MGHS and Kim Hood

[thomas_meighan]

I wonder at what point during the run did NBC finally announce that they were pulling the plug on the show?

The cancellation (and replacement by “Santa Barbara”) was announced as early as 4-13-1984 in the Pittsburgh Press and a couple other papers (from newspapers.com archive).

Doesn’t look like any “Family Ties” people appeared on MG-HSH, even Michael J. Fox. (Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter haven’t done many game shows — she was on HS in ‘73 and an all-star FF in ‘79; he was on HS in 2001, but that’s all the IMDB has.) I’m also not seeing any “Cheers” actors.

[chargeradiocom]

Doesn’t look like any “Family Ties” people appeared on MG-HSH, even Michael J. Fox. (Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter haven’t done many game shows — she was on HS in ‘73 and an all-star FF in ‘79; he was on HS in 2001, but that’s all the IMDB has.) I’m also not seeing any “Cheers” actors.

So, two shows that would become definitive 80s sitcoms were never represented, but stuff like Mr. Smith got plenty of representation. Yeesh…

[aaron sica]

The cancellation (and replacement by “Santa Barbara”) was announced as early as 4-13-1984 in the Pittsburgh Press and a couple other papers (from newspapers.com archive).

Thanks! IIRC, the show was always meant as a stopgap for "Santa Barbara", but was promised a move to another timeslot if the ratings were good once SB was ready.

[JMFabiano]

Doesn’t look like any “Family Ties” people appeared on MG-HSH, even Michael J. Fox. (Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter haven’t done many game shows — she was on HS in ‘73 and an all-star FF in ‘79; he was on HS in 2001, but that’s all the IMDB has.) I’m also not seeing any “Cheers” actors.

So, two shows that would become definitive 80s sitcoms were never represented, but stuff like Mr. Smith got plenty of representation. Yeesh…

I'll say.  Still knocked out that Mr. Smith was the $1000 answer one Super Match. 

Was the audience taken from the NBC Studios tour/just had a test screening of all the 1983-84 shows?

[tvmitch]

I’m also not seeing any “Cheers” actors.

Imagine, if you will, a week of MG/HSH with just the actors from Cheers. That would have been a lot of fun.

[JMFabiano]

Besides this weirdness, this week of MG/HS stands out as I previously received the open and the mid-show deals (fee plugs, HS celeb announcements, switchoff to Bauman) as part of a tape trade way back when.  I don't believe any episodes from this week were out in the trading circuit otherwise, though.  So it was nice to see another bit of the series turn up even though not an episode.

Not sure if we've gotten to that episode yet (I missed the Monday airing).  All I remember is it's when Jon takes the mic and is shouting "It's mine, it's mine!"

I know this is an extremely silly question, but was the above the episode seen last night by any chance?

[Mr. Matté]

The ep that aired last night (Wednesday) was a new batch of celebs including David Lander (who did the walk across the stage), Nedra, and Erin Moran.

[JMFabiano]

The ep that aired last night (Wednesday) was a new batch of celebs including David Lander (who did the walk across the stage), Nedra, and Erin Moran.

Skipped ep then?

(EDIT: Yep.  Does the episode seen this past Monday match up with anything I described from the elements I remembered having?)

This, then, is a week which did have a few circulating episodes previously.  I called it the Unofficial Laverne and Shirley/Happy Days week as a few people from each show were on the panel.  Though with the talent on the panel, Salute to 80s Sitcoms Aimed At Teens would be more like it.    Includes a $30K loss.

[mmb5]

Missed in all of the Kim Hood hoopla - this is probably the only time anyone has ever been introduced as "from The Duck Factory."

And I am wrong, as Teresa Ganzel is also being introduced as "from the Duck Factory."

[Eric Paddon]

Missed in all of the Kim Hood hoopla - this is probably the only time anyone has ever been introduced as "from The Duck Factory."

Is there any other show that attracted so many stars of failed series? Or is that just due to the state of NBC at that time?

Mostly the latter.  NBC clearly pushed HARD to have its own "stars" represented on this show, and some shows were much less successful than others, especially on NBC around that time.  They were just beginning to turn a corner after the late-seventies early-eighties fiascos, but there was still plenty of dreck.

And that of course accounts for all the endless puffery at the beginning of the run for "Mister Smith" and the constant booking of Leonard Frey.

[Robair]

Missed in all of the Kim Hood hoopla - this is probably the only time anyone has ever been introduced as "from The Duck Factory."

And I am wrong, as Teresa Ganzel is also being introduced as "from the Duck Factory."

Ditto Nancy Lane.

It would have been cool if MGHS pushed all the chips in and booked Don Messick.

[SRIV94]

Not sure of your source, but all of the Indianapolis-area newspapers on Newspapers.com have MGHS listed for 2 p.m. Central on WTHR that month.

That comes from me misreading a TV listings grid that looked like 30 minutes of Match Game followed by Star Trek. By May, they WERE airing it, you're right, but for a time, they weren't. Muncie Star-Press on October 30, 1983 prints a short blurb about the show's debut, wrapping up by noting that WTHR will not be airing the series. By March 7, I'm still not seeing the show at all in the grid--their afternoon schedule that day is News, Search, DOOL, Another World, You Asked for It, Gilligan's Island.

On April 25, the schedule reads News, DOOL, Another World, Gilligan's Island, Star Trek.

So going back to what Scott initially said, this actually looks more and more like it was a gesture of goodwill because WTHR finally agreed to start airing the show.

EDIT: Just saw that Matt suggested the same theory while I was typing it up. Hat tip.

I can shed a little more light here, having been an IU student then.  Indianapolis was on ET during Standard Time months and CT during Daylight Savings months.  As a result, basically WTHR followed the network from 10-3 local time (except for noon news).  So when MGHS aired at 2 local time (actually 2:30, IIRC), they carried it.  At 3 local time, they didn’t.

And the week she taped aired the week before the 500, so the booking was timely.

[WarioBarker]

Missed in all of the Kim Hood hoopla - this is probably the only time anyone has ever been introduced as "from The Duck Factory."

And I am wrong, as Teresa Ganzel is also being introduced as "from the Duck Factory."

Ditto Nancy Lane.

It would have been cool if MGHS pushed all the chips in and booked Don Messick.

Or, for that matter, Jim Carrey.

[catnap1972]

Any bets on whether or not Buzzr makes it to the end of the run on this cycle?

[Bryce L.]

Any bets on whether or not Buzzr makes it to the end of the run on this cycle?

I know for a fact not on this cycle; they loop back to episode 76 on Monday July 12th, after reaching 166 on Friday the 9th.