TV one-offs, specials, pilots, TV movies etc in my collection
Television one-offs (such as specials, unsold pilots, TV movies etc) that are in my DVD and/or Blu-ray collection, as well as programs for which I have digital copies.
Please note that, while I have viewed most of the things on this list, I haven't viewed all of them. (Note: I had removed "What Now, Catherine Curtis" and "Happy Anniversary and Goodbye" because the disc broke. I have since acquired a new copy.)
The list is slightly incomplete because some of the TV one-offs in my DVD collection aren't listed on IMDb. (for example, "ABBA Special" from 1978, etc).
Please note that, while I have viewed most of the things on this list, I haven't viewed all of them. (Note: I had removed "What Now, Catherine Curtis" and "Happy Anniversary and Goodbye" because the disc broke. I have since acquired a new copy.)
The list is slightly incomplete because some of the TV one-offs in my DVD collection aren't listed on IMDb. (for example, "ABBA Special" from 1978, etc).
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102 titles
- 194855m8.3 (8)TV Special
- DirectorAlan DinehartStarsEdgar BergenCharlie McCarthyMortimer SnerdIn his first appearance on network television, Edgar Bergen hosts a Thanksgiving Day special featuring three of his partners in ventriloquism - Charlie McCarthy, Mortimer Snerd and the lesser known Podine Puffington (a life-size doll that Bergen would use as a comedy dancing partner). Orchestra leader Ray Noble becomes upset when Charlie tells him that Edgar has hired someone else as a pianist (who turns out to be the beautiful Diana Lynn) to perform a solo. In the last scene, Edgar and Charlie are the put on trial for witchcraft in Colonial Salem, Massachusetts and sentenced to be burned at the stake before escaping with the help of a fetching Indian maid.
- DirectorDick LinkroumStarsJoan DavisHope EmersonJoseph KearnsSalesgirl Joanie tries to impress a handsome man by joining a fitness club.
- DirectorLew LandersStarsPreston FosterMartha VickersDon BeddoeAdvance man Brass McGannon is nearly arrested for passing counterfeit money while promoting his circus' next stop. Returning to the circus, he learns that the Treasury Department suspects someone in the circus is responsible for the bogus dough appearing wherever the circus visits and suspicion falls on the show's newest employees. Meanwhile the alcoholic sideshow barker falls off the wagon when his beautiful daughter returns unexpectedly.
- DirectorRobert DoyleStarsEnid MarkeyRobert EmhardtArt CarneyBeautiful young Dagmar is torn between getting married and supporting her family by signing to host a new television show. The putative program sponsor wants to meet Dagmar to determine if her character is suitable to market his product, but his efforts are hindered by Dagmar's father and her cousin who insists on acting as her agent.The running time is odd as it as an unsold pilot. (digital copy)
- StarsArturo ToscaniniA second television concert of Wagner music conducted by Toscanini, in which a few of the selections played in the first concert are repeated.
- StarsGeorge FisherRosemarie StackPaula RaymondIncluded on the DVD release of "A Star is Born" (1954), this is a live television broadcast of the world premiere. Described by various participants as the biggest world premiere in memory, even bigger than the Academy Awards.
- DirectorCharles BartonStarsDave O'BrienJeff DonnellEmory Parnell
- DirectorRussell HaydenStarsArthur LakePatricia LakeArthur Lake Jr.A man who works for a sporting-supply company mistakenly orders surfboards instead of surfballs and must find a way to sell them.(digital copy)
- DirectorMaurice KlineGustav Della ValleStarsDon MegowanRichard H. CuttingBarbara WilsonWhile traveling in enemy waters, Captain Fathom and his crew detect an anomalous reading of radioactivity. The submariners investigate and discover a huge bomb lying on the ocean bottom. While Fathom fastens an explosive to destroy the atomic device, his ship is attacked by an enemy submarine. He orders the vessel to flee leaving the Captain and his team of scuba divers behind with a dwindling supply of oxygen in their tanks.
- DirectorDuke GoldstoneStarsTommy TerrellArthur SpaceBruce CowlingA young boy uses his esp to control a robot created by his wheel chair bound Uncle, and together they combat the forces of evil.
