question #5: 50 secs.
Question #6: 100 secs.
Each time a team correctly answers a question, the answer is put up on the gameboard, and the team gets a chance to guess at the puzzle (if neither team gives the correct answer, the clue is put up on the board w/no one allowed to guess, and they move on to the next question). If their guess is incorrect, they are disqualified from answering the next question, but if correct, they win the round.
The first team to solve 2 puzzles wins the game and goes on to play the bonus round; if both teams are tied after the 2nd puzzle, a 3rd "tiebreaker" puzzle is played. For the tiebreaker puzzle, there are no questions asked; the clues are simply revealed one at a time, and the first team to buzz in with the correct solution wins the game and an additional 30 seconds.
BONUS ROUND:
The winning team heads into the Prize Vault for a chance to win prizes and "bank cards" (more on those later) by performing stunts (their term, "events") including:
Identifying sports being performed by a mime
Having the male teammate, while blindfolded, answer questions about both his and his partner's clothing.
Reciting a tongue twister 3 times in a row, flawlessly.
While blindfolded, naming foods and other items by their smell.
A frequent feature was the appearance of celebrity look-alikes and real-life celebrities in the Prize Vault, who participated in the events. Such examples included:
Comedian Louise DuArt doing celebrity impersonations for the contestant to identify.
A Michael Jackson clone asking questions about his musical career.
JM J. Bullock reciting a riddle that the contestant had to solve.
A Princess Diana clone asking questions about British slang terms.
At the start of the bonus round, the team is placed behind a podium at stage right. Each of the 8 events is worth a prize, and when the clock starts (w/the toal number of seconds they had earned in the maingame), the team selects a prize and runs over to the area of the set where the corresponding event is to be performed (the clock stops as the host explains the rules of that event and starts again as the event begins).
If they successfully complete the event, they win that prize and one of 5 bank cards (there are 5 offered w/each of the 8 events, for a total of 40), and then run back to their podium to place the bank card in a slot; doing so adds the value of that prize to their total, which was displayed on the front of the podium (the team has to get the card in the slot to get the prize and the bank card, or else it won't count; there were numerous occasions where a team successfully completed an event, only to lose the prize and bank card attatched to it because they failed to get the card into the slot before time ran out).
After getting the card in the podium slot, they choose another prize, run over to the area of the set where that event takes place, and continue in this same manner until time runs out.
(NOTE: Also in the Prize Vault is the "Number Jumbler"; if the team chooses a predetermined event, a special sound is heard, and one of the players must run over to the Number Jumbler, which randomly flashes numbers from 0 to 5 in a rapid-fire fashion, with the player pressing a button to lock in a number [a la "Press Your Luck"]; depending on what number comes up, the team could recieve anywhere from 0 to 5 additional bank cards)
Now, the team goes over to the Bank Vault with the bank cards they had won. Each card has a code number attatched to it, and one (and only one) of the 40 cards up for grabs, if chosen, has a code # which will "break the bank", which begins w/$20,000 in cash and prizes and has an additional $500 and two prizes added to it for each day that it is not won (throughout the course of this segment, the host would frequently offer a prize or cash substitute as a "sure thing" in exchange for the bank cards), Winning Teams stay on until defeated or if they won more than $75,000 in cash and prizes (whichever came first); any winnings in excess of the $75K limit were donated to the contestants' favorite charity by the production company.
In January of 1986, shortly after Joe Farago took over as host and Julie Hayek left the show but will later participate in some stunts in the prize vault, a change in the scoring system adds cash for the maingame along with seconds, as well as in the structure of the maingame, as folllows:
Each correct answer in puzzle #1 is worth $100 apiece and seconds (see above), as is solving the puzzle.
Each correct answer in puzzle #2 is worth $200 apiece and seconds (see above), as is solving the puzzle.
