Against All Odds (TV series)

Last updated
Against All Odds
Genre Reality
Presented by Lindsay Wagner
Everett McGill
Country of origin United States
No. of episodes4
Production
Executive producersJohn Cosgrove
Terry Dunn Meurer
Running time30 minutes
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseApril 19 (1992-04-19) –
May 10, 1992 (1992-05-10)

Against All Odds is an NBC reality series hosted by Lindsay Wagner and Everett McGill. Using interviews, video footage and re-creations, the series showcased people and animals who overcame enormous odds to survive in life-threatening situations or rescued others at great risk to their own lives. [1] [2]

Contents

The series premiered in April 1992 and broadcast four episodes [3] (the first two back-to-back), but was not picked up as a permanent part of the NBC schedule. The series was produced at a time when American television networks were increasing their reality programming, but is noted for the universal negative reviews that it received.

In 2016 a pilot of the UK version of Against All Odds was made and starred Manchester model Roxanne Mitchell. [4]

Cast and characters

Critical reception

While many newspapers simply noted the premiere of the series as part of the flood of reality series appearing on network programming (for example David Zurawik of The Baltimore Sun [5] ), most other columnists gave the show very negative reviews. Jonathan Storm of The Inquirer said "Hosting this sorry "reality" show, Lindsay Wagner and Everett McGill struggle against all odds to maintain their self-respect. She must have severe financial problems." [6] Rick Kogan of the Chicago Tribune noted that "If this is NBC's idea of a viable competitor to CBS' 60 Minutes, it's final proof that the network's executives have gone completely off their rockers." [7] Tom Shales of The Washington Post said "Increasingly, the "NB" in NBC has come to stand for No-Brainer. Tomorrow the network outstoops itself with the premiere of Against All Odds, a trashoid tattler about people who narrowly or not so narrowly escaped death or injury. The series itself qualifies as an accident waiting to stop happening, especially since it airs opposite 60 Minutes." [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Bixby</span> American actor and television director (1934–1993)

Wilfred Bailey Everett Bixby III was an American actor, director, producer, and frequent game-show panellist. Bixby's career spanned more than three decades, including appearances on stage, in films, and on television series. He is known for his roles in the CBS sitcom My Favorite Martian as Tim O'Hara, in the ABC sitcom The Courtship of Eddie's Father as Tom Corbett, in the NBC crime drama series The Magician as stage Illusionist Anthony Blake, and the CBS science-fiction drama series The Incredible Hulk as Dr. David Banner.

In American television in 1990, notable events included television show debuts, finales, and cancellations; channel launches, closures, and re-brandings; stations changing or adding their network affiliations; information on controversies, business transactions, and carriage disputes; and deaths of those who made various contributions to the medium.

The year 1948 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of television-related events during 1948.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al Michaels</span> American television sportscaster (born 1944)

Alan Richard Michaels is an American television play-by-play sportscaster for Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime Video and in an emeritus role for NBC Sports. He has worked on network sports television since 1971, with his most recent work being with NBC Sports after nearly three decades (1976–2006) with ABC Sports. Michaels is known for his many years calling play-by-play of National Football League (NFL) games, including ABC Monday Night Football from 1986 to 2005 and NBC Sunday Night Football from 2006 to 2021. He is also known for famous calls in other sports, including the Miracle on Ice at the 1980 Winter Olympics and the earthquake-interrupted Game 3 of the 1989 World Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">75th Academy Awards</span> Award ceremony for films of 2002

The 75th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) took place on March 23, 2003, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. During the ceremony, AMPAS presented Academy Awards in 24 categories honoring films released in 2002. The ceremony, televised in the United States by ABC, was produced by Gilbert Cates and was directed by Louis J. Horvitz. Actor Steve Martin hosted for the second time, having previously presided over the 73rd ceremony held in 2001. Three weeks earlier in a ceremony at Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California held on March 1, the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement were presented by host Kate Hudson.

E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable television network. It is owned by the NBCUniversal Media Group division of Comcast's NBCUniversal. The channel focuses primarily on pop culture, celebrity based reality shows and movies.

<i>Saturday Night Live</i> American late-night live TV sketch comedy and variety show

Saturday Night Live is an American late-night live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and streams on Peacock. Michaels currently serves as the program's showrunner. The show's premiere was hosted by George Carlin on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title NBC's Saturday Night. The show's comedy sketches, which often parody contemporary American culture and politics, are performed by a large and varying cast of repertory and newer cast members. Each episode is hosted by a celebrity guest, who usually delivers the opening monologue and performs in sketches with the cast, with featured performances by a musical guest. An episode normally begins with a cold open sketch that was usually based on political events and ends with someone breaking character and proclaiming, "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!", properly beginning the show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WMAR-TV</span> ABC affiliate in Baltimore, Maryland, US

WMAR-TV is a television station in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, affiliated with ABC and owned by the E. W. Scripps Company. The station's studios and offices are located on York Road in Towson north of the Baltimore City–Baltimore County border. Its transmitter and antenna, which is on a landmark three-pronged candelabra broadcast tower, is located on Television Hill in the Woodberry neighborhood of Baltimore.

