Programs You'd Like to See
Morty's TV Wish List   Sunday, July 20, 2008
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There's Plenty More on Morty's Wish List:
CLICK HERE For Shows A thru D
CLICK HERE For Shows F thru L
CLICK HERE For Shows M to T

So a few years ago I made up this list of shows that have been forgotten or under played.  Since then a few have been added to the TV Land Schedule, some have come and gone.  I've also received a bunch of emails from people that feel I left out a good title or three, or four, or more.  You can also add more suggestions here. Here (in no particular order) are some of the more popular suggestions:

Mr. Belvedere
Good pick,  I've received a few dozen requests to add this one.  Not a powerhouse show, but it would make a good short run.  There are 117 episodes of "Mr. Belvedere,"  it ran on ABC from 1985 to 1990, but never made it in to the top 25 of the Nielsen ratings.   ABC moved it around on the schedule a lot, and never really gave it any respect.  It would be a good weekend show.

Fantasy Island
"Fantasy Island"  was another ABC show, it aired from January 1977 to May 1984.  I've only seen a few of these, one I thought was really good.  I like the premise of the show, and that it had a look and feel that was unique to other shows that were being done at the time. In case you don't remember, or are too young to know, Hervé Villechaize who played Tattoo, in 1983 argued with the producers of the show in order to earn as much money as Montalban but instead he was fired. The series continued without him but stopped one year after when the ratings decreased because of the lack of Tattoo's character. Villechaize became alcoholic and depressive and missed several roles that he was offered.  On the afternoon of Saturday September 4th, 1993, he committed suicide by shooting himself.

Trapper John MD
"Trapper John, M.D." debuted in September 1979 on CBS, and brought the character of "Trapper John" from "M*A*S*H" in as the Chief of Surgery at San Francisco Memorial Hospital, or did it?  A court ruled that the series was not a spin-off from the television show "M*A*S*H"  rather, that it was a spin-off from the movie M*A*S*H. Either way, they series rarely referred to Korea.  Trapper John started during the eight season of the "M*A*S*H" series, and took place in the present day.

The Ann Sothern Show
This series aired in reruns on Nick-at-Nite longer than the original series ran.  It was never one of my favorites and yet I watched it every night.  There was something about it that was completely benign and didn't get on my nerves, I guess the marketing department calls it "re-watchability."  One thing that always bothered me was that Ann thought of herself as quite the looker, a regular sex symbol, and I didn't.  The packaged series was really two shows, "Private Secretary, " and "The Ann Sothern Show" In the first (1953) she played Susan Camille MacNamara, secretary to Peter Sands (Don Porter).  In syndication, this show was called "Susie."   In the second (1958), she played Katy O'Connor, the assistant manager of the Bartley House Hotel in New York City working for Jason Macauley (Don Porter, again).  The are 92 episodes of "The Ann Sothern Show, "  and 104 episodes of "Private Secretary."

Peter Gunn
"Peter Gunn" originally aired from 1958 to 1961 on CBS.  It starred Craig Stevens as the stylishly cool private detective, Peter Gunn.    This might have run on TV Land in the early days (my cable company was a little slow adding it to the line-up), but I think there's enough of us to watch it again.  It was only a half hour show, which I think is great for that genre.  I'm more familiar with the great "cool jazz" Henry Mancini theme than I am with the series.  About a dozen people have mentioned this show.

The Dukes of Hazzard
I can't believe no one is running "The Dukes of Hazzard."  It is the most requested show you write me about and is the most popular store in Morty's Mall.  I know it's received a lot of airplay in the past, but interest has never waned.  I know the original series took a dive in the ratings in 1983 when they replaced the Duke boys and started using fake cars, but there's 108 episodes before they ruined it.  If it doesn't belong on TV Land, it belongs on TNN.

77 Sunset Strip
Every time TV Land says no one remembers, my readers try to prove them wrong.  "77 Sunset Strip"  ran from 1958 to 1964, and is currently being shown on Goodlife TV, one of those great cable channels that no one gets. I haven't seen this show since I was a kid.  Once again, I like the theme, and remember it better than the series.  From everything I've read, the show has the merits to be on.  The problem could be that the show isn't well known, see the F.A.Q. File for answers as to why they select the shows they run.

Here Come the Brides
"The bluest skies you've ever seen in Seattle..." What, are you people picking these shows based on the theme songs?  "Here Come the Brides" might have been a hit solely because it starred Bobby Sherman, who was a teen heart-throb in 1968 when the series debuted.  Set in post-Civil War Seattle, loggers Jason, Joshua, and Jeremy Bolt make a deal with a mill owner, Aaron Stempel, if he foots the bill for a ship's passage and a year's "upkeep" for 100 marriageable ladies from Massachusetts, then the Bolt brothers will make sure that all the "brides" stay in Seattle for a full year---or they lose the logging camp.  Very surprising this series isn't shown more often.

