In the Beginning
Norman Lear became famous after producing hit TV shows like ‘All in the Family’ and ‘The Jefferson’s Fame.’ Unfortunately, he didn’t have the same success as a producer for ‘In the Beginning.’ It was a controversial show about a very conservative priest and a liberal nun, and out of 9 produced episodes, only five were ever aired.
The priest, played by McLean Stevenson, had a very odd relationship with Sister Agnes, portrayed by Priscilla Lopez. Despite their conversations being quite entertaining, the comedy wasn’t enough to keep viewers’ attention. Barely a month after it was released, CBS pulled it off the air.
The Ernest Angley Hour
Ernest Angley is an American Christian pastor and televangelist that had a one-hour weekly show back in the '70s, called 'The Ernest Angley Hour.' Although it had a decent beginning, things started to take a wrong turn when Angley was accused of leading a cult and being abusive to its members.
Angley claimed that he could heal any ailment by simply placing his hand on a person's forehead. But not many people believed it anymore once he was accused of inappropriate behavior and harassment. Finally, in 1996, Angley confessed to an assistant that he had had physical relations with a man that worked for his church in Ohio. Ironic since Angley was openly vocal about t homosexuality being the greatest sin known to man.
Who's Watching the Kids?
Wanting to create a series based on the personal and professional lives of two Vegas showgirls, famous producer Gary Marshall just didn't make the cut with his 1978 show, 'Who's Watching the Kids?'. As you can probably guess by the title, the series was about two Vegas performers that tried their best to handle work and family responsibilities.
Linda Goodfriend and Caren Kaye lived together in a small Las Vegas apartment and worked in the same club. Their co-stars, Jim Belushi and Scott Baio, added a comedy factor to the show. However, none of this was enough to keep the show running; viewers were not very impressed by the story, and NBC pulled it off the air after only eleven episodes.
Struck by Lightning
CBS released 'Struck by Lightning' in September 1979 and canceled it one month later. The series' plot was inspired by the Frankenstein story, and it followed Jeffrey Kramer, who played a science teacher that inherits an old, creepy-looking Victorian Inn. Right before selling it, Kramer discovers that Frank, the Inn's handyman, is actually Frankenstein's monster.
Out of the eleven episodes produced, only 3 were aired since American audiences heavily disliked the show. In England, however, it was slightly more successful, with all eleven episodes being aired in 1980.
The Immortal
An ABC drama series from 1970, 'The Immortal' starred a handsome Christopher George as a hunky race car driver called Ben Richards. The reason why Richards looked 20 while being 42 was that he had a special type of blood that made him impervious to aging. Unfortunately, that changes after he donates blood to save his older and wealthy employer, who decides to use Richards as a "fountain of youth" once he realizes the young man's power.
The series lasted 15 episodes, and even though it evolved into a more thrilling cat-and-mouse game played by Richards and the wealthy man's bounty hunter, the show still wasn't good enough to keep it from being canceled. It was pulled off the air in January 1971.