Turn-On (pulled TV series from 1969)

[Classic Speedy]

George Schlatter, producer of the infamously one half-episode flop Turn-On from 1969, has uploaded it (and subsequent unaired episodes) to his YouTube channel:


I can see how this would've been seen as incoherent in 1969, with its rapid fire punchlines and abrupt cutting. But it fits right in with today's internet videos. The moog soundtrack oddly made this less dated than most shows from the era, since the video game-esque music sounds like something you'd hear in the background on Angry Video Game Nerd or something.

I can't say much of it made me laugh (though I did like "But I don't even have a pornograph!"), but it was great to finally see this after only hearing about it for years.

 

[Rick Jones]

I remember learning a little about this from specials about canceled pilots. I can already imagine the humor not being my cup of tea, as someone who never really got anything from shows like Laugh-In, but I really appreciate this being made available after all these years.

 

[Surreal Kangaroo]

I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad show, but a half hour of rapid fire punchlines is just way too much. I feel like something like this is better as filler in between longer sketches.

 

[Classic Speedy]

I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad show, but a half hour of rapid fire punchlines is just way too much. I feel like something like this is better as filler in between longer sketches.

That's basically how I viewed it. Like, there are shows like Robot Chicken which are similarly fast-paced, but those at least are mini-sketches, whereas this was just JOKE JOKE JOKE JOKE JOKE

 

[Silverstar]

This show's first and only broadcast was on February 5th, 1969. Goldstar and I missed it because we were busy being born that day. We didn't catch it because we were exhausted from the move.

 

[Golden Geek]

This is incredibly surreal. I imagine seeing it on TV in 1969 would have made at least one person on the edge go insane.

 

[Classic Speedy]

This show's first and only broadcast was on February 5th, 1969. Goldstar and I missed it because we were busy being born that day. We didn't catch it because we were exhausted from the move.

You would've really had to hustle that day anyway. Apparently in some markets they pulled the show before the episode even finished!

EDIT: BTW check out episode 2- guest stars include future VAs Hamilton Camp and Chuck McCann!

 

[Zorak Masaki]

This is one of the holy grails of lost media, glad to see it finally resurfaced. That said, I can see why this only lasted one episode, but I could see it eventually getting a cult following among teens (this is the era where Mad Magazine peaked after all, and that had similar styles of jokes) if it lasted longer.

 

[Mejo]

This fine Tralfaz post shows what people thought of this show back then: Turning Off 'Turn On'.

(Also, this show was actually going to utilize mocap for a dance in one of the later unaired episodes, making it one of the first to do so (link to the mocap dance here))

 

[Spacething7474]

Honestly I think it's pretty good! I like the uniqueness of its structure and pace, the backgrounds being in a white void + the music give it an almost spacelike atmosphere, and some of the jokes got a good chuckle out of me!