- DirectorBretaigne WindustStarsVan JohnsonClaude RainsLori NelsonOverwhelmed by rats, a medieval town hires a magical piper who can rid the town of the pest in exchange for gold but the crooked mayor has no intention of honoring the deal.
- DirectorPeter GlushanokStarsLillian BierstekerRobert CohanMiriam ColeDancer, Choreographer, and Teacher Martha Graham offers insight into her theories about dance while the members of her world famous troupe display a number of their dance techniques in performance.
- DirectorRalph MurphyStarsDon MegowanBrad JohnsonGerald MiltonWhen a massive Soviet battleship negotiates the treacherous Oslo harbor without a local pilot, American counterespionage agent David Harding suspects that the enemy has developed a secret navigational tool and orders his operatives to find a local frogman to take pictures of the vessel's hull when the ship makes a goodwill tour stop in England.
- DirectorLeslie GoodwinsStarsRhodes ReasonJoyce HoldenJohn Smith
- DirectorPeter GlushanokStarsMiriam ColeMartha GrahamStuart HodesA filmed version of Aaron Copland's most famous ballet, with its original star, who also choreographed.
- DirectorJoseph CatesStarsGene KellyGerd AnderssonClaude BessyGene Kelly's first TV special finds him dancing with three European ballerinas; performing with two youngsters, Liza Minnelli "For Me and My Gal" and Cherylene Lee from "Flower Drum Song;" and dancing to a Carl Sandburg's "A Poem to Dance To," written for this show. Nelson Riddle contributes an original composition called "Jam Session" which serves as a production number. Gene performs "Singin' in the Rain" for the finale.(digital copy)
- DirectorHerschel DaughertyStarsPhil SilversJack BennyTed de CorsiaIn Primrose, Arizona, no self-respecting gunfighter wants to ruin his reputation by killing the town's sheriff who's not only a coward but the slowest draw in the West too.
- DirectorCharles R. RondeauStarsSimon OaklandJoe De SantisLisa GayeTelevision series pilot for a proposed series that purported to show the circumstances behind a famous unsolved murder. The victim this time out is Martin 'Mugsy' Heidel, a West Coast underworld boss who loses all his Hollywood friends when he is accused of murdering a small-time bookie. He vows to create a fabulous hotel, casino and entertainment hot-spot just across the border in Nevada and make it so lavish that the men and women who snubbed him will crave his affection again. When Mugsy plows all the profits back into the hotel, his criminal bosses are not pleased and Heidel is 'retired' in a hail of bullets from an unknown assailant in revenge.
- DirectorAlexander HammidStarsMartha GrahamBertram RossPaul TaylorA dramatic retelling of the climactic scene from "Oedipus Rex" through interpretive dance and music.
- DirectorRod AmateauStarsDon DeForeLee PhilipsJean ByronBen Cousins (Don DeFore) plays "Daddy-O," a hapless suburban father, in a sitcom of that name. He's frustrated by the idiocy of his show, and wants to quit -- but the money is too good.
- DirectorBud YorkinStarsBobby DarinJoanie SommersBilly May and His OrchestraBobby Darin is joined by singer Joanie Sommers (in one of her first television appearances) and veteran comedian Bob Hope in this musical-variety special.digital copy
- DirectorBarry ShearStarsEdie AdamsThe Peter Matz OrchestraAndré PrevinEdie Adams performs songs like "My Ship'' and "When My Sweetie Walks Down the Street."
- DirectorMalcolm FreegardStarsJohn BetjemanJohn Betjeman goes on a train journey from King's Lynn to Hunstanton in Norfolk, extolling the pleasures of traveling on a rural branch line.
- DirectorSidney LanfieldStarsDebbie MegowanWilliam LeslieShary MarshallNine-year-old Amy has decided that klutzy neighbor Arthur is the one she's going to marry. However, Arthur is too busy trying, and failing miserably, to get a place on the football team to pay any attention to her. So she comes up with what she thinks are foolproof schemes to get him to succeed, which will give him more time to spend with her. Complications ensue.
- DirectorRobert DwanWilliam D. RussellStarsJack LinkletterStanley Ralph RossJan SterlingAn unsold pilot for a game where four panelists in a set roughly resembling a court room sit opposite four suspects. They watch a film that runs about ten minutes showing a murder story. They evaluate it and cross examine the characters from the film. If one of them guesses the perpetrator from the clues offered, and beats the one panelist who's a professional detective, a monetary prize is given.
