A Syndie Saved Is a Syndie Earned

The CW. Only two letters and so much commotion.

After last week's announcement that the WB and UPN will consolidate into a single network, some local stations abruptly learned that they were scheduled to lose their network affiliations. Now these emancipated stations are free to fill their primetime schedules however they want this Fall.

Many sources, such as B&C, suggest that syndicated programming will get a boost from this latest broadcast move. I wonder if any series will be cancelled this Spring and be quickly resurrected for first-run syndication this Fall? Don't laugh! It was pretty common for a while, and it finally makes sense again. Schedules to fill. Short timeline. Established name. Simple logistics.

I don't mean shows like "She Spies." That skein had a three ep sneak peak on NBC before its two-year lifetime in first-run syndication. It was never meant to be on NBC for any more than four eps. Since "She Spies" was never cancelled by one of the nets, it doesn't qualify.

I'm talking about shows like "Hee Haw." It aired for two seasons before CBS cancelled it, causing viewers to ask "Where, Oh Where, Are You Tonight?" Well, it moved on to greener cornfields, where it crossed its humor with a different way of finding its audience. "Whatga get?" Twenty-one more seasons of new shows. "SAA-LUTE!!"

Can you name any series that were cancelled by the networks and then continued for at least three more new seasons in syndication?

(+/-)answer

• 21 syndie seasons:
  • "Hee Haw" (CBS)
• 18 syndie seasons:
  • "Wild Kingdom" (NBC)
• 11 syndie seasons:
  • "Baywatch" (NBC)
  • "The Lawrence Welk Show" (ABC)
• 4 syndie seasons:
  • "Charles in Charge" (CBS)
  • "Fame" (NBC)
  • "It's a Living" (ABC)
  • "Mama's Family" (NBC)
• 3 syndie seasons:
  • "Too Close for Comfort" (ABC)
  • "Viper" (NBC)
  • "What's Happening" (ABC)