In solidarity
Tony Figueroa
In solidarity
Tony Figueroa
CHILD OF TELEVISION: Recent Episodes
Tony Figueroa
I represent the first generation who, when we were born, the television was now a permanent fixture in our homes. When I was born people had breakfast with Barbara Walters, dinner with Walter Cronkite, and slept with Johnny Carson. Read the full "Pre-ramble"
October 6, 2000The first episode of CBS's CSI: Crime SceneInvestigation aired.CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (alsoreferred to as both CSI and CSI: Las Vegas)is an American crime drama televisionseriescreated by AnthonyE. Zuiker and executive produced by JerryBruckheimer. It premiered on October 6, 2000 on CBS, and was filmedprimarily at Universal Studios in Universal City, California.CSI spawned three spin-off series: CSI:Miami, CSI: NY, and CSI:Cyber; a book series; several video games; and an exhibit atChicago's Museum of Science and Industry.At the time of its cancellation, CSI was the seventhlongest-running scripted U.S. primetime TV series overall and had beenrecognized as the most popular dramatic series internationally by the Festival de Télévision deMonte-Carlo, which awarded the series the "International TelevisionAudience Award (Best Television Drama Series)" three times. CSI becamethe second most-watched show on American television by 2002, and was laternamed the most-watched show in the world for the fifth time in 2012. It has wonnine awards.On May 13, 2015, CBS confirmed that the series would conclude with atwo-hour TV movie that will air on September 27, 2015, featuring MargHelgenberger, William Petersen, and PaulGuilfoyle. Ted Danson will join the cast of CSI:Cyber.October7, 1950The FrankSinatra Show debuted. Thiswas Sinatra's second attempt at a television series, his first was TheFrank Sinatra Show on CBS Television between1950-52.Theseries was originally slated to consist of thirteen variety episodes, thirteendramas starring Sinatra, and ten dramas hosted by Sinatra, filmed at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood ratherthan broadcast live. Sinatra was paid $3 million for the series, and grantednear total artistic freedom.Thedrama segments of the show fared less well against the variety episodes inratings and the final total was fourteen live variety shows, eight filmedvariety shows, four dramas starring Sinatra, and six dramas hosted by Sinatra.Rather than 36 episodes for the season, ABC cut its losses and reduced thetotal number to 32.Sinatrahated rehearsing, and tried to make eleven shows in fifteen days; the seriessubsequently received a critical mauling and was Sinatra's last attempt at atelevision series.October 7, 1960* Route66 *primered. The show ranweekly on CBS from 1960 to 1964.It starred Martin Milner as Tod Stiles and, fortwo and a half seasons, George Maharis as Buz Murdock. Mahariswas ill for much of the third season, during which time Tod was shown travelingon his own. Tod met Lincoln Case, played by Glenn Corbett, late inthe third season, and traveled with him until the end of the fourth and finalseason.The series is best remembered for its Corvette convertible and itsinstrumental theme song (composed and performed by NelsonRiddle), which became a major pop hit.Route 66 was a hybrid between episodic television drama, which hascontinuing characters and situations, and the anthologyformat (e.g., The Twilight Zone),in which each week's show has a completely different cast and story. Route66 had just three continuing characters, no more than two of whom appearedin the same episode. Like Richard Kimble from The Fugitive, thewanderers would move from place to place and get caught up in the struggles ofthe people there. Unlike Kimble, nothing was forcing them to stay on the moveexcept their own sense of adventure, thus making it thematically closer to Run for Your Life,Movin' On, and ThenCame Bronson. Later examples of this traveling protagonistformat are programs such as Bearcats!, Quantum Leap, The Incredible Hulk,TheA-Team, and Supernatural.This semi-anthology concept, where the drama is centered on the guest starsrather than the regular cast, was carried over from series creator Stirling Silliphant's previousdrama Naked City (1958-1963).Both shows were recognized for their literate scripts and richcharacterizations. The open-ended format, featuring two roamingobservers/facilitators, gave Silliphant and the other writers an almostunlimited landscape for presenting a wide variety of dramatic (or comedic)story lines. Virtually any tale could be adapted to the series. The tworegulars merely had to be worked in and the setting tailored to fit thelocation. The two men take odd jobs along their journey, like toiling in a Californiavineyard or manning a Mainelobster boat, bringing them in contact with dysfunctional families ortroubled individuals in need of help.Tod and Buz (and later, Linc) symbolized restless youth searching formeaning in the early 1960s,but they were essentially non-characters. We learn almost nothing about themover the course of the series. All we are told is that, after the death of hisfather, Tod Stiles inherits a new Corvette and decides to drive across Americawith his friend Buz. Tod, portrayed by clean-cut Martin Milner, is the epitomeof the decent, honest, all-American type. He is the moral anchor of the series.By contrast, the working-class Buz (George Maharis) is looser, hipper, more BeatGeneration in attitude. His third-season replacement, Lincoln Case(Glenn Corbett), is a darker character, an army veteran haunted by hispast. He's more introspective with a sometimes explosive temper, but isnonetheless a reliable companion on this soul-searching journey.The series concluded in Tampa with the two-part episode "Where There'sa Will, There's a Way," in which Tod Stiles got married, and he and Lincfinally settled down. This made the series one of the earliest prime-timetelevision dramas to have a planned series finale resolving the fate of itsmain characters. The show was filmed and presented in black and white throughout its run.This was not unusual for early 1960s episodic TV.U.S.Route 66 is well-remembered for its cinematography and locationfilming. Writer-producer Stirling Silliphant traveled the country with alocation manager (Sam Manners), scouting a wide range of locales and writingscripts to match the settings. The actors and film crew would arrive a fewmonths later. Memorable locations include a logging camp, shrimp boats, anoffshore oil rig, and Glen Canyon Dam, the latterwhile still under construction. It is one of very few series in the history oftelevision to be filmed entirely on the road. This was done at a time when the UnitedStates was much less homogeneous than it is now. People, theiraccents, livelihoods, ethnic backgrounds and attitudes varied widely from onelocation to the next. Scripted characters reflected a far less mobile society,in which people were more apt to spend their entire lives in one small part ofthe country. Similarly, the places themselves were very different from oneanother visually, environmentally, architecturally, in goods and servicesavailable, etc. Stars Martin Milner and George Maharis both mentioned this in1980s interviews. "Now you can go wherever you want," Maharis addedby way of contrast, "and it's a Denny's."The roster of guest stars on Route 66 includes quite a few actors wholater went on to fame and fortune, as well as major stars on the downward sideof their careers. One of the most historically significant episodes of theseries in this respect was "Lizard's Leg and Owlet's Wing." Itfeatured Lon Chaney, Jr., PeterLorre and Boris Karloff as themselves,with Karloff donning his famous Frankenstein monster make-upfor the first time in 25 years and Chaney reprising his role as the Wolfman.The show was filmed at the O'Hare Inn, near O'HareAirport, Chicago, Illinois. Dutchsinger Ronnie Tober had a small guest role with Sharon Russo, Junior MissAmerica.Other notable guest stars from the series included James Brown (eight times), James Caan, RobertDuvall, George Kennedy, WalterMatthau, David Janssen, BusterKeaton, Lee Marvin, TinaLouise, Suzanne Pleshette, RobertRedford, Martin Sheen, RodSteiger, and Joan Tompkins. JulieNewmar is especially memorable as a motorcycle-riding free-spirit—arole she reprised in a later episode. WilliamShatner and DeForest Kelley also gueststarred, in separate episodes. Lee Marvin and DeForest Kelley were among themany actors and actresses to appear in more than one role over the course ofthe series.In a 1986 interview, Martin Milner reported that Lee Marvin credited himwith helping his career by breaking Marvin's nose "just enough" toimprove his look. This happened in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,during a scripted fistfight for "Mon Petit Chou," the second of twoepisodes in which Marvin appeared.Two late third-season episodes, which aired one week apart, each featured aguest star in a bit part playing a character with a profession with which theywould later become associated as stars of their own respective mega-hittelevision series. In "Shadows of an Afternoon," MichaelConrad can be seen as a uniformed policeman, many years before hebecame famous in his regular role as Police Sgt. Phil Esterhaus on HillStreet Blues. And in "Soda Pop and Paper Flags," AlanAlda guested as a surgeon, a precursor to his career-defining roleas Dr. Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce on MASH. Also in the firstseason episode The Strengthening Angels that aired November 4, 1960 Hal Smith, who played towndrunk Otis Campbell in The Andy Griffith Show,also plays a drunk named Howard and is listed in the credits as"Drunk".A 4th season episode, "Is It True There Are Poxies at the Bottom ofLandfair Lake?", featured guest stars GeoffreyHorne and Collin Wilcox. In theepisode's storyline, Wilcox's character pretended to get married to Horne's,although it turned out to be a practical joke. A few years after appearing inthis episode, Horne and Wilcox would in real life be briefly married to eachother.A noteworthy in-jokeoccurs during the 4th season episode "Where Are the Sounds of CelliBrahams?" In this segment, HoraceMcMahon guests as a Minneapolis, Minnesota,festival promoter. At one point, his character confesses to Linc his failedambition to be a policeman. Linc remarks that he looks like a policeman Linconce knew in New York City. McMahon hadstarred as Lt. Mike Parker on the New York-based police drama Naked City from 1958-63,another television series overseen by the creative team of Stirling Silliphant and Herbert B. Leonard.The originalworking title of the series was The Searchers, according to GeorgeMaharis. That title was also the title of the 1956 film The Searchers directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne, so the series was renamed. The show actually had very little real connection with the US Highway providing its name. Most of the locations visited throughout the series were far afield from the territory covered by "The Mother Road." U.S. Route 66 the highway was briefly referred to in just three early episodes of the series ("Black November," "Play It Glissando," and "An Absence of Tears") and is shown only rarely, as in the early first season episode "The Strengthening Angels". * The episode "I'm Here to Kill a King," which was originally scheduled to air on November 29, 1963, was removed from the schedule because of President John F. Kennedy's assassination one week earlier. It was not aired until the series went into syndication. This episode, and "A Long Way from St. Louie," are the only ones filmed outside the United States. Both were filmed in Canada, the latter in Toronto. * Sam Peckinpah wrote and directed an episode of season 2, "Mon Petit Chou," in 1961.
Route 66 was devised by Stirling Silliphant, who wrotethe majority of the episodes. It was notable for its dark storylines andexceptional realism. Tod and Buz would frequently become involved withindividuals whose almost nihilistic worldview made foroccasionally frightening television. Some 50 years after its premiere, Route66 is still one of the few television series to offer such a range ofsocially-conscious stories, including mercykilling, the threat of nuclear annihilation, terrorism, runaways andorphans. Other episodes dealt with the mentally ill, drug addiction or gangviolence. However, some stories were congenially lighthearted, such as amemorable episode featuring RichardBasehart as a folklorist trying to record the local music of anisolated Appalachiancommunity, and a Halloween episode called "Lizard's Leg and Owlet'sWing".Even more unusual is the way it served up a kind of soaring dialog that hasbeen referred to as "Shakespearean" andfree-verse poetry. For instance, the boys encounter a Nazi hunternamed Bartlett on the offshore oil drilling rig where they work. Bartlettdescribes the horrors of World War II and the Holocaustthus: "Tod, I hope you live a long life and never know the blisteringforces that sear and destroy, turn men into enemies and sweep past the lastfrontiers of compassion" and "once you've seen that dark, unceasingtide of faces... of the victims...the last spark of dignity so obliterated thatnot one face is lifted to heaven, not one voice is raised in protest even asthey died..." (from episode #4, "The Man on the Monkey Board").The quirky, textured writing extended even to episode titles, which includedsuch oddities as "How Much a Pound is Albatross?" and "Ever Ridethe Waves in Oklahoma?". Other episode titles were drawn from a wide rangeof literary sources, such as Shakespeare ("A Lance of Straw","Hell is Empty, All the Devils are Here") or AlfredTennyson ("A Fury Slinging Flame").Many of the stories were character studies, like the above-mentioned onefeaturing Richard Basehart as a man who uses people then tosses them away, asif they are plastic spoons. The episode titled "You Can't Pick Cotton inTahiti" refers to small-town America as both a far-away, exotic Tahiti andthe "real America" compared to "phony-baloney" Hollywood,and still offers food for thought. Many episodes offer moving soliloquies, intowhich future Academy-Award-winning writerStirling Silliphant (In the Heat of theNight) poured his deepest thoughts.Despite all the adventure, travelogue, drama and poetry, the real subject ofthe series was the human condition, with Tod and Buz often cast as a kind ofroving Greekchorus, observers and mentors to broken-down prizefighters and rodeoclowns, sadists and iron-willed matrons, surfers and heiresses, runaway kidsand people from all walks of life, forced by circumstances to confront theirdemons.One hallmark of the show was the way it introduced viewers, however briefly,to new ways of life and new cultures. For instance, we get a glimpse of ashrimper's life in episode 2 of season 1, "A Lance of Straw," and alook at Cleveland, Ohio's Polishcommunity in episode 35, "First Class Mouliak". Here the young arepushed by their parents into careers and even marriages they may not want, inan effort to hold community and family together, albeit at the expense of thehappiness and well-being of the kids. This story featured Robert Redford, MartinBalsam, Nehemiah Persoff and NancyMalone as guest stars.One of the legacies Route 66 left behind is a dramatic andphotographic portrait of early-1960s America as a less crowded and lesscomplicated era—if not a less violent one—in which altruism and optimism stillhad a place. That place was filled by two young men who seemed to represent thebest in us, the willingness to stand up for the weak, and who espousedold-fashioned values like honesty and the physical courage necessary to fightin their own and others' defense. In their role of wanderers, they appeared tobe peaceful rebels who seemed to reject, at least for a time, materialpossessions and the American dream of owning a home. The boys were de factoorphans adrift in American society; as such, they embodied facets of JackKerouac's Beat Generation, a little bitof MarlonBrando's wild side from TheWild One, James Dean's inability tosettle down and fit in from Rebel Without a Cause, andthe wanderlust of the above-mentioned Jim Bronson, the traveling writer andloner who toured the USA on a motorcycle in the 1969-1970 series ThenCame Bronson. The use of the Corvette on Route 66, notonly as the boys' transportation but as their marquee and symbol of theirwandering spirit, created a link between America's Sports Car and America'shighways that endures to this day.Given the unusual tenor of the show and the cost of keeping some 50 peopleon the road filming for most of the year, it seems highly unlikely thatanything like Route 66 will ever be attempted again.NelsonRiddle was commissioned to write the instrumental theme when CBSdecided to have a new song, rather than pay royalties for the BobbyTroup song "(GetYour Kicks on) Route 66". Riddle's theme, however, offers anunmistakable homage to the latter's piano solo (as originally recorded by NatKing Cole) throughout the number. Riddle's Route 66instrumental was one of the first television themes[1]to make Billboard Magazine's Top 30,following Henry Mancini's "Mr. Lucky Theme" in 1960. The song earnedtwo Grammy nominations in 1962. George Maharis reported in a 1986 Nickat Nite interview that people often ask him about "the redCorvette." According to Maharis, the Corvette was never red. (Themisconception may partially stem from the box illustration on the officialboard game, released by Transogram in 1962, which showed Tod and Buz in ared-colored model.) It was light blue the first season, and fawn beige for thesecond and third seasons. Both colors were chosen to photograph well in blackand white, but the show's cinematographer complained that the powder blue carreflected too much light. The Corvette was replaced with a newer model annuallyby series' sponsor General Motors but the showitself never mentioned or explained the technicality.October 10, 1950The Federal Communications Commission issues the firstlicense to broadcast color television, to CBS. However, RCA charged that CBS's color technology wasinadequate and contested the license, which was to go into effect November 3. RCA's challenge worked: A restraining order was issued on November 15. Despitethis setback, CBS did broadcast the first commercial color TV program in June1951. Color TV technology continued to evolve during the 1950s. In 1956, aChicago TV station became the first to broadcast entirely in color. Colortelevision sets, however, remained less popular than black and white sets untilthe late 1960s. In 1968, color televisions outsold black and white televisionsfor the first time.October 10, 2010Discovery Kids wasrelaunched and rebranded as The Hub. It was a joint operation by DiscoveryCommunications and Hasbro, Inc. October 11, 1975Saturday Night Live debuts. The topical comedy sketch show featuring Chevy Chase,John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, Garrett Morris, Jane Curtin andLaraine Newman, makes its debut on NBC; it will go on to become thelongest-running, highest-rated show on late-night television. The 90-minuteprogram, which from its inception has been broadcast live from Studio 8H in theGE Building at Rockefeller Center, includes a different guest host and musicalact each week. The opening sketch of each show ends with one actor saying,“Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!”Created by the Canadian-born comedy writer Lorne Michaels, SNL hasintroduced a long list of memorable characters and catchphrases--from GildaRadner’s Roseanne Roseannada, to the Coneheads, to Billy Crystal’s Fernando(“You look mahvelous”), to Dana Carvey’s Church Lady (“Isn’t that special?”),to bodybuilders Hans and Franz (“We’re going to pump you up”), to CoffeeTalk host Linda Richman (“like buttah” and “I’m all verklempt”)--that havebecome part of pop-culture history. The show, whose cast has changedcontinually over the years, has also launched the careers of such performers asBill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, Chris Farley,David Spade, Jon Lovitz, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tina Fey. Some SNLsketches have even been turned into feature films, the two most successfulexamples being 1980’s The Blues Brothers and 1992’s Wayne’s World.The show was originally known as NBC’s Saturday Night becausethere was another show on ABC called Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell.However, NBC eventually purchased the naming rights, and since 1977 the edgycomedy program has been called Saturday Night Live. Lorne Michaelsserved as the show’s producer from 1975 to 1980, followed by Jean Doumanianfrom 1980 to 1981. Dick Ebersol helmed the show from 1981 to 1985. Michaelsreturned to the program that year, and has remained executive producer ever since.The influential comedian George Carlin hosted the debut episode of SNL.Later that year, Candace Bergen became the first woman to assume SNL hostingduties. She went on to host the program four more times. In 1982,seven-year-old Drew Barrymore hosted the show, becoming the youngest personever to do so. Starting in 1976, Steve Martin has hosted SNL 14 times.Since 1990, Alec Baldwin has hosted the show 13 times. John Goodman has hostedthe show a dozen times, beginning in 1989. Other frequent guest hosts includeBuck Henry, Chevy Chase, Tom Hanks and Christopher Walken. Musical guestswho’ve performed on SNL five or more times include Paul Simon, Tom Petty& The Heartbreakers, James Taylor, Sting, Beck and the Foo Fighters.SNL is known for its topical parodies and impersonations, and forpushing boundaries with its sketches. The show is also recognized for itspolitical humor. Chevy Chase famously portrayed President Gerald Ford as aklutz, while Dana Carvey spoofed President George H.W. Bush and his “read mylips” line. More recently, Amy Poehler has played Senator Hillary Clinton innumerous skits (including one with the senator herself) and Tina Fey hasportrayed the 2008 Republican vice-presidential nominee, Sarah Palin.October 12, 1950The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, aka The Burns and Allen Show, began on *CBS Television. The show was originally staged live before a studio audience(during its first three months, it originated from the Mansfield Theatre in New York, thenrelocated to CBS' Columbia Square facilities in Los Angeles). Everthe businessman, Burns realized it would be more efficient to do the series onfilm (beginning in the fall of 1952); the half-hour episodes could then besyndicated. From that point on, the show was shot without a live audiencepresent, however, each installment would be screened before an audience toprovide live responses prior to the episodes being broadcast. With 291episodes, the show had a long network run through 1958 and continued insyndicated reruns for years.October 12, 1970Kirk Thomas Cameron* is born. Best-known for his role as Mike Seaver on the television situationcomedy Growing Pains, as well as several othertelevision and film appearances as a child actor.Recently, he portrayed the lead roles in the Left Behind film series and in the2008 drama film, Fireproof.Cameron is also an active Christian evangelist,currently partnering with Ray Comfort in the evangelical ministry The Way of the Master, and hasco-founded The Firefly Foundation with his wife, actress ChelseaNoble. He stated that his main priorities in life are: "God, family,career — in that order," and he says that this decision has hadnegative consequences on his career.*Stay TunedTony Figueroa*
September 29th, 1960My Three Sons firstaired. The series ran from 1960 to1965 on ABC, and moved to CBS until its end on August 24, 1972. MyThree Sons chronicles the life of a widower and aeronauticalengineer named Steven Douglas (Fred MacMurray),raising his three sons. The series also starred William Frawley asthe boy’s live-in maternal grandfather, Bub. Frawley, was replaced in 1965by William Demarest due to Frawley’s health issues.September 29, 1985The pilot episode of"MacGyver" aired on ABC. MacGyver is an Americanaction-adventure television series created by Lee David Zlotoff. Henry Winkler and John Rich were the executive producers. The show ran for seven seasonson ABC inthe United States and various other networks abroad from 1985 to 1992. The series was filmed in Los Angeles during seasons one,two, and seven, and in Vancouver during seasons threethrough six. The show's final episode aired on April 25, 1992 on ABC (thenetwork aired a previously unseen episode for the first time on May 21, 1992,but it was originally intended to air before the series finale).Theshow follows secretagent MacGyver,played by Richard Dean Anderson, who works as a troubleshooter for the fictionalPhoenix Foundation in Los Angeles and as an agent for a fictional United Statesgovernment agency, the Department of External Services (DXS).Educated as a scientist, MacGyver served as a Bomb Team Technician/EOD during the Vietnam War("Countdown").Resourceful and possessed of an encyclopedic knowledge of the physical sciences, he solves complex problemby making things out of stuff, along with his ever-present Swiss Army knife. He prefers non-violentresolutions and prefers not to handle a gun.The series was a moderateratings success, but had a loyal following and was popular in the United Statesand around the world. Two television movies, MacGyver: Lost Treasure of Atlantis and MacGyver: Trail to Doomsday, aired on ABC in 1994. Aspin-off series, Young MacGyver, was planned in 2003, but onlythe pilot was made. Merchandise for MacGyver includes gamesand toys, print media and an original audio series. A feature film based on theseries is being developed.September 30, 1960The Flintstones Premiered. The Flintstones ran from September 30, 1960to April 1, 1966 on ABC. Produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, TheFlintstones is about a working class Stone Age man's life with his family Fred& Wilma Flintstoneand his next door neighbors and best friends Barney& Betty Rubble.Critics and fans alike agree that the show was an animated imitation of The Honeymooners with rock puns thrownin. It aired during an era when colortelevision was becoming popular in America. Its popularity rested heavilyon its juxtaposition of modern-day concerns in the Stone Agesetting. The Flintstones also became the first primetime animatedseries to last more than two seasons this record wasn't surpassed by anotherprimetime animated TV series until the third season of The Simpsons in 1992.The show is set in the town of Bedrock where dinosaurs, saber-toothed tigers, woolly mammoths,and other long extinct animals co-exist with barefoot cavemen. Like their 20thcentury peers, these cavemen listen to records, live in split-level homes, andeat out at restaurants, yet their technology is made entirely frompre-industrial materials and largely powered through the use of variousanimals. For example, the cars are made out of stone, wood, and animal skins,and powered by the passengers' feet.It has been noted that Fred Flintstone physically resembled voice actor Alan Reed,and also Jackie Gleason. The voice of Barney was provided bylegendary voice actor Mel Blanc, though five episodes (the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th,and 9th) during the second season employed Hanna-Barbera regular Daws Butlerwhile Blanc was incapacitated by a near-fatal car accident. Blanc was able toreturn to the series much sooner than expected, by virtue of a temporaryrecording studio for the entire cast set up at Blanc's bedside. It should benoted, however, that Blanc's portrayal of Barney Rubble had changedconsiderably after the accident. In the earliest episodes, Blanc had used amuch higher pitch. After his recovery from the accident, Blanc used a deepervoice. Additional similarities with The Honeymooners included the fact thatReed based Fred's voice upon JackieGleason's interpretation of RalphKramden, while Blanc, after a season of using a nasal, high-pitched voicefor Barney, eventually adopted a style of voice similar to that used by Art Carneyin his portrayal of Ed Norton. The first time that the Art Carney-like voicewas used was for a few seconds in "The Prowler" (the third episodeproduced).In a 1986 Playboyinterview, Jackie Gleason said that Alan Reed had done voice-overs for Gleasonin his early movies, and that he (Gleason) considered suing Hanna-Barbera forcopying The Honeymooners but decided to let it pass. According to HenryCorden, who took over as the voice of Fred Flintstone after Alan Reed died,and was a friend of Gleason’s, “Jackie’s lawyers told him that he couldprobably have The Flintstones pulled right off the air. But they alsotold him, “Do you want to be known as the guy who yanked Fred Flintstone offthe air? The guy who took away a show that so many kids love, and so manyparents love, too?”HenryCorden handled the voice responsibilities of Fred after Reed's death in1977. Corden had previously provided Fred's singing voice in The ManCalled Flintstone and later on Flintstones children's records.After 1999, Jeff Bergman performed the voice of Fred. Since MelBlanc's death in 1989, Barney has been voiced by both FrankWelker and Kevin Richardson. Various additionalcharacter voices were created by HalSmith, Allan Melvin, Janet Waldo,DawsButler and Howard Morris, among others.Although most Flintstones episodes are stand-alone storylines, the series didhave a few storyarcs. The most notable example was a series of episodes surrounding thebirth of Pebbles. Beginning with the episode "TheSurprise", aired midway through the third season (1/25/63), in which Wilmareveals her pregnancy to Fred, the arc continued through the trials andtribulations leading up to Pebbles' birth in the episode "DressRehearsal" (2/22/63), and then continued with several episodes showingFred and Wilma adjusting to the world of parenthood. A postscript to the arcoccurred in the third episode of the fourth season, in which the Rubbles,depressed over being unable to have children of their own (making TheFlintstones the first animated series in history to address the issue ofinfertility, though subtly), adopt Bamm-Bamm. The 100th episode made (but the90th to air), Little Bamm-Bamm (10/3/63), established how Bamm-Bamm wasadopted. About nine episodes were made before it, but shown after, whichexplains why Bamm-Bamm would not be seen again until episode 101, DaddiesAnonymous (Bamm-Bamm was in a teaser on episode 98, Kleptomaniac Pebbles).Another story arc, occurring in the final season, centered on Fred and Barney'sdealings with The Great Gazoo (voiced by HarveyKorman).The Flintstones was the first American animated show to depict twopeople of the opposite sex (Fred and Wilma; Barney and Betty) sleeping togetherin one bed, although Fred and Wilma are sometimes depicted as sleeping inseparate beds. For comparison, the first live-action depiction of this inAmerican TV history was in television's first-ever sitcom: 1947's Mary Kay andJohnny.The show contained a laugh track, common to most other sitcoms of theperiod. In the mid-1990s, when Turner Networks remastered the episodes, theoriginal laugh track was removed. Currently, the shows airing on Boomerang and the DVD releases have theoriginal laugh track restored to most episodes (a number of episodes fromSeasons 1 and 2 still lack them). Some episodes, however, have a newer laughtrack dubbed in, apparently replacing the old one. Because of this practice,the only episode to originally air without a laugh track ("Sheriff For aDay" in 1965) now has one.Following the show's cancellation in 1966, a film based upon the series wascreated. The ManCalled Flintstone was a musicalspy caper thatparodied JamesBond and other secret agents. The movie was released to theaters on August3, 1966 by Columbia Pictures. It was released on DVD inCanada in March 2005 and in United States in December 2008.The Flintstones had several spin-offs and TV specials.ThePebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show (1971–72)TheFlintstone Comedy Hour (1972–73)The NewFred and Barney Show (1979)TheFlintstone Comedy Show (1980–82)TheFlintstone Funnies (1982–84)The FlintstoneKids (1986–88)TheJetsons Meet the Flintstones (1987)I Yabba-Dabba Do!(1993)Hollyrock-a-ByeBaby (1993)AFlintstones Christmas Carol (1994)TheFlintstones: On the Rocks (2001)There weree also two Live action Flintstone MoviesTheFlintstones (1994)TheFlintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000)*September 30, 1995Baywatch Nights began airing insyndication. The original premise of the show was that, during a midlifecrisis, Sgt. Garner Ellerbee (Gregory Alan Williams), who was theresident police officer of Baywatch sincethe beginning of the series, decides to quit his job as a police officer andform a detectiveagency. MitchBuchannon (David Hasselhoff), his friend from Baywatch,joins to support him and they are, in turn, joined by a detective named RyanMcBride (Angie Harmon). Singer Lou Rawls,who starred in the first season, performed the series theme song, "Afterthe Sun Goes Down". Mid-way into the first season, the show added two newcast members (Eddie Cibrian and DonnaD'Errico).During the second season, facing slipping ratings whichwere never as good as the original series, the producers decided to switch toa science fiction format (inspired by thesuccess of The X-Files). Gregory Alan Williams left theseries and was replaced by DorianGregory as Diamont Teague, a paranormal expert.The new format did not help the series and it was canceled after the secondseason. The character Donna Marco was later carried over to theoriginal Baywatch series afterwards.October 1, 1955TheHoneymooners debuts on CBS.* The TV comedy, which starred JackieGleason, enjoyed enduring popularity despite the fact that it aired only 39episodes.The show originated in1951 as a sketch on Gleason's variety show Cavalcade of Stars. Hecontinued the sketches when he launched a new program, The Jackie GleasonShow, in 1952. In these skits, Gleason played bus driver Ralph Kramden, andAudrey Meadows played his long-suffering wife, Alice, who deflated hisget-rich-quick schemes but often saved the day. Art Carney played friend andsidekick Ed Norton, and Joyce Randolph played Ed's wife, Trixie.In a departure from mostTV shows at the time, The Honeymooners was filmed in front of a liveaudience and broadcast at a later date. To allow Gleason more time to pursueother producing projects, he taped two episodes a week, leaving him free forseveral months at the end of the season.Unfortunately,the two shows did not do as well with audiences as Gleason had hoped, and only39 episodes of the The Honeymooners aired. In 1956, Gleason returned tohis hour-long variety format, occasionally including Honeymooners skits.In 1966, he began creating hour-long Honeymooners* episodes, which heaired in lieu of his usual variety format. From 1966 to 1970, about half ofGleason's shows were these hour-long episodes. In 1971, the episodes wererebroadcast as their own series. On May 9, 1971, the final episode aired. October 2, 1985*Rock Hudson dies of AIDS in Beverly Hills, California. Earlier that same year, Hudson announced through apress release that he was suffering from the disease, becoming the first majorcelebrity to go public with such a diagnosis. The first cases of AIDS, acondition caused by a virus that attacks and destroys the human immune system,were reported in homosexual men in the United States in the early 1980s. At thetime of Hudson’s death, AIDS was not fully understood by the medical communityand was stigmatized by the general public as a condition affecting only gaymen, intravenous drug users and people who received contaminated bloodtransfusions.Hudson was born Roy Harold Scherer, Jr., on November 17, 1925, in Winnetka,Illinois. He rose to fame in the 1950s, starring in such films as Giant (1956),for which he received an Academy Award nomination,and A Farewell toArms (1957). Hudson’s good looks and charm were on full display in 1959’s PillowTalk and several other romantic comedies he made with Doris Day in theearly 1960s. In the 1970s, Hudson co-starred in the popular TV series McMillanand Wife. Early in the next decade, he began experiencing health problemsand underwent heart bypass surgery. His final TV role was a recurring part on Dynastyfrom 1984 to 1985.In July 1985, Hudson was hospitalized while in Paris. Some media reportsindicated that he was suffering from liver cancer. However, on July 25, Hudsonissued a press release stating he had AIDS and was in France for treatment.Hudson, who had a three-year marriage during the 1950s to a woman who had beenhis agent’s secretary, never spoke publicly about his sexuality.Hudson’s death was credited with bringing attention to an epidemic thatwould go on to kill millions of men, women and children of all backgrounds fromaround the world. Hudson’s friend and former Giant co-star ElizabethTaylor became an AIDS activist and rallied the Hollywood community to raisemillions for research. In 1993, Tom Hanks received a Best Actor Oscar for hisperformance in the director Jonathan Demme’s Philadelphia, the firstmajor Hollywood movie to focus on AIDS.October 3, 1955Captain Kangaroopremiered. Captain Kangaroo is a children's television series which aired weekdaymornings on CBS for nearly 30 years,from October 3, 1955 until December 8, 1984, making it the longest-runningnationally broadcast children's television program of its day. In 1986, the American Program Service(now American Public Television, Boston) integrated somenewly produced segments into reruns of past episodes,distributing the newer version of the series until 1993.The show was conceivedand the title character played by BobKeeshan,who based the show on "the warm relationship between grandparents andchildren." Keeshan had portrayed the original Clarabell the Clown on The HowdyDoody Show when it aired on NBC.Captain Kangaroo had a loose structure,built around life in the "Treasure House" where the Captain (whosename came from the big pockets in his coat) would tell stories, meet guests,and indulge in silly stunts with regular characters, both humans and puppets.The show was telecast live to the East Coast and the Midwest for its first fouryears (and broadcast on kinescope for the West Coast, as Keeshan would notperform the show live three times a day) and was in black-and-white until 1968. The May 17,1971 episode saw two major changes on the show: The Treasure House wasrenovated and renamed "The Captain's Place" and the Captain replacedhis black coat with a red coat. In September 1981, CBS shortened the hour-long showto a half-hour, briefly retitled it Wake Up with the Captain, and movedit to an earlier time slot; it was later moved to weekends in September 1982,and returned to an hour-long format. It was canceled by CBS at the end of 1984.In the early years of the series, Keeshan wore make-up in order to looksuitably old for the character he was playing, but the show ran for so longthat by the end, he was wearing make-up to look younger.In 1997–1998, a sequelrevival series tentatively titled TheAll New Captain Kangaroo was attempted by Saban Entertainment. JohnMcDonough played the Captain on this version, which was shot in Tampa,Florida.Keeshan was invited to appear as a special guest called "TheAdmiral," but after seeing sample episodes, he declined to appear or haveany association with the new incarnation. It ran for one season and inspired aspin-off show, Mister Moose's Fun Time.October 3, 1955ABC aired TheMickey Mouse Club for the firsttime. The Mickey Mouse Club was Walt Disney's second venture into producinga television series, the first being the WaltDisney anthology television series,initially titled Disneyland. Disney used both shows to help financeand promote the building of the Disneyland theme park. Being busy with these projects andothers, Disney turned The Mickey Mouse Club over to Bill Walsh to create and develop the format, initiallyaided by HalAdelquist.The result was a variety show forchildren, with such regular features as a newsreel, a cartoon, and a serial, aswell as music, talent and comedy segments. One unique feature of the show wasthe Mouseketeer Roll Call, in which many (but not all) of that day's line-up ofregular performers would introduce themselves by name to the televisionaudience. In the serials, teens faced challenges in everyday situations, oftenovercome by their common sense or through recourse to the advice of respectedelders. Mickey Mouse himself appeared in every show not only in vintagecartoons originally made for theatrical release, but in opening, interstitialand closing segments made especially for the show. In both the vintage cartoonsand in the new animated segments, Mickey was voiced by his creator Walt Disney. (Disney had previously voiced the charactertheatrically from 1928 to 1947, and then was replaced by sound effects artist JimmyMacDonald.)*October 3, 1960TheAndy Griffith Show Premiered.There are many greatcomedic characters on TV, but many of these comedic characters went to afarcical extreme. Some even dropped I.Q. points for the sake of a joke. AndyGriffith felt that the integrity of Mayberry’s citizens was more important thana punch line.Sheldon Leonard, producer of The Danny Thomas Show and Danny Thomas, hired veteran comedy writer Arthur Stander (who had written many ofthe Danny Thomas episodes) to create a pilot show for Andy Griffith whichfeatured him as justice of the peace and newspaper editor in a small town.On February 15, 1960, "Danny Meets Andy Griffith" was telecast on TheDanny Thomas Show. In the episode, Griffith played fictional Sheriff AndyTaylor of Mayberry, North Carolina, who arrests Thomas forrunning a stop sign. Future players in The Andy Griffith Show, Frances Bavierand Ron Howard, appeared in the episode as townspeople, Henrietta Perkins, andSheriff Taylor's son, Opie. General Foods,sponsor of The Danny Thomas Show, had first access to the spinoff and committed to it immediately. On October 3, 1960at 9:30 p.m., The Andy Griffith Show made its debut. Andy is teamed with aninept but well-meaning deputy, Barney Fife (Don Knotts),has a spinster aunt and housekeeper, Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier),and a young son, Opie (Ron Howard, billed as Ronny).Initially, Griffith playedTaylor as a heavy-handed country bumpkin, grinning from ear to ear and speakingin a hesitant, frantic manner. The style recalled that used in the delivery ofhis popular monologues such as "What it Was,Was Football". He graduallyabandoned the 'rustic Taylor' and developed a serious and thoughtfulcharacterization.Producer Aaron Ruben recalled:"He was being that marvelously funny character from No Time forSergeants, Will Stockdale [a roleGriffith played on stage and in film]...One day he said, 'My God, I justrealized that I'm the straight man. I'm playing straight to all these kooksaround me.' He didn't like himself [in first year reruns]...and in the nextseason he changed, becoming this Lincolnesquecharacter."As Griffith stopped portraying some of the sheriffs more unsophisticatedcharacter traits and mannerisms, it was impossible for him to create his ownproblems and troubles in the manner of other central sitcom characters such asLucy in I Love Lucy or Archie Bunker in All in the Family, whose problems were theresult of their temperaments, philosophies and attitudes. Consequently, thecharacters around Taylor were employed to create the problems and troubles,with rock-solid Taylor stepping in as problem solver, mediator, advisor, disciplinarianand counselor. Aunt Bee, for example, was given several wayward romancesrequiring Andy's intervention, Opie suffered childhood missteps that needed afather's counsel and discipline, and Barney engaged in ill-considered acts onthe job that required Sheriff Taylor's professional oversight and reprimand.Andy Griffith has also said that he realized during the earlier episodes of theprogram that it was much funnier for him to play the straight man to Knotts'"Barney," rather than his being the originator of the comedic scenesbetween them.Andy's friends and neighbors include barber FloydLawson (Howard McNear), service station attendants andcousins GomerPyle (JimNabors) and Goober Pyle (GeorgeLindsey), and local drunkard OtisCampbell (Hal Smith). On the distaff side, townswoman ClaraEdwards (Hope Summers), Barney's sweetheart Thelma Lou(BettyLynn) and Andy's schoolteacher sweetheart Helen Crump(AnetaCorsaut) become semi-regulars. ElinorDonahue made twelve appearances as Andy's girlfriend in the first season.In the color seasons, County Clerk HowardSprague (Jack Dodson) and handyman Emmett Clark (PaulHartman) appeared regularly, while Barney's replacement deputy WarrenFerguson (Jack Burns) appeared in the sixth season. Unseencharacters such as telephone operator Sarah, and Barney's love interest, localdiner waitress Juanita Beasley, as mentioned in first season episode "AndyForecloses", are often referenced. In the series' last few episodes,farmer Sam Jones (Ken Berry) debuts, and later becomes the star of theshow's sequel series, Mayberry R.F.D..Knotts left the show at the end of the fifth season to pursue a career infilms but returned to make five guest appearances as Barney in seasons sixthrough eight. His last appearance in the final season in a story about asummit meeting with Russian dignitaries "ranked eleventh among singlecomedy programs most watched in television between 1960 to [1984], with anaudience of thirty-three and a half million."The color episodes of theshow in its later years are markedly different from the black and whiteepisodes of the first five seasons, and are generally far less popular withfans of the show. New writers took over the scriptwriting for the post-Knottscolor seasons, and they generally abandoned the character-based sitcom formatin favor of dry humor revolving around rather mundane aspects of life in asmall town. Finally, it has also been observed that Griffith's characterunderwent another metamorphosis when the show went to color. While the original"country bumpkin" Sheriff Taylor had already been replaced during theblack and white years by a somewhat less country-acting character, the SheriffTaylor of the color episodes is a sophisticated, almost urbane man, to thepoint that he often seems, contrary to the Sheriff Taylor of the black andwhite episodes, to be discontent, irritated and fed up with life in Mayberry(as Andy Griffith was in fact trying to figure out a way to leave the series).Many of the color episodes revolve around Andy's being agitated about somethingby one of the other characters (quite often Goober or Warren, but sometimesHoward, Aunt Bee or Opie).The show was filmed at Desilu Studios,with exteriors filmed at Forty Acresin Culver City, CA. Woodsy locales were filmed north of Beverly Hillsat Franklin Canyon. The show's theme music, "The Fishin'Hole", was composed by Earle Hagenand Herbert Spencer, with lyrics written by Everett Sloane.Whistling in the opening sequence, as well as the closing credits sequence, wasperformed by Earle Hagen. One of the show's tunes, "The MayberryMarch", was reworked a number of times in different tempi, styles andorchestrations as background music.The show's sole sponsor was General Foods,with promotional consideration paid for (in the form of cars) by Ford Motor Company (mentioned in the credits).At the end of the show's fourth season (May 1964), the backdoor pilot Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. aired, and, thefollowing September, the spinoff series Gomer Pyle,U.S.M.C. debuted with Jim Naborsin his Gomer role and Frank Sutton as drill instructor Sergeant Vince Carter.In the last episodes of The Andy Griffith Show, the character SamJones, played by Ken Berry, was introduced and a sequel series, Mayberry R.F.D., was fashioned around him for the fall of 1968 (inessence replacing Andy Griffith — the '68 season would be his last).Several performers reprised their original roles in the sequel, with Bavierbecoming Sam's housekeeper. To create a smooth transition from the originalseries to Mayberry, Andy and Helen were married in the first episode, remainedfor a few additional episodes, and then left the show, with a move to Raleighbeing the explanation given the audience. After the sequel series' cancellationin 1971, George Lindsey played a Goober-like character over several years onthe popular variety show Hee Haw.In 1986, the reunion telemovie Return to Mayberry was broadcast with several cast members reprisingtheir original roles. Absent, however, was Frances Bavier.She was living in Siler City,North Carolina in ill health, anddeclined to participate. In the telemovie, Aunt Bee is portrayed as deceased,with Andy visiting her grave.I think there is a lot ofBarney in all of us. We may strive to be like Andy Taylor, act like Andy Taylorand may even fool ourselves into thinking that we are Andy Taylor. But we arereally are Barney Fife full of good intentions but with a bullet in our pocket.October 3, 1995O.J. Simpson acquitted.At the end of a sensationaltrial, former football star O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the brutal 1994 doublemurder of his estranged wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, RonaldGoldman. In the epic 252-day trial, Simpson’s “dream team” of lawyers employedcreative and controversial methods to convince jurors that Simpson’s guilt hadnot been proved “beyond a reasonable doubt,” thus surmounting what theprosecution called a “mountain of evidence” implicating him as the murderer.Orenthal James Simpson–aHeisman Trophy winner, star running back with the Buffalo Bills, and populartelevision personality–married Nicole Brown in 1985. He reportedly regularlyabused his wife and in 1989 pleaded no contest to a charge of spousal battery.In 1992, she left him and filed for divorce. On the night of June 12, 1994,Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman were stabbed and slashed to death inthe front yard of Mrs. Simpson’s condominium in Brentwood, Los Angeles. By June17, police had gathered enough evidence to charge O.J. Simpson with themurders.Simpson had no alibi for thetime frame of the murders. Some 40 minutes after the murders were committed, alimousine driver sent to take Simpson to the airport saw a man in dark clothinghurrying up the drive of his Rockingham estate. A few minutes later, Simpsonspoke to the driver though the gate phone and let him in. During the previous25 minutes, the driver had repeatedly called the house and received no answer.A single leather glove foundoutside Simpson’s home matched a glove found at the crime scene. In preliminaryDNA tests, blood found on the glove was shown to have come from Simpson and thetwo victims. After his arrest, further DNA tests would confirm this finding.Simpson had a wound on his hand, and his blood was a DNA match to drops foundat the Brentwood crime scene. Nicole Brown Simpson’s blood was discovered on apair of socks found at the Rockingham estate. Simpson had recently purchased a“Stiletto” knife of the type the coroner believed was used by the killer. Shoeprints in the blood at Brentwood matched Simpson’s shoe size and later wereshown to match a type of shoe he had owned. Neither the knife nor shoes werefound by police.On June 17, a warrant was putout for Simpson’s arrest, but he refused to surrender. Just before 7 p.m.,police located him in a white Ford Bronco being driven by his friend, formerteammate Al Cowlings. Cowlings refused to pull over and told police over hiscellular phone that Simpson was suicidal and had a gun to his head. Policeagreed not to stop the vehicle by force, and a low-speed chase ensued. LosAngeles news helicopters learned of the event unfolding on their freeways, andlive television coverage began. As millions watched, the Bronco was escortedacross Los Angeles by a phalanx of police cars. Just before 8 p.m., thedramatic journey ended when Cowlings pulled into the Rockingham estate. Afteran hour of tense negotiation, Simpson emerged from the vehicle and surrendered.In the vehicle was found a travel bag containing, among other things, Simpson’spassport, a disguise kit consisting of a fake moustache and beard, and arevolver. Three days later, Simpson appeared before a judge and pleaded not guilty.Simpson’s subsequent criminaltrial was a sensational media event of unprecedented proportions. It was thelongest trial ever held in California, and courtroom television camerascaptured the carnival-like atmosphere of the proceedings. The prosecution’smountain of evidence was systemically called into doubt by Simpson’s team ofexpensive attorneys, who made the dramatic case that their client was framed byunscrupulous and racist police officers. Citing the questionable character ofdetective Mark Fuhrman and alleged blunders in the police investigation,defense lawyers painted Simpson as yet another African American victim of thewhite judicial system. The jurors’ reasonable doubt grew when the defense spentweeks attacking the damning DNA evidence, arguing in overly technical termsthat delays and other anomalies in the gathering of evidence called thefindings into question. Critics of the trial accused Judge Lance Ito of losingcontrol of his courtroom.In polls, a majority ofAfrican Americans believed Simpson to be innocent of the crime, while whiteAmerica was confident of his guilt. However, the jury–made up of nine AfricanAmericans, two whites, and one Hispanic–was not so divided; they took just fourhours of deliberation to reach the verdict of not guilty on both murdercharges. On October 3, 1995, an estimated 140 million Americans listened in onradio or watched on television as the verdict was delivered.In February 1997, Simpson wasfound liable for several charges related to the murders in a civil trial andwas forced to award $33.5 million in compensatory and punitive damages to thevictims’ families. However, with few assets remaining after his long and costlylegal battle, he has avoided paying the damages.In 2007, Simpson ran intolegal problems once again when he was arrested for breaking into a Las Vegashotel room and taking sports memorabilia, which he claimed had been stolen fromhim, at gunpoint. On October 3, 2008, he was found guilty of 12 charges relatedto the incident, including armed robbery and kidnapping, and sentenced to 33years in prison.October 4, 1990*Beverly Hills, 90210 debuts on Fox. Created by Darren Star and produced by AaronSpelling, the show turned its relatively unknown cast of actors, including LukePerry, Jason Priestley and Tori Spelling (Aaron’s daughter), into householdnames. It also tackled a number of topical issues ranging from domestic abuseto teen pregnancy to AIDS and paved the way for other popular teen dramas,including Dawson’s Creek and The O.C.Beverly Hills, 90210 originally centered around Brenda (ShannenDougherty) and Brandon Walsh (Priestley), middle-class high-school-age twinsfrom Minnesota who relocate to ritzy Beverly Hills with their parents. TheWalshes attend the fictional West Beverly Hills High School, along with bad boyDylan (Perry), popular blonde Kelly (Jennie Garth), rich kid Steve (IanZiering), virginal Donna (Spelling) and nerdy David (Brian Austin Green). Overthe course of the show’s 10 seasons, the characters became entangled innumerous love triangles, graduated from high school and moved on to college andcareers.The show was the first big hit for the screenwriter and producer DarrenStar, who went on to create the 90210 spinoff Melrose Place,which originally aired from 1992 to 1999, and the popular HBO TV series Sexand the City, which originally aired from 1998 to 2004. Aaron Spelling, whodied in 2006 at the age of 83, was one of the most prolific producers in thehistory of television. Spelling’s credits include The Mod Squad, Charlie’sAngels, Dynasty, Starsky and Hutch, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island and7th Heaven.The final episode of Beverly Hills, 90210 aired on May17, 2000. A new version of the show, titled 90210, premiered onSeptember 2, 2008. The show follows a Kansas family who moves to Beverly Hills.Of the original Beverly Hills, 90210, cast, Jennie Garth reprises herrole as Kelly, now a guidance counselor at West Beverly Hills High, whileShannon Doherty has guest starred as Brenda, who has become an actress.October 5, 1950The game show You Bet Your Life, starring hostGroucho Marx, airs its first TV episode. The show had debuted on radio in 1947. Thanks to Marx's sarcastic humor andimprovised wisecracks, the show became a hit first on radio and then ontelevision. The show ran until 1961.*October 5, 199020/20 Buckwheat HoaxThe ABC newsmagazine 20/20 aired a segment purporting to be aninterview with Buckwheat, then a grocery bagger in Arizona. However, the interview was actually with a man named Bill English, whoclaimed to be the adult Buckwheat. English's appearance prompted publicobjections from George McFarland, who contacted media outlets following thebroadcast to declare that he knew the true Buckwheat to have been dead for 10years. Confronted directly by McFarland on the television newsmagazine A Current Affair,English refused to retreat from his claim, maintaining that he had originatedthe role of Buckwheat, with other actors playing the character only after hehad left it. The next week, 20/20 acknowledged on-airEnglish's claim had been false and apologized for the interview. Fallout fromthis incident included the resignation of a 20/20* producer, anda negligence lawsuit filed by the son of William Thomas. English died in1994.Stay TunedTony Figueroa
