Throwback Thursday: ‘Saved by the Bell’, ‘Wynonna Earp’, and the ‘Six Feet Under’ Series Finale

While August is definitely a slower month for TV, that doesn’t mean there isn’t any excitement to talk about. This Throwback Thursday we look at all that August 16th-22nd has to offer.

The premieres are a bit sparse, but a young Leonardo DiCaprio did make his TV debut back in 1990 on a one-season show called Parenthood. Meanwhile, this week back in 2005 the wildly popular Six Feet Under took one last breath with a series finale to end all other series finales.

We are also able to uncover a few memorable moments on major shows like Wynonna Earp, The 4400, and Weeds. These moments are all sure to get our hearts pumping and put us at the edge of our seats ready for the next drama to unfold.

Finally, in our archives, we uncover a few timeless articles worth giving another look.

Fasten your seatbelts…it’s going to be a bumpy ride through TV History.

Major TV Moments:

Promicin Shots (The 4400 Season 3 Episode 13, “Fifty-Fifty”) (August 20, 2005)

After three seasons of the 4400 returnees being “special”, promicin injections become available. The person controlling them is 4400 returnee Jordan Collier, who has decided to hand them out for free, but there’s a catch, there’s a fifty percent chance you’ll die.

This was the season finale and ended with a volunteer handing out injections. In the last moment, he breaks the fourth wall and speaks directly to the viewer asking if they want the shot. It changed the course of the show and introduced a new series of unknown people with new abilities that couldn’t be monitored. 

Shane Kills Pilar (Weeds Season 6 Episode 1, “Thwack”) (August 16, 2010)

While technically Shane thwacks Pilar in the head with a croquet mallet on the Season 5 finale, the act is rehashed on “Thwack” and the consequences are explored. This creates chaos once again for the Botwin family — only this time it had actually seemed like they were past the running phase of their lives.

This changes the course of the show because Shane is no longer seen as a juvenile after he defends his family in such a big way. It also creates a rift between Silas and Nancy because Silas was actually starting to get used to living a sedentary life.

This rift only continues to grow as the final few seasons progress and by the series end, Silas and his mom are as far apart as two people could possibly be. While Nancy thinks she is doing the right thing when she chooses to run away instead of face the music of Shane’s actions, she is really creating the worst possible life for all three of her children — even more so than before.

Waverly vs. Jolene (Wynonna Earp Season 3 Episode 5, “Jolene”) (August 17, 2018)

A demon disguises herself as a friend of the Earps and turns all of Waverly friends against her on Wynonna Earp Season 3 Episode 5, “Jolene.”

But not before Jolene creates chaos and feeds on the already present fissures within the group. She manages to manipulate Waverly enough that she contemplates suicide — before remembering how important she is and fights back.

This moment is a pivotal moment for the show because it shows how the group can fall apart, but also how their strength of will can easily keep them together.

Premieres:

On August 20, 1989, the still popular — soon to be revived — Saved by the Bell premiered introducing the world to the woes of teens at Bayside High. This series even spawned a couple of spin-offs during the 90s. 

This week also saw the premiere of the popular game show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (1999) as well as the well-known reality show Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica (2003). And who can forget that Phineas and Ferb started their summer shenanigans back in 2007?

Here are a few TV shows that premiered this week in TV History:

• 1989 – Saved by the Bell
• 1990 – Parenthood
• 1999 – Rocket Power
• 1999 – Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
• 2003 – Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica
• 2005 – Battle of the Network Reality Stars
• 2006 – Ace of Cakes
• 2007 – Phineas and Ferb
• 2007 – Yo Gabba Gabba!
• 2009 – Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami
• 2009 – Glenn Martin, DDS
• 2010 – Melissa & Joey
• 2019 – The Righteous Gemstones

Finales:

On August 21, 2005, Six Feet Under aired it’s highly anticipated series finale — Season 5 Episode 12, “Everyone’s Waiting.” It is a finale that is still talked about 15 years later and simply hearing the song “Breathe Me” by SIA can evoke strong emotions from any fan.

In a style never really seen before, the show montages through the years as each of the major characters hit major milestones. Then as each character dies their death gets a simple name card much like the style has been the whole series for any death explored. 

On a show about death, it’s amazing how seeing each character die in their own way can still manage to create heartbreak with each moment. The perfect timing and focus on each character allow the viewers to really care about how each of them ultimately meets their end.

Tell-Tale TV Archives:

Looking back at this week over the years it is clear we had some really strong opinions about certain characters here at Tell-Tale TV. In 2016, we compiled a whole list of characters we love to hate. Transversely, in 2018 we felt it necessary to really highlight those characters who don’t have it easy and could really use a little extra love. Then, in 2019 we spoke with the Showrunner and EP of The Haunting of Hill House, Meredith Averill, about the show in an exclusive interview.

2016

17 TV Characters We Love To Hate

2018

20 TV Characters Who Really Need a Hug

2019

Showrunner and EP Meredith Averill on Netflix’s Hit ‘The Haunting of Hill House’ and Upcoming Series ‘Locke & Key’ [Exclusive Interview]

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What are some major TV premieres, finales, or moments you remember? Sound off in the comments below and your choice just might be featured in a future Throwback Thursday column.

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Additional contributions made by Lauren Busser.

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