''That's Incredible!'' is an American

reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...

show that aired on the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

television network from

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – ...

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...

. In the tradition of '' You Asked for It'', ''

Ripley's Believe It or Not! ''Ripley's Believe It or Not!'' is an American franchise founded by Robert Ripley, which deals in bizarre events and items so strange and unusual that readers might question the claims. Originally a newspaper panel, the ''Believe It or Not'' feat ...

'' and '' Real People'', the show featured people performing

stunt A stunt is an unusual and difficult physical feat or an act requiring a special skill, performed for artistic purposes usually on television, theaters, or cinema. Stunts are a feature of many action films. Before computer generated imagery spec ...

s and reenactments of allegedly paranormal events. The show also often featured people with unusual talents, such as speed-talker John Moschitta, Jr., who made his first national television appearance on the show, as well as scientific, medical, and technological breakthroughs such as the

Taser A taser is an electroshock weapon used to incapacitate people, allowing them to be approached and handled in an unresisting and thus safe manner. It is sold by Axon, formerly TASER International. It fires two small barbed darts intended to ...

and cryogenic corneal reshaping by lathe keratomileusis. The show's catchphrase said by one of its hosts at the conclusion of a particularly amazing segment was the same as its title: "That's incredible!" Despite accusations of being "sadistic", the series was a huge success and influenced many entertainers.

Synopsis

The show was co-hosted by Fran Tarkenton, John Davidson, and Cathy Lee Crosby, and was produced by Alan Landsburg Productions. Originally aired as an hour-long program, episodes were later re-edited into 30 minute segments for syndication. It debuted on March 3, 1980.Smith, Fred L. (3 March 1980)
TV Talk: "That's Incredible!" Starts Tonight; A Step Backwards
''News & Courier'' A number of the stunts performed were dangerous, including juggling knives, staying inside a small box for hours, and one involving a man supposedly catching a bullet between his teeth. The dangerous nature of these stunts eventually prompted producers to augment the footage with the caption "Do Not Try This Yourself". Steve Baker, also known as "Mr. Escape", was frequently featured on the show. The show has been cited as an influence on hip-hop culture in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

, where much television programming in the 1980s was American. In 1983 the show featured several dancing crews, giving youth of Pacific Island and Maori heritage, many of whom were interested in hip-hop culture and dance, a sense of connectedness to global youth culture. In the early 1980s, Army Lt. Col.

Earl Woods Earl Dennison Woods (March 5, 1932 – May 3, 2006) was the father of American professional golfer Tiger Woods. Woods started his son in golf at a very early age and coached him exclusively over his first years in the sport. He later published t ...

(Ret.) brought his five-year-old son Eldrick to ''That's Incredible'', showing his ability to putt a golf ball into a hole from different areas. Eldrick is now better known by his nickname ''Tiger''.

Nielsen ratings

The show ranked in the top 30 for its first four seasons, and ranked at #3 during its first season, but fell out of the top 50 during its final season. # 1979–80: #3 (25.8 rating) # 1980–81: #22 (20.5 rating) # 1981–82: #28 (18.4 rating) # 1982–83: #22 (18.3 rating) # 1983–84: #58 (14.6 rating)

Spin-off

''Those Amazing Animals'' is a

reality television series Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...

about animals and their extraordinary lives. It was hosted by Burgess Meredith, Priscilla Presley and

Jim Stafford James Wayne Stafford (born January 16, 1944) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and comedian. While prominent in the 1970s for his recordings " Spiders & Snakes", "Swamp Witch", "Under the Scotsman's Kilt", "My Girl Bill", and "Wildwoo ...

. Also appearing were explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau, undersea photographers

Ron Ron is a shortening of the name Ronald. Ron or RON may also refer to: Arts and media * Big Ron (''EastEnders''), a TV character * Ron (''King of Fighters''), a video game character *Ron Douglas, the protagonist in ''Lucky Stiff'' played by Joe A ...

and Valerie Taylor, and

Joan Embery Joan Marie Embery (born June 1, 1949, in San Diego, California, United States) is an American animal and environmental advocate, notable for her appearances on television programs such as ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' and ''The Toni ...

of the San Diego Zoo. The series aired on

on Sunday nights from August 24, 1980, to August 23, 1981.

Revival

''That's Incredible!'' was revived for the 1988–89 season, hosted by Davidson, Cristina Ferrare, and

Tracey Gold Tracey Gold (born May 16, 1969) is an American actress and former child star known for playing Carol Seaver on the 1980s sitcom ''Growing Pains''. Acting career Tracey Gold became an actress at the age of four, first appearing in a Pepsi print ...

, as ''Incredible Sunday''.

Syndication

The show was seen weekends on

Retro Television Network Retro TV (stylized as retrotv), formerly known as Retro Television Network, is an American broadcast television network owned by Get After It Media. The network mainly airs classic television sitcoms and drama series from the 1950s through th ...

. It was also broadcast overseas in Australia.

References

External links

* *{{IMDb title, id=0094485, title=Incredible Sunday American Broadcasting Company original programming Television series by Alan Landsburg Productions 1980s American reality television series 1980 American television series debuts 1984 American television series endings English-language television shows