''Snip'' is a 1976
comedy
Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...
television series starring
David Brenner
David Norris Brenner (February 4, 1936 – March 15, 2014) was an American stand-up comedian, actor and author. The most frequent guest on '' The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' in the 1970s and 1980s, Brenner "was a pioneer of obser ...
about a hairdresser living in
Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of mainland Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer mon ...
, who has his ex-wife, daughter and former aunt living with him in his apartment. He and his ex-wife are both in the same hairdressing business under their boss and friend who is an openly gay man (played by Walter Wanderman). It was a take-off of the movie ''
Shampoo
Shampoo () is a hair care product, typically in the form of a viscous liquid, that is used for cleaning hair. Less commonly, shampoo is available in solid bar format. Shampoo is used by applying it to wet hair, massaging the product into the ...
'' and was created by
James Komack
James Komack (August 3, 1924 – December 24, 1997) was an American television producer, director, screenwriter, and actor. He is best known for producing several hit television series, including ''The Courtship of Eddie's Father'', '' Chico and ...
, the creator of ''
Chico and the Man'' and ''
Welcome Back Kotter''.
Stan Cutler served as the developer.
Pre-broadcast reports about the series noted that it would include an openly gay character as a regular on the show, which was highly controversial at the time. The series was to premiere September 30, 1976, on
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
, but was shelved at the last minute and was never broadcast in the United States. The cancellation was so abrupt, bumpers promoting the show continued to be shown until just a few days prior to the canceled air date. ''
TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news.
The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine LLC, in 2008.
Corporat ...
'' listed the show in its "Fall Preview" issue for that year. The show was featured as a full-page Thursday entry, but never made it to the Prime Time network grid. Seven episodes were filmed, but two were never edited. The five which were completed aired only in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
. ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' later called this "the oddest case of a shelved show" and "one of the most infamous last-minute yanks" and David Brenner said that the show was cancelled because the network feared reaction to the gay character.
[Lynn Elber]
"Comedian David Brenner Is 'Back With A Vengeance'
''The Register-Guard
''The Register-Guard'' is a daily newspaper in the northwestern United States, published in Eugene, Oregon. It was formed in a 1930 merger of two Eugene papers, the ''Eugene Daily Guard'' and the ''Morning Register''. The paper serves the Eugene- ...
'', February 18, 2000.
See also
*
List of television series canceled before airing an episode
This is a list of television series cancelled before airing an episode. While many television shows are produced as pilots that never air on television or in any medium, the scope of this article is to list shows that were officially announced ...
References
External links
*{{IMDb title, id=0400028
Programs Cancelled Before They Premiered, 1963-1988at Television Obscurities
1970s American sitcoms
1970s American LGBT-related television series
LGBT-related controversies in television
Television shows set in Massachusetts
Unaired television shows