The Land That Time Forgot: TV Shows That Haven't Aired In A Long Time

[bobalina]

8 hours ago, MissAlmond said:

The death of the second of Joan Crawford's twins and Crawford using Georgia Tann's Tennessee Children's Home Society made me think of the miniseries based on Tann.  But while searching IMDB for the title, I realized in my mind, I had actually merged two different TV miniseries into one!  Instead of one miniseries that starred both Mary Tyler Moore and Mare Winningham, there were two separate ones: 

Stolen Babies (1993) with Mary Tyler Moore https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108225/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_27

Missing Children: A Mother's Story (1982) with Mare Winningham https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084336/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_79

Anyway, I haven't seen either one aired on TV for years (obviously LOL).

Theres a 3rd TV movie from around the same time, Butterbox Babies. Same basic plot but set in Canada. Also a true story. Starred Susan Clark.

 

 

[selkie]

On 10/13/2019 at 7:23 PM, Raja said:

Cagney and Lacey is replacing The Profiler on START TV Monday Oct 14th, 2019 at 5 PM

It's also on Amazon Prime now. 

[tessaray]

Thanks to the internet I've found a lot of the shows I remember.  Especially some off-the-wall stuff like Return to Eden, which I finally tracked down. (Though I still haven't found the mini series.)  When we lived in Houston decades ago, the independent station there showed movies and tv shows from all over the world.  

One thing still eludes me and that is the original 2 night mini series version of The Scarlet Pimpernel (Jane Seymour, Anthony Andrews, Ian McKellen). Not the repeat that TNT did, not the vhs or dvd movie versions.  Because there was a fencing scene cut from everything but the first airing. (Though I didn't buy the Acorn version, maybe that one has deleted scenes?)   

Oh, and Queen of Swords. I wish I could buy that so I could ditch my low quality mpegs. 

[ABay]

51 minutes ago, tessaray said:

 Oh, and Queen of Swords. I wish I could buy that so I could ditch my low quality mpegs. 

I bought it on Amazon France a couple of years ago. They might still have it.

[tessaray]

1 minute ago, ABay said:

I bought it on Amazon France a couple of years ago. They might still have it.

I never thought of looking there. Thanks! 

[Was-MArsenault]

2 hours ago, tessaray said:

Thanks to the internet I've found a lot of the shows I remember.  Especially some off-the-wall stuff like Return to Eden, which I finally tracked down. (Though I still haven't found the mini series.)  When we lived in Houston decades ago, the independent station there showed movies and tv shows from all over the world.  

One thing still eludes me and that is the original 2 night mini series version of The Scarlet Pimpernel (Jane Seymour, Anthony Andrews, Ian McKellen). Not the repeat that TNT did, not the vhs or dvd movie versions.  Because there was a fencing scene cut from everything but the first airing. (Though I didn't buy the Acorn version, maybe that one has deleted scenes?)   

Oh, and Queen of Swords. I wish I could buy that so I could ditch my low quality mpegs. 

I didn't know the one with Jane Seymour was a TV movie.

[tessaray]

42 minutes ago, MikaelaArsenault said:

I didn't know the one with Jane Seymour was a TV movie.

Yes.  Well, it showed over 2 nights so was called a mini series.  In 1982 not many people had access to recorders. When we later got a vcr, it was one of the first things I searched for to either record or buy.  

[andromeda331]

Clarissa Explains it All is airing on TeenNick Tuesdays and Wednesdays! I caught the first episode last night. I hadn't seen it in decades. Everyone looks so young. I love Clarissa and Sam.

[danderson400]

What about the 1990 version of Joker's Wild? Last time i saw that, before YouTube was on USA Network.

Edited March 26, 2020 by danderson400

[Jaded]

5 hours ago, danderson400 said:

What about the 1990 version of Joker's Wild? Last time i saw that, before YouTube was on USA Network.

I remember when they aired that one, the 80's Hollywood Squares which had Joan Rivers as the center square quite often and older episodes of the original The Peoples Court.

[CFC]

It bothers me that a show like Picket Fences, which won two Emmys for Best Drama Series, is nigh impossible to watch on any TV channel or streaming service. In its earlier days, Hulu used to have the first and second seasons available for viewing, then, for a very brief moment, they added seasons three and four, but then just as suddenly removed the entire series.

