Launched in 2003, Television Obscurities is dedicated to the study and preservation of the forgotten history of television in the United States. For the past 15 years, I’ve researched, watched, and written about short-lived TV shows, unsold pilot episodes, fall preview specials, network image campaigns, and so much more. Check out my blog, follow me on Twitter, and contact me with any questions.
Articles
Enjoy more than 80 articles covering a variety of topics, from short-lived TV shows like The New People and The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. to untold stories about the TV networks and the TV industry.
Spotlight
Each Spotlight focuses on either a short-lived TV show like The Second Hundred Years and Struck By Lightning or an unsold pilot like “Men Against Evil” (1966) and “The Karen Valentine Program” (1974).
Exhibits
Browse early program guides from the 1940s, watch vintage sponsor spots for Marlboro Cigarettes or Breck Shampoo, read a promotional booklet for an unsold dramatic anthology, and more.
TV’s Lost & Found
Sadly, much of our television history no longer exists. Many early, live broadcasts were never recorded. Others that were recorded (on film or videotape) were later destroyed, erased, or misplaced. The search for lost and missing television never ends.
Blog
Sony Crackle to Stream Unaired FOX Sitcom Us & Them Beginning October 1st
On October 1st, Sony Crackle will begin streaming the seven completed episodes of FOX’s unaired sitcom Us & Them, starring Jason Ritter and Alexis Bledel, from the 2013-14 TV season.
90th Anniversary of The Queen’s Messenger
“The Queen’s Messenger,” the first television drama, celebrates its 90th anniversary in 2018. It aired in 1928 on an experiemental TV station in Schenectady, NY.
70th Anniversary of Girl About Town
Early NBC musical-variety series Girl About Town, hosted by Kyle MacDonnell, celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2018. No episodes survive.