11 YOUTH-TARGETTED TV SITCOM FAILURES 1977-79

[@PatTheBatmanFan]

I'm sitting here thinking how glad I am I didn't waste time watching these shows as a kid, yet here I am now 40 years later, wasting time watching them.

[@terracottapie]

At least you're just watching the opening theme songs. That's something, I guess.

[@r0ckstar666]

I am 44 and do not remember them

[@ugaais]

I was born in 1970 was watching Happy Days in 1979 and the Hulk…lol

[@STPickrell]

@@r0ckstar666 Remember them? No. Not a one of them lasted more than two seasons, which would put them at canceled before you and I were in kindergarten. Someone five years older than us may vaguely remember some of them, especially "Angie" which did last 1.5 seasons (although tbh, I can't see the appeal of that show to anyone under 12) and was actually #5 in the Nielsens for its first half-season. "Angie" at least made it to 1.5 seasons, if that counts and was #5 during its first half season, although it got retooled and moved around timeslot wise during its full season. It also aired on ABC Daytime in 1985, which I vaguely remember from nine years old - or at least I know it was a TV show. "Delta House" - I knew of its existence. The theme songs from "Makin' It" and "Angie" both did well in the Billboard Top 100 but I only remember "Angie" as being a TV show.

[@r0ckstar666]

@@STPickrell nah. I don't remember any of them.

[@howardmerritt445]

“Angie” was a huge hit in its first half season (probably helped immensely by the fact that it followed “Mork & Mindy”). But the network made the mistake of not letting the show’s audience grow in that established time slot; for its first full season, ABC moved it around to several different time slots (Fred Silverman was the head of programming then), and it died as people got tired of searching for it. The show’s theme song, “Different Worlds”, is in my opinion one of the GREAT ‘70s show themes, and it even made the Billboard Top Twenty.

[@RandomNonsense1985]

Doris Roberts looked so young in that starting sequence.

[@Iggystar71]

I loved Angie!! I was only 8 when it came out but it’s the only one I really remember.

[@SassyPetal]

Yeah, when I saw the stars I was like, “Ah, Angie wasn’t a flop!” That theme song was even recorded on vinyl!! I still have my mom’s 45!!!

[@howardmerritt445]

That’s right - “Different Worlds” (sung by Maureen McGovern, who won an Oscar for “The Morning After”, the theme song for the disaster movie “The Poseidon Adventure”) made to Billboard Top Twenty in 1978, and was #1 on the Adult Contemporary charts. Just a refreshing, upbeat song, that really set the stage for the program.

[@tejaswoman]

Adored that show as a kid. Watched it every chance I got. Thanks for the details, because all these years later I didn't remember it moving around and that explains so much of why it disappeared.

[@ThrowingShade]

I remember watching ‘Angie’ when I was a child and I loved it. Fast forward some years and I lived down the street from Doris Roberts, around 1999-2006. We had her over for dinner a lot. She told us one night that she was very disappointed when ‘Angie’ was cancelled, but she had moved on to ‘Hart to Hart’.

[@r.s.334]

Where she was a waitress and married a super rich guy?

[@ShaneyBright]

I watched "Angie," too. Loved the theme song and never forgot it. Super cool that you met Ms. Roberts, who I also remember from "Hart To Hart" and subsequent roles as time went on.

[@ToyKingWonder]

The thing I didn't like about Angie was the first season, she was so sweet and so really wanted to snag her man. After she got him, her personality changed, and she was tons less sweet and more snarky. I always wondered why they did that to the character. Was being sweet too much for season two, or was there an unstated cynicism about women from the writers?

[@sharkusvelarde]

​@@ToyKingWonder Men have a way of crushing sweetness

[@jethro1963]

@@ShaneyBright The theme song from Angie was "Different Worlds" sung by Maureen McGovern (The Morning After). "Different Worlds" peaked at #18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent two weeks at #1 on the Billboard adult contemporary chart.

[@Diskoboy1974]

The theme from Makin' It was on the charts longer than the show was on TV.

[@reginald29061]

You forgot about the " Happy Days " song by Patsy McClain wait that turned out to be a hit song.

[@kentlewis987]

It was also in Meatballs.

[@raucepowers8127]

It was also in Detroit Rock City

[@nicktaylor2657]

Making a TV version of Saturday Night Fever after Disco was basically dead Even had John Travolta sister Ellen in it

[@nebakanezer13]

I have the single 45

[@joannapederson7795]

The set for "Co-Ed Fever" is the same one they used for the first season of "The Facts of Life," before they added Nancy McKeon and moved them to the kitchen.

[@jenniferhansen3622]

I thought it looked familiar!

[@fpg213263fu]

I notice that too. But I was looking for Heather Thomas.

[@gamingwithmax7873]

To me for some reason it looks like the Bunkers living room, a little bit tho

[@markxxx21]

@@gamingwithmax7873 That was also the set of Maude, done over.

[@Mister_Listener]

Yes, Maudes house, too. I could swear i also spotted Laverne and Shirleys CA apartment in one of these shows credited to Miller and Milkis. Recycling is good!

[@palmz4u]

Angie ran two fairly successful seasons. Not sure it belongs here with the all the ones that bombed right away.

[@Cliff-KI5OPP]

That's the only one I remembered

[@edwinthomasr]

I had a crush on "Angie" when I was like 4. Also, of all the things to get stuck in a person's head, for the last 40 years or so, I've found myself humming that fucking 'Makein' it' song to myself every so often.....

[@DeadBunny69]

Angie definitely doesn't belong on the list. I wouldn't say it was a "youth targeted" show and unlike the other campy loser offerings Angie was actually good and got canceled far too soon. I thought it was well written, the cast was great, and it was funny. File under Freak and Geeks and asinine tv network programming decisions.

[@itiswhatitaintanditaintwha1427]

I don't remember it being 'youth oriented' either!

[@trayahzz537]

Remember watching this

[@alanhorowitz3796]

There was an article I remember reading in '79 called "Send in the Clones." It was about how each network tried to reproduce their own version of Animal House. All three shows - Delta House, Brothers and Sisters, and Coed Fever - were all really embarrassing. I was a teen back then. I was there. That and the shows that tried to be Saturday Night Fever were a bad joke.

[@kittyprydekissme]

That was in Newsweek. I remember reading it. It was the only reason I knew Co-Ed Fever existed. I never saw the show advertised, and I missed the only episode.

[@alanhorowitz3796]

@@kittyprydekissme Then you saved yourself some time and your dignity.

[@jehobden]

CBS cancelled CO-ED FEVER after just 1 broadcast. CBS ran the show at 10:30 PM ET, and it got ok ratings, but since it followed the broadcast premiere of "Rocky", the network expected much better.

