Temporary Layoffs - The World of TV

Friday, April 28, 2017

#1 in 1989: Roseanne

For Roseanne Barr's first season, her show was nipping at the heels of The Cosby Show, their ratings almost exactly the same. By Roseanne's second season, the show pulled ahead of Cosby. Viewers found Roseanne's humor to be more relatable. It also didn't help that Bill Cosby had been publicly dismissive of shows he believed were lowbrow compared to his upper class show. Time would prove that The Cosby Show wasn't the unstoppable juggernaut it once seemed to be.

Thursday, April 27, 2017

#1 in 1988: The Cosby Show

The Cosby Show continued its reign atop the Nielsens, but more realistic depictions of late 1980's families were nipping at its heels. Roseanne Barr's lower middle class family seemed more relevant to viewers as the 1990's beckoned. 1988 would be the last year that the Huxtables would stand alone at number one.

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Bizarre TV Tie-Ins: Gavin by Hormel

In the late 70's and early 80's, The Love Boat was one of the biggest shows on television. Hollywood's hasbeens lined up to board the adventurous, romantic Princess cruise. Overseeing the operation was Captain Stubing, portrayed by Gavin MacLeod. He often dispensed wise advice in addition to keeping a steady hand in piloting the ship.

That's why it must have seemed like a good idea to introduce a cologne named after the balding, middle aged actor who eagerly presided over a "Bang Boat". And who else could make you smell like a Captain than the company known for processed meats, Hormel?

Yes, that's a real advertisement for "Gavin by Hormel", a short lived cologne produced by the meat packing company in a strange diversification attempt. The product and the Hormel chemical division were quickly killed off when the meat producer came to its senses.