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'TVparty
is hands down the best site on the Web for classic TV.'
Past TV Blog Entries: RESCUE KITTY GOES NUTS! /Filthy Rich / Police Squad / Christmas Blog / Lost Christmas Specials of the 50s & 60s / 1970 TV Shows / Strother Martin / Joya Sherrill / Super Circus / 1950's The Big Show / Saturday Morning TV Memories / Hilarious Outtakes / The Smothers Brothers Revisited/Thanksgiving TV Shows / Thanksgiving Day Parade TV History / Thanksgiving TV Cartoon Specials of the 1970s /WPIX Thanksgiving Day TV Specials / Christmas Specials / INTERVIEW WITH DARIN BROOKS
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WHAT’S SO BAD, OR UNUSUAL,
Other long-runners include: “COPS,” which debuted 1989; “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” which debuted as a series in 1990; MTV’s “The Real World,” begun 1992; and, until its recent (temporary?) cancellation, “America’s Most Wanted,” which first bowed in 1988. Then, of course, there are the true stalwarts “60 Minutes,” on the air since 1968, and “20/20” which has been around since 1978. (Of course the grand-daddy of all long-enduring shows is Sunday morning’s “Meet the Press” which first aired in 1947, hosted by Martha Rountree.) The truncated runs of some reality shows has meant that they stack up “seasons” at an alarming rate. Still, their endurance shouldn’t be diminished. We have so far crowned 10 “American Idols” since that show debuted in 2002 and 22 “ultimate” survivors on CBS’ “Survivor” since it debuted in 2000. (That means we have also had almost as many winners of “Big Brother,” “Survivor’s” lower-rent cousin, since that show began shortly thereafter.) And we are up to the 18th “cycle” of Tyra Banks’ “America’s Next Top Model.”
Despite these success stories, the semi-recent cancellations of shows like “Guiding Light,” “As the World Turns” and, soon, “All My Children” has underscored the fact that no program, not even bone fide institutions, are invulnerable from the programmer’s ax and shifting viewer preferences. Dick Clark’s “American Bandstand,” began 1952, and Don Cornelius’ “Soul Train,” began 1971, each learned that hard lesson; “Bandstand” ended in 1989 and “Train” in 2006. Still, the often under-the-radar endurance of so many shows on primetime (and even more in other timeslots; consider “Letterman,” “This Old House,” “Saturday Night Live,” and “The Price is Right,” among others) alters our common concept of audience affection and preference. In the end, viewers may not all be a sea of fickle channel-flippers, each suffering from chronic ADD, everyone voracious for something “new.” While there is, no doubt, a comfort level to some of these old stand-bys, it is also quite possible that they endure because they are still viable works, in short, still entertaining to the audience that watches them.
Hit Shows of the Seventies: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy / Gene Roddenberry in the 1970s / 1977-1978 Superhero & Science Fiction TV Shows / Funniest SNL Skit Ever! / Remembering Suzanne Somers / Prisoner: Cell Block H / Why John Amos Left Good Times / Reviving Match Game / How Betty White's 'Happy Hommaker' Came About / Remembering Cindy-Williams / Creating The Rockford Files / TV Dads Talk Sex & Fatherhood / TV Shows We Watched 50 Years Ago / How Maude Came About / Rare Audio of Bette Davis' Broadway Bound Flop 'Miss Moffat' / Interview With Director John Erman / Orson Welles' Last Interview / Remembering Ed Asner / When PBS Got Naked: Steambath / Bruce Vilanch on Writing for Donny & Marie / Writing For Fernwood 2 Night / Kris Kristofferson vs Barbra Streisand on A Star Is Born? Kinda... / Remembering Gavin MacLeod / Cher Reviews Her Iconic Outfits Since 1965 / Best Columbo