[@arkady714]

@@jehobden Come to think of it, how many shows at that time, successful or otherwise. contained the word “fever” in their titles? 🤣

[@frankbonini9128]

I Kinda Believe "Delta House" Was a Spinoff of "Animal House", With a Good Number of the Original Cast of the Movie and Fill-Ins Here & There for the Ones They Couldn't Afford/Get

[@bobpierce115]

What I can't get over are how long the intros were before they even started putting the names and faces of who's starring in these shows. This applies to most every show intro from the 1960's and '70s. The '80s had some fantastic openings too, but mainly drama shows which including 'TJ Hooker', 'The Fall Guy', 'MacGyver' , 'Dynasty' and 'Dallas' to name several. Since the '90s almost nothing; they just put the star's names on the screen with the show already running. It's sad that everything is all in the past, but it really is. Even some of the worst shows back then had a liveliness to them that's just gone now from American life, replaced by constant high alert stress about money worries and our safety. Anyway on THIS video I think Makin' It had the best theme song and intro (and was a real hit song in '79) as well as capturing the true look and style of the late '70s. Shows like Co-ed Fever were pretty much rush jobs that came out in early '79 to capitalize on 'Animal House' that at that time which was only a few months older itself.

[@demetriusdillard2863]

It is indeed sad, Bob. I miss opening and closing credits on television programs, too. Even commercial breaks are longer than they used to be.

[@brinsonharris9816]

Demetrius Dillard Not only are the commercial breaks longer, but they pack in more commercials. Dozens of 15 second spots, and sometimes the same spot repeated in the same break. Totally ruins whatever plot you’re trying to follow. It’s getting to be so bad shows need to add “Previously, on (name of show),” and then a recap of what was happening before 5 dizzying minutes of rapid fire Madison Ave erased it from your memory.

[@christystewart4567]

The intro to “Gilligan’s Island” managed to tell the audience the entire plot. The exit was just as long. I once did a karaoke with two other people doing that theme song. It was amazing just how long it was.

[@Attmay]

Even a generic and cheesy sitcom opening took more effort than the tuneless 10-second stingers that constitute opening sequences today. Look at it this way: *Diff’rent Strokes* and *Webster* both had theme songs. “modern” “family” had that stupid “hey hey” shit. That’s not a song. That’s the intro to a song we never actually get to hear. Even with rap, *Fresh Prince of Bel-Air* and *Living Single* had some there there, which is more than I can say for *Fresh off the Boat.* All brought to you by Pfizer, Raytheon, and the carbohydrate industrial complex keeping Americans big as hell.

[@NeptuneRising70]

Legend has it the guy from Makin’ It went backpacking through the moors with his friend Jack and things got hairy.

[@kellyweingart3692]

lol

[@ross1880]

Billy joined the police academy then helped aliens and old people get back home.

[@LancePie]

But David Naughton was a Pepper!! Wouldn't you like to be a pepper too?

[@ladychucklefuck]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@elaineclementsfinn1872]

@@LancePie he was a HOT pepper !

[@bottlerocket3218]

"Let's put a relative of John Travolta in our Saturday Night Fever rip off, it'll surely succeed then."

[@thepunditspundit1776]

And Jack Lemmon’s son in our Animal House meets sorority girls rip-off. Instant success

[@fromthehaven94]

And bring back several cast members in the TV show version of the movie they were in. People will flock to it!

[@anthonydixon452]

Relative? Not just a relative, she's his mother.

[@NoPawn]

Well at least the theme song was a hit.

[@Attmay]

@@fromthehaven94TV could turn *Cooley High* into *What’s Happening!!* and *Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore* into *Alice* while making a stealth sitcom out of *Blazing Saddles* without ever showing it to anyone, but *Animal House* eluded successful reinterpretation by the boomer box. That shows that the success of that movie was really a case of the singer more than the song.

[@dougvanminnen7537]

I remember watching Angie as a kid, I liked it. That was the only show on here that I can't say was a complete failure. The rest of these shows looked really stupid.

[@richardranke7878]

These days it's an accomplishment for any series to last a year-and-a-half.

[@dannyspelman1468]

@619 OG Look, I'm somebody that also thinks TV today is complete dog shit compared to before but come on! This stuff does not look better than anything! Like, I'm actually a little queasy after watching it.

[@christinabryant1899]

I watched "Angie," when I was a kid. It wasn't a failure.

[@RabbitSlippersBlog]

I liked it too as a kid. If I remember right they took the show off the air because there was a fire on the set which burned down the apartment which was a big part of the show.

[@capricornlove4816]

I used to love Angie

[@MicheleKateWhy]

I watched "Angie" too!

[@Hotobu]

Maybe not, but you are.

[@kpdc26]

I was thinking the same thing. I liked that one too and don't recall it being a failure.

[@TheRegart]

"Some are cute and some are curvy. Some are shy and some are nervy..." Probably the worst choice of words to sing when your show's intro starts off with a bunch of little girls.🤦‍♀️

[@Heytrigger]

Some of which have not grown boobies

[@alanduran-gonzalez8060]

Aaron Friedman some don’t shave upstairs jejeje 🤣

[@alanduran-gonzalez8060]

Caroline S. Some of which have no big dicks jejeje 🤣

[@Heytrigger]

@@alanduran-gonzalez8060 I'm deff one of those. Some are hairy. Yup, feels

[@kmason685]

Yeah, the lyrics were creepy.......

[@marcpower4167]

Let me save everyone some work: California fever: 10 episodes Delta House: 13 episodes, handcuffed due to network censors Brothers & sisters: 12 episodes Co-ed Fever: 6 episodes produced, only 1 aired in the US. (The other 5 did air in Canada) Makin' it: 9 episodes Angie: 36 episodes, it was a hit in its first season, but in its 2nd season it was up against Happy Days and three's company and got slaughtered. The network tried to save it by rescheduling it but it wasn't enough. Flatbush: 6 episodes produced, 3 aired. People from Brooklyn were offended by the stereotypes portrayed on the show and CBS was pressured to cancel it. Sugar Time: 13 episodes (2 unaired) Rollergirls: 4 episodes Billy: 7 episodes (replacement for co-ed fever) Richie Brockelman: 5 episodes

[@fromthesidelines]

