what is the weirdest show to ever be broadcast on a major u.s. broadcast network?

it can be a series, a miniseries, something that only one episode was broadcast and then canceled, a made-for-tv movie, but it has to be something that was broadcast on TV first and shown on either ABC, CBS, NBC, or FOX. no cable, no pbs, etc.

caroline in the city

obvious answer is something like twin peaks but i feel like it's got to be something that was only on for an episode or two and then canceled because it was too fucked up

or caroline in the city

The little bit of On The Air that I've seen might trump Twin Peaks in weirdness.

how about single weird episodes of largely non-weird series? i haven't seen it, but the episode of "too close for comfort" discussed here might deserve a nomination...

Does it need to be a story told comedically or dramatically, or can it be something like a music special full of avant-garde weirdness?

Never heard of it until I read the new Pynchon, but Dark Shadows sounds like a contender.

there's weird like twin peaks and then there's weird in more subtle ways perhaps? Like early Seinfeld?

it can be a special

^^^I was gonna say every single late '60s supernaturally-themed show save Bewitched and I Dream Of Jeannie.

Twin Peaks and/or Twilight Zone

Budget Saturday morning live-action superhero dramas eg. Electrowoman and Dynagirl, or Isis.

iirc Wild Palms bit Twin Peaks's steez and was even weirder

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Palms

First thing I thought of was the sitcom version of Lanford Wilson's Hot L Baltimore...but it wasn't really weird so much as standards-pushing.

some weird stuff i;ve run across while looking for other wierd stuff:

Automan - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0343386/
The Phoenix - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083464/plotsummary
Quark - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077066/plotsummary

I think I might vaguely remember Automan

the weirdest show is not going to be some touchstone that connected with a huge swath of ppl like Twin Peaks or Twilight Zone, guys. This is the internet, dig a little deeper

xxxxxxxxx-post (Suzy beat me to it!)

I assume we're going to exclude Saturday morning kids shows from this. Because that's a wellspring unto itself.

Cop Rock

^^

Yeah, Pee Wee's Playhouse is a strong contender. xxp

Cop Rock is pretty fuckin weird

I mean...any of the Krofft shows, any cartoon where they sent the cast of a traditional sitcom into space/back in time/to the army, Gary Coleman as an angel. It's harder to think of a prime time show with the tweaked sensibility of those kids shows.

Cop Rock is a good one.

I remember Automan, it was basically a Tron cash-in.

This was pretty bizarre, but also bad: Otherworld

Probably not the weirdest but still a curiosity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6D5C1C7Nso

mike white's pasadena which i think managed like four or five episodes on fox was weird not in a twin peaks way but it was quietly discomforting and pretty dark

We loved Dark Shadows as a kid, vampires in the daytime, scared the hell out of us.

And I can't believe no one has mentioned Clutch Cargo, speaking of scary....

I have to say, I loved all these shows because they were so fucking weird and great. I was not alone: there's nothing funnier than a posse of third-graders making Wonder Woman deflector bracelets out of waxed Dixie cups and pretending to deploy them in the playground.

Gotta have clips!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFnLirXjjto

How is this not terrifying to a six-year-old?

Cartoon Network has at least 7 shows that have worse animation than that

I have seen worse animation, but Clutch Cargo was famous for its creepy use of REAL HUMAN LIPS!

Because of budgetary limitations and the pressure to create television animation within a tight time frame, the show was the first to use the "Syncro-Vox" optical printing system. Syncro-Vox was invented by television cameraman, and partner in Cambria Studios, Edwin Gillette, as a means of superimposing real human mouths on the faces of animals for the popular "talking animal" commercials of the 1950s. Clutch Cargo employed the Syncro-Vox technique by superimposing live-action human lips over limited-motion animation or even motionless animation cels.

i feel like the answer has to be something FOX's reality division put on the air in the last 10 years, they've gotten away with some pretty fucked up shit

i remember for years Conan referred to his bit w/ creepy human lips speaking through photos as "clutch cargo" and i had no idea why

yah some dude i was thinking of the one where ppl are hooked up to lie detectors and forced to answer damning personal qns for money (xpost)

ive been trying to think of shows that were formally "weird" but i mostly just come up w/individual episodes of shows like seinfeld or the simpsons

My Mother the Car.

there were some episodes of magnum that had these crazy 'nam flashbacks, endless stretches of silence. probably not that weird but whenever action procedural tv does a little 'experiment' it looks crazier in context (i brought this up once in conversation and everyone assured me magnum did the 'nam flashback trick like all the time)

i really vaguely recall a very short lived comedy show/special on fox called 'the vidiots' that seemed, to my young brain, to be trying not to be funny. a little googling suggests this might have been george carlin related?? http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0362279/ i don't remember bobcat goldthwait either... probably was not that weird anyway.

