What Were They Thinking: The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History [Paperback]

David Hofstede (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2004

Ranking the top 100 most memorable mishaps in a countdown format, this book begins with #100 and proceeds all the way to the single most indelible TV blunder. Organizing the material in this manner invites readers to discuss and debate whether Cop Rock was really a bigger fiasco than The New Monkees, or whether the presentation of Elvis Presley only from the waist up on The Ed Sullivan Show was a sillier bit of censorship than the coverage of Barbara Eden's belly button on I Dream of Jeannie. The blunders in this compendium take many forms-good and bad, inexplicable network decisions, casting catastrophes, and TV "events" that weren't. Each entry is covered in a detailed individual essay that answers such questions as "Why did this happen?" and "What were they thinking?"

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Back Stage Books (October 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823084418
• ISBN-13: 978-0823084418
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,188,287 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun read, but watch for errors, June 21, 2005

By 

Christopher Barat (Owings Mills, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What Were They Thinking: The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History (Paperback)

I enjoyed this well-written book - with some reservations. Some of the entries seem more like philosophical disagreements with certain TV trends (e.g., the corporate-sponsorship craze and the numerous attempts to create TV series from famous and not-so-famous movie franchises) than specific moments in time that one can point to and intone, "Now THAT's dumb!" More troublesome to me were the large number of errors that I spotted in the entries where I had some background knowledge of my own about the series. Case in point: the entry on the Lost in Space episode "The Great Vegetable Rebellion." The retelling of the ep's plot isn't the problem. The first two paragraphs of the entry, however, contain multiple errors about the background and fundamental details of the series. For the record: The Robinson family lifted off in 1997, not 1977; they were traveling to Alpha Centauri, not Alpha "Centurai"; and the comic title Space Family Robinson was not produced by Disney (though Carl Barks did suggest an idea like it long before the actual comic book made its debut). I can only wonder how many other major-league boners -- ones which I lack the expertise to discern -- are sprinkled betwixt the humorous anecdotes and bemused descriptions in which Hofstede specializes. It's still a fun read, but caveat emptor and all that.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If any diehard TV fans don't read this book, I'll wonder "what were they thinking?", July 1, 2005

By 

Chuck Donegan (NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: What Were They Thinking: The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History (Paperback)

Hofstede has done a fine job of recollecting those TV moments many would rather forget (save for a few minor factual errors, but these really don't detract from the book's excellent content, IMO), and the foreword by Tom Bergeron's definitely a nice touch (is it just a coincidence that the network interference which killed his series, Fox After Breakfast, is one of the events that made the top 100? LOL). Plus, Hofstede's humorous comments on each event are sure to leave readers laughing...here's a sample of his wit and wisdom:

- On the viability of QVC's infamous "Poopin' Moose" candy dispesnser as a romantic gift: "I love you, honey, and to show how much I care, here's a moose that craps Milk Duds."
- On Dan Rather's infamous "Courage" signoff: "Was he sending a message to the Cowardly Lion? Did he just discover The Boogaloos?"
- On the two failed attempts to turn Neil Simon plays (Barefoot In the Park and The Odd Couple) into all-black sitcoms: "I look forward to seeing Bernie Mac in Brighton Beach Memoirs any day now."

So if you're a diehard TV fan, or even if you're not, pick it up today...def worth a read!

9 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Interesting but not well-written., February 14, 2007

By 

S. Smith "S. Marcus (formerly S. Smith)" (Ohio, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What Were They Thinking: The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History (Paperback)

A fun book but there are many errors. I still found it an interesting read but can't recommend it without reservations. A second edition, with careful editing, would be much more entertaining (since some of the facts are glaringly incorrect*) and I'm surprised that previous reviewers said it was well-written. *(I started making penciled corrections in a library book!)