What Were They Thinking?: The 100 Dumbest Events In Television History [Archive] - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

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12-19-2017, 04:57 AM

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_Were_They_Thinking%3F_The_100_Dumbest_Events_In_Television_History#List

What Were They Thinking? The 100 Dumbest Events In Television History[1] is a 2004 book by David Hofstede which as the title would imply, chronicles and examines the very worst of television. It could by anything ranging from individual plot points or elements, poor network decisions, or even entire shows. It should be noted that the book focuses solely on American television. As a result, it does leave out some of the most infamous television events in other parts of the world. The foreword was written by Tom Bergeron, hosted Fox's ill-fated FOX After Breakfast, which is #23 on the list.

==List==
{{Infobox book
| name = What Were They Thinking? The 100 Dumbest Events In Television History
| image = [[File:What_Were_They_Thinking,_The_100_Dumbest_Events_in_Television_History_cover.jpeg|thumb|right|]]
| caption =
| author = David Hofstede
| cover_artist =
| country = United States
| language = English
| genre = [[Television]]
| publisher = Back Stage Books
| release_date = August 1, 2004
| media_type = Print ([[Hardcover|Hardback]] & [[Paperback]])
| pages = 209
| isbn = 0-8230-8441-8
| oclc =
****

'''''What Were They Thinking? The 100 Dumbest Events In Television History'''''<ref>{{cite book |last=Hofstede|first=David|date= |title=What Were They Thinking?: The 100 Dumbest Events In Television History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3i1HGbyT85MC&printsec=frontcover&dq=What+Were+They+Thinking?:+The+100+Dumbest+Events+In+Television+History&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiT0IeQrpPYAhWE7IMKHZOuD7YQ6AEIKTAA#v=onepage&q=What%20Were%20They%20Thinking%3F%3A%20The%20100%20Dumbest%20Events%20In%20Television%20History&f=false|location= |publisher=Back Stage|page= |isbn= |author-link= ****</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/What-Were-They-Thinking-Television/dp/0823084418|title= Were They Thinking: The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History Paperback – October 1, 2004|last= |first= |date= |website=Amazon|publisher= |access-date= |quote=****</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/What-Were-They-Thinking-Television/dp/0823084418|title=What Were They Thinking: The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History|last= |first= |date= |website=Goodreads|publisher= |access-date= |quote=****</ref> is a [[2004 in literature|2004]]<ref>{{cite news |last=Owen|first=Rob|date=November 24, 2004|title=Tuned In: From home-grown to world-famous, feast on TV turkeys|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/ae/tv/2004/11/25/Tuned-In-From-home-grown-to-world-famous-feast-on-TV-turkeys/stories/200411250164|work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|location= |access-date= ****</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.booklikes.com/what-were-they-thinking-the-100-dumbest-events-in-television-history-david-/book,1778018|title=What Were They Thinking: The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History|last= |first= |date= |website=BookLikes|publisher= |access-date= |quote=****</ref> book by David Hofstede<ref>{{cite web |url=http://comforttv.blogspot.com/p/more-about-me.html|title=Comfort TV: More About Me|last=Hofstede|first=David|date= |website=Comfort TV|publisher=Blogger|access-date= |quote=****</ref> which as the title would imply, chronicles and examines the very<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.whitesoxinteractive.com/vbulletin/blog.php?b=159|title=The Best of Bad TV|last=John|first=Tommy|date=January 30, 2010|website=White Sox Interactive Forums|publisher= |access-date= |quote=****</ref> [[List of television series considered the worst|worst of television]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vindy.com/news/2004/oct/23/on-this-tv-events-list-dumb-and-dumber/?print|title=On this TV events list: dumb and dumber|last= |first= |date=October 23, 2004|website=Vindy.com|publisher= |access-date= |quote=****</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://glaaphiabooks.blogspot.com/2014/08/ebook-free-what-were-they-thinking-100.html|title=Ebook Free What Were They Thinking: The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History, by David Hofstede|last= |first= |date=August 12, 2014|website=Glaaphiabooks|publisher=Blogger|access-date= |quote=****</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.radiodiscussions.com/showthread.php?553849-Television-s-worst-moments|title=Television's worst moments.....|last= |first= |date=March 21, 2003|website=Radio Discussions|publisher= |access-date= |quote=****</ref>. It could by anything ranging from [[Jumping the shark|individual plot points]] or elements, poor network decisions, or even entire shows. It should be noted that the book focuses solely on [[Television in the United States|American television]]. As a result, it does leave out some of the most infamous television events in other parts of the world. The foreword was written by [[Tom Bergeron]], hosted [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]'s ill-fated ''FOX After Breakfast'', which is #23 on the list.