The first team to solve 2 puzzles wins the game and goes on to play the bonus round and advances to the bonus round, all teams keep their money
Also if the championship team won on the next show, they returned to the Prize Vault and start all over again from scratch with 40 bank cards., also if a team broke the bank the team will come back in the next show but with an additional 5 seconds for every unclaimed bank card if they broke the bank (for a maximum of 70 seconds), but if they broke the bank Balloons will not fall
But the result is a success Joe Farago decided to continue hosting in the 1986-87 season, but with several changes
- Winning Teams now stay on until defeated or reached/exceeded the $100,000 Mark
- In order to fix the gameplay both teams start at :30 seconds
- Bob Hilton replaces Michael Hanks as announcer
- Starting point in our bank is now $10,000 in Cash and Prizes (instead of $20,000)
The Show aired along with another Kline and Friends game show Strike It Rich hosted by Former MLB Catcher of the St. Louis Cardinals Joe Garagiola, but in the Strike It Rich got the axe, and Break The Bank survived for the 1987-1988 season thanks to the success of Nickelodeon's Double Dare, with as 2 teams of 2 format switches to a celeb/civillian format.
But with FOX O&O's picking up the syndicated show (Including WNYW in New York, KTTV in Los Angeles, WFLD in Chicago) Ratings continued to do well for the 1988-1989 season, as it will be partnered with Double Dare syndicated via Viacom, but as a result as Break The Bank left the air but on September 1989, as the succesor show Celebrity Double Dare hosted by Bruce Jenner and Bob Hilton Announcing.
Hosts:
Gene Rayburn (Sep. 16, 1985-Dec. 20, 1985)
Joe Farago (Dec. 23, 1985-June 16, 1989)
Announcer: Michael Hanks
Assistants:
Kandace Kuehl (first week only)
Julie Hayek (September 23, 1985-January 1986)
Airdate: Sep. 16, 1985-Jun.. 16, 1989
Packagers: Kline and Friends Inc., in association with D.L. Blair Entertainment
Origination: Hollywood Center Studios
Opening Spiel (Oct.-Dec. 1985, Feb. 1986-end of run):
"This is our Prize Vault! Behind these doors is a fortune in cash, fabulous prizes, a brand-new car, and television's most exciting, fun-filled bonus game!"
(clips of bonus round are shown)
"A test of knowledge will open these vault doors for one of our lucky couples as they try to...Break the Bank!"
PREMISE: Two teams solved word puzzles for the chance to play one of the most inane bonus rounds in TV history.
RULES:
Two male-female teams (husband/wife, boyfriend/girlfriend, friends, etc.) are asked up to 6 questions, the answers to which serve as clues leading to the identity of a person, place, or thing (a la "Password Plus"). Correct answers to the questions earn seconds for use in the bonus round (more on that later); the values of each question are as follows:
Question #1: 5 secs.
Question #2: 10 secs.
Question #3: 20 secs.
Question #4: 40 secs.
Question #5: 50 secs.
Question #6: 100 secs.
Each time a team correctly answers a question, the answer is put up on the gameboard, and the team gets a chance to guess at the puzzle (if neither team gives the correct answer, the clue is put up on the board w/no one allowed to guess, and they move on to the next question). If their guess is incorrect, they are disqualified from answering the next question, but if correct, they win the round.
The first team to solve 2 puzzles wins the game and goes on to play the bonus round; if both teams are tied after the 2nd puzzle, a 3rd "tiebreaker" puzzle is played. For the tiebreaker puzzle, there are no questions asked; the clues are simply revealed one at a time, and the first team to buzz in with the correct solution wins the game and an additional 30 seconds.
BONUS ROUND:
The winning team heads into the Prize Vault for a chance to win prizes and "bank cards" (more on those later) by performing stunts (their term, "events") including:
Identifying sports being performed by a mime
Having the male teammate, while blindfolded, answer questions about both his and his partner's clothing.
Reciting a tongue twister 3 times in a row, flawlessly.
While blindfolded, naming foods and other items by their smell.
A frequent feature was the appearance of celebrity look-alikes and real-life celebrities in the Prize Vault, who participated in the events. Such examples included:
Comedian Louise DuArt doing celebrity impersonations for the contestant to identify.
A Michael Jackson clone asking questions about his musical career.
JM J. Bullock reciting a riddle that the contestant had to solve.
A Princess Diana clone asking questions about British slang terms.
At the start of the bonus round, the team is placed behind a podium at stage right. Each of the 8 events is worth a prize, and when the clock starts (w/the toal number of seconds they had earned in the maingame), the team selects a prize and runs over to the area of the set where the corresponding event is to be performed (the clock stops as the host explains the rules of that event and starts again as the event begins).
