'70s Icon James Brolin's '90s Action Series Flopped Despite A Major Network Push
James Brolin was a TV and film legend, but the '90s marked a turbulent time for his career. Brolin rose to fame in the '70s after starring in the forgotten Emmy-winning medical drama "Marcus Welby, M.D." This led to his first and only Emmy and sparked his successful career as a Hollywood leading man. But in the early '90s, Brolin ended up appearing in a series of flops, including the short-lived action series "Extreme."
The series followed a search-and-rescue team in Utah, with Brolin playing Reese Wheeler, the unit's fatherly leader. The show also featured a former Miss America, Elizabeth Gracen, future "That '70s Show" star Danny Masterson, and Julie Bowen, who would become an Emmy winner for her work on "Modern Family." Since Brolin had starred in "Marcus Welby, M.D.," ABC's first No. 1 show on the Nielsen rankings, the network had high hopes for "Extreme," even slotting its premiere directly after the Super Bowl in 1995.
That strategy had previously worked for ABC with "The Wonder Years," turning that show into an instant hit. But plenty of TV series have also flopped after premiering in the wake of the Super Bowl. In the case of "Extreme," it was not a success story, and ABC gave up on the series before its season finale. Only seven episodes ever aired.
Extreme was panned by critics
The low viewership for "Extreme" was a surprise for ABC, since the series had passed its test screening with flying colors. "I had two series that tested (just) OK that went to No. 1 within six weeks," Brolin told the Morning Call in 1995, after "Extreme" was ranked 78th on the Nielsen charts. "This one tested brilliantly right from the beginning. ... You never know." There are two reasons why the show might have failed to resonate with audiences.
Firstly, ABC fumbled the release schedule, airing the rest of the season two months after the premiere, which lost any momentum that may have been gained from the Super Bowl release. The show was also scheduled on the same evening as hit NBC sitcoms "Friends" and "Seinfeld," making it even harder to win over audiences.
The second reason was that the series was a little bland, leading to harsh reviews. The New York Daily News' headline read: "Premise of Brolin Series is 'Extreme'ly dumb." Meanwhile, Variety wrote, "The inane dialogue and laborious character development obfuscate the high points, making this series bow heavy with lengthy bouts of boredom punctuated by moments of high excitement." There's no direct evidence for what general audiences thought about the series, but perhaps they felt similar, since it received such a low turnout. Luckily, Brolin recovered his reputation as a TV star with his next series, "Pensacola: Wings of Gold," which lasted three seasons.