Does anyone know why back in the days when shows were syndicated... - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Ireneparalegal · 04-04-2006, 05:10 PM

they would have a different show title than when it originally aired?
For example, when the show EMERGENCY first became syndicated the title of the show was EMERGENCY ONE. When Chips was syndicated it too had a different title. I can't remember it but it was CHiPs ______(something or another). and nooooo, it wasn't CHIPS AHOY...

But this was done alot. It's not done anymore, but I am curious as to why.

tvfan0101 · 04-04-2006, 05:37 PM

I believe that was mostly done when a series that was still in production also went into syndication at the same time. So, while new episodes of Happy Days were airing on ABC, the series was in syndication under the name Happy Days Again. And Bonanza episodes were syndicated under the name The Ponderosa.

Although, I think The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams was syndicated as simply Grizzly Adams, and it started in syndication after the series was cancelled. So, the rule does not always stand! Also, CHiPs was syndicated under the name CHiPs Patrol.

Ireneparalegal · 04-04-2006, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tvobscurities

I believe that was mostly done when a series that was still in production also went into syndication at the same time. So, while new episodes of Happy Days were airing on ABC, the series was in syndication under the name Happy Days Again. And Bonanza episodes were syndicated under the name The Ponderosa.

Although, I think The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams was syndicated as simply Grizzly Adams, and it started in syndication after the series was cancelled. So, the rule does not always stand! Also, CHiPs was syndicated under the name CHiPs Patrol.

Ah, yes Chips Patrol. that was it. That sounds logical. However, nowadays shows have new seasons and may be on the air in syndication...they don't do that. Was it just something that was done then, and not now?

tvfan0101 · 04-04-2006, 05:45 PM

Well, I suppose the networks (or whoever decided to create a syndication title) were worried that independent stations airing shows in syndication during primetime would confuse viewers looking for new episodes. So, the syndication title made it clear that new episodes were only on the network.

I am trying to think of a series from the 1980s or 1990s that had a special syndication title and I cannot think of one. That might have to do with the decline of independent stations due to FOX, The WB and UPN.

Ireneparalegal · 04-04-2006, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tvobscurities

Well, I suppose the networks (or whoever decided to create a syndication title) were worried that independent stations airing shows in syndication during primetime would confuse viewers looking for new episodes. So, the syndication title made it clear that new episodes were only on the network.

I am trying to think of a series from the 1980s or 1990s that had a special syndication title and I cannot think of one. That might have to do with the decline of independent stations due to FOX, The WB and UPN.

Thanx for the info. It was something that had been bugging me for some time now.

tv star collector · 04-04-2006, 06:48 PM

Some other examples of network shows with different syndication titles include:
ANDY OF MAYBERRY (THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW), THE McCOYS (THE REAL
McCOYS), PONDEROSA (BONANZA) and MATT DILLON (GUNSMOKE).

Adamantium · 04-04-2006, 06:50 PM

I believe that "The Andy Griffith Show" was titled "Andy of Mayberry." And "The Phil Silvers Show" was titled "Sgt. Bilko." And "The Danny Thomas Show" was titled "Make Room for Daddy" in the show's first three seasons (out of eleven). However, in syndication, the entire series went by the title "Make Room for Daddy."

Adamantium · 04-04-2006, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tv star collector

Some other examples of network shows with different syndication titles include:
ANDY OF MAYBERRY (THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW)

You beat me to it.

Now I'm more confident that I stated that. lol

Mr. Television · 04-04-2006, 07:02 PM

Real People was syndicated as More Real People and BJ And The Bear and Sheriff Lobo were syndicated together as The BJ/Lobo Show, both in the 1980's.

Ireneparalegal · 04-04-2006, 07:07 PM

these tidbits are really interesting.

TV Knowledge Fan · 04-04-2006, 07:12 PM

...in the early '50s, when MCA-TV (the most prolific producer of filmed syndicated & network TV shows at that time) decided to take advantage of its network produced series when they reached 39 episodes (one full season) or more, and sell those to local stations, while first-run episodes were still playing on the networks. So as not to confuse viewers with the same series title on TWO different stations (network and local), the repeats were given different titles. A few examples:

Ralph Bellamy's "MAN AGAINST CRIME" (on NBC and DuMONT) became "FOLLOW THAT MAN" in syndication after 1953;

"DRAGNET" (while on NBC) reappeared as "BADGE 714" and "CONFIDENTIAL REPORT" on local stations, beginning in 1954;

"THE MILLIONAIRE" (on CBS) had its first 39 episodes syndicated as "IF YOU HAD A MILLION" in 1956;

"BIG TOWN" appeared under FOUR different titles (primarily because of the different leads as "Steve Wilson" every season or so)- "CITY ASSIGNMENT",
"HEART OF THE CITY", "HEADLINE", and "BYLINE- STEVE WILSON". Another reason for this was because the rights to the "BIG TOWN" title were owned by its network sponsor, Lever Brothers.

