Cult Television: 101 Forgotten Shows to Remember

by Doug Brode
Published: 2026

We've noted in these pages before that Doug Brode is one of the, if not THE, most knowledgeable people about TV and film who's currently writing about such subjects. Some years ago, on a local TV show, the on-camera team played a game called "Stump Doug," in which they asked him a question about the subject, and he had to respond - live, on camera, no preparation. The game was opened up to viewers, and together everyone tried to "stump Doug." Nobody succeeded.

This book proves that he knows his subject. 

Sure, these days, anyone could come up with a list of one-season-tv, or famous names that once created a TV show, or strange and unusual ideas for a series. But as he unrolls the list, and provides the time, place, action, reception and demise, he clearly saw the majority of these shows, at least at some point, and formed a personal take on them.

Aside from the sheer number - 101 - one observation that amazed and amused was the number of big-name actors, producers, writers, and even music writers who showed up on the list of these gone-but-not-forgotten shows. Of course, it may have been early-career action for many of those named - but it's still rather amazing to discover that Steven Spielberg and John Williams (sound track creator par excellence) were once writing for weekly tv shows!

Brode starts the book by reminding us that while TV really began to take off in the late 50s and early 60s, hitting its stride in the 70s, it had been around for some time before that, though not available to the "average Joe." Many of those very early shows were done live, so therefore live in memory only, but later, with the advance in videotape, shows were preserved for later audiences to enjoy. And based on the success of reruns and classic viewing, people still enjoy the "primitive" efforts of early TV pioneers.

The shows in the volume are listed alphabetically, making access to known shows simple, and in a way, encouraging the reader to plow through the entire book, rather than picking out a year or two and missing entirely the many surprises it has in store. They range in date from the late 40s to more or less the present time, and cover everything from series to specials to hits to misses.

Within a few pages we find a series, aired from 1985-1987, called "Amazing Stories," a series hoping to intrigue the same audience that made (and still makes) "The Twilight Zone" so popular. "Amazing Stories" was the brainchild of Steven Spielberg, along with Kathleen Kennedy (yes, that Kathleen Kennedy), Frank Marshall, Danny Elfman and John Williams. The anthology of "amazing stories" ranged from horror to humor, and offered viewers actors like Clint Eastwood, Patrick Swayze, Charlie sheen and Tobe Hooper, and writers like Richard Matheson ("I Am Legend") and Jack Finney ("Time and Again," reviewed here). Why it didn't run for more than 30 episodes defies logic, and at least this TV fan check out Apple TV or Prime to watch a few of them!

Some of the series Brode recovers for our memory recall times, places and events. Like "An American Family," an early PBS documentary offering that had the cameras trained on a "typical" family as the father's "business would fail,... (his wife) would discover (he) was involved with another woman, or that both must deal with one of their sons 'coming out of the closet.'"

We wonder along with Brode how this series failed as he examines a police-procedural/courtroom drama series like "Arrest and Trial ('63-'64) that watched a case develop from an investigation and arrest to the courtroom, and featured such stars as Chuck Connors, Ben Gazzara, Roddy McDowell, James MacArthur, James Whitmore, Robert Duvall (and that's only a partial list!).

Maybe you remember "Corky and White Shadow," and early girl-led, Disney-princess adventure series; or you've heard of "Crusader Rabbit, an animation series that ran 7 years in the 50s?

Depending upon the show he's highlighting, Brode brings in elements of style, culture, history, and even political slant, drawn from his unique perspective as a film critic, writer, viewer, and culture watcher. Telling us that "Dr. Fu Manchu, aka The Adventures of Dr. Fu Manchu" ran in 1956 and who starred is fine, but adding some background on villains, particularly Oriental, evil genius villains portrayed by anglo actors, adds some so much more intriguing to the list. 

Brode goes on to catalogue, as promised, 101 TV moments, from "then" til "now," filled with nostalgia, surprise, amusement and promises to "find that one and watch it now that I've learned about it." And as with most of Brode's insights regarding film and TV, you won't watch it the same way again now that you've read his insights.