Short lived TV shows no one seems to remember

[Mecha Mummy 0]

Ok this is what I remember. In the late 90s there was 2 totally different Sonic The Hedgehog cartoons and in both Sonic was voiced by Steve Urkel himself. One was on ABC Saturday mornings and it was kinda dark. It had Sonic and some girl leading a bunch of freedom fighters against RoBotNic who had a bunch of robot soldiers. Tails was in it but, he didn't do much of anything.

That "some girl" would be Princess Sally Acorn, Sonic's eternal love-interest in the comic universe. ... What? When I was younger I read that comic religiously.

[Guest The Imp]

How about Nearly Departed. It was a show about a couple who died, but never left their house. And a new family moved in and for some reason the grandpa (from the new family) was the only one who could see them.

 

I'm pretty sure that aired around the same time as The Charmings.

Eric Idle's comedic talents were not appreciated by a North American Prime Time audience...although, I thought the show was hilarious...

[King Kamala 0]

I can't believe no one remembers Sledgehammer or Rock Candy. Rock Candy is understandable since it had little hype and only lasted three episodes. But VH1 hyped the shit out of Sledgehammer and it lasted a whole season. I thought in terms of Tom Green rip offs, Sledgehammer was right below the first tier shows.

[JMFabiano524 0]

Obscure game shows? How about...

 

Hitman (no, this wasn't Bret's first job before breaking into wrestling. Actually, it was I believe the first show Peter Tomarken hosted. Most of it revolved around answering questions based on films shown before each round)

 

Whew! (THE cult favorite on alt.tv.game-shows and now its Envision incarnation. Fondly remembered for its bonus round which pitted you against ten cutouts of villain characters)

 

Battlestars/The New Battlestars (basically The Hollywood Triangles, was hosted by Alex Trebek)

 

All-Star Blitz (basically The Hollywood Boxes Containing Parts of a Phrase. Peter Marshall even hosted this one too!)

 

Break The Bank (yeah, there were many shows with this name. The ones I remember, are first, the Barry-Enright version that was...wait for it...basically The Hollywood Line Up The Celebrities On Two Sides Of A Game Board And Have Players Try To Capture Squares By Deciding Which Of Two Celebrities Is Giving The Correct Answer? There was a totally different '80s version, Gene Rayburn was the original host but was replaced after one season. Not surprisingly, he hated this show)

 

Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour (the individual components are well known, but how about when NBC put them together in 1983? And to attract younger viewers, instead of Peter Marshall or anyone, you know, established, they chose...Jon "Bowzer" Bauman. Oh well, I still loved it)

 

Now You See It ("where we give you the answers, all you have to do is find them!")

 

Double Dare (Yes the Nick version, but how about the CBS version from 1976 with Alex Trebek and the Spoilers?)

 

I saw the Monty Hall Split Second of the '80s mentioned. Anyone remember the Tom Kennedy era? How about when Bill Cullen hosted Pyramid?

 

Dream House (Bob Eubanks and the Golden Doors with that wacky combination lock)

 

Speaking of which, check out http://flashgames.cdcproductions.ca/

 

Someone made playable versions of various game show bonus rounds online!

 

Geez, I can go on and on all day on this!

[Ed Wood Caulfield 0]

That Was Then. Lasted all of TWO FRICKIN' EPISODES last fall. Was the series with the guy who wished he could redo his life on his 30th birthday. He wakes up,and he's 16 again, only everytime he heard a certain song, he'd go back to being 30 (and vice versa) and see what his reworking would have accomplished. So then he'd have to go back to being a kid again and fix it.

 

Pretty good concept for a show, but it was on the Friday deathslot and they never gave it a chance.

I never saw "That Was Then" but the premise reminds me of another show that was on the WB just fall. I don't know the name of it but I know that it was shown every Thursday night and I use to flip between it and SmackDown!.

 

I don't know the name but the show was about this guy in his 40s who gets zapped with hospital paddles to his head and was sent back to 1980 when he was 16 years old. He's stuck there so he decides to redo his life all over again. I remember also that his best friend was the only person who believed he had traveled back in time.

