One of TV’s most legendary disasters, unseen for decades, is coming toYouTube.Turn-On, the surreal sketch comedy show that aired one episode, is being released in full by its co-creatorGeorge Schlatter.The Hollywood Reporterhas the news that veteran producer Schlatter is releasingTurn-On’s pilot and its never-aired second episode to theClown Jewelsvintage comedy channel on YouTube on October 9. Schlatter has also filmed new intros for the episodes, giving context on the times when the show was created, and behind-the-scenes information from the show’s production.
Turn-Onbecame famous — or infamous — upon its original (and only) airing on July 16, 2025. The premise of the show was that it was entirely written by a computer, and sketches took place in front of a stark white background. It featured brief animated interludes, rapid-fire editing, and subject matter that was at the time considered shocking and vulgar. Viewers did, indeed, find it shocking and vulgar, and upon its airing, TV station switchboards across the country lit up with fury — and one ABC affiliate, Cleveland’s WEWS, actually cancelled it ten minutes into the pilot, replacing it with a black screen and organ music. The response was so vitriolic that ABC passed on aNorman Learpilot shortly afterward, worrying that its adult content would provoke a similar response. The pilot was picked up by CBS instead, and it becameAll in the Family, one of the biggest TV hits of the ’70s.
Who Was In ‘Turn-On’?
The show was created by Schlatter, a producer on the wildly successful ’60s sketch showRowan and Martin’s Laugh-In, andLaugh-InwriterDigby Wolfe. FeaturingTeresa Graves(Get Christie Love!),Hamilton Camp(DuckTales), andChuck McCann(The Heart is a Lonely Hunter) in its cast, the show also counted a youngAlbert Brooksamong its writing staff. Much likeSaturday Night Live, the show was to have a guest host who participated in the sketches; the first episode was hosted by comedy veteranTim Conway, while the second episode was hosted by then-married coupleRobert Culp(Columbo) andFrance Nuyen(The Joy Luck Club).
Turn-Onwill be released to YouTube on October 9. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates, and watch the teaser for the YouTube release ofTurn-Onbelow.