<i>Major League Baseball on CBS</i> CBS Sports telecasts of MLB

Major League Baseball on CBS is the branding used for broadcasts of Major League Baseball (MLB) games produced by CBS Sports, the sports division of the CBS television network in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KERO-TV</span> ABC affiliate in Bakersfield, California

KERO-TV is a television station in Bakersfield, California, United States, affiliated with ABC and owned by the E. W. Scripps Company. The station's studios are located on 21st Street in Downtown Bakersfield, and its transmitter is located atop Breckenridge Mountain.

<i>Challenger</i> (1990 film) 1990 film directed by Glenn Jordan

Challenger is a 1990 American disaster drama television film based on the events surrounding the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986. Its production was somewhat controversial as the families of the astronauts generally objected to it. A prologue states that the film was "researched with the consultation of the National Aeronauts and Space Administration" and partly filmed at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

<i>Homicide: Life on the Street</i> (season 2) 1994 American television series season

The second season of Homicide: Life on the Street, an American police procedural drama television series, originally aired in the United States between January 6 and January 27, 1994. Due to low Nielsen ratings during the first season, NBC executives decided to order only a four-episode season, after which they would evaluate the ratings and decide whether to renew the show. Homicide was moved to a new timeslot of Thursdays at 10 p.m. EST, temporarily replacing the legal drama L.A. Law. NBC requested several changes from the series, including fewer episode subplots and less camera movements and jump cuts.

Working Girl is an American sitcom television series that aired on NBC from April 16 to July 30, 1990. Loosely based on the 1988 film of the same name starring Melanie Griffith, the series stars Sandra Bullock as Tess McGill, a role that was initially meant for Nancy McKeon.

Bop Gun (<i>Homicide: Life on the Street</i>) 1st episode of the 2nd season of Homicide: Life on the Street

"Bop Gun" is the second season premiere of the American police drama television series Homicide: Life on the Street, and the tenth overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on January 6, 1994. In the episode, the Baltimore homicide unit investigates the shooting death of the wife of a tourist, played by guest star Robin Williams.

Children's programming has played a part in NBC's programming since its initial roots in television. This article outlines the history of children's television programming on NBC including the various blocks and notable programs that have aired throughout the television network's history on weekends.

On December 14, 1988, CBS paid approximately $1.8 billion for exclusive television rights for over four years. CBS paid about $265 million each year for the World Series, League Championship Series, All-Star Game, and the Saturday Game of the Week. It was one of the largest agreements between the sport of baseball and the business of broadcasting.

The Premier League is the most-watched football league in the world, broadcast in 212 territories to 643 million homes and a potential TV audience of 4.7 billion people. The Premier League is broadcast in the United States through NBC Sports. Premier League viewership has increased rapidly, with NBC and NBCSN averaging a record 479,000 viewers in the 2014–15 season, up 118% from 2012–13 when coverage still aired on Fox Soccer and ESPN/ESPN2, and NBC Sports has been widely praised for its coverage. NBC Sports reached a six-year extension with the Premier League in 2015 to broadcast the league through the 2021–22 season in a deal valued at $1 billion (£640 million).

References

  1. ↑ Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present (9th ed.). New York: Ballantine Books. ISBN   978-0-345-49773-4.
  2. ↑ Terrace, Vincent (2009). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2007 (Volume 1 A-E). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN   978-0-7864-3305-6.
  3. ↑ "Against All Odds Episodes". tvguide.com. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
  4. ↑ "Against All Odds - Trailer - The National Film and Television School Screening Room". The National Film and Television School Screening Room. Retrieved 2017-06-24.[ permanent dead link ]
  5. ↑ Zurawik, David (19 April 1992). "Blood, gore, crime: the stuff of popular prime-time shows". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  6. ↑ Storm, Jonathan (19 April 1992). "On TV, N.J. In Peril And A 'Reality' Show". The Inquirer. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  7. ↑ Kogan, Rick (17 April 1992). "A Newswoman Again". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  8. ↑ Shales, Tom (18 April 1992). "A Deft-Defying Series; Against All Odds: Wretched Reality". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 29 March 2015. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.