This week on It Was a Thing on TV

First, NBC tried spinning off one of its most successful shows from the 80s, the drama Hill Street Blues, into a comedy/drama Beverly Hills Buntz.  The first episode brought great ratings, but that was thanks to a cushy time slot.  Naturally, the audience didn't carry over after moving to a not-so-cushy time slot and the show ended with 4 episodes still in the can.

Then, daytime games in the 80s were a strength of NBC.  CBS had a stable roster of shows, though the block was only two hours compared to three at NBC.  For some reason, CBS canceled the venerable $25,000 Pyramid for this show.  This show did not live up to expectations, so much so that its replacement was the same show it replaced.

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Timestamps

0:31 - Beverly Hills Buntz (Episode 505)

36:15 - Blackout (Episode 506)