The Swiss Family Robinson
‘The Swiss Family Robinson’ first aired on April 15, 1975. It was an adventure series that lasted for one season between 1975 to 1976. The show was based on a novel by the same name and starred Martin Milner as a man who was stranded on an island along with his wife and two young children.
Sadly, due to scheduling problems, some episodes aired as many as four times, which didn’t really help keep viewers interested. The show only had 26 episodes, with the final one airing on April 4, 1976. ‘The Swiss Family Robinson’ was never renewed for a second season.
Cos
'Cos,' named after famous host Bill Cosby first aired in September 1976. Each episode was 60 minutes long, featuring sketches acted out by an ensemble cast. Despite having Cosby as the show's host as well as his name in the title, the show was unsuccessful.
The ABC comedy had one season, which only lasted for nine episodes. By the end of November 1976, the production was already canceled due to low ratings. Despite its promising premise, audiences were just not tuning in.
The Chisholms
'The Chisholms' was a western set in 1844. It followed a family's journey from Virginia to Wyoming. On their way, the family has to deal with Native Americans as well as family fights. It starred Robert Preston as a family patriarch, Rosemary Harris as his wife, and Ben Murphy as the firstborn.
Sadly, neither the exciting plot nor the talented actors could save this show. 'The Chisholms' aired on CBS from 1979 to 1980 and had a total of 13 episodes before it was finally canceled.
Amy Prentiss
'Amy Prentiss' starred Jessica Walter as the title character. The show followed Amy, a police investigator who is suddenly promoted to be Chief of Detectives after the death of the previous chief. Amy also had a teenage daughter played by the young Helen Hunt. The show was a spinoff of the show 'Ironside.'
Despite its unique premise, the show was canceled after only three episodes airing between December 1974 and February 1975. Each episode lasted two whole hours, which might have been the reason audiences had a hard time following the show.
Van Dyke & Company
Casting the beloved Dick Van Dyke to star in a show of his own seemed like a sure bet. His show had it all — comedy sketches, singing, and even dancing. It seemed like there was no way this show would ever fail. But, the show had some pretty big competitors to beat, and even Dick Van Dyke wasn't enough to do that.
The production only lasted for 12 episodes, which was unexpected with such a big star attached. Despite only airing from September to December of 1976, the show won an Emmy, but audiences just did not connect, and the show was canceled.