Everyone seems to recall a series that had a completely off-the-wall premise, about a talking car or a man dressed as a woman or an orangutan in Congrees. The problem is, the shows are so short-lived that they've faded into the murky recesses of people's brains, to the point where people start questioning whether the show actually existed or was just a figment of their imagination.Well, the web site Television Obscurites knows the feeling. That's why they've put together a list of the ten most outlandish series concepts, including the obligatory listings of My Mother the Car and Cop Rock. But some of the other concepts listed don't seem so outlandish these days; Occasional Wife sounds just like Ned and Stacey, and The Second Hundred Years sounds like a live-action version of Futurama. But there are others that are just plain silly; for instance, no one's attempted to do another nuclear war comedy since the disaster that was Whoops! Thank goodness.
Gone Too Soon: Invasion
Scrubs season nine -- An early look
The TV Squad Podcast: Vik Sahay of Chuck, Oprah talk, brutal timeslots, and more!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-28-2006 @ 12:34PM
Elizabeth said...
I am shocked that "The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer" did not make the list: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0168373/
Reply
8-28-2006 @ 12:40PM
gwangi said...
Wait! Cop Rocks actually won 2 Emmys? I think that should have been an indicator that the Emmy's were broken.
Reply
8-28-2006 @ 2:20PM
erroneous_nick said...
While it was a success, I think "The Flying Nun" was oddball, to say the least. The cowl of the convent's habit had wing-like protrusions, but even the high winds off the coast where the convent was located, coupled with those oversized wings, wouldn't have lifted even the teensy Sally Field. But what bothered me the most (or, actually, worried me as a small child) was that the cowl never slipped off her head!
I think the most notable thing about "My Mother The Car" is the fact that Jerry Van Dyke passed up another role to play in that series. The role? Willy Gilligan, of "Gilligan's Island" fame, giving Bob Denver the chance to become one of the world's most beloved and recognizable characters of all time. I believe Jerry thought the castaway premise was less likely to be a hit and so he took the talking car series long before KITT came on the scene.
Reply
8-28-2006 @ 2:31PM
gd said...
what, no Manimal?
Reply
8-28-2006 @ 6:17PM
hessian said...
WOMEN IN PRISON
SUPERTRAIN
Don't forget all of the fanboys last year decrying PRISON BREAK! "How many times are they going to try to escape? What are they going to do when they get out??
Reply
8-28-2006 @ 10:37PM
R R said...
How did you guys not think of adding Blind Justice to that list? I mean seriously. Isn't that the correct answer to this question of dumbest premise ever?
Reply
8-29-2006 @ 12:48AM
erroneous_nick said...
If you add "Blind Justice" then you have to add the show it had to have been copied from: "Longstreet" which aired 35 years ago and was pretty much the same premise. http://www.tv.com/longstreet/show/6168/summary.html
Reply