September 22, 1985NBC began airing the series Amazing Stories. AmazingStories is a fantasy, horror,and science fiction television anthology series created by Steven Spielberg. It originally ran on NBC in the United States from 1985 to 1987.The series was nominated for12 Emmy Awards and won five. The first season episode "TheAmazing Falsworth" earned writerMick Garris an Edgar Award forBest Episode in a TV Series. It was not a ratings hit (ranking 40th in Season 1and 46th in Season 2), however, and the network did not renew it after thetwo-year contract expired. The 1987 science fiction movie, batteriesnot included was originallyintended to be featured in Amazing Stories, but Steven Spielberg liked the ideaso much that he decided to make it a theatrical release.[4]The series title licensed thename of Amazing Stories, the first dedicated science fictionmagazine.September 22, 1985 The first Farm Aid concert is held in Champaign, Illinois. It started with an offhand remark made by Bob Dylanduring his performance at Live Aid, the massive fundraising concert held atWembley Stadium, London, and JFK Stadium, Philadelphia, in the early summer of1985. As television viewers around the world phoned in donations in support ofAfrican famine relief, Dylan said from the stage, "I hope that some of themoney...maybe they can just take a little bit of it, maybe...one or twomillion, maybe...and use it, say, to pay the mortgages on some of the farmsand, the farmers here, owe to the banks." Dylan would come under harshcriticism from Live Aid organizer Bob Geldof for his remarks ("It was acrass, stupid and nationalistic thing to say," Geldof would later write),but he planted a seed with several fellow musicians who shared his concern overthe state of the American family farm. Less than one month later, WillieNelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp announced plans for "FarmAid," a benefit concert for America's farmers held in Champaign, Illinois, on this day in 1985.As one might have expected of a concert staged to"raise awareness about the loss of family farms and to raise funds to keepfarm families on their land," Farm Aid featured a number of performersfrom the worlds of country, folk and rootsy rock music. There were the threemain organizers and the instigator Bob Dylan, for instance, along with HoytAxton, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris, Waylon Jennings, LorettaLynn, Joni Mitchell and Charley Pride. But the first Farm Aid, more than any ofthe annual Farm Aid concerts since, was a bit of a stylistic free-for-all,featuring artists united only by their interest in supporting a good cause."As soon as I read in the paper that there wasgonna be such a thing," Sammy Hagar told MTV's cameras on the day of theshow, "I called my manager and said, 'I wanna do it.' And he said, 'It'sall country.' I said, 'I don't care. It's America. I wanna do it.' If there wasanything more surprising than hearing Hagar perform his hard-rock anthem"I Can't Drive 55" on the same stage that had earlier featured thequiet folk of Arlo Guthrie, it was hearing Lou Reed perform "Walk On TheWild Side" on a stage that had featured John Denver.Over the years since itsfirst charity concert on this day in 1985, the Farm Aid organization has raisedupwards of $33 million to support small farmers, promote sustainable farmingpractices and encourage consumption of "good food from family farms."September 24, 1955Judy Garland made her TVdebut on the "Ford Star Jubilee" on CBS. Ford Star Jubilee routinely featured major stars, such as Judy Garland, Betty Grable, Orson Welles, Julie Andrews (at the time that shewas preparing for her starring role in My Fair Lady on Broadway), Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, Lillian Gish, Charles Laughton, Jack Lemmon, Raymond Massey, Lauren Bacall, Claudette Colbert, Noël Coward, Nat 'King' Cole, Mary Martin, Eddie Fisher, EllaFitzgerald, Red Skelton and Debbie Reynolds.Instead of the usual live performance stagedespecially for Ford Star Jubilee, the final episode on November 3,1956 was a special, two-hour presentation of the 1939 MGM theatricalTechnicolor film TheWizard of Oz, hosted by Bert Lahr, 10-year-old Liza Minnelli and young Oz expertJustin Schiller. This marked the first time that the film had ever been shownon television, and the only time that one of the film's actual actors (Lahr) aswell as one of the children of the film's star (Judy Garland) hosted it. Thebroadcast was a critical and ratings smash, but the film was not shown on TVagain until 1959, when it was presented by CBS at 6:00 P.M., E.S.T. rather than9:00 P.M., and this time as a Christmas season special in its own right, not as part of an anthologyseries. The 1959 telecast was hosted by comedian Red Skelton and his daughterValentina. This broadcast attracted an even wider audience, because childrenwere able to watch, and thus began the tradition of showing the film annuallyon television.Another rare instance of Ford Star Jubilee presentinga filmed, rather than live, program was their 1956 musical version of Maxwell Anderson's High Tor, starring Bing Crosby and Julie Andrews. Music wasby ArthurSchwartz,noted composer of such scores as those for The Band Wagon and Revenge with Music. Crosby, according tosources, had insisted the production be filmed rather than presented live,because he did not feel comfortable acting in a live television musical play.[1] Although it wasfilmed in color, the musical version of High Tor has neverbeen released on VHS or DVD.September 24, 1970TheOdd Couple is a televisionsituation comedy broadcast from September 24, 1970 to March 7, 1975 on ABC. It stars Tony Randall as Felix Unger and Jack Klugman as Oscar Madison,and was the first of several developed by Garry Marshall for ParamountTelevision. The show is based uponthe play of the same name, which was written by Neil Simon.September 24, 1985The first episode of"Growing Pains" aired on ABC. The Seaver family residesat 15 Robin Hood Lane in Huntington, Long Island, New York. Dr. Jason Seaver, a psychiatrist, works from home becausehis wife, Maggie, has gone back to work as a reporter. Jason has to take care ofthe kids: ladies man Mike, bookish honors student Carol, andrambunctious Ben. A fourth child, Chrissy Seaver, is born in 1988. In thebeginning, she is played in her infant stage by twins. In season six,Chrissy's age was advanced to six years old.September 25, 1965The half hour Saturdaymorning cartoon "The Beatles" premiered on ABC-TV.TheBeatles isan American animated television series featuring the fanciful and musicalmisadventures of the popular English rock band of the same name. It ran from 1965 to 1969on ABC inthe US (only 1965 to 1967 was first run; later transmissions were reruns). Theseries debuted on September 25, 1965 and ended on September 7, 1969. A total of39 episodes were produced. The series was shown on Saturday mornings at 10:30AM EST until the 1967 third season when it was moved to 12:00 PM EST. For thefourth season, which consisted of reruns, the series was shown at 9:30 AM ESTon Sunday mornings. Each episode has a name of a Beatles song, so thestory is based on its lyrics and it is also played at some time in the episode.The original series was rebroadcast in syndication by MTV in 1986 and 1987 and on the Disney Channel. The series was ahistorical milestone as the first weekly television series to feature animatedversions of real, living people.September 25, 1970 ThePartridge Family premieres on ABC television. Unwillingto rest as a one-hit wonder when its first big hit, The Monkees,wentoff the air in 1968, the television production company Screen Gems wasted notime in trying to repeat its success. On this day in 1970, in the 8:30 p.m.time slot immediately following The Brady Bunch, ABC premiered a programthat would give Screen Gems its second TV-to-pop-chart smash: The PartridgeFamily.If the Beatles served as the inspiration for TheMonkees, it was the real-life family act the Cowsills that inspired ScreenGems to dream up The Partridge Family. Originally made up of fourteenage brothers (Bill, Bob, Barry and John), the Cowsills scored their firsttop-40 hit with "The Rain, The Park & Other Things" (1967) afteradding their mother to the lineup. They earned three more hits in 1968 with"We Can Fly," "Indian Lake" and "Hair" afteradding two additional younger siblings, and it was in this configuration thatthey caught the eyes of the folks at Screen Gems. In fact, Screen Gemsapproached the Cowsill family about having the children star in the show thatwould eventually become The Partridge Family, but the family demurredwhen it learned that actress Shirley Jones, and not Barbara Cowsill, would beplaying the role of Shirley Partridge. Undaunted, Screen Gems hired fournon-singing child actors for the roles of Laurie, Danny, Chris and Tracy Partridgeand one future teen idol, David Cassidy, for the role of Keith.In the pilot episode of The Partridge Family,the five children of a widowed single mother convince their mom to join them intheir garage recording sessions and then watch their first record, "IThink I Love You" become a #1 pop hit. In a case not so much of lifeimitating art as of a brilliant marketing machine replicating its earliersuccess, the song "I Think I Love You" raced to the top of thereal-life pop charts less than two months after its television debut.However, hits like "I Think I Love You" and"I Woke Up in Love This Morning" were not actually recorded by a fivesiblings and their mom in a garage. The Partridge Family's hits were recordedby some of the best professional musicians working in Los Angeles at the time,including drummer Hal Blaine and the other studio musicians known as theWrecking Crew. The Partridge Family did, however, launch David Cassidyon a short-lived career as an actual pop singer, and it also, according to newsreports, inspired some misguided runaways to show up on Shirley Jones' BeverlyHills lawn in the hopes that she might adopt them into her television family.September26, 1960The Beverly Hillbillies is anAmerican situation comedy originally broadcast for nine seasons on CBS from 1962 to 1971, starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, DonnaDouglas, and Max Baer,Jr.The series is about a poorbackwoods family transplanted to Beverly Hills,California, after striking oil ontheir land. A Filmways production created by writer Paul Henning,it is the first in a genre of “fish out ofwater” themed television shows, andwas followed by other Henning-inspired country-cousin series on CBS. In 1963,Henning introduced Petticoat Junction, and in 1965 he reversed the rags to riches modelfor Green Acres. The show paved the way for later culture-conflictprograms such as The Jeffersons, McCloud, The Nanny, The FreshPrince of Bel-Air, and Doc.Panned by many entertainment critics of its time, it quickly became a hugeratings success for most of its nine-year run on CBS. September 26, 1960 First Kennedy-Nixon debate.For the first time in U.S. history, a debate between major party presidentialcandidates is shown on television. The presidential hopefuls, John F. Kennedy,a Democratic senator of Massachusetts, and Richard M. Nixon, the vice presidentof the United States, met in a Chicago studio to discuss U.S. domestic matters.Kennedy emerged the apparent winner from this first of four televised debates,partly owing to his greater ease before the camera than Nixon, who, unlikeKennedy, seemed nervous and declined to wear makeup. Nixon fared better in thesecond and third debates, and on October 21 the candidates met to discussforeign affairs in their fourth and final debate. Less than three weeks later,on November 8, Kennedy won 49.7 percent of the popular vote in one of theclosest presidential elections in U.S. history, surpassing by a fraction the49.6 percent received by his Republican opponent.One year after leaving the vice presidency, Nixon returned to politics, winningthe Republican nomination for governor of California. Although he lost theelection, Nixon returned to the national stage in 1968 in a successful bid forthe presidency. Like Lyndon Johnson in 1964, Nixon declined to debate hisopponent in the 1968 presidential campaign. Televised presidential debatesreturned in 1976, and have been held in every presidential campaign since.
**Stay TunedTony Figueroa*
September 15, 1965Lost in Space premiered on CBS TV. Lost in Space is an American science fiction television series created and produced by Irwin Allen, filmed by 20th Century Fox Television, and broadcast on CBS. The show ran for three seasons, with 83 episodes airing betweenSeptember 15, 1965, and March 6, 1968. The first television season was filmedin black and white, with the second and third seasons filmed in color. In 1972a pilot for a cartoon version was made. Two documentaries were released in the1990s. In 1998, a Lost in Space movie, based on the television series, was released. In 2003 apilot for a new live action reboot of the series was produced and in late 2014plans for the development of a brand new series was announced.In the unaired original pilot, the ship, named Gemini 12in this early version without Smith or the Robot, was going slow enough thatthe crew wondered if they were on Mars, while in the first aired episode, justseconds of hyper-drive caused them to be lost, unknown light-years from Earth. The possible distance and locationvaried between episodes and authors. As an example, Penny asks Will if theycould be on Mars in one of the early episodes. The ability of the Jupiter 2 toquickly cover vast distances allowed the ship to pass through an entire galaxyovernight in one later episode although this was more likely the writers'confusion about what solar systems and galaxies actually are. There were twoversions of the pilot, a complete version with the credits at the verybeginning and a 2nd shorter version minus John's and Don's initial encounterwith "One-Eye the Cyclops" and with the credits appearing betweenAlpha Control's statement that the Gemini 12 was hopelessly Lost in Space andthe crash landing sequence.Though the original television series concept centered onthe Robinson family, many later story lines focused primarily on Dr. ZacharySmith, played by JonathanHarris. Smith,along with the Robot, was absent from the pilot as the addition of theircharacters was decided once the series had been commissioned for production.Originally written as an utterly evil but careless saboteur, Smith graduallybecomes the troublesome, self-centered, incompetent foil who provides the comicrelief for the show and causes most of the episodic conflict andmisadventures. In the unaired pilot, what causes the group to become lostin space is a chance encounter with a meteor storm, but in the first airedepisode, it is Smith's sabotage and unplanned presence on the ship that setsthe ship off course into the meteor field. Smith is thus the key to the story.*September 15, 1965*Green Acres premiered on CBS TV. Green Acres is about Oliver Wendell Douglas (EddieAlbert), an erudite New York City attorney, acting on his dream to bea farmer, and Lisa Douglas (Eva Gabor),his glamorous Hungarian wife, dragged unwillingly from anupscale New York condo and the city life she adores to a ramshackle farm. Thetheme tune, as with those of the show's rural cousins, explains the basicpremise of the show. At the end of the opening sequence, Albert and Gaborstrike a pose in parody of Grant Wood's painting AmericanGothic. The debut episode was a mockumentary aboutthe decision to move to a rural area, anchored by former ABC newscaster (andthen-current host of the CBS game show What'sMy Line) John Charles Daly. A few weeks after the show'sdebut, Albert and Gabor returned the favor by appearing on What's MyLine as that episode's Mystery Guests, and publicly thanked Daly forhelping to launch their series.After the first episodes the series developed an absurdist world. Thoughthere were still many episodes that were standard 1960s sitcom fare, the showbecame notable for its surrealism andsatire. Theshow appealed to children through its slapstick,silliness, and shtick, but adults were able to appreciate it on a differentlevel. September 15, 1965The Big Valley premiered on ABC TV. The TV series was based loosely on the Hill Ranch, which was located atthe western edge of Calaveras County, not far fromStockton. One episode placed the BarkleyRanch a few hours' ride from town, while another has Jarrod riding past aCalaveras County sign on his way to the TV series' ranch. The Hill Ranch existed from 1855 until1931, including almost 30,000 acres; and the MokelumneRiver ran through it. The source is from an episode in whichHeath is on trial in a ghost town with another man (played by LeslieNielsen) and tells the judge how much land they have. Lawson Hill ran theranch until he was murdered in 1861. His wife Euphemia (aka "AuntieHill") then became the matriarch. During their marriage they had fourchildren, one daughter and three sons. Today, the location of the ranch iscovered by the waters of Lake Camanche. A California state historicalmarker standing at Camanche South ShorePark mentions the historic ranch. The set used to film the exterior ofthe Barkley Mansion stood on the backlot ofRepublic Studios from 1947 until 1975.In the first episode, "Palms of Glory," the grave of ThomasBarkley (1813–1870) is shown after it is commented that he fought the railroadsix years ago, establishing that the show was initially set no later than 1876.At the beginning of the same episode, Jarrod Barkley and the other actor on thetrain indirectly say that the year is 1876.In "The Odyssey of Jubal Tanner," Jubal states to Victoria Barkleythat he has been gone 30 years since his wife Margaret Tanner's death, hergrave marker showing that she had died in 1854; this appears to indicate thatthe series starts in 1884. However, in another episode, a newly dug grave has amarker with the year 1878, so the best that can be said is that the events ofthe series take place sometime in the late 1870s or early 1880s. The dug graveappears at the beginning of the episode "The Long Ride," in which afriend of Audra Barkley was killed, and where the grave clearly shows 1878,which would make her 23 at the date of death based on the grave showing 1855 asthe year of birth. In the episode "They Called Her Delilah," thetelegram Jarrod received from Julia is dated April 27, 1878.September 15, 1995The first episodeof Xena: Warrior Princessaired. The series was created in 1995 bywriter-director-producer RobertTapert under his production tag, Renaissance Pictures, and writer-producer JohnSchulian, with later executive producers being R. J. Stewart (who developed theseries along with Tapert) andSam Raimi. The series narrative follows Xena (playedby Lucy Lawless), as an infamous warrior on a quest toseek redemption for her past sins against the innocent by using her formidablefighting skills to now help those who are unable to defend themselves. Xena isaccompanied by Gabrielle (played by ReneeO'Connor), who during the series changes from a simple farm girl into anAmazon warrior andXena's comrade-in-arms; her initial naïveté helps to balance Xena and assistsher in recognizing and pursuing the "greater good".The show is a spin-off of the television series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys; thesaga began with three episodes inHercules where Xena was arecurring character originally scheduled to die in her third appearance. Awarethat the character of Xena had been very successful among the public, theproducers of the series decided to create a spin-off series based on her adventures. Xena wasa successful show which has aired in more than 108 countries around the worldsince 1998. In 2004 and 2007, it was ranked #9 and #10 on TV Guide's TopCult Shows Ever and the title character was ranked #100 on Bravo's 100Greatest TV Characters. Xena's success has led to hundreds of tie-inproducts, including, comics, books,video games and conventions, realizedannually since 1998 in Pasadena, California and London.The series soared past its predecessor in ratings and in popularity. Inits second season it was the top rated syndicated drama series on Americantelevision. For all six years Xena remained in the top five. The seriescame to an end in June 2001, after cancellation. It completed a full sixthseason and ended with a two-part series finale. The show has since acquired astrong cult following, attention in fandom, parody, and academia, andhas influenced the direction of other television series.*September16, 1965The DeanMartin Show debuted on NBC-TV. Martinwas initially reluctant to do the show, partially because he did not want toturn down movie and nightclub performances. His terms were deliberatelyoutrageous: he demanded a high salary and that he need only show up for theactual taping of the show. To his surprise the network agreed. As daughterDeana Martin recalled after meeting the network and making his demands Martinreturned home and announced to his family, "They went for it. So now Ihave to do it." (Contrary to his stated concerns, Martin's commitmentto the program ultimately did not prevent him from appearing in a seriesof Matt Helm films concurrent with the show's run, as well asother projects such as a co-starring role in the first Airport film in 1970.)Martinbelieved that an important key to his popularity was that he did not put onairs. His act was that of a drunken, work-shy playboy, although theever-present old-fashioned glass in his hand often only had apple juice init. The show was heavy on physical comedy rather than just quips (he made hisweekly entrance by sliding down a fireman's pole onto the stage.) Martin readhis dialogue directly from cue cards. If he flubbed a line or forgot a lyric,Martin would not do a retake, and the mistake — and his recovery from it — wentstraight to tape and onto the air.TheDean Martin Show was shot oncolor videotape beginning in 1965 at Studio 4 inside NBC's massive colorcomplex at 3000 West AlamedaAvenue in Burbank, California. The same studio was used for Frank Sinatra'syearly TV specials in the late 1960s, and Elvis Presley's1968 "Comeback Special".Studio 4 is currently one of two used in the production of the soap opera Days of Our Lives.September 17, 1950Comedians Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis make their firstappearance as hosts of a new TV variety show, The Colgate Comedy Hour. Martin and Lewis first teamed up in 1946. Martin,born in Steubenville, Ohio, in 1917, had started a nightclub act after workingas a prizefighter and a steelworker in the 1940s. Lewis, the son of performers,debuted in comedy acts with his parents at age five and was working steadily asa comic by 1946, when he met Martin. The pair performed an act in whichscrewball Lewis constantly interrupted straight man Martin's singing. They madetheir first appearance at a club in Atlantic City and were an instant hit, soonin demand for radio and movie performances. They made their first movietogether, My Friend Irma, in 1949. The following year, they were chosen,along with Eddie Cantor and Fred Allen, to share the host position for TheColgate Comedy Hour. The show ran until 1955, a year before Martin andLewis split up.After the duo partedways, Martin launched his own TV variety show, which ran from 1965 to 1974. Inthe late 1950s and early 1960s, Martin teamed up with Frank Sinatra, SammyDavis, Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop to perform in Las Vegas. The group quicklybecame known as the Rat Pack, a suave group of young, fast-living entertainers.The group made several movies together in the early 1960s, including Ocean'sEleven (1960), Sergeants Three (1962), and Robin and the SevenHoods. Dean Martin died in 1995.JerryLewis went on to sign one of the most lucrative film contracts of the day, a$10 million deal for 14 films with Paramount. Lewis' films, including Cinderfella(1960) and The Nutty Professor (1963), failed to attract much praisefrom American critics but made him a star in France, where he has long beenconsidered a comic genius. After a long absence from film, he gave an acclaimedperformance in the 1986 film The King of Comedy, co-starring Robert DeNiro.September 17, 1965*Hogan'sHeroes first aired. The television sitcom set in a German prisoner of war (POW) camp during World War II. It ran for 168 episodesfrom September 17, 1965, to April 4, 1971, on the CBS network. Bob Crane starred as Colonel Robert E. Hogan, coordinating aninternational crew of Allied prisonersrunning a SpecialOperations groupfrom the camp. Werner Klemperer playedColonel Wilhelm Klink, the incompetent commandantof the camp, and JohnBanner wasthe inept sergeant-of-the-guard, Hans Schultz.The setting is a fictional version of Stalag Luft 13 (Camp 13 inearly episodes), a prisoner-of-war camp for captured Allied airmenlocated north of the town of Hammelburg in the Bad Kissingen woods. It was on the Hammelburg Road (now known as E45),on the way to Hofburgstraße and eventually Düsseldorf. "Anchors Aweigh, Menof Stalag 13" (S1E16) reveals the camp is 60 miles from the North Sea. Another episode places thecamp 106 kilometres (66 mi) from Heidelberg in flying miles; it is199 km (124 mi) by car. The camp has 103 Allied prisoners of war (POWs) during thefirst season, but becomes larger by the end of the series.Though the series spans several seasons, it's alwayswinter at Stalag 13; there are ever-present patches of snow on the ground andon buildings, and prisoners regularly gather around a barrel fire or shiverthrough roll call.The farcical premise of the show is that the prisoners of war (POWs) are actuallyusing the camp as a base of operations for Alliedespionage and sabotage against Nazi Germany as well as to helpAllied POWs from other camps and defectors to escape Germany (includingsupplying them with civilian clothes and false identification). The prisonerswork in cooperation with an assortment ofresistance groups (collectively called "theUnderground"), defectors, spies, counterspies, disloyal officers, andothers. The mastermind behind the whole operation is the senior rankingprisoner American Colonel Robert Hogan. His staff of experts in covert operations comprises twoAmericans, one British serviceman, and one Frenchman. They are able toaccomplish farfetched schemes such as having a prisoner visit the camp as aphony AdolfHitler orrescuing a French Underground agent from Gestapoheadquarters in Paris.Colonel Hogan and his band are aided by theincompetence of the camp commandant Colonel Klinkand Sergeantof the GuardSchultzwho wants to avoid trouble more than anything. Hogan routinely manipulatesKlink and gets Schultz to look the other way while his men conduct these covertoperations. Klink and Schultz are constantly at risk of being transferred tothe cold and bloodyRussian Front, and Hogan helps to keep the duo in place if for no other reason forfear of their being replaced by more competent soldiers. In general, Germans inuniform and authority are depicted as inept, dimwitted, and/or easilymanipulated. Many of the German civilians are portrayed as at least indifferenttowards the German war effort or even willing to help the Allies.Klink has a perfect operational record as campcommandant in that no prisoners have escaped during his time in the job (twoguards may have deserted). Hogan actually assists in maintaining this recordand ensures any prisoners who need to be spirited away are transferred toanother authority before their escape takes place, or replacements are providedto maintain the illusion that no one has ever escaped from Stalag 13. Becauseof this record, and the fact that the Allies would never bomb a prison camp, theGermans use the Stalag for high level secret meetings or to hide importantpersons or projects the Germans want to protect from bombing raids. Klink alsohas many other important visitors and is temporarily put in charge of specialprisoners. This brings the prisoners in contact with many important VIPs,scientists, high-ranking officers, spies, and some of Germany's mostsophisticated and secret weapons projects (Wunderwaffe), which the prisoners takeadvantage of in their efforts to hinder the German war effort.The main five Allied prisoners (Hogan and his staff)bunk in "Barracke 2" (a goof here was that whenever the door wasopen, another building labeled "Barracke 3" could be seen, eventhough the barracks were supposed to be directly in front of the Kommandantur,which was, unlike actual prison camps, situated inside the prisoner's compound(kommandantur = headquarters, barracke =barracks). The prisoners are able to leave and return almost at will via asecret network of tunnels and have tunnels tonearly every barracks and building in the camp, so much so that Hogan, in athird-season episode ("Everybody Loves a Snowman"), has difficultyfinding a spot in the camp without a tunnel under it. The stove in Klink'sprivate quarters, a tree stump right outside the camp (known as the emergencytunnel), and a doghouse in the guard dog compound serve astrapdoors. A bunk in their barracksserves as an elaborate trapdoor and the main entrance to the tunnels. Thetunnels include access to the camp's Cooler, a name used by Alliedprisoners for solitary confinement, where prisoners are routinely sent for punishment and to hold specialprisoners temporarily entrusted to Klink. Just inside the "emergencytunnel" is a submarine-style periscope, which the prisoners use tocheck conditions outside the tree stump trapdoor. There is also a periscope intheir barracks with one end hidden in a water barrel outside the barracks andthe other disguised as a sink faucet inside the barracks that allows them tosee events in the compound.The prisoners' infiltration of the camp is soextensive it includes control of the camp telephone switchboard, allowing themto listen in on all conversations and to make phony phone calls. They haveradio contact with Allied command, based in London, code named "Mama Bear" in some episodes and"Papa Bear" in others. Hogan's code name is "Goldilocks" sometimes, and Papa Bear other times,although in later seasons Stalag 13 utilized different code names. Their radioantenna is hidden in the camp flagpole on top of Klink's headquarters, and theprisoners are able to make phony radio broadcasts including some by a prisonerimpersonating AdolfHitler. Areal microphone, hidden in Klink's office in the picture of Hitler making aspeech exactly where the microphone is in the picture, allows the prisoners tohear what is being said in the office (the speaker is disguised as the coffeepot in their barracks). The guard dogs are friendly to the prisoners, thanks tothe town veterinarian Oscar Schnitzer (played by Walter Janowitz), who supportsthe prisoners. He routinely replaces the dogs on the premise that they couldbecome too friendly with the prisoners, but he also uses his truck to smugglepeople and items in and out of the camp, where the German guards are too afraidof the dogs to open the truck. Prisoners work in the camp's motor pool and "borrow"vehicles, including Klink's staff car, as needed to carry outtheir schemes. Sections of the barbed wire fence are in a framewhich the prisoners can easily lift when they need to get out of the camp. Whenrequired, Allied airplanes land near the camp, or make airdrops. Allied submarines pick upescapees and defectors Hogan and his men are helping flee Germany.*September 17, 1965*The Smothers Brothers Show, the firstTV series featuring comedians Tom and Dick Smothers, debuts. The sitcom featured elder brother Dick as apublishing executive pestered by the ghost of his brother, Tom. The show lastedonly one season. However, the brothers were back in 1967 with their comedyvariety show The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, which became the mostpopular show on television during its two-year run. CBS abruptly cancelled theshow at the height of its popularity after a series of censorship disputes withthe brothers.In1975, NBC revived the original show, now called The Smothers Brothers Show,but the brothers' humor had lost its edge, and audience interest waned afterthe first few episodes. The show lasted only one season.September 17, 1965WildWild West Priemered.Developed at a time whenthe television western was losing ground to the spy genre, this show wasconceived by its creator,Michael Garrison,as "James Bond onhorseback." Set during the administration of President UlyssesGrant (1869–77), the series followed Secret Service agentsJames West (Robert Conrad) and ArtemusGordon (Ross Martin) as they solved crimes,protected the President, and foiled the plans of megalomaniacal villains totake over all or part of the United States.The show also featured anumber of fantasy elements, such as the technologically advanced devices usedby the agents and their adversaries. The combination of the Victorianera time-frame and the use of Verne-esque technologyhas inspired some to give the show credit as being one of the more"visible" origins of the steampunk subculture.These elements were accentuated even more in the 1999 movie adaptation.Despite high ratings, the series was cancelled nearthe end of its fourth season as a concession to Congress over televisionviolence.September17, 2010 - CBS aired the final episode of "As the WorldTurns."In December 2009, CBS confirmed that it would notrenew As the World Turns, and the last broadcast episode was onSeptember 17, 2010. The final scene included Kim Hughes (KathrynHays) telling Bob Hughes (DonHastings) to take as much time as he needed. Bob said thefinal two lines "Good night" and left the Oakdale Memorial Hospital,and the globe started spinning before the final fade-out.September 18, 1955Ed Sullivan's popular talk show, originally called Toastof the Town, changes its name to The Ed Sullivan Show. Sullivan was so closely identified with the show,which first aired in 1948, that most Americans already called the program"Ed Sullivan." Among the many celebrities who made their TV debut onthe show were Bob Hope, Lena Horne, the Beatles, and Walt Disney. Elvis alsomade several high-profile appearances, in 1956 and 1957. CBS cancelled theprogram in 1971.*September18, 1965Get Smart Premiered.Get Smart was an comedy television seriesthat satirized the secret agentgenre.Created by Mel Brooks with Buck Henry, the showstarred DonAdams (asMaxwell Smart, Agent 86), Barbara Feldon (as Agent 99),and EdwardPlatt (asChief). Henry said they created the show by request of Daniel Melnick, who was a partner, alongwithLeonard Stern and David Susskind, of the show's productioncompany, Talent Associates, to capitalize on "the two biggest things in the entertainmentworld today"—JamesBond and Inspector Clouseau. Brooks said: "It's an insane combination of James Bond andMel Brooks comedy."The success of the show (which ran from September18, 1965, to September 11, 1970) eventually spawned the follow-up films The Nude Bomb (a theatrical release)and Get Smart, Again! (a made-for-TV sequel to the series), as well as a 1995 revival series, and a 2008 film remake. In 2010, TV Guide ranked GetSmart's opening title sequence at No. 2 on its listof TV's Top 10 Credits Sequences as selected by readers.During the show's run, it generated a number ofpopular catchphrases, including "Would youbelieve...", "Missed it by that much!", "Sorryabout that, Chief", "The Old (such-and-such) Trick", "And... loving it", and "I asked you not to tell methat".**September18, 1965The first episode of I Dream of Jeannie was shown on NBC-TV. The last show was televisedon September 1, 1970. Theseries was created and produced by Sidney Sheldon inresponse to the great success of rival network ABC's Bewitched series,which had debuted in 1964 as the second most watched program in the UnitedStates. Sheldon, inspired by the movie TheBrass Bottle, which hadstarred Tony Randall, Barbara Eden,and Burl Ives as the genie Fakrash, came upwith the idea for a beautiful female genie. Both I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched were Screen Gems productions.The show debuted at 8 p.m., Saturday, September 18, 1965, on NBC.Whencasting was opened for the role of Jeannie, producer Sidney Sheldon could notfind an actress who could play the role the way that he had written it. He didhave one specific rule: He did not want a blonde genie because there would betoo much similarity with the blonde witch on Bewitched.However, after many unsuccessful auditions, he called Barbara Eden's agent.When NBC began telecasting most of its prime time television programs in colorin fall 1965, Jeannie was one of two regular programs on NBCthat remained in black and white, in this case because of the specialphotographic effects employed to achieve Jeannie's magic. By the second season,however, further work had been done on techniques to create the visual effectsin color, necessary because by 1966 all US prime time series were being made incolor.Accordingto Dreaming of Jeannie, a book by Stephen Cox and Howard Frank,Sheldon originally wanted to film season one in color, but NBC did not want topay for the extra expenses, as the network (and Screen Gems)believed the series would not make it to a second season. According to Sheldonin his autobiography The Other Side of Me, he offered to pay theextra US$400 an episode needed for color filming at the beginning of theseries, but Screen Gems executive Jerry Hyams advised him: "Sidney, don'tthrow your money away."September 19, 1970*The Mary Tyler MooreShowpremieredCreated by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns the show aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977. The program was a televisionbreakthrough, with the first never-married, independent career woman as thecentral character: "As Mary Richards, a single woman in her thirties, Moore presented a character differentfrom other single TV women of the time. She was not widowed or divorced orseeking a man to support her." It has also been cited as "oneof the most acclaimed television programs ever produced" in US televisionhistory. It received high praise from critics, including Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Seriesthree years in a row (1975–77), and continued to be honored long after thefinal episode aired.Mary Richards (Moore) is asingle woman who, at age 30, moves to Minneapolis after breaking off an engagement withher boyfriend of two years. She applies for a secretarial job at TV stationWJM, but is offered the position of Associate Producer for the station's"Six O'Clock News." She befriends her tough but lovable boss LouGrant (Edward Asner),newswriter Murray Slaughter(Gavin MacLeod), and buffoonish anchorman Ted Baxter (Ted Knight). Mary later becomes Producer of theshow.Mary rents a third floor studio apartment in a Victorian house from existingacquaintance and downstairs landlady, Phyllis Lindstrom (Cloris Leachman), and becomes best friends withupstairs neighbor Rhoda Morgenstern(Valerie Harper). Characters introduced later inthe series are acerbic, man-hungry TV hostess Sue Ann Nivens (Betty White) and Ted Baxter's girlfriend,sweet-natured Georgette Franklin (Georgia Engel). At the beginning of season 6,after both Rhoda and Phyllis have moved away, Mary moves to a one bedroomhigh-rise apartment.In the third season, issues such as equal pay for women, pre-marital sex andhomosexuality are woven into the show's comedic plots. In the fourth season,such subjects as marital infidelity and divorce are explored with Phyllis andLou, respectively. In the fifth season, Mary refuses to reveal a news sourceand is jailed for contempt of court. While in prison, she befriends aprostitute who seeks Mary's help in a subsequent episode. In the final seasons,the show explores humor in death in the classic Emmy-winning episode "Chuckles Bites the Dust"and juvenile delinquency; Ted deals with intimate marital problems,infertility, adoption, and suffers a heart attack; and Mary overcomes anaddiction to sleeping pills. Mary dates several men on and off over the years,two seriously, but remains single throughout the series.The show spun off three television series: the sitcoms Rhoda (1974–1978) and Phyllis(1975–1977), and the one hour drama Lou Grant(1977–1982). In 2000, Moore and Harper reprised their roles in a two-hour ABCTV movie, Mary and Rhoda.September 20, 1955The Phil Silvers Show, originally titled You'll Never Get Rich primiered.The sitcom whichran on CBS from1955 to 1959 for 142 episodes, plus a 1959 special starred PhilSilvers as Master Sergeant Ernest G. Bilko of the United States Army.The series was created and largely writtenby NatHiken, and won three consecutive Emmy Awards forBest Comedy Series. The show is sometimes titled Sergeant Bilko orsimply Bilko in reruns, and isvery often referred to by these names, both on-screen and by viewers. Theshow's success transformed Silvers from a journeyman comedian into a star, andwriter-producer Hiken from a highly regardedbehind-the-scenes comedy writer into a publicly recognized creator.*September 21, 1950William James"Bill" Murray is born. The Academy Award nominated comedian andactor gainednational exposure on Saturday NightLive, and went on to star infilms including Caddyshack, Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day, Lost inTranslation, and TheLife Aquatic with Steve Zissou.September 21, 1970*NFL Monday Night Football made its debut on ABC-TV. The game was between the Cleveland Browns and the NewYork Jets. The Browns won 31-21. September 21, 1985George Clooney makes his first appearance as ahandyman on the popular TV sitcom The Facts of Life. Clooney appeared in 17 episodes of the show, whichaired from 1979 to 1988 and chronicled the lives of a group of young women whomeet at a fictional boarding school. Years later, he moved on to Hollywoodsuperstardom in the hit TV medical drama ER and such films as ThePerfect Storm, Ocean’s Eleven and Michael Clayton.Clooney, who was born on May 6, 1961, in Lexington, Kentucky,is the son of the journalist and TV host Nick Clooney and the nephew of thewell-known singer Rosemary Clooney. His early acting credits, in addition to TheFacts of Life, included small roles on the popular sitcom Roseanneand the drama Sisters. Clooney also appeared in single episodes of suchshows as The Golden Girls and Murder, She Wrote. Clooney firstshot to fame as Dr. Doug Ross on the medical drama ER, which debuted in1994.While appearing on ER, Clooney headlined such movies as Batman& Robin (1997), in which he played the caped crusader himself; Outof Sight (1998), which co-starred Jennifer Lopez and marked the first timeClooney worked with the director Steven Soderbergh, his future frequentcollaborator; and Three Kings (1999). After leaving the long-runningmedical drama, he went on to starring roles in The Perfect Storm (2000),O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) and Soderbergh’s Ocean’s Eleven(2001) and its two sequels, Ocean’s Twelve (2004) and Ocean’sThirteen (2007). Clooney made his directorial debut with 2002’s Confessionsof a Dangerous Mind, about the game show host Chuck Barris, who claimed inhis memoir that he also worked for the C.I.A.Clooney won an Academy Award in the Best Supporting Actor category for hisrole in Syriana (2005), a complex thriller about the oil industry. Healso received Best Director and Best Screenplay Oscar nominations for GoodNight, and Good Luck (2005), about the 1950s journalist Edward R. Murrowand his conflict with the anti-Communist U.S. Senator Eugene McCarthy. Clooneyearned his first Best Actor Oscar nomination for his performance in the titlerole of 2007’s legal thriller Michael Clayton.Off-screen, the actor, who was named Peoplemagazine’s “Sexiest Man of the Year” in 1997 and 2006, is known both for hisconfirmed bachelor status and his advocacy of various political and socialcauses, including the environment and the troubled Darfur region of Sudan.