Episodes / Star Maidens Sci-Fi Series / Sonny Bono's Last Show 1974 / Interview with Cindy Williams (Lavern & Shirley) / One of the Most Controversial Episodes of All In The Family / Outside Chance / Remembering Carol Wayne / The Night Johnny Carson Broke Down / Real People / That's Incredible! / Gavin MacLeod on His MTM Castmates / Norman Mailer & Muhammad Ali / Charles Nelson Reilly Flops on Broadway / Chuck Norris vs Eva Gabor / Dear Detective / Dirty Sally / Peggy Lee & Anthony Newley's Weird Pre-Show Rituals / The Protectors / Chevy Chase Talks Hollywood Cocaine Parties / 1977 Season Show Openings / Love Boat's Oscar Winning Guest Stars / Henry Fonda's 4 Favorite Films / Tom Snyder Interviews Star Trek Cast & Harlan Ellison / The Corner Bar / Tim Conway's 'The Dentist' Sketch / Roy Radin Revue: Drunken Ronnie Spector / Henry Winkler on His Happy Days Audition / Patrick Duffy of Dallas Interview / Time Express / Wonder Woman Leaves Paradise Island / 1972-73 TV Season / George Burns on the Carson Tonight Show in 1989 / Best Season of Dallas Ever? / Cloris Leachman Remembered / Ken Berry Interview / Why Barney Miller Ended / Vivian Vance Almost Joined the Cast of Rhoda / Marilu Henner Talks About Andy Kaufman / Cher on Mike Douglas 1979 / TV Show Book Tie-Ins / 1972 Jackie Robinson Interview / Dr. Strange 1978 TV Movie / Kathy Garver Interview / Space: 1999 / Paint Along with Nancy Kominsky / Mary Kay Place Albums of the 1970s / The Supremes - Mary Wilson vs Diana Ross / When Bruce Dern Killed John Wayne / 1974 Tom Snyder Our Gang Special / Remembering Ken Berry / Bruce / Caitllyn Jenner? / Billy Crash Craddock Interview / Melissa McCarthy Almost Quit Acting Days Before Landing Gilmore Girls / Bar Rescue's Wildest Customers! / TV HITS - By the Numbers / Alex Baldwin On His TV and Film Roles / Ray Charles' BIG Problem With TV / Top Ten Sitcoms of the 1970s / James Cameron Made No Money for Titanic / Ed McMahon Drunk on the Air! / Lucy Interviewed by Barbara Walters / Valerie Harper Cancer / Jeff Bridges Breaks Down His Iconic Roles / Dallas vs Eight is Enough / 1974 MAD Magazine TV Special - Never Aired! / Iconic M*A*S*H Restaurant Coming To Kroger? / When Lucy Got Fired / Partridge Family and Brady Bunch at Kings Island theme park 1972-73 / Awkward Talk Show Moments / Allan Blye Interview / Jack Benny's Last Tonight Show 1974 / Patricia Heaton's Audition for Everybody Loves Raymond / Ed Asner Interview / Norm Macdonald vs OJ Simpson / Tony Kornheiser Interview / Freddy's Nightmares TV Series / Emmy Award Multiple Winners / Nathaniel Taylor aka Rollo Lawson / Mary Kay Place Albums of the 1970s / That Girl & TV's Single Working Women / Can You Identify These Stars? / Betty White vs Joan Rivers / Paul Lynde's Greatest Hollywood Squares Zingers / Sonny Comedy Revue / Star Trek Animated / 1970 TV Shows / Mike Connors Remembered / Mike Wallace, Virginia Graham & Jim Longworth / Dick Clark / Woody Allen Hosts Tonight Show 1971 / Carson Tonight Show / Alan Alda Interview / Jackie Gleason Show / 1973 TV Shows / Thriller / Post Modern Sitcoms / Elvis in Greensboro / Remembering Dick Van Patten / TV Dating Shows / The Jacksons TV Show / Fall Previews of the 70s / Lance Link, Secret Chimp / Star Wars Holiday Special / Alias Smith and Jones / 1977 Year in Review / Top Ten 1970-76 / The Rockford Files / All in the Family / Sam Hall (Dark Shadows) Interview / Actor Ed Nelson / Death of Archie / Battlestar Galactica / Wonder Woman / Network Jingles / Class of '74 / Happy Days / Good Times / Mr. Bill / Dinah! / Maude / Doris Day Show / Pamelyn Ferdin Interview / The Bicentennial Minute / Jingles & Catch Phrases of the 1970s / Early Cable TV 1970s / TV commercials for Women / TV Moms / Red Skelton / George Lindsay / Country