If they successfully complete the event, they win that prize and one of 5 bank cards (there are 5 offered w/each of the 8 events, for a total of 40), and then run back to their podium to place the bank card in a slot; doing so adds the value of that prize to their total, which was displayed on the front of the podium (the team has to get the card in the slot to get the prize and the bank card, or else it won't count; there were numerous occasions where a team successfully completed an event, only to lose the prize and bank card attatched to it because they failed to get the card into the slot before time ran out).
After getting the card in the podium slot, they choose another prize, run over to the area of the set where that event takes place, and continue in this same manner until time runs out.
(NOTE: Also in the Prize Vault is the "Number Jumbler"; if the team chooses a predetermined event, a special sound is heard, and one of the players must run over to the Number Jumbler, which randomly flashes numbers from 0 to 5 in a rapid-fire fashion, with the player pressing a button to lock in a number [a la "Press Your Luck"]; depending on what number comes up, the team could recieve anywhere from 0 to 5 additional bank cards)
Now, the team goes over to the Bank Vault with the bank cards they had won. Each card has a code number attatched to it, and one (and only one) of the 40 cards up for grabs, if chosen, has a code # which will "break the bank", which begins w/$20,000 in cash and prizes and has an additional $500 and two prizes added to it for each day that it is not won (throughout the course of this segment, the host would frequently offer a prize or cash substitute as a "sure thing" in exchange for the bank cards), Winning Teams stay on until defeated or if they won more than $75,000 in cash and prizes (whichever came first); any winnings in excess of the $75K limit were donated to the contestants' favorite charity by the production company.
In January of 1986, shortly after Joe Farago took over as host and Julie Hayek left the show but will later participate in some stunts in the prize vault, a change in the scoring system adds cash for the maingame along with seconds, as well as in the structure of the maingame, as folllows:
Each correct answer in puzzle #1 is worth $100 apiece and seconds (see above), as is solving the puzzle.
Each correct answer in puzzle #2 is worth $200 apiece and seconds (see above), as is solving the puzzle.
The first team to solve 2 puzzles wins the game and goes on to play the bonus round and advances to the bonus round, all teams keep their money
Also if the championship team won on the next show, they returned to the Prize Vault and start all over again from scratch with 40 bank cards., also if a team broke the bank the team will come back in the next show but with an additional 5 seconds for every unclaimed bank card if they broke the bank (for a maximum of 70 seconds), but if they broke the bank Balloons will not fall
But the result is a success Joe Farago decided to continue hosting in the 1986-87 season, but with several changes
- Winning Teams now stay on until defeated or reached/exceeded the $100,000 Mark
- In order to fix the gameplay both teams start at :30 seconds
- Bob Hilton replaces Michael Hanks as announcer
- Starting point in our bank is now $10,000 in Cash and Prizes (instead of $20,000)
The Show aired along with another Kline and Friends game show Strike It Rich hosted by Former MLB Catcher of the St. Louis Cardinals Joe Garagiola, but in the Strike It Rich got the axe, and Break The Bank survived for the 1987-1988 season thanks to the success of Nickelodeon's Double Dare, with as 2 teams of 2 format switches to a celeb/civillian format.
But with FOX O&O's picking up the syndicated show (Including WNYW in New York, KTTV in Los Angeles, WFLD in Chicago) Ratings continued to do well for the 1988-1989 season, as it will be partnered with Double Dare syndicated via Viacom, but as a result as Break The Bank left the air but on September 1989, as the succesor show Celebrity Double Dare hosted by Bruce Jenner and Bob Hilton Announcing.
During the 1970s, a group of SF fans pool their money, buy shares of Berkshire Hathaway and other blue chip stocks, holding their shares through thick and thin for 20 years. They intended to make their own, really good blockbuster movie. But then when the SCI-FI Channel goes on the air, they sell their other shares and buy shares of whatever company owned NBC.
Then they selected one of their number to go to a shareholder's meeting with his thousands or millions of shares, he successfully campaigns to be the head of the SCI-FI Channel, and it becomes respectable.
The channel has no pro wrestling, but it does cover many SF conventions, has a talk show hosted by Stan Lee and Forrey Ackerman before he died; it has movies based on classics; the movie version of The Wizard of Earthsea gets several Emmys. It does cover a little bit of fringe stuff, seriously.
The channel does have a sense of humor. It does have sitcoms based on material by Terry Pratchett and others. It has the occasional silly movie about Santa Claus vs. Dracula or some such, but few people accuse those movies of being unspeakable trash.
