I am desperately seeking an answer to the following: A friend of mine swears that the reason 70’s tv show “ISIS” was cancelled was because it became known that its star, Joanna Cameron, did a porn film(several, in fact). Supposedly she was in Candy Stripers, but I have seen that film and she is NOT in it. My friend can’t remember the name of the film, but he and his buddies swear it was her, and once the Moms of America found out it was their husbands watching the show(thereby making it the #1 show in syndication) and not their kids–and especially WHY–they complained to CBS, who promptly pulled the plug.
My question: Does ANYONE know if this is true(I’ve heard other people mention it) and if so, what the title of the adult film was that she was in? It wasn’t B.S. I Love You, in which she appeared nude, 'cause that was mainstream. It was definitely a porn. Thanks for all your help in advance!
Seems that after “Secret of Isis” she appeared in other tv shows so I doubt your friend’s contention. Instead it was probably just canceled due to low ratings; I remember the show and it was lousy; a poor Wonder Woman rip-off.
Thanks for all who’ve answered so far, but it was definitely NOT “B.S. I Love You” that got the show canceled, nor low ratings.
Again, this was the #1 show in syndication for Saturday mornings, and it was defintely an adult film of some type…we just can’t remember which one. If anyone has a verifiable answer, I would seriously appreciate it. Thanks again!
FWIW, the Internet Adult Film Database (www-dot-iafd-dot-com) does not list any actress named Joanna Cameron, Joana Cameron, or in fact any female performer with either name as Cameron active during the 1970s. And that includes aliases.
Back when ISIS was on it was extremely rare for a Saturday Morning show to continue past the first year. Most of the time the networks just kept running the same shows over and over. (“The kids will never notice.”) For its first season ISIS made 15 episodes. The second year they made an additional 7.
For comparison sake. SHAZAM , 1st year 15 episodes, 2nd year 7 . Third year 6,
Note: ISIS premiered during SHAZAMS 2nd year. CBS just did not order any more.
Isis and SHAZAM were a package deal, too. Two years was a really good run for Saturday mornings The shows were all high-concept, and they just got really lame after a season and a half.
The idea that everyone would know if anctress had done porn, back in the 70s, is kind silly, too. It wasn’t like a huge number of men were going to porn theaters, (which were creepy, sticky and sad), and the videotape market was nearly nonexistent.
But it’s not like the networks were actively contemptuous of the kids; it’s just that kids outgrow kids’ shows really fast. If you have 30 episodes of any Saturday morning show, you can rerun it year after year and it’s always fresh for each new year’s “generation.”
You may have something there. After all they devoted a whole six hour time slot on Saturdays knowing full well it was a good money maker (All them McDonald’ and cereal ads probably generated a good deal of revenue)
Live action shows like Shazam, Ark II, and ISIS cost more to produce than the usual animated features of the time. They would be lucky to dash off a season’s worth of material. Even Fat Albert ( A long running series) would only produce 6 or so episodes in later seasons filling the rest of season with reruns.
The Kroft Shows did the same thing. HR Puffn’stuff, I think, only recorded 1 season and reran that for three years.
I for one would’ve been right there for Shazam! and Isis for as long as they kept making new ones. They did recycle the Isis character into animated form as part of “Tarzan and the Super Seven” but by the time that got into swing I had either soccer games or choir practice (yes, my church choir made us practice on Saturdays, also Thursday nights so I never got to see Mork and Mindy and I’m still bitter) so I didn’t get to see much of them. All pre-VCR. I’d love to see some of that stuff out on DVD. I doubt I’d buy much of it but I’d definitely rent them.