I saw ads for an upcoming series called Trust Me. No idea what it is about, but noticed it featured Tom Cavanaugh in one of the 2 main roles.
I first became aware of this actor in the quirky show Ed that debuted in 2000. That show wasn’t a complete failure, running for 83 eps. But IIRC it never really did much in the way of ratings and was pretty much on life support from an early date.
Then he was featured in a 2006 show called Love Monkey, which was yanked after 8 tremendously mediocre eps.
Made me wonder how many starring vehicles this actor will get before TPTB decide/realize that he isn’t strong enough to build a show around.
Can you name other actors who have been given 3 or more network starring roles without any of them being significant successes? (Phrased this way to eliminate actors who enjoyed success in one show, only to be unsuccessful in multiple subsequent efforts.)
Well, there have been several actors who were successful in a supporting role on one show but could never lead one of their own, if I understand the question properly.
McLean Stevenson comes to mind. After his turn as Henry Blake on MASH, he starred in the failed sitcoms The McLean Stevenson Show; In the Beginning; Hello, Larry; and Condo.
I think Tim Conway was given the lead in at least two comedy-variety shows on the strength of his years on The Carol Burnett Show, to no success.
Well, what struck me is that each of this guy’s chances have been starring roles.
I’m not aware of his having previously been successful as a long-term supporting actor like the flok from MASH.
Alison La Placa.Duet, Open House, Stat, the Jackie Thomas Show, Tom, and The John Larroquette Show (she joined for the last seasons and killed it) before going the guest star route.
Tim Conway is definitely a good choice. After he came to prominence in McHale’s Navy, he had several flops before Burnett rescued him, then several more afterward.
He also appeared as the protagonist’s father in “Eli Stone” and as JD’s brother in “Scrubs”.
But I have to disagree, “Love Monkey” was an excellent show. It had some lame parts, like the budding romance with his coworker, or the deal with his family, but the part that dealt with the music industry was quite clever and entertaining. I was sad to see it go.
Arrested Development was a great show but always had ratings issues and barely made it to a third season. He’s had a couple of other failed sitcoms since then.
“Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice,” “SWAT,” “Tabitha,” “Vega$,”, “Spenser for Hire,” “The Lazarus Man,” “Love Boat: The Next Wave,” and he died when he was only 55! (Was he in a series wherein he played a woodsy tracker who got enlisted to help solve crime?)
Jay Mohr’s been in a few failed series. “Local Heroes” canceled after 5 epsiodes, “Action” (1999) which I thought was awesome, it was a lot like “Arrested Development” but way too cynical for it’s time and got canceled after 8 episodes. He had a recurring role on “Fastlane” which was canceled.
Now he’s in “Gary Unmarried” which had not-so-great ratings for its premier and has been on some critics’ sitcom deathwatch for a bit, but it was picked up for a full season, got a People’s Choice Award and is slowly creeping up in the ratings. So it’s expected to last the full 22 episodes at least.
Mark Feuerstein. Had leading roles in Fired Up, Conrad Bloom, The Heart Department, and Good Morning Miami, which actually went two seasons (although I’ll credit that to the irresistable Ashley Williams, rowr). Recently starred in a show called 3 Lbs., appearing in 7 of its 8 episodes before cancellation.
She was who I thought of when I saw the thread title. She can currently be seen in “Gary Unmarried.” Her “Cupid” co-star Jeremy Piven was also in a lot of shows before finding a home as Ari on “Entourage.”
Hey, I came in to mention her! She’s my crush. Someday, I want to take all her shows & make a syndication package out of them.
I’m of the opinion that it’s not the actors’ fault, but the attitudes of programmers in the last decade. Look at the original cast of Cheers–that bunch of losers would be lurching from project to project in the current climate.
Including, don’t let it be forgot, the program said to have had the shortest run (one episode) in TV history. I think it was called Turn-On, a knockoff of Laugh-In. It was so awful, and so offensive (we’re talking early 70’s here) that ABC immediately was flooded with protests (including protests from its own affiliates), and the program was yanked.
I saw that program. My mother thought it was offensive. I thought it was really dumb.
That actually sounds similar to a series starring Robert Conrad. Jessie Hawkes, about a mountain ranger who moved into the big city and became a bounty hunter.
I can’t fathom why she keeps getting work. Certainly being married to Duchovny can’t have THAT much influence anymore, can it? (if it can, don’t tell me, I don’t wanna live in that world)