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Curated category

American English-language television shows

  • The SimpsonsMatt Groening sat in the lobby of James L. Brooks's office on a day in 1987, sketching a dysfunctional family that would become The Simpsons.
  • Daredevil: Born AgainIn November 2018, Netflix canceled the original Daredevil series after three seasons. Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio had expected a fourth season to begin…
  • Mad MenIn 2000, Matthew Weiner wrote the first draft of a pilot script for what would become Mad Men while working as a staff writer on Becker.
  • Perfect Hair ForeverGerald Bald Z stands before a mirror, his head smooth and hairless under the harsh light of his bathroom. He is a young boy suffering from premature hair…
  • Stranger ThingsIn early 2015, Dan Cohen brought a script to his colleague Shawn Levy at 21 Laps Entertainment. The Duffer Brothers had prepared a pitch book and a pilot…
  • True BloodAlan Ball signed a two-year agreement with HBO in October 2005 to develop original programming for the network. True Blood became the first project under…
  • Sesame StreetIn 1966, television producer Joan Ganz Cooney sat across from Carnegie Foundation vice president Lloyd Morrisett to discuss a radical idea.
  • The Big Bang TheoryIn the opening scene of the pilot episode, a young woman named Penny moves into an apartment directly across from two physicists sharing a unit in Pasadena.
  • Twin PeaksIn 1988, Mark Frost and David Lynch met at Nibblers restaurant in Los Angeles to discuss a television project. Tony Krantz, their agent, suggested they…
  • FrasierOn the 16th of September 1993, a new television show began broadcasting on NBC that would eventually outlast its predecessor.
  • Saturday Night LiveOn the 11th of October 1975, a young comedy troupe took the stage in Studio 8H for the first time. The show was called NBC's Saturday Night and hosted by…
  • Harvey Birdman, Attorney at LawThe pilot episode of Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law first aired as a sneak peek on Cartoon Network on the 30th of December 2000.
  • Star Wars: AhsokaDisney CEO Bob Iger spoke about potential spin-offs in February 2020. He mentioned that characters from The Mandalorian could get their own series.
  • The MandalorianGeorge Lucas began developing a live-action Star Wars television series known as Underworld in early 2009. More than 50 scripts were written for the series…
  • The Walking Dead (TV series)On the 20th of January 2010, AMC officially announced that it had ordered a pilot for a possible series adapted from The Walking Dead comic book series.
  • Breaking BadVince Gilligan stood in a writers room during the 2007, 2008 Writers Guild of America strike and realized his show needed to change.
  • Street Fighter (TV series)Capcom released an animated television series based on their Street Fighter video game franchise in 1995. The show aired as part of the USA Network's Cartoon…
  • Jeopardy!Merv Griffin created Jeopardy! in 1963, pitching a quiz show that reversed the traditional question-and-answer format. The original daytime version debuted…
  • Game of ThronesIn the frozen north beyond a massive stone wall, a young boy named Benjen Stark stands guard with his brothers of the Night's Watch.
  • South ParkTrey Parker and Matt Stone met in a film class at the University of Colorado in 1992. They discovered a shared love for Monty Python, which became one of…
  • Kappa MikeyA young man named Mikey Simon stands on a film set in Japan. He wears a thick-line, pop-graphic costume that looks nothing like his co-stars.
  • High Guardian SpiceIn the opening scene of High Guardian Spice, four young girls stand before a glowing portal at West City's edge. Rosemary, with pink hair and a sword in…
  • Rick and MortyRick Sanchez of Earth Dimension C-137 lives in a suburban house outside Seattle, Washington. He is an eccentric and alcoholic mad scientist who rejects…
  • American BandstandLate March 1952 marked the premiere of Bandstand on Philadelphia television station WFIL-TV Channel 6. Host Bob Horn introduced a format that blended short…
  • Avatar: The Last AirbenderIn the world of Avatar, human civilization divides into four distinct nations named after the classical elements. The Water Tribe, Earth Kingdom, Fire…
  • The Book of Boba FettIn February 2013, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced the development of several Star Wars standalone spin-off films. One was reportedly centered on the bounty…
  • Top of the PopsThe first edition of Top of the Pops aired on Wednesday, the 1st of January 1964 at 6:35 pm from Dickenson Road Studios in Manchester.
  • Monday Night FootballIn 1960, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle envisioned a weekly prime-time game that could reach a wider television audience.
  • ManningcastOn the 19th of July 2021, ESPN announced that Peyton and Eli Manning would host an alternate presentation of Monday Night Football.
  • USA TodayAl Neuharth convened a task force known as Project NN in Cocoa Beach, Florida on the 29th of February 1980. This meeting marked the conception of USA Today…
  • The Ed Sullivan ShowThe Ed Sullivan Show began its run on the 20th of June 1948, as Toast of the Town. It aired every Sunday night from 8 to 9 p.m.
  • She-Ra and the Princesses of PowerDreamWorks Animation Television began work on She-Ra and the Princesses of Power in April 2016. Showrunner ND Stevenson pitched the project to Netflix with…
  • Star Wars: DroidsR2-D2 and C-3PO stand on the bridge of a starship. They look out at stars that stretch into darkness. The droids face gangsters, pirates, and bounty hunters…
  • Star Wars: EwoksOn the forest moon of Endor, a young Ewok named Wicket Wystri Warrick stands atop a tree branch. He wears an orange hood and dark brown fur that catches the…
  • The Beatles (TV series)The Beatles Cartoon premiered on ABC television on the 25th of September 1965. This broadcast marked a historical first for American television history.
  • For All Mankind (TV series)In 1969, Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov steps onto the lunar surface before any American astronaut. This single event shatters the morale of NASA and forces…
  • Dungeons & Dragons (TV series)CBS aired the first episode of Dungeons & Dragons on the 10th of September 1983. The show emerged from a partnership between Marvel Productions and TSR, with…
  • Obi-Wan Kenobi (miniseries)Disney CEO Bob Iger announced the development of several Star Wars standalone spin-off films in February 2013. Obi-Wan Kenobi was the overwhelming winner of…
  • Star Wars: Skeleton CrewThe twin suns of At Attin set the stage for four children who never expected to leave their home. Wim, Fern, KB, and Neel stumble upon a secret that sends…