Holmes & Yo-Yo

Starring: Jack Sher, Lee Hewitt
First Aired: September 25, 1976
Number of Seasons: 1
Estimated Production Cost: $40,000* per episode with inflation

Every network understands how crucial it is to have a terrific combination appear on TV. Take, for example, Starsky & Hutch or Cagney & Lacey. If done well, it has the potential to go down in history. Sadly, Holmes & Yo-Yo did not live up to the great expectations placed on them by the broadcast network. As a departure from the traditional detective comedy, the network thought that making YoYo an android would prove to be a popular choice. Holmes & Yoyo was a far cry from the high-tech smash shows like Netflix detective series and Sherlock-based shows of today; it was a little less cutting-edge, but no less ambitious. A former staff writer for the television show Get Smart, the producer created the Yoyo character, which was based on Stymie. The character Stymie served as Yoyo’s forerunner in many aspects. The series was immediately dismissed as a catastrophic failure, but it did leave an impression…albeit not the one that ABC had hoped for. A list of the 50 worst television shows of all time has been compiled by TV Guide, and Holmes & Yo-Yo has been included.

Holmes & Yo Yo

The Brothers Brannagan

Starring: Stephen Dunne, Mark Roberts, Barney Phillips
First Aired: September 24, 1960
Number of Seasons: 1
Estimated Production Cost: Unknown

In terms of production value, The Brothers Brannagan fared quite well, especially considering how low-budget the show was. The plot revolved around two brothers, Mike and Bob, who used their detective skills to investigate crimes that came their way. Mike and Bob were the protagonists. It was by no means a novel premise, which ultimately contributed to the show’s brief lifespan. However, despite the fact that The Brothers Brannagan did not have the same budget as big CBS or NBC sitcoms at the time, the cast was nonetheless enthusiastic. Several well-known actors and actresses appeared on the show, including Ann McCrea, Christopher Dark, Sterling Holloway, Flip Mark, Ron Hagerthy, and Burt Reynolds, to name just a few. Stephen Dunne and Mark Roberts starred in the show, which was shown over the course of a few months in the early 1960s. Stephen Dunne and Mark Roberts shot 39 episodes of the show. Despite the fact that it did not garner widespread attention, it was a conventional piece of television drama that might have easily survived for a few more episodes if the production costs had been stretched even further.

The Brothers Brannagan