# The Graveyard of Television Crib-Death **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 31, 2015, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394 "2015-01-31T01:05:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**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 1, 2015, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/101 "2015-02-01T15:43:49Z")
Reading through this thread, I’m surprised at the number of series I remember from when I was a kid and thinking they lasted longer than they did. “My World and Welcome To It”, “Holmes and Yo-Yo”, “The Magician”, “The Night Stalker”? I could have sworn these all lasted two or three seasons at least. > [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Am I the only one who remembers **Johnny Bago** from 1993? Peter Dobson plays a New Jersey mobster who’s set up and has to go on the lam from both the mob and his parole officer/ex-wife. So he hits the road in an RV, meeting unusual characters along the way; including, once, Elvis. This is the one I was going to mention. I loved that show! I wasn’t sure if it fit in this thread though. If I remember right, it was a summer replacement series and was _supposed_ to have a short run. (Although I suppose there were plenty of summer series that eventually got picked up as regular series.) ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/102 "2015-02-01T15:56:42Z")
> [@Turek](#): > > How sad is it that, to this day, I can hear John Schuck in my head saying over and over, “The bunco squad, the bunco squad” when he had a glitch? John Schuck has shown up a few times in the _Law & Order_ franchise (maybe just _SVU_) as some high muckety-muck (but still in uniform) within the police department. Whenever I see him, I like to think they got Yo-Yo’s bugs worked out and then just started promoting him. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/103 "2015-02-01T16:02:06Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > John Schuck has shown up a few times in the _Law & Order_ franchise (maybe just _SVU_) as some high muckety-muck (but still in uniform) within the police department. Whenever I see him, I like to think they got Yo-Yo’s bugs worked out and then just started promoting him. John Schuck’s place in history is secured: he’s the first actor to say “Fuck” in a mainstream motion picture (MASH). ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/104 "2015-02-01T16:10:21Z")
> [@PapSett](#): > > Back about 2006-ish, there was a show on one season called Surface, about a kid that found a sea serpent egg and hatched it. I loved that show. > > The first season ended with a cliff-hanger… AND NEVER CAME BACK. The trailer for that show was incredible. It showed a Jaws type situation with a couple swimming by a boat while a shark stalks them. Then everything goes crazy, there’s blood everywhere and they scramble back into the boat as the sharks severed head bobbles up. Then a giant sea monster comes up from under them and swallows the boat whole. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/105 "2015-02-01T16:15:59Z")
“[Hell Town](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088533/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_4)” Robert Blake is a priest. :eek: 8 episodes. “[Shannon](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081928/?ref_=rvi_tt)” Kevin (Kojak) Dobson cop show. 9 episodes. “[Darkroom](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081849/?ref_=fn_al_tt_5)” Anthology horror/thriller series, along the same lines as “Twilight Zone” or “Night Gallery.” Each week features a new story and a new cast. James Coburn hosted. 16 episodes. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/106 "2015-02-01T16:45:42Z")
["Lotsa Luck"](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotsa_Luck)I liked it in the day- don’t know if it would bring yuks today. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/107 "2015-02-01T16:52:01Z")
“[Pink Lady](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080262/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)” I can’t relive this. I just can’t. Jeff Altman co-starred. 6 episodes. ---
**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:** [February 1, 2015, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/108 "2015-02-01T16:58:49Z")
When I was a little kid, I was sure MANIMAL was the greatest show of all time. ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/109 "2015-02-01T17:10:10Z")
[Wizards and Warriors](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085113/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_60) If you like Gallivant or played D&D then Wizards and Warriors would have been the 80s show for you. Jeff Conaway and Julia Duffy are your prince and princess, respectively. I liked the wizardry and humor. > [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > “[Quark](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077066/?ref_=tt_rec_tt)” Richard Benjamin; the misadventures of an outer space garbage collector and his crew. 8 episodes. (I actually loved this one.) I loved that show. It had spaceships, parallel universes and, if I’m remembering correctly, aliens with interesting sexual habits. It may look campy to some but it delivered the goods. ---
**Author:** ![Sarabellum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarabellum/32/3492_2.png) [@Sarabellum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarabellum)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/110 "2015-02-01T17:12:06Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > I’m a sucker for anything time-travel related, so a few years back I got into a show called [Journeyman](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0948538/). I think it’s the last network show I watched. I’m still bitter about _Alien Nation_ too. Loved that one. The star of that migrated over to _Grey’s Anatomy_ pretty quickly, so at least he found some success. I loved \*Vengeance, Unlimited \*during its short run many moons ago. Michael Madsen will always be Mr. Chapel, to me. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/111 "2015-02-01T17:16:47Z")
> [@Aquadementia](#): > > [URL=“[Wizards and Warriors (TV Series 1983) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085113/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_60)”]I loved that show. > It had spaceships, parallel universes and, if I’m remembering correctly, aliens with interesting sexual habits. It may look campy to some but it delivered the goods. My favorite bit: The first officer is named Ficus; he’s actually a vegetable in the shape of a human. Someone asks him how his species reproduces. He lays down on the ground, puts all four limbs in the air and mutters **Bee, bee, bee, bee, bee, bee, bee**. What happens now, he’s asked? We wait for the bee. When The Bettys (one of them was a clone) got pissed at Ficus, they would both yell, **PLANT!** ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/112 "2015-02-01T18:21:29Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > “[Where’s Huddles](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065353/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)?” 10 episodes. Just mentioning it in passing. _ **Mel Blanc** _ playing an NFL player _in 1970_ (when he was 62 YEARS OLD)!? Paul Lynde as a football player? My goal in life is now to see this series. Sorry, family, I have to abandon you. Priorities. [_ **If Not For You** _](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112011/) was a promising sitcom with Elizabeth McGovern (who I luhhv) and Hank Azaria meeting each other and knowing instantly they were made for each other - right after they had gotten engaged to other people. Good chemistry. Cancelled after 8 episodes. I thought _**[Cavemen](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0981216/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2)**_ was brilliant. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/113 "2015-02-01T18:44:13Z")
[_Thanks._](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanks_(TV_series)) Family sitcom about the Plymouth colonists. 6 episodes. I guess they were hoping for another _Best of the West._ [_A Year at the Top._](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Year_at_the_Top) The Devil making Faustian bargains in the music business. 5 episodes. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/114 "2015-02-01T19:22:48Z")
A few not mentioned yet, I think: _ **Life on Mars** _ (the US remake) - I like Jason O’Mara, though he’s been in a lot of failed shows. And I LOVE Gretchen Mol. It was an interesting show–part period-drama-police-procedural and part serial-scifi-mystery. IIRC, they knew it wasn’t going to be renewed so they were able to film an ending which resolved the mystery. The original UK version is in my “to watch” list. _ **American Gothic** _ - cool horror/drama about a mysterious small Southern town. _ **Starman** _ - based on the movie, with Robert Hays in the role of the alien (played by Jeff Bridges in the movie) pursued by government agents. He’s teamed up with his half-alien son to find the missing human mother, Jenny Hayden (played by Karen Allen in the movie). At the very end of the season, they find her. She’s played by actress Erin Gray, of _Buck Rogers_ fame. I was looking forward to more, but that’s where it ended. _ **Rubicon** _ - an AMC series from a few years ago. It was an espionage/political drama, but with a very, _ **very** _ slow burn. It was heating up nicely at the end of the season, though, as certain things began to be revealed and a big event happened. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/115 "2015-02-01T19:46:22Z")
> [@bup](#): > > _ **Mel Blanc** _ playing an NFL player _in 1970_ (when he was 62 YEARS OLD)!? > > Paul Lynde as a football player? > > My goal in life is now to see this series. Sorry, family, I have to abandon you. Priorities. **bup**? **bup**? Calm down, **bup**. Breathe. It’s just a cartoon; you won’t be seeing Mel Blanc running out a Hail Mary play and you won’t see Paul Lynde break his limp wrist on the gridiron. You will be wanting Fred Flintstone to shut up so you can pay attention to the show (Alan Reed is the coach. He was Fred.) Here’s another cartoon: “[God, the Devil and Bob](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0221751/?ref_=nv_sr_1)” French Stewart is Bob, James Garner is God (Yes. Yes, he is). 13 episodes. ---
**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:** [February 1, 2015, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/116 "2015-02-01T19:52:21Z")
> [@bup](#): > > _ **Mel Blanc** _ playing an NFL player _in 1970_ (when he was 62 YEARS OLD)!? > > Paul Lynde as a football player? > > My goal in life is now to see this series. Sorry, family, I have to abandon you. Priorities. Lynde didn’t play a football player. He was the Huddles’ neighbor, Claude Pertwee, and played him as a fussy and sarcastic type similar to Uncle Arthur on “Bewitched.” I remember him always referring to Ed and Bubba derisively as “savages.” ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/117 "2015-02-01T20:25:30Z")
Looking at the cast, it should have been obvious. Mel Blanc, Jean van der Pyl, Alan Reed. Of course it was a cartoon. I wish I’d known that stuff before I abandoned my family. Oh, well, you can’t unbreak an egg. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/118 "2015-02-01T20:49:35Z")
[Family Guy had a take on this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oMTmtN7lHI) Note that some of the series mentioned - _Dark Angel_, _Titus_, _Andy Richter Controls the Universe_, and _Wanda at Large_ - lasted more than one season (on the other hand, some, like girls club, only lasted three _episodes_); in fact, when the FG episode aired, Titus had aired more episodes than FG up to that point. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/119 "2015-02-01T21:06:08Z")
[Greg the Bunny](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0280257/?ref_=nv_sr_1) starred Seth Green, Eugene Levy, Sarah Silverman, and a bunch of puppets that, muppetlike, were as real as the humans within the show’s universe. It was a pretty good show which IMHO was starting to find its feet and get really funny toward the end of its one half-season, so that I would have liked to see more. [The Ben Stiller Show](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103360/?ref_=nv_sr_1), a prime-time sketch comedy show on Fox. On the average It was good but not great, but it did have some good bits and led to Bob Odenkirk and David Cross teaming up to create the better, edgier _Mr. Show_. Aaron Sorkin’s [Studo 60 on the Sunset Strip](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0485842/?ref_=nv_sr_1) wasn’t as good as it could have been, but it was worth watching. Though it got cancelled after one season, they were able to wrap things up in a satisfying way. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/120 "2015-02-01T21:12:40Z")
Andy Richter Controls the Universe only ran for 19 episodes. It more or less was a one season show that began and ended in only nine months. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394.md?page=7)