*Stay TunedTony Figueroa*
| | | Polly Dean HollidayJuly 2, 1937 – September 9, 2025 |
In 1976, Polly Holliday was cast—in what would be her major break—as sassy, man-hungry waitress Florence Jean "Flo" Castleberry on the U.S. CBS sitcom Alice. Her character coined the popular catchphrase "Kiss my grits!" The phrase became part of the American vernacular. Holliday starred in Alice from 1976 to 1980, and then moved to her own short-lived spin-off show, titled Flo, in which Flo left Arizona and moved back home to Texas. The show was successful during its abbreviated first season, but ratings declined during the following season due to a time change, and it was canceled in 1981.
| | | In 1983, Holliday joined the cast of the CBS-TV sitcom Private Benjamin as a temporary replacement for series regular Eileen Brennan, who was recovering from serious injuries after being struck by a car. |
Holliday also made appearances on television shows such as The Golden Girls, where she played Rose Nylund's blind sister Lily, in a recurring role as Jill Taylor's mother on Home Improvement, and a regular character on The Client.Holliday's notable film roles include appearances in All the President's Men, Moon over Parador, Mrs. Doubtfire, The Parent Trap (1998), and the 1984 hit Gremlins, in which she played Ruby Deagle and won the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress.On the Broadway stage, she appeared in revivals of Arsenic and Old Lace (1986) as Martha Brewster, one of the dotty, homicidal, sweet old aunties; Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1990), for which she was nominated for a Tony Award for her portrayal of Big Mama; and Picnic (1994). In 2000, she appeared at Lincoln Center in a revival of Arthur Laurents's The Time of the Cuckoo.
In 2000, she was inducted into the Alabama Stage and Screen Hall of Fame.
Holliday's final credit was in the 2010 film Fair Game, in which she played Diane Plame, the mother of Valerie Plame.
| | | Good Night Polly |
| | | Stay Tuned Tony Figueroa |
September 9, 1975The first episode of "Welcome Back, Kotter"aired on ABC. The show starred stand-upcomic/actor Gabriel 'Gabe' W. Kaplan as the title character, Gabe Kotter, awisecracking teacher who returns to his alma mater high school, thefictional James Buchanan Highin Brooklyn, New York, to teach an often unruly group of remedialloafers self-labeled as the "Sweathogs." (The nickname reflected thefact that the remedial classes were held on the very top floor of the highschool.) The school was based on New Utrecht High School, which was used in the opening credits, and also thehigh school that Kaplan attended. The school's principal was perpetuallyabsent, while the uptight vice principal, Michael Woodman (John Sylvester White),dismissed the Sweathogs as worthless hoodlums and only expected Kotter toattempt to contain them until they inevitably dropped out.Kotterhad attended the same remedial classes when he was a student at Buchanan, andwas a founding member of the Sweathogs. Recognizing that he was his students'last chance to learn enough to survive beyond high school, he soon befriendedthem as they grew to recognize and appreciate his faith in their potential. Hisdevotion to the class was such that his students often visited his Bensonhurst apartment, sometime via window, tothe chagrin of his wife, Julie (Marcia Strassman).Manyof the characters of Welcome Back, Kotter were based on peoplefrom Kaplan's teen years as a remedial school student in Brooklyn. As astand-up comic, one of Kaplan's routines was "Holes and MellowRolls", in which he talked in depth about his former classmates. The namesof characters in Holes and Mellow Rolls: "Vinnie Barbarino" wasinspired by Eddie Lecarri and Ray Barbarino, from Miami, FL; "Freddie'Boom Boom' Washington" was inspired by Freddie "Furdy" Peyton;"Juan Epstein" was partially inspired by Epstein "TheAnimal"; and "Arnold Horseshit" was changed to "ArnoldHorshack" for network television.September13, 1990The drama series Law & Order premieres onNBC. The first half of the hour-longprogram, which is set in New York City, focuses on the police as theyinvestigate a crime--often inspired by real-life news stories--while the secondpart of the show centers on the prosecution of those accused of that crime.Each episode opens with a narrator stating: “In the criminal justice system,the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: thepolice, who investigate crime, and the district attorneys, who prosecute theoffenders. These are their stories.”On September 20, 1999, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,starring Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni as a pair of New York Citydetectives who investigate sex-related crimes, premiered on NBC. Law &Order: Criminal Intent followed in 2001. Law & Order: Trial by Jurydebuted in 2005 and lasted for one season. The Law & Order franchisewas created by Dick Wolf, who was born in 1946 and began his television careeras a writer for such shows as Miami Vice.September14, 1965My Mother The Car premieredon NBC TV. The series was canceled after only a few weeks after thedebut. Critics and adult viewersgenerally panned the show, often savagely. In 2002, TV Guide proclaimedit to be the second-worst of all time, just behind The Jerry SpringerShow. In 2010 The O'ReillyFactor recorded its viewersas listing it as the worst show of all time. In the context of its time,however, My Mother the Car was an original variation onthen-popular "gimmick" shows like My FavoriteMartian, The Flying Nun, I Dream of Jeannie, and especially Mister Ed,all of which depended on a fantastic, quirky premise for their comedy. Likethese situation comedies of the 1960s, My Mother the Car isremembered fondly by baby boomerswhofollowed the series during its one broadcast season.Allan Burns, co-creator of My Mother the Car, went onto create some of the most critically acclaimed shows in television history,including The MaryTyler Moore Show, Rhoda,and Lou Grant. Television producer James L. Brooks,who later collaborated with Burns on these series, created, among others, Room 222 and Taxi,and served as executive producer of The Simpsons (which later parodied the show in the "LovematicGrandpa" segment of "TheSimpsons Spin-Off Showcase"),got his start in television sitcoms when he was called upon to rewrite a scriptfor an episode of the series.The other co-creator, Chris Hayward,produced and wrote for Barney Miller during its first several seasons.September 14, 1965F Troop debuted. F Troop is a satirical American television sitcom aboutU.S. soldiers and AmericanIndians in the Wild West duringthe 1860s that originally aired for two seasons on ABC-TV. It debuted in the United States on September 14,1965 and concluded its run on April 6, 1967 with a total of 65 episodes. Thefirst season of 34 episodes was broadcast in black-and-white,the second season in color.The series relied heavily oncharacter-based humor; verbal and visual gags, slapstick, physical comedy and burlesque comedymake up the prime ingredients of F Troop. The series played fastand loose with historical events and persons, and often parodied them forcomical effect (such as with calling the Winchester 73 rifle the Chestwinster 76 rifle) There weresome indirect references made to the culture of the 1960s such as a"Playbrave Club" (a parody of a Playboy Club) andimitations of Rock & Roll bands (including singing songs written in the1960s).September 14, 1985The Golden Girls first aired. Created by Susan Harris and starring Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty. The show centers on four older women sharing ahome in Miami,Florida. It was producedby Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions, in association with Touchstone Television, and Paul Junger Witt, TonyThomas, and Harris served asthe original executive producers.The Golden Girls received critical acclaim throughout most ofits run and won several awards, including the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series twice. It also won three Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series –Musical or Comedy. Each of the fourstars received an EmmyAward (from multiplenominations during the series' run), making it one of only three sitcoms in theaward's history to achieve this. The series also ranked among the top tenhighest-rated programs for six out of its seven seasons. In 2014, the WritersGuild of America placed thesitcom at #69 in their list of the "101 Best Written TV Series of AllTime".
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
September 1, 1970The last episode of"I Dream of Jeannie" aired on NBC-TV. Jeannie and Tony's cousinwant to make Tony the chili king even though NASA forbids its astronauts tomake commercial endorsements.The show premiered was on September 18,1965. September 7, 1950Radio gameshow Truth or Consequences comes to television. The show required erring quiz show contestants toperform outrageous stunts as the consequence for wrong answers. As we mentionedin an earlier episode (This week in Television History: TheStart of Something Big) the radioversion of the show ran from 1940 to 1956. The TV version of the serieslaunched on CBS in 1950, but the network dropped the show after only oneseason. In 1954, NBC revived the game show, running it in prime time until1958. Meanwhile, the network also created a daytime version of the show, hostedby Bob Barker, which ran from 1956 to 1965. NBC dropped the show altogether in1965, but it continued as a syndicated series until 1974, with Barker stayingon as host.September 7, 1950Julie Kavner, voice of Marge Simpson, is born. Best known as the voice of Marge Simpson on TheSimpsons, the longest-running animated show in TV history, is born in LosAngeles. Before taking on the role of the famously blue-haired housewife,Kavner played Brenda Morgenstern on Rhoda, a spin-off of The MaryTyler Moore Show that originally aired from 1974 to 1978. In 1978,Kavner won an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for herportrayal of Brenda, the younger sister of the show’s lead character, played byValerie Harper. She won another Emmy in 1992, for Outstanding Voice-overPerformance, for an episode of The Simpsons. On the big screen, Kavnerhas been a frequent performer in the films of the writer-director Woody Allen,including Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), Radio Days (1987) and Shadowsand Fog (1992). Among her other film credits are Awakenings (1990)and Judy Berlin (1999).The Simpsons began as a series of animated shorts created bycartoonist Matt Groening (who reportedly based some of the main characters onmembers of his family) that aired on The Tracey Ullman Show starting in1987. On December 17, 1989, The Simpsons debuted as primetime program onFox with a Christmas special titled “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire.”Set in the fictional town of Springfield, The Simpsons skewersAmerican culture and society with its chronicles of a middle-class familycomprised of the buffoonish husband and father Homer Simpson, a safetyinspector at a nuclear power plant; his well-meaning, sometimes gullible wifeMarge; and their troublemaker son Bart, precocious daughter Lisa and babyMaggie. The Simpsons is known for its sharp writing (Conan O’Brien usedto write for the show before he became a late-night TV host) and features alarge cast of supporting characters, including Homer’s boss and nemesis, Mr.Burns; the Simpsons’ neighbor Ned Flanders, a devout Christian; and Krusty theClown. In addition to providing the voice of Marge Simpson, Julie Kavner alsovoices the characters Patty and Selma, Marge’s chain-smoking twin sisters. Along list of celebrities, including Kelsey Grammer, Larry King, Sting, HughHefner, Ringo Starr, J.K. Rowling, Tony Blair, Stephen Hawking, 50 Cent and MelGibson have made guest appearances on the show as themselves or fictionalcharacters.The Simpsons has been an enormous commercial and critical hit--in1999, Time dubbed it the greatest TV show of the 20th century--andimages of the yellow-skinned Simpson characters have appeared on everythingfrom T-shirts to video games. As a pop phenomenon, the show paved the way forother popular animated comedies, including Beavis and Butt-head and SouthPark, and has been a source of popular catchphrases,including Homer’s “D’oh!” which was added to the Oxford EnglishDictionary in 2001. A big-screen version of the show, The SimpsonsMovie, debuted July 27, 2007, and was a box-office hit.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
August 31, 1957Children's show Kukla, Fran and Ollieairs its last episode on prime-time network TV. The show featured beloved puppets Kukla, Ollie (adragon), and others, with live actress Fran Allison as host. The show began asa local Chicago program and moved to NBC in 1948. It was one of the two mostimportant series made in Chicago, along with Garroway at Large, duringthe city's brief period as an important production center for network programsin the late 1940s. After its network cancellation, PBS revived the series from1969 to 1971.
*Stay TunedTony Figueroa*
August 23, 2000First Survivorfinale airs.On this day in2000, Richard Hatch, a 39-year-old corporate trainer from Rhode Island, winsthe season-one finale of the reality television show Survivor and takeshome the promised $1 million prize. In a four-to-three vote by his fellowcontestants, Hatch, who was known for walking around naked on the island inBorneo where the show was shot, was named Sole Survivor over the river raftguide Kelly Wiglesworth. Survivor, whose slogan is “Outwit, Outplay,Outlast,” was a huge ratings success and spawned numerous imitators in thereality-competition genre.Produced by Mark Burnett (The Apprentice, Are You Smarter Than a 5thGrader?), Survivor premiered on May 31, 2000, on CBS. Theshowcenters around a group of sixteen strangers who are stranded for 39days in a remote location where they must fend for food, water and shelter andcompete in various challenges to win rewards and immunity from being voted outof the competition by their fellow contestants. The voting takes place at theso-called “Tribal Council” ceremony and after a contestant is voted off, theshow’s host Jeff Probst informs that person that “the tribe has spoken” andasks the evictee to extinguish his or her torch.As of May 2008, Survivor had been on the air for 16 seasons. The showhas been filmed in a variety of locations around the world, including theAustralian Outback (season two), the Amazon (season six) and Fiji (season 14).Season 13, which was set in the Cook Islands, stirred up controversy when thecontestants were initially divided by race into four competing tribes:African-American, Asian, Caucasian and Hispanic.In 2006, season-one winner Richard Hatch was found guilty of tax evasion forfailing to report his Survivor prize money to the IRS. He was sentencedto more than four years in prison. Other former Survivor contestantshave gone on to reap more success from their appearance on the reality show:Season one’s Colleen Haskell landed a co-starring role in the forgettable 2001comedy The Animal, while season two’s Elisabeth Hasselbeck (neeFilarski) went on to become a co-host of the daytime TV talk show The View.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
July 12, 1990Northern Exposure airsits first episode.The offbeat show, abouta Manhattan doctor contractually forced to work in the fictional of townCicely, Alaska for four years to repay a student loan from thestate. Rob Morrow stared as Dr. JoelFleischman. Most of Northern Exposure's story arcs are character-driven, with the plots revolving around theeccentricities of the Cicely citizens. The show consistently ranked in the Top20 most-watched TV shows until it was canceled in 1995.July 13, 1985Live Aid, a massive concert for African famine relief, takes placesimultaneously in Philadelphia and London. In addition to 162,000 fans that attended the all-day event were 1.5billion viewers worldwide who watched the show on MTV or other televisionstations. An estimated 75 percent of all radio stations around the worldbroadcast at least part of the concert.Irish musician BobGeldof, of the Boomtown Rats, organized the event. Among the participants wereBob Dylan, Paul McCartney, the Beach Boys, Carlos Santana, Madonna, Sting, andTina Turner. Several disbanded groups came together again for the day, includingCrosby, Stills and Nash; The Who; and surviving members of Led Zeppelin,including Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, and John Paul Jones. All performers workedfor free, as did many other concert workers. The production, which ordinarilywould have cost $20 million to stage, cost only $4 million and raised more than$70 million for famine relief.Despite the number ofacts, the show ran surprisingly smoothly. Rotating stages allowed bands to setup and dismantle their equipment while other bands were onstage. Acts from onestadium were telecast across the Atlantic to the other. Such organization,however, did not characterize the group's later charitable efforts: Live Aidwas later criticized for its disorganized and slow efforts to channel aid toAfrica.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
July 5, 1970PBS began airingconcerts by the Boston Pops Orchestra. Evening atPops is an American concert televisionseries produced by WGBH-TV. It is one of the longest-running programs on PBS, airing from 1970 to2005.[1] Theprogram was a public television version of a varietyshow, featuring performances by the Boston Pops Orchestra. It was taped at Symphony Hall in Boston, Massachusetts.Most shows featured a guest star, usually a well known singer or musician,most commonly within popular music or sometimes rock, folk, jazz or othermusical genres. After one or two opening numbers by the Pops, the guest wouldbe brought onstage. Usually the guest would sing several their own hits orsongs associated with them, with accompaniment by the Pops. After concludingtheir set, the guest artist would leave the stage, and the Pops would play oneor two closing numbers. The three men who served as Boston Pops Conductorduring the show's run – ArthurFiedler (1970-79), JohnWilliams (1979-95) and KeithLockhart (1996-2005) – appeared. GeneGalusha provided narration and announced most of the pieces played.Evening at Symphony, a companion series produced by WGBH andfeaturing performances of the Boston Symphony Orchestra conductedby SeijiOzawa, aired on PBS from 1974 to 1979.July 6, 1925 Mervyn "Merv" Edward Griffin, Jr. the Americantelevisionhost and media mogul is born. He began his career as aradio and big band singer who went on to appear in movies and on Broadway. During the 1960s, Griffin hostedhis own talk show, The MervGriffin Show, and created the game shows Jeopardy! and Wheelof Fortune. A billionaire at his death, he is considered an entertainmentbusiness magnate.July 10, 1995Hugh Grant appears on Tonight Show after Hollywoodarrest.On this day in 1995, HughGrant appears on late-night television’s The Tonight Show less than twoweeks after being arrested with a Hollywood prostitute. The show’s host, JayLeno, famously asked the English actor, “What the hell were you thinking?”Grant, who shot to stardom with the 1994 hit British film Four Weddingsand a Funeral, was arrested on June 27, 1995, in a parked car near SunsetBoulevard with a prostitute named Divine Brown and charged with lewd conduct ina public place. At the time of his arrest, Grant, then age 34, was alreadyscheduled to appear on The Tonight Show to promote Nine Months,his first major Hollywood movie. The actor kept his agreement and went on theprogram, speaking publicly about the incident for the first time. “What thehell were you thinking?” Leno asked him, to which Grant simply responded “I dida bad thing.” The show garnered huge ratings (enabling Leno to beat hislate-night talk show rival David Letterman) and Grant was praised forapologizing for his behavior, in contrast to other scandal-plagued celebritieswho went into seclusion or blamed their mistakes on others.Grant pled no contest to the charges against him, paid a fine and receivedprobation. Although the arrest surprised many fans of the actor, who was knownfor his charm and wit, his career did not seem to suffer in the end and he wenton to star in a number of films, most often romantic comedies, including NottingHill (1999), Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001), About a Boy(2002), Love Actually (2003) and Music and Lyrics (2007). ThoughGrant’s long-term girlfriend, the English model and actress Elizabeth Hurley,stuck by him during the scandal, the couple announced their separation in 2000after 13 years together.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
As a brunette, I had previously been this serious actress.
Then I became a blonde and got to play a completely different, comic role.
-Loni Anderson
| | | Loni Anderson(August 5, 1945 – August 3, 2025) |
Loni Anderson's acting debut came with a bit part in the film Nevada Smith (1966), starring Steve McQueen. After that, she was mostly unemployed as an actress for nearly a decade, then she received guest roles on television series in the mid-1970s. She appeared in two episodes of S.W.A.T., then on the sitcom Phyllis, and the detective series Police Woman and Harry O.She auditioned for the role of Chrissy on the sitcom Three's Company. She did not win the role, but in 1978 guest-starred as Susan Walters on a season two episode,[4] an appearance that brought her to the attention of the ABC network.[citation needed]Anderson's most famous acting role came as the sultry receptionist Jennifer Marlowe on the sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati (1978–1982). She was offered the role when producers saw a poster of her in a red swimsuit—a pose similar to Farrah Fawcett's famous 1976 poster. Hugh Wilson, the sitcom's creator, later said Anderson got the role because her body resembled Jayne Mansfield's and because she possessed the innocent sexuality of Marilyn Monroe. For her role, she was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards and two Emmy Awards.Although the series suffered in the Nielsen ratings throughout most of its four-year run, it had a strong following among teens, young adults, and disc jockeys. Owing to her rising popularity as the series' so-called "main attraction", Anderson walked out on the sitcom during the 1980 summer hiatus, requesting a substantial salary increase. While she was renegotiating her contract, she starred in the television film The Jayne Mansfield Story (1980). When the network agreed to her requests, she returned to the series and remained until its cancellation in 1982.Aside from her acting career, Anderson has become known for her colorful personal life, particularly her relationship with and marriage to actor Burt Reynolds. They starred in the comedy film Stroker Ace (1983), which was a critical and box-office failure. She later appeared as herself in the romantic comedy The Lonely Guy (1984), starring Steve Martin. She voiced Flo, a collie in the animated film All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989).In the mid-to-late 1980s, Anderson was teamed with Wonder Woman actress Lynda Carter in the television series Partners in Crime (1984), and starred in short-lived comedy series Easy Street (1986–1987). She appeared in television adaptations of classic Hollywood films, such as A Letter to Three Wives (1985) with Michele Lee, and Sorry, Wrong Number (1989), both of which received little attention. After starring in Coins in the Fountain (1990), Anderson received considerable praise for her portrayal of comedian actress Thelma Todd in the television movie White Hot: The Mysterious Murder of Thelma Todd (1991). In the early 1990s, she attempted to co-star with her husband Burt Reynolds on his sitcom Evening Shade, but the network was not fond of the idea, thus replacing Anderson with Marilu Henner. After Delta Burke was fired from the sitcom Designing Women in 1991, producers offered Anderson a role as Burke's replacement, which never came to pass because the network refused to pay Anderson the salary she had requested. She agreed to return as Jennifer Marlowe on two episodes of The New WKRP in Cincinnati, a sequel to the original series. In 1993, Anderson was added to the third season of the sitcom Nurses, playing hospital administrator Casey MacAffee. Although her entering the series was an attempt to boost the series' ratings, the series was canceled shortly thereafter.In April 2018, Anderson was seen promoting WKRP in Cincinnati and other television series on the MeTV television network.Though less frequent since the start of the 21st century, Anderson continued to act in television series, and played a lead role in the 2016–2020 web series My Sister is So Gay.On October 3, 2023, it was announced that Anderson would feature in the Lifetime film Ladies of the '80s: A Divas Christmas. According to the official synopsis, the movie follows five soap opera divas readying for a reunion show who take on playing cupid during Christmas to bring together their director and producer as they all learn the meaning of the true Christmas spirit. The ensemble cast is made up of Anderson, Linda Gray, Morgan Fairchild, Donna Mills, and Nicollette Sheridan.
| | | Good Night Loni |
| | | Stay Tuned Tony Figueroa |
July 28, 2000Kathie Lee Giffordmade her final appearance as co-host of the ABC talk show Live with Regis and Kathie Lee. *August 3, 1940Actor Martin Sheen is born Ramon Estevezin Dayton, Ohio. The son of a Spanishimmigrant, Sheen was the seventh of 10 children. He moved to New York afterhigh school and began pursuing an acting career while working as a janitor, carwasher, and messenger. After several successful Broadway roles, he appeared inhis first film, The Incident, in 1967. His film and TV career hasincluded numerous political roles, most recently as fictional U.S. presidentJosiah Bartlett on the popular TV show The West Wing. Previously, heplayed Robert Kennedy in the TV movie The Missiles of October (1974),John F. Kennedy in the miniseries Kennedy (1983), and the White Housechief of staff in The American President (1995). Sheen is the father offilm stars Emilio Estevez and Charlie Sheen.
Stay Tuned*Tony Figueroa
Theater is my favorite platform. Television is my favorite paycheck. The more television I can do, the more theater I can do.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner
| | | Malcolm-Jamal WarnerAugust 18, 1970 – July 20, 2025 |
Malcolm-Jamal Warner was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, on August 18, 1970. He was named after Malcolm X and jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal. He was raised in Los Angeles from age five. At the age of nine, he demonstrated an interest in show business that led to enrollment in acting schools. His career as a child performer later led him to graduate high school from The Professional Children's School in New York City, New York.
With appearances and roles on many television shows and films, he landed his most successful role as Theo Huxtable, the only son of Heathcliff Huxtable, who was played by Bill Cosby on the NBC sitcom, The Cosby Show from 1984 to 1992. Warner auditioned for the role on the final day of the nationwide search. In 1986, he was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series at the 38th Primetime Emmy Awards.Warner guest starred in an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, playing the role of Hilary Banks' boyfriend. Warner hosted the literacy-promoting children's show CBS Storybreak in 1993 and 1994. In 1995, Warner appeared as a homeless man on Touched by an Angel.[8] He also portrayed U.S. Marshal Terry Nessip in the film Drop Zone (1994), and Leroy Cappy in the HBO film The Tuskegee Airmen (1995).From 1996 to 2000, Warner co-starred with comedian Eddie Griffin on the UPN sitcom Malcolm & Eddie.[11] He went on to co-star as Kurdy Malloy in Jeremiah (2002–2004), was the voice of The Producer character on The Magic School Bus, and appeared in the 2004 CBS sitcom Listen Up with Jason Alexander.In 2008, he portrayed Cordell in the Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson rom-com film Fool's Gold.
In 2009 he guest starred in an episode in the TNT series HawthoRNe. In 2011 and 2012, he guest starred in four episodes of the NBC series Community as Andre, the ex-husband of Shirley Bennett (Yvette Nicole Brown). His character subtly referenced his Cosby Show past by wearing a "Cosby sweater" that he stated was from his dad.
Warner co-starred in BET's 2011 scripted comedic television series Reed Between the Lines. He played the role of Alex Reed, an English professor married to Carla Reed, a psychologist played by former Girlfriends star Tracee Ellis Ross. The couple had three children: Kaci and Kenan Reynolds, Carla's children from a previous relationship, and Alexis Reed, their child together.[19] The show highlighted the couple's ups and downs together as a blended family. In 2012, Warner was nominated for Outstanding Actor in a comedy series at the NAACP Image Awards for his role in Reed Between the Lines.
On the third season (2014–2015) of TNT police procedural Major Crimes, Warner portrayed Lt. Chuck Cooper, a member of the LAPD's Special Investigation's Section. Warner portrayed Al Cowlings in the 2016 crime series American Crime Story production The People v. O.J Simpson, based on the events of the O. J. Simpson trial. Warner played prison counselor Julius Rowe on the sixth season (2016–2017) of USA's Suits. He also played the role of parole officer James Bagwell on Amazon Prime's show Sneaky Pete. In 2018, he appeared as Dr. AJ "The Raptor" Austin on FOX's The Resident.
During his tenure on The Cosby Show, Warner turned his hand to directing, making music videos including New Edition's "N.E. Heart Break" (1989), rapper Special Ed's "I'm the Magnificent" (1989) and British R&B group Five Star's "I Love You For Sentimental Reasons" (1994). He directed episodes of sitcoms including The Cosby Show, All That, Kenan & Kel, Malcolm & Eddie, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Warner also directed the teen-oriented public health video Time Out: The Truth About HIV, AIDS, and You (1992), which featured Arsenio Hall and Earvin "Magic" Johnson discussing the realities of HIV and AIDS and the best ways to prevent its spread.
In 2003, Warner released his debut jazz-funk EP, The Miles Long Mixtape. In 2007, Warner followed up with his second CD entitled Love & Other Social Issues. In 2015, he received a Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance for his contribution to a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Jesus Children of America". Warner performed a poem on the track, dedicated to the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, along with musicians Robert Glasper Experiment and Lalah Hathaway.
Warner played bass guitar, performing in a band where he recited his poetry over the music.
Warner performed at the National Black Theatre Festival from 2003 onwards, in addition to hosting its Poetry Jam. Warner's 2022 spoken word poetry album Hiding in Plain View was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album in the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, the first year the category was included in the awards.
In June 2024, Warner and cohosts Weusi Baraka and Candace Kelley created the Not All Hood (NAH) podcast to discuss the lives and experiences of Black Americans.
| | | Good Night Malcolm |
| | | Stay Tuned Tony Figueroa |
July 22, 1965TillDeath Us Do Part debuted on England’s BBC-TV.Till Death Us Do Part is a Britishtelevision sitcom thataired on BBC1 from1965 to 1975. First airing asa ComedyPlayhouse pilot, the show aired in seven series until 1975. Six years later, ITV continued the sitcom, calling it Till Death.... From 1985 to 1992, the BBC produced a sequel In Sickness andin Health.Created by Johnny Speight, Till Death Us Do Part centred on the East End Garnett family, led by patriarch Alf Garnett (Warren Mitchell), a reactionarywhite working-class man who holds racist andanti-socialist views. His long-suffering wife Else was played by Dandy Nichols, and his daughter Rita by Una Stubbs. Rita's husband Mike Rawlins (Anthony Booth) is a socialist layabout. The character Alf Garnett became a well knowncharacter in British culture, and Mitchellplayed him on stage and television up until 1998, when Speight died.In addition to the spin-off InSickness and in Health, Till Death Us Do Part was re-madein many countries including Brazil, Germany (Ein Herz undeine Seele), theNetherlands (In Voor- En Tegenspoed), and the United States (All in the Family).Many episodes from the first threeseries are thought to no longer exist, having been wiped in thelate 1960s and early '70s as was the policy at the time.July 25, 1985Rock Hudson announces he has AIDS. Rock Hudson, a quintessential tall, dark and handsomeHollywood leading man of the 1950s and 1960s who made more than 60 films duringhis career, announces through a press release that he is suffering fromacquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). With that announcement, Hudsonbecame the first major celebrity to go public with such a diagnosis. The firstcases of AIDS, a condition of the human immune system, were reported inhomosexual men in the United States in the early 1980s. At the time of Hudson’sdeath, AIDS was not fully understood by the medical community and the diseasewas stigmatized by the general public as a condition affecting only gay men,intravenous drug users and people who received contaminated blood transfusions.Hudson was born Roy Harold Scherer, Jr., on November 17, 1925, in Winnetka,Illinois. He rose to fame in the 1950s, starring in such films as Giant (1956),for which he received an Academy Award nomination,and A Farewell toArms (1957). Hudson’s good looks and charm were on display in 1959’s PillowTalk and several other romantic comedies he made with Doris Day in theearly 1960s. In the 1970s, Hudson co-starred in the popular TV series McMillanand Wife. In the early 1980s, he began experiencing health problems andunderwent heart bypass surgery. His final TV role was a recurring part on Dynastyfrom 1984 to 1985.In July 1985 Hudson was hospitalized while in Paris. Some media reportsindicated he was suffering from liver cancer. However, on July 25, Hudsonissued a press release stating he had AIDS and was in France for treatment.Hudson, who had a three-year marriage during the 1950s to a woman who had beenhis agent’s secretary, was believed to be gay, although he never spoke publiclyabout his sexuality.Hudson died on October 2, 1985, at age 59 in Beverly Hills, California. Hisdeath was credited with bringing attention to an epidemic that went on to killmillions of men, women and children of all backgrounds from around the world.Hudson’s friend and former Giant co-star Elizabeth Taylor became an AIDSactivist and rallied the Hollywood community to raise millions for research. In1993, Tom Hanks received a Best Actor Oscar for his performance in directorJonathan Demme’s Philadelphia, the first major Hollywood movie to focuson AIDS.July 27, 1940Bugs Bunny firstappears on the silver screen in A WildHare. The wisecracking rabbit had evolved through several earlier shortfilms. As in many future installments of Bugs Bunny cartoons, A Wild Hare* featured Bugs as thewould-be dinner for frustrated hunter Elmer Fudd.July 27, 2003*Bob Hope dies at age 100 in Toluca Lake, California. Known for entertaining American servicemen and women for more than fivedecades, Hope had a career that spanned the whole range of 20th centuryentertainment, from vaudeville to Broadway musicals to radio, television andmovies.He was born Leslie TownesHope, the fifth of seven sons, on May 29, 1903, in Eltham, England. In 1907,Hope’s family moved to Cleveland, Ohio. As a young man, he began hisentertainment career as a dancer and vaudeville performer. During the 1930s, heappeared in Broadway musicals, along with such performers as Fanny Brice andEthel Merman. In 1934, Hope wed the nightclub singer Dolores Reade; themarriage would endure until his death. In 1938, Hope, who became known for hissnappy one-liners, rose to national fame with his own radio show on NBC and hisfirst feature film, The Big Broadcast of 1938.In 1940, Hope co-starred in the box-office hit Road to Singapore withBing Crosby. The film, about a pair of singing, wisecracking con men, was thefirst of seven “Road” movies the pair would make. Hope appeared in more than 50feature films during his career. He hosted the Academy Awards 18 times,although he never won an Oscar himself, an occurrence he turned into along-running joke. However, he did receive five special awards from theAcademy, including two honorary Oscars. Hope was also a top entertainer on TVand from 1959 to 1996 he made 284 “Bob Hope specials” for NBC.Starting with World War II, Hope began entertaining American troops atmilitary bases around the world. His USO tours traveled to military basesduring times of war (Vietnam, the Persian Gulf), as well as times of peace. Hewas so beloved for his work with the military for more than half a century thatCongress passed a resolution in 1997 making Hope an honorary veteran. It wasone of the countless honors that Hope received throughout his career. In 1998,he was granted honorary knighthood from Queen Elizabeth.Tony Figueroa
July 19, 1989RebeccaShaeffer (age 21) is murdered at her Los Angeles home byRobert John Bardo, a mentally unstable man who had been stalking her.Schaeffer’s death helped lead to the passage in California of legislationaimed at preventing stalking.Schaeffer was born November 6, 1967, in Eugene, Oregon. She worked as a teenagemodel and had a short stint on the daytime soap opera One Life to Live,but was best known for co-starring with Pam Dawber in the television sitcom MySister Sam. Bardo, born in 1970, had written Schaeffer letters andunsuccessfully tried to gain access to the set of My Sister Sam, beforeshowing up at her apartment on July 19, 1989. The obsessed fan had reportedlyobtained the actress’s home address through a detective agency, which locatedit through records at the California Department of Motor Vehicles. On the dayof the murder, Schaeffer reportedly complied with Bardo’s request for anautograph when he appeared at her home and then asked him to leave. He returneda short time later and the actress, who reportedly was waiting for someone todeliver a script, answered the door again. Bardo then shot and killed her.Arrested the next day in Tucson, Arizona, Bardo was laterprosecuted by the Los Angeles County district attorney Marcia Clark, who laterbecame famous as a prosecutor in the O.J. Simpson trial. In 1991, Bardo wasconvicted of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison without thepossibility of parole. In 1994, California passed the Driver’s PrivacyProtection Act, which prevented the Department of Motor Vehicles from releasingprivate addresses.The 2002 film Moonlight Mile, loosely inspired by Schaeffer’s story,was written and directed by Brad Silberling, who had been dating the youngactress at the time of her death.