Then they selected one of their number to go to a shareholder's meeting with his thousands or millions of shares, he successfully campaigns to be the head of the SCI-FI Channel, and it becomes respectable.
The channel has no pro wrestling, but it does cover many SF conventions, has a talk show hosted by Stan Lee and Forrey Ackerman before he died; it has movies based on classics; the movie version of The Wizard of Earthsea gets several Emmys. It does cover a little bit of fringe stuff, seriously.
The channel does have a sense of humor. It does have sitcoms based on material by Terry Pratchett and others. It has the occasional silly movie about Santa Claus vs. Dracula or some such, but few people accuse those movies of being unspeakable trash.
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WestVirginiaRebel
Banned
The Twilight Zone is renewed for a sixth season in 1965 with the episode "Pattern for Doomsday" based on a Charles Beaumont script. Harlan Ellison is brought in as one of the writers, and writes some of the series' best scripts, including the controversial "Nackles" which earns him an Emmy.
The Incredible Hulk airs for two more seasons before being canceled in 1985, and introduces other Marvel characters into the series including Iron Man, Thor, and Spiderman.
The Incredible Hulk airs for two more seasons before being canceled in 1985, and introduces other Marvel characters into the series including Iron Man, Thor, and Spiderman.
Rob Grant and Doug Naylor have more control over the making of the US pilot of Red Dwarf and manage to persuade Chris Barrie to reprise his roll of Rimmer. They recognise that there is no point just refilming the British series - they need to do something different. One way of doing this is changing the characters of most of the remaining main parts. They cast Craig Bierko in the roll of Lister and manage to get Terry Farrell to play the Cat instead of Hinton Battle. Robert Llewellyn is cast as Kryten and Jane Leeves as Holly.
They manage to get the series commissioned and the first season is reasonably popular, although most fans still prefer the UK version. Due to falling ratings the series is cancelled half way through the second season.
Cheers,
Nigel.
They manage to get the series commissioned and the first season is reasonably popular, although most fans still prefer the UK version. Due to falling ratings the series is cancelled half way through the second season.
Cheers,
Nigel.
Grace Brothers gos out of bisness
Are You Being Searved ends when Grace Brothers gos out of bisness. With the shift of retail out of central London people shop elsewere. With the deaths of the two Grace brothers, due to natural causes, age ect. the leadership that held it together disappears. A suitable buyer dosn't come foreward. And so " We deeply reget to inform you that Grace Brothers will cease operation....."
Are You Being Searved ends when Grace Brothers gos out of bisness. With the shift of retail out of central London people shop elsewere. With the deaths of the two Grace brothers, due to natural causes, age ect. the leadership that held it together disappears. A suitable buyer dosn't come foreward. And so " We deeply reget to inform you that Grace Brothers will cease operation....."
Kim Likely.
I always thought Kim Possible was good looking. Nude photos of other actresses come to light after they become well known. There for I was surprised that no nudeies of Kim Possible ever surfaced.
Chain Letters.
Lou Fonzarella decides to make money by sending out chain letters. Eventualy they are traced back to him. He is arresed and charged with Ponxieism and Fonzieism.
I've had thoughts along those lines. Their ghosts show up on ground zero wondering why all the husky first responders are not paying attention to them.
WestVirginiaRebel
Banned
Happy Days-The series ends in 1980 with a two-part episode involving the return of Richie's long-lost brother, who left years ago with no explanation. The Cunninghams become reconciled as Fonzie sells the garage and Richie, Ralph and Potsie prepare for their lives after college.
Battlestar Galactica-The proposed "Sequel"-Galactica 1980-is dropped. Instead the series jumps ahead several years to deal with the death of Starbuck, Apollo taking command of the fleet as Adama retires, and takes a darker turn with intrigue among the Qurum of Twelve, a rebellion led by a disillusioned Tigh, and more tangible evidence of the existence of Earth, while the Cylons use androids that look like humans to infiltrate the fleet.
Battlestar Galactica-The proposed "Sequel"-Galactica 1980-is dropped. Instead the series jumps ahead several years to deal with the death of Starbuck, Apollo taking command of the fleet as Adama retires, and takes a darker turn with intrigue among the Qurum of Twelve, a rebellion led by a disillusioned Tigh, and more tangible evidence of the existence of Earth, while the Cylons use androids that look like humans to infiltrate the fleet.
