# Shows that switched networks "up" the chain. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 13, 2017, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-switched-networks-up-the-chain/782055 "2017-03-13T02:40:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2017, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-switched-networks-up-the-chain/782055/1 "2017-03-13T02:40:29Z")
[In this article on the AVclub, they discuss the various failures and successes of shows that switched networks.](http://www.avclub.com/article/same-time-different-channel-these-shows-all-switch-251551) In it, they say the following: > [@](#): > > The only show ever to get promoted to the big leagues was Politically Incorrect, Bill Maher’s panel discussion show that ran for four years on Comedy Central before being picked up by ABC, where it ran for five more before being canceled in a storm of controversy… Is that really the only show to move up the chain? I remember it making the move, but I didn’t realize it was the only show to do so. They list the chain as: ABC/CBS/NBC/Fox greater than CW/UPN/WB better than Cable, especially basic cable. Maybe cable is better than CW/UPN/WB, but still. Has any other show moved in what you would call an “upward” direction up the chain of networks? ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_John_Marcej)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2017, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-switched-networks-up-the-chain/782055/2 "2017-03-13T03:31:13Z")
Would you consider a show that began on local TV, local syndication then getting picked up by a network? If I’m not mistaken, _The Oprah Winfrey Show_ originally aired on the ABC owned Chicago station and just shown locally and was picked up 2 years later to be nationally syndicated. _The Phil Donahue Show_ may have had a similar history. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2017, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-switched-networks-up-the-chain/782055/3 "2017-03-13T04:01:28Z")
> [@Richard\_John\_Marcej](#): > > Would you consider a show that began on local TV, local syndication then getting picked up by a network? > > If I’m not mistaken, _The Oprah Winfrey Show_ originally aired on the ABC owned Chicago station and just shown locally and was picked up 2 years later to be nationally syndicated. > > _The Phil Donahue Show_ may have had a similar history. As did Mystery Science Theater 3000. It started as a local show on KTMA in Minneapolis and was picked up by Comedy Central, then Syfy (when it was still Sci Fi). ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2017, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-switched-networks-up-the-chain/782055/4 "2017-03-13T04:01:41Z")
There was _SCTV_, which began on the Global Television Network (in Canada), then moved to CBC (also in Canada), then went to NBC (in the U.S.), and finally went to Superchannel (in Canada) and Cinemax (in the U.S.): > **[Second City Television](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_City_Television)** > > Second City Television, commonly shortened to SCTV and later known as SCTV Network and SCTV Channel, is a Canadian television sketch comedy show that ran intermittently between 1976 and 1984. It was created as an offshoot from Toronto's Second City troupe. It is an example of a Canadian show that moved successfully to American TV, where it aired for three years on NBC from 1981 to 1983. > The show's premise is the broadcast day of a fictitious TV station (later network) in the town of Melonville.... ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2017, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-switched-networks-up-the-chain/782055/5 "2017-03-13T04:10:56Z")
_Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood_ had a long history which could be considered moving up the ladder: [Fred Rogers - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mister_Rogers)’\_Neighborhood ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2017, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-switched-networks-up-the-chain/782055/6 "2017-03-13T06:04:36Z")
There have been a handful of shows, like “Mr. Ed” and Merv Griffin’s talk show, that started in syndication and moved to the “Big Three”. Plus “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show” and “Dream On” aired on premium cable before Fox started showing episodes. ---
**Author:** ![Weisshund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba8739/32.png) [@Weisshund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weisshund)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2017, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-switched-networks-up-the-chain/782055/7 "2017-03-13T07:10:18Z")
The Uncle Al show perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2017, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-switched-networks-up-the-chain/782055/8 "2017-03-13T07:32:47Z")
Not a show, but Stephen Colbert started as a contributor on the _Daily Show_ on Comedy Central, moved on to host the _Colbert Report_, then took over CBS’s _Late Show_ from David Letterman. ---
**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:** [March 13, 2017, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-switched-networks-up-the-chain/782055/9 "2017-03-13T11:33:51Z")
Jackie Gleason developed _The Honeymooner_ as a series of sketches for the Dumont Network. When Gleason moved to CBS, he took the show with him. Many of Gleason’s characters from Dumont we used in his CBS variety show. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2017, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-switched-networks-up-the-chain/782055/10 "2017-03-13T11:39:21Z")