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July 10, 1995Hugh Grant appears on Tonight Show after Hollywoodarrest.On this day in 1995, HughGrant appears on late-night television’s The Tonight Show less than twoweeks after being arrested with a Hollywood prostitute. The show’s host, JayLeno, famously asked the English actor, “What the hell were you thinking?”Grant, who shot to stardom with the 1994 hit British film Four Weddingsand a Funeral, was arrested on June 27, 1995, in a parked car near SunsetBoulevard with a prostitute named Divine Brown and charged with lewd conduct ina public place. At the time of his arrest, Grant, then age 34, was alreadyscheduled to appear on The Tonight Show to promote Nine Months,his first major Hollywood movie. The actor kept his agreement and went on theprogram, speaking publicly about the incident for the first time. “What thehell were you thinking?” Leno asked him, to which Grant simply responded “I dida bad thing.” The show garnered huge ratings (enabling Leno to beat hislate-night talk show rival David Letterman) and Grant was praised forapologizing for his behavior, in contrast to other scandal-plagued celebritieswho went into seclusion or blamed their mistakes on others.Grant pled no contest to the charges against him, paid a fine and receivedprobation. Although the arrest surprised many fans of the actor, who was knownfor his charm and wit, his career did not seem to suffer in the end and he wenton to star in a number of films, most often romantic comedies, including NottingHill (1999), Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001), About a Boy(2002), Love Actually (2003) and Music and Lyrics (2007). ThoughGrant’s long-term girlfriend, the English model and actress Elizabeth Hurley,stuck by him during the scandal, the couple announced their separation in 2000after 13 years together.July 12, 1990Northern Exposure airsits first episode. The offbeat show, abouta Manhattan doctor contractually forced to work in the fictional of townCicely, Alaska for four years to repay a student loan from thestate. Rob Morrow stared as Dr. JoelFleischman. Most of Northern Exposure's story arcs are character-driven, with the plots revolving around theeccentricities of the Cicely citizens. The show consistently ranked in the Top20 most-watched TV shows until it was canceled in 1995.July 13, 1985Live Aid, a massive concert for African famine relief, takes placesimultaneously in Philadelphia and London. In addition to 162,000 fans that attended the all-day event were 1.5billion viewers worldwide who watched the show on MTV or other televisionstations. An estimated 75 percent of all radio stations around the worldbroadcast at least part of the concert.Irish musician BobGeldof, of the Boomtown Rats, organized the event. Among the participants wereBob Dylan, Paul McCartney, the Beach Boys, Carlos Santana, Madonna, Sting, andTina Turner. Several disbanded groups came together again for the day, includingCrosby, Stills and Nash; The Who; and surviving members of Led Zeppelin,including Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, and John Paul Jones. All performers workedfor free, as did many other concert workers. The production, which ordinarilywould have cost $20 million to stage, cost only $4 million and raised more than$70 million for famine relief.Despite the number ofacts, the show ran surprisingly smoothly. Rotating stages allowed bands to setup and dismantle their equipment while other bands were onstage. Acts from onestadium were telecast across the Atlantic to the other. Such organization,however, did not characterize the group's later charitable efforts: Live Aidwas later criticized for its disorganized and slow efforts to channel aid toAfrica.
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July 2, 1955Thelong-running musical-variety program The Lawrence Welk Show debuts onABC. Welk, a bandleader from NorthDakota known for light dance music, had launched his own show in 1951 on KTLA in Los Angeles. The showremained a network hit for some 16 years, then became a syndicated series. Welkretired in 1982 and died in 1992.*July 3, 1950TV game show Pantomime Quiz Show debuts as anetwork series on CBS. The program, avariation of charades, ran for 13 years, although it changed networks severaltimes. The show began as a local program in Los Angeles in 1947. In 1949, theshow was one of TV's first programs to win an Emmy, first awarded by theNational Academy of Television Arts and Sciences that year.July 5, 1970PBS began airingconcerts by the Boston Pops Orchestra. Evening atPops is an American concert televisionseries produced by WGBH-TV. It is one of the longest-running programs on PBS, airing from 1970 to2005.[1] Theprogram was a public television version of a varietyshow, featuring performances by the Boston Pops Orchestra. It was taped at Symphony Hall in Boston, Massachusetts.Most shows featured a guest star, usually a well known singer or musician,most commonly within popular music or sometimes rock, folk, jazz or othermusical genres. After one or two opening numbers by the Pops, the guest wouldbe brought onstage. Usually the guest would sing several their own hits orsongs associated with them, with accompaniment by the Pops. After concludingtheir set, the guest artist would leave the stage, and the Pops would play oneor two closing numbers. The three men who served as Boston Pops Conductorduring the show's run – ArthurFiedler (1970-79), JohnWilliams (1979-95) and KeithLockhart (1996-2005) – appeared. GeneGalusha provided narration and announced most of the pieces played.Evening at Symphony, a companion series produced by WGBH andfeaturing performances of the Boston Symphony Orchestra conductedby SeijiOzawa, aired on PBS from 1974 to 1979.July 6, 1925 Mervyn "Merv" Edward Griffin, Jr. the Americantelevisionhost* and media mogul is born. He began his career as aradio and big band singer who went on to appear in movies and on Broadway. During the 1960s, Griffin hostedhis own talk show, The MervGriffin Show, and created the game shows Jeopardy! and Wheelof Fortune. A billionaire at his death, he is considered an entertainmentbusiness magnate.
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June 26, 1975Sonny and Cher'sdivorce becomes final. With a string of pop hits in the mid-1960s that began with thecareer-defining "I Got You Babe" (1965), Sonny and Cher Bonoestablished themselves as the most prominent and appealing married couple inthe world of popular music. Hipper than Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé, and farmore fun than John and Yoko, Sonny and Cher projected an image of maritalharmony that a lot of people could relate to—an image not so much of perfectbliss, but of a clearly imperfect yet happy mismatch. Mr. and Mrs. Bono tradedon that image professionally for a solid decade, even several years past thepoint that it was true. After 13 years together as a couple and six years ofmarriage—the last three for the cameras—Sonny and Cher were legally divorced onthis day in 1975.By the time they were divorced, Sonny and Cher were primarily known astelevision stars thanks to their hugely successful NBC variety show, but theirromantic and professional relationships started in the Southern California musicindustry in the early 1960s. In 1962, Salvatore "Sonny" Bono wasworking as a producer, gofer and sometime percussionist for the legendaryproducer Phil Spector when he met Cherilyn Sarkasian in a Los Angeles coffeeshop. Just 16 years old and recently dropped out of her Fresno, California,high school, Cherilyn was soon singing backup on such legendarySpector-produced hits as "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" (RighteousBrothers, 1964), "Da Doo Ron Ron" (The Crystals, 1963) and "BeMy Baby" (Ronettes, 1963). The couple released one unsuccessful singleunder the name "Caesar and Cleopatra" beforelanding a #1 pop hit in 1965 with "I Got You Babe" under their newname, Sonny and Cher.Ultimately, Sonny and Cher had only a few memorable hits after their first,the biggest of them being 1967's "The Beat Goes On." By 1968, infact, Sonny and Cher were essentially finished as a viable recording act, andSonny's efforts to establish a film career for the pair were foundering. A moveto Las Vegas, wherethey developed a nightclub act featuring playful, between-song bickering, iswhat ultimately resurrected Sonny and Cher's career. By 1971, they werestarring in a top-10 television program built around that act that would runoff and on, in various incarnations, until 1977. Two years later, they would beliving in separate homes and with new romantic partners, but it was not untiltwo years after that that their split became public and their divorce final onJune 26, 1975. June 27, 1945FCCallocates TV channels. On this day in1945, the FCC allocates airwaves for 13 TV stations. Before World War II, a fewexperimental TV shows had been broadcast in New York, but the war postponed thedevelopment of commercial television. With the allocation of airwaves, commercialTV began to spread. The first regularly scheduled network series appeared in1946, and many Americans viewed television for the first time in 1947, when NBCbroadcast the World Series. Since privately owned television sets were stillrare, most of the series' estimated 3.9 million viewers watched the games froma bar.June 28, 1975Rod Serling dies at age 50 after open-heart surgery. Born in 1924 in Syracuse, New York, Serling becameone of early television's most successful writers, best known for the anthologyseries The Twilight Zone, which he created, wrote, and hosted.In 1959, CBS aired the first episode of TheTwilight Zone. Serling fought hard for creative control,hiring writers he respected (such as Richard Matheson and Charles Beaumont) and launched himself intoweekly television. He stated in an interview that the science fiction formatwould not be controversial and would escape censorship unlike the earlier Playhouse90. In reality the show gave him the opportunity to communicate socialmessages in a more veiled context.Serling drew on his own experiences for many episodes, with frequent storiesabout boxing, military life and aircraft pilots, which integrated his firsthandknowledge. The series also incorporated Serling's progressive social views onracial relations and the like, which were somewhat veiled by the sciencefiction and fantasy elements of the shows. Occasionally, however, Serling couldbe quite blunt, as in the episode "I Am The Night — Color Me Black",where racism and hatred causes a dark cloud to form in the American Southbefore eventually spreading elsewhere. Serling was also progressive on mattersof gender, with many stories featuring quick-thinking, resilient women,although he also wrote stories featuring shrewish, nagging wives.The show lasted five seasons (four using a half-hour format, with onehalf-season using an hour-long format), winning awards and critical acclaim forSerling and his staff. While having a loyal fan base, the program never hadhuge ratings and was twice canceled, only to be revived. After five years and 156episodes, 92 of them written by Serling himself, he wearied of theshow. In 1964, he decided to let the third cancellation be final.Serling sold his rights to the series to CBS. His wife later claimed that hedid this partly because he believed the studio would never recoup the cost ofthe show, which frequently went over budget.In 1969, NBCaired a Serling-penned pilot for a new series, Night Gallery. Set in a dimly litmuseum which was open after hours, the pilot film featured Serling (ason-camera host) playing the part of curator introducing three tales of themacabre, unveiling canvases that would appear in the subsequent story segments(its brief first season rotated as one spoke of a four-series programming wheeltitled Four in One), focused more on gothic horror and the occult than did TheTwilight Zone. Serling, no longer wanting the burden of an executiveposition, sidestepped an offer to retain creative control of content—a decisionhe would come to regret. Although discontented with some of producer JackLaird's script and creative choices, Serling maintained a stream of creativesubmissions and ultimately wrote over a third of the series' scripts. By seasonthree however, Serling began to see many of his script contributions rejected.With his complaints ignored, the disgruntled host dismissed the show as "Mannix in a cemetery". NightGallery lasted until 1973.Subsequent to The Twilight Zone, Serling moved onto cinema screensand continued to write for television. In 1964, he scripted Carol forAnother Christmas, a television adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. It was telecast onlyonce, December 28, 1964, on ABC.[3]On May 25, 1962, Serling guest starred in the episode "TheCelebrity" of the CBS sitcom Ichabod and Me with Robert Sterling and George Chandler.He wrote a number of screenplays with a political focus, including Seven Days in May (1964) about anattempted military coup against the Presidentof the United States; Planetof the Apes (1968); and The Man(1972) about the first African AmericanPresident.
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June 16, 2002The first episodeof The Dead Zone aired. The Dead Zone, a.k.a. StephenKing's Dead Zone (in USA) is an American/Canadian sciencefiction drama television series starring Anthony Michael Hall as Johnny Smith, who discovers he hasdeveloped psychic abilitiesafter a coma.The show, credited as "based on characters" from StephenKing's 1979 novel of the same name, first aired in 2002, andwas produced by Lionsgate Television and CBS Paramount Network Television (Paramount Network Television 2002-06) forthe USANetwork.The show was originally commissioned for UPN, but the networklater dropped the show and it was picked up instead by USA.03nmTheseries was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada forits first five seasons. The sixth and last season was billed as "Theseason that changes everything" and production was moved to Montreal.The Dead Zone was expected to be renewed for a seventh season;however, due to low ratings and high production costs the series was canceledin December 2007, without a proper series finale.Some rumors spread that Syfy would pick up the series after it was canceled by USA,but it did not happen. Rumors of a made-for-TV movie have all but faded withtime.
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June 9, 1961 Michael J. Fox was born, in Canada. He first became known for his role as Alex P. Keatonon the popular sitcom Family Ties, and went on to star in such films as Backto the Future and Teen Wolf as well as the TV series Spin City.In 1999, he announced that he was battling Parkinson's Disease. He left SpinCity in 2000 but later guest starred on such shows as Scrubs and BostonLegal.QuotesMy happiness grows in direct proportion to myacceptance, and in inverse proportion to my expectations.– Michael J. FoxEarly CareerActor. Born Michael Andrew Fox, on June 9, 1961, inEdmonton, Alberta, Canada. Fox began using the middle initial 'J' (presumablysmoother-sounding than 'A') professionally to distinguish himself from anotheracting "Michael Fox." Michael J. Fox first achieved stardom in 1982,as the acquisitive Reagan-era poster-boy Alex P. Keaton on the populartelevision sitcom Family Ties.Hailing from Canada, where he grew up the youngest of five children to Bill andPhyllis Fox, Michael struggled in school and was too small - he is five feet,four inches tall - to compete in his favorite activity, ice hockey. He found anoutlet in drama class, and in 1976 made his professional debut in the CBSseries Leo and Me at age 15 (playing a 10-year-old). After starring inthe CBS movie Letters from Frank (also filmed in Canada), Fox droppedout of high school and drove to Los Angeles with his father. There, he foundwork in the series Palmerstown, U.S.A. before landing the role in FamilyTies, where he wooed audiences with his confident charm and impeccablecomic timing for seven years.Big Screen SuccessHe also had enormous success on the big screen,playing Marty McFly in Robert Zemeckis' zany romp, Back to the Future (1985). Afterplaying comic roles in Teen Wolf and The Secret of My Success,Fox wanted to broaden his range and took some unlikely dramatic turns, playinga factory worker in Light of Day, a cocaine-snorting fact checker in BrightLights, Big City, and earning critical acclaim for his starring rolealongside Sean Penn in Brian DePalma's Vietnam saga Casualties of War.Spin CityAudiences applauded Fox's return to Back to theFuture, for sequels II and III in 1989 and 1990. His pitch-perfectportrayal of a George Stephanopoulos-type character in The American President (1995)earned Fox accolades once again, but it was his ceremonious return to primetime television in the ABC sitcom Spin City, which launched in 1996,that put Fox back where he belonged - delighting audiences on a weekly basiswith a schedule that allowed him more time with his family. In 1999, hecontributed his trademark voice and comic flare as the title character (a littlewhite mouse) in the film adaptation of E.B. White'sStuart Little. Fox was honored with a star on the fabled Hollywood Walkof Fame in December 2002.Battle with Parkinson'sDiseaseIn late 1999, Fox made the startling announcement thathe had been battling Parkinson's disease since 1991, and had even undergonebrain surgery to alleviate tremors. Despite Spin City's incrediblesuccess and a showering of Emmy and Golden Globe awards, Fox announced in early2000 that he would leave the show, which he also executive produced, to spendtime with his family, and to concentrate on raising money and awareness forParkinson's disease - including the May 2000 launch of the Michael J. FoxFoundation for Parkinson's Research. Fox won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for hisfinal season on Spin City, along with the respect and support of theentire Hollywood community.In 2004, Fox guest starred in the television comedy Scrubs as Dr. KevinCasey, a surgeon with obsessive-compulsive disorder. In 2006, he appeared in arecurring role on the drama Boston Legal. Fox was nominated for an EmmyAward for best guest appearance. In 2009, he appeared on the dark drama, RescueMe, and his television special Michael J. Fox: Adventures of anIncurable Optimist, based on his best-selling book by the same title, airedon ABC.Fox married the actress Tracy Pollan (who played Ellen, Alex Keaton'sgirlfriend, on Family Ties) in 1988. The couple has four children: sonSam, twin girls Aquinnah and Schuyler, and daughter Esmé Annabelle.
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June 7, 1955$64,000Question premieres.TVgame show The $64,000 Question debuts on this day in 1955. The show wasa spin-off of radio game show The $64 Question and spun off The $64,000Challenge. The show started with contestants answering aquestion worth $64, with each subsequent question worth double the amount ofthe previous one. The show was an instant hit, knocking I Love Lucy outof first place in the ratings. Rumors of rigging plagued this and otherbig-money game shows in the mid-1950s causing The $64,000 Question and The$64,000 Challenge to be yanked off the air within three months of the quiz show scandal's eruption. Challenge went first, in September 1958, with Question –once the emperor of Tuesday night television – taking its Sunday nighttime slot, until it was killed in November, 1958.June8, 2010Thepilot episode of Pretty Little Liars aired on ABCFamily. PrettyLittle Liars premiered on June8, 2010 the United States, becoming ABC Family's highest-rated series debut onrecord across the network's target demographics. Itranked number one in key 12–34 demos and teens, becoming the number-onescripted show in Women 18–34, and Women 18–49. The premiere was number two inthe hour for total viewers, which generated 2.47 million unique viewers, andwas ABC Family's best delivery in the time slot since the premiere of The Secret Life of the American Teenager.Thesecond episode retained 100% of its premiere audience with 2.48 millionviewers, despite the usual downward trend following a premiere of a show, andbuilt on its premiere audience. It was the dominant number one of its time slotin Adults 18–49, and the number one show in female teens. Subsequentepisodes fluctuated between 2.09 and 2.74 million viewers. The August 10,2010 "Summer Finale" episode drew an impressive 3.07 million viewers.Setin the fictional town of Rosewood, Pennsylvania, the series follows the livesof four girls, Aria Montgomery, Hanna Marin, Emily Fields,and Spencer Hastings, whose clique falls apart after the disappearance oftheir leader, Alison DiLaurentis. One year later, the estranged friends are reunitedas they begin receiving messages from a mysterious figure named A who threatensto expose their deepest secrets, including ones they thought only Alison knew.At first, they think it's Alison herself, but after her body is found, thegirls realize that someone else is planning on ruining their perfect lives.
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February 10, 1930Robert Wagner is born.A veteran of many films in the 1950s and '60s,Wagner gained prominence in three American television series that spanned threedecades: It Takes a Thief (1968–70), Switch (1975–78), and Hart toHart (1979–84). In movies, Wagner is known for his role as Number Two in the Austin Powers films (1997, 1999, 2002). Healso had a recurring role as Teddy Leopold on the TV sitcom Two and a Half Men.Wagner's autobiography, Piecesof My Heart: A Life, written with author Scott Eyman, was published onSeptember 23, 2008. Wagner was born inDetroit, Michigan, the son of Hazel Alvera (née Boe), a telephone operator, andRobert John Wagner, a traveling salesman who worked for the Ford Motor Company. His paternal grandparents wereborn in Germany.[1][2] Wagner made his filmdebut in The Happy Years (1950). He was signed by agent HenryWillsonand put under contract with 20thCentury-Fox, where he gained attention with a small but showy part as a shellshockedsoldier in With a Song in My Heart (1952). This led to starroles in a series of films including Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (1953) and Prince Valiant (1954), and White Feather (1955, with DebraPagetand Jeffrey Hunter), A Kiss Before Dying (1956, a rare villainousrole) and Between Heaven and Hell (1956).Wagner appeared withveteran actor Clifton Webb in Stars and Stripes Forever (1952) and Titanic (1953). Wagner starred opposite SteveMcQueenin The War Lover (1962). Roles soon followed in The Condemned of Altona and The Pink Panther.In 1967, Wagner signedwith Universal Studios. In 1968, LewWasserman convinced Wagner to make his television series debut in It Takes a Thief. While the success of ThePink Panther and Harper began Wagner's comeback, the successful twoand a half seasons of his first TV series completed it. In this series, heacted with Fred Astaire, who played his father. Wagner was a long-timefriend of Astaire's, having gone to school with Astaire's eldest son, Peter.Wagner was suggested to play JamesBondafter On Her Majesty'sSecret Service was released.In 1972, he produced andcast himself opposite Bette Davis in the television movie MadameSin,which was released in foreign markets as a featurefilm.[4] and was a regular in theBBC/Universal World War IIprisoner-of-war drama Colditz until its end in 1974. Hereunited with McQueen, along with PaulNewmanand Faye Dunaway, in the disasterfilm The Towering Inferno released in the sameyear.By the mid-1970s,Wagner's television career was at its peak with the television series Switch opposite EddieAlbert,after re-signing a contract with Universal Studios in 1974. Before Switch,Albert was a childhood hero of Wagner's, after he watched the movie BrotherRatalong with a few others. The friendship started in the early 1960s, where healso co-starred in a couple of Albert's movies. After the series' end, the tworemained friends until Albert's death on May 26, 2005. Wagner spoke at hisfuneral, and gave a testimonial about his longtime friendship with him.In part payment forstarring together in the AaronSpelling and Leonard Goldberg production of the TV movie TheAffair, Wagner and NatalieWoodwere given a share in three TV series that the producers were developing for ABC.[5] Only one reached thescreen, the very successful TV series Charlie'sAngels, for which Wagner and Wood had a 50% share, though Wagner was to spendmany years in court arguing with Spelling and Goldberg over what was defined asprofit. Wagner and Wood actedwith Laurence Olivier in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (as part of Olivier's UKtelevision series Laurence Olivier Presents). Wood also made a smallcameo appearance in the pilot episode of Wagner's own television series, Hart toHart.His third successfulseries was Hart to Hart, which co-starred StefaniePowers.Before those roles, Wagner also made guest appearances in the pilot episode of The Streets of San Francisco. He would later benominated for an Emmy Award for Best TV Actor for his performance in It Takes aThief and for four GoldenGlobeawards for his role as Jonathan Hart in Hart toHart.Wagner's film careerreceived a revival after his role in the Austin Powers series of spy spoofs starring Mike Myers. Wagner played Dr. Evil's henchman Number 2 in all three films: Austin Powers:International Man of Mystery (1997), Austin Powers:The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999) and Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002).He also became the hostof Fox Movie Channel's Hour ofStars, featuring original television episodes of The 20th Century-Fox Hour (1955), a series whichWagner had appeared on in his early days with the studio.In 2005, Wagner becamethe television spokesman for the Senior Lending Network, a reversemortgage lender and in 2010 began as a spokesman for the Guardian First FundingGroup, also a reverse mortgage lender. As of June 2011, Guardian First Fundingwas acquired by Urban Financial Group, who continue to use Mr. Wagner as theirspokesperson. In 2007, Wagner had arole in the BBC/AMC series Hustle. In season four's premiere, Wagner played a crookedTexan being taken for half a million dollars. As Wagner is considered "asuave icon of American caper television, including It Takes a Thief and Hartto Hart", RobertGlenister (Hustle's fixer, Ash Morgan) commented that "to haveone of the icons of that period involved is a great bonus for all of us".Wagner also played thepivotal role of President JamesGarfield in the comedy/horror film Netherbeast Incorporated (2007). The role waswritten with Wagner in mind. He had a recurring role of a rich suitor to themain characters' mother on the sitcom Two and a Half Men. His most recent appearances onthe show were in May 2008.Wagner's radio andtelevision career was recognized by the Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters on January30, 2009, when they presented him with their Art Gilmore Career AchievementAward.Wagner has guest-starredas Tony's father, Anthony DiNozzo Sr., in three episodes of NCIS: "Flesh and Blood" (2010), "BrokenArrow" (2010), and "Sins of the Father" (2011).Wagner was set to star asCharlie in the 2011 reboot of Charlie's Angels, but due to schedulingconflicts, had to exit the project. In his memoirs, Wagnerclaims to have had affairs with Yvonnede Carlo, Joan Crawford, ElizabethTaylor, AnitaEkberg, ShirleyAnn Field and Joan Collins. He had a four-year romantic relationship with BarbaraStanwyck after they acted together in the movie Titanic (1953). Because of the agedifference – he was 22, she was 45 – they kept the affair secret to avoiddamage to their careers. At 27, Wagner becameinvolved with teenage actress NatalieWood andmarried her on December 28, 1957. The couple soon became involved in financialtroubles. At Fox, Wagner's career was slowly being overtaken by actors such as MarlonBrandoand Paul Newman. Wagner and Wood separated in September 1961 anddivorced on April 27, 1962. Wagner, with his career stalled because of a lackof studio support, broke his studio contract with 20th Century Fox and moved toEurope in search of better film roles.While in Europe he met anold friend, actress Marion Marshall. In the spring of 1963, after abrief courtship, Wagner, Marshall, and her two children from her marriage to StanleyDonenmoved back to America. Wagner and Marshall married on July 22, 1963, in theBronx Courthouse. Soon after, they had a daughter, KatieWagner(born May 11, 1964). The two were together for nearly nine years before theyseparated in late 1970. They were divorced on April 26, 1971. Wagner then had arelationship with Tina Sinatra in 1971. Wagner kept in contactwith Natalie Wood, whose short-lived marriage to Richard Gregson ended in early1972. Wagner remarried her on July 16, 1972. Their only child, Courtney Wagner,was born on March 9, 1974. On November 29, 1981, Natalie Wood drowned neartheir yacht Splendour while it was moored near Catalina Island; also on board were Wagner and Christopher Walken, who was co-starring with her inthe motion picture Brainstorm. Wagner subsequently became thelegal guardian of Wood's daughter NatashaGregson.He is estranged from Natalie Wood's sister Lana Wood, who claims Wagnerrefused to let her see her nieces after Natalie Wood's death. In November 2011,the Los Angeles County Sheriff'sDepartment reopened its investigation into Wood's death. Wagner is not considered asuspect. In early 1982, Wagnerbegan a relationship with actress Jill St.John,who coincidentally was a childhood acquaintance of Natalie Wood and Wagner's Hart toHart co-star Stefanie Powers, as well as starring alongside Natalie's sister Lana Wood in Diamonds Are Forever. The couple had firstmet years earlier on a film set when St. John was a teenager. After aneight-year courtship, they were married on May 26, 1990. On September 21, 2006,he became a first time grandfather when his daughter, Katie, gave birth to ason, Riley Wagner-Lewis.February 10, 1960 Jack Paar told the following joke."An English lady, while visiting Switzerland, was looking for aroom, and she asked the schoolmaster if he could recommend any to her. He tookher to see several rooms, and when everything was settled, the lady returned toher home to make the final preparations to move. When she arrived home, thethought suddenly occurred to her that she had not seen a "W.C."around the place. So she immediately wrote a note to the schoolmaster askinghim if there were a "W.C." around. The schoolmaster was a very poorstudent of English, so he asked the parish priest if he could help in thematter. Together they tired to discover the meaning of the letters"W.C.," and the only solution they could find for the letters wasletters was a Wayside Chapel. The schoolmaster then wrote to the English ladythe following note: Dear Madam: I take great pleasure in informing you that the W.C. is situated ninemiles from the house you occupy, in the center of a beautiful grove of pinetrees surrounded by lovely grounds. It is capable of holding 229 people and itis open on Sunday and Thursday only. As there are a great number of people andthey are expected during the summer months, I would suggest that you comeearly: although there is plenty of standing room as a rule. You will no doubtbe glad to hear that a good number of people bring their lunch and make a dayof it. While others who can afford to go by car arrive just in time. I wouldespecially recommend that your ladyship go on Thursday when there is a musicalaccompaniment. It may interest you to know that my daughter was married in theW.C. and it was there that she met her husband. I can remember the rush therewas for seats. There were ten people to a seat ordinarily occupied by one. Itwas wonderful to see the expression on their faces. The newest attraction is abell donated by a wealthy resident of the district. It rings every time aperson enters. A bazaar is to be held to provide plush seats for all thepeople, since they feel it is a long felt need. My wife is rather delicate, soshe can't attend regularly. I shall be delighted to reserve the best seat foryou if you wish, where you will be seen by all. For the children, there is aspecial time and place so that they will not disturb the elders. Hoping to havebeen of service to you, I remain, Sincerely,TheSchoolmaster."The "WaterCloset" joke involved a Enlish woman writing to a vacation resort inSwitzerland and asking about the availability of a "W.C." theinitials for "Water Closet" or bathroom, but the gentleman whoreceived the letter was a schoolmaster who had a very lmitid Englishvocabulary, so he asked the parish priest if he could help in the matter.Together they tired to discover the meaning of the letters "W.C.,"and the only solution they could find for the letters was letters was a WaysideChapel. The full text of the joke contains multiple doubleentendres like, “It is capable ofholding 229 people and it is open on Sunday and Thursday only”. This is mild bytoday's standards, but too much for the network to bear in 1960. The NBC censors thought thejoke was dirty and cut it from the February 10th, 1960 broadcast andreplaced that section of the show with news coverage. All of this was donewithout consulting Paar.When Paar discovered thathis four-minute story had been cut, he retaliated by walking off in the of theFebruary 11th show during the opening monologue saying, "I'vebeen up thirty hours without an ounce of sleep wrestling with my conscience allday. I've made a decision about what I'm going to do. I'm leaving THE TONIGHT SHOW. There must be a betterway to make a living than this, a way of entertaining people without beingconstantly involved in some form of controversy. I love NBC, and they've beenwonderful to me. But they let me down." Paar walked offstage, leavinghis announcer Hugh Downsto finish the show for him.Paar returned to the show onMarch 7th, looked right into the camera and said, "As I was saying beforeI was interrupted. When I walked off, I said there must be a better way ofmaking a living. Well I've looked and there isn't. Be it ever so humble, thereis no place like Radio City. Leaving the show was a childish and perhapsemotional thing. I have been guilty of such action in the past and will perhapsbe again. I'm totally unable to hide what I feel. It is not an asset in showbusiness. But I shall do the best I can to amuse and entertain you and letother people speak freely, as I have in the past." February 11, 1980In Concert is the 19th episode of the second season of the televisionseries WKRP in Cincinnati. Theconcept for the episode was described as "admirably ambitious" byWilliam Beamon, writing in the EveningIndependent before he had viewed the episode. The radio station promotes a concert by The Who, and employeesprepare to attend the concert. Station employees are overcome with guiltafter a stampede for seats by attending fans results in some fansdying. They discuss the tragic events the next morning. The plot is basedon the events of The Who concert disaster in Cincinnati of December 3, 1979during the band's U.S. tour. Of the 18,348 tickets sold for the concert,14,770 were for unassigned seats known as festival seating, obtained on a first-come, first-served basis. City officials had objected tothe use of festival seating at the facility as early as October 1976. Attendeesarrived as much as six hours before the start of the concert to attempt togarner the best available seats, and a crowd had gathered by 3:00 p.m.ET. An hour before the start of the concert, "thousands were tightlypacked around the entrance doors", and by 7:20 p.m. ET the crowdconsisted of 8,000 people. Some members of the crowd rushed the gates onthe plaza level on the west side of the Coliseum, crushing those at thefront. The incident resulted in the death of 11 individuals by compressive asphyxia and injuries to 23. In a press conference after the concert,police lieutenant Dale Menkhaus stated that too few gate doors had beenopened, and witnesses stated only one door had been opened at the maingate. Menkahus stated that the doors had been purposely kept closedbecause The Who had arrived late for a sound check. An emergency roomsupervisor stated that the victims had sustained "multiple contusions and hemorrhages".Thefacility and its executives had received lawful orders from the city's fire chief as early as 1976concerning event actions, such as "locking and barring of exit doorsduring performances, overcrowded conditions and the blocking ofaisles". Executives were later charged for failure to comply withthose lawful orders. Securityfor a concert by The Who in Buffalo, New York the next night wasdoubled, and the band dedicated it to the victims. Two concertsscheduled at Riverfront Coliseum were postponed: that by Blue Öyster Cult on December 14, and that by Aerosmith on December 21. OnDecember 27, 1979, the Cincinnati municipal council enacted bylawsbanning festival seating as a result of this event. The council and theGovernment of Ohio also passed laws involving crowd control. The cities of Indianapolis and Louisville prepared ordinances to ban festivalseating.February12, 1915LorneGreene was born Lyon Himan Green (February 12, 1915 –September 11, 1987).The Canadian actor and musicianwas best know for television roles as Ben Cartwright on the western Bonanza, and Commander Adama in the science fiction television series BattlestarGalactica and Galactica 1980. He also worked on the Canadian televisionnature documentary series LorneGreene's New Wilderness, and in television commercials.February 15, 1960"Danny Meets Andy Griffith" was telecast on TheDanny Thomas Show. In theepisode, Griffith played fictional Sheriff Andy Taylor of Mayberry, NorthCarolina, who arrests Thomas for running a stop sign. Future players in The AndyGriffith Show, Frances Bavier and Ron Howard, appeared in the episode astownspeople, Henrietta Perkins, and Sheriff Taylor's son, Opie.February 16, 1950What's MyLine debuts on TV.TV game show What's My Line debuts on this day in 1950. The show,produced by game show magnates Mark Goodson and Bill Todman, became thelongest-running prime-time game show in the history of television. It ran for18 years. A radio version launched in 1952 but was cancelled in 1953.
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February 6, 1940Thomas John "Tom" Brokaw is born. Television journalist andauthor best known as the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News from 1982 to 2004. Heis the author of The GreatestGeneration (1998), a runaway bestseller, and other books and therecipient of numerous awards and honors. He is the only person to host allthree major NBC News programs: The Today Show,NBC Nightly News, and, briefly, Meet the Press. He currently serves asa Special Correspondent for NBC News and works on documentaries for otheroutlets.February8, 1985The last episode of The Dukes of Hazzard aired.BossHogg grudgingly agrees to participate in Rosco's magic act during a talentrevue at the Boar's Nest. Boss plans to use the "disappearing lady"act as a way to get to a scheduled appointment, but it works out too well. Apair of escaped felons, whom Boss helped put away, kidnap Boss and hold him forransom. When Rosco is unable to make Boss "reappear," Bo and Lukeinvestigate and determine foul play was involved. Rosco is convinced Bossreally did disappear into thin air, leaving the Duke boys to ride to Boss'rescue.Guest Starring* Peggy Rea as Lulu Coltrane Hogg * Kevin Peter Hall as Floyd Malone * Ji-Tu Cumbuka as Bubba Malone
February9, 2010TheJay Leno Show aired for the last time in primetime.The showaired at 10 p.m. from September 14, 2009, to February9, 2010, on NBC, afterLeno's initial retirement from hosting TheTonight Show with Jay Leno. InJanuary 2010, NBC announced that due to affiliate concerns about its effect ontheir newscasts, The Jay Leno Show would be shortened to 30minutes and moved from primetime to 11:35 p.m., the timeslot that had beenoccupied by The Tonight Show for nearly 60 years.TheTonight Show host Conan O'Brien releaseda public statement saying that he would not participate in moving Tonight to12:05 a.m., asserting that it would damage the highly respectedfranchise. Despite much support for O'Brien from both the public andmedia professionals alike NBC maintained its plan to move Leno to 11:35.On January 21, 2010, NBC reached a $45 million settlement with O'Brien in orderto end his contract. Leno ended on February 9, 2010, afterbeing on the air for only four months, with EntertainmentWeekly calling the programtelevision's "Biggest Bomb of All Time." Leno resumed his dutiesas host of Tonight on March 1, 2010, which lasted until 2014
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January 27, 1980Galactica 1980 first aired. A spin-off from the original BattlestarGalactica television series.It was first broadcast on the ABCnetwork in the United States fromJanuary 27 to May 4, 1980, lasting for 10 episodes. Set during the year 1980,and a generation after the original series, the Galactica andits fleet of 220 civilian ships have finally discovered Earth, only to find that itspeople are not as scientifically advanced and that the planet can neitherdefend itself against the Cylons norhelp the Galactica as originally hoped. Therefore, teams ofColonial warriors arecovertly sent to the planet to work incognitowith various members of the scientific community, hoping to advance Earth'stechnology.Commander Adama and Colonel Boomer —now second-in-command — on the advice of Doctor Zee, a teenage prodigyserving as Adama's counsellor, sends Captain Troy,who is the adopted son of Adama's own son Apollo, andLieutenant Dillon to North America,where they become entangled with TV journalist Jamie Hamilton. After aninitial, epictime travel adventure to Nazi Germany inthe 1940s (to stop rebel Galactican Commander Xavier, trying to change the future to improve Earth's technology level), thethree friends devise ways to help Earth's scientists and outwit the Cylons inthe present day. Meanwhile, Adama sends a group of children from the Galactica fleet(the Super Scouts) to Earth in order to begin the process ofintegrating with the population. However, due to differences in gravity andphysiology, the children must deal with the fact they have nearly super-humanpowers on Earth.Thefates of several characters from the original series are explained during thecourse of the series. Apollo is apparently dead, the cause of his seeming deathnot addressed. Starbuck was marooned on a desert planet, although the scriptfor the episode "The Wheel of Fire" (unfilmed at the time ofcancellation) indicated that Starbuck was eventually rescued from the planet bythe inhabitants of the Ships of Light and became one of their inhabitants. Captain Troy is revealed to be Boxey, and Lt. Boomer hasrisen to the rank of Colonel and has become Adama's second in command. Baltarwas apparently rescued from the planet he was marooned on in "Hand ofGod", and is now Commandant Baltar of the Cylon fleet pursuing theGalacticans. The fates of several other characters, including Adama'sdaughter Athena, Colonel Tigh,Starbuck's girlfriend Cassiopeia, and Muffit the robot dog are not revealed. Thesecharacters are absent from the second series.January 27, 1980Tenspeed and Brown Shoe preimeredon the ABC network. The series was created and executiveproduced by Stephen J. Cannell. The one-hour program revolved around two detectives whohad their own detective agency in Los Angeles. E. L. ("Early Leroy") "Tenspeed"Turner (Ben Vereen) was a hustler who worked as a detective to satisfyhis parole requirements. His partner Lionel "Brownshoe" Whitney (Jeff Goldblum)was an archetypal accountant, complete with button-down collars and a naggingfiancee (at least for the pilot episode), who had always wanted to be a1940s-style Bogart P.I. A running joke was his penchant for readinga series of hard-boiled crime novels, sub-titled, "A Mark SavageMystery", written by Stephen J. Cannell (though he never wrote such aseries of novels), with Goldblum reading particularly purple passages invoice-over. He was sharper than he seemed, although a little naïve and morereasonable than his career path demanded, and had picked up karate to Black Beltstandard.Thiswas the first series to come from Stephen J. Cannell Productions as anindependent company (it was distributed throughParamountTelevision, one of only two suchcollaborations - the other was Riptide) and is also the only one not to carry the famedCannell logo on any episodes, having "A Stephen J. CannellProduction" appearing in-credit (the logo was introduced in 1981 whenTheGreatest American Hero beganairing). It was heavily promoted by ABC at the time it premiered in lateJanuary 1980. The series attracted a substantial audience for its first fewepisodes (indeed, the series was the 29th most-watched program of the 1979–80U.S. television season, according to Nielsen ratings),but viewership dropped off substantially after that and the series was notrenewed for the 1980–81 season.January 28, 1985American recording artists gather torecord "We Are the World"February 2, 1950What's My Line debuted on CBStelevision.What's MyLine? is a panel game show whichoriginally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to1967, with several international versions and subsequent U.S. revivals. Thegame tasks celebrity panelists withquestioning contestants in order to determine their occupations. It isthe longest-runningU.S. primetime network television game-show. Moderated by JohnCharles Daly and with panelists DorothyKilgallen, Arlene Francis, and BennettCerf, What's My Line? won three Emmy Awards for"Best Quiz or Audience Participation Show" in 1952, 1953, and 1958and the Golden Globefor Best TV Show in 1962.After its cancellation by CBS in 1967, it returned in syndication as a dailyproduction which ran from 1968 until 1975. There have been severalinternational versions, radio versions, and a live stage version.In 2013, TV Guide rankedit #9 in its list of the 60 greatest game shows ever.