[Blergh]

On 3/26/2020 at 1:05 AM, Jaded said:

I remember when they aired that one, the 80's Hollywood Squares which had Joan Rivers as the center square quite often and older episodes of the original The Peoples Court.

I can't say I miss that one- mainly due to it having John Davidson hosting because he talked down to everyone on the set and in the audience like they were five-years-old!

Give me the Classic Early Squares hosted by Peter Marshall which had Charley Weaver and Rose Marie as Regulars and Paul Lynde as the Center Square. Even that rendition got somewhat wobbly when they catered to the late Paul Lynde's ego and he did all he could to overwhelm not just the other Squares but also Peter Marshal, the Contestants, the Audience and virtually the entire show. Sorry, IMO, Paul Lynde was the show's bayleaf inasmuch as a small dash of his randy double entendres went a long way to bring out the right flavors of the recipe  but more than that made the show completely unpalatable so that one only tasted nothing but bayleafs. 

[bmoore4026]

Is there a reason Judging Amy isn't on any streaming service or DVD?  I mean, even Early Edition got DVD releases (though good luck trying to get them).

[BooksRule]

I'm hoping this fits here (since it is TV), but some of you of a certain age probably remember the 'ABC movie of the week' that aired every Saturday night.  There was a new movie each week, some good, some cheesy, but most were great fun to watch.  Steven Spielberg's 'Duel' was one of them.  So was 'Trilogy of Terror' (with the evil killer doll).  One of my favorites was the scifi TV-movie 'Where have all the people gone?' and the comedy 'The girl most likely to...' (with the great Stockard Channing).  A really cheesy one was 'Killdozer'. Most are available online and bring back such fond memories.  Speaking of a nostalgic memory: 

 

[Dancingjaneway]

I haven't seen the show Hunter on the air in 10 years. Thankfully I have the seasons on DVD. Another one I have never seen in reruns is The Critic with Jon Lovitz. Sure it's not The Simpsons but it has a different kind of humor & I really enjoyed all the characters.  A show that I adored as a kid that hasn't been on in ages is Eureeka's Castle. The characters were so cute and I loved the little songs. I've always hoped it would come back to t.v in some form for the kids nowadays. 

[rubaco]

On 4/21/2020 at 8:27 PM, BooksRule said:

Speaking of a nostalgic memory: 

 

Thank you for the video, BooksRule. It made me cry, that's how powerful a memory it is for me. The '70s were fun and TV-filled. 

For my contribution to this thread: "Ed." And because that's such a generic title, I always feel the need to elaborate: the show with Tom Cavanagh as the most likable bowling alley-lawyer ever. It's so weird that nobody airs this anymore. It lasted 4 seasons, and Julie Bowen went on to become a household name (more or less). C'mon, Cozi TV!

[Browncoat]

Oh, man, I loved "Ed"!  To this day, every time I see John Slattery in something, I call him "Principal Jackass".

[Kiki777]

11 hours ago, rubaco said:

For my contribution to this thread: "Ed." And because that's such a generic title, I always feel the need to elaborate: the show with Tom Cavanagh as the most likable bowling alley-lawyer ever. It's so weird that nobody airs this anymore. It lasted 4 seasons, and Julie Bowen went on to become a household name (more or less). C'mon, Cozi TV!

I did not see that show when it aired, but a couple years ago UPtv ran the whole series- a couple episodes per day IIRC.  I wish they would run it again - it was very comforting and I loved the homey small-town setting.  (I even downloaded the theme song by Foo Fighters!)

I wish (especially now that we’re all home and watching TV) that Lifetime would run its campy, older made-for-tv movies.  Bring on the Susan Luccis, Jaclyn Smiths, hell even the Tiffani-Amber Theissens!

[MissAlmond]

15 hours ago, rubaco said:

For my contribution to this thread: "Ed." And because that's such a generic title, I always feel the need to elaborate: the show with Tom Cavanagh as the most likable bowling alley-lawyer ever. It's so weird that nobody airs this anymore. It lasted 4 seasons, and Julie Bowen went on to become a household name (more or less). C'mon, Cozi TV!