Music TV Shows of the 1960s & 1970s / Betty White Show / Shirley Jones Interview /Shirley Jones Interview / / Tom Bosley / Rodney Dangerfield / How Sanford & Son Ended / Sanford & Son Spin-Off Grady / Great Memoirs / Virginia Graham Show / The "N" Word on TV / 10 Classic Comedy Routines You Have To Laugh At Before You Die / Hollywood Squares / 1970's Teen Idols & The Hudson Brothers / TV Stars with 3 Hit Shows / The Rookies / Unsold Pilots / Jackie Cooper / The Good Guys / Match Game / Make Room For Granddaddy / Mannix & Gail Fisher / Bette Midler in the 1970s / Bonus 1970's Stuff: Silent Star Marion Mack / Biff Burger / 1970s Fast Food Chains / Latin Casino / Beverly Hills Supper Club Fire / 1970's Daytime Talk Shows / The Fess Parker Show / Brady Bunch Sex Dungeon? / Love, Loss & What I Watched |
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What was once an infamous list of one (ABC’s “Turn-On” from 1969, yanked after just one airing) has now become a far more frequent phenomenon as “The Hasselhoffs” and others can attest. And considering cable TV’s ability to churn through hits (today’s “Pawn Stars” can become tomorrow’s “Trading Spaces” surprisingly quickly). And considering how supposedly short all of our attention spans have become due to remote controls and 140 characters or less communication, one thing about current TV remains surprisingly true. That is, how enduring and long-running some shows (many still “hits”) have become.
Before signing off, “Oprah,” as no doubt everyone knows by now, was on the air for a quarter of a century. Perhaps more surprisingly is the fact that this year marks the 20th anniversaries for two of her brethren--“Maury Povich” and “Jerry Springer.” “Judge Judy” meanwhile is entering her 16th year and has just renewed her contract through 2016; that’s a lot of tough justice. Still, this trio of talkers are newbies compared to such perennials as “Wheel of Fortune,” on the air since 1981, and “Jeopardy” that’s been on since 1984. That’s 30 and 27 years respectively. Meanwhile, “Entertainment Tonight” has also been on the air for 30 years. It also debuted in 1981 and has the majority of its run co-hosted by Mary Hart. “ET’s” clones, “Extra” and “Access Hollywood” are also proving to have remarkable shelf lives; “Extra’s” been on for 17 years, “Access” for 15.
Surprisingly as well, despite the supposedly more cut-throat world of prime time TV, and the fragmenting of audiences away from network TV, many shows are also enjoying gravity-defying lifespans. At one time, future runs the length of a “Gunsmoke,” two decades on the air, a “Danny Thomas Show,” 18 years on the air, or the original “Hawaii 5-0,” 12 years on air, seemed all but impossible. But tell that to “The Simpsons” who, next year, begins its 22nd year! The ageless quality of its stars might make Homer and Bart and company a special case, one that is also being replicated with “South Park,” on the air since 1997. But, if that is true, then how do you explain that the original “Law & Order” made it to 19 seasons? Even CBS’ “CSI,” which still seems “newer,” will be starting its 11th season this fall.
Obviously, there is a key to creating a show with epic run potential. It’s finding a successful formula with enough variants, whether its cast members or contestants, to keep it fresh and new year after year. Even “Law & Order” had its set template despite being primetime fiction. Its procedural nature allowed it to thrive despite an extraordinarily high turnover in its starring cast, similar to longtime NBC counterpart “ER” that was on for 15 years. Conversely, though, Kelsey Grammar’s “Fraiser” was a truly unusual enduring series, on the air for 11 seasons (1993-2004), with its entire core cast around for the full duration.