==List==
#''[[The Star Wars Holiday Special]]''<ref>{{cite book|author=David Hofstede|title=What Were They Thinking? The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History|publisher=[[Back Stage Books]]|year=2004|pages=204–206|isbn=0-8230-8441-8****</ref>
#''[[Dallas (1978 TV series)|Dallas]]'' revealing that [[Bobby Ewing]] didn't actually die at the end of [[Dallas (1978 TV series) (season 8)|Season 8]], which meant that the entire [[Dallas (1978 TV series) (season 9)|ninth season]] was just [[Retroactive continuity|a dream]] of [[Pam Ewing|Pamela's]].
#''[[The Jerry Springer Show]]'' turning from an issues-oriented and political talk show, into a [[Tabloid talk show|trashy, violent, sexually deviant filled freak show]]
#[[Jackie Gleason]]'s ill-fated game show ''[[You're in the Picture]]'',<ref>{{cite book|author=David Hofstede|title=What Were They Thinking? The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History|publisher=[[Back Stage Books]]|year=2004|pages=197–199|isbn=0-8230-8441-8****</ref> which was [[List of television series canceled after one episode|cancelled after only one episode]].
#[[CNN]] trying to [[American Morning|promote]] their new journalist [[Paula Zahn]] as "sexy"
#[[1950s quiz show scandals|The 1950s quiz show scandals]]
#The inclusion of [[Scrappy-Doo]] into the [[Scooby-Doo]] franchise ([[Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo (1979 TV series)|1979]]-[[Scooby-Doo! and the Reluctant Werewolf|88]])
#[[Geraldo Rivera]] 1986 report on [[The Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults|the discovery of Al Capone's vault]] only to wind up finding nothing but debris
#''[[Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?]]''
#The [[Heidi Game]]
#''[[The Brady Bunch Hour]]''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/trending/2017/01/2017_is_ruined_we_missed_fake.html|title=2017 is ruined: We missed Fake Jan Day, the grand celebration of 'Brady Bunch' disaster|last=Perry|first=Douglas|date=January 3, 2017|website=Oregon Live|publisher= |access-date= |quote=****</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://comforttv.blogspot.com/2012/12/happy-fake-jan-day.html|title=Happy Fake Jan Day|last=Hofstede|first=David|date=December 27, 2012|website=Comfort TV|publisher= |access-date= |quote=****</ref>
#''[[My Mother the Car]]''
#[[List of television evangelists|Televangelist]] [[Oral Roberts]] announcing in January 1987 that God will "call him home" if he didn't receive [[United States dollar|$]]8,000,000 from his flock
#''[[The Anna Nicole Show]] ''
#How flawed the [[Primetime Emmy Award|Primetime Emmy Awards]]' system is when it comes to [[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences|choosing]] the [[List of Primetime Emmy Award winners|winners]]
#Rampant [[Product_placement#Movies_and_television|product placement]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/ct-perspec-0206-things-20110206-story.html|title=10 things you might not know about TV commercials|last=Jacob, Benzkofer|first=Mark, Stephan|date=February 11, 2011|website=Chicago Tribune|publisher= |access-date= |quote=****</ref>, particularly in [[USF&G|televised sports]]<ref>Hofstede, David. ''What Were They Thinking: The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History.'' New York: Back Stage Books, 2004, p. 170.</ref>
#[[William Shatner]]'s [[spoken word]] take on [[Elton John]]'s "[[Rocket Man (song)|Rocket Man]]"<ref>{{cite book|author=David Hofstede|title=What Were They Thinking? The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History|publisher=[[Back Stage Books]]|year=2004|pages=168–169|isbn=0-8230-8441-8****</ref> at the [[5th Saturn Awards|1977 Saturn Awards]].