 

I liked the show alot. I also thought the guy's other friend who was a girl was pretty. My favorite moment from the show is when the guy and his friends were on line to see "The Empire Strikes Back" but a man in a Darth Vader costume cuts in front of him on line. So, the guy yells out "Hey! You wanna know what's the big suprise in 'The Empire Strikes Back'?" The Darth Vader guy turns around and saids "I wouldn't do that if I were you." But the guy yells out "Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker's father!" and gets punched in the face by the Darth Vader guy.

 

It just got cancelled after I think 8 episodes. Does anyone remember that show? It was on from October till February I think.

[Lightning Flik 0]

Ok this is what I remember.  In the late 90s there was 2 totally different Sonic The Hedgehog cartoons and in both Sonic was voiced by Steve Urkel himself.  One was on ABC Saturday mornings and it was kinda dark.  It had Sonic and some girl leading a bunch of freedom fighters against RoBotNic who had a bunch of robot soldiers.  Tails was in it but, he didn't do much of anything.

That "some girl" would be Princess Sally Acorn, Sonic's eternal love-interest in the comic universe. ... What? When I was younger I read that comic religiously.

Firstly I was speaking of the darker Sonic The Hedgehog one. And actually near the end, Tails was getting a bit bigger in the roles (even in the comics, but got shunted). As apparently he was affirmed as the "one to whom the ancients claim will restore Mobius". At least in the comics, the cartoon series disappeared after about it's third season I believe.

 

Secondly, I'm suprised I'm not the only one who read them consistantly. I read up to issue 50, and a little beyond before it pretty much died for me. Because after Robotnik, Sonic didn't really seem like Sonic. Besides, the way they written out how Robotnik was gone, they could play the trump card of "the returning villian" if they got bored. Shit, I still remember a lot of the comic storylines and liked it a lot better than how Sonic The Hedgehog is protrayed right now by Sega.

[King Kamala 0]

I don't know the name but the show was about this guy in his 40s who gets zapped with hospital paddles to his head and was sent back to 1980 when he was 16 years old. He's stuck there so he decides to redo his life all over again. I remember also that his best friend was the only person who believed he had traveled back in time.

 

I liked the show alot. I also thought the guy's other friend who was a girl was pretty. My favorite moment from the show is when the guy and his friends were on line to see "The Empire Strikes Back" but a man in a Darth Vader costume cuts in front of him on line. So, the guy yells out "Hey! You wanna know what's the big suprise in 'The Empire Strikes Back'?" The Darth Vader guy turns around and saids "I wouldn't do that if I were you." But the guy yells out "Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker's father!" and gets punched in the face by the Darth Vader guy.

 

It just got cancelled after I think 8 episodes. Does anyone remember that show? It was on from October till February I think.

I remember that show too, decent enough show. Although I think it ran for 12 episodes not 8. The only problem I had about it was almost everything they were talking about was in the mid 80's and the show was set in 1980.

 

 

Edit: Just as I had posted this, another show on the theme of the the last two time travel shows popped in my head. I think around 96-97 their was a show starring Scott Baio as a guy that goes back from modern times to when he was a youngster in the 70's. It only lasted 2 or 3 episodes, am I just crazy?

[Ed Wood Caulfield 0]

You ain't crazy. I remember that show, I just don't know the name of it.

[Youth N Asia 0]

I remember it being advertised...but it didn't look like it was worth watching. I think it was Rewind or something

[Guest two_tuff_toddy]

Brother's Grunt - A cartoon shown on MTV in the 90's. I have only met 2 people who remember it and both said they hated it but I thought it was great.

[CanadianChris 0]

Obscure game shows?  How about...

 

Hitman (no, this wasn't Bret's first job before breaking into wrestling.  Actually, it was I believe the first show Peter Tomarken hosted.  Most of it revolved around answering questions based on films shown before each round)

Never saw it, but I know of it.

