Friday Flashback: Johnny B...On the Loose

By Prescott Carlson in Miscellaneous on Dec 19, 2008 5:20PM

Since Chicago radio icon Jonathan Brandmeier has been conducting a late night television "experiment" the past couple of weekends, we thought we would take a look back at his first dip into TV waters, the nationally syndicated Johnny B...On the Loose.

Debuting in June of 1991, On the Loose originally aired on WMAQ in a prime 6:30 p.m. slot. The show blended a mix of in-studio banter and performances by Brandmeier's band, Johnny and the Leisure Suits, as well as taped skits and "man on the street" bits. Initial curiosity was high, but the ratings quickly plummeted and the show was harshly panned by critics. Then, to make matters worse, the FCC decided that the early airing violated the prime-time access rule, which restricts the amount of network programming on a given station, and On the Loose was moved to 12:30 a.m. It died a quick death soon after, with the last airing in mid-September, and joined the ranks of other failed attempts of that era to conquer late-night TV such as Dennis Miller, Joan Rivers, and the spectacular flame-out of Chevy Chase.

So was Johnny B...On the Loose really that bad, or was it the victim of unfortunate circumstances? Watch this clip titled "Meet Sgt. Prescott" (no relation) and judge for yourself: