15 TV Specials That Only Aired Once—And Were Never Seen Again
Dive into the bizarre world of forgotten television with these 15 once-aired-only specials—strange, star-studded, and mysteriously vanished from the airwaves forever.
- Alyana Aguja
- 5 min read
TV history is populated with bizarre, star-studded specials that aired once and vanished into thin air. From bizarre variety shows and doomed pilots to psychedelic forays and political anomalies, these overlooked broadcasts provide an intriguing look at what networks once believed could fly—only to instantly regret. This compilation reveals 15 of the most bizarre, most obscure, and most compelling one-time-only TV specials that left audiences scratching their heads and broadcasters desperately reaching for the delete button.
1. Jerry Lewis’ The Day the Clown Cried (1972) – Screening for Executives
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This notorious TV broadcast was intended to tease a complete feature Jerry Lewis had directed and acted in, based on a clown who takes kids to the Holocaust gas chambers. Although never technically released, it was seen once on a few German and Swedish networks as a one-off special in the early ’70s. Because of legal complications and Lewis’ personal remorse, it has never resurfaced outside of private contexts.
2. A Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)
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Shown once on CBS, this surreal combination of Wookiee family melodrama, musical numbers, and animated sketches with Boba Fett was designed to capitalize on Star Wars fever. Instead, it left fans scratching their heads and humiliated George Lucas, who promised to hide it forever. Although it vanished from television, bootlegs have ensured its survival in cult circles.
3. The Paul Lynde Halloween Special (1976)
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Filmed only once by ABC, this bizarre Halloween variety show featured Paul Lynde co-starring with KISS, Margaret Hamilton reprising her Wicked Witch character, and more disco performances than anyone can remember. It’s nostalgically recalled as a bizarre concoction of camp, confusion, and ’70s excess. ABC never played it again, and it existed in VHS myth until it resurfaced on DVD years later.
4. Donald Duck’s 50th Birthday (1984)
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This celebrity-studded NBC special had Donald Duck interacting with stars such as Andy Warhol and Donna Summer. Combining live-action interviews, archival footage, and musical numbers, it was a bizarre tribute that aired once and then vanished. Disney never added it to home video releases, possibly because of its strange tone.
5. A Very Brady Christmas Bloopers Special (1988)
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This followed directly after the hit TV movie A Very Brady Christmas and consisted of bloopers, behind-the-scenes material, and cast interviews. It aired only once and was excluded from reruns and home video releases. Those who missed it have never officially viewed it again.
6. Pat Boone in the 25th Century (1977)
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This Christian-themed sci-fi variety special, starring Pat Boone as a time-traveling messiah, was broadcast only once on NBC. With disco songs and evangelical overtones, it was confusing and hypnotic. The network never broadcast it again, becoming a hushed anomaly in TV history.
7. The Will Rogers Follies on TV (1993)
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CBS broadcast this stage musical adaptation live on television as a TV special, hoping to bring Broadway into homes. While Tony-winning successful on stage, the telecast failed and was never presented again. It was never distributed on VHS, DVD, or digital media.
8. The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour (1967, BBC)
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It first aired on BBC1 in black and white on the day following Christmas, leaving the audience perplexed and disappointed. It was shown only once on British television before being put on the shelf for years. Although it developed its own following later, it was never repeated in its original format.
9. It’s Your Nickel (1965)
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A single-shot NBC teen talk show pilot hosted by then-young Al Roker, in which teenagers posed political questions to grown-up specialists, aired once as a test balloon and then disappeared. The format was deemed too “radical” for the mainstream nets.
10. Who’s Afraid of Mother Goose? (1967)
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This hybrid animated/live-action series starred Tony Randall and Margaret Hamilton and featured completely crazily off-base adult versions of nursery rhymes. It aired only once on ABC, making parents scratch their heads and children slightly traumatized. The network left it alone forever after that.
11. The Earth Day Special (1990)
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A two-hour CBS event starring everyone from Bette Midler to The Muppets, this show tackled environmental issues with sketches, monologues, and songs. Despite the A-list cast, it aired once and was never rebroadcast. It became a forgotten eco-fable of early ‘90s TV.
12. Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park (1978)
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Originally shown on NBC as a Halloween film special, this movie had the band KISS battling robot clones of themselves at an amusement park. Intended to propel them into superstardom, it instead bewildered fans and appalled critics. It was never broadcast again in its original form in the United States.
13. The Game Game “Lost Episode” (1969)
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This offbeat dating game show featured celebrity guests grading contestants based on psychological tests. One episode, with a very cringeworthy panel with Phyllis Diller, was pulled after broadcast and never repeated. No copies are known to exist in official archives.
14. The Great American Dream Machine: Final Episode (1973)
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A satirical, progressive magazine-style show on PBS, its last episode was a scathing critique of the Nixon administration. It was shown once and was said to have been pulled from reruns because of political pressure. PBS never rescheduled it.
15. Reagan’s Raiders (1982)
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This animated television special featured President Ronald Reagan and his cabinet as action figure superheroes fighting evil across the globe. It was broadcast once as a pilot on a small UHF network. It was so bizarre and poorly received that it never saw the light of day again.