Remember these duds?

[Rezny@gmail.com]

All were midseason cancellations:1)Blondie-This 1968 CBS turkey starred Will Hutchins(Dagwood),Patricia Harty(Blondie) ,Peter Robbins(the ORIGINAL voice of Charlie Brown in the Peanuts specials,as son Alexander),Pamelyn Ferdin as daughter Cookie,the late Jim Backus as Mr.Dithers,and the late Henny Backus as Dithers'wife,Cora. 2)Fay-A 1975 NBC comedy starring Lee Grant.It had lots of promise,but back then,NBC's "Mad Programmer",slotted it in the wrong time slot(creator Susan Harris of "The Golden Girls" fame blamed its' demise on that-the writing was adult,but weakened thanks to NBC's meddling) 3) " Calucci's Dept"-A 1973 CBS bomb starring the late James Coco,was doomed from the start-pitted against the powerhouse NBC "Sanford and Son".

[joan davis fan]

Originally Posted by rrezny@usnetizen

All were midseason cancellations:1)Blondie-This 1968 CBS turkey starred Will Hutchins(Dagwood),Patricia Harty(Blondie) ,Peter Robbins(the ORIGINAL voice of Charlie Brown in the Peanuts specials,as son Alexander),Pamelyn Ferdin as daughter Cookie,the late Jim Backus as Mr.Dithers,and the late Henny Backus as Dithers'wife,Cora.

The 1968 Blondie would have had a better shot had they casted the originial Blondie cast ( Arthur Lake, Penny Singleton, Larry Sims...) rather than unkowns and considering that with the exception of Jon Hale ( Mr. Dithers )..everyone from the 40's Blondie flicks were still alive in 1968, too bad they didn't ask them first.

[bencasey]

Originally Posted by joan davis fan

The 1968 Blondie would have had a better shot had they casted the originial Blondie cast ( Arthur Lake, Penny Singleton, Larry Sims...) rather than unkowns and considering that with the exception of Jon Hale ( Mr. Dithers )..everyone from the 40's Blondie flicks were still alive in 1968, too bad they didn't ask them first.

You're kidding, right? Arthur Lake was 63 years old at the time. He was already too old when he was in the 1957 Blondie. Penny Singleton was 60 and she was already too old to be used in the 50s series. Blondie and Dagwood weren't supposed to be senior citizens. As to the cast being unknowns, that's also crap. Will Hutchins starred in 2 previous series, Sugarfoot and Hey Landlord and Patricia Harty had starred in Occasional Wife. In 1968, they were far better known to TV viewers than Lake and Singleton were.

[bencasey]

Fay would have been a good show but NBC in their infinite wisdom moved it to a family hour timeslot. I've only seen the pilot for Calucci's Department and its pretty funny. Never saw it at the time because I was watching Sanford and Son like everybody else was.

[Du Mont]

Originally Posted by rrezny@usnetizen

2) Fay-A 1975 NBC comedy starring Lee Grant. It had lots of promise, but back then, NBC's "Mad Programmer", slotted it in the wrong time slot (creator Susan Harris of "The Golden Girls" fame blamed its' demise on that-the writing was adult, but weakened thanks to NBC's meddling).

'Fay' was a sophisticated adult comedy, displaying the talents and sparkling wit of Miss Lee Grant playing a sexy divorcee attempting to start anew. The writers were trying to create a more sexual version of 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show', but the show got slotted within the dreaded Family Hour (7-9 pm) restrictions that the FCC got the nets to voluntarily comply with for a few years in the '70s.

The series came in third in its slot, averaging a 12.3HH, and beaten quite handily by ABC's prison comedy 'On the Rocks' (17.4HH) and absolutely trounced by CBS's family drama 'The Waltons' (22.7HH). In fairness, it had a dreadful lead-in Nielsen from 'The Montefuscos' which attracted a paltry 11.4HH.

I remember Miss Lee Grant appearing on 'The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson' where she really laid into Mr. Marvin Antonowsky, labelling him as the "mad programmer" and giving him the middle finger.

NBC never broadcast all of the episodes produced (I think there are at least three unaired episodes), and I certainly hope that Miss Susan Harris held on to those masters. This would be worthy of a DVD release simply because of the superb, Emmy-nominated performances of Miss Lee Grant.

