Manimal, a series in 1983 about a man who can shape-shift into any animal, lasted a paltry two months. But thanks to some kind soul who preserved episodes of the masterpiece, the story of a man who is "master of the secrets that divide man from animal, animal from man" lives on. (My favorite parts of this clip are when the animals are all "Wtf?!"
Like Manimal one year before it, Paper Dolls lasted only two months — from September 1984 to December 1984. A prime-time soap opera set around a fictional modeling agency, the show (called Karussell der Puppen in Germany!) starred Lloyd Bridges, Morgan Fairchild, Mimi Rogers, and introduced Nicollette Sheridan. With a trailer this awesome, I wonder why it did so badly!