Unaired shows

[Ian Wallis]

Over the years, the networks have prepared a large number of shows for primetime which never actually aired.  Sometimes shows will get cancelled early and still have episodes in the can (some of those have now ended up on DVD).  Other times series might be cancelled even before their premiere (anyone remember NBC's ads for the 1976 David Brenner comedy "Snip"?)

Besides pilots, I wonder what game show episodes have never actually seen the light of day.  Sure, sometimes there were pre-emptions for Watergate and such, but CBS - for one - usually just aired the episode the next day, so there was really very little that didn't get on the air.

Here's what we know of:
"Match Game 79" - the last two weeks of which never aired on CBS

Here's what's rumored:
"$10,000 Pyramid" - the last three weeks of the CBS version before it moved to ABC.

I'm sure there are many others...

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' date=\'Oct 13 2005, 08:15 PM\']Over the years, the networks have prepared a large number of shows for primetime which never actually aired. 

I'm sure there are many others...

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There were a couple of unaired episodes of Hollywood Game in 1992 and several of Winning Lines in 2000, no? Also: two unaired episodes of LMAD2003 and one unaired episode of Monopoly.

[JasonA1]

And correct me if I'm wrong, but all those episodes of "On the Cover" in the can on the old set with the old format. Perhaps some episodes of "Balderdash" met the same fate, but don't quote me.

-Jason

[The Pyramids]

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' date=\'Oct 13 2005, 08:15 PM\'] )

Besides pilots, I wonder what game show episodes have never actually seen the light of day.  Sure, sometimes there were pre-emptions for Watergate and such, but CBS - for one - usually just aired the episode the next day, so there was really very little that didn't get on the air.

Here's what we know of:
"Match Game 79" - the last two weeks of which never aired on CBS

 
[/quote]

I always thought GSN had aired those shows.

Did the Doug Davidson 'TPIR' come to the natural end of its run or did some conestatnts never get to see their shows?

[SRIV94]

[quote name=\'PaulD\' date=\'Oct 13 2005, 08:57 PM\']I always thought GSN had aired those shows.

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They did.  It wasn't until GSN aired them that they saw the light of day.

I would wonder about shows that no "farewell" celebration--for example, you wouldn't know LAS VEGAS GAMBIT had been cancelled just by watching the show (until you saw a superimposed shot of Wink over the credits saying that this was the last show and to plug Regis' new show).  Perhaps LVG had shows in the can and NBC was in a pretty good hurry to get Regis aboard.

(Merely speculation--not necessarily true.)

Doug

[brianhenke]

[quote name=\'PaulD\' date=\'Oct 13 2005, 08:57 PM\'][quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' date=\'Oct 13 2005, 08:15 PM\'] )

Besides pilots, I wonder what game show episodes have never actually seen the light of day.  Sure, sometimes there were pre-emptions for Watergate and such, but CBS - for one - usually just aired the episode the next day, so there was really very little that didn't get on the air.

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[/quote]

  What about the Big Deal shows that were announced in 1997 with Heidi Mark joining Mark DeCarlo?


  Brian

  Lasting expressions?

[tyshaun1]

[quote name=\'SRIV94\' date=\'Oct 13 2005, 10:08 PM\']I would wonder about shows that no "farewell" celebration--for example, you wouldn't know LAS VEGAS GAMBIT had been cancelled just by watching the show (until you saw a superimposed shot of Wink over the credits saying that this was the last show and to plug Regis' new show).  Perhaps LVG had shows in the can and NBC was in a pretty good hurry to get Regis aboard.

(Merely speculation--not necessarily true.)

Doug

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I often wonder about PYL as well. As we saw earlier this year, there was a back to school show that was taped but never aired for reasons yet to be explained (paging Jason H.), and with the show taping (at least) 11 shows a session, it stands to reason that there were unaired episodes too.

Tyshaun

[Matt Ottinger]

Purely speculation on my part, but I've always believed that the one Winning Streak episode that survives -- the one GSN has run -- may not have aired originally.  Its original air date is always listed as August 9, 1974, which would have been the day after Nixon resigned. Seems to me that the networks would have been busy with news coverage that morning.  In fact, I guess it's entirely possible that the only reason it survives at all is because it got set aside for the news preemption.

[SRIV94]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Oct 13 2005, 10:58 PM\']Its original air date is always listed as August 9, 1974, which would have been the day after Nixon resigned. Seems to me that the networks would have been busy with news coverage that morning.  In fact, I guess it's entirely possible that the only reason it survives at all is because it got set aside for the news preemption.

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Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm almost positive that the FAUX PAUSE hosts said as much when the ep aired as a part of their package (granted, their asides were supposed to be humorous, but in this case I don't think they were kidding).  Of course, this is going on almost seven-years-ago memory.

Doug

[Ian Wallis]

What about the Big Deal shows that were announced in 1997 with Heidi Mark joining Mark DeCarlo?

I'm pretty sure those shows were never actually produced.  Same could be said of the last 6 "Greed" shows which were scheduled to be taped, but the set was struck and the show cancelled before they could tape them.

[Ian Wallis]

I would wonder about shows that no "farewell" celebration--for example, you wouldn't know LAS VEGAS GAMBIT had been cancelled just by watching the show (until you saw a superimposed shot of Wink over the credits saying that this was the last show and to plug Regis' new show).

Now that I read this, another show comes to mind which sort of fits that bill - "Caesar's Challenge".  I know for sure I saw episodes on USA that I never saw on NBC.  And they never had a finale, either.  I'd be willing to bet it was cancelled between taping sessions and they never knew the last episode was actually the last one.

[Jimmy Owen]

There was a once a week syndicated version of "Caesar's Challenge." that Cannell distributed in the fall of 93. Channel 9 in LA and Chicago at least aired it. Is it possible USA showed those in addition to the NBC episodes?

[Ian Wallis]

I'm pretty sure that they were NBC shows because they had returning champions.  One even featured a brief outdoor shot of a Caesar's Palace billboard with taping dates for "Caesar's Challenge" announced.  (For the record, at that time they were taping Fridays-Saturdays-Sundays).

However, does anybody here remember seeing that once-weekly syndicated version?  Was the format the exact same?  There is a copy of a show in the trading curcuit that has a betting format.  It's believed to be the pilot.  I'm sure my copy comes from a studio master, but some people claim that it actually aired.  I'm wondering if this might have come from the syndie version(?)

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Oct 14 2005, 08:33 AM\']There was a once a week syndicated version of "Caesar's Challenge." that Cannell distributed in the fall of 93. Channel 9 in LA and Chicago at least aired it. Is it possible USA showed those in addition to the NBC episodes?

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I am almost certain that most, if not all, of the shows were repeats of the daytime version with a "Nighttime!" slapped over the titles.  They probably would've gone to more first-run production if it had done well in Chicago (and on cable).  It didn't.

[tvmitch]

The show actually aired on USA for fewer weeks than it did on NBC daytime...so I don't know if it's possible that USA ran unaired episodes.