#''[[Dateline NBC|Dateline]]'''s 1992 [[Chevrolet_C/K#Sidesaddle_fuel_tank_controversy|report on exploding General Motors trucks]]
#The [[Big Three television networks|"Big Three" networks]] each producing their own TV movies about [[Amy Fisher]] ([[The Amy Fisher Story|ABC]] and [[Casualties of Love: The "Long Island Lolita" Story|CBS']]<ref>Hofstede, David (October 1, 2004). [https://books.google.com/books?id=3i1HGbyT85MC&pg=PA165&lpg=PA165&dq=Who's+the+Boss,+Milano,+amy+fisher&source=bl&ots=WYI0CqKWWg&sig=SfzG8BJTJrfZ-N307SJnkk95sfc&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CFsQ6AEwDWoVChMImc7Vz63-xwIVSjc-Ch2nWAYC#v=onepage&q=Who'sthe Boss%2CMilano%2Camyfisher&f=false ''What Were They Thinking?: The 100 Dumbest Events In Television History'']. Back Stage Books, p. 165. Archived at Google Books. Retrieved September 17, 2015.</ref> aired on the same night)
#''[[Supertrain]]''
#''[[Life with Lucy]]''<ref>{{cite book|author=David Hofstede|title=What Were They Thinking? The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History|publisher=[[Back Stage Books]]|year=2004|pages=159–161|isbn=0-8230-8441-8****</ref>
#''[[Goddess of Love (film)|The Goddess of Love]]'' starring [[Vanna White]]
#''FOX After Breakfast''
#The ''[[Lost in Space]]'' episode [[List_of_Lost_in_Space_episodes#Season_3:_1967%E2%80%9368|"The Great Vegetable Rebellion"]]
#''[[Turn-On]]''<ref name="hofstede">{{cite book|last=Hofstede|first=David |title=What Were They Thinking: The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History|publisher=Back Stage Books|pages=150–151|year=2004|isbn=0-8230-8441-8****</ref>
#''[[The Magic Hour (talk show)|The Magic Hour]]''<ref>{{cite book|author=David Hofstede|title=What Were They Thinking? The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History|publisher=[[Back Stage Books]]|year=2004|pages=148–150|isbn=0-8230-8441-8****</ref>
#''[[St. Elsewhere]]'''s [[St._Elsewhere#"The_Last_One"|series finale]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://comforttv.blogspot.com/2012/05/why-that-girl-didnt-marry-that-guy.html|title=Why That Girl Didn’t Marry That Guy|last=Hofstede|first=David|date=May 22, 2012|website=Comfort TV|publisher=Blogger|access-date= |quote=****</ref> which revealed that the whole series was a figment of an [[Tommy Westphall|autistic child's]] imagination
#''[[The $1.98 Beauty Show]]''
#''[[Cop Rock]]''
#''[[Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell]]''<ref>{{cite book|author=David Hofstede|title=What Were They Thinking? The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History|publisher=[[Back Stage Books]]|year=2004|pages=141–142|isbn=0-8230-8441-8****</ref>
#The [[Black_or_White#Controversy_and_censorship|violent and sexually suggestive epilogue]] of [[Michael Jackson]]'s 1991 "[[Black or White]]" music video
#''[[Dynasty (1981 TV series)|Dynasty]]'' re-casting [[Emma Samms]] as [[Fallon Carrington Colby|Fallon]]<ref name="Hofstede2">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3i1HGbyT85MC&pg=PA138&lpg=PA138&dq=emma+samms+dynasty+dynasty&source=bl&ots=WYN3GzLWVd&sig=l9h36MGA8cQMQw6-ToCAOtR4wCQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj1qYSKk5PUAhVX7WMKHVAKA144ChDoAQhYMAk#v=onepage&q=emma+samms+dynasty+dynasty&f=false|title=What Were They Thinking?: The 100 Dumbest Events In Television History|first=David|last=Hofstede|date=2004|accessdate=May 28, 2017|publisher=Back Stage Books|via=Google Books|pages=137–139|isbn=0-8230-8441-8****</ref> (beginning [[List_of_Dynasty_episodes#Season_5_(1984%E2%80%931985)|April 1985]]) after being originated by [[Pamela Sue Martin]] for the first four seasons
#''[[Pink Lady (TV series)|Pink Lady and Jeff]]''<ref>{{cite book|last=Hofstede|first=David |title=What Were They Thinking: The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History|publisher=Backbeat Books|year=2004|pages=135|isbn=0-8230-8441-8****</ref>
