PIONEERS OF TELEVISION | Tim Conway on "Turn On" | PBS

[krystlerita]

This reminds me of something

Remember the infamous "lost" footage of NBC anchor Jessica Savitch's "meltdown"? Reportedly NBC destroyed every copy

Who knows, maybe Schlatter could find some way of releasing the unseen shows on DVD? It would be interesting to see how the show holds up today

I doubt, given how censorship has changed over the years, it would be very shocking to most modern audiences

[TheNEWfilmfanatic99]

where can I actually see a clip?

I live in Australia so I won't be passing by the museum of television any time soon.

[TheElectricDreamer93]

@TheNEWfilmfanatic99 - I believe there's a 40 second clip of the unaired 2nd episode floating around here. Besides that, I'm having a hard time finding any trace of the show (or the first episode) anywhere.

[HolyCowNYC]

Saw it in Sacramento, the night it aired. My parents were mortified. I thought it was like Frank Zappa & The Beatles having a TV show. The greatest!!!

[sledgeinc2]

Wiki has an interesting article on the show, including a list of many of the gags used in that first episode. I'm sure there's a copy of the show running around somewhere on the internet.

[WaiLoungChan]

Could anyone send/upload a link to the footage?

[garytvfan]

The book "The 50 Worst TV Shows of All Time" goes into depth about this show. They describe it in detail, so it must exist. It would be great to see for history's sake.

[Jayday12345678910]

i wanna see it

[alienshinobi84]

does any footage of this show even exist?

[MadameLil]

Remember Rosie O'Donnell's recent flop variety show? I'm surprised it didn't get the same treatment as Turn-On, it was JUST AS BAD!!!!

[143AC]

I've seen "Turn On!"when it aired on WABC TV Ch.7 in

NYC..40 years ago. It didn't seem offensive to me..but for some network

execs it was and it was quickly cancelled.

[godard4]

It was in bad taste, and it was really poorly done as well. Many shows have cribbed the style and ideas since (from Monty Python to Tim & Eric), but executed them better. It's available for viewing at the Museum of TV & Radio in NYC. Funniest part is the headache medicine ads in-between.

[PowerGlove79]

I saw "Turn On" at the museum of television in Beverly Hills I believe, and I know exactly what commercial you are talking about, the one that advertises that the headache medicine also has an anti-depressant in it, lol, that made me laugh.

[tlyoung88]

It's been a while since I've been there. But it's out of the way for me. Hopefully someone will upload it.

[freakhyena]

is it just me or does this show sound like the modern, uber popular show Robot Chicken? if so then it definitely was, "ahead of it's time."

[ftsjr]

I remember, as an 11 year old, the promos that I'd been seeing for the show. My dad put it on. I watched the first couple of minutes, but then, being only 11, I went off to do something else. It was ABC's answer to Laugh-in. I would LOVE to see the show now. I guess only time will tell if I'll ever get the opportunity.

[fromthesidelines]

George Schlatter, the producer of "TURN-ON", owns the videotapes of the series [including the unaired episodes]; he's commented on it from time to time, but has done nothing with those tapes. The show was telecast just once, on Wednesday, February 5, 1969, at 8:30pm(et) on ABC...it was primary sponsor Bristol-Myers' reaction to the show that factored in the network's decision to drop it after one airing.

[BritCanuck]

I doubt it. It was reportedly in such bad taste that I don't think any network, bar perhaps HBO or Showtime, would touch it today. Search for the show on Wikipedia, and you'll get a list of the sketches featured on the show. Quite shocking for the 1960's, but HBO and Showtime could probably get away with it today under a "TV-MA" (TV-Mature) rating.

[blachubear]

Yeah I think HBO/Showtime or even Comedy Central should play it or Schlatter should released it on DVD. As for bad taste, have you seen "Little Britain"? Some of the sketches are good but then it shows outrageous sketches like A grown man getting breast fed by his over 60 year old mother, another sketch where a person vomits and another sketch is where two men in a fat woman body suit alking around naked. So "Turn On" really must have been ahead of it's time and was the original "Little Britain"

[pbuzby2008]

Thanks. I don't suppose there's a chance we'll see excerpts of the infamous "Turn On" show itself on here, is there?