While at ABC, Fred Silverman was responsible for scheduling "SUGAR TIME!" in the summer of 1977. He believed it was successful enough- with the right amount of promos- to bring it back for the spring of 1978. However, once he left the network, other executives decided to end the series [with two episodes unaired]. Then, at NBC, he literally threw "BROTHERS & SISTERS" into the schedule in January 1979; the first episode was scheduled right after "Super Bowl XIII", with a blitzkreig of promos during the game--- and afterwards, while the series was on the schedule (as part of a disastrous Friday night "comedy block", in which the program shifted time periods twice before it was cancelled). As for "ANGIE", it initially did quite well following "MORK & MINDY". But when ABC moved it to Tuesdays *after* "HAPPY DAYS" in the fall of 1979......and "LAVERNE & SHIRLEY" faltered on Mondays...... ABC moved that back to Tuesdays.........and "ANGIE" was shifted to Mondays, then Saturdays (right before another short-lived Garry Marshall sitcom, "GOODTIME GIRLS")......and was finally "burned off" on Thursdays {again, right after "MORK & MINDY"} in the summer of 1980. After CBS panicked about the ratings viability of "CO-ED FEVER" (only a third of all viewers saw it following the "CBS Special Movie Presentation" of "Rocky" on February 4, 1979), they jettisoned the remaining five episodes, and quickly "threw" "BILLY" onto Mondays......and we know how long THAT lasted. Co-creator {and co-executive producer} Steven Bochco was pissed that NBC hadn't' given "RICHIE BROCKELMAN" a chance to establish itself after lasting just five episodes. When he signed with MTM to create and produce his own series, he *almost* sold them "OPERATING ROOM" for the fall of 1979. Again, the network wanted "just six episodes". As Bochco told Lee Goldberg in "Unsold Television Pilots", *"When I came to MTM, I told them, 'please understand right now, that I'm never going to get involved with taking a six show order on something'. When you make six episodes of a series, you get used as corks to plug holes in the schedule. You get stuck on the air at the last minute, You can't keep the morale of your {production} unit up because nobody knows what the hell is going on. And, the reality of TV being as it is today [1989], your odds of doing a show that will succeed are terrible anyway. You need a minimum of 13 to get a run going."* Bochco did get an initial 13 episode commitment for "HILL STREET BLUES"......and for "ST. ELSEWHERE" (which was a somewhat revised version of the "OPERATING ROOM" pilot).

[@christopherweins9502]

Thanks!

[@LannieLord]

Angie= Same network as Happy Days . How would it be "up against" ??

[@rev.jonathanglass-riley7669]

​@@LannieLordI had the same question.

[@fromthehaven94]

​@@LannieLordI distinctly remember repeats of Angie airing daytime mornings alongside a few other primetime sitcoms- on ABC.

[@jackdull5699]

I remember watching Angie as a kid back then. I thought it was good show. It ran for two seasons and it abruptly cancelled. Donna Pescow was cute and came back on Even Steve's playing Shia Lebuf's mom. RIP Doris Roberts and Debra Lee Scott.

[@bostonrailfan2427]

she had a series in the late 80s/early 90s called “Out of This World” as well, somehow she managed two cult classic shows in her career alongside Even Stevens

[@StONed-mb1iv]

When shows theme songs were longer and more interesting than the show's plot...

[@pauldelgadillo1827]

Delta House couldn't work simply because in Animal House almost everything the brothers of Delta House did was against university policy and much of the stuff couldn't be presented on television at the time. Also, without the heavy-weights, John Belushi and Tim Matheson, nope, this one wasn't gonna fly.

[@homelesshannah50]

Yeah you can't do a watered down version of a John Landis or John Belushi movie. It would be funny to see them try a show like that now

[@119Agent]

Brothers and Sisters got it right. It was designed for tv from the beginning and didn’t come across as a watered down version of Animal House.

[@PIXPromosMore]

Whoa, Angie was NOT an out-and-out "Failure"...Granted it only lasted 1.5 years, but it's still far more remembered than any of these other shows. I'd call it a "Cult Classic" at best.

[@TimelordR]

And to think Donna Pescow's last known TV appearance was the Disney Channel sitcom Even Stevens.

[@sabster74]

TVTestKitchen I loved this show! I wish they'd release it on DVD.

[@hoss73ford]

+sabster74 Donna Pescow was a very pretty young lady

[@VaultMasterDBT]

+PIX Promos & More February 1979 to October 1980 is only a little over 1.5 years. ;)

[@newguy90]

They ruined the show when they moved it to a new night and had them finally get married. I would say the show belongs on here because it was an instance of ABC snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

[@zabu7912]

I wouldn't call "Angie" a failure.

[@harperstacey9604]

Donna pescow who played Angie was in the movie, Saturday night fever.

[@HHH-ye1ro]

Correct, considering she had just come off of that movie, they were expecting huge things. Also, seeing Robert Hayes on this is great. He got him the proper visibility to get him to roll an airplane.

[@DCBatman76]

One and half seasons? I would.

[@Attmay]

@@DCBatman76 compared to shows that crashed and burned in six weeks? This had the greatest potential to be a success and it would have been if ABC had not screwed around with its time slot. They learned every wrong lesson from the Fred Silverman years as he failed to duplicate his success at CBS and ABC by trying a mixture of what worked at both of those networks when he managed to succeed by doing the exact opposite things at ABC then he did at CBS. At CBS, he went for the brain. At ABC, he went for the gut. At NBC, he managed to hit the heart by accident when the few hits he green-lit there managed to help save the network over time as they paved the way for even greater successes under Tartikoff and Tinker.

[@brianarbenz7206]

Surely they can't be serious calling Angie a failure.

[@voyager202000]

Loved Angie, it was a sweet sitcom! But Makin’ It had the best theme song, and it still gets played on some radio stations 70’s programs! Angie’s theme was a really good one too, and was seriously underrated!

[@laserbender2773]

I remember that Makin' it was used in the first Meatballs movie. I didn't know it had a show named after it.

[@romerjusu3804]

Maureen MacGovern

[@Shteve67]

These were the only two of all these shows I watched. And liked! (I was 12) But there definitely seems to be some correlation between a show having a memorable theme song and how good the show itself is. Seems like having a generic, forgettable theme song is the kiss of death.

[@kenbob1071]

I remember liking "Angie" and I definitely remember the show "Makin' It" --mainly because I liked the song and would sing it as a kid.

[@ttintagel]

Yeah, I really liked Angie.

[@demetriusdillard2863]

Of the eleven programs featured in this montage, only "Angie" was successful (it lasted two seasons). Thanks for uploading, RwDt09!

[@MrSplat1972]

common misconception of the late 70's was that all college age and young adults all looked 35 😂

[@Wiley_Coyote]

The key word is "looks" . Even the ones who WERE young were made up with styles and makeup which somehow in retrospect make them look older. For example, we get to see Heather Thomas in one of these, before she was on The Fall Guy with Lee Majors. She was like 23 when she did Fall Guy, so she's even younger here. Then again, we also get Stephen Furst reprising Flounder from Animal House and I bet he was pushing 30 at the time playing 19.

