Why Did ABC Pick Up Diff'rent Strokes When NBC Axed It? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

JamesG · 05-13-2008, 11:29 PM

NBC axed Diff'rent Stroke due to low ratings. ABC then picked up the show for a few more months until the show was gone for good. Why exactly did they pick it up? Was it a last gasp to try to revive it? Was it due to fan reaction and pressure to keep it on?

west01 · 05-14-2008, 11:17 AM

I just noticed a similarity to Scrubs. It was on NBC for 7 years before going to ABC for its 8th and final season.
ABC felt asif they could revive DS.

TeeVeeCloset · 05-15-2008, 10:49 AM

Just as Taxi was picked up by NBC for its last season I believe...anyway...Diff'rent Strokes...."jumped the shark" when Drummond married Maggie and that awful kid was added to cuten it up ala, Robbie Rist (The Brady Bunch) & Ricky Segal (The Partridge Family), only problem lets face it "DIff'rent Strokes" was horrible when NBC dumped it, so ABC must have been pretty desperate to pick it up!

TVFactFan · 05-15-2008, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TeeVeeCloset

Just as Taxi was picked up by NBC for its last season I believe...anyway...Diff'rent Strokes...."jumped the shark" when Drummond married Maggie and that awful kid was added to cuten it up ala, Robbie Rist (The Brady Bunch) & Ricky Segal (The Partridge Family), only problem lets face it "DIff'rent Strokes" was horrible when NBC dumped it, so ABC must have been pretty desperate to pick it up!

The show was always watchable as long as gary coleman was on there, it just wasn't as strong as previous years

Pavan · 05-15-2008, 02:43 PM

ABC picked it up so they could start a Friday comedy block. Joining such comedies as Benson and Webster. Mr. Belvedere was entering its first full season too after launching the previous season in mid-season.

Three's a Crowd was set to come back for a second season, but ABC went and picked up Diff'rent Strokes instead.

OnTheMarkTexas · 05-15-2008, 02:45 PM

With this being the 1985-86 season, from what I recall, NBC was the top rated network. I think ABC figured they had nothing to lose by picking up a show that NBC cancelled in hopes it would give them some new viewers.

After all, why shouldn't NBC's loss be ABC's gain?

This was a good 5 or 6 years before ABC came up with its "TGIF" night of programming, so at this point, I'm sure they were desperate for any new viewers.

And you can tell that ABC attempted to make a go of it -- the updated the sets, the theme song, etc. They definately had hope riding on the series.

oz615 · 05-15-2008, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnTheMarkTexas

And you can tell that ABC attempted to make a go of it -- the updated the sets, the theme song, etc. They definately had hope riding on the series.

Well actually ABC kinda have no choice as far the the theme music and maybe the set according to IMDB,because NBC had the copyrights to the original theme and maybe the set.

willjarmon · 05-15-2008, 03:09 PM

Like on the NBC movie Willie Coleman went to ABC personally to get the show back on the air after a conversation with the folks at Tandem a deal was made and because of different rights and clearences the set and theme were changed even Arnold's bedroom was changed

There was suppose to be a 9th season but was cancelled during a rehersal for what was to be the premire

oz615 · 05-15-2008, 03:15 PM

Quote:

There was suppose to be a 9th season but was cancelled during a rehersal for what was to be the premire

Wow,that kinda explains the lackluster ABC finale.

stevea · 05-15-2008, 03:38 PM

Why was Dixie Carter replaced? Did she go on to other things (I don't really remember when Des. Women started) or did Tandem or ABC want a different person in the role?

Jude The Obscure · 05-15-2008, 04:32 PM

Dixie left on her own. She was not comfortable in the Maggie role(and has stated this in interviews) so when "DW" came up, she accepted the chance to work with her old pals from "Filthy Rich".

TVFactFan · 05-15-2008, 06:34 PM

She left to do another show before designing women

MikeL · 05-15-2008, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oz615

Wow,that kinda explains the lackluster ABC finale.

wonder what would happend if there was another season of diff rent strokes anyone know what would happend on the new season

Jude The Obscure · 05-15-2008, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KingofTVResearch

She left to do another show before designing women

No, she didn't Sol. There was no other show. Maybe she didn't jump right into DW after leaving DS, but there was no other show.