- DirectorKoreyoshi AkasakaTeruo IshiiAkira MitsuwaStarsKen UtsuiSachihiro OhsawaJunko IkeuchiSuper criminals are planning to infiltrate Earth with mass nuclear destruction! Only Starman can defend civilization by thwarting evil!
- DirectorTed KotcheffStarsIngrid BergmanA monologue of a woman talking on the phone with her longterm lover who is about to marry another girl.
- DirectorPaul BogartStarsPhilip BoscoJames DalyBarbara DanaA Norwegian doctor discovers that the source of the town's medicinal waters has become poisonous.
- DirectorDesi ArnazStarsCarol ChanningRichard DeaconJane DuloThe failed pilot for a series starring Carol Channing, which was created by Desi Arnaz, and used some of the same writers on such classic Desilu series as I Love Lucy (1951), _"The Lucy how" (1962)_; 'Bob Carroll Jr', and 'Madelyn Pugh'.
- DirectorChuck JonesBen WashamStarsBoris KarloffJune ForayDal McKennonA grumpy hermit hatches a plan to steal Christmas from the Whos of Whoville.
- DirectorAlan D. CourtneyJeffrey HaydenStarsShelley FabaresCeleste HolmWesley AddyIn the early 1900s, the life story of the Smith family in St. Louis, and their daughter's love for the boy next door.
- DirectorDennis HillStarsEd DevereauxDennis HillPeter MenziesDocumentary about the making of the film "They're a Weird Mob" about an Italian adjusting to life in Australia.
- DirectorAlex SegalStarsLee J. CobbMildred DunnockJames FarentinoAn abridged award-winning television adaptation of a famous play about an aging travelling salesman who's on the verge of a nervous breakdown. His job is gone, and his family hates him for never being there. He tries mending things with them.
- DirectorGeorge HarrisonJohn LennonPaul McCartneyStarsJohn LennonPaul McCartneyGeorge HarrisonThe Beatles charter a special bus for a surreal mystery tour.
- DirectorDesi ArnazStarsRory CalhounGilbert RolandSonny TuftsThe owner of a small Mexican hotel and the local sheriff assist travelers and natives in trouble.
- DirectorRobert N. ZagoneStarsSantanaCarlos SantanaMike CarabelloThis film is straight-ahead footage of Santana, the Grateful Dead, and the Jefferson Airplane playing at The Family Dog in 1970. Each band does two songs, followed by a jam at the end featuring musicians from all of the bands. No interviews, no special editing techniques (OK, a few...), no brilliant cinematography -- you see the bands play, and that's it. (That means that if you like these bands circa 1970, you'll probably like this film. If you don't like these band, there is nothing for you here!)
- DirectorCurtis HarringtonStarsAnthony PerkinsJulie HarrisJoan HackettAfter an eight-month stay in a mental hospital, a tormented man comes home to live with his sister; but a mysterious boarder may be trying to kill him.
- DirectorFielder CookStarsAndrew DugganJane WyattCicely TysonA provacative, emotion-packed drama about race relations in an all-white suburban community.
- DirectorGlenn JordanStarsAnne JacksonEli WallachAdriana ShawLaw student Paul Cunningham arrives for his first day at a job typing advertisements where he meets supervising typist Miss Sylvia Payton, a day evolves fragmentedly showing many days of their relationship, indicated by costume changes for flashforwards and flashbacks as they learn more about each other and hint on and off about romance, despite the fact that Paul is married with children.
- DirectorMarty PasettaStarsElvis PresleyJames BurtonJerry ScheffA 1973 concert by Elvis Presley taped at the Convention Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. This was the first program to ever be beamed around the world by satellite.
- DirectorLee PhilipsStarsStockard ChanningEdward AsnerJim BackusAfter an accident causes an ugly duckling girl to undergo reconstructive surgery, she emerges from behind the bandages a ravishing beauty. It's payback time when she uses her new attractiveness to exact revenge on those who wronged her.