I did a quick google search and found this 2016 Vulture article.  Sounds like music rights and divided ownership issues.  

https://www.vulture.com/2016/11/strange-disappearance-of-ed.html

Quote

“It’s upsetting to me,” says Rob Burnett, who co-created Ed with fellow Late Night and Late Show With David Letterman veteran Jon Beckerman. (Letterman was also an executive producer of Ed.) “I don’t even know exactly why there is no Ed available.” Burnett adds that music rights and the fact that the show is co-owned by two studios — NBC-Universal and Paramount — have made it more legally complicated to get wide distribution. “I had grown to believe that the powers that be didn’t have the bandwidth or didn’t think there was enough of a way to monetize it to really go for it,” says Beckerman.

 

Edited April 26, 2020 by MissAlmond

[selkie]

On 4/18/2020 at 3:31 PM, CFC said:

It bothers me that a show like Picket Fences, which won two Emmys for Best Drama Series, is nigh impossible to watch on any TV channel or streaming service. In its earlier days, Hulu used to have the first and second seasons available for viewing, then, for a very brief moment, they added seasons three and four, but then just as suddenly removed the entire series.

 

The David E. Kelly shows tend to be hard to find on streaming for assorted reasons. It took forever for all seasons of 'The Practice' to show up and we'll probably never get 'Chicago Hope' (which I missed during its original run because I was watching ER instead) because the show owners don't want to pay music rights to stream for some Broadway songs people sung on the show. 

[Kitty Redstone]

Hardcastle and McCormick.  I remember watching it during its original run but had forgotten all about it until seeing an old fall promo for ABC.  (Remember those promos where the casts of the new and returning shows would sing and dance the network's theme song?  The one that really sticks in my mind featured Captain Stuebing from the Love Boat but I can't find it on YT.)  Anyway, I wonder why H&C hasn't been re-aired.

[Bastet]

24 minutes ago, Kitty Redstone said:

Hardcastle and McCormick.  I remember watching it during its original run but had forgotten all about it until seeing an old fall promo for ABC.  ... Anyway, I wonder why H&C hasn't been re-aired.

I only watched a handful of episodes, as one of those included a car chase filmed on a stretch of street that included my house at the time, so we tuned in for a couple of episodes before, "our" episode, and a couple of episodes after.  From the little I recall, it was rather generic '80s investigation series, one that only ran a few seasons and without any innovative hook, ratings, or subsequent cult following that would appeal to syndicators.

Quote

(Remember those promos where the casts of the new and returning shows would sing and dance the network's theme song? 

Oh, yes!  I have several on old VHS recordings, and as I slowly transfer those I want to keep to DVD, I grin and giggle whenever I come across one.

[MissAlmond]

14 hours ago, selkie said:

we'll probably never get 'Chicago Hope' (which I missed during its original run because I was watching ER instead) because the show owners don't want to pay music rights to stream for some Broadway songs people sung on the show. 

Yep.  Any more modern TV shows not seen in years that heavily used music, had characters breaking into song, had a theme song by a popular artist(s) or was produced jointly by two different studios, the first clue is who owns the rights and were they paid.  

[Blergh]

2 minutes ago, MissAlmond said:

Yep.  Any more modern TV shows not seen in years that heavily used music, had characters breaking into song, had a theme song by a popular artist(s) or was produced jointly by two different studios, the first clue is who owns the rights and were they paid.  

Exactly! Let's hope future productions learn from Cold Case's failure!

[MissAlmond]

19 minutes ago, Blergh said:

Let's hope future productions learn from Cold Case's failure!

Exactly. By the time Cold Case aired they should have known better! 

[MaryMitch]

I would like the chance to see Bruce Campbell once more in "The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr" to see if it was as funny as I remember it.

[BlackberryJam]

I'd like to rewatch Northern Exposure but haven't found it available...

[ABay]

I could've sworn I saw Brisco streaming somewhere for free but JustWatch only shows pay options for it.

[DrSpaceman73]

Just Shoot Me. 

Its not the best show, but I've been rewatching it on Hulu and still find it funny.  It used to be on in reruns quite a bit but now you can't find it anywhere I know of outside Hulu. 

[Annber03]

I loved that show when I was a teenager. 

