dave@cylixd.UUCP (Dave Kirby) (09/25/85)
(If you are not in an area where you can watch American TV, just skip this article. Our system allows posting only to the world. Accept my apologies for our dinky system.) There is a question that came to my mind a few months ago that is keeping me awake at nights. "What was the name of this show?" (1) It debuted in the 1969 or 1970 season. (2) It was meant to be a copy of Laugh-in. (3) I believe it was on ABC. It was definitely on some other network than the one Laugh-in was on. (4) It was so offensive to everyone's intelligence that it was taken off the air after one episode, and never again appeared on TV to my knowledge. (5) When ABC aired the first episode, their phone lines were jammed from outraged callers. (6) It is, to my knowledge, the only TV series to last only 1 episode. (7) One or more of the above clues may be false, due to my faulty memory. I don't recall watching the first episode of this series. Does anyone out there recall what this program was, and did anybody watch it?
halle@hou2b.UUCP (J.HALLE) (09/26/85)
I don't have the answer to the question, but I have a related trivium. There was a show around the same time frame that had an even shorter life: it was pulled from the air before it was shown, and has never appeared. It was scheduled, in the TV columns and all, but the day before it was to air, they cancelled it. I don't remember the details, but it was named something like "Kang." I think it was to be a detective show a la Charlie Chan. Does anyone know more?
waltt@tekecs.UUCP (Walt Tucker) (09/27/85)
> (If you are not in an area where you can watch American TV, just > skip this article. Our system allows posting only to the world. > Accept my apologies for our dinky system.) > > There is a question that came to my mind a few months ago that is > keeping me awake at nights. > > "What was the name of this show?" > (1) It debuted in the 1969 or 1970 season. > (2) It was meant to be a copy of Laugh-in. > (3) I believe it was on ABC. It was definitely on some other network > than the one Laugh-in was on. > (4) It was so offensive to everyone's intelligence that it was taken > off the air after one episode, and never again appeared > on TV to my knowledge. > (5) When ABC aired the first episode, their phone lines were jammed > from outraged callers. > (6) It is, to my knowledge, the only TV series to last only 1 episode. > (7) One or more of the above clues may be false, due to my faulty memory. > > I don't recall watching the first episode of this series. Does anyone > out there recall what this program was, and did anybody watch it? The show was "Turn-On." I don't have my TV trivia book with me, so I can't look up the exact dates, but I do know that Tim Conway was a guest star. -- Walt
davew@shark.UUCP (Dave Williams) (09/27/85)
In article <624@hou2b.UUCP> halle@hou2b.UUCP (J.HALLE) writes: >I don't have the answer to the question, but I have a related trivium. >There was a show around the same time frame that had an even shorter >life: it was pulled from the air before it was shown, and has never >appeared. It was scheduled, in the TV columns and all, but the day >before it was to air, they cancelled it. I don't remember the details, >but it was named something like "Kang." I think it was to be a detective >show a la Charlie Chan. Does anyone know more? I seem to recall this also, but I can't add much. I believe it was to air on ABC. Also during this same time Tammy Grimes did a TV show that had four episodes filmed, but only one was shown, and some of the affliates pre-empted the show after having seen previews. This was probably what killed the show you where asking about. Affiliates have alot of clout and if several in the larger markets refuse to carry a program it can mean instant cancellation. -- Dave Williams Tektronix, Inc. Graphic Workstations Division *********************** * This space for rent * * * * (cheap) * ***********************
davew@shark.UUCP (Dave Williams) (09/27/85)
In article <316@cylixd.UUCP> dave@cylixd.UUCP (Dave Kirby) writes: >(If you are not in an area where you can watch American TV, just >skip this article. Our system allows posting only to the world. >Accept my apologies for our dinky system.) > >There is a question that came to my mind a few months ago that is >keeping me awake at nights. > >"What was the name of this show?" >(1) It debuted in the 1969 or 1970 season. >(2) It was meant to be a copy of Laugh-in. >(3) I believe it was on ABC. It was definitely on some other network > than the one Laugh-in was on. >(4) It was so offensive to everyone's intelligence that it was taken > off the air after one episode, and never again appeared > on TV to my knowledge. >(5) When ABC aired the first episode, their phone lines were jammed > from outraged callers. >(6) It is, to my knowledge, the only TV series to last only 1 episode. >(7) One or more of the above clues may be false, due to my faulty memory. > >I don't recall watching the first episode of this series. Does anyone >out there recall what this program was, and did anybody watch it? The name of the program was "Turn On". It featured a bunch of unknowns with a weekly guest star. The guest on the first and only show was Tim Conway. The format of the show was somewhat similar to Laugh In, but revovled around a futuristic "control room" run by people dressed somewhat like Buck Rogers. They turned knobs and pulled levers as if controlling the performers. The skits would appear on video screens in the control room and a camera would zoom in on the images. They also had a Word of the Week. I forget what it was, but it was something like "luck". Most of the skits revolved about this word. This show was a poor imitation of Laugh In and was about the longest half-hour in television. Several affiliates refused to air the program after the first week and this is what killed it. The show was produced by some of the same people who did LI, but it lacked the writing talent, the fresh talented performers or the spontaneity of LI. -- Dave Williams Tektronix, Inc. Graphic Workstations Division *********************** * This space for rent * * * * (cheap) * ***********************
