Turnabout (partially lost NBC sitcom; 1979): Difference between revisions
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Toastghost (talk | contribs) (Discovered "Touchdown"'s ending was cut off, so relabeled it as partially found. "Touchdown" and "Boyfriend" are also mislabeled (titles switched) on the internet archive, so I swapped the links to the right episodes.) |
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|1||Turnabout||January 26, 1979||[https://archive.org/details/Turnabout-TV-Show/01+Turnabout.rm<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''] | |1||Turnabout||January 26, 1979||[https://archive.org/details/Turnabout-TV-Show/01+Turnabout.rm<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''] | ||
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|2||Penny’s Old Boyfriend||February 2, 1979||[https://archive.org/details/Turnabout-TV-Show/ | |2||Penny’s Old Boyfriend||February 2, 1979||[https://archive.org/details/Turnabout-TV-Show/04+Cry+Me+a+Touchdown.wmv<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''] | ||
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|3||We’re a Little Late, Folks||February 9, 1979||[https://archive.org/details/Turnabout-TV-Show/03+We're+a+Little+Late%2C+Folks.wmv<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''] | |3||We’re a Little Late, Folks||February 9, 1979||[https://archive.org/details/Turnabout-TV-Show/03+We're+a+Little+Late%2C+Folks.wmv<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''] | ||
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|4||Cry Me a Touchdown||February 16, 1979||[https://archive.org/details/Turnabout-TV-Show/ | |4||Cry Me a Touchdown||February 16, 1979||[https://archive.org/details/Turnabout-TV-Show/02+Penny's+Old+Boyfriend.wmv<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''] | ||
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|5||Til Dad Do Us Part||March 9, 1979||[https://archive.org/details/Turnabout-TV-Show/05+Till+Dad+Do+Us+Part.wmv<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''] | |5||Til Dad Do Us Part||March 9, 1979||[https://archive.org/details/Turnabout-TV-Show/05+Till+Dad+Do+Us+Part.wmv<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''] | ||
Revision as of 07:06, 19 August 2021
Series title featured in the introduction sequence.
Status: Partially Found
Turnabout was a short-lived American sitcom created by Steven Bochco and Michael Rhodes that aired on NBC from January 26th, 1979 to March 30th of the same year. It was based on the 1931 novel of the same name by Thorne Smith, also adapted into a film in 1940.
Premise
Married couple Sam (John Schuck) and Penny (Sharon Gless) both envy the other’s life; he’s a sportswriter, she’s a cosmetics executive. After Penny purchases a Buddha-like statue with magical powers, that night she wishes that they could change places with each other. The next morning, they discover that that wish has come true: they’ve switched places, but Sam is now in Penny’s body, and Penny is in his. The two try to live each other’s lives without anyone else finding out - confusing both her boss, Geoffrey St. James, and his boss, Al Brennan - in the process. The couple’s neighbours, the Overmeyer’s, are equally perplexed by the notable changes. Throughout all of this, the husband and wife try to discover how to reactivate the statue, so they can switch back to normal.
Reception
The series was one of 36 new shows released by the three major networks (NBC, CBS, ABC) during the infamous TV mid-season of 1979. It lasted 7 episodes, before being cancelled due to poor ratings.[1][2] This was in part due to airing after the poorly rated Hello, Larry, and competing with CBS hit Dallas.
Avaliability
Out of the 7 produced episodes, 5 are available online, albeit in poor quality. Copies of every episode are currently held at the UCLA Film and Television Archive,[3] but have not been released publicly.
Episodes
| # | Episode Title | Air Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Turnabout | January 26, 1979 | Found |
| 2 | Penny’s Old Boyfriend | February 2, 1979 | Found |
| 3 | We’re a Little Late, Folks | February 9, 1979 | Found |
| 4 | Cry Me a Touchdown | February 16, 1979 | Partially Found |
| 5 | Til Dad Do Us Part | March 9, 1979 | Found |
| 6 | Crass Reunion | March 23, 1979 | Lost |
| 7 | Statutory Theft | March 30, 1979 | Lost |
“Turnabout”, “Penny’s Old Boyfriend”, “Till Dad Do Us Part”, and “Statutory Theft” were later re-cut and compiled into a single TV Movie by The Disney Channel, titled Magic Statue. It has yet to surface online in any form.
Gallery
Ad for the series in TV Guide.
Promo photo.
Promo photo for the episode "Crass Reunion".
External Links
- Wikipedia page for Turnabout. Retrieved 18 Aug '21
- IMDB page for the series. Retrieved 18 Aug '21
- KXAS-TV/NBC news report with footage from the series premiere. Retrieved 18 Aug '21
- Washington Post review for the show. Retrieved 18 Aug '21
References
- ↑ A New York Times Article mentioning poor ratings for Turnabout. Retrieved 18 Aug '21
- ↑ A second New York Times Article suggesting Turnabout’s likely cancellation due to ratings. Retrieved 18 Aug '21
- ↑ UCLA Archive search showing results for Turnabout. Retrieved 18 Aug '21