[andromeda331]

Me too. It was a fun show and introduced me to the great Wendie Malick and Enrico Colantoni who I love in just about everything. And one of the few things I've actually liked David Spade in. 

[Bastet]

41 minutes ago, andromeda331 said:

It was a fun show and introduced me to the great Wendie Malick and Enrico Colantoni who I love in just about everything. And one of the few things I've actually liked David Spade in. 

I had seen Wendie Malick in a few things and always liked her, but Just Shoot Me really sealed the deal for me, and was my first time seeing Enrico Colantoni.  To this day, if either of them turn up in a show I'm watching, I get excited.  I don't remember much about the show, other than I quite liked it.

[Browncoat]

I tried to watch Just Shoot Me back in the day, but David Spade ruined it.  I can’t stand him.

[Zella]

13 hours ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

Just Shoot Me. 

Its not the best show, but I've been rewatching it on Hulu and still find it funny.  It used to be on in reruns quite a bit but now you can't find it anywhere I know of outside Hulu. 

I watched that show for the first time last year, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It made me laugh, and I liked most of the characters. Co-signing all the Malick and Colantoni love. I also especially enjoyed Jack. He was kind of an ass, but he always made me laugh.

I usually can't stand David Spade, but I didn't mind him in the show. 

13 hours ago, Bastet said:

my first time seeing Enrico Colantoni.  To this day, if either of them turn up in a show I'm watching, I get excited. 

Person of Interest was my intro to Colantoni, and it turned me into a big fan of his. 

[Browncoat]

I believe Galaxy Quest introduced me to Colantoni.

[Zella]

6 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

I believe Galaxy Quest introduced me to Colantoni.

Oh gosh I had seen that before Person of Interest! I don't know that I connected that it was the same person. 🤣 But he is great in both! 

This is sort of like me and Stephen Lang. I keep forgetting what I first saw him in because I never realized he was the same guy who kept popping up in stuff. I actually argued with my dad that Ike from Tombstone and George Pickett from Gettysburg were not the same actor. I lost that bet. 

Edited May 18, 2020 by Zella

[Mabinogia]

18 hours ago, Bastet said:

I had seen Wendie Malick in a few things and always liked her,

Because I am old, I remember Wendie Malick in one of HBO's very first series, Dream On. She was the reason I started watching Just Shoot Me which was one of my favorite shows when it was on. 

[Irlandesa]

On 5/17/2020 at 10:05 PM, DrSpaceman73 said:

Just Shoot Me. 

Its not the best show, but I've been rewatching it on Hulu and still find it funny.  It used to be on in reruns quite a bit but now you can't find it anywhere I know of outside Hulu. 

And now Hulu is bringing the cast back together for a reunion.

 

[auntlada]

On 5/18/2020 at 12:58 PM, Zella said:

Oh gosh I had seen that before Person of Interest! I don't know that I connected that it was the same person. 🤣 But he is great in both! 

This is sort of like me and Stephen Lang. I keep forgetting what I first saw him in because I never realized he was the same guy who kept popping up in stuff. I actually argued with my dad that Ike from Tombstone and George Pickett from Gettysburg were not the same actor. I lost that bet. 

It was the longest time before I realized that Laura San Giacomo in Just Shoot Me was also in Quigley Down Under and Pretty Woman. I just didn't connect those three roles.

[DrSpaceman73]

3 hours ago, auntlada said:

It was the longest time before I realized that Laura San Giacomo in Just Shoot Me was also in Quigley Down Under and Pretty Woman. I just didn't connect those three roles.

Yes she also did Sex, Lies and Videotapes. 

that and Pretty woman are probably her biggest pre-Just Shoot Me roles

I guess she was in Saving Grace as well, per IMDB, never watched that show myself.  Other than that looks like a lot of one-off appearances or one season arcs on various shows over the last few decades.  Can't believe she is 58. 

[Bastet]

4 hours ago, auntlada said:

It was the longest time before I realized that Laura San Giacomo in Just Shoot Me was also in Quigley Down Under and Pretty Woman. I just didn't connect those three roles.

