* Ghost Story (title was soon changed to Circle of Fear) (1972-73) Anthology series hosted by Mr. French himself, Sebastian Cabot
* Beyond Westworld (1980) - They couldn't get past episode 5
* Struck by Lightning (1979) - One of the biggest bombs of all time (didn't even survive for 1 month) . . . and Jack Elam was in it
* My Big Fat Greek Life (2003) - A big fat turd.
* Paper Moon (1975) - Part of the new fall line-up but it didn't even survive until Christmas. Not even Jodie Foster could save this one.
* The Montefuscos (1975) - Another one that died within a month. But how could a show featuring comical Italian stereotypes possibly fail? Even with Ron Carey?
* Serpico (1976-77) - David Birney wasn't no Al Pacino . . .
* David Cassidy: Man Undercover (1978-79) - Come on get happy? I guess not.
Others?
LOGAN'S RUN (1976) one season only.
Only plus point: Heather Menzies-Urich ❤️😍❤️
There was a Shaft TV series in 1973 that lasted only seven episodes. Surprisingly, they managed to get Richard Roundtree to star.
Quote from: Sitting Duck on July 24, 2025, 07:04:33 AMThere was a Shaft TV series in 1973 that lasted only seven episodes. Surprisingly, they managed to get Richard Roundtree to star.
It was actually good as I remember. One episode had Shaft's police buddy getting shot, Shaft donated blood, telling his buddy "So if you get a sudden craving for black eyed peas and cornbread, don't worry baby, it's alright." 😆😄
Delta House was a 1979 spin-off of Animal House. While many of the movie actors would reprise their roles (including John Vernon, Stephen Furst, Bruce McGill, and James Widdoes), the key one who didn't was John Belushi. It only lasted thirteen episodes.
Quote from: The Burgomaster on July 23, 2025, 02:32:52 PM* Beyond Westworld (1980) - They couldn't get past episode 5
got the dvd of this :smile:
even in the space of 5 episodes, one of the main characters changed actress
same character / actor swap thing happens in the 10 episode long GALACTICA 1980... one of the most brilliantly cheesy tv series of all time. way better than BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. way.
the 4th season of AIRWOLF was basically its own thing. no Stringfellow Hawk... the production team didn't even have access to the 'copter! - like GALACTICA 1980 it starred Barry Van Dyke. he evidently has form for these things
ADVENTURE INC
early 2000s kind of vaguely MISSION IMPOSSIBLE esque type thing. 22 episodes.
intro narration:
"My name is Judson Cross. I've been called everything from a treasure hunter to a thrill seeker, but personally I like to think of myself as a professional explorer."
fascinating!
There was a show in the 90s called Nowhere Man that was highly praised at the time and I think won some awards, but only lasted one season.
It was about a guy who's identity was erased. There's no records he existed, his friends claim not to know him, his wife is living with somebody else, his credit cards don't work, etc. Everything is gone in a single day. He believe it's due to a photograph he took that showed the government up to some bad stuff and he spends the entire show trying to avoid the agency that's after him, trying to get his identity back, and trying to recover the negatives of the photo he took.
It was a pretty cool show.
I believe Nowhere Man was being parodied in the opening host segment of this episode of MST3K.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7wkKXMlKYc
Quote from: Sitting Duck on July 25, 2025, 07:51:31 AMDelta House was a 1979 spin-off of Animal House. While many of the movie actors would reprise their roles (including John Vernon, Stephen Furst, Bruce McGill, and James Widdoes), the key one who didn't was John Belushi. It only lasted thirteen episodes.
I remember watching only one episode of this. The plot was that one of the Deltas got a big pimple on his face. I don't think I laughed once and never watched it again.
Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters From Beverly Hills.
Quote from: HappyGilmore on July 28, 2025, 07:03:42 PMTattooed Teenage Alien Fighters From Beverly Hills.
😀😆
I'd watch the heck out of that 😁🐢
Quote from: Trevor on July 29, 2025, 04:38:09 AMQuote from: HappyGilmore on July 28, 2025, 07:03:42 PMTattooed Teenage Alien Fighters From Beverly Hills.
😀😆
I'd watch the heck out of that 😁🐢
It's fun. Lasted about 40-50 episodes. Somehow got a DVD release.
A bit of a ripoff of Power Rangers and other similar programs from the US/Japan. Just without the charm.
I have the series on DVD.
