Memories of early days of Fox
03-17-01, 10:23 PM
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I know this seems like a completely random post (because it is), but when I was re-reading Karen Mistal's entry on the IMDb (yes, "Return of the Killer Tomatoes" fan), I saw "The New Adventures of Beans Baxter" listed, and memories started flooding...well, trickling...back.
I started watching Fox really early on, probably out of boredom.
Some of the early stuff that springs to mind (I didn't watch "Married With Children" back then):
"The Adventures of Beans Baxter" -- At the time, I thought it was supposed to be like "Inspector Gadget". Oh, how much wiser I am now. I remember next to nothing about the series aside from Karen Mistal, who I was madly in love with at the time, an intro that included an animated bean with a weird smile, and one episode with a robot that went on an attempted killing spree when some secret key word was uttered. I would weep openly if Rhino were to release this on video/DVD. I probably have a better chance of Rhino buying me a pony.
"Second Chance" -- the second show that comes to mind when I think of Fox back then. The concept of having a dead guy who's too bad for Heaven but too good for Hell returning to the past to try to set things right seemed like a pretty novel concept to me all those years ago. I was disappointed when the older version of the main character and his angel guardian were dropped from the series, which was retitled "Boys Will Be Boys". I remember a bit of the pilot and one episode where everyone goes camping. I'm positive the camping episode involved a bra at one point. Why that sticks in my mind, I have no idea. Apparently the now-famous Matthew Perry starred. How many "Friends" cast members starred in Fox series? At least half of the main cast.
"Down And Out In Beverly Hills" -- according to the IMDb, this was the first show Fox ever cancelled. The end of the opening credit sequence is forever embedded in my mind. I don't remember the show itself.
"Mr. President" -- although I wasn't quite eight at the time, I was old enough to recognize George C. Scott as a great actor and the title character in "Patton", even if I hadn't actually watched the film. I didn't understand what he was doing on a sitcom. Awful, yet I watched it. That sums up most of my childhood viewing habits up through my freshman year of high school, when I discovered Troma.
"Werewolf" -- a TV series I'd love to see on DVD at some point. This was the only Fox show I remember ever watching with my family on a regular basis aside from "21 Jump Street". I was convinced at the time that werewolves exist. Sad, really.
I remember a commercial for what I think was a Fox series in '87, but I'm not sure what show it was. It might've been syndicated and just airing on the local Fox affiliate. In any event, there was a party scene, and there was some exchange like:
"You're the boss?"
"He's the boss?"
"I thought Springsteen was the boss!"
(cue laugh track)
I don't know why I'm posting all of this. I apologize in advance.
I started watching Fox really early on, probably out of boredom.
Some of the early stuff that springs to mind (I didn't watch "Married With Children" back then):
"The Adventures of Beans Baxter" -- At the time, I thought it was supposed to be like "Inspector Gadget". Oh, how much wiser I am now. I remember next to nothing about the series aside from Karen Mistal, who I was madly in love with at the time, an intro that included an animated bean with a weird smile, and one episode with a robot that went on an attempted killing spree when some secret key word was uttered. I would weep openly if Rhino were to release this on video/DVD. I probably have a better chance of Rhino buying me a pony.
"Second Chance" -- the second show that comes to mind when I think of Fox back then. The concept of having a dead guy who's too bad for Heaven but too good for Hell returning to the past to try to set things right seemed like a pretty novel concept to me all those years ago. I was disappointed when the older version of the main character and his angel guardian were dropped from the series, which was retitled "Boys Will Be Boys". I remember a bit of the pilot and one episode where everyone goes camping. I'm positive the camping episode involved a bra at one point. Why that sticks in my mind, I have no idea. Apparently the now-famous Matthew Perry starred. How many "Friends" cast members starred in Fox series? At least half of the main cast.
"Down And Out In Beverly Hills" -- according to the IMDb, this was the first show Fox ever cancelled. The end of the opening credit sequence is forever embedded in my mind. I don't remember the show itself.
"Mr. President" -- although I wasn't quite eight at the time, I was old enough to recognize George C. Scott as a great actor and the title character in "Patton", even if I hadn't actually watched the film. I didn't understand what he was doing on a sitcom. Awful, yet I watched it. That sums up most of my childhood viewing habits up through my freshman year of high school, when I discovered Troma.
"Werewolf" -- a TV series I'd love to see on DVD at some point. This was the only Fox show I remember ever watching with my family on a regular basis aside from "21 Jump Street". I was convinced at the time that werewolves exist. Sad, really.
I remember a commercial for what I think was a Fox series in '87, but I'm not sure what show it was. It might've been syndicated and just airing on the local Fox affiliate. In any event, there was a party scene, and there was some exchange like:
"You're the boss?"
"He's the boss?"