#''[[Twin Peaks]]'''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tv.avclub.com/twin-peaks-zen-or-the-skill-to-catch-a-killer-1798220554|title=A Very Special Episode: Twin Peaks, “Zen, Or The Skill To Catch A Killer”|last=Murray|first=NOal|date=May 6, 2010|website=Chicago Tribune|publisher= |access-date= |quote=****</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2010/06/fizzer-finale-of-lost-brings-to-mind.html|title=The Unraveling of Twin Peaks|last=Hofstede|first=David|date=June 2, 2010|website=The Wild Reed|publisher= |access-date= |quote=****</ref> [[List_of_Twin_Peaks_episodes#Season_2_(1990%E2%80%9391)|second]] [[Twin_Peaks#Season_two|season]]
#''[[Drudge (TV series)|Drudge]]''
#''[[Moonlighting (TV series)|Moonlighting]]'''s [[List_of_Moonlighting_episodes#Season_3_(1986%E2%80%931987)|poor handling]] of Dave and Maddie as a couple
#[[Happy_Days#Minor/recurring|Chuck Cunningham's]] abrupt and unexplained disappearance on ''[[Happy Days]]''
#[[Colby Donaldson|Colby]] losing to [[Tina Wesson|Tina]] on ''[[Survivor: The Australian Outback]]''<ref name="Hofstede2004">{{cite book|last=Hofstede|first=David|title=What Were They Thinking: The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3i1HGbyT85MC&pg=PA125|accessdate=29 May 2012|date=2004-10-01|publisher=Random House Digital, Inc.|isbn=9780823084418|pages=125–****</ref>
#[[CBS News|CBS]]' many failed attempts at [[Breakfast television|morning shows]] (such as ''[[The_Early_Show#The_1950s|The Morning Show]]'', ''[[Calendar (American TV series)|Calendar]]'', ''[[The_Early_Show#The_Morning_Program|The Morning Program]]'')
#''[[The Dana Carvey Show]]'' and how [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] set it up to fail
#Several [[List of television programs based on films|TV adaptations of films]], including a 1983 ''[[Casablanca (1983 TV series)|Casablanca]]'' adaptation with [[David Soul]] as [[Humphrey Bogart]]'s character [[Casablanca (film)|Rick Blaine]]
#[[Burger King]]'s "[[Where's Herb?]]"<ref name="hofstede3">{{cite book |last=Hofstede |first=David |title=What Were They Thinking? The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History |year=2004 |publisher=Back Stage Books |location=New York |isbn=0-8230-8441-8 | pages=115****</ref> commercials
#''[[Small Wonder (TV series)|Small Wonder]]''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.avclub.com/small-wonder-was-a-so-bad-it-s-good-80s-syndication-pi-1798283997 |title=Small Wonder was a so-bad-it’s-good ’80s syndication pioneer |last=Zaleski|first=Annie|date=September 7, 2015|website=AVClub|publisher= |access-date= |quote=****</ref>
#''[[The Dukes of Hazzard]]'' replacing [[Bo Duke|Bo]] and [[Luke Duke|Luke]] with [[The_Dukes_of_Hazzard#Coy|Coy]] and [[The_Dukes_of_Hazzard#Vance|Vance]] ([[List_of_The_Dukes_of_Hazzard_episodes#Season_5_(1982%E2%80%9383)|1982-83]])
#''[[Fish Police]]''
#''[[The Reagans]]''
#[[List_of_The_Brady_Bunch_characters#Cousin_Oliver|Cousin Oliver]] joins ''[[The Brady Bunch]]'' for its [[List_of_The_Brady_Bunch_episodes#Season_5_(1973%E2%80%9374)|final six episodes]]
#The [[XFL]]
#The 1960s era TV rule against showing [[Navel_in_popular_culture#Television|navels]]<ref>{{cite book |author=David Hofstede |title=What Were They Thinking? The 100 Dumbest Events In Television History |publisher=Back Stage Books |year=2004 |isbn=9780823084418 |page=100 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3i1HGbyT85MC&pg=PA100&lpg=PA100&dq=male+navel+restrictions&source=bl&ots=WYI7EwLXWh&sig=wYXj6Rcku_wQhNOQgNBd9llaa2I&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjelruq19HJAhVC4D4KHSsaDh8Q6AEINTAF#v=onepage&q=male%20navel%20restrictions&f=false****</ref> on women (directly affecting such shows as ''[[Gidget (TV series)|Gidget]]'', ''[[Gilligan's Island]]'', and ''[[I Dream of Jeannie]]'')
#''[[Thicke of the Night]]''
#[[Shelley Hack]] taking over for [[Kate Jackson]] on ''[[Charlie's Angels]]'' in [[Charlie's Angels (season 4)|Season 4]]
#[[61st Academy Awards|The 61st Academy Awards]] telecast (March 29, 1989)
#[[Dan Rather]] using "Courage" as his signoff on the ''[[CBS Evening News]]'' beginning on September 1, 1986