 

Whew! (THE cult favorite on alt.tv.game-shows and now its Envision incarnation.  Fondly remembered for its bonus round which pitted you against ten cutouts of villain characters)

This was one of my all-time favourites as a kid. The front game was especially interesting, and required a great deal of strategy of both contestant's parts (one contestant had to charge up a board answering a question on each of 5 levels, and the other contestant threw up blocks in advance which would freeze the contestant for a few seconds if revealed). Running the Gauntlet of Villains at the end was just fun.

 

Battlestars/The New Battlestars (basically The Hollywood Triangles, was hosted by Alex Trebek)

Trebek with the White Man's Afro never gets tired.

 

All-Star Blitz (basically The Hollywood Boxes Containing Parts of a Phrase.  Peter Marshall even hosted this one too!)

Another great one that didn't last long enough.

 

Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour (the individual components are well known, but how about when NBC put them together in 1983?  And to attract younger viewers, instead of Peter Marshall or anyone, you know, established, they chose...Jon "Bowzer" Bauman.  Oh well, I still loved it)

Bowzer was awful on this show, and Gene Rayburn just got sick of him very quickly. You can still hear the theme as one of the music cues on The Price Is Right, when they play for a car.

 

Now You See It ("where we give you the answers, all you have to do is find them!")

Too smart to last. People wouldn't watch it because it took over Press Your Luck's spot at 10:30.

 

Double Dare (Yes the Nick version, but how about the CBS version from 1976 with Alex Trebek and the Spoilers?)

You think Trebek's smug on Jeopardy now? You should've seen that show. WAY too intellectual. The theme from the Jim Perry Card Sharks was lifted from that show, though, so it wasn't all bad.

 

I saw the Monty Hall Split Second of the '80s mentioned.  Anyone remember the Tom Kennedy era?  How about when Bill Cullen hosted Pyramid?

Before my time, sadly, and all the tapes are gone.

 

Dream House (Bob Eubanks and the Golden Doors with that wacky combination lock)

I LOVED this show. I marked out whenever someone could open the doors and win the house. Too bad it aired opposite the second half of TPIR.

 

Speaking of which, check out http://flashgames.cdcproductions.ca/

 

Someone made playable versions of various game show bonus rounds online!

You, sir, are a god among men.

[Zack Malibu 0]

The time travel show Kamala and MJB are talking about was Do Over on the WB. I liked the show enough that I was going to start taping, but they never wound up getting to rerun episodes.

[Betty Houle 0]

How about this for obscure...

 

"It's Your Move" starring Jason Bateman. The best episode had him booking a band for a school dance or something, then having to fake it with recorded music, skeletons and heavy cloaks. They were "The Dregs of Society". They were a hit.

I remember this episode. It was a two-parter. They got away with it in the first part but things came crashing down in the second part. And this show did also star "Steve" from Married With Children.

[Betty Houle 0]

Anyone remember

 

Manimal?

Automan?

Phoenix?

that Battlestar Galactica spin-off (sort of a next generation deal when they came to Earth)?

[AlwaysPissedOff 0]

Ok this is what I remember.  In the late 90s there was 2 totally different Sonic The Hedgehog cartoons and in both Sonic was voiced by Steve Urkel himself.  One was on ABC Saturday mornings and it was kinda dark.  It had Sonic and some girl leading a bunch of freedom fighters against RoBotNic who had a bunch of robot soldiers.  Tails was in it but, he didn't do much of anything.

That "some girl" would be Princess Sally Acorn, Sonic's eternal love-interest in the comic universe. ... What? When I was younger I read that comic religiously.

Firstly I was speaking of the darker Sonic The Hedgehog one. And actually near the end, Tails was getting a bit bigger in the roles (even in the comics, but got shunted). As apparently he was affirmed as the "one to whom the ancients claim will restore Mobius". At least in the comics, the cartoon series disappeared after about it's third season I believe.

 

I loved the darker Sonic series. Hell, I still remember tearing up when Sonic's uncle started reverting back to his robot self again after Sonic and the others used a ring to get him back to normal mentally-wise.