"Pink Lady"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_Lady_%28television_series%29

The series starred Japanese female singing duo Pink Lady, which comprised two singers, Mitsuyo Nemoto ("Mie") and Keiko Masuda ("Kei"), and American comedian Jeff Altman. The format of the show consisted of musical numbers alternating with sketch comedy. The running gag of the series was the girls' lack of understanding of American culture and the English language (in reality, Pink Lady did not speak fluent English[1]). Jeff would then attempt to translate and explain the meaning of things which led to more confusion.[2]

The series also featured Pink Lady performing various songs (usually English-language disco and pop songs such as "Boogie Wonderland" or "Yesterday", which the duo sang in English) along with interaction with celebrity and musical guests. The group would end the show by jumping into a hot tub together. After the poorly rated series premiere, NBC moved Pink Lady to Friday nights and added Jim Varney, who achieved later fame as Ernest P. Worrell in the Ernest series of movies and television shows, as a character actor. The series was also retitled Pink Lady and Jeff, however, the move and retooling failed to help ratings and the series was canceled after five episodes.[2]

yes, there is youtube. watch it all the way through. if you can.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIOcK1B_Osw

What's Alan Watching?

Although the finale of Twin Peaks is probably the single most fuck episode ever shown on a major u.s. broadcast network.

Nova

Herman's Head?

i vote for the american broadcast of the xuxa show. only lasted 4 or 5 episodes (i think). pure insanity.

http://www.corianton.com/tullyblog/uploaded_images/TRIBECA-767389.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Au3CEZMd24

gong show

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5j2A0UIqwo&feature=related

In Search Of did my head in so many times as a grade-schooler. Such a dirt-common show concept now, but at the time it just radiated dark energy. I am still scared of waking up and seeing OMG Bigfoot at the end of my bed.

Oh, I don't think I knew that there was a Shields and Yarnell show proper. I think I thought they were just frequent variety show guests or something. But I imagine that show would qualify, for sure.

We loved Dark Shadows as a kid, vampires in the daytime, scared the hell out of us.

OTM. I watched every single day, from behind the couch.

gong show

also OTM

Nova

"no cable, no pbs"

wiki sez Shields and Yarnell had their own show during '77-'78.

i never missed shields & yarnell show when it was on! i loved them. also a big mummenschanz fan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eazq_8jCOg

The mere existence of A Film By Kirk elevates Gilmore Girls into the top 3 easily.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0bwQzUmo78

why were they being so mean to her?

― Philip Nunez, Tuesday, August 18, 2009 9:13 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark

her essay wins a contest looking for America's Typical Consumer Housewife, and she winds up on the David Susskind Show

Reading through, lots of good suggestions. All the picks for shows with weird premises got me thinking; there's a big problem though, because there are so many TV shows that have weird, zany, or surreal in their premises but once the show starts and it's established that kooky context it really kind of settles into homogeneous TV BS for the most part.

okay, i checked, the paulist press sells videos of insight episodes. 25 bucks! sheesh, greedy bastards. the videos are probably 30 years old:

God in the Dock: In a class action suit, God is placed on trial for all the pain, injustice, and misery suffered by mankind. The results are surprising. The Long Road Home: Filled with self doubt, James Conklin panics and walks out on his fiancée the night before their wedding. A witty yet penetrating, treatment of fidelity God's and ours. Missing Person's Bureau: A Vietnam veteran returns home to face a tragedy of his son's death and his wife's infidelity. Furious at his misfortunes, he tries to locate God at a Missing Person's Bureau; there he discovers that forgiveness is the key to knowing that God has always been with him.

I remember watching the very first episode of MHMH back when -- I think it was the first -- and things are getting more and more heated as Mary's grandpa is revealed as the Fernwood Flasher, and the whole family goes to the police station to bail him out, and Mary has this increasingly hysterical speech, trying to take control of the situation, that ends up with her telling the family "...and we are ALL...GOING...to the INTERNATIONAL...HOUSE...of PANCAKES!" [CUT TO BLACK; CREDITS]

the show was actually on into the 80's, but those old 70's ones scared the hell out of me. some of them were so bleak. just people raging against god for half an hour.

haha Rajskub looking mad as ever. (re: gilmore girls fake arty short)

mary hartman used to confuse the hell out of me as a kid.

between all the insane 70's t.v. movies, edith bunker getting raped, and starsky & hutch dead hooker episodes, it's no wonder i'm so fucked up.

"why were they being so mean to her?
her essay wins a contest looking for America's Typical Consumer Housewife, and she winds up on the David Susskind Show"

is it the nature of this show that there is no further explanation to be had?

just to refresh y'all's memories:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0CGzPaJUOE

After having watched that Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman clip, I'm not so impressed by Twin Peaks anymore. That's some next level stuff.

is it the nature of this show that there is no further explanation to be had?

the basic idea of the show was very much like Twin Peaks, it's shot like a really tedious, silly soap opera that takes _forever_ to get to its resolutions, but as opposed to soap operas, truly unsettling things are happening, family next door getting mass murdered, husband impotent or bringing home VD, perversions in the family, friends getting crippled or your friend's husband accidentally overdosing on sleeping pills & jack daniels, and then the punchline is like a 15 second silent reaction shot of Mary Hartman spacing out or being preoccupied with consumer products

I'm curious as to how much of the DVDs I'm going to be able to watch, back then it could have gone down like an antidote but now it seems like that much more of a nightmare

that MHMH clip would be a hell of a lot more groundbreaking if it hadn't been pre-enacted by Gena Rowlands in about 4 Cassavettes movies.

