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.
Blog
Decades Airing When Things Were Rotten and Ferris Bueller
Diginet Decades starts airing short-lived sitcoms When Things Were Rotten (ABC, 1975) and Ferris Bueller (NBC, 1990; 1991) on Monday, August 19th, 2019.
A Year in TV Guide: August 19th, 1989
This week’s installment of A Year in TV Guide: 1989 tackles the August 19th, 1989 issue, which includes articles about Edie McClurg and Ilene Graff.
ABC News Closeup: Danger in Sports Promo
Watch a promotional spot for “Danger in Sports: Paying the Price,” an October 1974 installment of ABC News Closeup.
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.