[Kaertos 0]

I have been trying to erase the memories of "Galactica 1980" from my memory for 20 years now. Thanks for bringing it up.

[JMFabiano524 0]

Obscure game shows?  How about...

 

Hitman (no, this wasn't Bret's first job before breaking into wrestling.  Actually, it was I believe the first show Peter Tomarken hosted.  Most of it revolved around answering questions based on films shown before each round)

Never saw it, but I know of it.

 

Mike Klauss' tv-gameshows.com should still have a site on it.

 

Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour (the individual components are well known, but how about when NBC put them together in 1983?  And to attract younger viewers, instead of Peter Marshall or anyone, you know, established, they chose...Jon "Bowzer" Bauman.  Oh well, I still loved it)

Bowzer was awful on this show, and Gene Rayburn just got sick of him very quickly. You can still hear the theme as one of the music cues on The Price Is Right, when they play for a car.

 

I never minded him that much, but yeah, the "Gene hated Jon" stories are quite rampant over the internet. To the point that that's given as a reason MG/HS will not be aired on GSN (Gene supposedly wouldn't clear his appearances on the show) According to Steve Beverly's tvgameshows.net, it's a combination of GSN not considering it a quality show, and because of the dual ownership rights, which would now fall in the hands of Fremantle (for Mark Goodson Productions) and MGM (for the bankrupt Orion).

 

I did mark out for the giant electronic wall, and for the swing-in extra tier for the HS board.

 

Now You See It ("where we give you the answers, all you have to do is find them!")

Too smart to last. People wouldn't watch it because it took over Press Your Luck's spot at 10:30.

 

Actually I think the show it replaced was Bob Eubanks' Card Sharks. PYL was gone in 1986, and the '80s NYSI debuted 3 years later...aka the version Chuck Henry Won't Let You See. But that and the original (and better) Jack Narz version in 1975 were short lived, actually.

 

Double Dare (Yes the Nick version, but how about the CBS version from 1976 with Alex Trebek and the Spoilers?)

You think Trebek's smug on Jeopardy now? You should've seen that show. WAY too intellectual. The theme from the Jim Perry Card Sharks was lifted from that show, though, so it wasn't all bad.

 

The last episode was a riot...IIRC, one of the "subjects" was "the nose," which led to several clues that were unintentional double entendres. And speaking of Trebek, have you ever heard the popular urban legend that he showed up drunk on the last episode of High Rollers?

 

I saw the Monty Hall Split Second of the '80s mentioned.  Anyone remember the Tom Kennedy era?  How about when Bill Cullen hosted Pyramid?

Before my time, sadly, and all the tapes are gone.

 

Ahhhhhh, not necessarily...if you're on the game show trading circuit! Quite a few Cullen Pyramids have turned up (a few of which, in an odd turn of events, has Dick Clark as a player), and I'm sure the Kennedy SS is out there too.

 

Dream House (Bob Eubanks and the Golden Doors with that wacky combination lock)

I LOVED this show. I marked out whenever someone could open the doors and win the house. Too bad it aired opposite the second half of TPIR.

 

Yes, and a well-earned markout, as at its worst the Golden Doors were harder to conquer than a Triple H title reign. But before singing "You Suck" at Kurt Angle's theme music became fashionable, some ATGS'ers invented the following lyrics to the losing music at the Golden Doors: "Dream HOUSE...DREAM House...Dream HOUSE....LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSER!" (If you play the Flashgames DH game, try it for yourself)

Speaking of which, check out http://flashgames.cdcproductions.ca/

 

Someone made playable versions of various game show bonus rounds online!

You, sir, are a god among men.

 

Well I try my best....;-)

[Guest Boo_Bradley]

Unhappily Ever After

[King Kamala 0]

Unhappily Ever After

I wouldn't call four seasons short lived.

[Guest Boo_Bradley]

It lasted 4 seasons????????????? Color me shocked.

