The 20 Biggest Mess-Ups/Mistakes in ABC History

[Jamey Greek]

-Renewing Fresh off the Boat in 2019 forcing Constance Wu to gjve up another project she was excited about.

[Jamey Greek]

-Not picking up WKRP after CBS cancelled it

[icecream]

renewing The Neighbors for season 2 instead of Malibu Country

[bmasters9]

Originally Posted by Jamey Greek

-Not picking up WKRP after CBS cancelled it

If indeed that was the case, it would have been another version of what happened with Get Smart in the 60s, and Taxi in the late-70s (the former going to CBS for the 1969-70 season after four gos on NBC [1965-69], and the latter going to NBC for the 1982-83 season after four gos on ABC [1978-82]).

[Jamey Greek]

Originally Posted by bmasters9

If indeed that was the case, it would have been another version of what happened with Get Smart in the 60s, and Taxi in the late-70s (the former going to CBS for the 1969-70 season after four gos on NBC [1965-69], and the latter going to NBC for the 1982-83 season after four gos on ABC [1978-82]).

Exactly

[Jamey Greek]

--Pulling Hank Williams Jr's Monday Night Football theme twice

-lack of promotion for Alaska Daily

[simmytbone]

Moving America's Funniest People from ABC Television Center HOLLYWOOD to Universal Studios Florida was a HUGE Mess-Up, even Host Dave Coulier wasn't pleased with that idea

Mainly due to the fact that it was causing conflict with taping schedules as he was doing Full House and AFP meaning that he would have to leave L.A. and travel to Orlando just to go do tapings didn't make any sense

Now, had the show moved to Universal Studios Hollywood, CA, that would've made more sense, but moving to Orlando, FL while Dave was still doing wrking on Full House in L.A. was just another mess-up right there

and so, it was either continue to host the show and travel back and forth, or cancel the show and so, they cancelled AFP

Now if it's for special occasions, that's understandable, but having to travel back and forth was too much

[Jamey Greek]

-cancelling Alaska Daily

[Jamey Greek]

--cancelling Alaska Daily and [Big Sky

[Jamey Greek]

Unto the night with Rick Dees Rick Dees sucked as a talk show host

[James28]

Cancelling The Bionic Woman after it ranked 14th for its second season with a 22.4 average rating.

ABC elected not to renew The Bionic Woman, feeling that it wasn't attracting the kind of demographic that the network wanted (ABC's Entertainment President Fred Silverman was notorious for his focus on demographics). Once The Bionic Woman moved to NBC for its third season, its ratings tanked to a 16.8 average and a rank of 61. It's hard to know what demographics The Bionic Woman was high on, but if The Bionic Woman had been one of ABC's youngest-skewing series, cancellation shouldn't have been a realistic option.

The Tony Randall Show also ranked in the Top 30 with a 20.1 average, and had its ratings tank following a network move (to CBS; 15.4 average for 72nd place for the 1977-78 season). Most Wanted and Dog and Cat had mid-30s shares averages, but those freshmen's ratings averages were in the 17-18 range, ranking in the 50s. Broadcasting Magazine stated that with its ratings lead, ABC could afford to drop a couple of 30-plus-share serieses after 1976-77.

[Jamey Greek]

Firing David Brinkley after he made that jab about President Clinton

[James28]

Airing the official series finale of Three's Company ("Friends and Lovers") on September 18 of 1984 instead of May 22 of 1984. Why couldn't ABC have just aired "Friends and Lovers" on May 22 and then repeated it on September 18 (leading into the launch of Three's a Crowd the following week)?

[Jamey Greek]

rushing the post-production for Elvis and Me in an effort for it to air before the 1988 Winter Olympics. But hey, the former got high ratings both nights.

[Jamey Greek]

Putting Don Rickles’ humor on a tight leash on Foul Ups, Bleeps, and Blunders