Hee Haw

Well,  this sure isn't my list.. It's not that I don't like "Hee Haw", it's just so far from anything I've thought about, or would expect to see on TV Land.  The series got dropped from CBS after it's first season, but continued in first run syndication for an astounding 22 years! I don't know of an episode guide, but by my estimation, there are about 500 episodes of this corn-fed version of "Laugh-In."  When "Hee Haw" stopped production in 1992 it pretty much vanished

I Married Joan
"I Married Joan" is much like "The Ann Sothern Show," in that I didn't like it very much, but I watched it every night on Nick-at-Nite and it never bugged me.  Joan Davis tried to be Lucy, but didn't quite cut it. There are 98 episodes, I'd watch it again if it was on between two good shows. 

My Living Doll
This is a really obscure 1965 title.  It only lasted one season, and even it's star, Bob Cummings, left before the series was canned.  Cummings played an Air Force shrink left in charge of a sexy robot (Julie Newmar).  The show is pure kitsch and it would be fun to see it, as it was fun to see "My Mother the Car" when TV Land ran it in the 90's.  I received a few letters asking to identify the series, and a few asking why TV Land has never aired it.  There's not a big demand to see it, how could there be, there's only a handful of us that remember it.

Small Wonder
The guy that wrote the software for this site and some of my other projects, once told me he can only write code from noon to 2:00PM, while his two favorite shows are on, "Hawaii Five-O," and "Small Wonder."   I thought he was joking , but he was serious.  The truth be known, I was a closet "Small Wonder" watcher.  It's a really bad show, I don't know why I always watched it, but I know why it's taken me all these years to admit it.  I feel better now, I know I'm not alone, there are a lot of people requesting this horrible show.

Gimme a Break!
I had a lot of requests to add "Gimme a Break!" to the Wish List before Nell Carter died in January of 2003.  When news of her passing got around, everyone started asking for a return of "Gimme a Break!"  Nell got off some great lines in this series.  It debuted in the fall of 1981, in 1985 Dolph Sweet, the actor that was playing Chief Kanisky, died.  Despite it's great theme song, "Gimme a Break!" never made it in to the top 25 of the Nielsen ratings.  With the passing of Sweet, the ratings continued to drop.  NBC never gave the show much respect and moved it around the scheduled a lot.  I think it could do better on TV Land then it did on NBC.

The Lucy Show
Well this is a no-brainer.  "The Lucy Show" stars Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance (in the first four seasons), of course it should be on TV Land.  I didn't have it on the Wish List, because I just assumed it would be coming back soon.  I favor the first season because it has Charles Land playing banker Mr. Barnsdahl, and Dick Martin playing Harry Conners.  I like Gale Gordon too as Mr. Mooney, I'm just a fan of black and white shows and anything with the great Charles Lane.

And the rest...
I also received a lot of mail every time a show gets yanked from the schedule.  I don't really consider these titles "Wish List" material because most have been aired a lot, and when they aired on TV Land they had full runs.  You should have taped them!,  But, by popular demand, here goes:
Bring back "The Beverly Hillbillies" Sheesh! Great show but there's been no shortage of it over the years and it's on Hallmark now.
"F-Troop"  They've brought it back a few times and it doesn't perform really well in the ratings.  I would think it'll turn up again some time.
"The Real McCoys" I waited years for this show to come on, and I taped a lot of them when it ran on TNN, It didn't do really well, but the video's been restored, so it would be easy for them to bring it back. 
"Who's the Boss?" Who's having trouble finding this show?  It's on ABC Family, and was TBS.
"ALF" ALF just finished a pretty long run on Hallmark.  Good to see him again, I have higher priorities. 
"Perfect Strangers" Made it to the TV Land Kitschen a couple times and I was surprised that it was better than I remembered. 
"Perry Mason" Airs on Hallmark twice a day.  Good show, but lets get something a little more rare.
"Mork and Mindy" I'm not a big fan.  It aired on Nick for too long, but it's coming to Hallmark. 
"Maude" I'm not a big fan.  She's loud, you know.  She's never stayed too long when they've brought it back, so I'd say it's an indication people get tired of her quickly.
"McHale's Navy" I am a big fan of this one, and I was smart enough to tape all the one's that take place in the Pacific, and you should have too.
"Night Court" I haven't seen this show since it's first network run.  I really don't remember much about it either.  Was it really that good?
"Newhart" Great show, TNN ran it last.  It's had a lot of air play, I'm not sure people are lusting enough for it yet.
"Monkees" I'd watch them if they were on, but not that many others do.  This is a highly requested show, and yet it never does that good it the ratings.  Nick-at-Nite ran it one year in a Summer Block Party and it did so bad they pulled it out and replaced it with "Green Acres."

Now that's your suggestions, and my opinions of them.  The majority of people actually wrote that they liked my suggestions.  Also remember, they're just my opinions.  Don't get all bent out of shape that I'm not sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for your show to air.  And also remember, I have no influence to get these shows on TV Land, Nick-at-Nite, or any other channel.  Read the F.A.Q. File about this before you write to yell at me.

I really like just about all TV, as I added shows to the TV Finder Page, I got to thinking that that's really my wish list.
Everyone wants to cast a vote, voice an opinion, add an overlooked title.  Here's your chance.  Remember:  This is just for fun.  This site has no association with TV Land, Nick-at-Nite, or any other network.  Your votes are not sent to TV Land.  From time-to-time, I'll collate your comments and votes and add the information to the Wish List pages. 
Want the networks to hear your opinions?
Use my media directory to contact them.