[@Saffron-es2vg]

@Marcelo ok boomer

[@erinthesystem9608]

What a coincidence! So do most t.v. "kids" of other eras.. What ever could it be? (One clue: Mila Kunis had to lie about her age to producers in order to play Jackie in "That Seventies Show"; she was only fourteen when she was cast, but had to pretend she was about to turn seventeen- in order to play a high school freshman. While still teenaged, that's a notable difference for a person so young.) Some shows were obviously better about this than others; but it's much simpler for producers to just deal with adults than it is to have minors involved, tutors/classes on set, structure taping to adhere to child-labor restrictions, etc. 😐

[@timriggins70]

@@erinthesystem9608 Alex Meyers was just making fun of Riverdale for that on his channel.

[@erinthesystem9608]

@@timriggins70 I watch "Riverdale"- I was really into the comics when I was younger- and it's true that in h.s. I don't remember ANY kids having permanent frown lines, regardless of smoking or drug abuse. On the other hand, have you SEEN "Archie" comics? Nobody looked like that, either! ("America's Oldest Teenager" really could have applied to Any of those characters..) When those comics first came out- before "teens" were recognized as their own group- the girls looked like Mae West at forty and Jughead's sad, lined face was the stuff of nightmares.

[@Mumblix]

"Billy" starring Steve Guttenberg and a bunch of stock footage we found in the warehouse.

[@119Agent]

Better than his next show “No Soap, Radio”

[@jdb114]

Let's base a show on a temporary dance fad, living in the inner city and being vaguely Italian, HIT SHOW!

[@craigcrawford6595]

And starring a Travolta lol

[@moonraker30]

jdb114 How it could it not fail?😂😝😂

[@teptime]

By the time MAKIN' IT came along, disco was already a smoldering ash-mound.

[@rg1whiteywins598]

Not.

[@brewer921]

@@teptime It was still pretty popular. Saturday Night Fever came out in late 77. Makin' It was mid-79. Then Disco Demolition Night was a few months later.

[@snurfbee58]

I remember Makin' It and Angie. They didn't last long but they weren't total failures, not like some of the others.

[@russg1801]

Didn't "Makin' It" have a theme song that was a disco tune? Wait...here it is: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fGWacpl3iLShd5o As disco went it wasn't at all bad. Derivative, of course, but it's got a beat so I'm givin' it an 87!

[@rickr442]

@@russg1801 Proving once again and for all time that disco Sucks. Out loud. And ages very poorly as well.

[@Lana2k6]

@@russg1801 - Both of those theme songs were Billboard hits in 1979. "Makin' It," performed by David Naughton, reached #5, while the theme from Angie, "Different Worlds" by Maureen McGovern, reached #18.

[@BhChicagoTVStationhistoriesand]

@@Lana2k6 No SHIT 😮 Was the theme from “Makin’ It” that big!? Damn! This video was the first time I’ve ever heard the theme song for the show, I like it! I’ll have to look on iTunes to see if I can buy it there. A song that big has to be on there! Thanks for the info! I also didn’t see the fact it was a Miller show, as in later Miller-Boyett, coming at all! Jesus…but looking at the opening it screams that so maybe I shoulda seen that but I was caught up in the theme song! Edit- Jesus, yeah the Makin’ It album is on iTunes, I’ll be damned! It’s only $1.98 so I bought it!

[@susansc7650]

Wasn't David Naughton also in the 1970s Dr. Pepper commercials?

[@AsYourCruiseDirector]

Michelle Pfeiffer is the girl in the red car in Delta House. I remember "Billy" -- basically a show where Steve Guttenberg plays a teenager who daydreams all the time. "Richie Brockelman" was a spin-off of "The Rockford Files." Star Dennis Dugan is now a director (Happy Gilmore, Grown Ups, Saving Silverman, Parenthood, etc.).

[@JoeVideoed]

I never saw Billy but i can relate to the character & to think Dugan was once considered for the Luke Skywalker role in Star Wars.

[@tejaswoman]

The minute I saw Barbara Bosson in that Private Eye one just now, I knew it was going to be a Steven Bochco joint. She was a good actress on HSB but she seems to have mainly gotten her roles on his project.

[@smellykellyjay]

Bosson and Bochco were married for over 25 years.

[@markk9458]

7:04 A bit of trivia: Sandy Helberg is the father of Simon Helberg, AKA "Howard Wolowitz" of the Big Bang Theory.

[@harveyabel1354]

I wondered....thanks.

[@weltonvillegal6258]

Have to say from what little can really see, he looks just like his Dad.

[@MrHeadbanger366]

Watch him in The Hollywood Knights. He and Gailard Sartain played cops. They were hilarious.

[@Rockhound6165]

@@MrHeadbanger366 he was the one who drew a mustache on him and the other cop said he looked perfect. Like a perfect horses ass.

[@MrHeadbanger366]

@@Rockhound6165 That was Gailard Sartain aka Officer Bimbeau.

[@fashiondolldreamer]

Hey!!! The gal who shot JR is in 'Brothers & Sisters!' I remember an issue of Mad Magazine from the late 70's that actually came with one of those floppy vinyl records that was the theme song to 'Makin' It.' I remember playing it as a kid, but I had no idea what show it was from.... and hey! That 'American Werewolf in London' is in it! This is soooo cool! I also remember watching 'Angie' as they also played it over here.... I even remember 'Rollergirls!' but only briefly! LOL

[@sqaat]

Good list for the most part, though ANGIE wasn’t exactly a failure. It was a midseason replacement that did get picked up for the following full season. Not a smashing success, still much longer run than scores of others. Another point that's clearly debatable, I would say it was aimed at wider than a youth audience.

[@marcpower4167]

The only thing I know about Angie was a story about when the producers of Airplane visited the set to tell Robert Hays he got the part. Afterwards they stuck around to see his work and they thought "We've made a terrible mistake." 😅

[@fromthehaven94]

My earliest memories were of that show airing in daytime, usually at the 11am hour.

[@waterspout8]

"Angie" also had syndicated re-runs, so, no, not a failure.

[@josephalfonsoamantia7028]

I love the Angie opening theme. It is one of the longest opening themes of any sit-coms. I didn't know that Angie was a kids show because it was on prime time ABC. I loved that show.

[@PhillipWhite-uz3wu]

A ngie was not a failure in the rattings

[@Tenor777]

Recorded by Maureen McCormick. Famous for the song The Morning After. The song is downloadable, btw.