- DirectorGordon HesslerStarsGeorge KennedyJoanna PettetLee MontgomeryThe father of a wilderness family gets bitten by a skunk, and fearing rabies, chains himself to a barn to protect his family should he go mad. He orders his son not to come near him no matter how persuasive or rational his appearance or argument. However, the creek dries up, indicating an upstream blockage and an imminent flood. Several trips upstream by the son have failed to locate the blockage, and now Dad wants to be released.
- DirectorJack DonohueStarsLucille BallArt CarneyNanette FabrayA couple approaching their 25th anniversary look to their respective best friends, an independent thinker and a swinger, for tips to spice things up.
- DirectorRichard T. HeffronStarsMartin SheenVic MorrowMichelle PhillipsA deranged desert town sheriff has a murderous habit of forcing speeders to their deaths, until a young man with a souped-up hotrod arrives to possibly end it.
- DirectorNick VanoffStarsPerry ComoKaren CarpenterRichard CarpenterThe first of Perry Como's Christmas specials includes appearances by Rich Little and figure skater Peggy Fleming as well as performances by the Carpenters and by Perry Como himself. Also featured a reenactment of the Birth of Jesus Christ.
- DirectorEldar RyazanovStarsAndrey MyagkovBarbara BrylskaYuriy YakovlevAn incredible story about a man who misplaced the cities and found his love during the one special night - New Year's celebration.
- DirectorJack DonohueStarsLucille BallDean MartinJackie CooganLucy Gets Lucky finds the wacky redhead pulling out all the stops in Las Vegas to see her favorite entertainer, 'Dean Martin'. Lucy gets a job working at the MGM Grand casino and high stakes hijinks follow.
- DirectorArt FisherStarsDick Van DykeMary Tyler MooreCarl Reiner
- DirectorCharles WaltersStarsLucille BallJackie GleasonGino ConfortiTHREE FOR TWO presents Lucy with the Great One, Jackie Gleason, combining their comedic talents for the first time, in a trio of comedy-dramas centered on the various aspects of marriage.
- DirectorTony CullitonStarsABBABenny AnderssonAgnetha FältskogThe export version of an Australian television special that ABBA made in 1976, featuring the super group singing a number of their songs in the TV studio, interspersed with filmed scenes in and around Sydney, Australia. The special was included on the deluxe edition of the 'ABBA' CD.(Version for non-commercial Swedish television. The original telecast was likely 45-50 minutes)
- DirectorStacy KeachStarsJulie AdamsWil AlbertPat AstDuring a busy live taping of a TV program, a group of mysterious people show up with a strange demand..
- DirectorCharles WaltersStarsLucille BallJoseph BolognaArt CarneyFollowing twenty years of marriage to a philandering husband, divorcée Catherine Curtis begins life anew as a single woman. After struggling to be alone, Catherine finds romance with a sympathetic handyman, and then meets a much younger love interest.
- This short focuses on a program that tries to help juvenile delinquents re-enter society.
- DirectorIgor AuzinsStarsJohnny PaceMichael PrestonJoe MartinAll at Sea is a 1977 Australian television film about a group of misfits on holiday on an island resort. It used the cast from The Celebrity Game.
- DirectorWalter C. MillerStarsJohnny CashJune Carter CashRoy Clark
- DirectorMarc DanielsStarsLucille BallVivian VanceGale GordonAfter Indiana housewife Lucy Whittaker (Lucille Ball) calls the White House to discuss a housing project, she finds herself making preparations for the President to visit her home for dinner. Calamity and comedy follows as Lucy frantically prepares for the momentous event with the eager support of family, friends and neighbors. The special is capped with a surprise cameo appearance.
- DirectorJim GatesStarsMilton BerleBud AbbottSteve AllenTake a golden trip down memory lane with Bud Abbott and Lou Costello and their classic zany, rapid-fire routines that keep generations laughing!
- StarsVasiliy LivanovVitali SolominRina ZelyonayaDoctor Watson moves in with the eccentric Sherlock Holmes and they get a case to solve. A young heiress seeks Holmes' help when she feels threatened by her brutish stepfather after her sister dies under mysterious circumstances.
- 19801h 7mPG-138.3 (2.5K)TV EpisodeDirectorIgor MaslennikovStarsVasiliy LivanovVitali SolominRina ZelyonayaWhen a murder happens with a bloody inscription and a ring left behind, puzzled Scotland Yard detectives go to Sherlock Holmes for help.
