h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This developed from one of those down-the-pub conversations people tend to have. We were discussing bad TV from a few years ago and the conversation got on to One Series TV.

In the UK, most sitcoms and TV series are given at least two series to "find ground". If the first series flops, a second series is usually commissioned in the hope it might have better ratings. Often, a first series will pick up good press and so get better ratings in it's second series and continue.

However, there have been some shows that have never made it past the first series in the UK.

Recent examples would include:

"Wired" - a really, really rubbish Scottish sketch-show on BBC2 a couple of years back. I still can't think why anyone commissioned a series for it in the first place.

"Glam Metal Detectives" - a sketch show from 1995, also on BBC2. Spawned a top 40 single and got discussed quite a bit at the College I was at at the time, but never spawned a second series. It wasn't particularly good, but worse has been recommissioned.

I think there was a sitcom called "Laura and Disorder" on TV a few years before these two. I remember it only because it was torn to pieces by viewers wrinting into "Points of View". It must have lasted one series.

Can anyone out there think of more. There must have been some drama series that similarly went "belly up".

Zagreb

Hardwick House never made it past the first episode! It was cancelled after the first showing, and the rest of the series was never shown.

Filthy Rich and Catflap also only got one series. Which I expect was because although it was great, it didn't get enough ratings.

I pray that another series of the BBCs My Family with Jasper Carrot is never created. Ok I can see the 'let's bring disabled children into primetime television' angle but that appeared to be at the expense of any form of entertainment value. The programme was complete *bit of self moderation* rubbish.

I wonder if the test audience were made to feel too uncomfortable to say "I think it's a load of old poop"?

Shame on whoever produced it and a BIG SHAME on the schdulers who couldn't put it on at a better slot, 4am - after the good stuff has finished and just before kibadi (sp?).

Liam.

On BBC2, The High Life - a sitcom about a couple of camp Scottish airline stewards, a bitchy Scottish stewardess, and an English pilot who thought he was Mr Spock. It might have run to two series, and it was funny as hell. Siobhan Redmond, Alan Cumming, Forbes Masson, Patrick Ryecart. Never understand why it was cancelled

And then there was Nightingales on Channel 4 - a very surreal sitcom with Robert Lindsay, James Ellis, and David Threlfall, about three nightwatchmen in an office block. In one episode, David Threlfall's character came to work and let on that he'd raped a horse Definately did run to two series.

But most of all - Big Jim and The Figaro Club from the BBC in the early or mid eighties. A sitcom about a gang of council workers, set not long after the war, with Norman Rossington, Sylvester McCoy, Gordon Rollings, Tony Robinson, and if I remember rightly, Bob Hoskins doing the narration at the beginning and end of each episode. That one was quality.

I think Minipops back in the early days of Channel 4 must go down as one of the more misguided series commissioned.

On the face of it, it must have seemed such a good idea. Lets have little kids dress up as pop stars and mime and dance to the latest chart hits. Lots of synergies there as its kids who buy the records, we can use the show to promote the singles. The kids will cool to other kids and the show will be a rip roaring success etc etc etc.

They forgot to factor in the attractiveness of say, a 10 year old doing a Madonna impression to, how shall I say, "older" viewers. Ooops!

The show was pulled pretty quickly, and never to be seen again.

I remember The High Life ("Oooooooh, deary me!"). Some of my college friends kept doing that catchphrase, which was very annoying! . I think it was on around summer 1995, about the same time as Glam Metal Detectives.

Nightingales I remember too. I think it went to two series. It's one of those short-lived shows that is still well-remembered.

The High Life - I saw the other post with the name in but I couldn't remember the catchphrase!

Current catchphrase in the pub: 'Oooooohhh new shoes?!' In faux German accent and very loudly - from the clarkes shoes advert.

Liam.

What I've seen of "My Family" was pretty bad. Hopefully, it'll only get the one series. Another recent "comedy" that I hope doesn't get recommissioned is "Snoddy" a woeful police sitcom starring Gregor Fisher. I think it was only shown in Scotland. The jokes were also out of date. It was shown earlier this year and there was a joke involving Virtual Reality for goodness sakes!!!!

I've never heard of Hardwick House but I'm intrigued by a show that never made it past the first episode. Why was this, can someone elaborate?

*whispers*

...Anyone remember Eldorado...?

There was a pilot for a show called 'combat sheep' on TV a while ago. I thought it was cool, but I never saw it again. Basic idea was that there was a bunch of ex-army vigilante sheep puppets. It's funny what never becomes popular.

It's still shown on UK Gold or one of those channels that shows *wait for it* Crossing Over with John Edwards* *shudder*.

It's good to watch while drunk though - John Edwards and Eldorado.

Liam.

Even worse than Eldorado (as if that were possible)...
Triangle...

Someones misguided attempt to produce a Dallas like soap on a North Sea Ferry.
Is my TV on the blink? No, the actors really are all a lovely shade of green

Wooohooooo!

Evidence that I didn't dream Nightingales - not available on video, alas. Can anyone remember if it's the BBC I should petition, or another channel?


"There's nobody here but us chickens!"

Otto

I *think* Nightingales was Channel 4. Definitely very good for a late-night slot. Probably too weird for a sober showing earlier in the evening.

I thought 'Mr Don & Mr George' was fairly funny, but maybe as a spin-off of characters from a sketch show there was a limited stock of material to use, (and then the people went on to other things anyway).

I love this thread...

Mr Don and Mr George... wow....

"Get to Falkirk!"

"No wasps"

"You may run, but you can't hide your legs"

Otto.

Sitcom geek.

I'm pretty sure Nightingales was on Channel 4.

I'd forgotten about Mr Don and Mr George I remember them being on Absolutely (quality Scottish sketch show predating Chewin' the Fat).

Combat Sheep?

That's reminded me - didn't Eddie Izzard write a sitcom about a family of cows that was very short-lived? I seem to remember that it was pretty terrible.

I'm going to contradict an italic here. Sorry Linda!

Hardwicke House was a school based comedy and actually ran for 2 episodes in 1987, shown on two separate nights in the same week. The first was a 1 hour opener and the second was the first of 6 30 minute episodes. I saw both and they were hilarious! I was in a good position to judge, after all.

Roy Kinnear was a drunk headmaster in charge of a school. Other cast members were names from British comedy such as Roger Sloman, Pam Ferris, Duncan Preston, Liz Fraser and Tony Haygarth. Episodes filmed but not shown included Comedy Strip regulars Kevin Allen, Rik Mayall and Ade Edmonson.

It was shown in what would now be considered as the pre watershed time and therefore the language and the perhaps more adult oriented humour was what caused offence. It was accused of being in very bad taste, with scenes that were nothing like those found in any British school. Once the tabloid papers had worked themselves into a frenzy there were demands for the programme to be pulled, and it was.

There was talk of the remaining tapes of the other 5, 30 minute, episodes being wiped although they may survive somewhere. The third episode featured Rik and Ade as former pupils who have returned from Borstal.
Roy Kinnear never made another sitcom.
I still teach.