# 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:** 7
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/121 "2015-02-01T21:28:07Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > A few not mentioned yet, I think: > > _ **American Gothic** _ - cool horror/drama about a mysterious small Southern town. I can’t believe I had forgotten about American Gothic. Gary Cole was awesome as Sheriff Buck and the episode with the lawyer being tricked into selling his house (and kicking out the blind man who lived there) was one of the best episodes of TV I have ever seen. The show struggled with truly dire special effects though (although it didn’t really require many - they shouldn’t have bothered) and it ended far too soon. It deserved to continue much longer. TCMF-2L ---
**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, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/122 "2015-02-01T21:29:49Z")
[_Delta House._](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta_House) Of course it was doomed – trying to move _Animal House_ to the small screen during primetime meant watering down all the sex, drugs, etc. – one running gag was Pinto’s girlfriend _not_ having sex with him – but it was better than it should have been, all things considered. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/123 "2015-02-01T21:31:21Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > [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. Those weren’t meant to be one Season wonders. Those were every show FOX canceled after FG but before bringing FG back. ---
**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, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/124 "2015-02-01T21:38:07Z")
There’s one I vaguely remember from the '90s that was a sort of science-fictioney dark-conspiracy-theory show (trendy at the time, see [_Millennium_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_(TV_series))) . . . with a heroine, and a lot of symbolism, including the Kabbalistic [Tree of Life](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_of_life_(Kabbalah)). From 1989: [_Unsub._](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unsub_(TV_series)) (Like _Millennium_ and _Criminal Minds,_ based on the ludicrous premise that serial killers are commonplace enough to occupy a permanent full-time task force.) 8 episodes. ---
**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, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/125 "2015-02-01T21:52:03Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > 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!** If you were a dandelion you would realize how slutty that was. > [@BrainGlutton](#): > > [_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. Is that the show where the devil needs to shake the guys hand to seal the deal the guy is a weirdo rock star with a superstition about never shaking hands and keeps frustrating him? ---
**Author:** ![Mattie\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71c47a/32.png) [@Mattie\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mattie_Blue)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/126 "2015-02-01T21:56:00Z")
I mentioned Boomtown in a previous thread, It was an NBC crime drama shown from different viewpoints - Rashomon style. Good writing, interesting characters and some really good acting by Neal McDonough. So, of course NBC had to “Firefly” it. The quickly dropped the storytelling from the different viewpoints, didn’t show all the episodes, moved it around on the schedule, put it on hiatus and ended it early. Then, to add insult to injury, they renewed it for a second season after a “retooling”. They dropped characters, turned it into Law and Order Lite and dumped it again after 6 episodes. ---
**Author:** ![pachabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f19dbf/32.png) [@pachabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pachabel)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/127 "2015-02-01T22:19:23Z")
_ **American Gothic** _ - cool horror/drama about a mysterious small Southern town. Another show that was run with the episodes out of order so the overall story made no sense. Why is this done? Does it ever work? ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/128 "2015-02-01T22:22:04Z")
Shows I loved as a kid almost never made it past one year: Battlestar Galactica (the original), Voyagers, and Starman. I was amazed when two shows I really enjoyed as an adult lasted: Due South and Numb3rs. ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/129 "2015-02-01T23:07:10Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > 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!** > [@Aquadementia](#): > > If you were a dandelion you would realize how slutty that was. My people! I loved Quark! Ficus and Princess Libido! BEE BEE BEE BEE BEE BEE! ---
**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 2, 2015, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/130 "2015-02-02T00:05:03Z")
> [@Cub\_Mistress](#): > > My people! I loved Quark! Ficus and Princess Libido! BEE BEE BEE BEE BEE BEE! Of course, “Quark” made me think of: “[When Things Were Rotten](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072585/?ref_=nv_sr_1)” Dick Gautier and Dick Van Patten in a Mel Brooks Robin Hood spoof. 13 episodes. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2015, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/131 "2015-02-02T00:08:33Z")
I had forgotten about _Quark_. As a small child, I loved it. I wonder if it holds up. _Greg the Bunny_ was great. “We prefer to be called Fabricated Americans.” [The Fantastic Journey](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fantastic_Journey) [Brimstone](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brimstone_(TV_series)) [Tales of the Gold Monkey](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tales_of_the_Gold_Monkey) and [Bring 'Em Back Alive](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bring_%27Em_Back_Alive_(TV_series)) were Indiana Jones knock-offs, but they were _good_ Indiana Jones knockoffs. ---
