Leno biggest bomb ever on TV? Maybe not

Posted Jan 25, 2010 by Walt Belcher

Updated Jan 26, 2010 at 07:24 PM

Check out the latest edition of “Entertainment Weekly” for the list of “TV’s 50 Biggest Bombs Ever!”

Jay Leno has been a good sport (or publicity hog) and posed for the cover.

The EW pick for No. 1 Bomb of all-tme is “putting Jay Leno at 10 p.m.”

Well, it would rank in the Top 10 on anyone’s list. NBC letting David Letterman get away to CBS would be another bomb move.

The other EW picks include:
2. Fox’s cancellation of “Family Guy” twice
3. “Cavemen,” the flop ABC sitcom
4. David and Maddie hooking up on “Moonlighting”
5. The flop sitcom “The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer”

Also making the list are “Felicity” cuts her hair, the XFL, the American version of “Coupling,” and “Pink Lady and Jeff.”

Hey, what about “Mr. T and Tina?” Look it up. Hint: It’s not the Mr. T from “The A-Team.”

The EW list is OK, but we’ve all got our own lists. 

Those with long memories might recall that “My Mother the Car” used to be the hallmark of bad television decisions. The very short-lived comedy starred Jerry Van ##### as a guy whose mother was reincarnated as a T-model.

“Desmond Pfeiffer” was a short-lived 1980s sitcom in which Chi McBride played a black English nobleman who was sold into slavery and ended up as Abe Lincoln’s valet. Lincoln telling sex jokes was just so wrong.

But there was another UPN sitcom that could have made the list: “Homeboys From Outer Space.”

Television being what it is, we could list the 100 Biggest Bombs.

My list would include Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction during a Super Bowl; Rosie O’Donnell’s attempt at a musical variety show; The Osbournes’ attempt at a variety show; Dan Rather’s failed attempt to expose George W. Bush’s questionable military career in the National Guard; the Balloon Boy fiasco; that entire season of “Dallas” that turned out to be Bobby Ewing’s “dream”;  Leno doing the 10 p.m. show; “Joe Millionaire”; CBS canceling “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour”; “Cop Rock” and “Joanie Loves Chachi”; “Supertrain and “Manimal”;  the “Seinfeld” finale; “The Conveyor Belt of Love”; Chevy Chase as a late-night host; and so on and so on.

What would be on your list?