#''[[The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer]]''
#[[1983–84_United_States_network_television_schedule#NBC|NBC's]] [[1983–84 United States network television schedule|1983 Fall schedule]], which featured eight series that were canceled before their first seasons ended (including ''[[Manimal]]'', ''[[Jennifer Slept Here]]'''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://kenlevine.blogspot.com/2017/10/friday-questions_27.html|title=Friday Questions|last=Levine|first=Ken|date=October 27, 2017|website=Oregon Live|publisher= |access-date= |quote=****</ref>, ''[[Bay City Blues]]'', and ''[[We Got It Made]]'').<ref>{{cite book|last=Hofstede|first=David |title=What Were They Thinking: The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History|publisher=Back Stage Books|year=2004 |page=87 |isbn=0-8230-8441-8****</ref>
#''[[The Brothers Grunt]]''
#[[NBC]] failing to allow [[David Letterman]] to use the proper names of his [[Late Night with David Letterman|NBC-era]] [[List of David Letterman sketches|segments]] on [[CBS]]' ''[[Late Show with David Letterman|Late Show]]''
#''[[New Monkees|The New Monkees]]''
#''[[Dusty's Trail]]''<ref>Hofstede David ''What Were They Thinking?: The 100 Dumbest Events In Television History'' p. 80</ref>
#''[[The Wilton North Report]]''<ref name=WhatWere>[https://books.google.com/books?id=3i1HGbyT85MC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false Hofstede, David: "What Were They Thinking?: The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History"], pp. 78–80. VNU, Inc., 2004</ref>
#''[[Dark Shadows]]''' [[Dark Shadows (televised storylines)|"Leviathan" storyline]]
#''[[WWE Raw|WWF Raw's]]'' [[Mark Henry]]/[[Mae Young]] [[Glossary_of_professional_wrestling_terms#A|storyline]]
#[[Land of the Lost (1974 TV series)|''Land of the Lost'' (1974)'s]] [[List_of_Land_of_the_Lost_episodes#Season_three|third season]]
#[[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]]'s "[[Like a Prayer (song)|Like a Prayer]]" music video debut
#''[[Joanie Loves Chachi]]''<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7GN0E_diWbAC&pg=PA77 |title=From Abba to Zoom: A Pop Culture Encyclopedia of the Late 20th Century - Google Books |publisher=Books.google.com |date= |accessdate=2013-08-25****</ref>
#''[[Roger Ramjet]]'' and ''[[Underdog (TV series)|Underdog]]'' both getting scrutinized by [[Moral panic|moral guardians]] due to allegations of glamorizing drug abuse
#''[[Days of Our Lives]]''' [[Days of Our Lives characters (1990s)|1994-95]] [[Days_of_Our_Lives#Best-remembered_stories|storyline]] involving [[Marlena Evans]] [[James_E._Reilly#Departure_from_traditional_stories|being the victim]] of a [[demonic possession]]
#The failed attempts to Americanize ''[[Fawlty Towers]]'' (such as ''Chateau Snavely'', ''[[Amanda's]]'' and ''[[Payne (TV series)|Payne]]'')
#[[Wiping|The erasure of countless TV shows]]
#''[[The Chevy Chase Show]]''
#The ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series]]'' episode "[[Spock's Brain]]"<ref>{{cite book|author=David Hofstede|title=What Were They Thinking? The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History|publisher=[[Back Stage Books]]|year=2004|pages=57–58|isbn=0-8230-8441-8****</ref>
#Any shows centering on talking babies (such as ''[[Happy (1960 TV series)|Happy]]'', ''[[Baby Talk]]'', and ''[[Baby Bob]]'')
#[[Roseanne Barr]]'s awful rendition of "[[The Star Spangled Banner]]" at a [[1990 San Diego Padres season|San Diego Padres]] game in [[1990 Major League Baseball season|1990]]
#[[Nick @ Nite]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://w2.parentstv.org/blog/index.php/2015/07/22/tv-land-rebrands-to-raunchy/|title=TV Land “Rebrands” to Raunchy|last=Gildemeister|first=Christopher|date=July 22, 2015|website=Parents Television Council|publisher= |access-date= |quote=****</ref> [[List of programs broadcast by Nick at Nite|replacing classic shows]] from the 1950s-60s such as ''[[I Love Lucy]]'' and ''[[The Patty Duke Show]]'' in favor of more recent shows from the 1980s-90s.