- DirectorEmile ArdolinoVinnette CarrollStarsJeffrey Anderson-GunterBrenda BraxtonLynne Clifton-AllenVignettes of monologues regarding African American history.
- 19801h 4m8.3 (2.3K)TV EpisodeDirectorIgor MaslennikovStarsVasiliy LivanovVitali SolominRina ZelyonayaMycroft Holmes hands Sherlock Holmes the case of the Master Blackmailer.
- 19801h 4m8.4 (2.5K)TV EpisodeDirectorIgor MaslennikovStarsVasiliy LivanovVitali SolominRina ZelyonayaAfter upsetting the criminal underground in 'the Master Blackmailer' case, Sherlock Holmes has to face his archenemy: Prof. Moriarty.
- 19801h 5m8.3 (2.2K)TV EpisodeDirectorIgor MaslennikovStarsVasiliy LivanovVitali SolominRina ZelyonayaDr. Watson executes Sherlock Holmes' will, who faced death after exposing Moriarty and his gang in the previous episode.
- DirectorUrban LassonStarsBenny AnderssonAgnetha FältskogAnni-Frid LyngstadABBA's 1979 tour of North America and Europe, with emphasis on performances at Wembley Arena, London.
- DirectorJack DonohueStarsLucille BallRobert AldaJohnny CarsonContacted by Fred Silverman, the President of NBC, Lucille Ball accepts to go back to work as a producer. With the help of her faithful production assistant, Gale Gordon, she starts working on a new series titled "The Music Mart".
- DirectorLucille BallStarsGale GordonCharlie CallasGino ConfortiComedy pilot about wacky monks in a monastery.
- 19812 epsTV-PG8.5 (6.5K)TV Mini SeriesStarsVasiliy LivanovVitali SolominRina ZelyonayaWhen Sir Charles Baskerville is found dead in his country house, Dr James Mortimer asks Sherlock Holmes for help to save Sir Henry Baskerville, the only known heir, from the curse that haunts Baskerville family.
- DirectorKonstantin BrombergStarsAlexandra YakovlevaAleksandr AbdulovYekaterina VasilyevaNew Year's fairy tale that true love can work wonders.
- 19832 eps8.3 (3.2K)TV Mini SeriesStarsVasiliy LivanovVitali SolominRina ZelyonayaHolmes and Dr. Watson help a young lady who is receiving anonymous letters 10 years after her father passed away under shady circumstances. They find themselves in an enigma involving a treasure, murder and a love interest for Watson.
- DirectorRichard SlapczynskiStarsPeter O'TooleRon HaddrickEarle CrossIn this animated tale, detective Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson investigate a cursed family.
- DirectorBob BentleyStarsSusannah YorkLynne FranksSally BramptonLooking at women who work at the top of the fashion industry in London.
- 19872 eps7.9 (2.9K)TV Mini SeriesStarsVasiliy LivanovVitali SolominBorislav BrondukovRetired Sherlock Holmes and practicing Dr. Watson come back together to solve a puzzle in the beginning of the 20th century.
- DirectorVladimir BortkoStarsEvgeniy EvstigneevVladimir TolokonnikovBoris PlotnikovIn the wake of the Russian revolution, Professor Preobrazhensky rescues a starving dog from the gutter, and attempts to transform him into a man. Based on Mikhail Bulgakov's novel of the same name.
- DirectorGary NelsonStarsDon AdamsBarbara FeldonBernie KopellSmart is called back to duty as KAOS is back causing trouble again with a 'weather machine'.
- DirectorJack Haley Jr.StarsAngela LansburyMervyn LeRoyRay BolgerDocumentary about the making of the 1939 MGM classic film The Wizard of Oz. Includes interviews of cast and crew members, their families and fans of the film.
- DirectorAndrew MorahanStarsMichael JacksonSiedah GarrettDarryl PhinnesseeMichael's "Dangerous Tour" was the biggest tour any performer had done in history, the staging took nearly 3 days to set up. The tour included 69 concerts reaching over 3.5 million fans. This concert aired on HBO in 1992.
