I read this and found it pretty interesting...Check out the following shows that started as summer season shows only to do so well they were moved to regular scheduled programs:
SEINFELDPREMIERED May 31, 1990THE SCOOP Note to current and future network TV execs: Sometimes it pays to bet on an oddball. Of course, this particular bet took a while to pay off. NBC aired comedian Jerry Seinfeld's sitcom pilot — titled The Seinfeld Chronicles — as a one-time special in the summer of 1989, then gave the series a mere four airings in 1990. That tiny investment of airtime paid off big. Seinfeld not only went on to become a cornerstone of NBC's must-see Thursday lineup, but it also left a lasting mark on the pop-culture lexicon, introducing the world to such Seinfeld-ian terms as sponge-worthy, puffy shirt, ''serenity now,'' the manssiere, Sack Lunch, and, of course, yadda, yadda, yadda. —Michael Slezak
SEX AND THE CITYPREMIERED June 6, 1998THE SCOOP What better time for a little Sex talk than when mercury levels — and hemlines — are rising? Based on Candace Bushnell's best-selling book, Sex and the City chronicled the amorous exploits of four thirtysomething gal pals living and loving in New York City. The HBO series was lauded for its refreshingly frank (read: graphic) portrayal of women's sex lives, garnering seven Emmy wins during its six-year run. With all of the buzz surrounding the summer's silver screen version, it's obvious we haven't had our fill of Sex just yet. —Amy Wilkinson
ENTOURAGEPREMIERED July 18, 2004THE SCOOP Just a few months after HBO ended its era of expensive shoes and gratuitous sex in the Big Apple, the network revamped a winning ratings recipe and found success with four dudes in L.A. Entourage not only gave the Y chromosomes something to clink their Coronas to, but with dreamy rising star Adrien Grenier and hilarious Jeremy Piven, it became a show catchier than Usher's ''Yeah.'' —Lisa Raphael
SURVIVORPREMIERED May 31, 2000THE SCOOP Arriving at the end of the 1999-2000 TV season — and the beginning of America's reality TV explosion — CBS' version of the Dutch castaway contest proved to be unlike anything on U.S. airwaves and, as a result, became an out-of-the-box ratings smash. These days, Survivor still resides near the top of the ratings heap, but for delectable strategy (winner Richard Hatch, pictured, creating an alliance of four that blindsided his remaining tribemates) and pure unvarnished emotion (fourth-place finisher Susan Hawk's venomous ''snake-rat'' jury diatribe), season 1 remains in a league of its own. —Michael Slezak
AMERICAN IDOLPREMIERED June 1, 2001THE SCOOP Fox solidified its reputation for successfully courting young viewers on summer vacation by importing England's Pop Idol, along with acerbic judge Simon Cowell. American audiences flocked to their sets to experience the shock (and delight) of watching deluded wannabes get smacked down by Cowell's withering criticism. And they stuck around to witness the birth of a superstar — future Grammy winner Kelly Clarkson (pictured). Today, Idol's addictive feel-bad-feel-good formula is the undisputed champ in the TV ratings. —Michael Slezak
MELROSE PLACEPREMIERED July 8, 1992THE SCOOP Who says folks won't stay home to watch a steamy soap opera in balmy weather? Back in 1991, Fox ran fresh summer episodes of its fledgling drama Beverly Hills, 90210, solidifying the show's hit status in the process. The following year, the network tried the same strategy with a spin-off sudser, Melrose Place, and lightning struck twice: The Aaron Spelling production would go on to push the boundaries of prime-time camp for a full seven seasons, particularly with the later (and inspired) casting additions of Heather Locklear and Marcia Cross. —Michael Slezak
AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODELPREMIERED May 20, 2003THE SCOOP Back when Tyra Banks was more supermodel and less Oprah-lite, she launched a surprisingly as-of-yet-unexplored reality show formula: Add 10 aspiring models to one house, throw in several torturous photo shoots (hello outdoor winter bikini shoot!), and subtract dignity to find out WHO will become America's. Next. Top. Model. Today, ANTM remains one of our guiltiest pleasures. What can we say? It makes us smile with our eyes. —Kate Ward
NORTHERN EXPOSUREPREMIERED July 12, 1990THE SCOOP What better cure for the summertime blues than a trip to the snowy confines of small-town Alaska? Perhaps that was the thinking behind CBS' decision to give a July premiere to Northern Exposure, a quirky hour-long comedy about a big-city doctor (Rob Morrow) who is tricked into practicing medicine in the character-filled town of Cicely. Northern Exposure would go on to rank in the top 15 shows for three seasons, from 1991 to 1994. The show's creators tried to put a spin on the same formula with 1992's Going to Extremes (big-city medical students attend a school in the Caribbean), but that one left viewers cold. —Michael Slezak
To see the complete list click below:
http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20281399_20281424_1200145,00.html
Tuesday, June 2
Summer Shows?!?!?!
Posted by Sarah Beth at 6/02/2009
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