#''[[The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island]]''
#[[Paul Lynde]] as a bachelor on ''[[The Dating Game]]''
#''[[Harold Robbins' The Survivors]]''
#[[Janet Jackson]]'s [[Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy|Wardrobe Malfunction]]<ref>{{cite news |last=Jicha|first=Tom|date=December 26, 2004|title=So That's Why They Call Television The Idiot Box|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2004-12-26/entertainment/0412221020_1_geraldo-rivera-nielsens-magic-johnson|work=Sun Sentinel|location= |access-date= ****</ref> at [[Super Bowl XXXVIII]] in [[NRG Stadium|Houston]]
#''[[Bewitched]]'' [[List_of_Bewitched_episodes#Season_6_(1969-1970)|recycling scripts]] after [[Dick Sargent]] took over as [[Darrin Stephens]]
#''[[The Flying Nun]]''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://flavorwire.com/378409/the-10-dumbest-tv-shows-of-all-time/4|title=The 10 Dumbest TV Shows of All Time|last=Bailey|first=Jason|date=March 19, 2013|website=Flavorwire|publisher= |access-date= |quote=****</ref>
#The ''[[Woops!]]'' episode [[Woops!#Episodes|"Say It Ain't So, Santa"]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.christmastvhistory.com/2015/07/christmas-tv-party-2015-david-hofstede.html|title=Christmas TV Party 2015: David Hofstede|last=Hofstede|first=David|date=July 4, 2015|website=Christmas TV History|publisher=Blogger|access-date= |quote=****</ref>
#''[[Battle_of_the_Network_Stars#Battle_of_the_Network_Stars_XVIII_(May_23,_1985)|Battle of the Network Stars #18]]'' (March 23, 1985)
#''[[Me and the Chimp]]''
#[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]'s [[Wonder Woman (1974 film)|1974 Wonder Woman TV-movie]]<ref name = Dumbest>{{cite book
| first = David
| last = Hofstede
| contribution = Forward
| contributor-first = Tom
| contributor-last = Bergeron
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=3i1HGbyT85MC&printsec=frontcover&dq=isbn:0823084418&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj3vYrc65PMAhVBwGMKHQyQAKIQ6AEIHTAA#v=onepage&q&f=false
| title = What Were They Thinking?: The 100 Dumbest Events in Television
| publisher = Back Stage Books
| year = 2004
| pages = 31–33
| isbn = 0-8230-8441-8****</ref> starring [[Cathy Lee Crosby]]
#[[Connie Francis]] performing poorly as a celebrity partner on ''[[Pyramid (game show)|The $10,000 Pyramid]]''
#[[Elvis Presley]] being shot only from the waist up (due to [[Broadcast Standards and Practices|Standards & Practices]] rules at the time that believing that [[The_Ed_Sullivan_Show#Elvis_Presley|Elvis']] swiveling hip dances were too risqué) on ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show]]''
#Cartoons of the 1970s that took place in space such as ''[[Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space]]'', ''[[Partridge Family 2200 AD]]'', ''[[Yogi's Space Race]]'', and ''[[Gilligan's Planet]]''
#''[[Laverne & Shirley]]'' writing Shirley ([[Cindy Williams]]) [[Laverne_%26_Shirley#Laverne_without_Shirley|out of the show]] for [[List_of_Laverne_%26_Shirley_episodes#Season_8_.281982.E2.80.9383.29|the final season (1982-83)]]
#[[QVC]] selling the Poopin' Moose
#''[[Bad Ronald]]''<ref>{{cite book|author=David Hofstede|title=What Were They Thinking? The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History|publisher=[[Back Stage Books]]|year=2004|pages=19–21|isbn=0-8230-8441-8****</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.invisibleoranges.com/existence-is-horror-the-neon-demon-bad-ronald/|title=Existence is Horror: “The Neon Demon” & “Bad Ronald”|last=|first=|date=July 8, 2016|website=Invisible Oranges|publisher= |access-date= |quote=****</ref>
#[[USA Network]]'s ''[[USA Up All Night|Up All Night]]''<ref name="hofstede4">{{cite book|last=Hofstede|first=David|title=What Were They Thinking: The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History|year=2004|publisher=Random House Digital, Inc.|isbn=0-8230-8441-8|page=18****</ref>
#''[[The Aldrich Family]]'''s obscene amount of [[List of soap opera recasts|recasts]] (only [[House Jameson]] remained for all four seasons)
#''[[The Dick Van Dyke Show]]'' episode [[List_of_The_Dick_Van_Dyke_Show_episodes#Season_1_.281961.E2.80.931962.29|"The Bad Old Days"]]
#''[[Three's a Crowd (game show)|3's A Crowd]]''<ref>{{cite book|last=Hofstede|first=David |title=What Were They Thinking: The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History|publisher=Back Stage Books|pages=13–14|year=2004|isbn=0-8230-8441-8****</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.messynessychic.com/2015/11/25/the-sleazy-70s-game-show-for-husbands-sleeping-with-their-secretaries/|title=The Sleazy 70s Game Show for Husbands Sleeping with their Secretaries|last=|first=|date=November 25, 2015|website=Messy Nessy|publisher= |access-date= |quote=****</ref>
#The overabundance of [[Westerns on television|westerns]] by the [[1959–60 United States network television schedule|late 1950s]] (with approximately 30 in total).
