My memory is this show was among the first aired with a network producing it after the FCC lifted the ban on doing such (prior to 1970 many shows were produced by TV networks -- Gilligan and Wild Wild West being two examples from that era; Viacom was formed by taking the rights of the many shows CBS owned and had to divest). The buzz was ABC put it on their schedule because they owned it only to have it turn out there really was nothing beyond a title and a star attached to it. The show ended up being an uneasy hybrid that suffered from its creative uncertainty. To this day there is a suspicion that networks are biased toward shows they also produce; George Lopez complained that his show's cancellation was partly because ABC didn't have a stake in it and therefore wanted to make room for its own shows.
Review of The Paula Poundstone Show
