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2025-September-2: American Television History
Traditionally in USA, the great networks1 released most of their new television shows (we say programmes) in September2.
In the early days, many of the most popular were ‘variety’ shows or sitcoms, and were centred upon men who had been popular, established stars of stage and film. All of these men (and a few women) had their own ‘Shows’ among them: Danny Thomas, Shirley Temple, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Jack Parr, Dick van Dyke, Lawrence Welk, Donna Reed, Jack Benny, Lloyd Bridges, Dick Powell, Danny Thomas, Andy Griffiths, Phil Silvers, Loretta Young, Ed Sullivan and of course, the ‘The Pink Panther Show’.
Not many were syndicated abroad, they were too specific to US culture and anyway in the 1950s most people in other countries did not have a television set. However, by the mid-1960s, television ownership had spread internationally and American shows were sought after. Broadcasters learned quickly that a good situation, interesting and attractive characters, well constructed plots and tight scripts always travelled well.
Some remained ‘fresh’ for decades. Though it must be said, ultimately only very few can remain so for ever - eventually, the majority of shows become: outdated, staid, irksome, politically ‘unshowable’ or too easily subject to parody. These days, even the British classic Dad’s Army is starting to bug me a little, and of the American shows I used to devour, Happy Days is now virtually unwatchable, ditto Different Strokes. One suspects that certain comedies and dramas might remain valid for a fairly long time to come, but now even 1990s Seinfeld is acquiring the capacity to irritate - tempus fugit!
After television’s development phase in the 1950s-60s, audiences began to demand more sophistication which would be facilitated by advances in technology, particularly colour television, and because social mores were becoming more tolerant of violence, profanity and nudity.
In the 1970-80s, quite a number of American situational dramas and comedies, westerns, cop thrillers and kids’ shows would be exported to the English-speaking world and beyond. In England, one vividly recalls Saturday night’s soccer - Match of the Day - being preceded by Starsky & Hutch, on Thursday evenings there was a double-header - The Waltons followed by M*A*S*H - and on Friday nights at 10.30p.m. there would be a sitcom such as Soap.
In tribute to American directors, writers and other creatives - whose skills, for so long, were far slicker and more adventurous than those of their British counterparts - here is a look at 25 of their shows that were first aired in September and established themselves in both American and British TV history and culture.
8th September 1966 - there are a handful of producers of TV programmes the names of whose producers can never be forgotten: Tom & Jerry’s Fred Quimby is one, and another is Star Trek’s Gene Roddenberry. Gripping - and occasionally scary - viewing in the 1970s, the 1980s saw it suffer cruel parody.
Walter Koening, William Shatner & George Takei Have Lucky Yellow Shirts - Those With Blue or Red Are All Dead
9th September 1969 - on Saturdays the gap between Grandstand and tea-time was filled by The Pink Panther Show. It was slightly corny, but he was an elegant and likeable character. Not at all sickly like the eponymous tuppeny strawberry pink ‘chocolate bar’ that Nestlé produced in about 1972.
10th September 1967 - in our house, if it was raining on a Sunday afternoon then there was a chance that The High Chaparral might get an airing before Rugby Special came on. They made 98 episodes in four seasons. It was the brain-child of David Dotort who had also created Bonanza - of which there were 431 episodes. It remains quite astonishing that he came up with over 500 plots about cattle rustlers, falls down mountain-sides and missing nuns.
Yup…….they’re gonna make another season
11th September 1974 - the series Little House On The Prairie was broadcast on NBC. It ran for nine seasons until 1983. I never saw a single one, probably because it was on ITV and clashed with Grange Hill on the other side.
Not Long Afterwards Papa Became Mad Max
12th September 1954 - the first episode of Lassie was broadcast on CBS. It ran until 1971. Never saw it, but did inherit a ‘Lassie’ annual from my cousin.
Lassie - the World’s First Talking Dog
12th September 1959 - Bonanza was broadcast on NBC in the USA. It ran until 1973, but has been endlessly repeated. Neither it nor Rawhide, nor The High Chaparral were a patch on The Virginian.
Ponderosa is Spanish for Ponderous
12th September 1978 - there were 114 episodes of ABC’s Taxi in five series. In a very tight field, it must rate as one of America’s finest ever sitcoms.
Andy Kaufman, Tony Danza, Christopher Lloyd, Marilu Henner, Judd Hirsch, Danny De Vito
Probably New York City’s Last White Taxi Drivers
13th September 1974 - James Garner was Jim Rockford, the urbane and wrongly-convicted private detective whose escapades comprised The Rockford Files. He made a point of declining ‘open’ police cases, but somehow, every week, he found himself at loggerheads with Sgt/Lt. Dennis Becker of LAPD. Highly recommended.
The Other Star of the Show
14th September 1972 - when CBS aired The Waltons (I shall wager heavily that this has many readers choking a few back) it proved such a faithful depiction of the long-lost wholesome American rural domesticity that it ran for 221 episodes. It was written by Earl Hamner jr. who based the premise on his own pre-war upbringing in Virginia, and whose military service and journalistic talents he assigned to John-Boy Walton. The fecundity of Olivia Walton was remarkable, as was her tolerance of her crotchety mother-in-law. Famously, the feelings of nostalgia that the programme evoked could reduce ‘repo men’ to tears.
A Free Box-set of Bonanza for Any Who Can Name Them All Without Googling
15th September 1986 - just what the world needed, a TV series about some of the world’s most loveable human beings…..Californian lawyers. In its eight seasons until 1994 there were 172 episodes of L.A. Law, which was Steven Bochco’s follow-up to the splendid Hill St. Blues - and also came with a Mike Post theme song. I can state honestly that I never watched it.