- DirectorDon BarnhartStarsMark-Paul GosselaarTiffani ThiessenLark VoorhiesKelly's grandfather Harry invites the gang for a vacation at The Hawaiian Hideaway, his hotel in Honolulu, but they soon discover that a rival is threatening to put him out of business, so they scheme to help save the Hideaway.
- StarsLucie ArnazLucille BallDesi ArnazHome life of Desi & Lucy Arnaz, from beginning to end, actually, including clips of their early lives & family members.
- StarsPhil HartmanTim BurtonDanny ElfmanDetails regarding the making of a 1966 movie named "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!".
- DirectorJeff MelmanStarsMark-Paul GosselaarTiffani ThiessenMario LopezIn this conclusion of the long running series it finally happens: Kelly and Zack will marry. Zack's parents are against the early commitment and Kelly's parents can't afford it, so only the gang travels to Las Vegas for the wedding. However, before the wedding can happen, they have to live through many adventures, including Zack losing his hard earned money, Kelly becoming jealous and Slater being chased by mobsters.
- DirectorBlair PetersStarsJaleel WhiteLong John BaldryPhilip Maurice HayesSonic the Hedgehog must stop the evil Dr. Robotnik from ruining Christmas after Santa Claus disappears.
- DirectorOsamu KasaiStarsMasako NozawaTôru FuruyaMiki ItôGoku Jr. is the great-great-grandson of the legendary warrior Goku, but unlike his predecessor he's not a brave fighter. He's constantly picked on by school bullies--his grandmother Pan sees this and is worried, but even though Goku Jr. is not a strong and powerful saiyan, he has a kind heart, and Pan loves him. When Pan gets sick, Goku Jr. realizes that he must do something if he doesn't want to lose her. Then he remembers about the legends of the Dragon Balls. It was told that they grant a wish to the bearer, and Goku Jr. needs a magical wish more than ever, so he sets out to find the dragon ball that his grandmother told him about.
- DirectorRupert EdwardsStarsRowan AtkinsonMel SmithLenny HenryThe story behind "the funny little wiggly man".
- DirectorPaul VanezisStarsMichael CrazeWilliam HartnellFrazer HinesA discussion and display of the discovered missing material from the missing Doctor Who episodes
- DirectorAlan BoydStarsBrian WilsonDennis WilsonCarl WilsonThe Beach Boys' opportunity to tell their own story. Exclusive interviews, rarely heard tracks and contributions.
- DirectorChristopher LeitchStarsPatty DukeWilliam SchallertJean ByronOriginal cast members from the 1960's television series reunite as Patty fights to stop her longtime nemesis Sue Ellen from turning Brooklyn Heights High School into a shopping mall.
- DirectorPatty Ivins SpechtStarsJames CoburnGene AllenSteve AllenDocumentary about the moviestar's last months including her tumultuous love affairs, drug and alcohol dependency, depression and eventual firing from her final film, 20th Century Fox's "Something's Got To Give". Features several first time interviews with the people surrounding Monroe at the end of her life, behind the scenes footage and stills, and the assembled footage from her final film, co-starring Dean Martin and Cyd Charisse.
- 1997–20231h 24mNot Rated2.6 (40K)TV EpisodeDirectorRod DanielStarsFrench StewartErick AvariBarbara BabcockAmidst his parents' impending divorce, Kevin McCallister must foil his old nemesis Marv and his wife Vera's plot to kidnap a Crown Prince.
- DirectorNancy Stern WintersStarsBill CosbyPhylicia RashadSabrina Le BeaufA retrospective of the phenomenally popular 1984-1992 situation comedy, "The Cosby Show," complete with memorable clips, bloopers and comments from series stars, producers and Bill Cosby himself.
- DirectorFrançois EdeStarsCharles ChaplinEmir KusturicaFilmmaker Emir Kusturica shares his impressions of Charlie Chaplin's The Circus.
- DirectorSerge BrombergStarsCharles ChaplinPeter Lord
- DirectorPhilippe TruffaultStarsCharles ChaplinJean-Pierre DardenneLuc DardenneIn this episode of Philippe Truffault's series on Chaplin, award-winning filmmakers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne profess their love on the classic "Modern Times". The directors expose their views on the many aspects of the film, Chaplin's brilliancy and they also provide interesting details about the making of Chaplin's masterpiece.