Other than the "You work on commission, right?  Big mistake.  Huge." scene, Hector Elizondo and Laura San Giacomo were the only things I liked about Pretty Woman, and I really liked her in that and Sex, Lies, and Videotape.  I was probably mildly interested in the premise of Just Shoot Me!, but I suspect the fact she was the one playing Maya and that I recognized (by face, not yet by name) Wendie Malick as someone I'd liked in other things is what led me to tune in.

[DrSpaceman73]

And on the topic of Just Shoot Me and rewatching it own :

A pre-fame Ali Larter (before Varsity Blues) and Steve Carrell (before both the Office and 40 year old virgin) both were guest stars on the show, I realized. 

Edited to add :  I guess Anchorman was before the 40 year old virgin.....but before that too. 

Also Jessica Walter as the older first ex-wife of Jack Gallo and pretty much the same type of role she would do later in Arrested Development and Archer. 

Edited May 24, 2020 by DrSpaceman73

[Just Here]

On 5/15/2020 at 1:23 PM, MaryMitch said:

I would like the chance to see Bruce Campbell once more in "The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr" to see if it was as funny as I remember it.

On 5/15/2020 at 2:25 PM, ABay said:

I could've sworn I saw Brisco streaming somewhere for free but JustWatch only shows pay options for it.

It's currently free on IMDb TV:  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105932/

[Stats Queen]

On 5/23/2020 at 9:06 PM, DrSpaceman73 said:

And on the topic of Just Shoot Me and rewatching it own :

A pre-fame Ali Larter (before Varsity Blues) and Steve Carrell (before both the Office and 40 year old virgin) both were guest stars on the show, I realized. 

Edited to add :  I guess Anchorman was before the 40 year old virgin.....but before that too. 

Also Jessica Walter as the older first ex-wife of Jack Gallo and pretty much the same type of role she would do later in Arrested Development and Archer. 

hubby and I’ve been rewatching Just Shoot Me! I still find it very funny and well acted and written. 
 

“Donnie says vacuum” is the best (a young Tobias Funke)

[DrSpaceman73]

23 hours ago, Stats Queen said:

hubby and I’ve been rewatching Just Shoot Me! I still find it very funny and well acted and written. 
 

“Donnie says vacuum” is the best (a young Tobias Funke)

The Slow Donnie episodes are generally the best remembered of the series, and I do love them.  I looked them up on IMDB, that is the highest rated episode on the websight

However I still love the episode with French Stewart, the puppeteer who Maya is dating.  Cracks me up every time.  "Sorry kids.....polly panda was complaining again...."  Gina Giraffe.  "The Mayor likes it rough!"

[Zella]

51 minutes ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

The Slow Donnie episodes are generally the best remembered of the series, and I do love them.  I looked them up on IMDB, that is the highest rated episode on the websight

However I still love the episode with French Stewart, the puppeteer who Maya is dating.  Cracks me up every time.  "Sorry kids.....polly panda was complaining again...."  Gina Giraffe.  "The Mayor likes it rough!"

That episode had one of my favorite lines ever from Jack: "The wolf should get more camera time. He's like a young Pacino."

[andromeda331]

Did anyone noticed on TJ Hooker that Hooker's family situation seemed to change by episode? One episode he has no kids. Another one he as two daughters. Another one he has a son. A different one he had three kids. Another one he has a young daughter. He was single. Then he was married. Then he was single. Another one he was divorced. The weird thing is none of the episodes seemed to be played out of order. Unless MeTV was mislabeling episodes. But I'm not entire sure. They ran it though all five seasons a few times before taking it off the network. 

Edited June 2, 2020 by andromeda331

[VCRTracking]

Thinking about 90s shows recently I remembered this syndicated show called ACAPULCO H.E.A.T. I used to see promos for it around 1999 but I never bothered to catch it so I never knew what it was about. I Wiki'd it and:

The season 1 intro is so gloriously cheesy:

 

 

[BlackberryJam]

That looks awesomely terrible. I don't know what I love/hate more, the gratuitous boob shots, the low-rent Patrick Swayze and his martial arts, poor man's Mario Lopez likely going undercover as a pizza delivery boy, Fabio trying to act or DEAN WORMER. Okay, yeah, it's Dean Wormer. I'm sure he put them all on double secret probation. 

[Ohiopirate02]

I can see where tv execs would want a show that looks to be a mashup of Miami Vice and Baywatch, but that intro just screams SNL parody.