TV Facts

[floyd2006]

Here you name some of your TV FACTS

Married With Children--->1.)The bundy name was taken from KING KONG BUNDY the wrestler, and so was mr.rhodes name also taken from another wrestler.2.)The Bundys Address changes alot during the series.

[treky]

"Green Acres" was based on a radio show called "Gabbeys Green Acres"

the "lost episodes" of "The Honeymooners" weren't really lost. Jackie Gleason knew about them, and was just waiting until "the time was right" to tell about them.

CBS first wanted to do "I Love Lucy" live, and put it on kinescope which was the way that just about all sitcoms were done back then. But Desi Arnez insisted they film it, so it would have lasting value.

Barbera Eden was pregnant during the first season of "I Dream of Jeannie".

Buddy Ebsen was reluctant at first to take on the role of Jed Clammpet in "The Beverly Hillbillies" since he had already played mountain men before (including Georgey Russel in Disneys "The Adventures of Davey Crockett" in the 50s).

[troopoleon8897]

Roseanne Barr forced Carsey Warner to change the production team (writers and such) 4 times in the first 3 seasons before she took over fully...

[TVFactFan]

Sherman Hemsley wanted his character to stop calling a Honkey

Bonnie Franklin didn't want Mackenze to play her daughter because she was too TALL

Isabel Sanford was upset when she found that Sherman Hemsley would play her TV husband because he was too small

[Mikado]

Dont tell me that Tom Poston who played the caretaker on "Newhart" was originally slated to be Maxwell Smart....I asked you not to tell me that!!!

[James]

Mike and Carol Brady on The Brady Bunch were originally going to be played by Gene Hackman and Joyce Bulifant, respectively, instead of Robert Reed and Florence Henderson. Robert hated the concept of the show since he was a Shakespearean actor, which makes me believe that had the show gone on for a sixth season, Gene should have taken Robert's place (instead of the writers experiencing with fatherlessness), especially given his battles with producer Sherwood Schwartz.

[treky]

and a picture of Joyce Bullifant (Murrays wife on "THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW") is in the first BB episode, as a picture of the boys former mother, in their bedroom.

[treky]

Jerry Van Dyke was originally wanted for Gilligan in "GILLIGANS ISLAND" but he looked at the script and called it "the worst piece of crap I ever saw"

Carroll O'Conner was originally wanted for the skipper, but they thought people would feel sorry for Gilligan when the skipper yelled at him.

In "MASH" the picture of Col. Potters wife, Mildred, on Potters desk was actully a picture of Spring Byington, who had starred in a sitcom that Harry Morgan did in the late 50s, called "DECEMBER BRIDE".

Mickey Rooney was first asked to play Archie Bunker on "ALL IN THE FAMILY" but declined when he realized how controversole the show might become.

On "THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES" Jed was originally supposed to be the dumb one, and Jethro the smart one. I think Buddy Ebsen suggested they switch the roles because it might make the show funnier.

On "MASH" Radar didn't wear glasses at first, but Gary Burghoff suggested he wear them, because he felt Radars eyes would be weak, because of his ESP.

the "doubletalk" that Radar did sometimes, was also his idea. He felt it would make the role funnier.

Alan Alda only agreed to do it once they promised him it wouldn't become, in his words, "Abbott & Costello go to war".

John Ratzenberger was originally wanted for Norm on "Cheers".

William Devane and Julia Duffy were first wanted for Sam & Diane.

Originally, Sam was going to be an ex-football player. They changed it to an ex-baseball player when Ted Danson was hired, since he didn't look like a football player.

Shelly Long was against having Frasier as an inntellect; she thought that having another intellect wouldn't make the show very funny.

Originally, the bar was going to be set in California.

They set "Frasier" in Seattle because they wanted it as far away, geographiccly, from "Cheers".

Kelsey Grammar shaved off the beard that Frasier had in the last season of "CHEERS" because they didn't feel that John Mahoney would be belivable as his father.



The first commercial use of Television was Franklin D. Roosovelt presiding over the opening day ceromonies of the Chicago Worlds Fair, in 1939, where Television was also displayed to the public for the first time. The first experimental broadcasts were the year before, in 1938.

[James]

I have read that before they settled on Danica McKellar for Winnie Cooper on The Wonder Years the role was originally going to be done by her sister Crystal, who would later play another girlfriend of Kevin's (but more importantly, a nemesis), Becky Slater. What's interesting is that Danica is brunette (unless she did like Ashlee Simpson for the show , which I doubt, by the way, since her picture on her website is brunette), but Crystal is blond!

[treky]

Bea Benederet first auditioned for the role of Granny on "THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES". She didn't get it, but she recomended Irene Ryan for the role. (they were both friends, and had the same agent) As she was walking out, she saw Irene Ryan waiting to audition for the role, also. She pointed to her and said "There's your Granny"!

When Jackie Gleason found out that "THE FLINTSTONES" was loosely based on "THE HONEYMOONERS" he was going to sue Hanna-Barbera, but his lawyer talked him out of it.


This is a fun thread, whoever came up with the idea!