[@davidshane6230]

@@Tenor777 I think you meant Maureen McGovern. Maureen McCormack was "Marcia Brady"

[@Tenor777]

@@davidshane6230 lol! You're absolutely right. Oops! My mistake!!

[@hoagie1978]

It seems Jimmy McNichol never had the "It" factor like his sister Kristy. Growing up, Kristy was everywhere till she retired in the 90's.

[@not-so-smartaleck8987]

He didn't look too bad (0:42), but maybe he wasn't much of an actor (and/or he lacked personality/charisma...I guess that's the 'it' factor).

[@harperstacey9604]

Jimmy mcnichol wasn't cute or talented.

[@clemdane]

He was pretty big for a hot minute. He was definitely in Tiger Beat a lot. They capitalized on their popularity by singing rock duets together. They are pretty hilarious. You can see some clips of Kristy and Jimmy singing together, usually on talk shows.

[@tejaswoman]

He went right past me. Thanks for calling it out.

[@determineddi2044]

I was a youth in those years and we all loved Angie. It was a decent program. I don't remember any of the others except maybe Makin' It.

[@jb888888888]

As a person who grew up in the 1970s I can affirm that yes, the entire world was out of focus back then.

[@gregorypollard5908]

And almost 100% white casts

[@SuperiorHound]

God, how that made me laugh! As someone who’s 60 (thus their target audience) I agree. And now due to fast-growing cataracts (see aforementioned age), it’s out of focus again. 😄

[@davidharrison7014]

@@gregorypollard5908 Except for "What's Happening!", "Good Times", "Sanford & Son", and "The Jefferson's".

[@gregorypollard5908]

@@davidharrison7014 What's Happening!! (1976-1979), Good Times (1974-1979), Sanford and Son (1972-1977) & The Jeffersons (1975-1985)

[@skeezix8156]

@@gregorypollard5908 Chico and the Man, The Flip Wilson Show, Benson?

[@bnen8553]

Thank YOU for finding all these. I don’t remember any of them, thankfully

[@SpaceCadet45s]

These theme songs are not it. At least Angie's theme had a good singer, i guess.

[@krlyq9158]

I vaguely remember the show Makin' It because I really liked the song as a kid. It got some decent radio play back in the day.

[@creepshowcrate]

Hey, Makin' It and Angie were MAJOR! (Ok, maybe just Angie) Great stuff. Subbed.

[@SuperWolsey]

Mark Grant least Robert Hays and Doris Roberts got better gigs after it

[@starey1]

I don't think ANGIE belong here as it wasn't exactly "youth-oriented" and ran for 2 seasons.

[@themacocko6311]

I can see that

[@lindaoscutt62]

Probably the Saturday NIght Fever connection of its star aimed it to a young audience.

[@Attmay]

@@lindaoscutt62 Fran Drescher was in that movie and she didn’t get a TV show until much later.

[@AmericasComic]

In my day, we just called Co-Ed Fever "mono."

[@kellyweingart3692]

lol

[@deniseherud]

I’m dead!😂😂😂😂

[@Attmay]

You should’ve written for this show. Maybe it would’ve been a success.

[@mattmc5069]

Fun fact: co ed fever only had one airing, it rated that bad. But the set was re used for the first season of facts of life

[@scherzva]

I thought it looked familiar

[@Attmay]

I think they aired the remaining episodes in Canada, but I’m not sure.

[@paskuniag]

I remember Delta House, of course. It was the version of Animal House that wasn't rude, crude, and lewd- and not funny.

[@demetriusdillard2863]

But it was the first role for a young starlet named Michelle Pfeiffer, paskuniag!

[@averythecoolcat]

I thought it was hilarious....it was no Animal House by any means, but really funny imo.

[@barbarakirk3064]

Does anyone else think the theme song is similar to Meatloaf and Cher's Dead Ringer For Love?

[@Rgoid]

Vir Cotto was in this one.

[@davincent98]

@@demetriusdillard2863 did Michelle Pfeiffer go anywhere, say to comic book movies, or bad sequels to great musicals or anything?

[@zsuzsuspetals]

These days you could go through the openings of 11 shows in 2 minutes.

[@Attmay]

TV has gotten lazy since I was a kid. It didn’t get better, movies, literature, visual arts, and theatre got worse.

[@gallery7596]

The theme songs for *"Angie"* and *"Makin' It"* got a lot of air play on the radio at the time.

[@square-on-wheels]

Thanks for the reminder about Doris Roberts being in "Angie."

[@zrobeast]

Not only her, but Robert Hays (best known from the Airplane! movies, which still mostly hold up to this day, especially the first one) as well.

[@ChrisJones-ij3xp]

Doris sure was all over the place, over the years...

[@fromthesidelines]

She was originally cast on "THE MARY TYLER MOORE HOUR" as "Mary McKinnon's" maid, "Crystal". However, after one appearance, Garry Marshall sold "ANGIE" to ABC in early 1979......and her role on Mary's short-lived variety/sitcom [11 episodes] was filled by Dody Goodman's "Ruby". Doris made a wise decision, though.

[@thatjpwing]

Ellen Travolta with her “I get to pivot for the credits!” spirited entrance on “Makin’ It”. She dreamed of that moment.

[@Scarletspeedster68]

Doris Roberts starred in Remington Steele and later on she was in Everybody Loves Raymond.

[@kimgonzo1561]

Didn't she also guest star in All in the Family

[@jehobden]

@@kimgonzo1561 She did at least once, playing a woman Edith met at Kelsey's Bar when Edith decided to go there alone to get away from Archie for a night.

[@demetriusdillard2863]

If you close your eyes, you can almost imagine Frank Stallone belting out the theme song from "Flatbush" on a street corner while harmonizing with a few of his buddies.

[@erinscherer7274]

Many sitcom variants on “Saturday Night Fever” and “Animal House” here...

[@christystewart4567]

Yes, both movies were very popular so tv hoped their shows would be ratings bonanzas. I don’t remember most of these even though I was 16 to 18 in 1977 to 1979.

[@majkus]

Add "Kansas City Bomber" (1972) a roller derby film starring Raquel Welch.

[@zq9m3xh8]

What makes you say that?

[@jediknight38]

Not everything about the 70's was crappy. Food was better and music was made by artists that had real talent. And T.V. shows were worth watching and you didn't have to pay to see them.

[@seymourskinner2533]

Yeah none of that is correct 🙄

[@jediknight38]

@@seymourskinner2533 I actually lived during that era so I know I am right.

[@Rsharlan3]

@@seymourskinner2533 Yep. Cities were choked with smog, we thought trans-fats were health food, and disco was close to a monopoly.

