Mr. Dugan (Unaired 1979 CBS Sitcom) - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

bencasey · 10-10-2011, 01:56 AM

Now that's a rare show. Unlike other unaired series, Snip for instance, these do not reside in any archive. They taped 3 of them before the show was pulled at the last minute. I actually have commercial for it that they aired on a show earlier in the week. I wonder if the show it was supposed to be, Onward and Upward with John Amos ever taped any episodes before it got shut down. What eventually aired was called Hanging In, although that only ran for 4 weeks.

TV Knowledge Fan · 10-11-2011, 01:33 PM

...and I'll give it to you "thumbnail", 'ben':

"ONWARD AND UPWARD" was to be a continuation of what "MAUDE" was intended to be in its projected seventh season (a freshman congressman filling out a deceased congressman's term), with another character replacing "Maude Findlay", and the same supporting cast {Barbara Rhodes, Dennis Burkley, Nedra Volz}. Norman Lear decided to cast John Amos in the role, but had a falling out with him before a single episode was produced. He found Cleavon Little to replace him, and production began in early 1979. However, the title was changed from "ONWARD AND UPWARD" to "MR. DOOLEY"...and then, because there was already a literary character with that name (and already copyrighted), the title was changed once more, to "MR. DUGAN" [Barbara Rhodes was a guest panelist on "MATCH GAME '79" that February, and Johnny Olsen introduced her at the beginning of the week as a star of "ONWARD AND UPWARD"- then by Wednesday, "MR. DOOLEY"]. And then, Lear made the mistake of screening the pilot before several influential black leaders and congressmen, and they protested the "Dugan" character wasn't "respectable" enough for their tastes (or a national audience), and the series was pulled from CBS' schedule before its premiere.

Finally, to avoid any "controversy", Lear and the producers reworked the format so that it focused on a white college president (played, ironically, by Bill Macy from "MAUDE")- with the same supporting cast as in the previous versions- and CBS burned off the four episodes produced in the summer of '79 as "HANGING IN" {even the title was designed to be "non-offensive"}.

bencasey · 10-14-2011, 04:20 PM

Yes, because you certainly wouldn't want to "offend" anybody. As if good comedy never does that. I just wonder if a show offended white congressmen if it would have gotten treated the same way.

RadioDan · 02-18-2018, 12:55 AM

If anyone has a Mr Dugan promo I would love to see it! Please contact me if you do. Thanks!

TJ · 03-23-2023, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RadioDan

If anyone has a Mr Dugan promo I would love to see it! Please contact me if you do. Thanks!

The Museum of Classic Chicago Television (www.FuzzyMemories.TV) uploaded a short promo for the premiere episode of Mister Dugan.

Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Dugan

Lost Media Wiki
https://lostmediawiki.com/Mr._Dugan_..._series;_1979)

Unaired sitcoms with multiple episodes produced that never aired on a network
https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards...d.php?t=421371

Programs Cancelled Before They Premiered, 1963-1988 - TVObscurities
http://www.tvobscurities.com/article...hey_premiered/

10-10-2011, 01:56 AM	#1
bencasey Member Senior Member Join Date: Dec 29, 2001 Location: Long Beach Posts: 1,692	Mr. Dugan (Unaired 1979 CBS Sitcom) Now that's a rare show. Unlike other unaired series, Snip for instance, these do not reside in any archive. They taped 3 of them before the show was pulled at the last minute. I actually have commercial for it that they aired on a show earlier in the week. I wonder if the show it was supposed to be, Onward and Upward with John Amos ever taped any episodes before it got shut down. What eventually aired was called Hanging In, although that only ran for 4 weeks.

10-11-2011, 01:33 PM	#2
TV Knowledge Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 29, 2006 Location: Long Branch, N.J. Posts: 2,577	There's a very interesting history behind this series... ...and I'll give it to you "thumbnail", 'ben': "ONWARD AND UPWARD" was to be a continuation of what "MAUDE" was intended to be in its projected seventh season (a freshman congressman filling out a deceased congressman's term), with another character replacing "Maude Findlay", and the same supporting cast {Barbara Rhodes, Dennis Burkley, Nedra Volz}. Norman Lear decided to cast John Amos in the role, but had a falling out with him before a single episode was produced. He found Cleavon Little to replace him, and production began in early 1979. However, the title was changed from "ONWARD AND UPWARD" to "MR. DOOLEY"...and then, because there was already a literary character with that name (and already copyrighted), the title was changed once more, to "MR. DUGAN" [Barbara Rhodes was a guest panelist on "MATCH GAME '79" that February, and Johnny Olsen introduced her at the beginning of the week as a star of "ONWARD AND UPWARD"- then by Wednesday, "MR. DOOLEY"]. And then, Lear made the mistake of screening the pilot before several influential black leaders and congressmen, and they protested the "Dugan" character wasn't "respectable" enough for their tastes (or a national audience), and the series was pulled from CBS' schedule before its premiere. Finally, to avoid any "controversy", Lear and the producers reworked the format so that it focused on a white college president (played, ironically, by Bill Macy from "MAUDE")- with the same supporting cast as in the previous versions- and CBS burned off the four episodes produced in the summer of '79 as "HANGING IN" {even the title was designed to be "non-offensive"}.

10-14-2011, 04:20 PM	#3
bencasey Member Senior Member Join Date: Dec 29, 2001 Location: Long Beach Posts: 1,692	Yes, because you certainly wouldn't want to "offend" anybody. As if good comedy never does that. I just wonder if a show offended white congressmen if it would have gotten treated the same way.

02-18-2018, 12:55 AM	#4
RadioDan Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jul 25, 2008 Location: Coral Springs, FL Posts: 5	If anyone has a Mr Dugan promo I would love to see it! Please contact me if you do. Thanks!