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The Famous TV Show That ABC Cancelled During its First Episode

Did you know a major ABC comedy show was rejected by some stations before the full country even saw it? Did you know one affiliate replaced the rest of the episode with a black screen and organ music? This video looks back at the bizarre story of Turn-On, the experimental sketch comedy series that became one of the fastest disasters in television history. ▬Contents of this video▬ 00:00 - Intro 01:07 - Laugh-In Fever 02:26 - Computer Comedy 03:38 - Cleveland Cuts Out 05:00 - The Revolt Spreads 06:20 - ABC Hits the Switch 07:26 - The Myth Remains 08:51 - Outro Want to see more awesome Facts Verse videos? Click here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkXAntdjbcSK-Izojggb8HJU_v-JoKPth Like this content? Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/factsverse?sub_confirmation=1 Or, watch more videos here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkXAntdjbcSJlJnpP4FgdU0swKbnkNgJj Premiering on February 5, 1969, Turn-On arrived with big creative names behind it and a very strange concept. It came from the world of Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, featured Tim Conway as the first guest host, and promised viewers a futuristic comedy show supposedly generated by a computer. Instead of a normal set, a friendly host, or a laugh track, viewers got white space, rapid edits, electronic sounds, split-screen gags, and a heavy dose of risqué humor. The result was immediate chaos. In Cleveland, WEWS-TV refused to return to the show after the first commercial break. Other affiliates became nervous, and several western stations chose not to air it at all. Within days, ABC had pulled the program from its schedule. A planned second episode with Robert Culp and France Nuyen never reached viewers, and the network quickly moved on to safer programming. But the story of Turn-On is not just about a bad TV show. It is about timing, taste, network nerves, local station power, and the question of how far comedy can go before audiences stop laughing. Some later viewers have seen flashes of future television in its strange format. Others see a show that confused shock with comedy. Either way, Turn-On remains one of the strangest nights ABC ever had. The Famous TV Show That ABC Cancelled During its First Episode