[@seymourskinner2533]

@@jediknight38 wow. Someone alive in the 70s, so rare🙄. Again just not true and saying “ I was there herp derp “ is not evidence . But hey enjoy eating a menu based on pineapple and gelatin while you listen to disco duck with a very Brady Christmas on tv. Assuming you can breathe the smog. Great time to be alive🤣

[@fromthehaven94]

When nearly every TV show was on three different networks on a seven day a week schedule between 8-11 p.m. eastern time, of course you didn't have to pay for any of them.

[@alexnejako777]

Well, at least Makin It had a really memorable theme song. That one will stick with you!

[@jerseytomato100]

Didn't know Passaic NJ was such a groovy, exciting, swinging place back then, lol.

[@the_gilded_age_phoenix8717]

Heck, if you go by American sitcoms, the New York City area is the only place that exists. "Angie," I guess, was refreshing because it was set a short drive away from NYC in Philly. Flatbush, Queens, Westchester, etc.....they set all these shows up there.

[@not-so-smartaleck8987]

Apparently Passaic was a disco capital, judging from the theme song for Makin' It... (6:02) ELLEN Travolta?

[@donaldpaluga]

@@the_gilded_age_phoenix8717 I BEG TO DIFFER!-Sheldon Cooper, PhD #TBBT

[@the_gilded_age_phoenix8717]

@@donaldpaluga It's a small world, we've both got PhDs. I guess PhDs are now like arseholes, everyone's got one. LOL. I figure I'm missing a tv show reference, but I don't watch "The Big Bang Theory".

[@charlespeakjr6337]

@@not-so-smartaleck8987 Passaic is a lot of things, one of them the armpit of North Jersey, but definitely not a Disco capital.😱

[@stevenveensteq1454]

You did a great job on these videos. Thanks for posting

[@ClipHarvey]

Barbie benton = Vavoooooom! Don't remember the silly show, but I can't forget her curvaceous beauty.

[@dianamarie4351]

I think the guy who did Roger Rabbit's voice was on there

[@DavidBDavis-lz7bt]

@@dianamarie4351 Charles Fleischer, yes. He was also Carvelli on Welcome Back, Kotter and starred in Wacko!, Saturday mornings on CBS.

[@80sEric]

I vaguely remember it. I think it aired on ABC and I seem to recall the girls singing at the end of every episode. I was maybe 9 or 10 when this aired, but hard to forget Barbi Benton.

[@dharma63]

Naturally they had Barbi bouncing on a trampoline.

[@andrewgiltz6313]

Those shows didn’t make it in the 70s but it’s still 1000 times better than anything else TV today! 70s ruled 🔥

[@wolfetom10]

I was in high school during this period - prime TV viewing age and I only remember a few of these. Delta House was a reasonable spin off Animal House and even included a few of the actors from the movie. Angie lasted at least a season, so not a flop. Richie Brockelman Private Eye I remember as a spin-off from the Rockford Files.

[@LostintheTangle]

Same here, but we were pretty busy at that age, too. School, job, studying...😊

[@TyUnglebower]

That "Co-ED Fever" theme doomed that show from moment one.

[@Sargebri]

It only lasted one episode.

[@coolsweetgroovy]

Ty Unglebower is right about the theme though it's awful

[@coolsweetgroovy]

P.S. can you believe that Henry Mancini was behind the theme?

[@TyUnglebower]

hard to believe.

[@coolsweetgroovy]

TyUnglebower I know but true google the show

[@Rockhound6165]

Fun Fact: On the short lived Delta House TV show, not mentioned but shown in the credits(making out with Otter) was the lovely and talented Michele Pfeiffer as the "Blonde Bombshell".

[@calvinnme2]

With only three network channels in the 70s it's amazing how many really bad ideas went from concept to on the air. I also notice that with the disco craze there are lots of intros that incorporate dancing and spinning bright disco balls as well as the waste of food to alleged comic effect.

[@buzzcrushtrendkill]

12:54 holy crap. Who's the poor guy talked into driving that car and how is he dealing with the life long injury the resulted from that ill prepared stunt. The guy ate the dashboard

[@planetbenji1493]

Any university starting with the name "Larry" cannot be taken seriously as an institution of higher learning.

[@ccampbell9176]

The university has the name Larry. And one of the buildings is named Hunts Hall. A knowing nod to the Dead End Kids.

[@sixtythreekraft2608]

Neither can most of the other Universities.

[@Attmay]

We no longer have higher education in this country. Wehave indoctrination. I curse the day they ever translated Michel Focault and Jacques Derrida into English.

[@EricNTammy304]

Angie, was probably the most successful of the bunch. Additionally, it had the best theme song of all of them!

[@samidellaidella532]

Before the music began, for a split second I thought Co-Ed Fever was Facts of Life. Same look. Then I did a bit of research, it seems it was the set. They re-used it. Glad to know they at least got their money back.

[@tolfan4438]

, so this ad has appeared on more TV shows then the actors that were in the show

[@hoagie1978]

I think this set was also used on the sitcom Maude. They redid it for Co-Ed ever and that tanked. Then Facts Of Life used it 1979-1980.

[@ktkat1949]

I loved Richie Brockelman Private Eye, It was a spin off from The James Garner PI series. Dennis Dugan quit acting after the show ended after two years and has been successfully directing ever since.

[@213DAMAR]

Man, those sitcom failures bring back such fond memories...😌

[@laserbender2773]

Thanks for posting these intros of too obscure to remember tv shows. I do remember liking Angie, but other than Delta House, I don't remember ever hearing of any of the other shows. Wow!

[@fromthesidelines]

"CALIFORNIA FEVER" was essentially a dramatic series, with comedy elements.

[@brewer921]

True, it was an hour-long show.

[@damienchance2622]

I didn't lorenzo lamas was on the show before Hercules

[@brewer921]

@@damienchance2622 What?

[@damienchance2622]

@@brewer921 oh my bad i keep thinking someone else

[@brianarbenz7206]

You watched it, too? I'm not alone!

[@davidcarlton1784]

Angie was a hit at first then they tinkered with the format and moved it to another night and viewers tuned out.

[@Nige031077]

Didn't network execs do that with all shows at some point. 3 classic examples : '66 Batman, Star Trek TOS and Mork and Mindy.

[@andrewtaylor940]

Wasn't it also the male lead was getting movie roles and was getting more expensive?

[@juicyfruit6311]

@@andrewtaylor940 Shirley, you can't be serious?

[@andrewtaylor940]

@@juicyfruit6311 Well played

[@donaldpaluga]

@@juicyfruit6311 No we aren't.....AND DON'T CALL US SHIRLEY!-Fans of LaVerne DeFazio

[@TimelordR]

Here's a bit o' trivia to chew on: Co-Ed Fever was so bad, it only ran once on 2/4/1979 on CBS before being axed.