Pinky and the Brain does not include the character Elmyra in a botched scheme, and lasts another three seasons, and gains two Emmys, The Classic "Brain Wins", and one for "Pinkys Journey", a two parter which reveals the true reasons for Brains failure, and the nature of the stupidity of Pinky. Show ends on a high note before seasonal rot, and gets their own movie in 2001. Even included in a minor shoutout by Matt Groening on Futurama, which also featured the voice of the Brain. Finally, a remake is made in 2007, and outdoes all other animated childrens shows on TV, lasts three seasons before executives cut the show off, citing they want live action, and replace it with The Suite Life Three, Zack and Cody in Space. The Pinky and the Brain is sold on DVDs for several years, and a fandom not unsimilar to Trekkers appears.
Or he has a nasty accident while performing a stunt on a motorbike and gets eaten by a shark.
Cheers,
Nigel.
WestVirginiaRebel
Banned
The Dick Cavett Show
The Dick Cavett Show is the title of a long-running late-night talk show hosted by Dick Cavett on ABC from December 26, 1969 until his retirement in 1996, when the show was handed over to Jon Stewart.
Show history
Cavett, who had previously worked as a writer for the Tonight Show With Johnny Carson, took over the show from Joey Bishop in December of 1969. The show ran opposite The Tonight Show on ABC until Cavett's retirement in 1996.
In addition to the usual monologue, Cavett opened each show reading selected questions written by audience members, to which he would respond with witty rejoinders. (What makes New York so crummy these days?" "Tourists.")
While Cavett and Carson shared many of the same guests, Cavett was receptive to rock and roll artists to a degree unusual at the time, as well as authors, politicians, and other personalities outside the entertainment field. The wide variety of guests, combined with Cavett's literate and intelligent approach to comedy, appealed to a significant enough number of viewers to keep the show running for the next twenty-seven years despite the competition from both Carson and Letterman's shows.
The late-night show's 45-minute midpoint would always be signaled by the musical piece "Glitter and Be Gay" from Leonard Bernstein's Candide. The Candide snippet became Cavett's theme song, being used as the introduction to his later PBS series, and was played by the house band on his various talk show appearances over the last 30 years.
Typically each show had several guests, but occasionally Cavett would devote an entire show to a single guest. Among those receiving such special treatment (some more than once) were Groucho Marx, Laurence Olivier, Katharine Hepburn (without an audience), Bette Davis, Orson Welles, Noel Coward (who appeared on the same show along with Alfred Lunt, Lynn Fontanne, Tammy Grimes, and Brian Bedford), John Lennon with Yoko Ono, Alfred Hitchcock, Fred Astaire, Woody Allen, Jerry Lewis, Lucille Ball, Zero Mostel ("on some shows I've had just one guest, but tonight I have Zero") and David Bowie. These shows helped showcase Cavett's skills as a host who could attract guests that otherwise might not do interviews, at the expense of some of the excitement that might ensue from the multiple-guest format.
The competition between the two hosts became legendary and they often made jokes about each other's success (or perceived lack thereof) although the two were actually close friends in real life and Cavett was often a guest on Carson's own show throughout the 1970s and 1980s. During that time he continued to have high-profile guests, including Richard Nixon following his interview with David Frost, an infamous interview with Johnny Rotten, and interviews with Richard Pryor, Paul McCartney after John Lennon's death, Jimmy Stewart (during which he got into an argument with the actor over his conservative politics), John Belushi (about whom Cavett later remarked to the audience "He was almost here, wasn't he?") and a risque interview with Madonna in 1989, during which she wouldn't stop cursing.
Final Show
The final show aired on June 2, 1996 and featured Johnny Carson, David Letterman, and Jon Stewart, to whom Cavett ceremoniously passed the torch by giving him the microphone and letting him end the show by sitting at his desk. The broadcast set a ratings record for that time slot and remains the show's highest-rated episode.
The Dick Cavett Show is the title of a long-running late-night talk show hosted by Dick Cavett on ABC from December 26, 1969 until his retirement in 1996, when the show was handed over to Jon Stewart.
Show history
Cavett, who had previously worked as a writer for the Tonight Show With Johnny Carson, took over the show from Joey Bishop in December of 1969. The show ran opposite The Tonight Show on ABC until Cavett's retirement in 1996.
