Phil C
09-26-2011, 11:11 AM
We look forward to the new tv series now but 40 years ago it was really anticipated. The movie industry was in a recession due to big time floops and many big time movie stars decided to try television series and most of these were older stars who were starting to be replaced by younger stars in movies. Many of them had won oscars or were nominated and wouldn't consider tv except for an occassional guest star or cameo appearance. TV was delighted to have them. But they mistakenly thought that their series would succeed just by the star's name and didn't think that quality script writing and direction would matter. They were wrong and many of the big stars' series got cancelled through no fault of their own but through bad judgement and poor directing and writing of the studio staff. Some were as follows:
James Stewart in The Jimmy Stewart Show. This one never had a chance and it didn't take long for Mr. Stewart to see it was a flop and he hated the series and appearantly even his fans sensed it.
Henry Fonda in The Smith Family which didn't make it but it did have Ron Howard who was able to use it in transition from a kid to teen on to an adult and later a great movie producer and director.
Shirly McClain in Shirley's World which was another great waste of talent.
Tony Curtis and Roger Moore in The Pursuaders. Roger was to later make it big as James Bond but this series was disappointing. With more effort it could have been a hit with the two great stars in it. A wasted opportuniy.
Glenn Ford in Cade's County. This also had great character actor Edgar Buchannan. This was actually a good series but the ratings even though good were not high enough to justify Mr. Ford's high salary so sadly it got dropped.
Anthony Quinn in The Man and the City. This was a waste of talent.
George Kennedy as Sarge. Not a good role for Mr. Kennedy.
Gene Kelly hosting The Funny Side. It was not too good even though it did introduce Cindy Williams who was later in the hit series Laverne and Shirley.
Andy Griffith in The New Andy Griffith Show. Andy had made some movie hits in the 50s and then went into tv in the successful Andy Griffith show but later left to try out the movie business where unfortunately due to audiances' changes of taste he didn's succeed. This series did not succeed and Andy was to be in other tv plots and movies but he finally achieved permanent success again in the Matlock series.
The one former star that made it that season was Rock Hudson in McMillan and Wife and this series lasted series years but was not a smash hit but good enough to make it. It was a detective series that rotated with two other hit series Columbo and McCloud who helped carry it. The first series was fair and they decided to try it another year and to the studio's credit it was improved and the series had a successful run even though it was not a big hit but good enough to run. Rock Hudson was the only big star that succeeded that year in television but not by a landslide.
James Stewart in The Jimmy Stewart Show. This one never had a chance and it didn't take long for Mr. Stewart to see it was a flop and he hated the series and appearantly even his fans sensed it.
Henry Fonda in The Smith Family which didn't make it but it did have Ron Howard who was able to use it in transition from a kid to teen on to an adult and later a great movie producer and director.
Shirly McClain in Shirley's World which was another great waste of talent.
Tony Curtis and Roger Moore in The Pursuaders. Roger was to later make it big as James Bond but this series was disappointing. With more effort it could have been a hit with the two great stars in it. A wasted opportuniy.
Glenn Ford in Cade's County. This also had great character actor Edgar Buchannan. This was actually a good series but the ratings even though good were not high enough to justify Mr. Ford's high salary so sadly it got dropped.
Anthony Quinn in The Man and the City. This was a waste of talent.
George Kennedy as Sarge. Not a good role for Mr. Kennedy.
Gene Kelly hosting The Funny Side. It was not too good even though it did introduce Cindy Williams who was later in the hit series Laverne and Shirley.
Andy Griffith in The New Andy Griffith Show. Andy had made some movie hits in the 50s and then went into tv in the successful Andy Griffith show but later left to try out the movie business where unfortunately due to audiances' changes of taste he didn's succeed. This series did not succeed and Andy was to be in other tv plots and movies but he finally achieved permanent success again in the Matlock series.
The one former star that made it that season was Rock Hudson in McMillan and Wife and this series lasted series years but was not a smash hit but good enough to make it. It was a detective series that rotated with two other hit series Columbo and McCloud who helped carry it. The first series was fair and they decided to try it another year and to the studio's credit it was improved and the series had a successful run even though it was not a big hit but good enough to run. Rock Hudson was the only big star that succeeded that year in television but not by a landslide.