Another example of the sponsor owning the rights to a series title was The Wander Comany, makers of "Ovaltine". They sponsored "CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT"
on radio (1940-'49) AND television (1954-'56). When Screen Gems, the TV arm of Columbia Pictures that produced the series, wanted to syndicate the show after 1957, they had to change the title to "JET JACKSON- FLYING COMMANDO" and alter the soundtrack in every episode where "Captain Midnight's" name was mentioned.

When CBS wanted to syndicate its network-produced series "THE LINEUP"
(1954-'60) in syndication after its first four seasons, they had to change the title, while the series was running on the network, to "SAN FRANCISCO BEAT", and continued to do so through the late '60s.

Another classic example was MCA-TV's "WAGON TRAIN". When ABC bought the series for daytime repeats in early 1963 (while the show was running on ABC's prime-time schedule), the title became "MAJOR ADAMS-TRAILMASTER" [the 1957-'60 episodes starring Ward Bond as "Seth Adams"] for those afternoon reruns ('63-'65), and eventually in syndication.

The first six seasons of "GUNSMOKE" (1955-'61) were retitled "MARSHAL DILLON" when CBS began repeating them on their prime-time schedule (on Tuesday nights) in the fall of 1961 while new hour-long episodes were seen on Saturday night. The "DILLON" series was parceled out to local stations after 1964.

In the mid-'70s, MCA-TV discovered they had a glut of hour-long shows that had to be syndicated as soon as possible. So, while they were still shown on the networks, "IRONSIDE" became "THE RAYMOND BURR SHOW"; "MARCUS WELBY, M.D." became "ROBERT YOUNG, FAMILY DOCTOR"; "EMERGENCY!"
played locally as "EMERGENCY ONE!"; "THE ROCKFORD FILES" as "JIM ROCKFORD, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR"...and so on.

Then, Paramount Television decided to market THEIR hot network series
in the late-'70s while the originals played on ABC. So "HAPPY DAYS" was seen locally as "HAPPY DAYS AGAIN", and "LAVERNE & SHIRLEY" became "LAVERNE & SHIRLEY & COMPANY".

What finally happened, was that 20 Century-Fox TV began syndicating "M*A*S*H" in the fall of 1979 on local stations...WITHOUT changing the series' title while new episodes appeared on CBS. Nobody seemed to mind (or notice) that the same show was on two different stations in the same market under the same title. And THAT'S when the practice of retitling series ended.....except for ONE more minor change:

When CBS rebroadcast the 1979-'80 episodes of "HAWAII FIVE-O" on its
"LATE NIGHT" line-up between 1984 and 1987, they presented those episodes- as "McGARRETT".

I thank you!

TV Knowledge Fan · 04-04-2006, 07:19 PM

When MCA-TV wanted to syndicate "B.J. AND THE BEAR" in the early '80s, they discovered there weren't enough episodes to "strip" the series five days a week (only two and a half seasons worth of episodes were produced), so they decided to add the episodes of "THE MISADVENTURES OF SHERIFF LOBO"
(LESS than two seasons) and repackage them as "THE B.J./LOBO SHOW". Forgot about THAT!

Mr. Television · 04-04-2006, 07:25 PM

also the Bob Cummings Show was syndicated under the title Love That Bob which is still its most famous title. Also Private Secretary was syndicated as Susie. They are still the titles that you see if you ever can catch them in syndication.

TV Knowledge Fan · 04-04-2006, 07:29 PM

CBS had to retitle their sitcoms that were still running at night for daytime repeats in the early '60s. THIS is why "THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW" also appeared on weekdays as "ANDY OF MAYBERRY"; "THE REAL McCOYS" as
"THE McCOYS"....and "THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW" as "THE DICK VAN DYKE MORNING SHOW" (one of those titles appears on TV LAND from time to time-
an episode from season one). When Andy and Dick's series left the nighttime schedule, their shows reverted to their original titles on CBS' daytime schedule.

And then there was the matter of CBS running Jack Benny's filmed repeats
(while he was on NBC's prime-time lineup) in 1964-'65 as "THE JACK BENNY DAYTIME SHOW" [weekdays, 4:30-5pm(et)] and Sunday afternoons [at 5pm]
as "SUNDAY WITH JACK BENNY".

............

TV Knowledge Fan · 04-04-2006, 07:34 PM

MCA-TV did repackage "THE BOB CUMMINGS SHOW" as "LOVE THAT BOB", but they first sold it to ABC for daytime repeats from 1959 through '61- THEN it went into syndication. "PRIVATE SECRETARY" became "SUSIE" in syndication in 1957 because the producer still owned the rights to the original title, and was hoping to resurrect the show with another actress as "Susie McNamera"- and couldn't.