Dixie's TV resume--1978, shortlived On Our Own, then Filthy Rich, then DS, then DW, then Family Law and recurring on Ladies' Man.

TVFactFan · 05-15-2008, 11:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jude86

No, she didn't Sol. There was no other show. Maybe she didn't jump right into DW after leaving DS, but there was no other show.

Dixie's TV resume--1978, shortlived On Our Own, then Filthy Rich, then DS, then DW, then Family Law and recurring on Ladies' Man.

I will double check

05-13-2008, 11:29 PM	#1
JamesG Moderator Forum Veteran Freakshow Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 22,338	Why Did ABC Pick Up Diff'rent Strokes When NBC Axed It? NBC axed Diff'rent Stroke due to low ratings. ABC then picked up the show for a few more months until the show was gone for good. Why exactly did they pick it up? Was it a last gasp to try to revive it? Was it due to fan reaction and pressure to keep it on?

05-15-2008, 02:43 PM	#5
Pavan Administrator Forum Celebrity SO News/Reviews Director Join Date: Feb 17, 2000 Location: Linden, NJ (Where Hal Linden got his last name from!) Posts: 26,006	ABC picked it up so they could start a Friday comedy block. Joining such comedies as Benson and Webster. Mr. Belvedere was entering its first full season too after launching the previous season in mid-season. Three's a Crowd was set to come back for a second season, but ABC went and picked up Diff'rent Strokes instead. __________________ SitcomsOnline.com News Blog -- The best news out there! SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews -- We are #1 in reviews!

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05-14-2008, 11:17 AM	#2
west01 Frequent Poster Member Join Date: Sep 20, 2001 Posts: 102	I just noticed a similarity to Scrubs. It was on NBC for 7 years before going to ABC for its 8th and final season. ABC felt asif they could revive DS.

05-15-2008, 10:49 AM	#3
TeeVeeCloset Senior Member Member Join Date: Aug 25, 2003 Posts: 1,423	Just as Taxi was picked up by NBC for its last season I believe...anyway...Diff'rent Strokes...."jumped the shark" when Drummond married Maggie and that awful kid was added to cuten it up ala, Robbie Rist (The Brady Bunch) & Ricky Segal (The Partridge Family), only problem lets face it "DIff'rent Strokes" was horrible when NBC dumped it, so ABC must have been pretty desperate to pick it up!

05-15-2008, 02:45 PM	#6
OnTheMarkTexas Frequent Poster Member Join Date: May 05, 2008 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 60	With this being the 1985-86 season, from what I recall, NBC was the top rated network. I think ABC figured they had nothing to lose by picking up a show that NBC cancelled in hopes it would give them some new viewers. After all, why shouldn't NBC's loss be ABC's gain? This was a good 5 or 6 years before ABC came up with its "TGIF" night of programming, so at this point, I'm sure they were desperate for any new viewers. And you can tell that ABC attempted to make a go of it -- the updated the sets, the theme song, etc. They definately had hope riding on the series.

05-15-2008, 03:09 PM	#8
willjarmon Frequent Poster Member Join Date: Jul 31, 2001 Posts: 182	Like on the NBC movie Willie Coleman went to ABC personally to get the show back on the air after a conversation with the folks at Tandem a deal was made and because of different rights and clearences the set and theme were changed even Arnold's bedroom was changed There was suppose to be a 9th season but was cancelled during a rehersal for what was to be the premire

05-15-2008, 03:38 PM	#10
stevea Forum Regular Member Join Date: Aug 13, 2003 Location: indy Posts: 298	Why was Dixie Carter replaced? Did she go on to other things (I don't really remember when Des. Women started) or did Tandem or ABC want a different person in the role?

05-15-2008, 04:32 PM	#11
Jude The Obscure Senior Member Retired Join Date: Dec 10, 2006 Posts: 7,277	Dixie left on her own. She was not comfortable in the Maggie role(and has stated this in interviews) so when "DW" came up, she accepted the chance to work with her old pals from "Filthy Rich".

05-15-2008, 06:34 PM	#12
TVFactFan Forum Legend Researching Old TV Info Join Date: Aug 17, 2002 Location: StinkaDelphia Posts: 80,376	She left to do another show before designing women