#''[[Quark (TV series)|Quark]]''
#[[Farrah Fawcett]]'s awkward [[List_of_The_Late_Show_with_David_Letterman_episodes#1997|1997 interview]] (where she appeared to be disoriented and incoherent) on ''[[The Late Show with David Letterman]]''
#The addition of [[Dawn Summers|Dawn]] on ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' and [[Connor (Angel)|Connor]]<ref name=thinking>{{cite book|last= Hofstede |first=David |title=What Were They Thinking: The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History|publisher=[[Backstage (magazine)|Back Stage Books]]|year=2004|isbn= 0-8230-8441-8****</ref> on ''[[Angel (1999 TV series)|Angel]]'' respectively
#[[AMC (TV channel)|AMC]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pazdziernik.blogspot.com/2006/10/grunge-tv.html|title=Grunge TV|last=Pazdziernik|first= |date=October 22, 2006|website=pazdziernik.blogspot|publisher= |access-date= |quote=****</ref> beginning to incorporate commercial breaks
#''[[The Price Is Right]]'''s [[List_of_The_Price_Is_Right_pricing_games#P_2|Professor Price]] game

==Honorary mentions==
#''[[Saturday Night Live]]'''s [[Saturday Night Live (season 6)|sixth season]]<ref>{{cite book|author=David Hofstede|title=What Were They Thinking? The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History|publisher=[[Back Stage Books]]|year=2004|pages=207–209|isbn=0-8230-8441-8****</ref> (1980-81)
#[[Fred Silverman]]'s tumultuous [[Fred_Silverman#Move_to_NBC|tenure at NBC]] ([[1978–79 United States network television schedule|1978]]-[[1980–81 United States network television schedule|81]])
#''[[Boohbah]]''
#''[[Are You Hot?|Are You Hot?: The Search for America's Sexiest People]]''
#''[[The Tortellis]]''
#''[[Batman (TV series)|Batman]]'' often relegating [[Barbara_Gordon_in_other_media#Batman|Batgirl]] to a [[damsel in distress]]
#''[[The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast]]'' of [[Peter Marshall (entertainer)|Peter Marshall]]
#[[Blood Circus (film)|Santo Gold]] [[Infomercial|infomercials]]
#''[[Jabberjaw]]''
#''[[The Morton Downey Jr. Show]]''
#Made for TV sequels from the 1990s such as ''[[Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation|Revenge of the Nerds III]]'' and ''[[Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love|IV]]'', and ''[[Problem Child 3: Junior in Love|Problem Child III]]''
#''[[Playing It Straight]]''
#''[[It's About Time (TV series)|It's About Time]]''
#''[[Rudolph's Shiny New Year]]''
#[[MTV]]'s (as well as [[MTV2]]) dramatic [[MTV#Decline_in_music_videos_(1995%E2%80%932008)|decline]] in [[MTV#Influence_and_controversies|quality]]
#''[[The New Leave It to Beaver]]''
#[[CBS]] bleeping [[Janet Jackson]] saying [[Jesus H. Christ|"Jesus"]] on ''[[The Late Show with David Letterman]]''
#''[[USA_Today#USA_Today:_The_Television_Show|USA Today: The Television Show]]''
#[[James Stockdale]]'s [[James_Stockdale#Vice-Presidential_candidacy|performance]] in the [[United States presidential election, 1992|1992 vice presidential]] [[Ross_Perot_presidential_campaign,_1992#Debates|debate]]
#[[Frank Zappa]] hosting ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' ([[Saturday Night Live (season 4)|October 21, 1978]])
#''[[List_of_The_Love_Boat_episodes#Season_5:_1981%E2%80%9382|The Love Boat Follies]]''
#''[[Playboy#Post-2000|Playboy's 50th-Anniversary Celebration]]''
#''[[Baywatch Nights]]''
#''[[She's the Sheriff]]''
#''[[AfterMASH]]''
#[[Legends_Cup_(LFL)#Lingerie_Bowl_(2004)|The Lingerie Bowl]]