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January 22, 2010ConanO’Brien makes final appearance as TheTonight Show host. Conan O’Brienhosts his final episode of The TonightShow, following an announcement by NBC earlier in the month that Jay Lenowould return as the host of the long-running, late-night program. The decisionto replace O’Brien was met with protests by his fans and became apublic-relations debacle for the network. In its early years The Tonight Show,which debuted in 1954, was hosted by entertainers including Steve Allen andJack Paar. Under Johnny Carson, who assumed hosting duties in 1962, theprogram, with its opening monologue, celebrity interviews, musical performancesand comedy sketches, became a late-night institution for millions of Americans.When Carson retired in 1992 he was replaced by Leno. On September 27, 2004, the50th anniversary of the show’s launch, NBC announced O’Brien would take overfrom Leno in 2009.Born in Massachusetts in 1963, O’Brien graduated from Harvard Universityand went on to work as a writer for such television shows as Saturday Night Live and “The Simpsons.”In 1993, the lanky redhead began hosting his own TV show on NBC, Late Night with Conan O’Brien,which followed The Tonight Show.After recording the final Late Nightshow on February 20, 2009, O’Brien and his staff relocated from New York City to LosAngeles for The Tonight Show with ConanO’Brien, which premiered on June 1, 2009.Meanwhile, Leno went on to helm his own weeknight comedy series in primetime.However, the program earned less-than-stellar ratings, and after a strong startO’Brien’s Tonight Show ratings alsoslumped. In early January 2010, NBC executives proposed rearranging thelate-night lineup: Leno would host a half-hour show at 11:35 p.m. ET (thelong-standing start time for Tonight Show)while The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brienwould move to 12:05 a.m. O’Brien objected to this plan, publicly stating onJanuary 12: "I sincerely believe that delaying The Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedyprogram will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise inthe history of broadcasting. The TonightShow at 12:05 simply isn’t TheTonight Show."O’Brien’s fans held rallies outside NBC studios in Los Angeles and other U.S.cities and organized an “I’m with CoCo” online support movement. Nevertheless,on January 21 it was reported that O’Brien had reached a deal with NBC worthmore than $30 million to leave “The Tonight Show.” His last episode aired thefollowing night and included guests Tom Hanks, Will Ferrell and Neil Young.During the program O’Brien said: “Walking away from The Tonight Show is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. …Everycomedian dreams of hosting ‘The Tonight Show’ and, for seven months, I got to.I did it my way, with people I love, and I do not regret a second.”Leno returned as host of “The Tonight Show” on March 1, 2010. On November 8 ofthat year, O’Brien launched a new late-night program, “Conan,” on cable channelTBS. A book about the Tonight Showconflict, titled “The War for Late Night: When Leno Went Early and TelevisionWent Crazy” by New York Times reporter Bill Carter, was published that same month.*January 23, 1975Barney Miller first aired.Setin a New York City police station in Greenwich Village. The series originallywas broadcast from January 23, 1975, to May 20, 1982, on ABC. It was createdbyDanny Arnold and Theodore J. Flicker. Noam Pitlik directed the majority ofthe episodes.January 23, 2005 Johnny CarsonDied. On March 19, 1999, Carson, then 73, suffered a severe heart attack at his home in Malibu,California. Carson was sleeping when he suddenly awoke with severe chest pains.He was rushed to a hospital in nearby Santa Monica where he underwentquadruple-bypass surgery.At 6:50 AM PST onJanuary 23, 2005, Carson died at Cedars-SinaiMedical Center in Los Angeles, of respiratory arrestarising from emphysema. He was 79 years old. Carson hadrevealed his illness to the public in September 2002. Following Carson's deathhis body was cremated, and the ashes were given to his wife. In accordance withhis family's wishes, no public memorial service was held. There were numeroustributes paid to Carson upon his death, including a statement by then PresidentGeorge W. Bush, recognizing the deep andenduring affection held for him.On January 24, 2005, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno paidtribute to Carson with guests Ed McMahon, Bob Newhart, Don Rickles, Drew Carey and k.d. lang. Letterman followed suit onJanuary 31 with former Tonight Show executive producer Peter Lassally and bandleader Doc Severinsen. During the beginning ofthis show, Letterman said that for 30 years no matter what was going on in theworld, no matter whether people had a good or bad day, they wanted to end theday by being "tucked in by Johnny." Letterman also told his viewersthat the monologue he had just given had consisted entirely of jokes sent tohim by Carson in the last few months of his life. Doc Severinsen ended theLetterman show that night by playing one of Carson's two favorite songs, "Here's That RainyDay" (the other was "I'll Be SeeingYou"). It had been reported over the decades of Carson's famethat he was, off-camera, so intensely private that he had never once invitedMcMahon to his home. After Carson's death, though, McMahon disputed thoserumors and claimed that a close friendship existed. On his final TonightShow appearance, Carson himself said that while sometimes people who worktogether for long stretches of time on television don't necessarily like eachother, this was not the case with him and McMahon: They were good friends whowould have dinner together, and the camaraderie that they had on the show couldnot be faked. Carson and McMahon were friends for 30 years. A week or so after the tributes, Dennis Miller was on the Tonight Showand told Jay Leno about the first time he tried tohost a talk show, and how miserably it went. He said that he got a callimmediately after the first show, from Carson, telling him, "It's notas easy as it looks, is it, kid?"The 2005 film TheAristocrats was dedicated to Carson, as well as The Simpsons episode Mommie Beerest.
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Sporting goods companies pay me not to endorse their products.
-Bob Uecker
| | | Robert George UeckerJanuary 26, 1934 – January 16, 2025 |
Bob Uecker was an American professional baseball catcher and sportscaster who served as the primary broadcaster for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB) for 54 seasons.
Uecker signed with his hometown Milwaukee Braves in 1956, spending several years in the minor leagues with various affiliate clubs before making his major league debut in 1962. As a backup catcher, he played for the Milwaukee Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, and Atlanta Braves from 1962 to 1967. He won a World Series with the Cardinals in 1964.
After retiring, Uecker started a broadcasting career and served as a play-by-play announcer for Milwaukee Brewers radio broadcasts since 1971. Uecker became known for his self-deprecating wit and became a regular fixture on late night talk shows in the 1970s and 1980s, facetiously dubbed "Mr. Baseball" by TV talk show host Johnny Carson. He hosted several sports blooper shows and had an acting career that included his role as George Owens on the TV show Mr. Belvedere and as play-by-play announcer Harry Doyle in the film Major League and its two sequels.Uecker was honored by the National Baseball Hall of Fame with its 2003 Ford C. Frick Award in recognition of his broadcasting career.
| | | Good Night “Mr. Baseball” |
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January 14, 1990The Simpsons beganairing regularly.TheSimpsons is an American adult animated sitcom created by Matt Groening forthe FoxBroadcasting Company. Theseries is a satirical depiction of a middle classAmerican lifestyle epitomized bythe Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa,and Maggie. The show is set in the fictional town of Springfield and parodies Americanculture, society, television, and many aspects of the human condition.The family was conceived byGroening shortly before a solicitation for a series of animated shorts with the producer James L. Brooks.Groening created a dysfunctional family and named the characters after membersof his own family, substituting Bart for his own name. The shorts became a partof The TraceyUllman Show on April 19,1987. After a three-season run, the sketch was developed into a half-hour prime time showand was an early hit for Fox, becoming the network's first series to land inthe Top 30 ratings in a season (1989–1990).Since its debut on December17, 1989, the show has broadcast 561episodes, and the 26th season began on September 28, 2014. TheSimpsons is thelongest-running Americansitcom, the longest-running American animated program, and in 2009 itsurpassed Gunsmoke asthe longest-running American scripted primetime television series. The Simpsons Movie, a feature-length film, was released in theatersworldwide on July 26 and 27, 2007, and grossed over $527 million. On October28, 2014, executive producer Al Jean announced that Season 27 had startedproduction, renewing the series through the 2015–16 season. Time magazine's December 31, 1999, issue named it the20th century's best television series, and on January 14, 2000, the Simpsonfamily was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk ofFame. It has won dozens of awardssince it debuted as a series, including 31 Primetime EmmyAwards, 30 Annie Awards,and a Peabody Award. Homer's exclamatory catchphrase "D'oh!"has been adopted into the English language, while The Simpsons hasinfluenced many adult-oriented animated sitcoms.January 15, 1995The first episode of Star Trek: Voyager* aired.StarTrek: Voyager is a sciencefiction television series set inthe Star Trek universe.The show takes place duringthe 2370s, and begins on the far side of the Milky Way galaxy, 75,000 light-years from Earth. It follows the adventures of theStarfleet vessel USS Voyager, which became stranded in the DeltaQuadrant while pursuing arenegade Maquis ship. The two ships' crews merge aboardVoyager tomake the estimated 75-year journey home. The show was created by Rick Berman, Michael Piller and Jeri Taylor,and is the fifth incarnation of Star Trek, which began with the1960s series StarTrek, created by Gene Roddenberry. It was produced for seven seasons, from 1995 to 2001, and is theonly Star Trek TV series with a female captain, Kathryn Janeway,as a main character.Star Trek: Voyager aired on UPN and was the network's second longest runningseries, as well as the final show from its debut lineup to end.January 17, 1975The television show Baretta* debuted on ABC. Baretta is an American detective television series which ran on ABC from 1975 to 1978. The show was a milderversion of a successful 1973–74 ABC series, Toma, starring Tony Musante aschameleon-like, real-life New Jersey police officer DavidToma. While popular, Toma received intense criticism at thetime for its realistic and frequent depiction of police and criminal violence.When Musante left the series after a single season, the concept was retooled asBaretta,with Robert Blake in the title role.Detective Anthony Vincenzo"Tony" Baretta is an unorthodox plainclothes cop (badge #609) withthe 53rd precinct, who lives with Fred, his Triton sulphur-crestedcockatoo, in apartment 2C at therun-down King Edward Hotel in an unnamed Eastern city (presumably Newark, New Jersey). Like his model David Toma, Tony Baretta wore manydisguises on the job. When not in disguise, Baretta usually wore a short-sleevesweatshirt, casual slacks, a brown suede jacket and a newsboy cap.He often carried an unlit cigarette in his lips or behind his ear. Hiscatchphrases included "You can take dat to da bank" and "Anddat‘s the name of dat tune." When exasperated he would occasionally speakin asides to his late father, Louie Baretta.Baretta drove a rusted-outMist Blue 1966 Chevy Impala four-doorsport sedan nicknamed "The Blue Ghost" (license plate 532BEN). In the series Baretta hung out at Ross’s Billiard Academy and referred tohis numerous girlfriends as his "cousins".Supporting charactersinclude:* Billy Truman (Tom Ewell), the elderly hotel manager/house detective, who used to work with Tony’s father Louie at the 53rd Precinct. * Rooster (Michael D. Roberts), a streetwise pimp and Tony's favorite informant. * Tony's supervisors Inspector Shiller (Dana Elcar) and Lieutenant Hal Brubaker (Edward Grover). * Detective Foley (John Ward), an irritating stick-in-the-mud. * "Fats" (Chino 'Fats' Williams), a gravelly-voiced black detective who goes on stakeouts with Tony. * Detective Nopke (Ron Thompson), a rookie who admires Baretta‘s street smarts. * Little Moe (Angelo Rossitto), a shoeshine man and informant. * Mr. Nicholas (Titos Vandis), a mob boss. * Mr. Muncie (Paul Lichtman), the owner of a liquor store at 52nd and Main.
January 18, 1975TheJeffersons began its ten-year run on CBS. A spin-off, the series had its "pilot"episode air on All in the Family (on Jan. 11). The Jeffersonsbegan in a period in TV history when African-American characters were becomingthe leads of their own shows. Isabel Sanford, in fact, was the firstAfrican-American Emmy winner as Best Actress in a Comedy Series (in 1981). Theseries broke ground in its inclusion of an interracial marriage (in Tom andHelen Willis) and explored the same types of topical issues as All in theFamily. Although, as the Museum of Broadcast Communications' Encyclopediaof Television notes, "America's black community remained divided inits assessment of the program," the show was unique in the televisionlandscape for its portrayal of an affluent African-American family.January 19, 1955Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes the first president tohold news conferences to be filmed by TV and newsreels. On this day in 1955, Eisenhower gave a 33-minuteconference in the treaty room at the State Department, recorded by NBC andshared with CBS, ABC, and the DuMont Network.
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January 6, 1975ABC-TV debuted A.M.America. AM America was a morning news program produced by ABC in an attempt to compete with the highlyrated Today on NBC. The show never found an audience after its premiereon January 6, 1975. Lasting just under ten months, its final installmentaired on October 31.The program's concept wasbased on Ralph Story's AM, thelocal morning show on the network's owned-and-operated Los Angeles station KABC-TV. LikeToday, AMAmerica employed two hosts and a news anchor. ABC chose Bill Beutel,who was co-anchor of Eyewitness News on the network's New York Cityflagshipstation WABC-TV, and StephanieEdwards from RalphStory's AM to host the program. Peter Jennings,who at the time was ABC's Washington correspondent, provided the news reports.One notable episode of AMAmerica aired on April 25, 1975, when members of the British comedytroupe Monty Python (with the exception of John Cleese,who had temporarily left the group) made one of their earliest appearances onAmerican television.Edwards quit the show by theend of May, and Beutel followed her out a few months later. On November 3,the Monday following its final broadcast, AM America wasreplaced by Good MorningAmerica. Theme music written byWilliam Goldstein.January 8, 1965The TV dance show "Hullabaloo" debuted onNBC. Directed by Steve Binder,who went on to direct ElvisPresley's '68 Comeback Special, Hullabaloo servedas a big-budget, quality showcase for the leading pop acts of the day, and wasalso competition for another like-minded television showcase, ABC's Shindig!.A different host presided each week—among these were Sammy Davis, Jr., Petula Clark, Paul Anka, Liza Minnelli, Jack Jones, and Frankie Avalon—singinga couple of his or her own hits and introducing the different acts.Chart-topping acts who performed on the show included Dionne Warwick, The Lovin' Spoonful, The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, Sonny & Cher, the Supremes, Herman's Hermits, The Animals, Roy Orbison and Marianne Faithfull. Many early episodes included black and whitesegments taped in the UK and hosted by Brian Epstein. SidBernstein was the booking agent for Hullabaloo. Peter Matz,formerly of The Carol BurnettShow, was the orchestra leader.Some of the programs in theseries were videotaped at NBC Studios in Burbank, California. Most were taped in New York City eitherat NBC's Studio 8H (built for Arturo Toscanini and the NBC SymphonyOrchestra and which would laterhouse Saturday NightLive*), or in NBC's color studioin the Midwoodsection of Brooklyn.Much of the series' color videotaped footage was later transferred overto kinescope on film - as such copied in black and white.Only three half-hour episodes are known to exist in their original colorvideotaped form.January10, 1980Thefinal episode of The Rockford Files aired on NBC. Jim meets John Traynor while on a fishing trip inParma. When John takes ill Jim takes him to hospital where John gives Jim hisProxy for the upcoming vote on the town’s Proposition 46D. Not knowingwhat it is Jim registers the proxy with Mayor Sindell, the pharmacist. Jim isthen escorted out to see Henry Gersch at his mobile home. Gersch wants Jim tovote “for” the proposition, so Jim agrees. Jim returns to his motel and isvisited by a mysterious figure who tells him to get out of town. This provesdifficult as the Firebird is stolen and later found at the Parma Mechanic’s whobelieved Jim called and requested it fixed. Jim meets with Carrie Osgood, ajournalist, who saw Jim fishing and again at the pharmacy. Jim is taken to thebus stop by the Sheriff, in an effort to have him leave town, but when the busstops at Santa Barbara, Jim is collected by Gersch’s goons and taken back toParma. Carrie recognises the mysterious figure as Stan Belding, a businessmanfrom Las Vegas. Jim and Carrie manage to read Proposition 46D, which isidentical to the previous legalisation which legalised gambling. Jim then findsout that John Traynor discharged himself from hospital. Jim now realises thatJohn set him up, and figures out that John must be hiding out under canvas inthe hills. Using the local pizza boy as a distraction, Jim leaves his motelroom disguised as the pizza man to evade Gersch’s goons who are watching him.Jim finds John in his tent – murdered, which cancels the proxy. Jim reportsthis to the police, who find nothing, so arrest Jim for filing a false report –without a body, the proxy is still valid. Jim is in a cell, while outside thepolice hounds are barking at the trunk of the sheriff’s vehicle. Lee Melvin –an official – grants Jim an amnesty so that he can vote. Jim works out whereTraynor’s body is, and goes to vote while Carrie calls the state police. Theyenter just in time to arrest Sindell, the Sherriff, Belding and Gersch’s goons,but Jim must lead the chase to catch Gersch himself, sitting in his mobile homeon the outskirts of town.
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Here is a"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"a little spark of madnessthat we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.
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Tony Figueroa
| | | Melvin Wayne OsmondAugust 28, 1951 – January 1, 2025 |
Wayne Osmond was the second-oldest of the original Osmond Brothers singers and the fourth oldest of the nine Osmond children. Starting in 1958, Wayne and three of his brothers (Alan, Merrill, and Jay in their respective age orders) began singing as a barbershop quartet. They were later discovered in 1961 by Jay Emerson Williams, the father of Andy Williams, at a performance at Disneyland which was being filmed for the Disneyland After Dark episode of Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color. In 1962, the four Osmonds were cast over a seven-year period on NBC's The Andy Williams Show, a musical variety program. Each of these four Osmond brothers were also cast in nine episodes of the 1963–1964 ABC Western series, The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters, with Wayne in the role of young Leviticus Kissel.
In the band's rock formation, Wayne played guitar and occasionally drums, among many other instruments, with Wayne recalling shortly before his death that he learned to play eight instruments during his time with the band. Wayne was found to have perfect pitch.His last intended appearance with the Osmonds was October 13, 2018, although he made an additional appearance with his brothers a year later as a birthday present to their sister, Marie.
| | | Good Night Wayne |
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Here is a"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"a little spark of madnessthat we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.Barney Miller S02E15 Happy New Year
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Here is a"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"a little spark of madnessthat we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.
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What Are You Doing New Years Eve? by Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt Joseph and Zooey Web
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The story about me, apocryphal or not, is that I could sing before I spoke.My parents went into bedroom one day and there I was standing in the crib singing God Bless America-Linda Lavin
| | | Linda LavinOctober 15, 1937 – December 29, 2024 |
In 1967, Linda Lavin made an appearance as Gloria Thorpe in a television version of the baseball musical Damn Yankees with Phil Silvers. In 1969, Lavin married actor Ron Leibman, and by 1973, the couple had arrived in Hollywood, California. After various guest appearances on episodic television series such as The Nurses, Rhoda, Harry O, and Kaz, Lavin landed a recurring role as Detective Janice Wentworth on Barney Miller during the first and second seasons (1975–1976).
She left Barney Miller to star in the lead role in Alice, which was a sitcom success that ran from 1976 to 1985 thru the CBS network. The series was based on the Martin Scorsese–directed Ellen Burstyn film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. Lavin portrayed Alice Hyatt, a waitress and singer, the character that Burstyn had played. Lavin performed the series' theme song, "There's a New Girl in Town," which was written by David Shire and Alan and Marilyn Bergman and was updated for each of the first six seasons. During the series' nine-season run, Lavin earned two Golden Globe Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award nomination,[10] and gained experience directing, especially during the later seasons. Lavin also played a dual role in Alice, as Debbie Walden, the wizened and former landlady of the character Vera Louise Gorman-Novak.[11] Lavin also made numerous television appearances outside of Alice, including hosting her own holiday special for CBS, Linda in Wonderland (1980). She acted in two sitcoms, Room for Two (1992–93) and 1998's Conrad Bloom.[12] In Room for Two, she played a mother who moved in with her daughter, played by Patricia Heaton, who has a show on a local television station. The daughter gives Lavin's character her own segment, called "Just a Thought", at the end of her program.
She made numerous television guest appearances, including roles on The Muppet Show (1979), Law & Order: Criminal Intent, The O.C., Touched by an Angel (1999), and HBO's The Sopranos (2002).
She also appeared in many telefilms between 1967 and 1998, including: Damn Yankees!, Sadbird, The Morning After, Jerry, Like Mom, Like Me, The $5.20 an Hour Dream, Another Woman's Child, Maricela, Lena: My 100 Children, Whitewash, A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes: The Annette Funicello Story, Stolen Memories: Secrets from the Rose Garden, For the Future: The Irvine Fertility Scandal, The Ring, and Best Friends for Life. Lavin produced and starred in A Matter of Life and Death, the 1981 telefilm based on the work of nurse thanatologist Joy Ufema.[14] She directed the 1990 telefilm Flour Babies.
Lavin made her feature film debut in The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984). Her other feature film appearances include See You in the Morning, starring Jeff Bridges; Alain Resnais's I Want to Go Home, opposite Gérard Depardieu (both 1989); and The Back-up Plan (2010).
Lavin also provided the voice of the Mother Vulture in the animated series Courage the Cowardly Dog for the episode "Watch The Birdies".
After working in theater for many years, Lavin was cast in the NBC television sitcom Sean Saves the World (2013–14) playing Sean Hayes' pushy, meddling mother Lorna. The Los Angeles Times interviewer noted: "A highlight of the show is the wonderful chemistry between Lavin and Hayes, who exchange repartee and quips with breezy ease. And the cast seems smitten with her."
In 2015, Lavin guest starred as a judge approached to stop an execution in the episode of Bones titled "The Verdict in the Victims." Actress Emily Deschanel said "Lavin was particularly fun to have on" the show.
Lavin played Judy Roberts in the CBS sitcom 9JKL (2017–18) alongside Mark Feuerstein and Elliott Gould. Lavin caught up with Portland Magazine in its Winterguide 2018 issue about her return to CBS stating:
Like Alice, 9JKL deals with family relationships–except it's a more sophisticated and edgier show. The people are more privileged and on a higher economic level than Alice. I love to go to work every day. I feel very grateful and fortunate for this role, the quality of work and good people at this stage of my life. Fun and creative are the operative words for me. I'm very committed to participating in projects where I can bring and exchange those qualities with like-minded people.
In 2019, Lavin joined the cast of the Netflix comedy/horror Santa Clarita Diet, starring Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant.
In 2020, Lavin performed the song "The Boy From..." from The Mad Show in Take Me to the World: A Sondheim 90th Birthday Celebration. Lavin appeared in the CBS comedy B Positive, which aired from 2020 to 2022, in a recurring role as Norma, one of the senior citizens at a local retirement home.
| | | Good Night Ms. Lavin |
| | | Stay Tuned Tony Figueroa |
Here is a"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"a little spark of madnessthat we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.
Stay Tuned
Tony Figueroa
Here is a "HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"a little spark of madnessthat we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.
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Today is Kwanzaa (until Jan 1st)
and Boxing Day
Kwanzaa
A Short Film
Directed By
Stephen Anthony Bailey
Starring
Kevin Scott Williams
Paige Diaz
Donna Allen
Jon Durnell
JaySin Matlock
Written and Produced By Kevin Scott Williams
Unlimited Destiny Productions
2016
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Here is a "HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"a little spark of madnessthat we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas and Chanukah spirit.
Today is the first day of Chanukah/Hanukkah
Adam Sandler - CHANUKAH (HANUKKAH) Song Part 4
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Here is a"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"a little spark of madnessthat we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.Stay Tuned
Tony Figueroa
Here is a"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"a little spark of madnessthat we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.
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Tony Figueroa
Here is a"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"a little spark of madnessthat we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.
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Not originally intended to be a pilot for a series, but it became one because it was so popular. Except for the children and Grandma Walton, the actors for the movie were not the same as for the series. The musical score was by Oscar-winning composer Jerry Goldsmith (Goldsmith also scored several episodes of the first season, but the producers believed his TV movie theme was too gentle and requested he write a new theme for the series) and was later released on an album by Film Score Monthly paired with James Horner's score for the 1982 TV movie Rascals and Robbers: The Secret Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn.Patricia Neal (as Olivia) won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Television Series Drama. The movie was also nominated for three Emmys: Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie (Neal), Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama - Adaptation (Earl Hamner), and Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama - A Single Program (Fielder Cook).This Week in TV History: The Homecoming: A Christmas Story turns 50
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Here is a"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"a little spark of madnessthat we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit. An American Christmas Carol 1979 HD - YouTube1.
1:36:56Stay Tuned
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Here is a"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"a little spark of madnessthat we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.
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Here is a"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"a little spark of madnessthat we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.Kris Kringle's Christmas is rudely interrupted when he lands in the clink with a bunch of bogus Santas after tripping a home burglar alarm, and his only hope of deliverance is the passionate belief of an eight-year-old boy (Gabriel Damon).
SANTA 85 from Phil Joanou on Vimeo.
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Here is a "HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"a little spark of madnessthat we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.California Christmastime" full music video from Rachel Bloom and the cast of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
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Here is a
"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"
a little spark of madness
that we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.
The Big .22 Rifle for Christmas (First aired December, 18th 1952). The Story is as relevant today as it was then.
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Here is a "HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"a little spark of madnessthat we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.
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WKRP in Cincinnati: Season 2, Episode 11Jennifer's Home for Christmas (17 Dec. 1979)WKRP s02e11 Jennifer's Home For Christmas by carpalton
This Week in TV History
December 19, 1944
Timothy L. “Tim” Reid isborn. is an American actor, comedian and film director best known for his roles in prime time American televisionprograms, such as Venus Flytrapon WKRP inCincinnati (1978–82), Marcel“Downtown” Brown on Simon & Simon (1983–87), Ray Campbell on Sister,Sister (1994–99) and WilliamBarnett on That ’70sShow (2004-2006). Reidstarred in a CBS series, Frank’s Place, as a professor who inherits a Louisiana restaurant.
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Here is a "HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"a little spark of madnessthat we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.
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In its December 16, 1995 episode, the Fox Network's comedy series MADtv aired "Raging Rudolph" which also parodied Martin Scorsese's films. In it, Sam The Snowman narrates in a Joe Pesci-like voice how Rudolph and Hermey got violent Mafia-style revenge on their tormentors.
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November 13, 1949Caryn Johnson, later known as Whoopi Goldberg, is bornin New York City.Goldberg began acting atage eight in children's theater productions. She dropped out of high schoolduring her freshman year, later citing a learning disability that teachersmistook for retardation. She began using drugs but later cleaned up and resumedher interest in acting. She married her substance abuse counselor and had adaughter. She started winning small roles in Broadway shows including JesusChrist Superstar and Hair. Her marriage ended, and she moved withher daughter to California, where she began performing with improv groups inSan Diego and San Francisco while earning money as a bank teller, makeupartist, and other odd jobs.Goldberg launched acomedy act with comedian Don Victor but was soon performing a hit solo actcalled "Spook Show." She toured the country with her comedy,eventually ending up on Broadway.In1985, three days after her 36th birthday, she made her movie debut in TheColor Purple, also starring Oprah Winfrey and Danny Glover. She earned anAcademy Award nomination for Best Actress. She later appeared in numerouscomedies, including Jumpin' Jack Flash (1986), and won the BestSupporting Actress Oscar for her role as a psychic in Ghost (1990). Her1993 comedy, Sister Act, was such a phenomenal hit that she earned $8million for Sister Act II, which made her one of the industry'shighest-paid actresses. She briefly had her own talk show and guest-starredregularly on Star Trek: The Next Generation. She has been marriedseveral times and has several grandchildren.November 15, 1929Edward Asner is born. Film, television, stage, andvoice actor and a former president of the ScreenActors Guild. He is primarily knownfor his Emmy Award-winning role as Lou Grant during the1970s and early 1980s, on both TheMary Tyler Moore Show andits spin-off series LouGrant, making him one of the fewtelevision actors to portray the same leading character in both a comedy and adrama.November 15, 1919Joseph Albert Wapner isborn. Theretired American judge and former television "judge." He is thefirst star of the ongoing reality courtroom series ThePeople's Court. The court show'sfirst run in syndication, with Wapner presiding as "judge", lastedfrom 1981 to 1993. This run lasted 12 seasons and 2,484 episodes. Unlike theshow's second run which has been presided over by multiple judges, Wapner wasthe sole judge to preside during the court show's first run.Wapner's tenure on the program made him the first starof arbitration-basedreality court shows, what is now amost popular trend in the judicial genre. Until the summer of 2013, Wapner alsoheld the title of longest reigning arbiter over The People's Court.However, by completion of the court show's 2012-2013 season, Marilyn Milian captured this title from him and became thelongest-reigning judge over the series. Five years after presiding over the ThePeople's Court, Wapner returnedto television as a judge on the nontraditionalcourtroom series, Judge Wapner's Animal Court, lasting for 2 seasons (1998-1999 and 1999-2000).November 17, 1944Actor and director Danny DeVito is born in Neptune,New Jersey. A former hairdresser,DeVito made his stage debut in 1969. He began appearing in small movie roles,including One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975). He spent five yearsplaying cab dispatcher Louie De Palma on the TV sitcom Taxi. By the mid1980s, with comedy credits like Romancing the Stone (1984) and RuthlessPeople (1986), he was in high demand as a comic actor. He began directingin 1987, with Throw Mama from the Train, followed by the hit The Warof the Roses (1989). Recent credits include L.A. Confidential (1997)and The Rainmaker (1997). In 1994, he began producing films with greatsuccess. His hits as producer have included, including Pulp Fiction(1994), Get Shorty (1995) and Erin Brockovich (2000). Married toactress Rhea Perlman, DeVito owns his own film company, Jersey Films. DeVito currentlyplays Frank Reynolds on FX's critically acclaimed comedy It's Always Sunnyin Philadelphia.
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November 8, 1914Norman Nathan Lloyd isborn. Actor, producer,and director with a career in entertainment spanning roughly eight decades.Lloyd has appeared in over sixty films and television shows. In the 1980s, hegained a new generation of fans for playing Dr. Daniel Auschlander, one of thestarring roles on the groundbreaking medical drama St. Elsewhere.November 8, 1979The program, "The Iran Crisis: America Held Hostage", premiered onABC-TV.Theshow was planned to be temporary, but it evolved into "Nightline" inMarch of 1980. The program had its beginnings on November 8, 1979, just four days after the Iran hostage crisis started. ABC News president Roone Arledge feltthe best way to compete against NBC's TheTonight Show Starring Johnny Carson wasto update Americans on the latest news from Iran. At that time, the show wascalled The Iran Crisis–America Held Hostage: Day "xxx",where xxx represented each day that Iranians held hostage theoccupants of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran. Originally, World News Tonight lead anchor Frank Reynolds hostedthe special report. Shortly after its creation, Reynolds stopped hosting theprogram. Ted Koppel, then ABC News's State Department Correspondent, tookon the hosting duties. It was not until a few days later that a producer hadthe idea of displaying the number of days on America Held Hostage:Day 15, Day 50, Day 150, and so on.November 8, 1994:Salvatore"Sonny" Bono is elected to the U.S. Congress.Ifyou had made a friendly wager back in 1974 as to which recent or currentpop-music figure might go on to serve in the United States Congress in 20years' time, you might have picked someone with an apparent political agenda,like Joan Baez, or at least one who was associated with some kind of cause,like nature-lover John Denver. You almost certainly wouldn't have placed yourbet on Sonny Bono, a singer of arguably limited talents who appeared content tostand, literally and figuratively, in the shadow of his far more popular wife,Cher. It was indeed Salvatore "Sonny" Bono, however, who had a futurein elective politics—a future that included his election to the United StatesHouse of Representatives from California's 44th Congressional District on thisday in 1994SonnyBono fell almost completely out of the public eye following the cancellation ofThe Sonny and Cher Show in 1977. While his ex-wife and erstwhile musicalpartner, Cher, launched a hugely successful second phase of her career withwell-received acting roles in the 1980s, Sonny left the spotlight behind tofocus on the restaurant business. Although he presented himself as anone-too-bright bumbler during his days on television, Bono had been an astuteoperator in shepherding his and Cher's early musical career and in his laterbusiness dealings. The owner of several successful restaurants, Bono gotinvolved in politics after growing frustrated with the bureaucratic hurdlesplaced before one of his restaurant construction projects by local officials inPalm Springs, California, in the late 1980s. Though he himself had registeredto vote for the first time only one year earlier, Bono was elected mayor ofPalm Springs in 1988. Following a failed run in the California RepublicanSenatorial primary in 1992, Bono turned his attention to the 44th District'sCongressional seat in 1994. A conservative Republican, Bono was swept intooffice as part of the Newt Gingrich-led Republican "revolution" thatyear, and he was re-elected in 1996.Duringhis time in office, Bono did not treat his fellow lawmakers to any singingperformances, but the man behind the hits "I Got You Babe" (1965) and"The Beat Goes On" (1967) did trade on his public persona as agood-natured, non-threatening nice guy. As The Washington Post noted in itsobituary following Bono's death in a skiing accident in 1996, "Bonobrought to Congress a rare skill: He could make lawmakers—even the most pompousamong them—laugh at themselves." Or as President Bill Clinton said,""His joyful entertainment of millions earned him celebrity, but inWashington he earned respect by being a witty and wise participant inpolicymaking processes that often seem ponderous to the American people."November 10, 1924Russell David Johnson isborn. Best known as “TheProfessor” on the CBS television sitcom Gilligan’s Island. He is one of three remaining cast members from thatseries, the last surviving male.November 10, 1969Sesame Street premiered. The longest running children's program on television.The show is produced by the non-profit organization Sesame Workshop,formerly known as the Children'sTelevision Workshop (CTW), founded byJoan Ganz Cooney and Ralph Rogers.As a result of its extensive influence, Sesame Street is one of themost highly regarded, and most watched, educational shows for children in theworld. The original series has been televised in more than 120 countries, and25 independent versions have been produced. The show has been called"perhaps the most vigorously researched, vetted, and fretted-overprogram". As of 2009, the series has received 118 Emmy Awards,more than any other television series. An estimated 77 million Americanswatched the series as children. Sesame Street uses a combination of animation, puppets, and live actors tostimulate young children's minds, improve their letter and word recognition,basic arithmetic,geometric forms, classification, simple problem solving, and socialization byshowing children or people in their everyday lives. Since the show's inception,other instructional goals have been basic life skills, such as how to cross thestreet safely, proper hygiene, healthy eating habits, and social skills; inaddition, real-world situations are taught, such as death, divorce, pregnancy andbirth, adoption, and even all of the human emotions such as happiness, love,anger, and hatred. Also, recently, the Sesame Street Muppets discussedthe late-2000s recession with their latestprime-time special Families Stand Together: Feeling Secure in Tough Times.The series has made many published lists, including greatest all-time showcompilations by TVGuide and Entertainment Weekly. A 1996 surveyfound that 95% of American preschoolers have watched the show by the time theyare three years old. Sesame Street will celebrate its 40th anniversary and will include a segmentwith First Lady Michelle Obama interacting with the Muppets.Jon Stone was responsible for hiring the first cast of Sesame Street.He did not audition actors until Spring 1969, a few weeks before the five testshows were due to be filmed. He videotaped the auditions, and Ed Palmer tookthem out into the field to test children's reactions. The actors who receivedthe "most enthusiastic thumbs up" were cast. For example, LorettaLong, was chosen to play Susan when the children who sawher audition stood up and sang along with her rendition of "I'm a Little Teapot". It was Stone's goalto cast white actors in the minority. As Stone said, casting was the onlyaspect of the show that was "just completely haphazard".Mostof the cast and crew found jobs on Sesame Street through personalrelationships with Stone and the other producers. Stone also hired Bob McGrathto play Bob, WillLee to play Mr. Hooper, and Matt Robinson to play Gordon. Sesame Street's cast became more diverse in the 1970s. The castmembers who joined the show during this time were SoniaManzano (Maria), Northern Calloway (David), EmilioDelgado (Luis), Linda Bove (Linda), and BuffySaint-Marie (Buffy). Roscoe Orman succeeded Matt Robinson, the original Gordon, and Hal Miller, in1975.
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Speed bumps, I was thinking, you know, you're driving along, everything's OK, and then there's a speed bump to go, 'Slow down.' Go over it real slowly, and you hit the pedal, and you keep going, and I just thought it was kind of a nice metaphor for life.-Teri Garr
| | | Terry Ann GarrDecember 11, 1944 – October 29, 2024 |
Teri Garr died from complications of multiple sclerosis at her home in Los Angeles, on October 29, 2024, at the age of 79.
| | | Good Night Ms. Garr |
| | | Stay TunedTony Figueroa |
November2, 1959CharlesVan Doren, a game show contestant on the NBC-TV program Twenty-Oneadmitted that he had been given questions and answers in advance. One month after the hearings began, Van Dorenemerged from hiding and confessed before the committee that he had beencomplicit in the fraud. On November 2, 1959, he admitted to the House Subcommitteeon Legislative Oversight, a United States Congress subcommittee,chaired by Arkansas Democrat OrenHarris, that he had been given questions and answers inadvance of the show.I was involved, deeply involved, in a deception.The fact that I, too, was very much deceived cannot keep me from being theprincipal victim of that deception, because I was its principal symbol. Theremay be a kind of justice in that. I don’t know. I do know, and I can say itproudly to this committee, that since Friday, October 16, when I finally cameto a full understanding of what I had done and of what I must do, I have takena number of steps toward trying to make up for it. I have a long way to go. Ihave deceived my friends, and I had millions of them. Whatever their feelingfor me now, my affection for them is stronger today than ever before. I ammaking this statement because of them. I hope my being here will serve themwell and lastingly.I asked (co-producer Albert Freedman) to let me goon (Twenty One) honestly, without receiving help. He said that wasimpossible. He told me that I would not have a chance to defeat Stempel becausehe was too knowledgeable. He also told me that the show was merelyentertainment and that giving help to quiz contests was a common practice andmerely a part of show business. This of course was not true, but perhaps Iwanted to believe him. He also stressed the fact that by appearing on anationally televised program I would be doing a great service to theintellectual life, to teachers and to education in general, by increasingpublic respect for the work of the mind through my performances. In fact, Ithink I have done a disservice to all of them. I deeply regret this, since Ibelieve nothing is of more vital importance to our civilization than education.
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October 23, 1984NBC Nightly Newsaired footage of the severe drought in Ethiopia. October 25, 1924 Billy Barty was born William John Bertanzetti. Barty was one of the most famous 20th century peoplewith dwarfism. Barty, an Italian American, was born in Millsboro, Pennsylvania. He was a member of the gang in the Mickey McGuireserial of silent shorts (a children's comedy series of the 1920s, similar intone to the "Our Gang"/"Little Rascals" comedies, starringa very young MickeyRooney in the title role). In TheGold Diggers of 1933, anine-year-old Barty appeared as a baby who escapes from his stroller. Becauseof his stature, much of his work consisted of bit parts and gag roles, althoughhe was featured prominently in W.C.Fields and Me (1976), Foul Play and The Lord of the Rings (both 1978), Under the Rainbow (1981), Night Patrol (1984), Legend (1985), Mastersof the Universe (1987), Willow (1988), UHF (1989), Life Stinks and Radioland Murders (1994). Barty was known for his boundless energy andenthusiasm for any productions in which he appeared. He also performed aremarkable impression of pianist Liberace. He performed with the Spike Jones musical comedy show on stage and television. He wasalso the evil side kick on the 1970s Saturday morning TV series Dr. Shrinker.Barty also starred in a local Southern California children's show,"Billy Barty's Bigtop," in the mid-1960s, which regularly showed The Three Stooges shorts. In one program,Stooge Moe Howard visited the set as a surpriseguest. The program gave many Los Angeles-area children their first opportunityto become familiar with little people, who until then had been rarely glimpsedon the screen except as two-dimensional curiousities.Barty also starred as "Sigmund" in the popular children's t.v.show "Sigmund and the Sea Monsters" produced by Sid and Marty Krofftin 1974-1976. In 1983, Barty supplied the voice for Figmentin EPCOT Center's Journey IntoImagination dark ride. He subsequently supplied a reprisal for thesecond incarnation, though very brief.Barty was a noted activist for the promotion of rights for others withdwarfism. He was disappointed with contemporary Hervé Villechaize'sinsistence that they were "midgets" instead ofactors with dwarfism. Barty founded the Little Peopleof America to help with his activism.Barty was married to Shirley Bolingbroke of Malad City, Idaho, from 1962 until hisdeath at age 76. They had two children, Lori Neilson and TV/film producer anddirector Braden Barty.Until the time of his death, Barty was a beloved annual guest-star onCanada's Telemiracle telethon, one of the most successful (per capita)telethons in the world.October 26, 1914 John Leslie"Jackie" Coogan born in Los Angeles, California. Coogan began his movie career as a child actor in silent films. Many years later, he becameknown as Uncle Fester on The Addams Family (TV show, 1964-1966). In theinterim, he shocked the United States by suing his mother and stepfather overhis squandered film earnings and provoked California to enact the first knownlegal protection for the earnings of child performers.He began his acting career as an infant in both vaudeville and film, with an uncreditedrole in the 1917 film Skinner'sBaby. Charlie Chaplindiscovered him in a Los Angelesvaudeville house, doing the shimmy, a popular danceat the time, on the stage. His father, Jack Coogan, Sr. was also an actor. Theboy was a natural mimic, and delighted Chaplin with his abilities in this area.As a child actor, he is best remembered for his role as Charlie Chaplin's irascible sidekick in thefilm classic The Kid(1921) and for the title role in Oliver Twist,directed by Frank Lloyd, thefollowing year. He was also the first star to get heavily merchandised, withpeanut butter, stationery, whistles, dolls, records, and figurines just being asample of the Coogan merchandise. He also travelled internationally to hugecrowds. Many of his early films are lost or unavailable, but Turner ClassicMovies recently presented The Rag Man with a new score.Coogan was famous for his pageboy haircut and his The Kid outfit ofoversized overalls and cap, which was widely imitated, including by the young Scotty Beckett in the Our Gang films.Jackie Coogan has his hand and foot prints in concrete out front ofGrauman's Chinese Theater (now Mann's Chinese Theater), Ceremony #19, onDecember 12, 1931 (his former wife Betty Grable, Ceremony #68, on February 15,1943 also). He also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in front of 1654Vine Street, just south of Hollywood Blvd.As a child star, Coogan earned an estimated $3 to 4 million, but the moneywas taken by his mother, Lilian, and stepfather, Arthur Bernstein, forextravagances such as fur coats, diamonds, and cars. He sued them in 1938 (atage 23), but after legal expenses, he only received $126,000 of the approx.$250,000 left. When Coogan fell on hard times, Charlie Chaplin gave him somefinancial support.The legal battle did, however, bring attention to child actors and resultedin the state of California enactingthe California Child Actor's Bill,sometimes known as the Coogan Billor the Coogan Act. This requiresthat the child's employer set aside 15% of the child's earnings in a trust, andcodifies such issues as schooling, work hours and time-off. Jackie's mother andstepfather attempted to soften the situation by pointing out that the child washaving fun and thought he was playing. However, virtually every child star fromBaby Peggy on has stated that they werekeenly aware that what they were doing was work.October 27, 1954Disneyland,Walt Disney's first television series, premieres on ABC. The one-hour show,introduced by Tinkerbell, presented a rotating selection of cartoons, dramas,movies, and other entertainment. The show ran for 34 years under various names,including Walt Disney Presents and The Wonderful World of Disney.The program was the longest-running prime-time series on network TV.
