why did ABC pull the plug on Dinosaurs early? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

misterblowhole · 03-08-2003, 02:43 AM

I just found out from checking out the episode guide for Dinosaurs at epguides.com that there were several unaired eposodes from season 4 that ABC never showed in the summer of 94.

Given they didn't even start airing season 4 until June 94, It looked like there were enough episodes for ABC to air first-run shows almost straight through until the beginning of the new fall season, when they could have finished it off with the series finale.

Instead they aired the finale in July, and never showed the series again after that.

Why did ABC do this? Were Dinosaurs ratings that bad that they couldn't even show in-the-can episodes from an established show in the summer months?

nimrod_86 · 04-12-2003, 09:17 PM

2 reasons: low ratings and the writers were running out of ideas. What happens is after a show becomes a huge thing, and becomes almost trend status, people get tired of it, and stop watching it, take Futurama for example. And because of other things being aired in it's time slot, they have left over episodes, but the network decides to just save those for syndication.

james scott · 07-01-2004, 01:51 AM

when dinosaurs was running again in re runs on the disney channel, they did manage to air some of those unaired episodes that abc never showed.

Mr. Television · 02-16-2005, 03:50 AM

I never even saw the final episode until it was syndicated on one of my local channels in the mid 90's. What a stunning final it was.

spunkygirl · 04-30-2005, 12:45 PM

Typical ABC

My grandma loves this show even to this today. She's even got the baby Dinosaur(as a doll) and he talks

Mr. Television · 04-30-2005, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sasette

Typical ABC

My grandma loves this show even to this today. She's even got the baby Dinosaur(as a doll) and he talks

It probably says "not The Mama" and "I'm The Baby, Gotta Love Me".

I found a baby stuff animal at a yardsale years ago. I don't know what I did with it. Its probably in the attic. :

spunkygirl · 04-30-2005, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nighthawk

It probably says "not The Mama" and "I'm The Baby, Gotta Love Me".

I found a baby stuff animal at a yardsale years ago. I don't know what I did with it. Its probably in the attic. :

Yeah it does, it's so cute

You pull a string and it talks

L&OFan4Eva · 04-30-2005, 07:21 PM

This show needs to be on DVD and/or cable. I'll take either IMO. I miss it so much!

TMC · 01-22-2015, 04:28 AM

I'm guessing that ABC never really knew what to do with the show. It was much more satirical and smarter than your prototypical show (e.g. from the Miller-Boyett dreck factory) that was airing on TGIF. I kind of now, think of Dinosaurs as sort of a place-holder sitcom for ABC until Boy Meets World (another Michael Jacobs sitcom on TGIF) got off the ground. Plus, the whole novelty of the show (I kind of view Dinosaurs as a live-action variant of The Flintstones w/ the roles between dinosaurs and humans reversed) was bound to wear off. The infamous series finale (which was incredibly dark and somber for a family sitcom at the time) is more than likely, another reason why Dinosaurs doesn't seem to get much love by a general audience today.

JO Sweet Heart · 04-06-2015, 08:40 PM

To me, having the show go from Friday to Wednesday is what made it take its nosedive.

God bless you always!!!

Holly

Will and Grace Fanatic · 04-06-2015, 10:17 PM

Were those episodes available on Netflix streaming? I kind got confused because the last episode where the world ends, on Netflix is not the very last episode in order.

WatcherofOldTV · 03-12-2016, 01:59 AM

It became very boring and the stories were horrible. Didn't fit the time slot anymore and the concept was stale by that point. Might have worked better if it got moved to Saturday morning...

WatcherofOldTV · 03-12-2016, 02:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Television

It probably says "not The Mama" and "I'm The Baby, Gotta Love Me".

I found a baby stuff animal at a yardsale years ago. I don't know what I did with it. Its probably in the attic. :

Dumb catch phrases that lost steam fast...
As popular as it was at first, it became the start of the show's downfall....

Similar to what happened with Good Times and "Dyno-mite!"
Family Matters with "Did I do that?"

You can't keep repeating the same old stuff. Actors stop feeling it and can't keep it fresh. It just gets old with the audience in general...

GSU2004 · 06-24-2016, 10:22 PM

The series was just a trend that caught at the right time and played itself out quickly. Only so much you can do with a storyboard like this show and some shows to me were just made to be a short run

JSP · 06-24-2016, 11:28 PM

I bet the show was very expensive to produce. Just a guess.