[@fromthesidelines]

Because executives panicked when they read the overnight ratings; the pilot episode aired as a "special preview" after the network premiere of "Rocky". The movie got 52% of all audiences tuned in.....but "CO-ED FEVER" dropped to 36%. Why did almost half the viewers tune out at 10:30? Would the same happen if the series premiered in its regular time the following evening, on Mondays at 8pm(et)? CBS didn't wait to find out: they "junked" the show, cancelling the remaining five episodes [they aired in Canada].

[@coolsweetgroovy]

You left off that the rest of the episodes aired in Canada

[@demetriusdillard2863]

Yep! "Co-Ed Fever" remains one of the few programs to be canceled after only one telecast. Thanks, TimelordR!

[@Musicradio77Network]

TimelordR Never saw it as a baby. I knew that "Co-Ed Fever" was supposed to be a sitcom, but it wasn't. It turned out to be a pilot for a series that never happened. When this show was on, it was technically a TV special.

[@travisreed1730]

What was there to axe? It was already BUTCHERED.

[@antoinec822]

Angie was a cross between Alice and Laverne & Shirley. The opening seemed similar to Love Boat.

[@Vicleg10]

antoinec822 : Both the music for the Angie theme and the Love Boat theme was written by Charles Fox with Norman Gimbel writing the words to the Angie theme and Paul Williams writing the words to the Love Boat theme. The look of the opening credits where the names of the cast members are shown does look like a cross between Happy Days and the Love Boat.

[@ravenel2]

Oh my, you’re right on both counts.

[@119Agent]

Angie was kind of a Rhoda rip off.

[@luisreyes1963]

​@@119Agent And it got crushed in the ratings by CBS' The Waltons.

[@williamhuff5641]

I am actually surprised at how many of these I actually remember: Delta House, Makin' It, Angie, and I even remember watching the most notorious one of all of these. Co-Ed Fever, that holds the distinction of not only lasting 1 episode before cancellation, but it never even made it to it's planned time slot! The first episode aired as a special preview presentation on a Sunday with the series beginning the next day in it's regular slot, but the ratings were awful and the reaction so bad from those that did watch it, that it was canceled before Monday night.

[@somedudeontwitterstalkedme3829]

"Angie" does not belong on this list

[@Susquehanna80]

Michelle Pfeiffer was in 'Delta House'--that was her first acting gig.. promo #2

[@ellemjay]

I thought I recognized her!

[@damienchance2622]

WOW really???

[@cidweinberg]

I remember Michelle in “Wild Cats” or something like that. A buddy detective show & huggy bear (black actor) was also in it too. I don’t recall the two male leads.

[@DarthSideous63]

Ellen Travolta is John Travolta's older sister.

[@not-so-smartaleck8987]

6:02 At least for this one show anyway (Makin' It), she had "Saturday Night Fever" too!

[@Battlecat357]

I thought so.

[@andyvasquez6688]

don't forget the roller derby fad lol!

[@BRO77TX]

Not-so-smart aleck don’t forget Grease either!! She worked as a waitress in the diner where Beauty School Dropout was done.

[@damienchance2622]

I didn't know John had a sister

[@millenniumman75]

The set from Co-Ed Fever (3:50) should look a little bit familiar to kids of the 70s and 80s. It was the same set used in the first season of The Facts of Life. 4:06 - Alexa Kenin would appear in an early 1982 episode with Nancy McKeon's "Jo" character when she goes to New York.

[@michelle-loraejones5169]

I got that vibe.

[@aaronlane8405]

They also used the same font for the credits.

[@iluvmyboba]

I thought so. When the lady came in the door next to the stairs, I was like that set looks familiar. It happened so fast, I wasn't so sure. But, it definitely is.

[@not-so-smartaleck8987]

millenniumman75 "It was the same set used in the first season of The Facts of Life". Man, you'd have to be a FoL expert to notice that. That show wasn't so great or memorable that most people would remember the Season 1 set, as opposed to later Season sets (or even distinguish it from sets used in other sitcoms, so many of which seem interchangeable). I can barely remember some of the FoL co-stars!

[@brinsonharris9816]

Must be an industry practice to save $. I saw the Brady Bunch house interior on a Barnaby Jones episode. Staircase was unmistakable.

[@miz_logo_lee]

I’m obsessed with how a bunch of shows had the cast appear in little circular frames in the credits. I know Angie wasn’t the only one. It makes the stars seem now like World of Warcraft characters or something.

[@rickberglund2134]

Listen to the vitality of all these theme songs, the disco era was about exuberance, and positive energy.

[@misstantrix]

I love all the 40 year old college students....

[@ShamrockParticle]

That just means we can relate to them easier when we reach 40 and rewatch these! 🤣

[@joecastillo4884]

LOL! So right!

[@themacocko6311]

I hope I look that good.

[@mrstevens70]

Holy cow, I am a 70's baby and I don't remember any of these horrible sitcoms.

[@ChrisJones-ij3xp]

Yeah me too, I remember quite a number, but none of these, at all.

[@atomicorang]

I enlisted in the Airforce in 79. Don’t remember any of these. It’s a good step back in time.

[@tejaswoman]

Take that back about _Angie_ . _Angie_ was a cute show. The rest of them, I'm with you.

[@jason3fc]

Wow...sugartime.. What in the heck was the premise of that? Wow,There are no words.

[@demetriusdillard2863]

"Sugar Time!" focused on a female rock trio attempting to make its mark in the music industry, jason3fc...it debuted on ABC in the summer of '77 as a five-week summer replacement series and returned in the spring of '78 for another short run (six telecasts, with two episodes remaining unaired). Needless to say, despite the presence of former Playboy mainstay Barbi Benton, "Sugar Time!" failed to make the grade.

[@wadeleppien1392]

From that opening alone I can see why it failed, there was no way I could guess THAT was the premise. All I picked up from the theme to "Sugar Time" was that girls…exist.

[@rickr442]

Only justification was Hefner begging every producer on the planet, "Barbi Benton's my girlfriend! Pleeease give her a job!"

[@Heytrigger]

Barbie Benton kicks so much ass

[@zmaxx21]

It’s funny how many of these sitcom intros had people squirting whip cream in other people’s faces or having some other food mishaps.

[@DavidBDavis-lz7bt]

Oh my goodness, I remember each and every one of these shows; I was between 13 and 15 during this time period. Maybe I was just easy to please(lol), but I gave each one at least a watch, and most I stuck with for the long haul. I particularly liked the theme song for Billy; the theme song for all dreamers(lol).