"I thought Springsteen was the boss!"
(cue laugh track)
I don't know why I'm posting all of this. I apologize in advance.
03-17-01, 11:06 PM
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Originally posted by huzefa
Just curious, when did Fox start broadcasting? I think the earliest I remember was Married with children and I think that started in like 1985.
Just curious, when did Fox start broadcasting? I think the earliest I remember was Married with children and I think that started in like 1985.
BTW, I didn't include "Married With Children", "It's Gary Shandling's Show", or "21 Jump Street" in my little missive because everyone remembers those shows. Well, maybe now Gary Shandling's show, but...whatever...
03-18-01, 12:24 AM
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I loved 'Get a Life'. I would buy that on DVD, just to have a copy of the 'Zoo Animals on Wheels' episode. And I watched 'Werewolf' of course. Was 'Alien Nation' on Fox? I admit, that was a guilty pleasure of mine. Ah, yes, how I remember our little group of shiftless college students sitting around Sunday nights watching 'In Living Color'.
03-18-01, 01:56 AM
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Originally posted by blackhawks70
What about FAME or Ferris The series
What about FAME or Ferris The series
Ferris Bueller was on NBC. It had Jennifer Aniston as Ferris' sister.
JoeC...who loves TV trivia!
03-18-01, 01:58 AM
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I remember Beans Baxter. One of the stars of the series was Watergate figure G. Gordon Liddy (pre radio talk show).
I always thought that was odd casting.
JoeC
I always thought that was odd casting.
JoeC
03-18-01, 10:17 AM
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Originally posted by Chad
I remember a show with a giant mutated chicken. No really.
I remember a show with a giant mutated chicken. No really.
Anyone else remember this show?
03-18-01, 10:55 AM
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The mutant chicken show sounds like "Whoops!". I'm positive that's the title, but I don't see it listed on the IMDb. "Whoops!", which I think debuted in '92, doesn't really fall under what I consider to be an 'early Fox show', though. Same with "Herman's Head" ('91) and "Pauly" (I had to look this up, but '97?!). 'Early' would probably be 'pre-Simpsons', IMO. All the shows I mentioned debuted before the Christmas Special first aired.
"Alien Nation" was on Fox, yeah. epguides.com says for just a season, too. It seemed like it ran longer than that. I also didn't realize that "Parker Lewis Can't Lose" ran as long as it did...
"Alien Nation" was on Fox, yeah. epguides.com says for just a season, too. It seemed like it ran longer than that. I also didn't realize that "Parker Lewis Can't Lose" ran as long as it did...
03-18-01, 12:37 PM
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Originally posted by Trelach24
Was "Babes" on Fox? The show about three unhealthy obese women...how come that never lasted?
Was "Babes" on Fox? The show about three unhealthy obese women...how come that never lasted?
But, yeah, I remember that show, although I've tried to forget it, and it worked until you mentioned it. Thanks a lot. 
I used to watch Get a Life, Herman's Head, and Parker Lewis Can't Lose (although I didn't watch this until USA started airing the reruns).
Although this show wasn't from FOX's early days (it was in 94 or 95 probably), it's probably more obscure than the older shows being mentioned in this thread. it was called What's So Funny?. Nick Bakay hosted it. I remember they advertised it for months (and all the advertisements were a clip of President Clinton standing next to Boris Yeltsin and laughing). They put it on after Married with Children (which was still popular at the time), and it bombed. I think it lasted about 2 or 3 episodes. Anyone else remember that show?
Here's the IMDB link for What's So Funny?.
[Edited by scott27 on 03-18-01 at 10:40 AM]
03-18-01, 03:32 PM
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Found it!
You were right ... well, kinda ... It was called Woops, and only 10 of the 13 episodes aired (wonder whatever happened to the other 3?) ... Here's the link to IMDB ... http://us.imdb.com/Title?0103583
03-18-01, 04:00 PM
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Great thread! The memories are flooding back.
In addition to some of the shows already mentioned, I used to watch Duet, and its spin-off, Open House, which featured a pre-out Ellen DeGeneres as a hilariously snide, sarcastic receptionist.
In addition to some of the shows already mentioned, I used to watch Duet, and its spin-off, Open House, which featured a pre-out Ellen DeGeneres as a hilariously snide, sarcastic receptionist.
03-18-01, 06:46 PM
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There was also The Edge which aired in 1992. It starred Wayne Knight, Julie Brown and Jennifer Aniston in a Saturday Night Live type skit show:
http://us.imdb.com/Details?0103407
http://us.imdb.com/Details?0103407
03-18-01, 07:19 PM
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I loved "The Edge" during its first season. Consistently funny, and the "What _________ is doing right this minute" never failed to get a laugh. Later episodes didn't hold my interest at all.