Convoy

Starring: John Gavin
First Aired: September 17, 1965
Number of Seasons: 1
Estimated Production Cost: $12 million*

The broadside wasn’t the only war-themed television show to be canceled in the mid-60s. Commander Dan Talbot (John Gavin) and his crew on a cargo ship were the subjects of NBC’s Convoy, which followed them as they helped supply troops with food and other supplies during World War II. One of the most significant challenges for the show was that it was shot in black and white to enable the usage of archival combat footage. Audiences were more interested at the time in fresh, thrilling technicolor presentations than in older shows. Before he became an actor, John Gavin worked as a naval officer in the United States Navy. He stated that he, too, had concerns about the way NBC depicted naval life on Convoy in its first broadcast. NBC was reportedly concerned that women would not enjoy the show until it was pointed out to them that women traveled in convoys during World War II. The show’s ratings were low from the beginning since it couldn’t compete with other programs that were airing at the same time. Instead of becoming the breakout dramatic smash that the network hoped it would be, Convoy fell to the ocean’s depths like a heavyweight, despite the network’s best efforts.

Convoy

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