Reconsidering One of the “Worst” TV Shows of All Time

In 1980, a variety show debuted on NBC called Pink Lady and Jeff. Its stars were a pair of Japanese pop idols known for catchy, choreographed dance numbers. Pink Lady was inescapable in Japan: selling millions of records, appearing on TV daily, and filling arenas. But their American TV show left audiences completely bewildered. Pink Lady and Jeff acquired legendary status as one of television’s most notorious bombs, a show that managed to kill off the entire variety show genre. Or at least—that’s how it’s been seen in America. But for the two women of Pink Lady, the show was something else. In this episode, Decoder Ring’s Evan Chung puts this so-called “megaflop” in the spotlight to find out what really went wrong.

You’ll hear from Mie and Keiko Masuda of Pink Lady, their co-host Jeff Altman, head writer Mark Evanier, and legendary TV producer Sid Krofft of H.R. Pufnstuf fame.

This episode was written and produced by Evan Chung. It was edited by Willa Paskin. Our translator was Eric Margolis. Decoder Ring is also produced by Max Freedman and Katie Shepherd, with help from Sofie Kodner. Derek John is Executive Producer. Merritt Jacob is Senior Technical Director.

Special thanks to Kelly Killian, Lorne Frohman, Rowby Goren, Michael Lloyd, Cheyna Roth, Karin Fjellman, Cole delCharco, and Hannah Airriess.

If you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, email us at DecoderRing@slate.com

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Sources for This Episode

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Aoyagi, Hiroshi, “Pop Idols and the Asian Identity,” in Japan Pop! Inside the World of Japanese Pop Culture, ed. Timothy J. Craig, Routledge, 2000.

Bream, Jon. “Rub a dub: ‘Pink Lady and Jeff’ set sail in a tub,” Minneapolis Star, March 21, 1980.

Brown, Les. “TV Networks Consider New Series,” New York Times, November 20, 1978.

Egan, Jack. “The Fall of Super Fred,” New York Magazine, July 20, 1981.

Fine, Marshall. “Jeff Altman might do well without ‘Pink Lady,’” Argus Leader, March 4, 1980.

Fong-Torres, Ben. “Pink Lady: Japanese Bubblegum,” Rolling Stone, September 6, 1979.

Freeman, Don. “Burns Wins Top Music Spot,” Copley News Service, May 23, 1980.

Galbraith, Patrick W. and Jason G. Karlin, eds. Idols and Celebrity in Japanese Media Culture, Palgrave Macmillan, 2012.

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