This week on It Was a Thing on TV
First, NBC tried spinning off one of its most successful shows from the 80s, the drama Hill Street Blues, into a comedy/drama Beverly Hills Buntz. The first episode brought great ratings, but that was thanks to a cushy time slot. Naturally, the audience didn’t carry over after moving to a not-so-cushy time slot and the show ended with 4 episodes still in the can.
Then, daytime games in the 80s were a strength of NBC. CBS had a stable roster of shows, though the block was only two hours compared to three at NBC. For some reason, CBS canceled the venerable $25,000 Pyramid for this show. This show did not live up to expectations, so much so that its replacement was the same show it replaced.
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Timestamps
0:31 – Beverly Hills Buntz (Episode 505)
36:15 – Blackout (Episode 506)
https://ptbnpop.podbean.com/e/it-was-a-thing-on-tv-episodes-505-506-beverly-hills-buntzblackout/