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September29, 1969 LoveAmerican Style debutsLove, American Style is an anthology comedytelevision series that aired on ABC from September 29, 1969 toJanuary 11, 1974. The series was produced by Paramount Television. During the 1971–72and 1972–73 seasons, it was a part of ABC's Friday primetime lineup thatincluded The Brady Bunch, The Partridge Family, Room 222,and The Odd Couple. It featured some ofthe earliest work of future stars Diane Keaton ("Loveand the Pen Pals"), Sally Struthers ("Loveand the Triangle"), Albert Brooks ("Loveand Operational Model"), and Harrison Ford ("Loveand the Former Marriage"). Room 222 star Karen Valentine appearedin four episodes. Brady Bunch star Ann B. Davis and ThePartridge Family star Dave Madden eachappeared in two episodes.Eachepisode of the show featured multiple stories of romance, usually with acomedic spin. Episodes were stand-alone, featuring various characters, storiesand locations. The show often featured the same actors playing differentcharacters in many episodes. In addition, a large, ornate brass bed was arecurring prop in many episodes.Charles Fox's music score, featuring flutes, harp and flugelhorn setto a contemporary pop beat, provided the "love" ambiance, which tiedthe stories together as a multifaceted romantic comedy each week. For the firstseason, the theme song was performed by the Cowsills.Beginning with the second season, the same theme song was sung by the Ron Hicklin Singers, also known as the voicesbehind the Partridge Family (based on theCowsills), among others, featuring brothers John and Tom Bahler (billedas the Charles Fox Singers). This second versionof the theme was kept for the remainder of the series, as well as on mostepisodes prepared for syndication.Thetitle is loosely derived from a 1961 Italian comedy film called Divorzio all'italiana (Divorce, Italian Style),which received Academy Award nominations in 1962 for Best Director for Pietro Germi andfor Best Actor for star Marcello Mastroianni. The film was laterspoofed in 1967 by Divorce, American Style, starring Dick Van Dyke.The snowclone "(xxx),(nationality) Style" became a minor cultural catch-phrase as the 1960sprogressed.Theoriginal series was also known for its 10- to 20-second blackouts betweenthe featured segments. These were performed by a house troupe that featuredfuture Rockford Files cast member Stuart Margolin,future Vega$ leadinglady Phyllis Davis and a young character actor, James Hampton, who was known to televisionaudiences of the era as Private Dobbs from the TV series F-Troop.These clips allowed the show to be padded to the required length without addingto the main segments. They generally consisted of risqué, burlesque-style comedy-of-manners visualjokes.Duringits first four years on ABC, Love, American Style was popularwith viewers and received decent ratings, although it never ranked among thetop 30 shows in the Nielsens. For a few seasons, it was part of alineup of ABC Friday night programs that included The Brady Bunch, ThePartridge Family, Room 222, and The Odd Couple.Someof the show's segments also served as pilots forproposed television series. Many never made it beyond the pilot stage, but tworesulted in a series:· OnFebruary 11, 1972, the show presented the animated segment "Love and theOld-Fashioned Father." This would become the pilot to a first-run syndicated animated seriesby Hanna-Barbera, Wait Till Your Father Gets Home, whichdebuted that fall.· Twoweeks later, on February 25, 1972, the show aired a segment titled "Loveand the Television Set", a story about Richie Cunningham,his family and friends. The premise and characters were later used for the 1974television series Happy Days, and the episode would later be recognized asa de facto pilot for the series. (It had originally beenproduced as a pilot for New Family in Town, which was not pickedup). For syndication, the segment was retitled "Love and the HappyDays."[1] Happy Days, in turn,launched an extensive franchise of spinoffs into the 1980s.Theseries was also flexible enough to include repurposed pilots that had alreadyfailed or been retooled. One first-season example was "Love and the GoodDeal," which was actually the original, unaired pilot for the sitcom adaptation of the Neil Simon playand movie Barefoot in the Park, with a different castthan the series.[2]Atthe start of the 1973–1974 fall season, the ratings for Love, AmericanStyle and Room 222 had plummeted. As a result, bothshows were canceled mid-season. The series received several Emmy nominations,including two for Best Comedy Series for 1969–70 and 1970–71. The showsubsequently became a daytime standard on ABC from June 1971 to May 1974, andlater in syndication, since it was readily edited down to a half-hour by theproper interweaving of the clips with a main segment. It effectively made nineseasons out of five. This allowed for heavy stripping.October 17, 1989The Loma Prieta earthquake, also known as the Quake of '89 and the WorldSeries Earthquake, was a major earthquake that struckthe San Francisco Bay Area ofCalifornia at 5:04 pm local time. Caused by a slip along the San Andreas Fault, the quake lasted 10–15 seconds and measured 6.9 onboth the momentmagnitude scale (surface-wavemagnitude 7.1) and on the open-endedRichter Scale. The quake killed 63people throughout Northern California, injured 3,757 and left some 3,000–12,000people homeless.The earthquake occurred during the warm-up practicefor the third game of the 1989 World Series, featuring both of the Bay Area's MajorLeague Baseball teams, the OaklandAthletics and the San Francisco Giants.Because of game-related sports coverage, this was the first major earthquake inthe United States to have its initial jolt broadcast live on television.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
October 7, 1964The made-for-televisionmovie See How They Run premiered. Three orphans head for theUS, unknowingly carrying important evidence pointing to the existence of acorrupt international cartel, which has just murdered their father. The cartelis desperate to retrieve the evidence.*October 9, 1954Scott Stewart Bakula is born. His most prominent roles have been as Sam Beckett in the science fiction television series Quantum Leap,and as Captain JonathanArcher in Star Trek:Enterprise. He also co-starred with Maria Bello in the short-lived CBStelevision series Mr.& Mrs. Smith and had a recurring rolein the sitcom Murphy Brown.October10, 1964NBC-TV aired the opening ceremonies of the 1964Summer Olympics in Tokyo.* It was the first live color TV program to be transmitted to the U.S. bysatellite. October 13, 1959*Olive Marie Osmond* is born. Actress, singer, doll designer, and amember of the show business family, The Osmonds. Although she was never part ofher family's singing group, she gained success as a solo country music artist in the 1970s and1980s. Her best known song is a cover of the country pop ballad "Paper Roses." In 1976, she and hersinger brother Donny Osmondbegan hosting the TV variety show Donny& Marie. Marie Osmond had a recurring role on Ripley'sBelieve It or Not for two seasons (1985-86), replacing Holly Palance. Where she introducedsegments based on the travels and discoveries of oddity-hunter Robert Leroy Ripley.In 1978, Marie and Donny released their film Goin' Coconuts,, whichwas not a financial success. The following year, Marie starred in a sitcompilot titled "Marie." which did not make the new season schedule andin 1980 she had her own variety show on NBC, also titled Marie, whichonly ran for half a season.The singer played her mother, Olive, in the TV movie Side By Side: The True Story OfThe Osmond Family. She also starred in the TV movie I Married Wyatt Earp.She returned to television first in the short-lived 1995 ABCsitcom Maybe This Timeand then with brother Donny in 1998 to co-host Donny And Marie, atalk/entertainment show that lasted two seasons.She appeared as herself in the 2001 TV movie Inside The Osmonds,which showed how the brothers' egos, their father's fiscal mismanagement, andthe family's quest to build a multimedia empire led to their downfall. The filmwas produced by her younger brother, Jimmy Osmond.*October 13, 1974Television talk show legend Ed Sullivan dies. Born in New York, Sullivan became a newspaperreporter and later a gossip columnist. He hosted his own radio show starting in1942 and gained national fame as host of Toast of the Town, later namedsimply The Ed Sullivan Show, which ran for more than two decades.
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It was an ongoing struggle to say no,I don't want to be a part of the perpetuation of this stereotype.John Amos
| | | John Allen Amos Jr.December 27, 1939 – August 21, 2024 |
Amos became well known in his first major TV role, playing Gordy Howard, the weatherman on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, from 1970 until 1973. Upon the death of Betty White, Amos and Joyce Bulifant (who played Marie Slaughter) became the last surviving semi-regular cast members of that show (not counting child actors). In 1971, he appeared with Anson Williams in a commercial for McDonald's, and performed in a small role as a radio engineer in the cult film, Vanishing Point, with Cleavon Little.
Amos is best known for his portrayal of James Evans Sr., the husband of Florida Evans, first appearing three times on the sitcom Maude before continuing the role in 61 episodes of Good Times from 1974 to 1976.
Although cast as a hard-working middle-aged father of three, Amos was 34 when the show began production in 1973, only eight years older than the actor who played his oldest son (Jimmie Walker) and 19 years younger than his screen wife (Esther Rolle). Much like Rolle, Amos wanted to portray a positive image of an African-American family, struggling against the odds in a poor neighborhood, but saw the premise slighted by lower comedy, and he expressed dissatisfaction.
During his tenure on Good Times, Amos openly clashed with the writers of the show, due to the scripts' lack of authenticity in portraying the African-American experience. He notably criticized what he felt was too much of an emphasis on Jimmie Walker's character J.J. and greater disregard for the other two Evans children, as well as the way J.J was portrayed as comical relief. This led to his dismissal by executive producer Norman Lear at the end of season 3 in 1976. In a 2017 interview, Amos said he had told the writers, who, according to Amos, did not understand African-Americans, "That just doesn't happen in the community. We don't think that way. We don't act that way. We don't let our children do that."
His character was killed off by the writers, leading to a famous scene which his screen wife screams, “Damn! Damn! Damn!”
In 1977, Amos starred in the ABC-TV Miniseries Roots, as the adult Kunta Kinte, based on the book by author Alex Haley.
In 1980, he starred in the television film Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story. Amos played an Archie Bunker-style character in the 1994 sitcom 704 Hauser, a modern spin-off of All in the Family, but it was canceled after only five episodes (in the series he played a different character than he did in the All in the Family spin-off Maude). He also portrayed Captain Dolan on the TV show Hunter from 1984 to 1985. He co-starred in the CBS police drama The District. Amos was a frequent guest on The West Wing, portraying Admiral Percy Fitzwallace, who serves as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for most of the show. He played Buzz Washington in the ABC series Men in Trees. Amos co-starred with Anthony Anderson in the short-lived TV series All About the Andersons in 2003.
In 2010, Amos also appeared as recurring character Ed on Two and a Half Men, and in 2016 as another recurring character, also (coincidentally) named Ed, on the Netflix sitcom The Ranch. He has guest-starred in a number of other television shows, including Police Story, The A-Team, The Cosby Show, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, In the House, Martin as Sgt. Hamilton Strawn (Tommy's father), Touched by an Angel, Psych, Sanford and Son, My Name Is Earl, Lie to Me, and Murder, She Wrote. He has also appeared as a spokesman for the Cochran Firm (a national personal injury law firm).
Amos wrote and produced Halley's Comet, a critically acclaimed one-man play that he has performed around the world. Amos performed in August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean on Broadway and later at the McCarther Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey.
Amos was featured in Disney's The World's Greatest Athlete (1973) with Tim Conway and Jan-Michael Vincent in his first starring film role, and also starred as Kansas City Mack in Let's Do It Again (1975) with Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier. His other film appearances include Vanishing Point (1971), The President's Plane Is Missing (1973), Touched by Love (1980), The Beastmaster (1982), Dance of the Dwarfs (1983), American Flyers (1985), Coming to America (1988), Lock Up (1989), Two Evil Eyes (1989), Die Hard 2 (1990), and Ricochet (1991).
He appeared in the 1995 film For Better or Worse and played a police officer in The Players Club (1998). He played Uncle Virgil in My Baby's Daddy (2004), and starred as Jud in Dr. Dolittle 3 (2006). In 2012, Amos had a role in the movie Madea's Witness Protection, as Jake's father. He appeared in Ice Cube and Dr. Dre's 1994 video for "Natural Born Killaz."
In 2009, he released We Were Hippies, an album of original country songs by Gene and Eric Cash.
In 2021, Amos starred in Because of Charley, as the patriarch of an estranged step-family riding out the hurricane that tore through Florida in 2004.
| | | Good Night Mr. Amos |
| | | Stay TunedTony Figueroa |
September 30, 1954Barry Williams is born Barry William Blenkhorn. Best known for his role as GregBrady on theABC television series, The Brady Bunch. Williams continued to be cast in guestroles on other TV series including Adam-12, The Invaders, That Girl, Mission:Impossible, The Mod Squad, HereCome the Brides and Bartleby,the Scrivener beforebeing cast in 1969 as Greg Brady on The Brady Bunch.Following thecancellation of The Brady Bunch in 1974, Williams continued to appear in guest roleson television, and became involved in musical theater, touring with productions such as Grease, The Soundof Music, and WestSide Story.In 1988, Williamsappeared on Broadway in the musical Romance/Romance with Tony Award-nominee Alison Fraser. Williams took over the lead male role of“Alfred/Sam” when Scott Bakula left the production. Years later,Williams was able to capitalize on being typecast as Greg Brady. Amid aprocession of appearances in TV and movies that played up his famous teen role,he ended up landing a role that was a departure from the Brady image. He wastapped to play English con man Hannibal in 1984, who conspired with HollySutton Scorpio (Emma Samms) on the top-rated General Hospital. Williams has appeared in variousBradyBunch TV movie reunions, including the 1988 Christmas movie, AVery Brady Christmas, inwhich his sole family problem is missing his wife, Nora. The issue with hiswife is solved when Nora shows up at the Brady house on Christmas, poinsettia in hand.In 1989, Williamswas honored by the Young ArtistFoundation withits Former Child Star “Lifetime Achievement”Award for his role asGreg Brady. His 1992 autobiography, GrowingUp Brady: I Was a Teenage Greg, co-written with Chris Kreski, stayed on The New York Times bestsellerlist for three months. Thebook was adapted into a 2000 TV movie titled GrowingUp Brady starring Adam Brody as Williams.September 30, 1984The pilot episodeof Murder, She Wrote aired onCBS. Themystery series starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateurdetective Jessica Fletcher. The series aired for twelveseasons from 1984 to 1996 on the CBS network. It was followed by four TV filmsand a spin-off series, The Law & Harry McGraw. It isone of the most successful and longest-running television shows ever for CBS,pulling in close to 23 million viewers in its prime, during its Sunday nightslot. It is also hugely successful across the world.Angela Lansbury has been nominated for a totalof ten Golden Globes andtwelve Emmies. She holds the record for themost Golden Globe nominationsfor Best Actress in a television drama series and the most Emmy nominations ever foroutstanding lead actress in a drama series for Murder She wrote. It is nowconsidered to be a TV cult classic around the world.*October 2, 1959The first TheTwilight Zoneepisode* Where Is Everybody? Aired.Opening narration “The place ishere, the time is now, and the journey into the shadows that we're about towatch, could be our journey”.This was the only Twilight Zone episode filmed at UniversalStudios, the rest of the entire series was filmed at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Thecenterpiece of the episode is the Courthouse Square set, most well known forbeing used as the town square of "Hill Valley" in the Back tothe Future series of films over 25 years later.The haunting score composed by Bernard Herrmann (Psycho) for thisepisode would be reused for several episodes of the series, most notably"The After Hours" and "The Last Flight". *October 3, 1954Father Knows Bestbegan airing on CBS-TV. The May 27, 1954 episode of The Ford Television Theatre showwas called "Keep Itin the Family". This 26-minute episode stars Robert Young as TimWarren, head of the Warren Family. With him was wife Grace (Ellen Drew),older daughter Peggy (Sally Fraser), younger daughter Patty (Tina Thompson)and son Jeff (Gordon Gerbert). Developed byYoung and his partner Eugene Rodney, it was intended as a pilot for a FatherKnows Best television series. In the episode, Peggy dreams ofmaking it as an actress but a talent scout who has raised her hopes just wantspeople for his acting school.Only Robert Young remained of the radio cast when the series moved to CBSTelevision:· James "Jim" Anderson, Sr.–Robert Young· Margaret Anderson–Jane Wyatt· Betty "Princess" Anderson–ElinorDonahue· James "Bud" Anderson, Jr.–Billy Gray· Kathy "Kitten" Anderson–LaurenChapinThe series began on CBS on October 3, 1954. Originally sponsored by Lorillard's Kent cigarettesin its first season, Scott Paper Company became the primarysponsor when the series moved to NBC in the fall of 1955, remaining as sponsor even after itmoved back to CBS in September 1958, with LeverBrothers as an alternate sponsor from 1957 through 1960. A total of203 episodes were produced, running until September 17, 1960, and appearing onall three of the television networks of the time, includingprime-time repeats from September 1960 through April 1963.October 3, 1964*Underdog debuted on NBC. Underdog, Shoeshine Boy's heroicalter-ego, appeared whenever love interest Sweet Polly Purebred wasbeing victimized by such villains as Simon Bar Sinister or Riff Raff. Underdog nearly always speaks in rhyme, as in,"There's no need to fear, Underdog is here!" His voice was suppliedby Wally Cox.October 3, 2004The first season of Desperate Housewives began. Created by Marc Cherry andproduced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. It aired Sundays at 9 P.M. Eastern/8 P.M. Central, on ABC from October 3, 2004, until May 13, 2012.Executive producer Cherry served as showrunner.Other executive producers since the fourth season included Bob Daily, GeorgeW. Perkins, John Pardee, Joey Murphy, David Grossman, and Larry Shaw.The main setting of the showwas Wisteria Lane, a street in the fictional American town of'Fairview' in the fictional 'Eagle State'. The show followed the lives of agroup of women as seen through the eyes of a dead neighbor who committedsuicide in the very first episode. The storyline covers thirteen years of thewomen's lives over eight seasons, set between the years 2004–2008, and later2013–2017 (the story arc included a 5 year passage of time). They workedthrough domestic struggles and family life, while facing the secrets, crimesand mysteries hidden behind the doors of their — at the surface — beautiful andseemingly perfect suburban neighborhood.The show featured an ensemble cast,headed by Teri Hatcher as Susan Mayer, Felicity Huffman as Lynette Scavo, Marcia Cross asBree Van de Kamp, and Eva Longoria as Gabrielle Solis. Brenda Strong narratedthe show as the deceased Mary Alice Young, appearing sporadically in flashbacks or dream sequences.*October 4, 1949The television series Life of Riley debuts,starring Jackie Gleason as bullheaded family man Chester Riley. The show originated on the radio in the early 1940sand starred William Bendix. In 1953, Bendix took over the TV role from Gleasonand stayed with the show until its cancellation in 1958.October 4, 1954*December Bride debuted on CBS-TV. Theseries centeredaround the adventures of Lily Ruskin, a spry widow played by Spring Byington, who was not, in fact, a"December" (rather old) bride but very much desired to become one ifthe right man would come along. Aiding Lily in her search for this prospectivesuitor were her daughter Ruth Henshaw (Frances Rafferty) and son-in-law MattHenshaw (Dean Miller), and her close friend Hilda Crocker (character-actress Verna Felton). A next-door neighbor,insurance agent Pete Porter (Harry Morgan), was frequently seen.Married miserably himself, according to his constant complaints about hisunseen wife Gladys, he also envied Matt's positive relationship with Lily, ashe despised his own mother-in-law. The pilot episode premieredon October 4, 1954 and involved Lily Ruskin moving in with her daughter andson-in-law. December Bride was unusual in that all five stars appeared in all111 episodes of the sitcom. Most of the scenes filmed for the series took placein the Henshaws' living room.First-runepisodes of December Bride aired for 5 seasons (1954-1959),sponsored by GeneralFoods' Instant Maxwell House Coffee. During the first fourseasons, the program was not shown in the summer, supplanted by "summerreplacement" series (such as Ethel and Albert) but in its finalyear, repeat episodes were run inits timeslot during the summer months. On March 26, 1959, as the program wounddown, RoryCalhoun,star of CBS's western series, The Texan, appeared as himself in the episode "Rory Calhoun, The Texan".December Bride was sufficientlypopular that even after its production had ceased, CBS used repeat episodes tofill slots in its primetime programming. In July 1960, December Bride repeatswere used to fill in for the second half of the Friday 9 pm Eastern timeslotvacated by Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, running until thebeginning of the fall 1960 schedule, and again as a temporaryreplacement on Thursday nights in April 1961. Additionally, repeats were shownon CBS as a daytime program from October 1959 until March 1961. The Pete Portercharacter became so popular that he and Gladys were spun off into their ownseries, Pete and Gladys, shortly after the lastbroadcast of first-run episodes of December Bride.October 5, 1924Bill Dana is born. Comedian, actor and screenwriter. He often appeared on television shows such asThe Ed Sullivan Show, frequently in the guise of a heavily accented PuertoRican character named José Jiménez. Dana often portrayed the Jiménez characteras an astronaut.October 5, 1969Monty Python's Flying Circus debuted on BBC television. The British sketch comedy series commissionedby David Attenborough, created by the comedy group Monty Python and broadcast bythe BBC from 1969 to 1974. Theshows were composed of surreality, risqué or innuendo-ladenhumour, sightgags andobservational sketches without punchlines. It also featuredanimations by TerryGilliam,often sequenced or merged with live action. The first episode was recorded on 7September and broadcast on 5 October 1969 on BBC One, with 45 episodes airingover four series from 1969 to 1974, plus two episodes for German TV.Theshow often targets the idiosyncrasies of British life, especially that of professionals, and is at times politically charged.The members of Monty Python were highly educated. Terry Jones and Michael Palin are Oxford University graduates; Eric Idle, John Cleese, and Graham Chapman attended Cambridge University; and American-born member Terry Gilliam is an Occidental Collegegraduate. Their comedy is often pointedly intellectual, with numerous eruditereferences to philosophers and literary figures. The series followed andelaborated upon the style used by Spike Milligan in his ground breakingseries Q5, ratherthan the traditional sketch show format. The team intended their humour to beimpossible to categorise, and succeeded so completely that the adjective "Pythonesque" was invented todefine it and, later, similar material.ThePythons play the majority of the series characters themselves, including themajority of the female characters, but occasionally they cast an extra actor.Regular supporting cast members include Carol Cleveland (referred to by theteam as the unofficial "Seventh Python"), Connie Booth (Cleese's first wife),series Producer Ian MacNaughton, Ian Davidson, NeilInnes (inthe fourth series), and the Fred Tomlinson Singers (for musical numbers).The series' theme song isthe first segment of John Philip Sousa's The Liberty Bell, chosen because it was in the publicdomain and thus couldbe used without charge.October 5, 1989Jim Bakker was convicted ofusing his television show to defraud his viewers. After deliberating for a dayand a half, a jury in Charlotte, North Carolina, convicts Jim Bakker of usinghis television show to defraud his viewers. Bakker's trial started on August 28and was interrupted briefly while he was sent to a psychiatric hospital forevaluation after suffering a breakdown.The government has argued that Bakker solicited donations in exchange forfree vacation lodging at his Heritage USA theme park, lodging which he knew hewould never be able to provide.Jim Bakker sold 153,000 of these partnerships between 1984 and 1987. Inexchange for $1,000, people were promised three free nights lodging every yearfor life. Bakker claimed to have accommodations for 214,000 partners, but thegovernment provided evidence that only 258 rooms were actually available.October 6, 1949The Ed Wynn Showbecame the first regularly scheduled network show to be broadcasted from theWest Coast of the United States. Inthe 1949-50 season, Ed Wynn hosted one of the first comedy-variety television shows,on CBS, and won both a Peabody Award and an Emmy Award in1949. Buster Keaton,LucilleBall, and The Three Stooges all made guest appearanceswith Wynn. This was the first CBS variety television show to originate in LosAngeles, with programs filmed via kinescope fordistribution in the Midwest and East. Wynn was also a rotating host of NBC's Four Star Revue from1950 through 1952.October 7, 1949Anthology series Ford Theatre debuts. The program featured a different one-hour dramaticplay each week in its early seasons, later shortened to a half-hour. Playsranged from comedy to serious drama and featured many stars of the era,including Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy Davis. The show ran until 1957.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
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| Donald Drake Hogestyn September 29, 1953 – September 28, 2024 |
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Hogestyn was among the 30 selected, and his first starring role was on the prime time series Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.
After a few minor roles (one as Kort, leader of the Micro Workers in the episode 'Princess Metra' on the 80s television series Otherworld), Hogestyn joined the cast of Days of our Lives in 1986. He initially played a mystery man referred to simply as "The Pawn." However, it was soon revealed The Pawn was the presumed dead Roman Brady. Hogestyn quickly became a fan favorite and enjoyed many pairings, the most popular of which was with longtime co-star Deidre Hall. In 1998, while starring on Days, Shelley Long enlisted Hogestyn to join her for the upcoming series Kelly, Kelly. He was set to star in both until the filming of the pilot episode of Kelly, Kelly conflicted with his schedule on Days, and the role went to Robert Hays.
In 1991, Wayne Northrop agreed to return to Days to reprise his role of Roman. In order to keep both actors on the show, Drake's story was retconned, and his past was rewritten. Despite this change, Hogestyn remained one of the show's most popular actors. The pairing of John Black and Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall) is one of the show's enduring supercouples.
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| Good Night Drake |
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| Stay Tuned Tony Figueroa |
September 24, 1964The Munsters first aired. The show featured the home life of a family of benign monsters. It stars Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster and Yvonne DeCarlo ashis wife, Lily Munster. The series was a satire of both traditional monster movies and the wholesome familyfare of the era, and was produced by the creators of Leave It to Beaver. It ran concurrently with The Addams Family.It was canceled afterratings dropped to a low due to the premiere of ABC's Batman, which was in color. Though ratings were lowduring its initial two-year run, The Munsters found a large audience insyndication. This popularity warranted a spin-off series, as well as severalfilms, including one with a theatrical release.September 25, 1929Barbara Jill Walters is born. Walters was first known as a popular TV morning newsanchor for over 10 years on NBC's Today,where she worked with Hugh Downs andlater Frank McGeeand Jim Hartz. Walters later spent 25 years asco-host of ABC's newsmagazine 20/20. She was the first female co-anchorof network evening news, working with Harry Reasoner on the ABC Evening News and was later acorrespondent for ABC World News Tonightwith Charles Gibson.September 25, 1944Michael Douglasborn. On this day in 1944, Michael Douglas, who will become one ofHollywood’s A-list stars in the 1980s with such blockbuster films as WallStreet and Fatal Attraction, is born in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Douglas isthe son of the Academy Award-winning actor Kirk Douglas, whose best-known filmsinclude Spartacus and The Bad and the Beautiful. Michael Douglas shares abirthday with his wife, the Welsh-born actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, who wasborn 25 years earlier, in 1969.Douglas made his feature film debut in 1969’s Hail Hero! and rose to fameplaying a police inspector on the television series The Streets of SanFrancisco from 1972 to 1976. He scored his first major movie success behind thecameras, as the producer of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), whichstarred Jack Nicholson as an inmate at a mental institution. The film was thefirst to triumph in all five major Academy Award categories, including BestPicture, Best Actor, Best Actress (Louise Fletcher), Best Screenplay (Adapted)and Best Director (Milos Forman). Among Douglas’ other movie credits in the1970s was The China Syndrome, which he produced and co-starred in with JaneFonda and Jack Lemmon. In the 1980s, Douglas had a string of blockbusters,including Romancing the Stone (1984), which co-starred Kathleen Turner andDanny DeVito (Douglas’ college roommate at the University of California atSanta Barbara) and its 1985 sequel Jewel of the Nile. In 1987, Douglas appearedopposite Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction, a thriller about a married man whobecomes involved with a woman who becomes obsessed with him and stalks hisfamily after he ends their affair. Also that year, Douglas starred in directorOliver Stone’s Wall Street as the ruthless corporate raider Gordon Gekko, whosemotto is “Greed is good.” Douglas won a Best Actor Oscar for his performance.In the 1990s, Douglas starred in such films as Basic Instinct (1992), withSharon Stone; Disclosure (1994), with Demi Moore; and The American President (1995), with Annette Bening. In 2000, heearned acclaim for his performances in Steven Soderbergh’s drug-war dramaTraffic and Curtis Hanson’s Wonder Boys. That same year, on November 18,Douglas married Zeta-Jones, his second wife and co-star (though they had noscenes together) in Traffic, in a star-studded ceremony at New York City’sPlaza Hotel. Zeta-Jones later won a Best Actress in a Supporting Role Oscar forher performance in Chicago (2002). Her movie credits also include The Mask ofZorro (1998), The Terminal (2004) and No Reservations (2007).In August 2010, it was announced that Douglas was beginning treatment for anadvanced case of throat cancer. The actor confirmed the news on an episode of“Late Show with David Letterman” on August 31.September 26, 1964Gilligan's Island first aired. Created and produced by SherwoodSchwartz and originally produced by United Artists Television. The situationcomedyseries featured Bob Denver; Alan Hale, Jr.; Jim Backus; NatalieSchafer;Tina Louise; RussellJohnson;and Dawn Wells. It aired for threeseasons on the CBS network from September26, 1964, to September 4, 1967. Originally sponsored by Philip Morris& Company and Procter & Gamble, the show followed the comicadventures of seven castaways as they attempted to survive (and in a latermovie escape from) the island on which they had been shipwrecked. Most episodesrevolve around the dissimilar castaways' conflicts and their failed attempts(invariably Gilligan's fault) to escape their plight.September 26, 1969The Brady Bunchpremieres. The show was panned by critics and, according to the Museum ofBroadcast Communications, during “its entire network run, the series neverreached the top ten ranks of the Nielsen ratings. Yet, the program stands asone of the most important sitcoms of American 1970s television programming,spawning numerous other series on all three major networks, as well as records,lunch boxes, a cookbook, and even a stage show and feature film.”Created by Sherwood Schwartz (whose previous hit sitcom was Gilligan’sIsland), The Brady Bunch followed the story of Carol (Florence Henderson), awidowed mother of three blonde daughters, who marries architect Mike Brady(Robert Reed), a widower and the father of three brown-haired boys. The blendedfamily lives together in a suburban Los Angeles home with their cheerfulhousekeeper, Alice (Ann B. Davis). The show focused primarily on issues relatedto the Brady kids--Greg (Barry Williams), Marcia (Maureen McCormick), Peter(Christopher Knight), Jan (Eve Plumb), Bobby (Mike Lookinland) and Cindy (SusanOlsen)--who ranged from grade-school age to teenage. Although set in the late1960s and early 1970s, a time of political and social upheaval in the UnitedStates, The Brady Bunch generally avoided controversial topics and insteadpresented a wholesome view of family life, tackled subjects such as siblingrivalry (including Jan’s now-famous complaint about the focus on her sister:“Marcia, Marcia, Marcia”), braces and dating.After 177 episodes, ABC cancelled The Brady Bunch and the last originalepisode aired on August 30, 1974. However, the show soon became a massive hitin rerun syndication. The show’s various spin-offs have included a 1977 varietyprogram, The Brady Bunch Hour; a 1988 TV movie A Very Brady Christmas; the 1995big-screen parody The Brady Bunch Movie (with Shelley Long and Gary Cole asCarol and Mike) and its follow-up A Very Brady Sequel (1996); and the 2002 TVmovie The Brady Bunch in the White House. In 1992, Barry Williams published abest-selling memoir titled Growing Up Brady: I Was a Teenage Greg, whichprovided a behind-the-scenes look at the show and revealed that life behind theBrady Bunch cameras was less wholesome than it seemed on TV.September 27, 1954Steve Allen becomes the first host of The Tonight Show. The first Tonight! announcer was Gene Rayburn.Allen's version of the show originated such talk show staples as an openingmonologue, celebrity interviews, audience participation, and comedy bits inwhich cameras were taken outside the studio, as well as music, including guestperformers and a house band under Lyle "Skitch" Henderson.When the show became a success, Allen got a prime-time Sunday comedy-varietyshow in June 1956, leading him to share Tonight hosting duties with Ernie Kovacsduring the 1956–1957 season. To give Allen time to work on his Sundayevening show, Kovacs hosted Tonight on Monday and Tuesday nights, withhis own announcer and bandleader.During the later Steve Allen years, regular audience member Lillian Millerbecame such an integral part that she was forced to join AFTRA, the television/radio performers union.Allen and Kovacs departed Tonight in January 1957 after NBC orderedAllen to concentrate all his efforts on his Sunday night variety program,hoping to combat CBS's EdSullivan Show's dominance of the Sunday night ratings.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
September 16, 1949Edward James Begley, Jr. was born. The actor and environmentalist. Begley is perhaps bestknown for his role as Dr. Mark Craig's intern, Dr. Victor Ehrlich on thetelevision series St. Elsewhere,for which he received six consecutive Emmy Award nominations. He also had areality show about green living called LivingWith Ed on with his wife, actress Rachelle Carson. Commentingin 2006 on the appeal of the show, Begley said:"In the format of the show, everyone who watches—even people who havenever thought about living a low-impact, environmentally conscious life—will beable to relate. They’ll come away with a raised awareness, but they’ll alsoenjoy seeing the differences between the Rachelle and me." September 16, 1949Warner. Bros. introduces the Road Runner in thecartoon short "Fast and Furry-ous." Like the sounds of countless other Warner Bros.cartoon characters, the Road Runner's cheerful "beep, beep!" wasprovided by Mel Blanc.September16, 1964Shindig! premieredon ABC. The show was hosted by Jimmy O'Neill, a disc jockey inLos Angeles at the time who also created the show along with hiswife Sharon Sheeley and production executive Art Stolnitz. Theoriginal pilot was rejected by ABC and David Sontag, then Executive Producer ofABC, redeveloped and completely redesigned the show. A new pilot with a newcast of artists was shot starring Sam Cooke,The Everly Brothers, The Wellingtons, The Righteous Brothers, Bobby Sherman andAlan Sues. That pilot aired as the premiere episode.September16, 1984The first episode of Miami Vice aired on NBC. The crime drama series created by Anthony Yerkovich and was produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson as James"Sonny" Crockett and Philip MichaelThomas as Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs, two Metro-DadePolice Department detectivesworking undercover in Miami. The series ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989. The USA Network laterbegan airing reruns the next year, in 1990, and actually broadcast anoriginally unaired episode during its syndication run of the series on January25, 1990.Unlikestandard police procedurals, the show drew heavily upon 1980s new wave cultureand music. The show became noted for its heavy integration of music and visualeffects to tell a story. It is recognized as one of the most influentialtelevision series of all time. People magazinestated that Miami Vice* "was the first show to look reallynew and different since color TV was invented". Seasons two to fivewere aired in stereo. Episodes of the show have become popular in syndicationsince its cancellation both in the U.S. and in several foreign markets, atestament to the show's ongoing appeal.MichaelMann directed a film adaptation ofthe television series, which was released on July 28, 2006.September 17, 1964**Bewitched first aired. The fantasy situationcomedyoriginally broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from 1964 to 1972. It was created by Sol Saks under executive directorHarry Ackerman, and stars Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York (1964–1969), Dick Sargent (1969–1972), AgnesMoorehead, and David White. The show is about a witch who marries an ordinarymortal man and tries to lead the life of a typical suburban housewife. Bewitchedenjoyed great popularity, finishing as the number two show in America duringits debut season, and becoming the longest-running supernatural-themed sitcomof the 1960s–1970s. The show continues to be seen throughout the world in syndication and on recorded media.September 18, 1964*The Addams Family first aired. Based on the charactersin Charles Addams' New Yorker cartoons. The 30-minute serieswas shot in black-and-white and aired for two seasons on ABC. It is often compared to its CBS rival, The Munsters, which ran for the sametwo seasons and achieved somewhat higher Nielsenratings.The show is the first adaptation of the characters to feature The Addams Family Theme.The Addams Family was originally producedby Filmways, Inc. at General Service Studios in Hollywood, California. Successor company MGM Television (via The Program Exchange for broadcast syndication and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment for home video/DVD) nowown the rights to the show.September 19, 1964Flipper first aired on NBC. Flipper, a bottlenose dolphin, is the companionanimalof Porter Ricks, Chief Warden at fictional Coral Key Park and Marine Preservein southern Florida, and his two young sons, Sandy and Bud. The show has beendubbed an "aquatic Lassie", and a considerable amountof juvenile merchandise inspired by the show was produced during its first-run.September 20, 1984The Cosby Show first aired. Bill Cosbystarred in the show that focused on the Huxtable family, an upper middle-class African-American familyliving in Brooklyn,New York, at 10 Stigwood Avenue. The patriarch is Heathcliff"Cliff" Huxtable, an obstetrician,son of a prominent jazz trombonist. The matriarch is his wife, attorneyClairHuxtable née Hanks. They have five children, four daughters and oneson: Sondra, Denise, Theodore (Theofor short), Vanessa and Rudy. Despite its comedic tone,the show sometimes involves serious subjects, such as Theo's experiencesdealing with dyslexia, inspired by Cosby's son Ennis,who was also dyslexic. The show also deals with teenagepregnancy when Denise's friend, Veronica, played by Lela Rochon,becomes pregnant.The show's theme music, "Kiss Me", was composedby Stu Gardner and Bill Cosby. Seven versions of this theme were usedduring the run of the series, making it one of the few television series to usemultiple versions of the same theme song over the course of a series. Forseason four, the theme song music was performed by musician BobbyMcFerrin. Due to legal complications regarding the background mural, theopening for season seven was replaced with the one from the previousseason. The original season seven opening, with slight modifications, wasalso used in season eight.September 21, 1999HBO'slive music show Reverb debuted withperformances by Alanis Morissette and Everlast. *September 22, 1964The Manfrom U.N.C.L.E. first aired on NBC.* It follows theexploits of two secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a fictitious secret internationalespionage and law-enforcement agency called U.N.C.L.E. Originally co-creator Sam Rolfe wanted to leave the meaning of U.N.C.L.E.ambiguous so it could be viewed as either referring to "Uncle Sam" or the United Nations. Concerns by the MGM Legal department aboutpossible New York law violations for using the abbreviation"U.N." for commercial purposes resulted in the producers clarifyingthat U.N.C.L.E. was an acronym for the United Network Commandfor Law and Enforcement. Each episode of the television show hadan "acknowledgement" credit to the U.N.C.L.E. on the end titles.September 22, 1964*Land of the Giants first airedSeptember 22, 1979ABC began airing the first episode of Hart to Hart. The premise of the show issummed up in its famous opening lines, spoken by the character Max: "Thisis my boss: Jonathan Hart, a self-made millionaire. He’s quite a guy. This isMrs. H -- she’s gorgeous. She’s one lady who knows how to take care of herself.By the way, my name is Max. I take care of both of them -- which ain’t easy;‘cause when they met, it was murder."Jonathan Hart (Robert Wagner)was a self-made millionaire and the CEO of Hart Industries, a Los Angeles-basedglobal electronics conglomerate. His wife Jennifer (Stefanie Powers)was a beautiful freelance journalist.Living the jetset lifestyle, the glamorous couple spent their free time asamateur detectives and in every episode they found themselves involved in casesof smuggling, theft, international espionage, or most commonly, murder. Attheir opulent California estate, they were assisted by Max (Lionel Stander),their loyal, gravelly-voiced butler, cook, andchauffeur who also helped with their "cases." The Harts' beloved petdog was a Löwchencalled "Freeway," so named because he was astray that they found wandering on the freeway. The Harts own a Mercedes-Benz300 TD diesel wagon, a dark green Rolls Royce Corniche convertible (replacingthe Series III Bentley custom cabriolet in the first season), and a yellowMercedes-Benz SL roadster (1979 450 SL, replaced by a 1981 380 SL) withpersonalized California vanity plates 3 HARTs, 2 HARTs, and 1 HARTrespectively. The trailer also shows a side view of Jonathan Hart driving a red Dino 246 GTS.They also own a Grumman GulfstreamII private jet, which isfeatured at the start of each episode. Max describes the couple as well ashimself at the start of each episode.September 22, 1989NBC began airing the series Baywatch.Baywatch is an American action drama series about the LosAngeles County Lifeguards whopatrol the beaches of LosAngeles County, California,starring David Hasselhoff. The show was canceled after its first season on NBC,but survived and later became one of the most watched television shows in theworld. The show ran in its original title and format from 1989 to 1999,except for the 1990–1991 season, during which it was not in production. From1999 to 2001, with a setting change and large cast overhaul, it was knownas Baywatch Hawaii.Baywatch premiered on NBC in 1989, but was canceled after only one seasonwhen it placed 73rd out of 103 shows in the seasonal ratings and also becausethe studio, GTG, went out of business. Feeling the series still hadpotential, Hasselhoff along with creators and executive producers Michael Berk,Douglas Schwartz and Greg Bonann revived it for the first-run syndication market in 1991. Hasselhoff was given the titleof executive producer for his work on bringing the show back. The series washugely successful, especially internationally. The show led to a spin-off: Baywatch Nights, and a reunion movie, Baywatch:Hawaiian Wedding.In 1999, with productioncosts rising in Los Angeles, and the syndication market shrinking, the plan wasto move the show to Australia and launch Baywatch Down Under.A pilot was filmed but the series was stopped when residents of Avalon put forth strong objections, including potentialdamage to a fragile ecosystem. Pittwater Council permanently barred all future filming. This pilot finallyaired as a two-part episode of Baywatch.As an alternative to Australia, Hawaii offered theproducers large financial incentives to move the show to the islands instead,and in Season 10, Baywatch Hawaii was launched.Baywatch filmed for two seasons in Hawaii, from 1999until 2001. The proposal to relocate Baywatch to Hawaiirather than Australia was initiated by April Masini ina telephone call to executive producer Greg Bonann. The deal to provide theincentives necessary to secure the series was presented to Governor Ben Cayetano by Al Masini andApril Masini; Tony Vericella, president of the Hawaii Visitors and ConventionBureau; and Cayetano's executive assistant, Joe Blanco. The agreement requiredthe production to change its name from Baywatch to BaywatchHawaii, hire local leads, and film in the state for at least two years,guaranteeing 44 episodes, each at a cost of about $870,000, 60% of which was tobe spent in Hawaii. **September 22, 1994Friendsdebuts, debuts on NBC.* The show, which featured a group of relatively unknown actors, went onto become a huge hit and air for 10 seasons. It also propelled thecast--Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perryand David Schwimmer--to varying degrees of stardom and success in Hollywood.Ofthe six main Friends cast members, Jennifer Aniston emerged as arguably themost famous. Aniston played the fashion-loving Rachel Green, who, when the showbegan, worked as a waitress at Central Perk, a coffee shop that served as agathering spot for the friends. The actress’s blonde, layered hairstyle duringthe first season became known as “The Rachel” and was copied by women aroundthe globe. Off-screen, Aniston, whose film credits include The Good Girl(2002), Bruce Almighty (2003), Rumor Has It (2005) and The Break-Up (2006),became a tabloid-media fixture for her relationship with the actor Brad Pitt.The couple married in a lavish ceremony in Malibu, California, in 2000 andannounced their separation in early 2005 amid soon-to-be-confirmed rumors ofPitt’s involvement with the actress Angelina Jolie.CourteneyCox, the best known of the cast members when Friends debuted, played MonicaGeller, a neurotic, hyper-organized chef. The actress, who first gained noticewhen she appeared in the 1984 Bruce Springsteen video “Dancing in the Dark,”acted in the popular sitcom Family Ties and co-starred opposite Jim Carrey in1994’s hit comedy Ace Ventura, Pet Detective (1994). She was later featured inthe successful Scream movies and the TV series Dirt. Since 1999, she has beenmarried to the actor David Arquette and goes by the professional name CourtneyCox Arquette. The third female Friends cast member, Lisa Kudrow, portrayed thewacky masseuse-musician Phoebe Buffay. Kudrow’s film credits include Romy andMichelle’s High School Reunion (1997), The Opposite of Sex (1998), Analyze This(1999) and its sequel Analyze That (2002) and P.S. I Love You (2007). In 2005,she headlined the well-reviewed but short-lived HBO comedy series The Comeback. Themale Friends included Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani, a handsome but dim-wittedstruggling actor. From 2004 to 2006, LeBlanc starred in the spin-off TV seriesJoey. DavidSchwimmer played Ross Geller, a sensitive paleontologist and Monica’s olderbrother. One of the main storylines on Friends was Ross’s on-again, off-againrelationship with Aniston’s Rachel. Schwimmer’s other acting credits includethe 2001 TV mini-series Band of Brothers. Rounding out the Friends cast wasMatthew Perry, who played the wisecracking businessman Chandler Bing. Perry’sfilm credits include Fools Rush In (1997), The Whole Nine Yards (2000) and TheWhole Ten Yards (2004); more recently, he co-starred on the short-lived NBCcomedy-drama series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.September 22, 2004*The Federal Communications Commission voted to fineCBS a record $550,000 for indecency related to the Super Bowl in which JanetJackson's right breast was exposed.* The FCC fined each of the 20 CBS-owned television stations the maximum penaltyof $27,500. September 22, 2004*CBS News announced that a panel would investigate the 60 Minutes* story that used forgeddocuments to question U.S. President George W. Bush's National Guard Service. The segment was based on several alleged memos fromBush's days in the National Guard. The memos were called forged or fake by manydocument experts.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
| | | James Earl Jones (1931-2024) |
This is from Muppet WikiSesame Street Guest Stars
Early in his acting training, when studying at the American Theater Wing, one of Jones' teachers was Will Lee, who in 1969 would play Mr. Hooper on Sesame Street. Jones is considered by Sesame Workshop to be the first celebrity guest on Sesame Street, since inserts of the actor reciting the alphabet and counting numbers appeared in the unbroadcast test pilots and heavily influenced the show's pedagogical models. These inserts were later included in first season episodes, beginning with episode 0002. However, Jones didn't originally think the show would last and thought the Muppets were the problem; he told Matt Robinson that "this Muppet business has got to go, kids will be terrified."
