--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can't predict a show, that is the…" description: "\"You can't predict a show, that is the damndest thing, you can't predict if a show is going to work or not until it's on the air.\" — Aaron Spelling" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ac/aaron-spelling-25664_air_you-can-t-predict-a-show-that-is-the-dam_1226021.png" --- # You can't predict a show, that is the damndest thing, you… ![“You can't predict a show, that is the damndest thing, you can't predict if a show is going to work or not until it's on the air.” quote by Aaron Spelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ac/aaron-spelling-25664_air_you-can-t-predict-a-show-that-is-the-dam_1226021.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ac/aaron-spelling-25664_air_you-can-t-predict-a-show-that-is-the-dam_1226021.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ac/aaron-spelling-25664_air_you-can-t-predict-a-show-that-is-the-dam_1226021.png) > “You can't predict a show, that is the damndest thing, you can't predict if a show is going to work or not until it's on the air.” [Aaron Spelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-spelling/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The success of a TV show cannot be predicted until it airs, highlighting the unpredictability of audience reception. **In simple terms:** Show success is unpredictable until aired. Key Takeaway Accept uncertainty in entertainment. Themes risk uncertainty media creativity Mood cautious optimistic Type practical inspirational When to use this quote - pilot production - marketing - network scheduling - viewer analytics Key Concepts audience behavior market dynamics storytelling Questions to Reflect On - How do you mitigate risk before airing? - What signs indicate a show might succeed? A Different Perspective High budgets can’t guarantee success, leading to financial loss. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) ## Related quotes > [“The only thing I cannot predict is the future”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-trivedi/the-only-thing-i-cannot-predict-is-the-future/) [Amit Trivedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-trivedi/) > [“What seems terrible at first may turn out to be a great thing. You can't predict.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/what-seems-terrible-at-first-may-turn-out-to-be-a-great-thing-you-can/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [You never know: there is a lot of movement in football. You can never predict where you're going to play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angel-di-maria/you-never-know-there-is-a-lot-of-movement-in-football-you-can-never/) [Angel Di Maria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angel-di-maria/) > [You can never predict what's going to be successful, so you have to do the one you really love, and I picked 'Mad Men.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-hendricks/you-can-never-predict-what-s-going-to-be-successful-so-you-have-to-do/) [Christina Hendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-hendricks/) > [People often say that it is easier to predict the way things are going to be 10 to 20 years in the future than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/people-often-say-that-it-is-easier-to-predict-the-way-things-are/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) > [You can't predict what someone else is going to do and when someone else is going to leave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-connelly/you-can-t-predict-what-someone-else-is-going-to-do-and-when-someone/) [Jennifer Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-connelly/) > [I'm more surprised than anyone that 'Spamalot's done so well. You can never predict what's going to be a hit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-idle/i-m-more-surprised-than-anyone-that-spamalot-s-done-so-well-you-can/) [Eric Idle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-idle/) > [I like a book better if I can't predict what's going to happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudy-rucker/i-like-a-book-better-if-i-can-t-predict-what-s-going-to-happen/) [Rudy Rucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudy-rucker/) > [“You couldn’t predict what was going to happen for one simple reason: people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/you-couldn-t-predict-what-was-going-to-happen-for-one-simple-reason/) [Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/) > [With football, you can never predict what's going to happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-silva/with-football-you-can-never-predict-what-s-going-to-happen/) [David Silva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-silva/) > [I can never predict what's going to happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-ferry/i-can-never-predict-what-s-going-to-happen/) [Bryan Ferry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-ferry/) > [“Sex is the damndest thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-pierce/sex-is-the-damndest-thing/) [M. Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-pierce/) > [The key for scouting is trying to predict when the player is peaking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-rodgers/the-key-for-scouting-is-trying-to-predict-when-the-player-is-peaking/) [Brendan Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-rodgers/) > [... a fellow can't predict what he will pick up in the form of influence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/a-fellow-can-t-predict-what-he-will-pick-up-in-the-form-of-influence/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [People who try to predict the future by extrapolating in a line of more of what exists - they are always wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-jacobs/people-who-try-to-predict-the-future-by-extrapolating-in-a-line-of/) [Jane Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-jacobs/) ## More by Aaron Spelling > [Right now I'm doing four shows at a time, trying to read four outlines every week, four scripts every week, and watching four rough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-spelling/right-now-i-m-doing-four-shows-at-a-time-trying-to-read-four-outlines/) [Aaron Spelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-spelling/) > [I'll tell you what I miss most. What I would love to do, more than anything, is just anthologies. With an anthology you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-spelling/i-ll-tell-you-what-i-miss-most-what-i-would-love-to-do-more-than/) [Aaron Spelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-spelling/) > [Now I've even gotten to running out to the fan buses that pass by our house, so I can talk to the people. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-spelling/now-i-ve-even-gotten-to-running-out-to-the-fan-buses-that-pass-by-our/) [Aaron Spelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-spelling/) > [There are a couple of things that I'm sure people don't think are important, but I do. I don't like hair changes unless there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-spelling/there-are-a-couple-of-things-that-i-m-sure-people-don-t-think-are/) [Aaron Spelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-spelling/) > [Nowadays people always say, 'How come he's doing such young shows?' But they never mention 'The Mod Squad'. I was very proud of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-spelling/nowadays-people-always-say-how-come-he-s-doing-such-young-shows-but/) [Aaron Spelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-spelling/) > [But it's true, when you see some television, you carry it with you. It's like 90210. Tell me what young shows were being done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-spelling/but-it-s-true-when-you-see-some-television-you-carry-it-with-you-it-s/) [Aaron Spelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-spelling/) > [I don't travel by airplane. I mean that because when my wife, my kids and I travel on trains or boats, we meet a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-spelling/i-don-t-travel-by-airplane-i-mean-that-because-when-my-wife-my-kids/) [Aaron Spelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-spelling/) > [We do 32 episodes a season and will have shot 267 episodes by the end of the ninth season... It's impossible to sell that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-spelling/we-do-32-episodes-a-season-and-will-have-shot-267-episodes-by-the-end/) [Aaron Spelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-spelling/) > [I must tell you, I haven't done the drug problem that is faced by cops and people on the border. It's a hard show…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-spelling/i-must-tell-you-i-haven-t-done-the-drug-problem-that-is-faced-by-cops/) [Aaron Spelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-spelling/) > [It's so silly not to be nice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-spelling/it-s-so-silly-not-to-be-nice/) [Aaron Spelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-spelling/) > [Do you know what our suicide rate would be if we didn't have television? Do you know how much happiness I've brought to people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-spelling/do-you-know-what-our-suicide-rate-would-be-if-we-didn-t-have/) [Aaron Spelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-spelling/) > [It's been a straight strip, I must tell you, I've enjoyed it all the way. If I'm saying things to make it sound like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-spelling/it-s-been-a-straight-strip-i-must-tell-you-i-ve-enjoyed-it-all-the/) [Aaron Spelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-spelling/) > [I love my wife, she deserves anything and everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-spelling/i-love-my-wife-she-deserves-anything-and-everything/) [Aaron Spelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-spelling/) > [It's OK to do cute little things like kissing a turtle, but you can't kiss another person because he's a different color? Give me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-spelling/it-s-ok-to-do-cute-little-things-like-kissing-a-turtle-but-you-can-t/) [Aaron Spelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-spelling/) > [But, I don't know, the violence, I can't even talk about. We don't do a lot of violent shows. When I started in television,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-spelling/but-i-don-t-know-the-violence-i-can-t-even-talk-about-we-don-t-do-a/) [Aaron Spelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-spelling/) [Explore all 22 Aaron Spelling quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-spelling/) ## More Air quotes > [I will be a tireless advocate for our District's defense priorities including Sheppard Air Force Base, Pantex, Bell Helicopter, universities conducting important research, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronny-jackson/i-will-be-a-tireless-advocate-for-our-district-s-defense-priorities/) [Ronny Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronny-jackson/) > [I have lifted my plane . . . for perhaps a thousand flights and I have never felt her wheels glide from the Earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/i-have-lifted-my-plane-for-perhaps-a-thousand-flights-and-i-have/) [Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/) > [If U.S. air, naval, missile, and ground forces were not in and around Korea, and if we were not treaty-bound to fight alongside South…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/if-u-s-air-naval-missile-and-ground-forces-were-not-in-and-around/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [The cooler days have brought a wistful mood upon him. The smell of coalsmoke in the air at night. Old times, dead years. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-cooler-days-have-brought-a-wistful-mood-upon-him-the-smell-of/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [I'm a candle flame that sways in currents of air you can't see. You need to be the one who steadies me to burn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadine-gordimer/i-m-a-candle-flame-that-sways-in-currents-of-air-you-can-t-see-you/) [Nadine Gordimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadine-gordimer/) > [It is sometimes said that scientists are unromantic, that their passion to figure out robs the world of beauty and mystery. But is it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/it-is-sometimes-said-that-scientists-are-unromantic-that-their/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [ Just between you and me, shouldn’t the World Bank be encouraging MORE migration of the dirty industries to the LDCs \[Less Developed Countries\]?... I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-summers/just-between-you-and-me-shouldn-t-the-world-bank-be-encouraging-more/) [Lawrence Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-summers/) > [After a few mouthfuls of moon-flavored air, even the stubbornly drowsy can find themselves wide-eyed.. All the normal noises of life were gone, leaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/after-a-few-mouthfuls-of-moon-flavored-air-even-the-stubbornly-drowsy/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) > [There was a little nook on Air Force Two that contained the vice presidential seal, and I would sort of wedge myself in there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-biden/there-was-a-little-nook-on-air-force-two-that-contained-the-vice/) [Jill Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-biden/) > [Words are substance strange. Speak one and the air ripples into another's ears. Write one and the eye laps it up. But the sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-beachy-quick/words-are-substance-strange-speak-one-and-the-air-ripples-into/) [Dan Beachy-Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-beachy-quick/) > [ \[A\]s you partake of the world's bill of fare, that's darned good advice to follow. Do a lot of spitting out the hot air.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/a-s-you-partake-of-the-world-s-bill-of-fare-that-s-darned-good-advice/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [...As the disparity between the rich and the poor grows, the fight to corner resources is intensifying. To push through their "sweetheart deals," to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/as-the-disparity-between-the-rich-and-the-poor-grows-the-fight-to/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [Washington bureaucrats have classified the very air we exhale as a pollutant and have gone unchallenged in this incredible assertion. The logical consequence is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/washington-bureaucrats-have-classified-the-very-air-we-exhale-as-a/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [“It is unnatural to fear something natural.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/it-is-unnatural-to-fear-something-natural/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) Browse all 6,278 Air quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You can't predict a show, that is the damndest thing, you can't predict if a show is going to work or not until it's on the air.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Aaron Spelling" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-spelling/you-can-t-predict-a-show-that-is-the-damndest-thing-you-can-t-predict/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Air" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-spelling/you-can-t-predict-a-show-that-is-the-damndest-thing-you-can-t-predict/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ac/aaron-spelling-25664_air_you-can-t-predict-a-show-that-is-the-dam_1226021.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ac/aaron-spelling-25664_air_you-can-t-predict-a-show-that-is-the-dam_1226021.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ac/aaron-spelling-25664_air_you-can-t-predict-a-show-that-is-the-dam_1226021.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You can't predict a show, that is the damndest thing, you can't predict if a show is going to work or not…” — Aaron Spelling", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Aaron Spelling", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-spelling/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You can't predict a show, that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-spelling/you-can-t-predict-a-show-that-is-the-damndest-thing-you-can-t-predict/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-spelling/you-can-t-predict-a-show-that-is-the-damndest-thing-you-can-t-predict/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```