The Amazing Saturday Preview!!

Every network used to showcase its new Saturday morning cartoon lineup each year with a cheesy special, typically aired the Friday before the new lineup premiered. The network's live action stars typically "hosted" the shows, which hyped the new lineup of cartoons. NBC's specials often parodied hit films from that summer, like this special from 1985:

NBC was apparently so happy with the Back to the Future parody, that it commissioned a similar parody in 1986, only this time, they chose Back to School. As anyone who has seen the Rodney Dangerfield film that inspired this knows, NBC couldn't have chosen a more inappropriate film to highlight its children's programming.

They misspelled Marc Price's name as well- poor Skippy

ABC, meanwhile, produced the most 1980's special ever. This "Pac Preview Party" highlights a time when the cartoons didn't even have to pretend to be educational or even worthwhile.

ABC topped itself, however with this special. Not only was it the most 1990's special ever made, it also featured the most inappropriate host for a children's special- Roseanne Barr.

Another Riddler?

Everyone knows Frank Gorshin as being the Riddler in the 1960's Batman.

However, not too many people remember the other Riddler from the show, played by John Astin.

Towards the end of season two, Frank Gorshin was beginning to get upset at his pay. He believed that he was important to the success of the show and needed his paycheck to reflect that. The network, on the other hand, saw things differently. They didn't think that Mr. Gorshin was as important to the show as he thought. Thus Gorshin was out and John Astin was in.

TV Quote Weekends

"You know it wouldn't hurt you none to put your own Ford in neutral, the way you're always chasing around and working on one dangerous case or another! You know you ain't even had time to go fishing or hunting with me? So the way I see it, that is no way for you to rack up a hundred thousand miles on your dash!"

TV Quote Weekends

"Personally, I think Dominios is the best of the low quality pizzas."

ABC's TGIF: Perfect Strangers

In the 1980's, ABC found great success running family oriented comedies on Friday nights, long considered a wasteland in the world of television. Eager to create a "branded" night of television, ABC decided to promote their 1988-1989 Friday line-up as TGIF, appealing to families and children.

The first show on the first lineup was Perfect Strangers. Beginning its fourth season, the show had been moved around on ABC's schedule until it found a permanent home on Fridays. The show featured a classic "Odd Couple" situation in which two very distant cousins shared an apartment in Chicago- the straight laced American Larry and the eccentric Greek-ish Balki.

The show kicked off the night, bringing familiar faces to ABC's new branding concept. It would prove to be a success. TGIF would eventually become greater than the actual sum of its parts.

Jessica Fletcher and the Case of the Future Alcoholic

Long before she was lushing it up on Will & Grace, Megan Mullaly was rubbing elbows with the Aspercreme set  on Murder, She Wrote. In 1988, she played a young, idealistic lawyer who helps Ms. Fletcher solve a case. She also dresses in the most 1980's style outfits, complete with an 80's professional mullet.

The Good Witch of Laurel Canyon

The first thought that might enter your head after looking at this TV Guide ad for a CBS series is WTF?!?

The story behind this bizarre looking show is even stranger. Starting life as The Good Witch of Laurel Canyon, this bizarre show originally starred Kim Cattrall as the titular witch. That summer, however, Ms. Cattrall starred in Porky's, a scandalous movie featuring adult situations! CBS was scandalized and replaced Kim with Catherine Hicks, renaming the show Tucker's Witch. The show only lasted 13 episodes and also starred Alfre Woodard.

From the Files of Police Squad!

After the success of Airplane! Hollywood was clamoring for projects from David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker, otherwise known as ZAZ. Their signature type of humor was rapid fire jokes, often told with a straight face by actors not known for being comedians. One of their first post-Airplane! projects was Police Squad!, an attempt to bring their sense of humor to the small screen.

ABC picked up the show for a six episode trial, seeking to bring the magic of Airplane! to the network, which was in need of a comedy hit. Leslie Nielsen was brought in to play the befuddled Frank Drebin, who always got his man (or woman) despite his general incompetence. 

The show was a ratings disappointment, despite being one of the most hilarious sitcoms ever produced. As Leslie Nielsen hypothesized, the show required viewers to pay attention in order to catch all of the jokes. That was difficult considering that people at home are distracted by any number of things. The show was canceled after its short season, but provided the inspiration for the Naked Gun films which were wildly successful.

Strange Facts About Mr. Belvedere

Despite setting their sitcom in a Pittsburgh suburb, the creators of Mr. Belvedere had never actually been there. They used a calendar provided by the Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce to base their scripts on.

Nine episodes of the show never appeared on ABC and only showed up in syndication- the final two episodes of the fifth season and seven episodes of the sixth season. While no reason was given for why ABC chose not to air the two episodes from the fifth season, the seven sixth season episodes were never aired due to poor ratings. ABC never chose to burn those episodes off in the summer, as is frequently done in these situations, but it did burn off the last two episodes as a two part series finale during the summer of 1990.

TV Quote Weekends

"I'm the King of Gotham!"

TV Quote Weekends

"My log does not judge."

MST3K: Wild World of Batwoman

"The devil made this movie for you!"

Ten Changes on HBO's Sesame Street

Ten Changes on HBO's Sesame Street

10. Producers no longer have to bleep Oscar the Grouch's F-Bombs.

9. Prairie Dawn's “Wardrobe Malfunctions” can now air un-blurred.

8. Coming Soon to HBO: Sesame Street- After Dark

7. Bert and Ernie can finally “make it legal.”

6. Guy Smiley can now walk around without pants.

5. Snuffleupagus' protection racket can now be shown on the air.

4. Producers no longer have to bleep Oscar the Grouch's C-Bombs.

3. HBO will now allow “Puppet on Puppet” action.

2. Next week on HBO's Sesame Street: Elmo Gets Even

1. Goodbye Sesame Street- Hello Avenue Q!