None of which showed up on tv 5 days a week throughout the late 70s.

why is Mary dressed like a little girl...?

xpost Shasta's point well taken, but indeed

http://www.geocities.com/mhartmanmhartman2/people01.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/mhartmanmhartman/index.html

boston public tops all this shit

how is it you are not banned yet

To be fair, Shatner dry-humping a mannequin of Candace Bergen is pretty out-there TV.

surely all these ppl going on about twin peaks for 100 posts are trolling more than i am

the last episode of the Prisoner is some pretty weird stuff, ditto almost the entire run of the Avengers; I know these came out of the UK but they did run on networks in the US.

Too many choices. Most US network tv is deeply, deeply disturbing. We just don't notice it because it is so normal.

"why were they being so mean to her?
her essay wins a contest looking for America's Typical Consumer Housewife, and she winds up on the David Susskind Show"

why is Mary dressed like a little girl...?

Especially out of context, that clip reminds me so much of Inland Empire and Mullholland Drive, except that it's meta about TV instead of film. But the whole thing feels like a bad dream, how she has a different level of realism than the characters around her, and she's saying "You're assuming these things about me because you're seeing fragments of my life with commercials in between."

Would love to ask David Lynch and Todd Haynes if the show influenced them.

Chuck Barris ftw.

The Gong Show or $1.98 Beauty Show are bizarre inversions of the showbiz biz.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUkzIx382mM

That's entertainment!

that MHMH clip would be a hell of a lot more groundbreaking if it hadn't been pre-enacted by Gena Rowlands in about 4 Cassavettes movies.

...seen by 4 people who weren't enrolled in the Actors' Studio.

MHMH may be the best combo of good and weird, but it's not the weirdest.

scott, that was only attempted rape on Edith Bunker. Maybe your trauma was induced by the laughter of the studio audience during that scene?

this thread makes me glad the weirdest TV show I've ever watched was The Tick

What about this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Headroom_broadcast_signal_intrusion_incident

OK it isnt technically a proper show but BY GOD IS IT CREEPY :|

no but there was an actual Max Headroom show

Of which I'm quite well aware =)

Dunno if I'dve called it weird though. They showed some awesome video clips! Movie was a bit rub though.

For your consideration: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_wars_holiday_special

there was a one-hour drama series though which is what they're talking about (aside from the max headroom 'interview' show), which was pretty weird for network television. (xpost). for some reason it's never been out on dvd.

Oh yes I'd forgotten about that.

xxpost: Aw, fuggit. Too slow.

Tracye, I think you're thinking of The Max Headroom Show. I believe Granny is referring to Max Headroom, which is a different show altogether.

while reading up on this I ran across a mention of Muppet Babies, which is surely one of the weirder cartoons I've ever seen.

sledgehammer (american tv program, not the peter gabriel song or the tool)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkdL1pIae7U

get a life was the weirdest show I'd ever seen when I was 9 and it's still the only show I can think of where the main character dies at the end of almost every episode.

ha i remember watching sledgehammer

Concert footage notwithstanding, I'm going to vote for Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park, which I watched on broadcast television with my extremely indulgent grandparents:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4-znGuyYb8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6lOXYTrtrg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83IXGaSpWaE

Madame always freaked me out.

OH MY GOD YES TO MADAME.

doogie howser MD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axDN3kIQZ74

wtf was up w/ Mr. Floppy? I could never watch more than 5 mins of 'Unhappily Ever After' to find out

^painful

Sammy (Davis Jr) & Company

Sammy's guests are Dr. Joyce Brothers and game-show hosts, Monty Hall, Peter Marshall and Bob Eubanks. Highlights: Sammy sings "Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead

Sammy's guests are Anthony Newley, Robert Klein, Carmen McRae and Donald Rumsfeld, Assistant to the President. Highlights: Sammy and Anthony do a medley, which includes "Good Old Bad Old Days," "What Kind of Fool Am I" and "Candy Man."

Sammy's guests are Willie Mays, Leo Durocher, Jose Feliciano and Lorna Luft.

Sammy's guests are Lucille Ball, Freddie Prinze, Chuck Berry and Maya Angelou.

there's no way public access TV counts for this right?

hmm, I thought public access TV might have been broadcasted on PBS - guess not

sammy & co was probably syndicated rather than network. if local/regional counts JOE FRANKLIN pwns