Top 10 Worst TV Network Decisions

Not to be outdone, the following is a transcript from an ABC executive meeting:



Executive #1: "Boy we're not doing so well with our programming, are we?"



Executive #2: "No we're certainly not. We need to do something quick."



Executive #1: "Hey, have you seen those Geico commercials with the weird looking men getting offended? What are they called?"



Executive #2: "You mean Cavemen?"



Executive #1: "Yeah, that's it! Boy wouldn't it be great to have a show with those guys? I mean they're f**king cavemen that can talk!"



And so it was that ABC decided to air a show that centered around talking cavemen. It didn't last long.

Not to be outdone, the following is a transcript from an NBC executive meeting:

Executive #1: "Boy we're not doing so well with our programming, are we?"

Executive #2: "No, we're certainly not. We need to do something quick."

Executive #1: "Hey, remember how we used to have a popular show about a talking car?"

Executive #2: "You mean Knight Rider?"

Executive #1: "Yeah, that's it! Boy, wouldn't it be great to have a show like that again? I mean it was a f**king car that talks!"

And so it was that ALL THREE OF THE MAJOR NETWORKS made idiotic shows about s**t that shouldn't talk but does. NBC did it last.

Anthony Zuicker pitched CSI, currently one of the most regularly watched and loved shows on television, to ABC. Due to budgetary reasons, they weren't willing to take the chance, so they passed on it. CSI has made CBS networks over $5.8 billion and has made Anthony Zuicker, creator, so rich that he's even named his production company "Dare to Pass" Productions.

"If you pass on a project it may end up somewhere else. I'm daring them to pass."

- Anthony Zuicker

From a business perspective, this got them a lot of viewers. But for society? It was a horrible, horrible decision. We are this much closer to living The Running Man, people.

For the uninitiated, the show would strap contestants to a lie detector and ask them increasingly personal and life-destroying true and false questions in front of their friends and family. The show wasn't particularly spectacular except for one episode. It was an episode so controversial that they considered not showing it. They showed it.

A man is forced to ask his wife if she's slept with any other men while they've been married and if she's still in love with her ex-boyfriend...the answers were yes. The show broke up an entire marriage.

...and other shows like Firefly, Arrested Development, etc., that were not given enough of a chance. Every year a certain fan base will have a show cancelled that they ardently love, but no one else ever watched."Freaks and Geeks" was the best of them and could have been a classic television show for years. Instead, it was cancelled after just one season when the show was just hitting its stride.



The show's then little known producer went on to create another one-season television show called "Undeclared." After all these "failures" one would think Judd Apatow would just have given up. He didn't give up, though, and instead went on to become the current King of the World producing some of the last decade's biggest movie comedies.



Sure, it was a cult show, but it's becoming commonly known Apatow's first effort. Just think what could have happened if NBC had kept the show around, taken the chance on Apatow and gotten Apatow's power all to themselves.



Thanks again, NBC. Way to be the new Fox.



*NOTE* This list was made with the intention of NOT adding NBC's Killing of Conan's Tonight Show to the roster of shows that were not given enough of a chance. NBC, please don't destroy the biggest staple in late night television. Please show your support by posting "WE LOVE CONAN!" or "I'M WITH COCO!" below.



Also, here's a link to the I'M WITH COCO badge for your various profiles online: http://www.sirmikeofmitchell.com/imwithcoco