[tv star collector]

QUOTE:Jerry Van Dyke was originally wanted for Gilligan in "GILLIGANS ISLAND" but he looked at the script and called it "the worst piece of crap I ever saw"

Yeah ... and the following year, Jerry Van Dyke went on to star in that classic
television masterpiece (choke!) MY MOTHER THE CAR.

[TJL]

Contrary to popular belief, Captain Kirk never said, "Beam me up, Scotty," in any episode of Star Trek: TOS, but for some reason that became a popular catchphrase from the Star Trek franchise.

[Sal]

Originally Posted by treky

"Green Acres" was based on a radio show called "Gabbeys Green Acres"

Actually, it was called "Granby's Green Acres".

Other TV facts I've come across from various books:

I Love Lucy --- Vivian Vance was asked to gain weight so that she would be at least 20 pounds heavier than Lucille Ball in order to make her character more believable.

The idea of Lucy having a baby was frowned upon by CBS network executives. You couldn't say the word 'pregnant' on TV in 1951, so the episode where Lucy tells Ricky he's about to become a father was titled "Lucy Is Enceinte", the French word for pregnant. All subsequent episodes were then carefully screened by a priest, a rabbi, and a minister before receiving further approval.

Beverly Hillbillies --- Bea Benaderet was not given the part of Granny because her figure was too---how shall I put this?---noticeable.

One of the bank's secretaries was played by Sharon Tate. She was hired to play one of the Bradley sisters on "Petticoat Junction" but didn't get the part because she had posed for Playboy a few years earlier. She appeared in a few episodes of "Beverly Hillbillies" before being murdered by Charles Manson and his gang of thugs.

Gilligan's Island --- Raquel Welch, who would have made a perfect Ginger, instead auditioned for the role of Mary Ann and was rejected.

The series was cancelled because CBS wanted to move "Gunsmoke" to a different night and couldn't find room on its schedule.

The Dick Van Dyke Show --- Mary Tyler Moore had wanted to play Danny Thomas's daughter on his hit TV series but was turned down because her nose was too small, hence no one would believe that she was his daughter. While trying to find someone to play Laura Petrie, Carl Reiner suddenly remembered meeting Mary at that same audition and literally dragged her to producer Sheldon Leonard's office to convince him that she was right for the part.

Buddy Sorrell was going to be a teenager, working as an intern. When Morey Amsterdam became interested in playing Buddy, the part was rewritten especially for him.

Carl Reiner had made the pilot episode "Head Of The Family" hoping he would play Rob Petrie, but quickly realized he was all wrong. The final decision came down to two men: Dick Van Dyke and Johnny Carson.

(Picture it: Heeeeerrrreee's Robbie! )

The series was not an immediate hit and was cancelled after its first season because of low ratings. Hoping to save the show, Carl Reiner pleaded with his network bosses for one more chance. CBS agreed with him and moved the show from Tuesday to Wednesday nights after a new series that CBS had high hopes for: "The Beverly Hillbillies". The Clampetts were an instant smash, grabbing the #1 spot in the ratings after only 5 weeks and finished #1 overall for the entire 1962-63 season. With such an impressive lead-in, "The Dick Van Dyke Show" became a hit as well, and was a favorite of TV fans from that point on. At the 1963 Emmy Awards, Van Dyke was named Best Actor in a Comedy Series. Before making his acceptance speech, he looked at the table where the Hillbillies cast was sitting and bowed to them, "Wayne's World" style, out of thanks for keeping his show alive.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show --- Mary Richards was supposed to be divorced. Her character became single because CBS feared that viewers would think that she had divorced Dick Van Dyke.

The Andy Griffith Show --- When the series was about to start, Andy Taylor worked alone as sheriff of Mayberry. That changed when Don Knotts phoned his good friend Andy Griffith after seeing him play Sheriff Taylor on "Make Room For Daddy" and suggested that he could use a deputy.

Bewitched --- The first choice to play Samantha was actress Tammy Grimes.

Dick Sargent (Darrin #2) was supposed to play Darrin from the beginning, but a busy schedule kept him from accepting the part, so Dick York stepped in. Dick York played Darrin until 1968, replaced by Sargent, when he quit due to severe back pain that prevented him from even appearing in certain episodes.

My Three Sons --- Fred MacMurray was not happy about being on TV every week because he already had a busy movie schedule. He had it written in his contract that he would only be willing to work 65 days out of the year. The rest of the time, the cast had no choice but to work around him, so most of the scenes were shot out of sequence.

[Mikado]

John Ratzenberger originally read for the part of Norm, but, not getting it, he had to think of a way to get a part ( and a steady job ) and aproached the producers with the line " Does your show have a bar "know-it-all"? Every bar ive been in had a "know-it all." " He convinced them to give the character ( Cliff Claven ) a 2 show trial run, and never looked back.

[JT]

Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman - The first two episodes (since it was a sitcom/soap, two episodes were needed as "pilot") were shot in 1974. Norman Lear shopped the show around for nearly two years before settling on first-run syndication. The show premiered in January 1976.