In addition to the usual monologue, Cavett opened each show reading selected questions written by audience members, to which he would respond with witty rejoinders. (What makes New York so crummy these days?" "Tourists.")
While Cavett and Carson shared many of the same guests, Cavett was receptive to rock and roll artists to a degree unusual at the time, as well as authors, politicians, and other personalities outside the entertainment field. The wide variety of guests, combined with Cavett's literate and intelligent approach to comedy, appealed to a significant enough number of viewers to keep the show running for the next twenty-seven years despite the competition from both Carson and Letterman's shows.
The late-night show's 45-minute midpoint would always be signaled by the musical piece "Glitter and Be Gay" from Leonard Bernstein's Candide. The Candide snippet became Cavett's theme song, being used as the introduction to his later PBS series, and was played by the house band on his various talk show appearances over the last 30 years.
Typically each show had several guests, but occasionally Cavett would devote an entire show to a single guest. Among those receiving such special treatment (some more than once) were Groucho Marx, Laurence Olivier, Katharine Hepburn (without an audience), Bette Davis, Orson Welles, Noel Coward (who appeared on the same show along with Alfred Lunt, Lynn Fontanne, Tammy Grimes, and Brian Bedford), John Lennon with Yoko Ono, Alfred Hitchcock, Fred Astaire, Woody Allen, Jerry Lewis, Lucille Ball, Zero Mostel ("on some shows I've had just one guest, but tonight I have Zero") and David Bowie. These shows helped showcase Cavett's skills as a host who could attract guests that otherwise might not do interviews, at the expense of some of the excitement that might ensue from the multiple-guest format.
The competition between the two hosts became legendary and they often made jokes about each other's success (or perceived lack thereof) although the two were actually close friends in real life and Cavett was often a guest on Carson's own show throughout the 1970s and 1980s. During that time he continued to have high-profile guests, including Richard Nixon following his interview with David Frost, an infamous interview with Johnny Rotten, and interviews with Richard Pryor, Paul McCartney after John Lennon's death, Jimmy Stewart (during which he got into an argument with the actor over his conservative politics), John Belushi (about whom Cavett later remarked to the audience "He was almost here, wasn't he?") and a risque interview with Madonna in 1989, during which she wouldn't stop cursing.
Final Show
The final show aired on June 2, 1996 and featured Johnny Carson, David Letterman, and Jon Stewart, to whom Cavett ceremoniously passed the torch by giving him the microphone and letting him end the show by sitting at his desk. The broadcast set a ratings record for that time slot and remains the show's highest-rated episode.
The Van Dyke Brothers Comedy Hour was a short-lived variety series in 1970, starring real life brothers Jerry and Richard Van Dyke.
Jerry began his career in radio and showed promise stand-up comedy, but a guest shot on The Phil Silvers Show helped fuel his television career. A later guest appearance on Mayberry, NC led to a popular recurring role on that series as an eccentric local banker. However, Jerry became most famous for his role as Gilligan on the dark horse absurdist comedy series Gilligan's Island.
Older brother Richard Van Dyke had also had a history in show business, although up until then his name had never been anywhere near as famous as his brother's. He had been a radio DJ in Illinois during the late '40's, which led to a job in stand-up comedy under the name "Dick". Although successful in stand-up, a car accident in 1957 damaged his legs and although he regained their use later, his physical comedy shtick was ruined. He found more success behind the scenes as a writer for several hit comedies, including The Carl Reiner Show and Mayberry, NC.
The Van Dyke Brothers Comedy Hour came about after Gilligan's Island had been canceled after its fourth year. Jerry was fielding numerous offers to aid his future career, but at Christmas in 1968 the two brothers began to reminisce about their days in stand-up comedy. This eventually led to the idea of starting a variety television show.
The show's format was quite traditional, compared to contemporary comedy shows such as Laugh-in, but received critical acclaim for the chemistry the two brothers showed working together. Richard was often portrayed as the straight man and recipient of numerous insulting one liner's from his brother, but the dialogues usually ended with him getting the upper hand with a dryer joke.
Despite the critical reception and appearances from a number of popular acts, the show tanked in the ratings and was canceled after the first season. However, it finally brought Richard Van Dyke into his television and movie career, where despite his comedy background he quickly became more famous for his dramatic roles, including his Oscar-winning performance in 1984 in Disney's The Firehouse Deaths, as well as numerous roles in films by the Coen Brothers. Perhaps ironically, it was those dramatic roles which led to him being cast as Pilot Clarence Oveur in the satirical comedy Airplane! in 1980.