[@rogermorris9696]

The title Co-Ed fever sounds like it should be used for a bad porn movie

[@aalloy6881]

And the opening song makes you weep for the '"loving daughter"'s parents....Even if the guy *does* marry her after she's knocked up and is then ready to happily drop out, chances are they'll be barely getting by, once Mom and Dad can't pay their bills for them anymore, for anywhere from until they can get continuing education degrees to the rest of their lives. Ugh....

[@russg1801]

Yeah, with a couple of UNDERAGE starlets like Shauna Grant and Traci Lords!

[@HD-er2cq]

😂😂😂

[@russg1801]

...and I believe it was! But, how do you define "bad porn?"

[@weltonvillegal6258]

Yeah, it kinda does. My personal favorite porn title is still, and will always be, “Yank My Doodle, It’s A Dandy”.

[@ophiecat]

Oh damn. I remember watching ‘California Fever’ as a little kid. I only remember it because I had a huge crush on Jimmy McNichol when I was a little girl.

[@mackenzieb97]

I really love the theme to the "Flatbush" sitcom. It is awesome!

[@BackwoodsFilms]

Never knew Michelle Puh-fifers was in that Delta House sitcom!

[@markberryhill2715]

I was expecting to see "James at Fifteen", but I forgot there was a "James at 16", so I guess that disqualified it. I used to love that show followed by "Class of 65". Two late 70s favorites of mine.

[@m.oriley7700]

Agree, Mark. Watched both shows and was so disappointed when NBC cancelled James at 15,16.

[@kathleendonnelly6077]

James at 15 and then at 16 rocked my world back in the day!

[@markberryhill2715]

@@kathleendonnelly6077 it was a special memory for me because James at 15 was my senior year in high school and of course "16" my first year out of school before joining the military for 4 years. Best years of my life. Almost brought a tear to my eye thinking about again. Thanks for the comment. Great minds think alike!

[@prestonmackey3575]

To be honest, I wouldn't include Angie in this mix. But other than that, spot-on.

[@angelamermaid]

I love how every one of these compilations has at least one appearance by Tammy Lauren. This one also has plenty of John Belushi and John Travolta wannabes.

[@RecordSeeker]

Stephen Furst appears to be the Belushi stand-in on "Delta House" - of course he later ended up on "St. Elsewhere", so at least it didn't completely tank his career.

[@not-so-smartaleck8987]

Including (6:02) ELLEN Travolta(?)

[@hellmuth26]

0:00 8:47 i love those theme songs! it's so great finding new (to me) stuff that turns out to be surprisingly interesting. there are so many gems in these videos, i love it!

[@bitter37]

This is why KZbin is the greatest site on the internet. You can find stuff like this to professionally shot footage of a Led Zeppelin concert from 1977❤

[@happyplaces683]

Half of these are rip-offs are Animal House and the the other half are rip-offs of Saturday Night Fever. One of them (Makin' It) even has a Travolta...! ;)

[@keithparkhill8546]

Interesting to to note that Saturday Nite Fever came out at the end of the Disco era and showed the European night club screen not the American one .

[@Adrastia]

I can see why that Flatbush one failed. Total sausage fest. You need a hot chick in the main cast and you gotta show her in the credits.

[@StamfordBridge]

keith parkhill What are you talking about?

[@StamfordBridge]

It wasn’t a rip-off of Animal House. It was openly meant as a continuation; it identifies its source in the opening credits.

[@barrybenintende7076]

I remember loving Richie Brockelman Private Eye as a kid.

[@VLNevada]

Don't remember the show but remember the character when he guest starred on Rockford files.

[@barrybenintende7076]

I recall the commercials had the two actors talking about how it was a summer replacement for the Rockford Files.

[@ricmarc]

I only remember Making It and Angie. Making It had the I'm a pepper guy and Angie had one of the co-stars of Saturday Night Fever and was on for 2 seasons like someone else said.

[@eieiolsenstudios4321]

Makin’ It had an actual Travolta, along with a very young Butchie DeConcini.

[@tpresto9862]

7:03: Sandy Helberg is the father of Simon Helberg (Howard Wallowitz from TBBT).

[@triciahunyady6711]

When these shows "aired", I wasn't quite a teen, but I do vaguely remember two of the shows-- Angie and Makin' It. If I am not mistaken, Angie was on at least 2 seasons. Why is it included? The others leave me speechless.

[@jerzeykowboy9425]

Wouldn't concede that "Angie" was a failure. Mid-season replacement did well enough for ABC to renew it, ordering a full 24 episodes for'79-'80 season. Just read on Wikipedia that "Billy" replaced "Coed Fever" which CBS cancelled after airing just one episode! "Billy" lasted all of seven eps. The last clip here was "Richie Brockelman.." and when I noticed Barbara Bosson was in the cast, figured that her husband, Steven Bochco, must be involved.as she worked in several of his shows. Sure enough, he created the series with Stephen J. Cannell. Hard to believe that these two big names in teevee created such a bomb. Five episodes and gone. Here's a bit of trivia for Hill Street Blues fans. The star of this show was Dennis Dugan. Bochco called on him to play Captain Freedom for an amusing four show story arc in the sophomore season of HSB.

[@tejaswoman]

Thank you! I knew he looked familiar and his name rang a bell. That completely explains it. Captain Freedom was an okay concept as a story arc, but they really brought him back too much. Now you've got me thinking maybe Bochco figured he owed him one.

[@jerzeykowboy9425]

@@tejaswoman Hill Street was groundbreaking stuff. Great story how it was floundering near the bottom of the ratings heap and slowly built a following. Glad NBC stuck with it.

[@JohnDoe-ur7pm]

Wow! I was 13 in 78-79 and I don't remember any of these cheesy shows but my bedtime was 9pm.

[@snarkus63]

I remember *Billy* ....it was supposed to be like a modern-day "The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty",its protagonist constantly fantasizing...and of course,we got to see them. All I remember was a bit where he imagined the Incredible Hulk (who may or may not have been Ferrigno) smashing into his home.

[@tejaswoman]

Instantly thought of Walter Mitty, which my daddy introduced me to when I was a little girl (the original Danny Kaye movie). Had I known as a kid about this show Billy, I feel certain I would have tuned it in and give it a chance.

[@tomc8888]

Terry Kiser, best known for playing a corpse/title character in two "Weekend at Bernie's" movies, shows up in two or three of these shows.

[@j.ahayward7245]

I remember 1979, I was 6 at the time,but I don't recall these failed shows.The shows I do remember is The White Shadow,BJ and The Bear.I also recalled that we had a Black and White TV.

[@racheln8563]

Some, like "Angie," were instantly recognizable, while others ("Billy"?) must have lasted all of five minutes.