_Monk_ did this, sort of. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Pork-Chop\_Express](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@The\_Pork-Chop\_Express](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Pork-Chop_Express)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2017, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-switched-networks-up-the-chain/782055/11 "2017-03-13T12:32:33Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > _Monk_ did this, sort of. Is Monk worth a watch? Never seen it. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2017, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-switched-networks-up-the-chain/782055/12 "2017-03-13T12:51:02Z")
I’d say it’s better than most “eccentric sleuth solves mystery du jour” shows, and that it’s sometimes laugh-out-loud funny – but that it’s not everybody’s taste. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2017, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-switched-networks-up-the-chain/782055/13 "2017-03-13T14:12:47Z")
Dream On didn’t switch networks but an alternate ‘clean’ version was filmed expressly to be shown on Fox as well as the original boobs & swears version on HBO. That’s not counting the more typical syndication it went through later (I assume that standard syndication doesn’t count regardless). ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2017, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-switched-networks-up-the-chain/782055/14 "2017-03-13T14:33:59Z")
> [@The\_Pork-Chop\_Express](#): > > Is Monk worth a watch? Never seen it. I thought it was great. Tony Shaloub is great in everything he does, but he really shines in that. If you liked [Psych](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0491738/?ref_=nv_sr_5), _Monk_ should be right up your alley. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2017, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-switched-networks-up-the-chain/782055/15 "2017-03-13T14:53:50Z")
I was going to say “not to hijack, but…” but this will be post 5 or so… Monk is good but a few things got pretty tiresome. After about the first season Monk’s affliction became “symptom of the week” where a peculiarity we’d never seen before became key to the plot. This got more and more pronounced as time went on, until it was “new and completely crippling symptom we’ve never seen before and never see again.” There was a lot of oh-by-the-way and outright retconning with the development of the wife’s death subplot. And Shaloub’s firing and recasting of major characters who (rightfully, IMHO) wanted bigger pay when the show became a hit put kind of a stink on things. But it’s worth a look on streaming. However, “Monk, we can still hear you.” is an all time great TV wall breaker… ---
**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:** [March 13, 2017, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-switched-networks-up-the-chain/782055/16 "2017-03-13T14:56:21Z")
Historically, _Disneyland_ went from ABC to NBC in the middle of its run. At the time, ABC was the lower tier network; _Disneyland_ was their only ratings success. It wasn’t until the 70s that ABC became the equal of the others. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2017, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-switched-networks-up-the-chain/782055/17 "2017-03-13T15:41:30Z")
> [@installLSC](#): > > Plus “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show” and “Dream On” aired on premium cable before Fox started showing episodes. These were reruns. The new episodes of the shows always aired on the original network. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2017, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-switched-networks-up-the-chain/782055/18 "2017-03-13T16:23:54Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > These were reruns. The new episodes of the shows always aired on the original network. They were, but the show itself wasn’t in syndication at the time. The network stations made a deal to air them and the versions they aired were explicitly produced for that purpose. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2017, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-switched-networks-up-the-chain/782055/19 "2017-03-13T16:43:02Z")
Grounded For Life switched from Fox to WB halfway through it’s run. It wasn’t really stepping up, a lateral move at best. It was only in the middle of the third season on Fox when it was cancelled and then picked up by WB. Most of the seasons were short, but it did survive on WB for a couple of years. In a local channel to network move the Regis&Kathy Lee show jumped from the local New York ABC affiliate to a national network broadcast. I had to look up the actual names of the shows, originally The Morning Show and then becoming Live with Regis and Kathie Lee on the network. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2017, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-switched-networks-up-the-chain/782055/20 "2017-03-13T17:09:15Z")
[BattleBots](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BattleBots)was on Comedy Central in the early 2000s but was recently revived on ABC. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-switched-networks-up-the-chain/782055.md?page=2)