Jerry Van Dyke went on to numerous other television endeavors, although it took twenty years to put his role as Gilligan behind him, when he began starring as the mystery-solving Dr. Matthew Sloan on Diagnosis of Murder. Richard Van Dyke's several guest appearances on that show were the brother's first collaboration since their ill-fated variety show.
Jerry began his career in radio and showed promise stand-up comedy, but a guest shot on The Phil Silvers Show helped fuel his television career. A later guest appearance on Mayberry, NC led to a popular recurring role on that series as an eccentric local banker. However, Jerry became most famous for his role as Gilligan on the dark horse absurdist comedy series Gilligan's Island.
Older brother Richard Van Dyke had also had a history in show business, although up until then his name had never been anywhere near as famous as his brother's. He had been a radio DJ in Illinois during the late '40's, which led to a job in stand-up comedy under the name "Dick". Although successful in stand-up, a car accident in 1957 damaged his legs and although he regained their use later, his physical comedy shtick was ruined. He found more success behind the scenes as a writer for several hit comedies, including The Carl Reiner Show and Mayberry, NC.
The Van Dyke Brothers Comedy Hour came about after Gilligan's Island had been canceled after its fourth year. Jerry was fielding numerous offers to aid his future career, but at Christmas in 1968 the two brothers began to reminisce about their days in stand-up comedy. This eventually led to the idea of starting a variety television show.
The show's format was quite traditional, compared to contemporary comedy shows such as Laugh-in, but received critical acclaim for the chemistry the two brothers showed working together. Richard was often portrayed as the straight man and recipient of numerous insulting one liner's from his brother, but the dialogues usually ended with him getting the upper hand with a dryer joke.
Despite the critical reception and appearances from a number of popular acts, the show tanked in the ratings and was canceled after the first season. However, it finally brought Richard Van Dyke into his television and movie career, where despite his comedy background he quickly became more famous for his dramatic roles, including his Oscar-winning performance in 1984 in Disney's The Firehouse Deaths, as well as numerous roles in films by the Coen Brothers. Perhaps ironically, it was those dramatic roles which led to him being cast as Pilot Clarence Oveur in the satirical comedy Airplane! in 1980.
Jerry Van Dyke went on to numerous other television endeavors, although it took twenty years to put his role as Gilligan behind him, when he began starring as the mystery-solving Dr. Matthew Sloan on Diagnosis of Murder. Richard Van Dyke's several guest appearances on that show were the brother's first collaboration since their ill-fated variety show.
The Really Kind of Late Show starring Joel Hodgson was a popular talk show that premiered on Comedy Central in 1994, soon after Hodgson left Mystery Science Theater 3000 and continued until 2004. It was originally intended to be a satire on other late night talk shows, but the format changed slightly when it moved from Comedy Central to CBS.
Talk show host David Letterman was impressed with Hodgson and the shows format, and when Comedy Central cancelled the show about mid-way through the first season, his production company World Wide Pants bought the concept and title. His contract with CBS gave him the power to produce the show in the timeslot immediately after his own program; previously the slot had been taken up by repeats of Crimetime After Primetime. He convinced Hodgson to make some minor changes to the show's format, and in January 1995, The Really Kind of Late Show premiered on CBS's late night schedule.
The show was known for it's dry, self-deprecating humor, and Hodgson's subtle joking around with his celebrity guests. Unlike other late night talk shows, Hodgson did not usually have a true monologue, but instead would open with a dialogue between him and either another cast member, especially fellow Myster Science Theater alumnus Trace Beaulieu who joined the show in 1997, or a guest star who might or might not have been interviewed later in the show. Some of the more popular guest stars who participated in this dialogue more than once included Jerry Seinfeld, Jon Stewart, Janeane Garofalo, Joe Don Baker, Sarah Silverman, Bill Maher, Craig Ferguson, Dave Foley, Judd Apatow and Michael Feldman.