**Author:** ![Grotonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c2a13f/32.png) [@Grotonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grotonian)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2015, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/132 "2015-02-02T00:08:52Z")
> [@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. I thought **Johnny Bago** was one of the first big PC victories of the early 90’s that led to all kinds of later mischief. My recollection: The Sons of Italy and other Italian-American groups protested loudly that the show was offensive, leading a boycott of sponsors and other nonsense. They even claimed the word, “Bago,” in the title was intended to be interpreted as, “Dago,” a slur. Anyway, the show was cancelled for reasons other than ratings. Does this ring a bell with anyone? ---
**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 2, 2015, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/133 "2015-02-02T00:14:16Z")
> [@pachabel](#): > > _ **American Gothic** _ - cool horror/drama about a mysterious small Southern town. > > Another show that was run with the episodes out of order so the overall story made no sense. Why is this done? Does it ever work? I would say the big reason is: the show was pulled at the last second for censor problems, re-cut and shown later. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2015, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/134 "2015-02-02T00:25:14Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > “[Bearcats!](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066631/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)” 13 episodes, plus pilot movie. A must-see. I liked Bearcats. The premise of that show was rather unuasual though. [The Michael Richards Show](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JY_n-Ynaa7g) only ran for for 2 months. 1 of the 10 episodes made was never even aired. I had really looked forward to it when it first came out. But man, did it suck!☹ ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2015, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/135 "2015-02-02T00:27:26Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > … > When The Bettys (one of them was a clone) got pissed at Ficus, they would both yell, **PLANT!** Former Doublemint twins from Ky! I loved that show as a kid. All this jogs my memory as well. There’s [Best of the West](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081832/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1), a funny western spoof, and [Carter Country](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075489/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1). Handle it, handle it! ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2015, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/136 "2015-02-02T00:33:52Z")
Caprica was a lot more interesting than the BSG remake that spawned this one season wonder. People may mistake it as having had two seasons, because of that long break many cable shows have in the middle of seasons. Of course the other BSG prequel didn’t even go to series, just a pilot movie aired (which I haven’t seen and thus won’t comment about the quality of). The original, one, true BSG was also a single season (and already mentioned) as was its follow up Galactica 1980, which was a terrible show unless you were a little kid and thought flying motorcycles were the COOOLEST THING EVEARRRRRRRRRRRRR. The Starbuck episode was good, though. ---
**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 2, 2015, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/137 "2015-02-02T00:39:22Z")
> [@dwyr](#): > > Former Doublemint twins from Ky! I loved that show as a kid. > > All this jogs my memory as well. There’s [Best of the West](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081832/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1), a funny western spoof, and [Carter Country](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075489/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1). Handle it, handle it! “Carter Country” ran two seasons, so **Disqualified** , but thanks for the \*Handle it! \*memory jog. And this mem jog, as well: “[Man from Atlantis](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075533/?ref_=tt_rec_tt)” Pre-“Dallas” Patrick Duffy. The adventures of a man with amphibious abilities. 17 episodes. “[The Invisible Man](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072515/?ref_=tt_rec_tt)” David (Man From UNCLE) McCallum. The weekly adventures of Dr. Daniel Westin, an invisible scientist working as an agent for a private thinktank. 13 episodes. ---
**Author:** ![ch51](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ch51/32/3111_2.png) [@ch51](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ch51)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2015, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/138 "2015-02-02T01:32:47Z")
I remember quite a few of these - and, like others, I’m surprised how short lived some of them were. I must have been at that “right age” where they seemed to have been around forever as I’m sure these shows weren’t repeated much (other than perhaps in their original season). Planet of the Apes - I could swear I saw those a million times - but I was the perfect age for those (preteen or barely teen?) My suggestion: Cupid - late 90’s. Fantastic show Cupid is a 1998–1999 American comedy-drama series created by Rob Thomas, which featured Paula Marshall as Dr. Claire Allen, a Chicago psychologist who is given charge of a man named Trevor Hale (Jeremy Piven). Hale believes he is Cupid, sent down from Mt. Olympus by Zeus to connect 100 couples without his powers, as a punishment for his arrogance. Filmed on location in Chicago - lasted one season. Never released on DVD. Remade in the late 00’s - I did not watch - lasted 6 episodes. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2015, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/139 "2015-02-02T01:36:01Z")
I take it Mr. Cupid didn’t make it to couple 100? ---
**Author:** ![Cumberdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Cumberdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumberdale)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2015, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394/140 "2015-02-02T01:40:49Z")
"[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The\_Nutt\_House](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nutt_House) Another show I remembered was the Nutt House with Harvey Korman and Cloris Leachman. I only recall seeing one or two episodes but found them to be entertaining. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graveyard-of-television-crib-death/711394.md?page=8)