# Obscure TV shows **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 2, 1999, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-tv-shows/7798 "1999-09-02T21:28:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HelloKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecccb3/32.png) [@HelloKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelloKitty)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 1999, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-tv-shows/7798/1 "1999-09-02T21:28:00Z")
What are some TV shows that you felt you were the only human alive watching? I have a couple…anyone ever see these?? A syndicated show called “War of the Worlds” It was pre-X Files, I believe, but was full of govt conspiracies and creepy Martians. It always came on Sunday mornings…probably around the early '90’s and starred no actors I have ever really heard of before or since. But at the time, it was a “must-see” show in my book. There was also a show called “PigSty”. I know it sounds enticing by that wonderful title, but it was a very funny show on UPN during the first year of that network. It was just about a bunch of goofy guys that lived together in New York and the kooky hijinx that befell them. I never missed it during its short run. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 1999, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-tv-shows/7798/2 "1999-09-02T21:47:00Z")
I saw a kids’ show in the 50s called “Choose Up Sides,” and a game show, hosted by Bill Cullen, in the 60s called “Eye Guess,” on NBC. ---
**Author:** ![funneefarmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@funneefarmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funneefarmer)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 1999, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-tv-shows/7798/3 "1999-09-02T21:57:00Z")
“The Edge of Land” on PBS. It was a half hour show (orig. done by BBC I think) where they took a helicopter over the coastline and Islands of Scotland. Great old castles, churches, ruins, modern ports, etc. I would love to find VHS of the whole series. It was on our local PBS station just a year or two ago. ---
**Author:** ![Gilligan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Gilligan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gilligan)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 1999, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-tv-shows/7798/4 "1999-09-02T23:53:00Z")
No one I know seems to remember this cartoon I used to watch in the sixties. I don’t remember the name, but it was a super hero type cartoon, and some of the heroes were Strong Man, Tornado Man, Diaper Man, and Cuckoo Man. I remember the theme music clearly, just not the name. ---
**Author:** ![Sassy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@Sassy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sassy)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 1999, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-tv-shows/7798/5 "1999-09-03T00:10:00Z")
I have found only one other person who remembers Coronet Blue. Early 60’s - right after the original Star Trek - and something like the Fugitive. I liked it very much! * * * The reason gentlemen prefer blondes is that there are not enough redheads to go around. ---
**Author:** ![TMR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ab992/32.png) [@TMR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TMR)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 1999, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-tv-shows/7798/6 "1999-09-03T01:13:00Z")
Shows that I feel like I’m the only human being who watched it? Maniac Mansion. I never actually sat through an episode, but a TV show made from an old computer game? Mr. Bogus. A cartoon that came on early early on NBC. Starring a little yellow dude with a littler yellow “nephew”. Mr. Bogus (little yellow dude) I think lived in the walls of a house, and scarcely uttered an understandable word of English, while his nephew (name eludes me) spoke perfectly albeit in an annoying voice. Much like Scooby and Scrappy, come to think of it. One of the coolest things about the show were the little claymation bits that were shown between the segments of the main cartoon. Those were hilarious. The Edge. A FOX sketch-comedy show featuring “What (xxx) is doing Right This Minute” and several cartoons by Bill Plympton. * * * “If A=B, B=C, and C=D, do not get a job proofreading” --Quid’s Theorem ---
**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:** [September 3, 1999, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-tv-shows/7798/7 "1999-09-03T01:45:00Z")
I’m a big fan of obscure summer replacement series (check out THANKS before it goes – not the greatest, but a some laughs). My favorite of the bunch was “Wish You Were Here,” created by Robert Altman (shows something right there). About a guy who gets a video camera, then is fired from his job and goes off to Europe. He sends videos home to his friends. Excellent storytelling (one episode, he visits his uncle’s home town in eastern Europe and finds the people spitting at the mention of his name; another was a Casablanca parody). Technically clever, too – all the video portions were unedited; all you saw was the camera turning on and off, just like a real video would be. The reactions of the people back home to the stories gave an added dimension. Another of this type was “Arresting Behavior,” a parody of shows like “Cops.” One nice moment was seeing that one of the character’s wife was having an affair, but the character didn’t know. And, of course, my absolute favorite obscure TV show – “Once a Hero.” A hilarious parody of superheroes, with some very serious points. Captain Justice travels to the Real World, where he discovers he has no powers. There were a lot of very clever metafictional jokes (Captain Justice, needing a last name for his secret identity, choose “Kent,” the woman reporter being told “Lois Lane you’re not.”). The sensibility of the show is best demonstrated by the fourth episode (never aired): In it, an actor who played Captain Justice on TV comes to town, and is tired of playing the role and frustrated that people only think of him as Captain Justice. And who did they cast in the part? Adam West. You have to like a show with a sensibility like that. However, it finished at the very bottom of the ratings and was gone much too soon. * * * [www.sff.net/people/rothman](http://www.sff.net/people/rothman) ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 1999, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-tv-shows/7798/8 "1999-09-03T01:59:00Z")
Tomfoolery. It was a Saturday morning cartoon in '69 or '70 that was for the most part animated versions of the poems of Edward Lear, “hosted” by some of his more notable characters: The Yongy-Bongy Bo, the Enthusiastic Elephant, and the Fizzgigious Fish. There were also a couple of cartoons of unknown origin that I remember, like “Dodo, the Kid from Outer Space” and “Astroboy.” For primetime TV, “The NBC Follies,” a vaudeville style variety show hosted by Sammy Davis jr. ---