bobh@pedsgd.UUCP (Bob Halloran) (09/30/85)
In article <316@cylixd.UUCP> dave@cylixd.UUCP (Dave Kirby) writes: >"What was the name of this show?" >(1) It debuted in the 1969 or 1970 season. >(2) It was meant to be a copy of Laugh-in. >(4) It was so offensive to everyone's intelligence that it was taken > off the air after one episode, and never again appeared > on TV to my knowledge. >(6) It is, to my knowledge, the only TV series to last only 1 episode. > >I don't recall watching the first episode of this series. Does anyone >out there recall what this program was, and did anybody watch it? The show in question was 'Turn-On'. It DID have a large percentage of the Laugh-In cast, and was produced by the same person as Laugh-In. (George Schlatter (sp?)). I recall it being a collection of 'blackout'- type fillers like Laugh-In used. I don't know if it was the only show to get bagged after one episode; the lifetimes of many of the recent new shows strikes me as very short. Bob Halloran Sr MTS, Perkin-Elmer DSG ============================================================================= UUCP: {decvax, ucbvax, most Action Central}!vax135\ {topaz, pesnta, princeton}!petsd!pedsgd!bobh ARPA: petsd!pedsgd!bobh@topaz USPS: 106 Apple St M/S 305, Tinton Falls NJ 07724 DDD: (201) 758-7000 Disclaimer: My opinions are my own. Quote: "BOO! We changed Coke again! BLEAH! BLEAH!"- The 'Boogums', Bloom County
kurtzman@uscvax.UUCP (Stephen Kurtzman) (10/02/85)
In article <1551@shark.UUCP> davew@shark.UUCP (Dave Williams) writes: >In article <316@cylixd.UUCP> dave@cylixd.UUCP (Dave Kirby) writes: >>(If you are not in an area where you can watch American TV, just >>skip this article. Our system allows posting only to the world. >>Accept my apologies for our dinky system.) >> >>There is a question that came to my mind a few months ago that is >>keeping me awake at nights. >> >>"What was the name of this show?" >>(1) It debuted in the 1969 or 1970 season. >>(2) It was meant to be a copy of Laugh-in. >>(3) I believe it was on ABC. It was definitely on some other network >> than the one Laugh-in was on. >>(4) It was so offensive to everyone's intelligence that it was taken >> off the air after one episode, and never again appeared >> on TV to my knowledge. >>(5) When ABC aired the first episode, their phone lines were jammed >> from outraged callers. >>(6) It is, to my knowledge, the only TV series to last only 1 episode. >>(7) One or more of the above clues may be false, due to my faulty memory. >> >>I don't recall watching the first episode of this series. Does anyone >>out there recall what this program was, and did anybody watch it? > > >The name of the program was "Turn On". It featured a bunch of unknowns >with a weekly guest star. The guest on the first and only show was >Tim Conway. The format of the show was somewhat similar to Laugh In, >but revovled around a futuristic "control room" run by people dressed >somewhat like Buck Rogers. They turned knobs and pulled levers as if >controlling the performers. The skits would appear on video screens in the >control room and a camera would zoom in on the images. They also had a >Word of the Week. I forget what it was, but it was something like >"luck". Most of the skits revolved about this word. This show was a >poor imitation of Laugh In and was about the longest half-hour in television. >Several affiliates refused to air the program after the first week and >this is what killed it. The show was produced by some of the same people >who did LI, but it lacked the writing talent, the fresh talented performers >or the spontaneity of LI. >-- As I recall there was one skit that was considered so offensive that I heard some hoopla about it. It concerned the Paris peace talks (remember Vietnam). Apparently the talks were stalled while they tried to figure out how people would be seated during the talks. Turn-on suggested a swastika shaped table. It seems odd to think back and remember how outraged people were about this. It seemed like over-reaction to a poor-taste joke.
tom@utcsri.UUCP (Tom Nadas) (10/09/85)
I think you're thinking of "Kahn!" which starred the guy who played Wo Fat on Hawaii Five-O. It may have been pulled before airing in the states, but the Canadian station that bought rights to it showed four episodes. Robert J. Sawyer c/o Tom at University of Toronto
place@uiucdcs.CS.UIUC.EDU (10/14/85)
It was called "Turn-on."
wersan@daemen.UUCP (John Slasher Wersan III) (10/18/85)
> I don't have the answer to the question, but I have a related trivium. > There was a show around the same time frame that had an even shorter > life: it was pulled from the air before it was shown, and has never > appeared. It was scheduled, in the TV columns and all, but the day > before it was to air, they cancelled it. I don't remember the details, > but it was named something like "Kang." I think it was to be a detective > show a la Charlie Chan. Does anyone know more? *** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR NEW TV SHOW *** Along the same lines was a new season show by the name "Snip", it was to star David Brenner. They showed previews for it, and it wass listed in TV Guide. Yet it never made it to the air. I wanted to see it!!! -- John Wersan UUCP : {decvax,dual,watmath,rocksanne,rocksvax}!sunybcs!daemen!wersan "Any statements made are not mine, this computer has me mistaken for someone else, of lower intelligence." "The doctor said I had dain bramage... But my friends don't know what 'dat shit is"