04-04-2006, 05:10 PM	#1
Ireneparalegal LEGAL SPICE ;) Forum Legend Join Date: Jul 25, 2005 Location: OXNARD, CA - WHERE THE DALLAS COWBOYS TRAIN & PRACTICE Posts: 38,691	Does anyone know why back in the days when shows were syndicated... they would have a different show title than when it originally aired? For example, when the show EMERGENCY first became syndicated the title of the show was EMERGENCY ONE. When Chips was syndicated it too had a different title. I can't remember it but it was CHiPs ______(something or another). and nooooo, it wasn't CHIPS AHOY... But this was done alot. It's not done anymore, but I am curious as to why.
	__________________ DALLAS COWBOYS ARE HERE AT TRAINING CAMP!!!

04-04-2006, 07:02 PM	#9
Mr. Television 23 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,132	Real People was syndicated as More Real People and BJ And The Bear and Sheriff Lobo were syndicated together as The BJ/Lobo Show, both in the 1980's.
	__________________ Sonny Last edited by Mr. Television; 04-04-2006 at 07:46 PM.

04-04-2006, 07:12 PM	#11
TV Knowledge Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 29, 2006 Location: Long Branch, N.J. Posts: 2,577	actually, the practice began in full swing... ...in the early '50s, when MCA-TV (the most prolific producer of filmed syndicated & network TV shows at that time) decided to take advantage of its network produced series when they reached 39 episodes (one full season) or more, and sell those to local stations, while first-run episodes were still playing on the networks. So as not to confuse viewers with the same series title on TWO different stations (network and local), the repeats were given different titles. A few examples: Ralph Bellamy's "MAN AGAINST CRIME" (on NBC and DuMONT) became "FOLLOW THAT MAN" in syndication after 1953; "DRAGNET" (while on NBC) reappeared as "BADGE 714" and "CONFIDENTIAL REPORT" on local stations, beginning in 1954; "THE MILLIONAIRE" (on CBS) had its first 39 episodes syndicated as "IF YOU HAD A MILLION" in 1956; "BIG TOWN" appeared under FOUR different titles (primarily because of the different leads as "Steve Wilson" every season or so)- "CITY ASSIGNMENT", "HEART OF THE CITY", "HEADLINE", and "BYLINE- STEVE WILSON". Another reason for this was because the rights to the "BIG TOWN" title were owned by its network sponsor, Lever Brothers. Another example of the sponsor owning the rights to a series title was The Wander Comany, makers of "Ovaltine". They sponsored "CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT" on radio (1940-'49) AND television (1954-'56). When Screen Gems, the TV arm of Columbia Pictures that produced the series, wanted to syndicate the show after 1957, they had to change the title to "JET JACKSON- FLYING COMMANDO" and alter the soundtrack in every episode where "Captain Midnight's" name was mentioned. When CBS wanted to syndicate its network-produced series "THE LINEUP" (1954-'60) in syndication after its first four seasons, they had to change the title, while the series was running on the network, to "SAN FRANCISCO BEAT", and continued to do so through the late '60s. Another classic example was MCA-TV's "WAGON TRAIN". When ABC bought the series for daytime repeats in early 1963 (while the show was running on ABC's prime-time schedule), the title became "MAJOR ADAMS-TRAILMASTER" [the 1957-'60 episodes starring Ward Bond as "Seth Adams"] for those afternoon reruns ('63-'65), and eventually in syndication. The first six seasons of "GUNSMOKE" (1955-'61) were retitled "MARSHAL DILLON" when CBS began repeating them on their prime-time schedule (on Tuesday nights) in the fall of 1961 while new hour-long episodes were seen on Saturday night. The "DILLON" series was parceled out to local stations after 1964. In the mid-'70s, MCA-TV discovered they had a glut of hour-long shows that had to be syndicated as soon as possible. So, while they were still shown on the networks, "IRONSIDE" became "THE RAYMOND BURR SHOW"; "MARCUS WELBY, M.D." became "ROBERT YOUNG, FAMILY DOCTOR"; "EMERGENCY!" played locally as "EMERGENCY ONE!"; "THE ROCKFORD FILES" as "JIM ROCKFORD, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR"...and so on. Then, Paramount Television decided to market THEIR hot network series in the late-'70s while the originals played on ABC. So "HAPPY DAYS" was seen locally as "HAPPY DAYS AGAIN", and "LAVERNE & SHIRLEY" became "LAVERNE & SHIRLEY & COMPANY". What finally happened, was that 20 Century-Fox TV began syndicating "MAS*H" in the fall of 1979 on local stations...WITHOUT changing the series' title while new episodes appeared on CBS. Nobody seemed to mind (or notice) that the same show was on two different stations in the same market under the same title. And THAT'S when the practice of retitling series ended.....except for ONE more minor change: When CBS rebroadcast the 1979-'80 episodes of "HAWAII FIVE-O" on its "LATE NIGHT" line-up between 1984 and 1987, they presented those episodes- as "McGARRETT". I thank you!