03-08-2003, 02:43 AM	#1
misterblowhole Mack Zorris Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 02, 2000 Location: Edmoton, Alberta, Canada Posts: 194	why did ABC pull the plug on Dinosaurs early? I just found out from checking out the episode guide for Dinosaurs at epguides.com that there were several unaired eposodes from season 4 that ABC never showed in the summer of 94. Given they didn't even start airing season 4 until June 94, It looked like there were enough episodes for ABC to air first-run shows almost straight through until the beginning of the new fall season, when they could have finished it off with the series finale. Instead they aired the finale in July, and never showed the series again after that. Why did ABC do this? Were Dinosaurs ratings that bad that they couldn't even show in-the-can episodes from an established show in the summer months?

04-12-2003, 09:17 PM	#2
nimrod_86 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 11, 2002 Posts: 196	2 reasons: low ratings and the writers were running out of ideas. What happens is after a show becomes a huge thing, and becomes almost trend status, people get tired of it, and stop watching it, take Futurama for example. And because of other things being aired in it's time slot, they have left over episodes, but the network decides to just save those for syndication.
	__________________ It's a dog eat dog world, and i'm wearing milk-bone underwear. Sorry, Peg not sex tonight.

07-01-2004, 01:51 AM	#3
james scott Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jul 01, 2004 Posts: 20	lost unaired episodes when dinosaurs was running again in re runs on the disney channel, they did manage to air some of those unaired episodes that abc never showed.

02-16-2005, 03:50 AM	#4
Mr. Television 22 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,125	I never even saw the final episode until it was syndicated on one of my local channels in the mid 90's. What a stunning final it was.
	__________________ Sonny

04-06-2015, 08:40 PM	#10
JO Sweet Heart Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Mar 11, 2012 Location: East Tennessee Posts: 7,834	To me, having the show go from Friday to Wednesday is what made it take its nosedive. God bless you always!!! Holly
	__________________ Go here to check out my most favorite singer, James Otto, when you can!

04-30-2005, 12:45 PM	#5
spunkygirl Member Moderator Forum Celebrity Join Date: Apr 26, 2003 Posts: 21,557	Typical ABC My grandma loves this show even to this today. She's even got the baby Dinosaur(as a doll) and he talks

04-30-2005, 07:21 PM	#8
L&OFan4Eva Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 02, 2005 Posts: 477	This show needs to be on DVD and/or cable. I'll take either IMO. I miss it so much!

01-22-2015, 04:28 AM	#9
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 124,489	I'm guessing that ABC never really knew what to do with the show. It was much more satirical and smarter than your prototypical show (e.g. from the Miller-Boyett dreck factory) that was airing on TGIF. I kind of now, think of Dinosaurs as sort of a place-holder sitcom for ABC until Boy Meets World (another Michael Jacobs sitcom on TGIF) got off the ground. Plus, the whole novelty of the show (I kind of view Dinosaurs as a live-action variant of The Flintstones w/ the roles between dinosaurs and humans reversed) was bound to wear off. The infamous series finale (which was incredibly dark and somber for a family sitcom at the time) is more than likely, another reason why Dinosaurs doesn't seem to get much love by a general audience today.

04-06-2015, 10:17 PM	#11
Will and Grace Fanatic be happy Senior Member Join Date: Feb 15, 2002 Location: seattle, washington Posts: 2,746	Were those episodes available on Netflix streaming? I kind got confused because the last episode where the world ends, on Netflix is not the very last episode in order.
	__________________ love is love

03-12-2016, 01:59 AM	#12
WatcherofOldTV Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Sep 23, 2011 Posts: 138	It became very boring and the stories were horrible. Didn't fit the time slot anymore and the concept was stale by that point. Might have worked better if it got moved to Saturday morning...

06-24-2016, 10:22 PM	#14
GSU2004 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Oct 28, 2005 Posts: 764	The series was just a trend that caught at the right time and played itself out quickly. Only so much you can do with a storyboard like this show and some shows to me were just made to be a short run

06-24-2016, 11:28 PM	#15
JSP Member Senior Member Join Date: Aug 19, 2003 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 2,735	I bet the show was very expensive to produce. Just a guess.