Kicked to the Curb
During the 1940s, the Stooges attempted to venture to the small screen in the form of an ABC pilot called “Jerks of All Trades” where the trio would attempt various jobs during each episode hoping to find success. The pilot took only one day to film but never aired due to Columbia Pictures’ vice president of business affairs halting the broadcast. The Stooges were warned that their contract stipulation restricted them from television performances that might compete with the success of their film shorts. Columbia Pictures also threatened to sue the trio should they attempt to sell the television series so the pilot was shelved and production of the series was abandoned out of fear.