04-04-2006, 07:19 PM	#12
TV Knowledge Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 29, 2006 Location: Long Branch, N.J. Posts: 2,577	oh, yes...about "B.J. AND THE BEAR"... When MCA-TV wanted to syndicate "B.J. AND THE BEAR" in the early '80s, they discovered there weren't enough episodes to "strip" the series five days a week (only two and a half seasons worth of episodes were produced), so they decided to add the episodes of "THE MISADVENTURES OF SHERIFF LOBO" (LESS than two seasons) and repackage them as "THE B.J./LOBO SHOW". Forgot about THAT!

04-04-2006, 07:29 PM	#14
TV Knowledge Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 29, 2006 Location: Long Branch, N.J. Posts: 2,577	...and while we're still on the subject... CBS had to retitle their sitcoms that were still running at night for daytime repeats in the early '60s. THIS is why "THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW" also appeared on weekdays as "ANDY OF MAYBERRY"; "THE REAL McCOYS" as "THE McCOYS"....and "THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW" as "THE DICK VAN DYKE MORNING SHOW" (one of those titles appears on TV LAND from time to time- an episode from season one). When Andy and Dick's series left the nighttime schedule, their shows reverted to their original titles on CBS' daytime schedule. And then there was the matter of CBS running Jack Benny's filmed repeats (while he was on NBC's prime-time lineup) in 1964-'65 as "THE JACK BENNY DAYTIME SHOW" [weekdays, 4:30-5pm(et)] and Sunday afternoons [at 5pm] as "SUNDAY WITH JACK BENNY". ............

04-04-2006, 05:37 PM	#2
tvfan0101 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Sep 29, 2003 Posts: 961	I believe that was mostly done when a series that was still in production also went into syndication at the same time. So, while new episodes of Happy Days were airing on ABC, the series was in syndication under the name Happy Days Again. And Bonanza episodes were syndicated under the name The Ponderosa. Although, I think The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams was syndicated as simply Grizzly Adams, and it started in syndication after the series was cancelled. So, the rule does not always stand! Also, CHiPs was syndicated under the name CHiPs Patrol.

04-04-2006, 05:45 PM	#4
tvfan0101 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Sep 29, 2003 Posts: 961	Well, I suppose the networks (or whoever decided to create a syndication title) were worried that independent stations airing shows in syndication during primetime would confuse viewers looking for new episodes. So, the syndication title made it clear that new episodes were only on the network. I am trying to think of a series from the 1980s or 1990s that had a special syndication title and I cannot think of one. That might have to do with the decline of independent stations due to FOX, The WB and UPN.

04-04-2006, 06:48 PM	#6
tv star collector I Love Susie Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 18, 2005 Location: South Carolina Posts: 4,487	Some other examples of network shows with different syndication titles include: ANDY OF MAYBERRY (THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW), THE McCOYS (THE REAL McCOYS), PONDEROSA (BONANZA) and MATT DILLON (GUNSMOKE).

04-04-2006, 06:50 PM	#7
Adamantium TVAdam No More Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 11, 2002 Location: Springfield, Ohio Posts: 7,839	I believe that "The Andy Griffith Show" was titled "Andy of Mayberry." And "The Phil Silvers Show" was titled "Sgt. Bilko." And "The Danny Thomas Show" was titled "Make Room for Daddy" in the show's first three seasons (out of eleven). However, in syndication, the entire series went by the title "Make Room for Daddy."

04-04-2006, 07:07 PM	#10
Ireneparalegal LEGAL SPICE ;) Forum Legend Join Date: Jul 25, 2005 Location: OXNARD, CA - WHERE THE DALLAS COWBOYS TRAIN & PRACTICE Posts: 38,691	these tidbits are really interesting.

04-04-2006, 07:25 PM	#13
Mr. Television 23 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,132	also the Bob Cummings Show was syndicated under the title Love That Bob which is still its most famous title. Also Private Secretary was syndicated as Susie. They are still the titles that you see if you ever can catch them in syndication.

04-04-2006, 07:34 PM	#15
TV Knowledge Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 29, 2006 Location: Long Branch, N.J. Posts: 2,577	Yes, "I Walk The Line"... MCA-TV did repackage "THE BOB CUMMINGS SHOW" as "LOVE THAT BOB", but they first sold it to ABC for daytime repeats from 1959 through '61- THEN it went into syndication. "PRIVATE SECRETARY" became "SUSIE" in syndication in 1957 because the producer still owned the rights to the original title, and was hoping to resurrect the show with another actress as "Susie McNamera"- and couldn't.