In one popular sketch segment, Hodgson interviewed "real life actors", actually portrayed by other cast members, who introduced film clips from their purported work. The film clips included real movies, television shows, live theater or even commercials, which Hodgson and cast members proceeded to make fun of in the same manner as Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Other popular segments involved Hodgson's genius with prop-based comedy, such as the "Invention Exchange", and spoofs on sketches from other talk shows, including his boss David Letterman's. In one famous sketch, Hodgson parodied the Late Shows' Top Ten List with list that ended after going through five items before coming to the conclusion that there really wasn't anything funny to say about the subject anymore.
The show rose quickly in the ratings, edging out Late Night with Conan O'Brien, which was cancelled to Letterman's delight after its 1997 season. After Hodgson's rise, O'Brien began making increasingly more insulting jibes against him on his show. Hodgson, for his part, chose not to respond to O'Brien's attacks except for periodic subtle references to "that other late night talk show". The last year of O'Brien's show was noted for monologues full of less-subtle attacks that eventually grew into monotonous rantings that had to be edited out. After trying other talk show hosts in this timeslot, NBC chose in 2000 to begin a late night news show to compete with ABC's Nightline, called Dateline NBC Tonight.
The show ended in September 2004, after having been on the air for more than 10 years, due to Hodgson's decision that it was simply time to move on. During the last month, several guest hosts were featured, and the audience voted on the best choice to succeed Hodgson, in a sort of parody of the presidential elections of the time. However, in the end, the audience's vote was never revealed, and CBS chose instead to put a new talk show in its timeslot starring Michael Ian Black, who was not one of the candidates. That show, called The Late Late Show, lasted only two years before being replaced with late night news show The World Overnight.
Hodgson followed this up with a successful film and television production company.
Talk show host David Letterman was impressed with Hodgson and the shows format, and when Comedy Central cancelled the show about mid-way through the first season, his production company World Wide Pants bought the concept and title. His contract with CBS gave him the power to produce the show in the timeslot immediately after his own program; previously the slot had been taken up by repeats of Crimetime After Primetime. He convinced Hodgson to make some minor changes to the show's format, and in January 1995, The Really Kind of Late Show premiered on CBS's late night schedule.
The show was known for it's dry, self-deprecating humor, and Hodgson's subtle joking around with his celebrity guests. Unlike other late night talk shows, Hodgson did not usually have a true monologue, but instead would open with a dialogue between him and either another cast member, especially fellow Myster Science Theater alumnus Trace Beaulieu who joined the show in 1997, or a guest star who might or might not have been interviewed later in the show. Some of the more popular guest stars who participated in this dialogue more than once included Jerry Seinfeld, Jon Stewart, Janeane Garofalo, Joe Don Baker, Sarah Silverman, Bill Maher, Craig Ferguson, Dave Foley, Judd Apatow and Michael Feldman.
In one popular sketch segment, Hodgson interviewed "real life actors", actually portrayed by other cast members, who introduced film clips from their purported work. The film clips included real movies, television shows, live theater or even commercials, which Hodgson and cast members proceeded to make fun of in the same manner as Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Other popular segments involved Hodgson's genius with prop-based comedy, such as the "Invention Exchange", and spoofs on sketches from other talk shows, including his boss David Letterman's. In one famous sketch, Hodgson parodied the Late Shows' Top Ten List with list that ended after going through five items before coming to the conclusion that there really wasn't anything funny to say about the subject anymore.
The show rose quickly in the ratings, edging out Late Night with Conan O'Brien, which was cancelled to Letterman's delight after its 1997 season. After Hodgson's rise, O'Brien began making increasingly more insulting jibes against him on his show. Hodgson, for his part, chose not to respond to O'Brien's attacks except for periodic subtle references to "that other late night talk show". The last year of O'Brien's show was noted for monologues full of less-subtle attacks that eventually grew into monotonous rantings that had to be edited out. After trying other talk show hosts in this timeslot, NBC chose in 2000 to begin a late night news show to compete with ABC's Nightline, called Dateline NBC Tonight.
The show ended in September 2004, after having been on the air for more than 10 years, due to Hodgson's decision that it was simply time to move on. During the last month, several guest hosts were featured, and the audience voted on the best choice to succeed Hodgson, in a sort of parody of the presidential elections of the time. However, in the end, the audience's vote was never revealed, and CBS chose instead to put a new talk show in its timeslot starring Michael Ian Black, who was not one of the candidates. That show, called The Late Late Show, lasted only two years before being replaced with late night news show The World Overnight.
Hodgson followed this up with a successful film and television production company.
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