Quote from: HappyGilmore on July 29, 2025, 05:35:08 PMQuote from: Trevor on July 29, 2025, 04:38:09 AMQuote from: HappyGilmore on July 28, 2025, 07:03:42 PMTattooed Teenage Alien Fighters From Beverly Hills.
😀😆
I'd watch the heck out of that 😁🐢
It's fun. Lasted about 40-50 episodes. Somehow got a DVD release.
A bit of a ripoff of Power Rangers and other similar programs from the US/Japan. Just without the charm.
I have the series on DVD.
... I had no idea it lasted that long. I thought it was just one of those shows that they made a dozen or so episodes of and then tried to pretend it didn't exist.
My all time fave short lived TV series was the BBC occult thriller THE OMEGA FACTOR (1979) which only lasted one season, scared the 💩 out of everyone including the BBC and was never rebroadcast.
I saw it in Zimbabwe in 1984 and have always remembered it fondly even though it was truly scary and unsettling. 😳😳😳
Quote from: Trevor on July 30, 2025, 03:45:58 AMMy all time fave short lived TV series was the BBC occult thriller THE OMEGA FACTOR (1979)
It also featured Louise Jameson AKA Leela from Doctor Who.
Quote from: Sitting Duck on July 30, 2025, 07:19:02 AMQuote from: Trevor on July 30, 2025, 03:45:58 AMMy all time fave short lived TV series was the BBC occult thriller THE OMEGA FACTOR (1979)
It also featured Louise Jameson AKA Leela from Doctor Who.
Indeed 😍😍
Quote from: chainsaw midget on July 29, 2025, 07:44:04 PMQuote from: HappyGilmore on July 29, 2025, 05:35:08 PMQuote from: Trevor on July 29, 2025, 04:38:09 AMQuote from: HappyGilmore on July 28, 2025, 07:03:42 PMTattooed Teenage Alien Fighters From Beverly Hills.
😀😆
I'd watch the heck out of that 😁🐢
It's fun. Lasted about 40-50 episodes. Somehow got a DVD release.
A bit of a ripoff of Power Rangers and other similar programs from the US/Japan. Just without the charm.
I have the series on DVD.
... I had no idea it lasted that long. I thought it was just one of those shows that they made a dozen or so episodes of and then tried to pretend it didn't exist.
Considering they basically fight the same monster seemingly every other episode, nobody needs to watch more than 12 episodes to carry on.
It has a "so bad it's good" kinda vibe. I liked it well enough to get the DVD.
Prey (1998)
Debra Messing before The Will & Grace Show...
For me, the "jump the shark episode" was about an evil kid, who kept looking at the camera & grinning to remind the audience that he was evil....
ABC's The River (2012)
Every episode of this reeked of jump the shark...
Clerks: the Animated Series.
2 episodes aired on ABC. Was cancelled. The episodes plus the remaining 6-8 episodes were released on DVD.
Probably would've lasted if it aired on Fox, MTV or Comedy Central.
I loved this as a kid
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deadly_Games_(TV_series)
very hard to find on DVD however - been trying to find it for years
The Starlost
Amish kids aboard a generation ship find out a) they're on a starship b) no one's at the controls & c) they're headed into a sun if someone doesn't correct the course.
Harlan Ellison made an audio tape outlining the concept, & the producer sold it based on that. Into syndication, with little money. Durring a writers strike. 16 episodes were videoed in Canada before it was canceled.
Ellison hated it, but he doesn't sound like an easy man to please. I'd like to see it, just as a trial.
The Time Tunnel
Not really obscure; I just wish it lasted more than one season.
Tropical Heat(1991–1993) aka Sweating Bullets
Not that it was short lived, they just tried putting it on a major network few three weeks, and it kept getting preempted by some major news story before it was dropped...
It turned up a year or two later in syndication....
"Kelly"
Short lived Australian kids/family show about a police dog. Released on VHS, in the US,in the 90's by Goodtimes Home Video, as "Kelly: The Hero." (Going by memory.)
One of those series that convinces a kid that they should have a dog.
Apparently cancelled due to lack of funds.
Quote from: LilCerberus on September 11, 2025, 08:58:11 PMTropical Heat(1991–1993) aka Sweating Bullets
Not that it was short lived, they just tried putting it on a major network few three weeks, and it kept getting preempted by some major news story before it was dropped...
It turned up a year or two later in syndication....
The second season was, believe it or not, filmed in Pretoria. 😳😄