==References==
{{reflist****

==Sources==
*{{cite book|last=Hofstede|first=David |title=What Were They Thinking: The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History|publisher=Back Stage Books|year=2004|isbn=0-8230-8441-8****

==External links==
<div style="font-size: 85%">
*[https://medium.com/the-culture-point/looking-back-at-the-star-wars-holiday-special-2c6625c9a266 Looking Back at the Star Wars Holiday Special]
*[http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/feature/a786920/10-of-the-worst-tv-shows-of-all-time-a-scientific-meta-analysis/ 10 of the worst TV shows of all time - a scientific* meta-analysis]
*[https://www.portlandmercury.com/BlogtownPDX/archives/2010/12/24/happy-wookiee-life-day-from-luke-leia-han-and-uh-bea-arthur-i-guess Happy Wookiee Life Day from Luke, Leia, Han, and... uh... Bea Arthur, I Guess.]
*[http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a26636/star-wars-holiday-special/ The Man You Can Blame for the Star Wars Holiday Special]
*[http://www.tvparty.com/70starwars.html Star Wars Holiday Special / Star Wars on TV - Classic TV / TVparty!]
*[https://www.huffingtonpost.com/donald-liebenson/yes-virginia-there-is-a-s_b_144308.html Yes Virginia, There is a Star Wars Holiday Special | HuffPost]
*[https://www.metv.com/lists/do-you-remember-the-star-wars-holiday-special Do you remember the Star Wars Holiday Special? - MeTV]
*[http://www.redvdit.net/rifftrax-star-wars-holiday-special/ Rifftrax: Star Wars Holiday Special – VOD Review]
*[http://www.sleuthsayers.org/2012/12/christmas-stories-good-bad-and-ugly_18.html SleuthSayers: Christmas Stories: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly]
*[http://www.wrestlecrap.com/swholiday.html The Star Wars Holiday Special: Welcome to the Dark Side - WrestleCrap]
*[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/WhatWereTheyThinkingThe100DumbestEventsInTelevisionHistory What Were They Thinking? The 100 Dumbest Events In ... - TV Tropes]
*[http://articles.latimes.com/2008/nov/16/entertainment/ca-starwars16 May the farce be with you]
*[https://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/to-boldly-go To Boldly Go - The New Atlantis]
*[https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2016/0804/807004-star-wars/ A new hope as US network eyes Star Wars TV series]
*[https://www.ocregister.com/2013/11/27/our-5-worst-christmas-tv-shows-plus-one/ Our 5 worst Christmas TV shows (plus one) – Orange County Register]
*[https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/jppgzd/a-star-wars-holiday-special-you-were-not-supposed-to-see-this In Praise of The Ominous Star Wars Holiday Special]
*[http://prp.fm/bad-movie-time-halloween-meets-christmas-space/ BAD MOVIE TIME: HALLOWEEN MEETS CHRISTMAS IN SPACE]
*[https://www.micahhanks.com/uncategorized/christmas-memories-the-bizarre-1978-star-wars-holiday-special-that-george-lucas-wants-you-to-forget/ Christmas Memories: The Bizarre 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special That George Lucas Wants You to Forget]
*[http://andstillipersist.com/2007/09/the-star-wars-holiday-special-the-condensed-version/ The Star Wars Holiday Special, the condensed version]
*[https://thegavoice.com/melissa-carter-3/ Melissa Carter: The rightfully forgotten Star Wars Special]
</div>

[[Category:2004 books]]
[[Category:Lists of worsts]]
[[Category:Criticism of television series]]
[[Category:Television lists]]
[[Category:English-language books]]