Nipping It In The Bud
If you gaze at ABC’s fall schedule, all of a sudden you’ll find a show called Samantha Who? This is not another Doctor Who spin-off, and star Christina Applegate is probably not the new companion.
This show was originally titled Sam I Am until the Dr. Seuss estate (Private Snafu‘s Theodore Geisel) said something to the effect of "are you out of your damn mind?" So the Mouse Network changed it to Samantha Be Good. It’s amazing how many people at Disney never heard of George and Ira Gershwin or Chuck Berry, but I guess eventually somebody squawked.
So the alphabet geniuses came up with Samantha Who? Since it’s their third generation, I assume the show is actually a tribute to Jon Pertwee.
I really don't see how the heck the Samantha Be Good title could be squashed because of the Johnny Be Good song…or, to a lesser extent, the Sam I Am title.
Titles can't be cooyrighted but can be trademarked. If Sam I Am isn't trademarked by Ted Geisel's estate there's always the threat of nuiscance suits.
Okay, I was kidding when it came to Johnny Be Good. I'll admit it. As for Sam I Am being trademarked, there's still an issue of confusion in the marketplace — if the teevee show is being given away for free, then somebody who tunes in expecting Geisel's stuff is disappointed, that person isn't out any money and Geisel's estate isn't denied any profit or fair exploitation use.I suspect the House of Mouse decided to take the path of least resistance. It's easier to change the title than it is to defend your position in court. Either that, or nobody in a decision-making position at the network had ever heard of Dr. Seuss. Which is possible. Sure.