Shakespeare, King Henry VI pt.II - Act IV, Scene ii, Line 75 - even a butcher knew it was the right thing to do
16th September 1984 - a simultaneously earthy and glamorous fast-paced cop show with a difference was first aired. It was called Miami Vice, probably the first ‘big’ show to be filmed in the city. It spawned a men’s fashion look - where absolutely nobody bought a rain-coat like Columbo’s, MV caught the zeitgeist of the mid-1980s, and on Friday evenings one might easily lose count of the number of hopeless twats walking round with their jacket sleeves pushed up like Sonny Crockett. It was a good show though and ‘Crockett & Tubbs’ rolled off the tongue as well as ‘Cagney & Lacey’.
Whilst forging careers, a number of actors played roles in it: Bruce Willis, Ben Stiller, Julia Roberts, Jimmy Smits, Michael Madson, Benicio Del Toro, Liam Neeson, Stanley Tucci, Helena Bonham Carter, Steve Buschemi, Michael Richards, John Turturro, Oliver Platt, Chris Rock; and musicians too like Phil Collins, Ted Nugent, Frank Zappa, Leonard Cohen, Sheena Easton, John Taylor, Glenn Frey, Isaac Hayes, Gene Simmons, Little Richard, Barbara Streisand, James Brown, Miles Davis and Eartha Kitt.
Crockett & Tubbs Waiting for News of the ‘Best Cop Show of the 1980s’ Award - They Lost out to Inspector Morse
17th September 1964 - the first episode of Bewitched was broadcast, running for eight seasons until 1972. Elizabeth Montgomery got through two husbands. Standard tea-time viewing in Britain in the late-1970s.
Hard to Believe that she Would Burn a Scarecrow, Frighten a Lion or Pick on a Little Dog Called Toto
17th September 1972 - based on a novel by a former army surgeon Richard Hooker, that first sprang a film in 1970, M*A*S*H was probably America’s first truly great sitcom - though I am saying this as a Brit. Between 1972 and 1983, 256 episodes were created - its final one was a national event that broke all viewing records.
Corporal Klinger Hated the Army - He Transferred to the USN and in 2021 President Biden Made him an Admiral
18th September 1964 - The Addams Family was broadcast on ABC. It ran for two seasons until 1966 - which was probably one more than it deserved.
Denis Farina Laughs Off the Suggestion that his Family Resembles Keir Starmer’s Cabinet
18th September 1978 - WKRP in Cincinatti was a romp set in a radio station. It had a cast of interesting characters and at times was genuinely funny, only not very consistently.
Only So So, but at Least it had Loni Anderson
19th September 1962 - in 1970s Britain, The Virginian was broadcast at 9.00p.m. on Friday evenings. It was absolutely belting……..except for Season-9.
“OK, OK Trampus You Win the Cheesiest Smile Contest”
19th September 1964 - saw the first episode of Flipper. It ran for three seasons until 1967 - people had stopped believing in talking animals by them…….except in Australia.
20th September 1955 - unquestionably, The Phil Silvers Show deserves strong consideration as one of America’s best sitcoms. In Britain it was more commonly known as SGT Bilko, and like the late-night showings of Marx Brothers films, in the early-1980s, its re-runs were watched avidly - ‘Did you see Bilko yesterday?’ was a common question in my sixth form years.
Ernie Bilko - a.k.a. Top Cat
20th September 1968 - if TV shows were judged by their theme tunes then in all likelihood Hawaii Five-0 would be voted the greatest ever. In UK it was rotated with The Virginian in 9.00p.m. slot on Fridays. Never missed it.
“Book him Danno”
21st September 1993 - 12 seasons and 261 episodes prove that Steven Bochco had brought us another hit with NYPD Blue. Probably my favourite US cop show, although many claim that CHiPs was much more realistic.
It’s a Tough Job but You Gotta Choose - David Caruso, Jimmy Smits or Mark-Paul Gosselaar?
22nd September 1964 - The Man From U.N.C.L.E. ran for four seasons until 1968. It was pants.
The Men from U.N.C.L.E. - David McCallum, Robert Vaughan and Frankie Howerd……….Don’t Titter
24th September 1964 - The Munsters ran for two seasons until 1966. Not quite as bad as The Addams Family.
27th September 1961 - Hanna-Barbera created an animated reprise of the SGT Bilko series it was called Top Cat. Fantastic kids viewing in the mid-1970s.
I Will Take Back the Bonanza Box-Set If These Characters Can be Named
28th September 1960 - Hong Kong ran for one series. It stared Australian Rod Taylor as Glenn Evans, a journalist digging around for stories in the ‘mysterious’ Far East, which inevitably brought him into contact with the Hong Kong Police - whose Chief Inspector Neil was played by Lloyd Bochener.
30th September 1982 - a strong candidate for America’s greatest sitcom, Cheers ran for eleven series. It is certainly in America’s top-5 sitcoms of all time, alongside for me at least: The Phil Silvers Show, MASH, Taxi and Frasier - (not counting animated shows such as The Simpsons).
Interesting theme. Didn’t realise they had a September release schedule.
Really enjoyed the overview and would agree on quite a few of them but I definitely wasn’t a Taxi fan. The charm of Marilu Henner et al were overshadowed by the insufferable sanctimony of the Judd Hirsch character. Something he made a career on.
And for me Seinfeld still reigns supreme with little or no irritation to date.