[TV Knowledge Fan]

...in association with MCA/Universal. Their successor, NBC/Universal, not only have the video masters of all 10 episodes, four of them were "kinnied" and re-edited into an ersatz TV movie, "Man Trouble", as part of a syndicated MCA-TV package of "one season wonders masquerading as overseas theatrical/TV movies" in the late '70s [WCBS-TV in New York used to air that and the others on their weekend "LATE SHOW"]. What you probably didn't know is that all of the remaining episodes were "burned off" (with some repeats) on Wednesday nights during May and June, 1976. If some distributor- say, Shout! Factory- could swing a deal with NBC/Universal to release the series on DVD {NBC/U certainly won't!}...who knows?

[TV Knowledge Fan]

....was produced in New York by Sullivan Productions (Ed's son-in-law, Bob Precht {also his producer during the last decade of his long-running variety show}, was running the company for him).

[bencasey]

Originally Posted by TV Knowledge Fan

....was produced in New York by Sullivan Productions (Ed's son-in-law, Bob Precht {also his producer during the last decade of his long-running variety show}, was running the company for him).

I spoke with the Sullivan people a few years back and they tracked down the masters for me. They are being housed at the CBS vaults in Pennsylvania at Iron Mountain. At least we know they exist, for whatever good that does. I'd love to see more as the pilot was very funny and I actually was going through my TV Guides a few days ago and read the TV Guide review which was quite favorable.

[Rezny@gmail.com]

And how about this one from 1973?NBC's "Diana",with Diana Rigg of "The Avengers" fame?The executive producer of this copy(sort of)of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show"and "Rhoda"was Leonard ("Get Smart")Stern.Was it any good?

[TV Knowledge Fan]

...even the producer of "GET SMART", "THE GOOD GUYS", and "THE GOVERNOR AND J.J." also produced unsuccessful series, including "I'M DICKENS...HE'S FENSTER", "HE & SHE" and "HOLMES & YOYO". "DIANA" fell inbetween those. Diana Rigg herself later admitted she primarily agreed to appear in it for the money. Whatever merits the series had, it was done in by appearing opposite CBS' "GUNSMOKE" and ABC's "THE ROOKIES".

[bencasey]

Originally Posted by rrezny@usnetizen

And how about this one from 1973?NBC's "Diana",with Diana Rigg of "The Avengers" fame?The executive producer of this copy(sort of)of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show"and "Rhoda"was Leonard ("Get Smart")Stern.Was it any good?

I have a few of them and frankly its really not a very good show. Rigg, as always, is great, but she's done in by the poor writing. I have what is probably the most interesting episode of the show where Patrick MacNee guests. That's about the only thing about it that's interesting.

[biffbronson]

Originally Posted by TV Knowledge Fan

...even the producer of "GET SMART", "THE GOOD GUYS", and "THE GOVERNOR AND J.J." also produced unsuccessful series, including "I'M DICKENS...HE'S FENSTER", "HE & SHE" and "HOLMES & YOYO".

I saw some of Holmes & Yoyo years ago but can't really remember anything about it.

I really want to sit down and watch I'm Dickens...He's Fenster -- I've been intrigued by that for a long time.

Regarding that "new" Blondie cast: Jim Backus would have made a great Mr. Dithers, though a little too tall and slim as compared with the comic strip character.

[OOliver]

OMG - I vaguely remember BLONDIE (I was only five years old), I do remember FAY and CALUCCI. Wow - this is going way back!

[comedyfreak]

Originally Posted by biffbronson

I saw some of Holmes & Yoyo years ago but can't really remember anything about it.

I use to really like that show here's some news on the show.
Cast
Complete series cast summary:
John Schuck ... Gregory 'Yoyo' Yoyonovich (13 episodes, 1976-1977)
Richard B. Shull ... Det. Alexander Holmes (13 episodes, 1976-1977)
Bruce Kirby ... Capt. Harry Sedford (13 episodes, 1976-1977)
Andrea Howard ... Officer Maxine Moon (13 episodes, 1976-1977)
Storyline
Det. Alexander Holmes has no luck with his partners. They always end up at the hospital or the morgue. But this won't happen to his very new partner "Yoyo": a sophisticated indestructible android..

Yoyo could take a pic by pressing his nose, sometimes he'd get stuck and repeat things John Shuck went on to play the new Herman Munster in The Munsters Today in the 80's.

[howilu]

Calucci's Department was created by Renee Taylor and her husband Joe Bologna. The show starred James Coco and took place in an unemployment office.