**Author:** ![hansel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6bbea6/32.png) [@hansel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hansel)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 1999, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-tv-shows/7798/9 "1999-09-03T02:24:00Z")
This one’s obscure because it only ran for ten episodes: Cop Rock. Steven Bochco’s (creator of Hill Street Blues) attempt at a musical cop show. It was bizarre when I first saw it, but I watched all ten episodes a couple years later on A&E, and it was the best thing I’d ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![According\_to\_Pliny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@According\_to\_Pliny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/According_to_Pliny)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 1999, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-tv-shows/7798/10 "1999-09-03T02:41:00Z")
There were a couple of great sketch shows on Comedy Central a few years ago: **The Vacant Lot** and **Exit 51** (or 52 or 57 or something). They were hilarious and no one seems to remember them. I’ve notice that some of the actors have cropped up in **The Upright Citizen’s Brigade** and **Strangers With Candy** although neither of these are as funny. ---
**Author:** ![SanibelMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@SanibelMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanibelMan)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 1999, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-tv-shows/7798/11 "1999-09-03T02:51:00Z")
I remember those! Didn’t The Vacant Lot do a shetch about the lyrics to “Blinded by the Light”? Those were great shows, and I think they were on around '94, no? Of course, that raised the question to my mother… “What’s a douche”? _That_ was a comfortable situation, there… ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 1999, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-tv-shows/7798/12 "1999-09-03T02:58:00Z")
There was this cool anime-type cartoon I used to watch when I was a kid that I think was called “Battle of the Planets” about these 5 teen and pre-teen brothers and sisters who lived under the sea on some planet and had a spaceship and they all had groovy bellbottoms and long hair and rilly big eyes (of course) and they all turned into their superhero personas by thrusting their hands skyward and shouting “G-FORCE!” (in the manner of “Shazam!” Anyone? Everytime I try to describe this to people they just stare at me blankly. Another one I saw once as a kid was a show starring an English comedy troupe called “The Goodies” which must’ve been on PBS. I only saw the one episode and have never heard or seen anything about the group or the show since. I just remember the whole family roaring with laughter at it and would love to be able to learn more about those guys…hmmm…I’m off to do a websearch! ---
**Author:** ![According\_to\_Pliny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@According\_to\_Pliny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/According_to_Pliny)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 1999, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-tv-shows/7798/13 "1999-09-03T03:03:00Z")
We had **The Goodies** sandwiched between **Monty Python** and **Benny Hill** in LA (ch. 13 @ 10:00) about 20 years ago. Kinda weak by comparison. ---
**Author:** ![MrKnowItAll](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrknowitall/32/87_2.png) [@MrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrKnowItAll)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 1999, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-tv-shows/7798/14 "1999-09-03T03:08:00Z")
On PBS (originally BBC, I guess): _Dave Allen at Large_. Scottish comic Dave Allen would tell jokes between short prerecorded sketches. Very funny stuff. When I was a kid there was a short lived series called _The Hilarious House of Frankenstein_. It involved a lot of corny jokes, and was set in a gothic castle with a vampire, and Frankenstein monster, and other inhabitants. The humor was aimed at 10 year olds. * * * Carpe hoc! ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 1999, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-tv-shows/7798/15 "1999-09-03T03:41:00Z")
## MrKiA: Do you mean the Hillarious House of Frightenstein with Billy Van? I really loved that show. ‘They couldn’t hit an Elephant from this dist…!’ Last words of General John Sedgwick ---
**Author:** ![KCB615](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ea666f/32.png) [@KCB615](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KCB615)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 1999, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-tv-shows/7798/16 "1999-09-03T03:53:00Z")
## “Misfits of Science.” I think it was on NBC, IIRC. All I remember of it was a character named “Beef the walking popsicle.” What can I say, it was 4th grade or so, I was easily impressed. Jeremy… I can think of no more stirring symbol of man’s humanity to man than a fire engine - Kurt Vonnegut ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 1999, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-tv-shows/7798/17 "1999-09-03T04:08:00Z")
I remember _Battle of the Planets_ and _Misfits of Science_ - one of the misfits was a rock star who shot lightning out of his hands, which was really cool effects for TV at that time. Anyone else remember _Automan_, _Masquerade_ or _Cover Up_? ---
**Author:** ![neuro-trash\_grrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3ab097/32.png) [@neuro-trash\_grrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neuro-trash_grrrl)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 1999, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-tv-shows/7798/18 "1999-09-03T04:14:00Z")
Bucky O’Hare. It was this cartoon about an alternate universe run by animals, specifically the peace-and-democracy-loving Mammal Federation, who battled the malevolent Toad Empire. Anyone else ever see this? It ran every day on one station for about a week, then disappeared without a trace, just when it was starting to get really interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 1999, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-tv-shows/7798/19 "1999-09-03T05:45:00Z")
Kat - I think I remember Automan. Sci-Fi/Super-Hero stuff? Neuro-trash - I **definitely** remember Bucky O’Hare. Was way ticked when I went to watch it one day and it wasn’t there. _Sniffle_. I can still see the opening sequence in my head. ☹ * * * ‘They couldn’t hit an Elephant from this dist…!’ Last words of General John Sedgwick ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 1999, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-tv-shows/7798/20 "1999-09-03T13:07:00Z")
Sassy, I remember Coronet Blue! It had that cute, rugged-looking blond actor whose name I can’t recall; wasn’t he an amesiac in the show? I also recall, from the '60s, a great Twilight Zone rip-off called Journey to the Unknown; the largely forgotten sitcoms Occasional Wife, Accidental Family, The Ugliest Girl in Town (Peter Katsner in drag) and the short-lived Tammy Grimes Show. Also two great early-'60s Game Shows, Make-a-Face and Camouflage. Did anyone else watch Julie Brown’s sketch show, The Edge? I adore Julie Brown, one of the funniest women ever. Why doesn’t Comedy Central rerun the show? It had Wayne Knight and Jennifer Aniston in it, so you’d think it would be re-marketable! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-tv-shows/7798.md?page=2)