This
is a page about the very short-lived clone series created
by Roger Price and Geoff Darby for WGBH in Boston, and aired
on PBS across America. Most of
this information is courtesy of Geoff Darby.
The
show was created between the 1982 and 1983 seasons of YCDTOTV,
when they were unsure if there was going to be another YCDTOTV
season.
THE
SERIES
The
show featured much of the same kind of sets and situations
that were found on YCDTOTV. Instead of green slime falling,
there was Yellow Yuck (triggered by the phrase "Don't
Blame Me!"). Instead of the floor director being the
adult who the kids are bothered by, it was the make-up lady
(the lone adult was an actress). Instead of the firing squad,
they had "Walk the Plank" sketches. It took place
on a set that was almost identical to the link set. It made
fun of PBS a great deal.
The format of the show was much like the 1979 and 1981 seasons
of YCDTOTV. The features included live phone-ins to win
a Don't Look Now! T-shirt, music
videos and comedy sketches. Very little else is known about
the series itself.
THE
MAKING OF THE SERIES
In late
1982, Roger Price and Geoff Darby were asked to come make
a version of YCDTOTV for PBS in Boston. The series was originally
called Don't Tell Your Mother!
(though it was soon changed to Don't Look Now!
when network executives felt it was telling children not
to listen to their guardians), and it followed much of the
original, 1979 & 1981 live format of YCDTOTV. However,
PBS had rules about what you could and couldn't give away
as prizes, so rather than the radios, record albums, TV
sets, etc., that were given away on YCDTOTV, all you could
win on Don't Look Now! was a Don't
Look Now! T-shirt.
The show faced controversy before it hit the airwaves.
One of the regular sketches they created for the show was
showing what Mr. Rogers was like off camera, saying that
he was a drunk and the only reason why he was so calm and
passive was that he was hungover. However, when editing
the shows, they realized they couldn't show this, since
it wasn't like spoofing school or detention, etc. Mr Rogers
wasn't an institution, so it could have been considered
slanderous.
The show was a huge hit when it came out in October of 1983.
Unfortunately, since it was PBS, parents were expecting
an educational show, rather than this rebellious, anti-educational
comedy show. One critic hated it so much, that she actually
said "PBS shouldn't be giving kids what they want!"
When Roger heard this, rather than getting angry, he wanted
to promote the show with the comment (though he was talked
out of it).
Though the show was the second-highest rated PBS show to
the date, PBS realized that it wasn't the kind of show they
wanted associtated with them, and it was cancelled after
six episodes.
