Turn-On, television show from 1969 that was cancelled after one episode (nsfw)

[bugo]

In 1969, ABC aired a show called Turn-On. It was a comedy skit type show, but with segments that lasted from 5-30 seconds played in rapid succession. It was too much sensory overload for conservative 1960s Americans, and a lot of proto-Karens let the local TV stations know it by calling them and complaining about the show. It was infamously cancelled after the first episode. At least one station cancelled it before it was over, refusing to play the rest of the show after the first commercial break. A second episode was finished, but was never aired. Turn-On was one of the most sought after pieces of lost media on the internet, and it was a big deal when it leaked.

As for the show itself, I think it stands up today. Some of the jokes are hilarious. The psychedelic graphics and animations are cool. The historical significance cannot be denied, and I genuinely enjoyed watching it. I have ADHD, and I have problems concentrating on things, and I was glued to the screen the whole time. It is a fascinating glimpse into a world that never was and never was to be.

Here's the first episode:

And the second episode:

[mgk920]

I couldn't watch the first one due to it being age restricted on YT, but the second came in just fine.  This show strikes me as being an answer to Rowan and Martin's Laugh In, a popular show that ran for several seasons at that time. This show was simply before its time and would likely work as an 'on demand' streaming show today.

Mike

[bugo]

I couldn't watch the first one due to it being age restricted on YT

Mike, check your PMs.

[Road Hog]

Yes, a completely copycat version of Laugh-In. I saw summer re-runs of this show a decade later as a kid and they held up pretty good.

Separately, Laugh-In later came on the Trio network in the early Aughts and still went down quite a treat.

[bugo]

Yes, a completely copycat version of Laugh-In. I saw summer re-runs of this show a decade later as a kid and they held up pretty good.

Separately, Laugh-In later came on the Trio network in the early Aughts and still went down quite a treat.

Turn-On and Laugh-In were both developed by some of the same producers, so neither was a ripoff of the other.

[Rothman]

Yes, a completely copycat version of Laugh-In. I saw summer re-runs of this show a decade later as a kid and they held up pretty good.

Separately, Laugh-In later came on the Trio network in the early Aughts and still went down quite a treat.

Turn-On and Laugh-In were both developed by some of the same producers, so neither was a ripoff of the other.

Producers can ripoff their own shows.