This week on It Was a Thing on TV we are close to heading home for Pilot Month 2023 and in the next-to-last week we look at a trio of failed pilots.
First, one of the big comics in the mid-to-late 80s was Richard Lewis, known for his neurotic schtick. Two years before a career-defining role in Anything But Love, Lewis starred in this pilot as a doorman at a New York City apartment building.
Next, Batman was a big TV success in 1966. Why not follow it up with a pilot of a similar comic book staple? Dick Tracy was a cut-and-paste job from the Batman playbook, down to the script, the scenery, and even the baddie of the week. Just remember: Dick Tracy, he’s a good cop.
Finally, on the surface, Call Her Mom is reminiscent of a certain movie which would be a big hit 6 years later, but with a “den mother” caring for the fraternity. This wasn’t just a ratings hit once, but twice. How did it not make it as a regular series?
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Timestamps
0:36 – King of the Building (1987 CBS pilot)
34:29 – Dick Tracy (1967 pilot)
1:07:53 – Call Her Mom (1972 TV movie/pilot)
