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Post by JakeMabe1 on Feb 22, 2005 12:05:39 GMT -5
Greetings to all --- I came across this fantastic site a while back and am pleased to find others out there who feel the same way I do about this classic, underrated series.
I was listening to Fox Sports Radio this morning and heard a 30-second commercial for the GAH Season One DVD set! It amazes me how much this set is being promoted. It's great!
Here in Knoxville, TN, where I live, the set was completely sold out everywhere on its first day of release. It was amazing.
Anyhow, glad to see this fantastic site and also glad to know the fans of this great program are still around and have a place to gather.
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Post by Maxwell - F.B.I. on Feb 22, 2005 12:37:31 GMT -5
Wow. That IS cool! I had no idea they were promoting it on the radio (or TV) anywhere in the country. Too bad ABC didn't do that back in 1982. LOL  |
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Post by JakeMabe1 on Feb 22, 2005 12:47:19 GMT -5
Speaking of ABC not doing that back in 1982, I've been thinking about something I wanted to ask about the show:
Why on earth did ABC schedule the series against "Dallas" and "Knight Rider" on Friday nights at 9 p.m.? Talk about just willing a show to fail.
It just doesn't make sense to me. The show was so obviously an 8 p.m. show anyway, you'd figure the Wednesday night time slot would have been perfect.
It's all spilled milk now, it just never has made much sense to me.
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Post by Maxwell - F.B.I. on Feb 22, 2005 13:36:24 GMT -5
If you look at their pattern of debuting the new season episodes so late in the season, then pre-empting the show here and there, and toss on top of that the lame promos they put out there that never got the whole 'point' of the show across to anyone, you can see the network did not have much respect for the show, if any.
And there's so many little things they did to help its demise as well. For example, when new episodes for the third season FINALLY started airing, not only was G.A.H up against Dallas AND Knight Rider, but those other 2 shows were already showing their FIFTH new episode of that season while G.A.H. was just getting around to its FIRST.
And I heard from GreenGuy that, after that season debut aired (Divorce Venusian Style), ABC didn't even bother to show a teaser for the following weeks episode! Plus, when it was pulled and then put back on at Thursdays/7pm CST, the ratings went up, but it was STILL axed with 4 produced episodes never even aired. No doubt about it, G.A.H. was doomed.
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Post by JakeMabe1 on Feb 22, 2005 14:04:24 GMT -5
It did always seem like ABC never had much faith in the show. Which is really sad.
GAH, in my opinion, was much better than some of the series ABC was airing during the period, including hit shows like "Love Boat" and "Fantasy Island."
One thing that has tickled me about seeing these episodes again is how well they've held up. Which is a credit to both the actors and Cannell and company.
There is no reason why GAH couldn't have ran four or five years and been a successful series for ABC. If given some better promotion and support, I think the show could have been a consistent ratings winner for the network.
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Post by Maxwell - F.B.I. on Feb 22, 2005 14:34:19 GMT -5
I agree, and the results from the first season of G.A.H. supports that theory. ABC promoted the pilot HUGE, as well as the first season, and the pilot scored big ratings and the show overall finished as the #13 rated show that year. (sigh) home.neo.rr.com/thesharktank/top20.htm |
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Post by greenguy on Feb 22, 2005 18:19:44 GMT -5
I swear I have something showing it finished at number 8 that short 1st season, but I might be wrong. I'll have to try and go dig it out.
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Post by greenguy on Feb 22, 2005 18:35:15 GMT -5
Why on earth did ABC schedule the series against "Dallas" and "Knight Rider" on Friday nights at 9 p.m.? Talk about just willing a show to fail. It just doesn't make sense to me. The show was so obviously an 8 p.m. show anyway, you'd figure the Wednesday night time slot would have been perfect. Thanks for the good words Jake, and welcome to the board! I think Maxwell covered the whole ABC fiasco as it was, but I can add this: With the 2 ABC execs that actually hired Cannell to do TGAH leaving the network, that left the show in the hands of "suits" that didn't "get it." They wanted monsters, russians, World War III, every week. That's not what the show was about. You will see interviews with current/former TV execs who will swear a network will never try and kill one of their own series. Personally I think that's a outright lie. During TGAH's 2nd season it only performed average against it's competition, and with all the battles between the network and Cannell I think they were tired of having the show. They didn't want to outright cancel it, and run the risk of ticking Cannell off. After all he had other series on the way, such as Hardcastle & McCormick and The Quest. So they moved it to the Friday night "death slot" and killed it there. Then on top of that, bringing it back, putting it on Thursday night. It wasn't beating Magnum PI, but it was outperforming Fame on NBC. So what does ABC do? Yank it again, to put in it's place, 2 lame sitcoms, that didn't do as well as TGAH. ABC did the same thing with TGAH's Wednesday night replacement Tales of The Gold Monkey. ABC didn't understand that show, hated how expensive it was. Especially when all they wanted was Raider's of The Lost Ark. "Make it more like Raiders" The time period the series was set in was the closest thing the show had in common with Raiders. They fought back and forth with the creators of that series too. Where did it end up? In another Friday night "death slot". They eventually did move it back to Wednesday's, and cancelled it anyway. Funny thing was, the other 2 networks looking at Monkey's ratings assumed it was coming back, and were already plotting their new fall schedules with that in mind. |
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Post by Maxwell - F.B.I. on Feb 23, 2005 11:57:37 GMT -5
I didn't realize that 'Tales' was ever moved to Friday. I thought it sat in that Wed - 7pm CST slot for its entire first (and only) season. Interesting!
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Post by greenguy on Feb 23, 2005 12:20:34 GMT -5
Yep, March into April of 1983, is when ABC moved it. 5 or 6 episodes aired in that slot. Then ABC yanked it again and put it back on Wednesday night, not airing it's final episode until the SUMMER, well early June I think.
hhhmmmm...does the treatment sound familar?
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Post by JakeMabe1 on Feb 23, 2005 13:51:33 GMT -5
I agree with you that TV executives who say they will not do anything to kill a show aren't telling the truth. It is painfully obvious to me, especially hearing this additional information, that ABC did not support TGAH after Carsey/Warner left the network and finally did as much as they could to kill the program.
I used to enjoy "Tales of the Gold Monkey" as well and did not remember that the network messed with that show's time slot in a similar manner to TGAH's slot.
Funny, isn't it, how this still can aggravate you --- all these years later.
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Post by Maxwell - F.B.I. on Feb 23, 2005 17:27:49 GMT -5
Yep, you nailed it, GreenGuy. Pulled in March, moved to Fridays and put back on (for one episode, like you said - how retarted, ABC) Jun 1, 1983. I had no idea. How lousy...
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Post by greenguy on Feb 23, 2005 17:55:15 GMT -5
Yep, you nailed it, GreenGuy. Cool..I guess some of the old gray cells are still working.... ;D |
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scenario
Agent
"We all do what makes us feel good."
Posts: 335
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Post by scenario on Feb 24, 2005 6:17:04 GMT -5
I don't think there was any way ABC would let the show continue with the more mature, adult storylines from the 1st season. It was too cerebral and talky, like The Best Desk Scenario or Saturday on Sunset Blvd. You knew they were going to push for more action and Buck Rogers plots.
-scenario-
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