 

Brother's Keeper

[King Kamala 0]

Does anyone remember the show My Brother and Me? Those were the whitest black kids I've ever seen especially the younger brother. The younger brother's albino dorky white friend was more black than him. There was also the unfunny running gag of the dad trying to feed everybody different kinds of gumbo.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Does anyone remember the show My Brother and Me? Those were the whitest black kids I've ever seen especially the younger brother. The younger brother's albino dorky white friend was more black than him. There was also the unfunny running gag of the dad trying to feed everybody different kinds of gumbo.

Ah, funny you should mention this one. You see, I was hanging around the dumpster behind Nick Studios, and I obtained a script from this show.

 

MY BROTHER AND ME

EPISODE 4A32: "A TANGLED WEB OF BASSABALLS"

DEE-DEE: But Alfie!

ALFIE: No, Dee-Dee. You can't.

DEE-DEE: But Alfie!

ALFIE: No, Dee-Dee. You can't.

DEE-DEE: But Alfie!

ALFIE: No, Dee-Dee. You can't.

DEE-DEE: But Alfie!

ALFIE: No, Dee-Dee. You can't.

DEE-DEE: But Alfie!

ALFIE: No, Dee-Dee. You can't.

DEE-DEE: But Alfie!

ALFIE: No, Dee-Dee. You can't.

GOO: Wuddup?

DEE-DEE: I'm running away!

 

 

Fun fact: I remember an episode where the dad was reminiscing about "Ric Flair versus Greg Valentine, the battle of the figure-four leglocks."

[Der Kommissar 0]

As for me:

 

Sinbad: Seemed to be a show to capitalize off of Hercules and Xena which were popular at the time. It was the Adventures of Sinbad, of course. I found this little gem of a show still on the air on Saturdays at 3 PM. Sad. I used to watch it during it's assumingly short stint.

 

Cleopatra 2525 - I believe the plot was something about a girl from modern times getting stuck in the year 2525, and trying to stop this evil super villain. It was a nice way to pass the time at noon on Saturdays. Too bad it was yanked off the air quickly.

 

Black Scorpion - just saw this show on a local channel. I was about to change the channel when I discovered that the villain was none other than Adam West. He played an evil doctor who was stuck in suit, after he was shot in the lung. It was cancelled in 2001, yet somehow still showed up on local tv. It seemed like the show was trying to be a cross between 1960s Batman and the Batman movies, yet somehow failing on both counts. I did a little research and I might have to watch this show more often. Apparently, Frank Gorshin made an appearance as an villain, and with villains like an evil fireman, an evil environmentalis named Hurricane, and Gangsta Pranksta, it can't be all that bad. Plus, the hero wears a mask similar to WWE's Hurricane.

 

I also remember a show call "Malibu Heights" or something that showed up on WB in like 2001. It was a comedy where all the characters worked in a soap opera. It was canned after 6 episodes though.

[Zack Malibu 0]

Black Scorpion - just saw this show on a local channel. I was about to change the channel when I discovered that the villain was none other than Adam West. He played an evil doctor who was stuck in suit, after he was shot in the lung. It was cancelled in 2001, yet somehow still showed up on local tv. It seemed like the show was trying to be a cross between 1960s Batman and the Batman movies, yet somehow failing on both counts. I did a little research and I might have to watch this show more often. Apparently, Frank Gorshin made an appearance as an villain, and with villains like an evil fireman, an evil environmentalis named Hurricane, and Gangsta Pranksta, it can't be all that bad. Plus, the hero wears a mask similar to WWE's Hurricane.

That was Sci-Fi's spinoff series of the two Black Scorpion movies, starring Joan Severance. Sounds like Adam West assumed the role of Breathtaker (who was the villain in the first movie), however in the first movie it wasn't West that played him. The funniest part of the movie was that Joan Severance is supposed to be a mid-late 20's police officer, when she is about 40 or older and looks it. So who do they cast as her dad? Rick Rossivich (of Pacific Blue), who's roughly the same age.

 

Still, they were good, campy fun. I've got the movies, but never saw the show.