In 1978, Jones appeared on Sesame Street in Episode 1148 as a movie star who visits Hooper's Store in search of the perfect egg cream. In the story, Mr. Hooper slowly recognizes him as a famous movie star, "I've seen almost every picture you've made!" (As a big fan, Mr. Hooper makes no mention of Jones's segments from Sesame Street’s early years where the cast would sometimes transition to his recitation of the alphabet by name. One of which, in Episode 0077, includes Mr. Hooper so furious over the misplacement of his glasses that he can't even think of the alphabet. Gordon urges him to watch James Earl Jones to help.)
Jones hosted the 10th anniversary Sesame Street special, titled A Walking Tour of Sesame Street in 1979. He returned to Sesame Street in 2004, taping a "My Favorite Sesame Street Moments" intro for Season 35.In "Wuntafordy," an animated Sesame segment singing the numbers "1 to 40" a cappella-style by The Lemmings, Jones contributed the spoken voice saying "30."
Jones also performed the voice of the Mountain King in the Creature Shop-effects TV-movie Merlin.
The actor contributed a "Chilean Sea Bass" recipe for Miss Piggy's 1996 cookbook, In the Kitchen with Miss Piggy.
The James Earl Jones FactorCTW Board of Advisors chairman Gerald S. Lesser and other researchers paid particularly close attention to James Earl Jones' appearance, in terms of children's response and the effectiveness of his alphabet recitation. Lesser described the basic performance as follows:
“Mr. Jones' recitation of the alphabet takes a full minute and a half. He stares compellingly at the camera. At the time the sequence was made, his head was shaved for his role of Jack Johnson in The Great White Hope, and it gleams in the close-up. His immense hollow voice booms the letter names ominously. His lip movements are so exaggerated that they can easily be read without the sounds.Lesser, Gerald S. Children and Television: Lessons from Sesame Street. 1974. p. 120-121.”
During the recitation, each letter appeared briefly near the actor's head prior to its being named, remains for the recitation and then disappears, and a pause in both Jones' speech and the visuals occurs before the next letter. The result of this particular staging prompted a particular positive response from viewers that producer Samuel Y. Gibbon, Jr. and research director Edward L. Palmer, as well as Dr. Lesser, termed "the James Earl Jones effect." The first time a child sees the performance, he responds to the invitation to say the alphabet along with the actor. Upon later viewings, the children would name the letter as soon as it appeared, but before it was named by Jones. Further repetition encouraged children to shout out the letter even before it appears. The "James Earl Jones effect" thus demonstrated to Sesame Street's producers and curriculum advisors the value of both repetition and anticipation, and supplied proof that Sesame Street could promote interactive learning as opposed to merely passive viewing.
Good Night Mr. Jones
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
September 9, 1956Elvis Presley sang"Don't Be Cruel" and "Hound Dog" on Ed Sullivan's show Toastof the Town. Presley scandalized audiences with his suggestive hipgyrations, and Sullivan swore he would never book the singer on his show.However, Presley's tremendous popularity and success on other shows changedSullivan's mind. Although Elvis had appeared on a few other programs already,his appearance on Ed Sullivan's show made him a household name.*September 13, 1969Scooby-Doo,Where Are You!thefirst in a series of* Scooby-Doo cartoons premiered on CBS*. The original series, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!*, wascreated for Hanna-Barbera Productions by writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears,CBS executive FredSilverman, and character designer IwaoTakamoto. The show centers around four kids, whom were unofficially called"Mystery Inc." whose hobby was mystery solving. The basic premiseremained unchanged through the many series of the franchise: criminalactivities were covered up as faux supernatural events with red herrings andclues leading up to the eventual undoing. The meddlesome kids were Fred Jonesis the stocky, straight-laced member; Daphne Blake, beautiful but danger-pronered-head; Velma Dinkley, the pudgy, bespectacled brains of the outfit; Norville"Shaggy" Rogers, the pencil-thin chow hound and the star of the show,the gangly, bow-legged Great Dane Scooby-Doo.The original voice cast featured veteran voice actor Don Messickas Scooby-Doo, Top 40 radio DJ Casey Kasemas Shaggy, actor Frank Welker as Fred, actress NicoleJaffe as Velma, and musician Indira Stefanianna Christopherson as Daphne.September13, 1974*Thefirst episode of "Police Woman" aired on NBC.* Based on an original screenplay by Lincoln C. Hilburn,the show revolves around Sgt. "Pepper"Anderson (Angie Dickinson),an undercover police officer working for the Criminal Conspiracy Unit ofthe Los Angeles Police Department.Sergeant William "Bill" Crowley (EarlHolliman) was her immediate superior, and Pete Royster (CharlesDierkop) and Joe Styles (EdBernard) were the other half of the undercover team thatinvestigated everything from murders to rape and drug crimes. In manyepisodes, Pepper went undercover (as a prostitute, nurse, teacher, flightattendant, prison inmate, dancer, waitress, etc.) in order to get close enoughto the suspects to gain valuable information that would lead to their arrest.September 13, 1974*Thefirst episode of "The Rockford Files" aired on NBC. TheRockford Files stared JamesGarner and aired on NBCbetween September 13, 1974, and January 10, 1980, and has remained in syndication to thepresent day. Garner portrays LosAngeles-based private investigator Jim Rockford with NoahBeery, Jr., in the supporting role of his father, a retiredtruck driver nicknamed "Rocky".The show was created by RoyHuggins and Stephen J. Cannell.Huggins created the television show Maverick (1957–1962), which starred Garner, andhe wanted to recapture that magic in a "modern day" detectivesetting. He teamed with Cannell, who had written for JackWebb productions such as Adam-12 and Chase (1973–1974, NBC), to create TheRockford Files.The show was credited as "A Public Arts/RoyHuggins Production" along with UniversalStudios and in association with Cherokee Productions.Cherokee was owned by Garner, with partners Meta Rosenberg and JuanitaBartlett, who doubled as story editor during most of TheRockford Files run.The series theme music by composers MikePost and PeteCarpenter was released as a single and went to #10 onthe Billboard Hot 100,remaining on the chart for 16 weeks. and won a GrammyAward for Best InstrumentalArrangement for 1975. In 2002, The Rockford Files* wasranked #39 on TV Guide's 50Greatest TV Shows of All Time. September13, 2004*TVtalk-show host Oprah Winfrey gives a brand-new Pontiac G-6 sedan, worth$28,500, to everyone in her studio audience: a total of 276 cars in all.)* Oprahhad told her producers to fill the crowd with people who “desperately needed”the cars, and when she announced the prize (by jumping up and down, waving agiant keyring and yelling “Everybody gets a car! Everybody gets a car!”),mayhem–crying, screaming, delirium, fainting–broke out all around her. It was,as one media expert told a reporter, “one of the great promotional stunts inthe history of television.”Alas, scandal wasn’t far behind. For one thing, thegift wasn’t really from Oprah at all. Pontiac had donated the cars, paying thehefty price tag out of its advertising budget, because the company hoped thatthat the giveaway would drum up some enthusiasm for its new G-6 line. (To thisend, during the segment, Winfrey herself took a tour of a Pontiac plant,gushing over the cars’ satellite radios and fancy navigation systems.) The carcompany also paid the state sales tax on each of the automobiles it donated.However, that still left the new-car recipients with a large bill for theirsupposedly free vehicles: Federal and state income taxes added up to about$6,000 for most winners. Some people paid the taxes by taking out car loans;others traded their new Pontiacs for cheaper, less souped-up cars. “It’s notreally a free car,” one winner said. “It’s more of a 75 percent-off car. Ofcourse, that’s still not such a bad deal.”Two months later, Oprah hosted another giveawayepisode, this one for teachers from around the country. Their gifts were worthabout $13,000 and included a $2,249 TV set, a $2,000 laptop, a $2,189washer/dryer, sets of $38 champagne glasses and a $495 leather duffel bag. Thistime, the show’s producers had learned their lesson: they also gave eachaudience member a check for $2,500, which they hoped would cover the tax billfor all the loot. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite–most people in the audienceowed the Internal Revenue Service between $4,500 and $6,000–but the PR gimmickworked: Oprah’s giveaways have earned some of the highest ratings in theprogram’s history.September 14, 1984*The MTV Awards are heldfor the first time. Bette Midler andDan Ackroyd co-hosted the show honoring the best music videos fromMay 2, 1983, to May 2, 1984. The show was hosted by Dan Aykroyd and Bette Midler atthe Radio City MusicHall in New York City.Herbie Hancock was the night's biggest winner, taking home fiveawards, followed by Michael Jackson,who won three. The night's main award, though, went to The Cars for"You Might Think," making this the first of a very small numberof times in which the winner of Videoof the Year did not take home any other awards that night.In terms of nominations,Hancock's "Rockit" and The Police's"Every Breath YouTake" were the year's mostnominated videos, with each receiving eight nominations apiece. Meanwhile, themost nominated artist of 1984 was Cyndi Lauper,who aside from winning the Best Female Video Moonman received nine nominationsthat year for two of her videos: six for "GirlsJust Want to Have Fun" and threefor "TimeAfter Time."Other major nominees thatnight included the aforementioned Michael Jackson and The Cars, both of whomreceived six nominations for their videos "Thriller" and "You Might Think,"respectively; ZZ Top, who also received six nominations between theirvideos for "Legs," "Sharp Dressed Man," and "Gimme All YourLovin';" and Billy Idol,who got five nominations for "Dancing with Myself" and "Eyes Without a Face." Lastly, David Bowie hadfour nominations for his "China Girl"and "Modern Love" videos, and he was also one of the night'shonorees for the Video Vanguard award.September 15, 1964 Peyton Place first aired on ABC.* Based upon the 1956 novel of the same name by Grace Metalious, the series was precededby a 1957 film adaptation. A total of 514 episodes were broadcast, inblack-and-white from 1964 to 1966 and in color from 1966 to 1969. At the show'speak ABC ran three new episodes a week. Produced by 20th Century Fox Television. A number of guest starsappeared in the series for extended periods, among them Dan Duryea, Susan Oliver, Leslie Nielsen, Gena Rowlands, and Lee Grant, who won an Emmy Award forOutstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Drama for her role oftough-as-nails Stella Chernak. The series served as the springboard for such performers as Mia Farrow, Ryan O'Neal, Chris Connelly, David Canary, Mariette Hartley, and Lana Wood.September 15, 1949*The Lone Ranger* premiered on ABC. Clayton Moore was the Lone Ranger and Jay Silverheels was Tonto. The televisionseries aired from 1949 to 1957, withClaytonMoore in the starring role. JaySilverheels, a member of the Mohawk tribeof Canada playedThe Lone Ranger's Indiancompanion, Tonto.From 1952 to 1954. due to a contract dispute, JohnHart replaced Moore in the title role. The live-action seriesinitially featured Gerald Mohr as the narrator. Fred Foy wasboth narrator and announcer of the radio seriesfrom 1948 until its ending and then became announcer of the television version,for which narration of the story was dropped. The Lone Ranger wasthe highest-rated television program on ABC in the early 1950s and its firsttrue "hit".
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September 2, 1969NBC-TV canceled Star Trek. The show had debuted onSeptember 8, 1966. *September 5, 1929George Robert"Bob" Newhart, stand-upcomedian and actor who is best known for playingpsychologist Dr. Robert"Bob" Hartley on the popular 1970s sitcom The Bob NewhartShow and as innkeeper Dick Loudonon the popular 1980s sitcom Newhartwas born. He also appeared in film roles such as Major Major in Catch-22,and Papa Elf in Elf. He provided the voice of Bernard in the Walt Disney animated films The Rescuers and The RescuersDown Under.September 7, 1974*Land of the Lost first aired. The children's adventure television series created (though uncredited) by DavidGerrold and produced by Sid and Marty Krofft, who co-developed theseries with Allan Foshko. During its original run, it was broadcast onthe NBC televisionnetwork. However, it also aired in daily syndication in the early1980s as part of the "Krofft Superstars" package. In 1985, itreturned to late Saturday mornings on CBS as a replacementfor the canceled Pryor's Place - also a Krofft production.It was later shown in reruns on the Sci Fi Channel inthe 1990s. Re-runs of this series now airs Saturday mornings on Me-TV. It has sincebecome a cult classic and is now available on DVD. Krofft Productions remade the series in 1991, also titled Land of the Lost, anda big budget film adaptation wasreleased in 2009.
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August26, 1939Firsttelevised Major League baseball game on station W2XBS (the station that wasto become WNBC-TV). Announcer RedBarber called the game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers atEbbets Field in Brooklyn, New York.At the time, television was still in its infancy. Regular programmingdid not yet exist, and very few people owned television sets--there were onlyabout 400 in the New York area. Not until 1946 did regular network broadcastingcatch on in the United States, and only inthe mid-1950s did television setsbecome more common in the American household.In 1939, the World's Fair--which was being held in NewYork--became the catalyst for the historic broadcast. The television was one offair’s prize exhibits, and organizers believed that the Dodgers-Redsdoubleheader on August 26 was the perfect event to showcase America's grasp onthe new technology.By today's standards, the video coverage was somewhatcrude. There were only two stationary camera angles: The first was placed downthe third base line to pick up infield throws to first, and the second wasplaced high above home plate to get an extensive view of the field. It was alsodifficult to capture fast-moving plays: Swinging bats looked like paper fans,and the ball was all but invisible during pitches and hits.Nevertheless, the experiment was a success, drivinginterest in the development of television technology, particularly for sportingevents. Though baseball owners were initially concerned that televisingbaseball would sap actual attendance, they soon warmed to the idea, and thepossibilities for revenue generation that came with increased exposure of thegame, including the sale of rights to air certain teams or games and televisionadvertising.Today, televised sports is a multi-billion dollarindustry, with technology that gives viewers an astounding amount of visual andaudio detail. Cameras are now so precise that they can capture the way a ballchanges shape when struck by a bat, and athletes are wired to pick upfield-level and sideline conversation.August 27, 1964Comedian Gracie Allen died. Burns and Allen started performing a successfulvaudeville act in the early 1920s and married in 1926. In 1932, they firstappeared on the popular radio program The Guy Lombardo Show. Audiencesloved Allen's gentle, ditzy character, and CBS launched a half-hour show, TheAdventures of Gracie, in 1934. RenamedThe Burns and Allen Show in1936, the radio show ran until 1950, achieving Top 10 ratings almostcontinually.Thepair launched a TV series that ran from 1950 to 1958, and they appeared in morethan a dozen movies during their 35-year career together in what became one ofthe most successful and beloved comedy acts in history. Allen retired after amild heart attack in 1958. After her death, Burns visited her grave once amonth while continuing to work in TV, theater, nightclubs, and movies. He wrotemany books, including Gracie: A Love Story, a tribute to his wife. Burnsdied in 1996 at the age of 100.
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August 20, 1989Saved by the Bell firstaired. A retool of the Disney Channel series GoodMorning, Miss Bliss, the showfollows a group of friends and their principal. Primarily focusing on lighthearted comedicsituations, it occasionally touches on serious social issues, such as drug use, drivingunder the influence, homelessness, divorce, death, and environmental issues.Saved by the Bell starred Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Dustin Diamond, Lark Voorhies, Dennis Haskins, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, Elizabeth Berkley, and Mario Lopez.Saved by the Bell wasnamed one of the "20 Best School Shows of All Time" by AOL TV. Theshow spawned two spin-off series: Savedby the Bell: The College Years (1993–94),a primetime series that follows several of the characters to college, and Savedby the Bell: The New Class (1993–2000),a Saturday morning series that follows a new group of students at Bayside HighSchool. The series also spawned two TV movies, Savedby the Bell: Hawaiian Style in1992 and Savedby the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas in1994.Saved by the Bell airedin Australia on Channel Seven, and from 1990 until 2004 on Nickelodeon.Reruns have aired in local syndication and on TBS,MTV2 and E!.August 22, 1939Valerie Kathryn Harper was born.The actress known for her roles as Rhoda Morgenstern in the 1970s television seriesThe Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spin-off, Rhoda, and later as Valerie Hoganin Valerie.August 23, 1934BarbaraEden is born Barbara Jean Morehead in Tucson, Arizona. Her parents divorced when she wasthree; she and her mother, Alice, moved to San Francisco,where later her mother married Harrison Connor Huffman, a telephone lineman.Her first public performance was singing in the church choir, where she sangthe solos. When she was 14 she sang in local bands for $10 a night in nightclubs. At age 16, she became a member of Actor's Equity. She studied singing at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and acting with the Elizabeth Holloway School ofTheatre. She graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School in San Francisco inthe Spring Class of 1949[4] and studied theater for one year at City College ofSan Francisco. She was then elected Miss San Francisco, as Barbara Huffman, in1951. Barbara also entered the Miss California pageant, but did not win. Edenmade featured appearances on television shows such as The Tonight Show StarringJohnny Carson (as "BarbaraMorehead" and "Barbara Huffman"), The West Point Story, Highway Patrol, PrivateSecretary, I LoveLucy, The Millionaire, Target: The Corruptors!, Crossroads, Perry Mason,Gunsmoke, December Bride, Bachelor Father, Father Knows Best, Adventures in Paradise, The Andy Griffith Show, Cain's Hundred, Saints and Sinners,The Virginian, Slattery's People, The Rogues, and the series finale of Route 66 playingthe role of Margo.In 1965, Eden signed acontract with Sidney Sheldon tostar on his up-and-coming fantasy sitcom I Dream of Jeannie that would air on NBC. After various brunette starlets and beauty queensunsuccessfully tried out for the role she was approached by Sheldon who hadseen her in The Brass Bottle and had been recommended by various colleagues.Eden played Jeannie, a beautiful genie set free from her bottle by astronaut and United States Air Force captain (later major) AnthonyNelson, played by LarryHagman. Hoped to be a blockbuster like itsrival-show Bewitched, IDream of Jeannie was only a mild ratings success, topping off itsfirst year at #27, tying withLassie.The series spent its second, third, and fifth seasons out of the top thirtyprograms. Season four proved to be the sitcom's most successful year, ending at#26.In the series, Eden woreher trademark "Jeannie Costume", a costume that was designed by GwenWakeling with the colors pink and redchosen by Eden. During the second season reporters visiting the set would jokethat Eden had no navel as it was almost never visible when in costume. Thestory picked up momentum and as it did the network censors began to insist thather navel remain hidden. In the fourth season GeorgeSchlatter the creator of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In expressed a desire to premiere Eden's navel on his show. As soon as his intentions wererevealed the network held a meeting of executives to discuss his idea and itwas deemed inappropriate to do so. However, her navel is glimpsed in a fewseason four and season five episodes, much to the dislike of the censors. Afterfour years of dating, Jeannie and Anthony got married in the show's fifthseason, a decision that was forced by the network. Eden complained to thenetwork about the two marrying, claiming that this change in the plotline wouldtake away from the show's humor and the sexual tension between Jeannie andAnthony. However, even after the change, the network had grown tired of theseries by the end of the 1969-1970 television season and canceled the showafter five seasons and 139 episodes. The series became hugely popular duringdecades of syndication and has had two spin-off reunion movies. The first, I Dream of Jeannie: 15 YearsLater a 1985 televisionmovie, starred all the original castexcluding Larry Hagman, who wasunavailable due to the shooting schedule of his then-current series, "Dallas". The role of Anthony Nelson was played by WayneRogers for this film only. The secondtelevision spin-off movie of the series aired in 1991 and was called I Still Dream of Jeannie, in which Hagman was still absent—Anthony Nelson doesn'tappear in this film at all. There was talk of a third I Dream ofJeannie movie but, with the death of Larry Hagman, no projects havebeen cast or even written.In 1978, she starred in thefeature film Harper Valley PTA, based on the popularcountry song. This led to a namesake television series in 1981; in both the movie and the TV series, sheplayed the show's heroine, Stella Johnson. The show won 11 of its 13 time slotsduring its first season. It was a comedy version of Peyton Place with Anne Francine playingwealthy villain Flora Simpson Reilly. In one episode Stella dressed in a blueand gold genie costume and in another she played both Stella and her cousinDella Smith (similar to Jeannie's evil twin-sister character). The show Harper Valley PTA began January 16, 1981, and was renamedsimply Harper Valley when the show began its second season onOctober 29, 1981. The show ran until August 14, 1982, producing 29 episodesfor NBC and Universal MCA, which were rerun in 2000by TV Land.n 1990, Eden had a recurring roleof a billionairess seeking revenge against J. R. Ewing infive episodes of the final season of Dallas, playing the captivating character Lee Ann De La Vega, reuniting herwith her I Dream of Jeannie costar Hagman. In her final episode, the characteradmits that her maiden name was "Lee Ann Nelson", which was aproduction gag, as "Nelson" was the surname of Hagman's character,and Eden's character's married name, in I Dream of Jeannie.
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August 13, 1899Alfred Hitchcock is born the son of aLondon poultry dealer and fruit importer. He became a highly influential director of suspense films in the 1940sand 1950s, known for sneaking his own cameo appearance into every film.Hitchcockentered show business as a designer of title cards for silent films made by thenewly formed London branch of Hollywood's Famous Players-Lasky (later,Paramount Pictures). He worked closely with screenwriters, who occasionallyallowed him to direct a scene that didn't include actors. He became anassistant director and was promoted to director in 1925. He married film editorand script girl Alma Reville the following year and she helped him write avariety of screenplays.Hitchcock continued to direct Englishsuspense films, including The 39 Steps, The Man Who Knew Too Much, and TheLady Vanishes, but he moved to Hollywood in 1939 to take advantage ofAmerican filmmaking technology. His first American movie, Rebecca, wonthe 1940 Oscar for Best Picture and landed Hitchcock a Best Directornomination.During the 1950s, he started to experimentcreatively and produced some of the most popular films of his career, includingPsycho, The Birds, Vertigo, and Rear Window. He became renownedfor his psychologically complicated thrillers. In a Hitchcock movie, nothing onscreen happened by accident: He carefully chose each camera angle and soundeffect. He maintained strict creative control over his films.Hitchcock also hosted two anthology mysteryseries, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, from 1955 to 1962, and The AlfredHitchcock Hour, from 1962 to 1965. After his theme music, based on Gounod's"Funeral March of a Marionette," played, he would offer an eerie,"Good eeevening." Each episode appeared to end with evil triumphingover good, but after the final commercial Hitchcock would explain in hisdistinctive British accent how happenstance or a bizarre mistake hadoverpowered the villain. Hitchcock won the Irving Thalberg Awardfrom the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1967 and the AmericanFilm Institute's Life Achievement Award in 1979. The following year, he wasknighted, even though he had long since become a United States citizen. He diedin 1980, but that wasn't the end of his career. A color revival of his show wasintroduced in 1985. Although the revival featured all new episodes, each waspreceded by one of Hitchcock's introductions from earlier shows, processed intocolor.August 16, 1999The first episode of Who Wants toBe a Millionaire aired on ABC.
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August 8, 1974President Richard M. Nixonresigns in the wake of the Watergate burglary scandal. He was the firstpresident in American history to resign.In a televised address, Nixon, flanked by hisfamily, announced to the American public that he would step down rather thanendure a Senate impeachment trial for obstruction of justice. Since 1972, Nixonhad battled increasing vociferous allegations that he knew of, and may haveauthorized, a botched burglary in which several men were arrested forattempting to bug the offices of the Democratic National Committee, located inthe Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C. Between 1972 and 1974, the press, and latera Senate investigation committee, revealed disturbing details that revealedthat Nixon had indeed attempted to cover up the crime committed by key membersof his administration and re-election committee. The most damning evidence camefrom subpoenaed tape recordings of Nixon's White House conversations. Nixonfought the release of the tapes, which led the House of Representatives in 1973to initiate impeachment charges against the president for obstruction of justice.During the televised address, Nixon stated that hehad never been a "quitter" and that choosing to resign went againsthis instincts. He refused to confess to committing the alleged high crimes andmisdemeanors of which he was accused. He claimed his decision was encouraged byhis political base and was in the best interests of the country and said thathe hoped it would heal the political and social division caused by the Watergate scandal.A report by the Washington Post on August 9revealed the drama that had unfolded in the White House cabinet room an hourbefore Nixon's resignation speech. After saying goodbye to 46 members ofCongress, including his staunchest supporters, the president told them that the"country could not operate with a half-time President," broke intotears and left the room.In Solidarity Tony Figueroa
August 2, 1924 JohnCarroll O'Connor was born. Actor,producer,and directorwhose television career spanned four decades. Known at first for playing therole of Major General Colt in the 1970 cult movie, Kelly's Heroes, he later found fame asthe bigoted workingman Archie Bunker, the main character in the1970s CBStelevision sitcoms All in the Family (1971 to 1979) and Archie Bunker'sPlace (1979 to 1983). O'Connor later starred in the 1980s NBCtelevision crime drama Inthe Heat of the Night, where he played the role of SheriffWilliam (Bill) Gillespie. At the end of his career in the late 1990s, he playedthe father of Jamie Stemple Buchman (Helen Hunt) on Mad About You.
In Solidarity Tony Figueroa
July 23, 1984 Miss America 1984Vanessa Williams (Thefirst black Miss America) resigns ten months into her reign. She receivedan anonymous phone call stating that nude photos of her taken by photographerTom Chiapel prior to her pageant days had surfaced. Williams believed thephotographs were private and had been destroyed. Days later, BobGuccione, the publisher of Penthouse, announced that his magazine wouldpublish the photos in their September 1984 issue, and paid Chiapel for therights to them without Williams' consent. After days of media frenzy andsponsors threatening to pull out of the upcoming 1985 pageant, Williams feltpressured by Miss America Pageant officials to resign.The title subsequently went to first-runner up, African-American SuzetteCharles. In early September 1984, Williams filed a $500 million lawsuitagainst Chiapel and Guccione. According to a Williams family representative,she eventually dropped the suit to avoid further legal battles choosing to moveon with her life. Williams is quoted as saying "the best revenge issuccess."Although she resigned from fulfilling the duties of a current Miss America, shewas allowed to keep the bejeweled crown and scholarship money and is officiallyrecognized by the Miss America Organization today as"Miss America 1984" and SuzetteCharles as "Miss America 1984b."
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This stammer got me a home in Beverly Hills, and I'm not about to screw with it now.-Bob Newhart
| | | George Robert NewhartSeptember 5, 1929 – July 18, 2024 |
After the Korean war, Newhart worked for United States Gypsum as an accountant. He later said that his motto, "That's close enough", and his habit of adjusting petty cash imbalances with his own money showed he did not have the temperament to be an accountant. In 1958, Newhart became an advertising copywriter for Fred A. Niles, a major independent film and television producer in Chicago. There, he and a co-worker entertained each other with long telephone calls about absurd scenarios, which they later recorded and sent to radio stations as audition tapes. When the co-worker ended his participation by taking a job in New York, Newhart continued the recordings alone, developing this type of routine.
Dan Sorkin, a radio station disc jockey who later became the announcer-sidekick on Newhart's NBC series, introduced Newhart to the head of talent at Warner Bros. Records. The label signed him in 1959, only a year after it was formed, based solely on those recordings. Newhart expanded his material into a stand-up routine that he began to perform at nightclubs. Newhart became famous mostly on the strength of his audio releases, in which he played a solo "straight man". Newhart's routine was to portray one end of a conversation (usually a phone call), playing the comedic straight man and implying what the other person was saying. Newhart's 1960 comedy album The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart was the first comedy album to make number one on the Billboard charts and peaked at number two in the UK Albums Chart. It won two Grammy Awards, Album of the Year and Best New Artist.Newhart told a 2005 interviewer for PBS's American Masters that his favorite stand-up routine is "Abe Lincoln vs. Madison Avenue", which appears on this album. In the routine, a slick promoter has to deal with Lincoln's reluctance to agree to efforts to boost his image. Chicago TV director and future comedian Bill Daily, who was Newhart's castmate on The Bob Newhart Show, suggested the routine to him. Newhart became known for an intentional stammer, in service to his unique combination of politeness and disbelief at what he was supposedly hearing. Newhart has used the delivery throughout his career.A follow-up album, The Button-Down Mind Strikes Back, was released six months later and won Best Comedy Performance – Spoken Word that year. Subsequent comedy albums include Behind the Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart (1961), The Button-Down Mind on TV (1962), Bob Newhart Faces Bob Newhart (1964), The Windmills Are Weakening (1965), This Is It (1967), Best of Bob Newhart (1971), and Very Funny Bob Newhart (1973). Years later, he released Bob Newhart Off the Record (1992), The Button-Down Concert (1997), and Something Like This (2001), an anthology of his 1960s Warner Bros. albums. On December 10, 2015, publicist and comedy album collector Jeff Abraham revealed that a "lost" Newhart track from 1965 about Paul Revere existed on a one-of-a-kind acetate, which he owns. The track made its world premiere on episode 163 of the Comedy on Vinyl podcast.Newhart's success in stand-up led to his own short-lived NBC variety show in 1961, The Bob Newhart Show. The show lasted only a single season, but it earned Newhart a Primetime Emmy Award nomination and a Peabody Award. The Peabody Board cited him as, "a person whose gentle satire and wry and irreverent wit waft a breath of fresh and bracing air through the stale and stuffy electronic corridors. A merry marauder, who looks less like St. George than a choirboy, Newhart has wounded, if not slain, many of the dragons that stalk our society. In a troubled and apprehensive world, Newhart has proved once again that laughter is the best medicine." In the mid-1960s, Newhart was one of the initial three co-hosts of the variety show The Entertainers (1964), with Carol Burnett and Caterina Valente, appeared on The Dean Martin Show 24 times and on The Ed Sullivan Show eight times. He appeared in a 1963 episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, "How to Get Rid of Your Wife"; and on The Judy Garland Show. Newhart guest-hosted The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson 87 times, and hosted Saturday Night Live twice, in 1980 and 1995. In 1964, he appeared at the Royal Variety Performance in London, before Queen Elizabeth II.Newhart starred in two long-running sitcoms. In 1972, soon after he guest-starred on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, he was approached by his agent and his managers, producer Grant Tinker, and actress Mary Tyler Moore (the husband/wife team who founded MTM Enterprises), to work on a series called The Bob Newhart Show, to be written by David Davis and Lorenzo Music. He was very interested in the starring role of psychologist Bob Hartley, with Suzanne Pleshette playing his wry, loving wife, Emily, and Bill Daily as neighbor and friend Howard Borden.The Bob Newhart Show faced heavy competition from the beginning, launching at the same time as the popular shows MASH, Maude, Sanford and Son, and The Waltons. Nevertheless, it was an immediate hit. The show eventually referenced what made Newhart's name in the first place; apart from the first few episodes, it used an opening-credits sequence featuring Newhart answering a telephone in his office. According to co-star Marcia Wallace, the entire cast got along well, and Newhart became close friends with both Wallace and co-star Suzanne Pleshette.In addition to Wallace as Bob's wisecracking, man-chasing receptionist Carol Kester, the cast included Peter Bonerz as amiable orthodontist Jerry Robinson; Jack Riley as Elliot Carlin, the most misanthropic of Hartley's patients; character actor and voice artist John Fiedler as milquetoast Emil Petersen; and Pat Finley as Bob's sister, Ellen Hartley, a love interest for Howard Borden. Future Newhart* regular Tom Poston had a briefly recurring role as Cliff "Peeper" Murdock, veteran stage actor Barnard Hughes appeared as Bob's father for three episodes spread over two seasons, and Martha Scott appeared in several episodes as Bob's mother.
By 1977, the show's ratings were declining and Newhart wanted to end it, but was under contract to do one more season. The show's writers tried to rework the sitcom by adding a pregnancy, but Newhart objected: "I told the creators I didn't want any children, because I didn't want it to be a show about 'How stupid Daddy is, but we love him so much, let's get him out of the trouble he's gotten himself into'." Nevertheless, the staff wrote an episode that they hoped would change Newhart's mind. Newhart read the script and he agreed it was very funny. He then asked, "Who are you going to get to play Bob?" Coincidentally, Newhart's wife gave birth to their daughter Jenny late in the year, which caused him to miss several episodes.
In the last episode of the fifth season, not only was Bob's wife, Emily, pregnant, but his receptionist, Carol, was, too. In the first show of the sixth season, Bob revealed his dream of the pregnancies and that neither Emily nor Carol was really pregnant. Marcia Wallace spoke of Newhart's amiable nature on set: "He's very low key, and he didn't want to cause trouble. I had a dog by the name of Maggie that I used to bring to the set. And whenever there was a line that Bob didn't like—he didn't want to complain too much—so, he'd go over, get down on his hands and knees, and repeat the line to the dog, which invariably yawned; and he'd say, "See, I told you it's not funny!". Wallace also commented on the show's lack of Emmy recognition: "People think we were nominated for many an Emmy, people presume we won Emmys, all of us, and certainly Bob, and certainly the show. Nope, never!" Newhart discontinued the series in 1978 after six seasons and 142 episodes. Wallace said of its ending, "It was much crying and sobbing. It was so sad. We really did get along. We really had great times together."
Of Newhart's other long-running sitcom, Newhart, Wallace said: "But some of the other great comedic talents who had a brilliant show, when they tried to do it twice, it didn't always work. And that's what... but like Bob, as far as I'm concerned, Bob is like the Fred Astaire of comics. He just makes it look so easy, and he's not as in-your-face as some might be. And so, you just kind of take it for granted, how extraordinarily funny and how he wears well." She was later reunited with Newhart twice, once in a reprise of her role as Carol on Murphy Brown in 1994, and on an episode of Newhart's short-lived sitcom, George & Leo, in 1997.Although primarily a television star, Newhart has been in a number of popular films, beginning with the 1959 war story Hell Is for Heroes (where he does his one-sided telephone act in a bunker). In 1968, Newhart played an annoying software specialist in the film Hot Millions. His films include 1970's Alan Jay Lerner musical On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, the 1971 Norman Lear comedy Cold Turkey, Mike Nichols's war satire Catch 22, the 1977 Disney animated feature The Rescuers and its 1990 sequel The Rescuers Down Under as the voice of Bernard, and he played the President of the United States in the comedy First Family (1980).By 1982, Newhart was interested in a new sitcom. After he had discussions with Barry Kemp and CBS, the show Newhart was created, in which Newhart played Vermont innkeeper and TV talk show host Dick Loudon. Mary Frann was cast as his wife, Joanna. Jennifer Holmes was originally cast as Leslie Vanderkellen, but left after former daytime soap star Julia Duffy joined the cast as Dick's inn maid and spoiled rich girl, Stephanie Vanderkellen. Peter Scolari (who had been a fan of Newhart's since he was 17) was also cast as Dick's manipulative TV producer, Michael Harris, in six of the eight seasons. Steven Kampmann was cast as Kirk Devane for 2 years, who was a neighbor for a while, at a cafe he owned. Character actor Tom Poston played the role of handyman George Utley, earning three Primetime Emmy Award nominations as Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1984, 1986, and 1987. Like The Bob Newhart Show, Newhart was an immediate hit, and again, like the show before it, it was also nominated for Primetime Emmy Awards but failed to win any. During the time Newhart was working on the show, in 1985, his smoking habit finally caught up to him, and he was taken to the emergency room for secondary polycythemia. The doctors ordered him to stop smoking.In 1987, ratings began to drop. Newhart ended in 1990 after eight seasons and 182 episodes. The last episode ended with a scene in which Newhart wakes up in bed with Suzanne Pleshette, who played Emily, his wife from The Bob Newhart Show. He realizes (in a satire of a famous plot element in the television series Dallas a few years earlier) that the entire eight-year Newhart series had been a single nightmare of Dr. Bob Hartley's, which Emily attributes to eating Japanese food before he went to bed. Recalling Mary Frann's buxom figure and proclivity for wearing sweaters, Bob closes the segment and the series by telling Emily, "You really should wear more sweaters" before the typical closing notes of the old Bob Newhart Show theme played over the fadeout. The twist ending was later chosen by TV Guide as the best finale in television history.
