<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/television" rel="" target="" title="A new television comedy"><span>A new television comedy</span></a><span> was so reviled that one station pulled the show mid-episode to show a black screen for 20 minutes on </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/today-in-history" rel="" target="" title="February 5, 1969"><span>February 5, 1969</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><span>Turn-On</span></em><span> was a surreal comedy consisting of rapid-fire sketches.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The central premise of the show was that the jokes would be generated by an </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/artificial-intelligence-system-says-it-would-kill-a-human-to-maintain-its-existence/afe447c6-b98d-49c5-b4d5-4f5ecd36b7e7" rel="" target="" title="artificially intelligent computer"><span>artificially intelligent computer</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-january-29-what-happened-on-this-day/69d68b09-4491-4679-9c8e-cf7111c2e1d2"><strong><span>Teen girl's chilling reason for gunning down eight schoolchildren</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The show did not feature any sets, with the characters instead acting in front of an all-white background.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Each sketch would last for only a few seconds, usually a simple joke delivered before the show would rapidly cut to a new skit.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>If you watch the video above - the show is like that the whole half-hour.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-february-5-what-happened-on-this-day/fd3ab70d-3622-47b7-bd02-b11bdf46e5f5" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Instead of a laugh-track, </span><em><span>Turn-On</span></em><span> would play atonal synthesiser noises.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But nobody was laughing at home.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Viewers were disoriented by the format and offended by the humour, which was ribald for the time.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Flooded with complaints, affiliate WEWS-TV in </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/ohio" rel="" target="" title="Cleveland"><span>Cleveland</span></a><span> pulled the show at the end of the first ad break.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Instead they used their emergency protocol of a black screen with live organ music.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-january-25-what-happened-on-this-day-avianca-flight-052/251ced8e-f7d2-4aea-8a67-be5948ff0ef1"><strong><span>Shock discovery when surgeons cut open plane crash survivor</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>WEWS general manager Donald Perris said he hadn't watched the show before it went on air.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It was previewed by a member of our staff whose judgment is usually good," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Last night it wasn't very good."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Word got out among affiliates within minutes of the show airing, and it was never broadcast on the US West Coast.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Other stations had viewed the show ahead of time and decided not to air it.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Two days later, the network announced </span><em><span>Turn-On</span></em><span> would go on hiatus. It was officially cancelled on February 10.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-january-9-what-happened-on-this-day-singapore-haircut-ban/4fe0cdf5-8a30-4bdc-af77-30576b5b1a61"><strong><span>Rock stars run afoul of island nation's strict new haircut law</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Creator Digby Wolfe would move to Australia to host </span><em><span>This Is Your Life</span></em><span>, before becoming a sports columnist for the </span><em><span>Sydney Morning Herald</span></em><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The incredible short run of the show would be an experience shared with an Australian comedy - </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/entertainment/no-stopping-repeat-of-nation-s-naughtiest-show/3457e7eb-82d4-4c07-a886-1631756b86a4" rel="" target="" title="Australia's Naughtiest Home Videos"><em><span>Australia's Naughtiest Home Videos</span></em></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The 1992 Channel Nine show was considered so tasteless that network owner </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/james-packer-kerry-packer-relationship-tough-mariah-carey/8f8d14f4-20ff-400f-b062-02edcb21f22b" rel="" target="" title="Kerry Packer"><span>Kerry Packer</span></a><span> called the master control and demanded "Get this s— off air".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It only lasted 46 minutes.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-january-16-what-happened-on-this-day/d418398b-02f8-4877-8c25-c401da6b63ef" rel="" target="" title=""><strong><span>Hollywood's biggest star settled lawsuit over wife's death for $10</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><p><strong><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727"><strong><span>Apple</span></strong></a><span> </span><strong><span>and</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1"><strong><span>Google Play</span></strong></a></p></li><li><p><strong><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=9news.com.au"><strong><span>ticking this box here</span></strong></a></p></li><li><p><strong><span>Sign up to</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine"><strong><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></strong></a></p></li></ul></div></div>