[King Kamala 0]

MY BROTHER AND ME

EPISODE 4A32: "A TANGLED WEB OF BASSABALLS"

DEE-DEE: But Alfie!

ALFIE: No, Dee-Dee. You can't.

DEE-DEE: But Alfie!

ALFIE: No, Dee-Dee. You can't.

DEE-DEE: But Alfie!

ALFIE: No, Dee-Dee. You can't.

DEE-DEE: But Alfie!

ALFIE: No, Dee-Dee. You can't.

DEE-DEE: But Alfie!

ALFIE: No, Dee-Dee. You can't.

DEE-DEE: But Alfie!

ALFIE: No, Dee-Dee. You can't.

GOO: Wuddup?

DEE-DEE: I'm running away!

 

 

Fun fact: I remember an episode where the dad was reminiscing about "Ric Flair versus Greg Valentine, the battle of the figure-four leglocks."

I remember that episode where Dee Dee ran away. In fact I remember most of the episodes. The funniest was when Alfie and Goo and Dee and his friends got in a fight. Seven year old girls had more impressive looking fights than those kids.

[Youth N Asia 0]

The Jack of All Trades...kick ass Bruce Campbell show that lasted 22 episodes.

[The Czech Republic 0]

I remember that episode where Dee Dee ran away. In fact I remember most of the episodes.

Not to take anything away from you, but geez, there were like eight episodes. And I think each one had Dee-Dee saying "But Alfie!" in a little-bitch voice. He wanted to get a cool haircut, or go to the monster truck show, or this or that, who cares. "Whatchoo talkin' bout Willis" it was not.

[Guest pete]

Swan's Crossing. Early 90's teen show soap opera, featuring Sarah Michelle Gellar in all her pre-fame hotness.

 

Where's Rodney. Lasted one episode. Got it on tape. Premise had a Rodney Dangerfield fan (played by the one of the "Honey I Shrunk The Kids" kids) wishing for Rodney to bail him out of situations, and Rodney would just magically appear. And it was supposed to be reality. Yeah.

On Swans Crossing they had her good girl nemesis played by the hot Britney Daniels from oe Dirt and the Basketball diaries.

[Zack Malibu 0]

Swan's Crossing.  Early 90's teen show soap opera, featuring Sarah Michelle Gellar in all her pre-fame hotness.

 

Where's Rodney.  Lasted one episode.  Got it on tape.  Premise had a Rodney Dangerfield fan (played by the one of the "Honey I Shrunk The Kids" kids) wishing for Rodney to bail him out of situations, and Rodney would just magically appear.  And it was supposed to be reality.  Yeah.

On Swans Crossing they had her good girl nemesis played by the hot Britney Daniels from oe Dirt and the Basketball diaries.

That's Brittany Daniel. She's a twin, as she and her sister were the stars of the Sweet Valley High TV show as well. I also remember her popping up on Dawson's Creek in a recurring role.

[Guest pete]

I think USA showed It's Your Move briefely in the late '80's/ early '90's. I remember seeing some episodes and they played the funkiest crap on Saturday afternoons. I also remember Check It Out, which was Don Adams as the head of a grocery store. Double Trouble which was about these twin girls who lived with their single father, but eventually moved to New York to live with their aunt. Bustin' Loose, based on the movie and starring Jimmy Walker. There was also some other show I can't remember the name of, it was about a woman who was famous for some reason who moves back in with her family in a small town. There was also a show about a Mexican family trying to live like the rich and affluent, Sanchez of Bel-Aire maybe?

 

I also remember the block of shows that TBS had on weekday afternoon. There was Down to Earth about a flapper who died and gets sent back to earth in modern times as the guardian angel for this family. She was their maid and the head of the family was Dick Sargent. There was also a show about a brother and sister who ran an ice cream store on the beach, I think it was called Rocky Rhodes or something like that. There was another show I can't remember the name of, but it was about a man and woman who were the anchors of this local sports program. The guy had a daughter and a sleazy friend.

It was called Rocky Roads for the Ice cream tie in. I used to watch that all the time.