Single Season Sitcoms of the 1980s

<p> As the cable TV industry exploded in the 1980s offering viewers dozens of channels an unprecedented number of series were produced. For every successful sitcom--<I>The Golden Girls Family Ties Newhart</I>--there were flops such as <I>Take Five</I> with George Segal <I>Annie McGuire</I> with Mary Tyler Moore <I>One Big Family</I> with Danny Thomas and <I>Life with Lucy</I> starring Lucille Ball proving that a big name does not a hit show make. Other short-lived series were springboards for future stars like <I>Day by Day</I> (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) <I>The Duck Factory</I> (Jim Carrey) <I>Raising Miranda</I> (Bryan Cranston) and <I>Square Pegs</I> (Sarah Jessica Parker). This book unearths many single-season sitcoms of the '80s providing behind-the-scenes stories from cast members guest stars writers producers and directors.</p>