# Hit shows that debuted immediately after Super Bowl broadcast **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 2, 2007, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-shows-that-debuted-immediately-after-super-bowl-broadcast/390594 "2007-02-02T19:35:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-shows-that-debuted-immediately-after-super-bowl-broadcast/390594/1 "2007-02-02T19:35:14Z")
Do networks still do this anymore? Seemed that back in the 80s (and perhaps earlier), networks would air the pilot of a new show immediately after the Sper Bowl. I was reminded of this after watching an NFL Network replay of Super Bowl XXII (Redskins vs Broncos). The broadcast included some of ABC’s promotional spiels, and included a plug for a broadcast of _The Wonder Years_ pilot immediately after the game. I seem to remember that _Moonlighting_ also started off this way, airing for the first time after Super Bowl XIX (49ers vs Dolphins). How many notable shows have had their pilots aired right after Super Bowls? Is this being done much anymore? I keep thinking _Numb3rs_ piloted after Super Bowl XXXVII (Buccaners vs Raiders), but I’m not positive about that. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-shows-that-debuted-immediately-after-super-bowl-broadcast/390594/2 "2007-02-02T20:08:35Z")
I want to say Family Guy debuted after the Superbowl. The pilot episode has the Superbowl in it, so this helps confirm my theory. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-shows-that-debuted-immediately-after-super-bowl-broadcast/390594/3 "2007-02-02T20:23:07Z")
_The Wonder Years_. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-shows-that-debuted-immediately-after-super-bowl-broadcast/390594/4 "2007-02-02T20:47:47Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] _The Wonder Years_. [/QUOTE] Reading is fundamental. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-shows-that-debuted-immediately-after-super-bowl-broadcast/390594/5 "2007-02-02T20:56:02Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] _The Wonder Years_. [/QUOTE] Admit it – you skipped the OP, didn’t you 😃 ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-shows-that-debuted-immediately-after-super-bowl-broadcast/390594/6 "2007-02-02T20:59:41Z")
**Homicide: Life on the Street**. Not a big hit, but it did stay on the air for seven seasons and was one of the greatest TV shows ever. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-shows-that-debuted-immediately-after-super-bowl-broadcast/390594/7 "2007-02-02T21:34:17Z")
[QUOTE=bouv] I want to say Family Guy debuted after the Superbowl. The pilot episode has the Superbowl in it, so this helps confirm my theory. [/QUOTE] You are indeed correct. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-shows-that-debuted-immediately-after-super-bowl-broadcast/390594/8 "2007-02-02T21:47:02Z")
[QUOTE=bordelond] Admit it – you skipped the OP, didn’t you 😃 [/QUOTE] I can neither confirm nor deny… ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-shows-that-debuted-immediately-after-super-bowl-broadcast/390594/9 "2007-02-02T21:48:44Z")
While it wasn’t a pilot, didn’t one of the Survivors start a new season after the Superbowl a few years ago? I thought I remember one doing that, but I never watched the show. ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-shows-that-debuted-immediately-after-super-bowl-broadcast/390594/10 "2007-02-02T21:50:18Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] I can neither confirm nor deny… [/QUOTE] Are you running for President? :dubious: 😉 ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-shows-that-debuted-immediately-after-super-bowl-broadcast/390594/11 "2007-02-02T22:00:04Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] _The Wonder Years_. [/QUOTE] The OP mentioned this improperly italicized as well. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Bongo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a9adbd/32.png) [@Winston\_Bongo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Bongo)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-shows-that-debuted-immediately-after-super-bowl-broadcast/390594/12 "2007-02-02T22:13:39Z")
“Rio” by Duran Duran. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-shows-that-debuted-immediately-after-super-bowl-broadcast/390594/13 "2007-02-02T22:14:00Z")
According to [wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-Super_Bowl_Television_Shows), it isn’t done as often anymore. (The A-Team? Who knew.) ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-shows-that-debuted-immediately-after-super-bowl-broadcast/390594/14 "2007-02-02T22:16:55Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] **Homicide: Life on the Street**. Not a big hit, but it did stay on the air for seven seasons and was one of the greatest TV shows ever. [/QUOTE] Yep… I still remember the promos with Richard Belzer doing his “Montel Williams” rant. And that was before I ever knew who Montel Williams was! ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-shows-that-debuted-immediately-after-super-bowl-broadcast/390594/15 "2007-02-02T23:19:52Z")
Didn’t _American Dad_ have it’s regular season premier following one of those…things? ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2007, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-shows-that-debuted-immediately-after-super-bowl-broadcast/390594/16 "2007-02-03T03:10:12Z")
[QUOTE=Edward The Head] While it wasn’t a pilot, didn’t one of the Survivors start a new season after the Superbowl a few years ago? I thought I remember one doing that, but I never watched the show. [/QUOTE] Six years ago, after the Giants-Ravens Superbowl. I’m pretty sure it was the second season. (Australia?) ---
**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2007, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-shows-that-debuted-immediately-after-super-bowl-broadcast/390594/17 "2007-02-03T18:48:35Z")
[QUOTE=amarinth] (The A-Team? Who knew.) [/QUOTE] Are you kidding, the A-Team was the best post-superbowl show ever. Mr. T pitying the fool, helicopters and stuff blowing up. I have no doubt that the timing of its premiere was what made the show an instant success. I actually wondered recently if there were any big show premieres after that. I didn’t realize that the A-Team was the first. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2007, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-shows-that-debuted-immediately-after-super-bowl-broadcast/390594/18 "2007-02-03T20:34:14Z")
I am envisioning the hypothetical meeting of network executives with the producers of Will and Grace, politely telling them, “we don’t think this will be a good fit for after the Superbowl scheduling…” I can remember when this scheduling was a big deal, but my own personal theory was always that it was actually a bad time slot. A good many people watch the game at parties, or at bars, etc. and are heading home after the game, or passing out in a drunken stupor on the couch. And to be quite honest, I have found that at Superbowl parties and at bars where they show it, 85% of the people could not care less about the game and are drinking and having a party with the game on in the background. Proof of that comes at water cooler conversations the next day - most people are usually talking about the commercials and not the game. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2007, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-shows-that-debuted-immediately-after-super-bowl-broadcast/390594/19 "2007-02-03T23:31:32Z")
Maybe I’m just making a departure here… But in 1992 the Bill and Hillary Clinton show made a huge relaunch immediately following the Superbowl on Jan 26. And you can’t say that wasn’t a long term hit. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2007, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-shows-that-debuted-immediately-after-super-bowl-broadcast/390594/20 "2007-02-04T00:19:55Z")
[QUOTE=bouv] I want to say Family Guy debuted after the Superbowl. The pilot episode has the Superbowl in it, so this helps confirm my theory. [/QUOTE] Not quite. It followed _The Simpsons_, which followed the Super Bowl. 🙂 I am constantly amazed at what Wikipedia manages to have stuck in it. 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-shows-that-debuted-immediately-after-super-bowl-broadcast/390594.md?page=2)