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
UCLA Film & Television Archive to Stream “The Screaming Skull” with David McCallum on October 22
The UCLA Film & Television Archive will stream “The Screaming Skull,” a February 1973 installment of ABC’s Wide World of Entertainment starring David McCallum, on October 22nd.
2020 TV Guide Fall Preview Issue on Sale Today
The 2020 Fall Preview issue of TV Guide Magazine went on sale today. Are you a subscriber? Do you collect Fall Preview issues?
Streaming Guide Update – September 2020
I’ve updated my Streaming Guide to Short-Lived & Forgotten TV Shows. It covers nine streaming services, including Amazon Prime, Hulu, Netflix, and more.
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.