Newhart played a beleaguered school principal in In & Out (1997), acted in the Will Ferrell Christmas comedy film Elf (2003), and made a cameo appearance as a sadistic but appreciative CEO at the end of the comedy Horrible Bosses (2011). In addition to stand-up comedy, Newhart became a dedicated character actor. This led to other series, such as Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, Captain Nice, two episodes of Insight, and It's Garry Shandling's Show. He reprised his role as Dr. Bob Hartley on Murphy Brown, appeared as himself on The Simpsons, and played a retired forensic pathologist on NCIS. Newhart guest-starred on three episodes of ER, for which he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award, as well as on Desperate Housewives and a role on NCIS as Ducky's mentor and predecessor, who was discovered to have Alzheimer's disease. In 2013, he also appeared on Committed and in an episode of the sixth season of The Big Bang Theory, for which he was awarded a Primetime Emmy Award, and which led to subsequent appearances in its seventh, ninth, and eleventh seasons.In 1992, Newhart returned to television with a series about a cartoonist called Bob. An ensemble cast included Lisa Kudrow, but the show did not develop a strong audience and was cancelled shortly after the start of its second season, despite good critical reviews. On The Tonight Show following the cancellation, Newhart joked he had now done shows called The Bob Newhart Show, Newhart and Bob so his next show was going to be called The. In 1997, Newhart returned again with George & Leo on CBS with Judd Hirsch and Jason Bateman (Newhart's first name being George); the show was cancelled during its first season. In 1995, Newhart was approached by Showtime to make the first comedy special of his 35-year career, Off the Record, which consisted of him performing material from his first and second albums in front of an audience in Pasadena, California.In 2003, Newhart guest-starred on three episodes of ER in a rare dramatic role that earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination, his first in nearly 20 years. In 2005, he began a recurring role in Desperate Housewives as Morty, the on-again/off-again boyfriend of Sophie (Lesley Ann Warren), Susan Mayer's (Teri Hatcher) mother. In 2009, he received another Primetime Emmy nomination for reprising his role as Judson in The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice. On August 27, 2006, at the 58th Primetime Emmy Awards, hosted by Conan O'Brien, Newhart was placed in a supposedly airtight glass prison that contained three hours of air. If the Emmys went over the time of three hours, he would die. This gag was an acknowledgment of the common frustration that award shows usually run on past their allotted time (usually three hours). Newhart "survived" his containment to help O'Brien present the award for Outstanding Comedy Series (which went to The Office). During an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Newhart made a comedic cameo with members of the ABC show Lost lampooning an alternate ending to the series finale. In 2011, he appeared in a small but pivotal role as a doctor in Lifetime's anthology film on breast cancer, Five.In 2013, he made a guest appearance on The Big Bang Theory as the aged Professor Proton (Arthur Jeffries), a former science TV show host turned children's party entertainer, for which he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. It was Newhart's first Emmy. At that year's Emmy ceremony, Newhart appeared as a presenter with The Big Bang Theory star Jim Parsons and received a standing ovation. He continued to play the character periodically through the show's 12th and final season and on its spinoff Young Sheldon. On December 19, 2014, Newhart made a surprise appearance on the final episode of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, where he was revealed to be the person inside Secretariat, Ferguson's on-set pantomime horse. The show then ended with a scene parodying the Newhart series finale, with Ferguson and Drew Carey reprising their roles from The Drew Carey Show. In June 2015, Newhart appeared on another series finale, that of Hot in Cleveland, playing the father-in-law of Joy Scroggs (Jane Leeves). It marked a reunion with Betty White, who was a cast member during the second season of Bob 23 years earlier. The finale ends with their characters getting married
| | | Good Night Bob |
| | | Stay TunedTony Figueroa |
I probably would do something if it got me going.Acting is a license to do self-investigation.It’s a great ego trip to be an actor-James B. Sikking
| | | James Barrie SikkingMarch 5, 1934 – July 13, 2024 |
James B. Sikking starred on the ABC TV series Doogie Howser, M.D. as Dr. David Howser: and on the 1997 drama series Brooklyn South as Captain Stan Jonas. Sikking appeared as Sergeant (later promoted to Lieutenant) Howard Hunter on Hill Street Blues from 1981 to 1987. He also portrayed Geoffrey St. James on the NBC comedy Turnabout and voiced General Gordon on the short-lived 1998 cartoon series Invasion America. He was sometimes credited as James Sikking or Jim Sikking in some of his earlier roles on film and TV.His film work includes The Competition, Outland, Up the Creek, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, and Narrow Margin, as well as a minor (but crucial) part as a cynical hitman in the earlier Point Blank. Sikking's film career started in 1955. Sikking starred in the 1992 TV movie Doing Time on Maple Drive. He has made guest appearances on many TV series including Perry Mason, Rawhide, The Fugitive, Bonanza, The Outer Limits, General Hospital, Here Come the Brides, Mannix, The Rockford Files, The Bob Newhart Show, Hogan's Heroes, Rich Man, Poor Man Book II, Hunter, and Batman Beyond.
| | | Good Night Mr. Sikking |
| | | Stay TunedTony Figueroa |
July 15, 1964The UniversalStudio Tour opened.TheTour is the signature attraction at the park, and goes into aworking moviestudio, with various film and Television sets on the lot. Inrecent years, guests have sat in multi-car trams for the duration of the ride.The Tour lasts about 45–50 minutes and is led by a live tour guide who canbe seen throughout the tram on video screens. It travels through the Front Lot,Backlot and various attractions, passing sets and props from movies along theway.From the beginning, Universal had offered tours ofits studio. After CarlLaemmle opened Universal City on March 14, 1915, hewould later invite the general public to see all the action for an admissionfee of just $0.05, which also included a lunch box containing chicken inside.There was also a chance to buy fresh produce, since then-rural Universal Citywas still in part a working farm. This original tour was discontinued in around1930, due to the advent of sound films coming to Universal.Ironically, the modern Universal Studio Tour wasinitially reborn as a way to sell more lunches in the Studio Commissary. The late 50’s and early 60’s were a difficult time for Hollywood studios. Thearrival of television had weakened movie attendance and more and moreproductions were going on location to save costs. The grand old movie back lotswere quickly becoming a thing of the past. In the mid 1950’s, Universalbegan letting bus companies drive on to the property (the same bus companiesthat offered guided tours of the homes of Hollywood stars) as a way to increaserevenues. The studio charged the bus companies a small fee and also benefitedfrom the extra lunches they could sell to the tourists in the StudioCommissary. The bus drivers were given a hand-typed script to read thathighlighted the studio facilities as well as hyped upcoming Universal releaseslike Bonzo Goes to College and Monster on the Campus.When MCA purchased Universal in the late 1950’s,they began to look for a way to revive the old Studio Tour as part of a newimage for Universal City Studios. In 1963 legendary movie mogul Lew Wasserman,then president of MCA/Universal, asked Vice President Al Dorskind to look intothe feasibility of creating a permanent tour. The modern tour was established to include a seriesof dressing room walk-throughs, peeks at actual production, and later, stagedevents. This grew over the years into a full-blown themepark.The Universal Studio Tour at that time consisted oftwo trams and a handful of eager young tour guides; including John Ford III(grandson of famous western director John Ford) and Dan Milland (son of AcademyAward winning actor Ray Milland). The early tour was 90 minutes and included astop off at the studio commissary for lunch and a make-up show (presented byMike Westmore of the famous Westmore family of make-up artists) held in thecommissary basement. 38,184 guests rode the Universal Studio Tour in its firstyear.July 19, 1989RebeccaShaeffer (age 21) is murdered at her Los Angeles home byRobert John Bardo, a mentally unstable man who had been stalking her.Schaeffer’s death helped lead to the passage in California of legislationaimed at preventing stalking.Schaeffer was born November 6, 1967, in Eugene, Oregon. She worked as a teenagemodel and had a short stint on the daytime soap opera One Life to Live,but was best known for co-starring with Pam Dawber in the television sitcom MySister Sam. Bardo, born in 1970, had written Schaeffer letters andunsuccessfully tried to gain access to the set of My Sister Sam, beforeshowing up at her apartment on July 19, 1989. The obsessed fan had reportedlyobtained the actress’s home address through a detective agency, which locatedit through records at the California Department of Motor Vehicles. On the dayof the murder, Schaeffer reportedly complied with Bardo’s request for anautograph when he appeared at her home and then asked him to leave. He returneda short time later and the actress, who reportedly was waiting for someone todeliver a script, answered the door again. Bardo then shot and killed her.Arrested the next day in Tucson, Arizona, Bardo was laterprosecuted by the Los Angeles County district attorney Marcia Clark, who laterbecame famous as a prosecutor in the O.J. Simpson trial. In 1991, Bardo wasconvicted of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison without thepossibility of parole. In 1994, California passed the Driver’s PrivacyProtection Act, which prevented the Department of Motor Vehicles from releasingprivate addresses.The 2002 film Moonlight Mile, loosely inspired by Schaeffer’s story,was written and directed by Brad Silberling, who had been dating the youngactress at the time of her death.July 20, 1969Apollo 11 was the first manned mission to land on theMoon. The first steps by humans onanother planetary body were taken by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. Theastronauts also returned to Earth the first samples from another planetarybody. Apollo 11 achieved its primary mission - to perform a manned lunar landingand return the mission safely to Earth - and paved the way for the Apollo lunarlanding missions to follow.July 21, 1924 Jesse Donald "Don" Knotts is born. The comedic actor best known for hisportrayal of Barney Fife onthe 1960s television sitcom The AndyGriffith Show (a role which earned him five Emmy Awards), and as landlord Ralph Furley on the television sitcom Three’s Company in the 1980.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
Whenever I get frustrated, I tell myself, you could be working at a 7-Eleven right now, so never take for granted what you do for a living.
-Shannen Doherty
| | | Shannen Maria DohertyApril 12, 1971 – July 13, 2024 |
In 1982, Doherty had guest spots on TV series including Voyagers! and Father Murphy, which was created and produced by Michael Landon. The same year, 11-year-old Doherty won the recurring role of Jenny Wilder on Little House on the Prairie, which Landon starred in and produced. Doherty appeared in all but four episodes in the final season of the show, which was cancelled in 1983.
Doherty lent her voice to the animated film The Secret of NIMH in 1982. She appeared in an episode of Magnum, P.I. ("A Sense of Debt"), followed by an early episode of Airwolf for which she was nominated as Best Young Actress: Guest in a Series at the 6th Youth in Film Awards in 1984.
In 1985, Doherty starred as Maggie Malene in the teen movie comedy Girls Just Want to Have Fun alongside actresses Helen Hunt and Sarah Jessica Parker. Doherty was cast as the oldest Witherspoon sibling, Kris, on the family drama Our House, which ran from 1986 to 1988, a role which garnered her several Young Artist Award nominations.
Doherty's first major motion picture role was in the dark comedy Heathers, which premiered in 1988. She garnered worldwide attention and fame for her breakout role as Brenda Walsh in the Aaron Spelling-produced TV series Beverly Hills, 90210 in 1990. In 1991 and 1992, her portrayal of Brenda earned her a Young Artist Award nomination for Best Young Actress Starring in a Television Series. Doherty left the show after the fourth season in 1994.
She appeared nude in Playboy magazine, first in December 1993, followed by a spread in March 1994. She posed for the magazine again in December 2003 and was featured in a 10-page pictorial.
Doherty's career afterward consisted primarily of made-for-TV movies, though she also had a lead role in Kevin Smith's 1995 film Mallrats and later cameoed in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. In 1998, Spelling again cast her in another of his television series, Charmed, in which she played one of the lead characters, Prue Halliwell, the oldest of three sisters who are witches. Doherty also directed a few episodes for the series during the second and third seasons. Doherty left the show in 2001 at the end of the third season, resulting in her character's death. Reportedly, her departure was caused by on-set and off-set tensions between Doherty and co-star Alyssa Milano. Doherty was also twice nominated, in 1999 and 2000, for the Saturn Award, Best Genre TV Actress, for her performance in Charmed. In 2004, E! placed Doherty at number 10 on their list of the 50 Most Wicked Women of Prime Time. In 2007, AOL named Prue Halliwell the 10th greatest witch in television history.
In 2003, Doherty hosted the Sci Fi Channel candid-camera show Scare Tactics during its initial season. From 2004 to 2005, in a return to her prime-time soap roots, Doherty starred as a regular on the short-lived TV series North Shore, where she starred as Alexandra Hudson. Later in 2005, she was in the pilot for a comedy, Love Inc.
In 2006, Doherty produced and starred in her own reality show, Breaking Up with Shannen Doherty, which premiered on the Oxygen channel. In the show, Doherty carried out the "dirty work" for members of the public, including dumping boyfriends or telling people what their friends really think about them. The show was canceled after one season due to poor ratings.
She also appeared in several episodes of the popular British sitcom Bo! in the USA, a brain child of Leigh Francis. In the show, she played herself being randomly harassed by Avid Merrion (Francis), who claimed they were lovers. The show aired in October 2006 on the British Channel 4.
During 2007, Doherty appeared in two television projects. She first appeared in Kiss Me Deadly: A Jacob Keane Assignment for the Here TV network and followed up with a starring role in the holiday film Christmas Caper for ABC Family. That same year Doherty also set up a production company called No Apologies with which she planned to develop a TV drama for herself. Later in 2007, Doherty was ranked number 96 on Entertainment Weekly's list of the 100 Greatest Television Icons.
In 2008, Doherty was featured on the Swedish television show High Chaparall, appearing in the second episode of the show's fourth season.
Also in 2008, 14 years since her last television appearance as Brenda Walsh, Doherty joined the cast of the Beverly Hills, 90210 spin off for The CW Television Network for a reported $40,000–50,000 an episode. She returned as a guest star in the new series, reprising her old role of Brenda in four of the initial six episodes. Her character, now a successful theater actress and stage director, returned as the guest director of the high school musical. After her initial guest spot was completed, Doherty stated she was open to returning to the series later in the season and eventually agreed to appear in three additional episodes, including an airing in May 2009. The writers were eager to have her share scenes with Jennie Garth, who reprised her own 90210 role of Kelly Taylor. It was reported that Doherty and Garth's characters would both have a romantic interest in the character Ryan Matthews (Ryan Eggold) reminiscent of their old rivalry for former bad-boy character Dylan McKay (Luke Perry). Doherty and Garth later confirmed that the reports about the love triangle between their characters were false.
In late 2008, Doherty was announced to co-star alongside Dylan McDermott in the independent film Burning Palms, a satire based on Los Angeles stereotypes told through five intertwining storylines. (The film's world premiere was at the Newport Beach Film Festival in April 2010. Doherty played a lead role in the SciFi Channel adventure film The Lost Treasure of the Grand Canyon. The film premiered on the cable network on December 20, 2008.
On March 1, 2010, it was announced that Doherty would be a celebrity contestant on Dancing with the Stars for the tenth season. The season premiered on Monday, March 22, 2010. Doherty was paired with two-time champion Mark Ballas in his sixth season on the show, but the pair was the first couple eliminated in the second week on March 30. The judges said, "Doherty wouldn't have left if we would have just done scores". She wanted to do Dancing with the Stars to make her ailing father proud. Doherty returned for the finale.
Doherty starred in Fearnet's animated web series Mari-Kari, which launched on June 3, 2010. Mari and Kari are identical twins, but Kari is already dead and is a ghost. Doherty voiced both Mari and Kari in the eight-episode show.
On July 21, 2011, WE tv announced that Doherty would star in a one-hour reality series that would follow her and her fiancé, Kurt Iswarienko, as they planned their wedding. The show, Shannen Says, premiered on April 10, 2012.
Later in 2012, Doherty became a spokesperson for Education Connection, and appeared in an episode of The New Normal as her character Brenda Walsh from Beverly Hills, 90210.
On July 24, 2014, it was announced that Doherty and her former Charmed co-star Holly Marie Combs would star in their own road-trip reality show called Off the Map with Shannen & Holly, which premiered on Great American Country on January 2, 2015. The six-episode series followed the pair traveling across southeastern United States, with stops in Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida. Viewers were able to vote on activities in which Doherty and Combs engaged at each destination on Great American Country's official website.
In November 2016, Doherty joined the cast of a Heathers television series, originally set to air on Paramount Network in March 2018. She played the mother of one of the new generation of "Heathers", different from the character of Heather Duke that she originated in the 1989 film. However, the Parkland school shooting affected the show's premiere, which was delayed because of its dark tone and themes of high school violence. In June 2018, the network chose to pull the show altogether. Ultimately, the series aired over five nights in October 2018.
Doherty once more reprised her role of Brenda Walsh for the six-episode sequel BH90210, which debuted August 7, 2019, on FOX. The same year, she was in the movie Undateable John, starring Daryl Hannah, Tom Arnold and Margaret Cho.
In 2021, she was in the movie Fortress starring Jesse Metcalfe, Bruce Willis, Chad Michael Murray, Kelly Greyson, and Ser'Darius Blain. The film was released in select theaters and on video on demand by Lionsgate Films on December 17, 2021.
| | | Good Night Shannen
| | | Stay TunedTony Figueroa |
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If Congress wants to get involved in the business of morality by allowing a moment of silence in our schools, I support that. But if our representatives in Washington are truly going to be moral leaders, then they have to do more than just tell us to pray for guidance. -Ruth Westheimer
| | | Karola Ruth WestheimerJune 4, 1928 – July 12, 2024better known as Dr. Ruth |
After receiving her doctorate, Westheimer briefly worked for Planned Parenthood in Harlem training women to teach sex education, and this experience encouraged her to continue studying human sexuality. She went on to work as a postdoctoral researcher at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. She continued to work there as an adjunct associate professor for five years. She also taught at Lehman College, Brooklyn College, Hunter College, Adelphi University, Columbia University, Yale University, Princeton University, New York University, New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center/Weill Cornell Medicine, and West Point. In addition, she treated sex therapy patients in a private practice, on East 73rd Street on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.
Described as "Grandma Freud" and the "Sister Wendy of Sexuality", Westheimer helped revolutionize talk about sex and sexuality on radio and television, advocating for speaking openly about sexual issues.[64] She fielded questions ranging from women who did not have orgasms, to the best time of day to have sex (the morning), to men with premature ejaculations, to foreplay, to oral sex, to sexual fantasies ("embrace them"; "If you want to believe that a whole football team is in bed with you, that's fine"), to masturbation, to erections, to sexual positions, to the G-spot. She stressed that: "anything that two consenting adults do in the privacy of their bedroom or kitchen floor is all right with me". Asked a question as to having sex with an animal, she responded: "I'm not a veterinarian." She spoke out against engaging in any sexual activity under pressure, and against pedophilia. She educated her listeners about sexually transmitted diseases, and spoke out strongly in favor of having sex, in favor of contraception being used, in favor of the availability of abortion as an aid for contraception failures, in favor of sex within relationships rather than one-night stands, in favor of funding for Planned Parenthood, and in favor of research on AIDS. She became known for giving serious advice while being candid and funny, but warm, cheerful, and respectful; and for her tag phrase: "Get some." Journalist Joyce Wadler described her as a "world class charmer".One journalist described her voice as "a cross between Henry Kissinger and Minnie Mouse". She was noted for having "an accent only a psychologist could love", one that was "dripping chicken soup."In 1984 The New York Times noted that on radio the 55-year-old had risen "from obscurity to almost instant stardom." Journalist Jeannette Catsoulis wrote later in The New York Times, "It's hard to explain how revolutionary her humor, candor and sexual explicitness seemed for the time."Westheimer's media career began in 1980 when she was 52 years old, and her radio show, Sexually Speaking, debuted on WYNY-FM in New York City. In it, she answered questions called in by listeners, and the show ultimately became nationally syndicated. She was offered the opportunity after she gave a lecture to New York broadcasters about the need for sex education programming to help deal with issues of contraception and unwanted pregnancies. Betty Elam, the community affairs manager at WYNY, was impressed with her talk and offered Westheimer $25 per week to make Sexually Speaking, which started as a 15-minute show airing every Sunday at midnight, which was historically a dead time.By 1981, as the show attracted 250,000 listeners every week despite the network not doing any promotion for it—growing simply by word of mouth—it was extended to be one hour long on Sunday nights, starting at 10 pm. It was soon picked up by 90 stations across the United States, and it ran for a decade. The show broke taboos of the time against speaking publicly and explicitly about sex. The New York Times described it as one of the station's "oddest shows", and among its biggest draws. A New York University professor of human sexuality made listening to her show a class assignment. When the station offered a "Dr. Ruth T-shirt" ("Sex on Sunday? You Bet!"), it received 3,500 orders.By 1982, her show was WYNY's top-rated phone-in talk show. Singer Pattie Brooks recorded a song as an ode to her, "Dr. Ruth," with a trendy, dance-rock tinged, high pressure beat.By 1983 her show was the top-rated radio show in the area, in the country's largest radio market. In 1984 NBC Radio began syndicating the radio program nationwide—it was now heard in 93 markets. She went on to produce her radio show until 1990.
In 1984, Westheimer began hosting several television programs on the Lifetime TV network, and one in syndication. Her first show was Good Sex! With Dr. Ruth Westheimer, airing for a half hour at 10 pm on weeknights. She would end each show by reminding her audience: "Have good sex!"The show was expanded in 1985 to a full hour, and its name was changed to The Dr. Ruth Show. During each of her live shows, 3,000 callers tried to get through, and the show attracted an average of 450,000 viewers a night, double the audience previously watching at that hour, and attracted more viewers than any other show on Lifetime; that number rose to 2 million homes a week. In April 1985 she appeared on the cover of People. That year she also appeared as an actress in the French romantic comedy film Une Femme ou Deux (One Woman or Two), starring Gérard Depardieu and Sigourney Weaver, playing the part of a wealthy philanthropist.
Dr. Ruth's Game of Good Sex was released in 1985. A Baltimore distributor said: "I'm going to have to compare this to Trivial Pursuit. The orders overshadow anything we've had in our company's 100-year history." Dr. Ruth's Computer Game of Good Sex was a hit, released in 1986 for the Commodore 64, MS-DOS, and Apple II. In addition, she gave an interview in the January 1986 issue of Playboy.
She appeared on a TV Guide cover in 1988. Dr. Ruth returned to the Lifetime network in 1988 with The All New Dr. Ruth Show. That was followed in 1989 by two teen advice shows called What's Up, Dr. Ruth?, and a call-in show, You're on the Air with Dr. Ruth in 1990. That year she also appeared in an episode of the television series Tall Tales & Legends as the "Mysterious Stranger."
During the 1980s, "Dr. Ruth" became a household name and a major cultural figure; during the 1980s and 1990s, she made frequent guest appearances on several network television shows, including Late Night with David Letterman, and appeared on talk shows on German television. She was portrayed on Saturday Night Live by Mary Gross in "Saturday Night News" four times in 1983, and twice in 1984, and was a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson twice in 1982, once in 1983, three times in 1984, twice in 1985 – in addition to being impersonated in a "Mighty Carson Art Players" sketch, and once in 1986, on Joan Rivers: Can We Talk? twice in 1986, seven times as a panelist on the game show The New Hollywood Squares in 1986–87, on The Arsenio Hall Show once in 1989, on The Joan Rivers Show once in 1989, and on Live with Kelly and Ryan in both 1989 and 1990. In 1987, she made a TV commercial for Signal mouthwash.
In 1993, Westheimer and Israeli TV host Arad Nir hosted a talk show in Hebrew titled Min Tochnit, on the newly opened Israeli Channel 2. The show was similar to her US Sexually Speaking show. The name of the show, Min Tochnit, is a play on words: literally "Kind of a program", but "Min" (מין) in Hebrew also means "sex" and "gender". 1993 and 1994 saw the publication of "Dr. Ruth's Good Sex Night-to-Night Calendar."
In 1994, she appeared in a computer game, an interactive CD-ROM adaptation of Dr. Ruth's Encyclopedia of Sex released for Windows and the Philips CD-i.
In 1995, she hosted a series of Playboy instructional videos entitled "Making Love". She also wrote a column distributed both nationally and internationally by the King Features Syndicate. In 1996, she co-authored Heavenly Sex, on Judaism and sex, in which she wrote: "The great rabbi Simeon ben-Halafta called the penis the great peacemaker of the home." She refers to the Book of Ruth as encouraging single women to initiate sex (providing the relationship leads to marriage), cites a Talmudic mandate that an unemployed man must make love to his wife every day, and mentions the writings of a 12th-century rabbi who suggested that couples use different positions while having sex.
In the 1990s, Westheimer was a guest star in 1992 on the television soap opera One Life to Live, and appeared as herself in "Dr. Ruth", a 1993 episode of the sci-fi drama series Quantum Leap She appeared on the BBC radio show Desert Island Discs in 1990, on The Arsenio Hall Show once in 1990, once in 1991, once in 1993, and once in 1994, on The Howard Stern Show once in 1991, on Late Night with Conan O'Brien once in 1994, twice in 1995, three times in 1996, and once in 1997, on The Daily Show once in 1998, and was featured in a Celebrity Deathmatch episode in 1999.
Westheimer also appeared in several commercial advertisements, including a 1990 commercial for Clairol Herbal Essences shampoo and body wash, a 1991 Pepsi commercial (along with Annette Funicello, Frankie Avalon, Bo Jackson, and Gilbert Gottfried), and a 1994 Honda Prelude ad.
In 2000, she appeared on Grammy Award winner Tom Chapin's album This Pretty Planet, in the song "Two Kinds of Seagulls", in which she and Chapin sing in a duet of various animals that reproduce sexually. "It takes two to tingle" says the song. That year, she also made a TV commercial for Entenmann's Raspberry Danish Twist.
Between 2001 and 2007, Westheimer made regular appearances on the PBS children's television series Between the Lions as "Dr. Ruth Wordheimer" in a spoof of her therapist role, in which she helps anxious readers and spellers overcome their fear of long words. In 2002, she received a nomination for a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children, for Timeless Tales and Music of Our Time. In 2003–04, she made 10 appearances as a panelist on the game show Hollywood Squares.
In 2004, she made a guest appearance on Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, an NPR news panel game, and in 2007 she appeared on Live with Regis and Kelly. In January 2009, the 55th anniversary issue of Playboy magazine included Westheimer as #13 in a list of the 55 most important people in sex from the past 55 years. That year, Vanity Fair named her one of "12 women who changed the way we look at sex." She also appeared in the 2009 documentary Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel.
In 2011, interior designer Nate Berkus hosted her on The Nate Berkus Show, after redoing the living room and dining room of her Manhattan apartment, in which she had lived for 50 years, to reduce clutter. She appeared as a guest on The Doctors in 2011 and 2012, on Joy Behar: Say Anything! in 2012, on Rachael Ray in 2013 and 2015, and on The Today Show in 2015 and 2019.
In 2018, she wrote three books. In 2019, she published her 45th book on sex and sexuality. On her 91st birthday, June 4, 2019, Westheimer appeared as a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and she visited Ellen's show again in November 2019, taking questions from the audience, and was also a guest in November 2020. In 2019, Westheimer also appeared as a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers, The View, The Today Show, and twice on Strahan, Sara and Keke. She also had over 100,000 followers on Twitter.
| | | Good Night Dr. Ruth |
| | | Stay TunedTony Figueroa |
When the king gets depressed, he doesn't call for his wife or the cook. He turns to the little man with the pointed hat and says to the court jester "make me laugh". And I am that court jester.
— Richard Simmons, Men's Health
| | | Milton Teagle "Richard" SimmonsJuly 12, 1948 – July 13, 2024 |
Upon moving to Los Angeles in the 1970s, Simmons worked as the maître d'hôtel at Derek's, a restaurant in Beverly Hills. He developed an interest in fitness. Exercise studios of the day favored the already fit customer, so little help was available for those who needed to gain fitness from an otherwise unhealthy state. He established gyms, and his interest in fitness helped him lose 123 lb (56 kg).
He later opened his own exercise studio, originally called The Anatomy Asylum, where emphasis was placed on healthy eating in proper portions and enjoyable exercise in a supportive atmosphere. The business originally included a salad bar restaurant called Ruffage, a pun on the word roughage (dietary fiber), though it was eventually removed as the focus of The Anatomy Asylum shifted solely to exercise. Later renamed "Slimmons", the establishment continued operations in Beverly Hills and Simmons taught motivational classes and aerobics throughout the week. Slimmons closed in November 2016. Slimmons' success led to Simmons' own television series The Richard Simmons Show which aired from 1980 to 1984 and earned him multiple Emmy awards. Rising interest in aerobics during the 1980s led to the popularization of Simmons' line of fitness videos, particularly his Sweatin' to the Oldies series which became one of the most popular videos during the decade.In 2010, Simmons stated he had kept off his own 100+ pound (45 kg) weight loss for 42 years, had been helping others lose weight for 35 years, and that in the course of his fitness career, had helped humanity lose approximately 12 million pounds (5.5 million kg). Simmons used the Internet as a method of outreach by running his own membership-based website and also had official pages on numerous social-networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and YouTube.
Simmons began to draw media attention due to the success of his health club that began with him on Real People, where he was shown at work. He introduced customers whom he had helped to lose weight. He later had guest roles on Battlestars, Body Language, Super Password, Win, Lose or Draw, Match Game (ABC), Hollywood Squares (syndicated), and Nickelodeon's Figure It Out.
Positive viewer reactions landed Simmons a recurring role as himself in the ABC network soap opera General Hospital over a 4-year period. This, as well as being in shopping malls, where he taught exercise classes, led to further media attention. In the early 1980s, Simmons hosted two shows – Slim Cookin and the Emmy Award-winning talk show The Richard Simmons Show, in which he focused on personal health, fitness, exercise, and healthy cooking. The Richard Simmons Show drew thousands of exercise enthusiasts, including SAG/AFTRA actress Lucrecia Sarita Russo, who reportedly transported an entire bus filled with women from Pam's Figure Tique for a lively workout on the show.
Simmons portrayed himself in Steven Spielberg's 1986 Amazing Stories season one, episode 10 ("Remote Control Man").
Simmons was a guest on The Rosie O'Donnell Show on November 18, 1997, together with Celine Dion.
He was a frequent guest on The Howard Stern Show. While he resolved at one point to refuse future involvement after Stern repeatedly insulted him, he returned to the show several times; his last appearance coming in 2013.
Simmons was also a frequent guest on Late Night with David Letterman (NBC) and the Late Show with David Letterman (CBS). On November 22, 2000, they had a falling out after an incident on that night's show. Simmons (while dressed as a turkey) grabbed Letterman as if to hug or kiss him, and Letterman responded by spraying Simmons with a fire extinguisher which caused Simmons to have a severe asthma attack. Simmons did not appear on the Letterman show for six years, finally returning on November 29, 2006. During that time, Letterman once again set Simmons up for a prank. While Simmons was demonstrating a steamer branded with his name, Letterman insisted on placing a tray under the steamer which Simmons did not believe belonged there. When Simmons turned the steamer on, something in the tray exploded and caught fire, sending Simmons running for his life. Despite the scare, Simmons took the incident in fairly good nature, even joking that he "felt like Michael Jackson" (referring to a mishap where Jackson's hair was accidentally set on fire by pyrotechnics while filming a Pepsi commercial).
In 1998, Simmons provided the voice of Boone in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie.
He featured as himself on numerous television series, including Whose Line Is It Anyway?, CHiPs, Saturday Night Live, The Larry Sanders Show, and in the Arrested Development episode "Bringing Up Buster." In 1999, he hosted the short-lived television series DreamMaker. In 2007, he filmed the PBS pledge-drive special Love Yourself and Win.
He also featured in television advertisements for Sprint, Yoplait, and Herbal Essence shampoos. In late 2007, he was in a This is SportsCenter commercial on ESPN as the show's "conditioning coach". In Canada, Simmons was in an advertisement for Simmons mattresses. The mattress company hired the exercise celebrity because of the similarity in name, and for his appeal to the company's target audience of women over 35. Beyond this, no further business partnership existed between them.
In the Rocko's Modern Life episode "No Pain, No Gain", Simmons voiced an exercise trainer bearing his animated likeness, leading a class filled with large, anthropomorphic animals.
Simmons was multiple times on The Glenn Beck Program on HLN.
From 2006 to 2008, he hosted a radio show on Sirius Stars (Sirius Satellite Radio channel 102) titled Lighten Up with Richard Simmons.
He provided the voice for Coach Salmons, a recurring character modeled after his own likeness, for Fish Hooks, a Disney Channel Original Series that ran for three seasons.[15]
In 2011, Simmons starred in "Fit to Fly with Richard Simmons", an Air New Zealand inflight safety briefing video modeled after his aerobic workouts.
He is featured heavily in the film clip of "Hawker Boat" by Tobacco, taken from the album F*** Up Friends.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Simmons's YouTube channel was updated with archival exercise videos (recorded before his decision to withdraw from public life) to help people stay fit at home. A spokesperson said the move was motivated by "an overwhelming request for Richard to return in some way as a comfort", and added that "Richard is very touched by the outreach".
| | | Richard Simmons & Dr. Ruth |
In January 2024, an as-yet untitled biopic about Simmons, starring Pauly Shore, was announced. Simmons stated on Facebook, "I have never given my permission for this movie." In April 2024, he said he was discussing giving his approval for a different biopic.
| | | Good Night Richard |
| | | Stay TunedTony Figueroa |
There's nothing that can beat the feeling of doing a movie or a TV show that makes everyone feel good.
-Shelley Duvall
| | | Shelley Alexis DuvallJuly 7, 1949 – July 11, 2024 |
In 1982, Duvall narrated, hosted and was executive producer of the children's television program Faerie Tale Theatre. She starred in seven episodes of the series; "Rumpelstiltskin" (1982), "Rapunzel" (1983), "The Nightingale" (1983), "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1984), "Puss in Boots" (1985), and "Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp" (1986). Since the program's first episode "The Frog Prince", which starred Robin Williams and Teri Garr, Duvall produced 27 hour-long episodes of the program. In 1985, she created Tall Tales & Legends, another one-hour anthology series for Showtime, which featured adaptations of American folk tales. As with Faerie Tale Theatre, the series starred well-known Hollywood actors with Duvall as host, executive producer, and occasional guest star. The series ran for nine episodes and garnered Duvall an Emmy nomination.
The series featured numerous famous Hollywood actors (particularly of the period), with Robin Williams and Teri Garr in the first episode, "The Tale of the Frog Prince". Creator and executive producer Shelley Duvall appeared in 3 episodes and narrated 3 episodes. John Achorn is credited in 11 character roles, while others, including Jean Stapleton, Mark Blankfield, Charlie Dell, Donovan Scott, and Dan Frischman, are credited in more than three episodes.
| | | Good Night Ms. Duvall |
| | | Stay TunedTony Figueroa |
July 10, 1989Mel Blanc died.Mel Blanc began smokingcigarettes when he was 9 years old. He continued his pack-a-day habit until he was diagnosed with emphysema, which pushedhim to quit at age 77. On May 19, 1989, Blanc was checked into Cedars-SinaiMedical Center by his familywhenthey noticed he had a bad cough while shooting a commercial; he was originallyexpected to recover. While sleeping in his hospital bed, Blanc accidentallyfell and broke his femur resulting in fat embolism in the brain. He died onJuly 10 at Cedars-SinaiMedical Center in Los Angeles, California at the age of 81. He was interred in the HollywoodForever Cemetery in Hollywood, California.Blanc's will stated his desire to have the inscription on hisgravestone read, "THAT'S ALL FOLKS" (the phrase was a trademark ofBlanc's character Porky Pig).Blanc is regarded as the most prolific voice actor inthe history of the industry. He was the first voice actor to receive on-screencredit.Blanc's death was considered a significant loss to thecartoon industry because of his skill, expressive range, and sheer volume ofcontinuing characters he portrayed, which are currently taken up by severalother voice talents. Indeed, as movie critic Leonard Maltin once pointed out, "It is astounding to realizethat Tweety Bird and Yosemite Sam are the same man!"According to Blanc, Sylvester the Cat was the easiestcharacter to voice because "It's just my normal speaking voice with aspray at the end." Yosemite Sam was the hardest because of his loudnessand raspyness.A doctor who once examined Blanc's throat found thathe possessed unusually thick, powerful vocal cords that gave him an exceptionalrange. The doctor reported that they rivaled only those of famed opera singer Enrico Caruso.After his death, Blanc's voice continued to be heardin newly released productions, such as recordings of Dino from TheFlintstones in the 1994live-action film based on the seriesand its sequel.[21][22] Archive recordings of Blanc's performance as theMaxwell automobile from The Jack Benny Program were also used in the2003 movie Looney Tunes: Back in Action.[23] More recently, archive recordings of Blanc have beenfeatured in new CGI-animated Looney Tunes theatrical shorts; ITawt I Taw a Puddy Tat (shownwith Happy FeetTwo) and Daffy's Rhapsody (shown with Journey 2: The Mysterious Island). Blanc trained his son Noel in the field of voicecharacterization. Although the younger Blanc has performed his father'scharacters (particularly Porky Pig) on some programs, he has chosen not tobecome a full-time voice artist.For his contributions to radio and animation, MelBlanc has a star on the HollywoodWalk of Fame at 6385 HollywoodBoulevard. His character Bugs Bunnyalso has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (the only others to have receivedthis honor are Walt Disney as both himself and Mickey Mouse; Jim Henson as both himself and Kermit the Frog; and Mike Myers as both himself and Shrek).
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
July 4, 1927Playwright and screenwriter Neil Simon born in theBronx section of New York City. In one of his earliest jobs, in the 1950s,Simon wrote for Sid Caesar’s live comedy television program Your Show ofShows, alongside other future greats such as Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner. As Simon went on to write for the stage and bigscreen, humor would continue to play a major role in his work. Simon’s firstBroadway play, Come Blow Your Horn, opened in 1961. He went on to writeover 30 plays, including Barefoot in the Park (1963), The Odd Couple(1965), The Last of the Red Hot Lovers (1969), The Sunshine Boys(1972), Chapter Two (1977), the autobiographical trilogy of BrightonBeach Memoirs (1983), Biloxi Blues (1985) and Broadway Bound(1986), Lost in Yonkers (1991) and The Goodbye Girl (1993).Simon wrote the screenplay for many of his stage productions that wereadapted for the big screen. In 1967, Robert Redford and Jane Fonda starred in acinematic version of Barefoot in the Park, about a young newlywed couplein Manhattan. Redford had also appeared in the original Broadway cast. In 1968,Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau starred in a film version of The Odd Couple,about the mismatched roommates Felix Ungar, a neurotic neat freak, and OscarMadison, a slob. Matthau also played Oscar Madison in the original Broadwayproduction. The Odd Couple later became a popular TV sitcom that airedfrom 1970 to 1975 and starred Tony Randall and Jack Klugman. In 1998, Lemmonand Matthau reunited for The Odd Couple II. (The pair appeared in anumber of comedic films together, starting with 1966’s The Fortune Cookieand including 1993’s Grumpy Old Men and its 1995 sequel.)Simon has received four Academy Award nominations for Best Screenplay: for TheOdd Couple, The Sunshine Boys (1975), which starred Matthau and GeorgeBurns, The Goodbye Girl (1977), which starred Richard Dreyfuss andMarsha Mason (whom Simon was married to from 1973 to 1981) and CaliforniaSuite (1978), which featured Jane Fonda, Alan Alda, Michael Caine andRichard Pryor.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
It's hard to decide if TV makes morons out of everyone,or if it mirrors Americans who really are morons to begin with.-Martin Mull
| | | Martin Eugene MullAugust 18, 1943 – June 27, 2024 |
Throughout the 1970s, and especially in the first half of the decade, Mull was best known as a musical comedian, performing satirical and humorous songs both live and in studio recordings. Rather than use the stage trappings of most musical acts, Mull would decorate his stage with comfortable thrift store furniture. Notable live gigs included opening for Randy Newman and Sandy Denny at Boston Symphony Hall in 1973; Frank Zappa at Austin's Armadillo World Headquarters in 1973; Billy Joel in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, in 1974; and for Bruce Springsteen at the Shady Grove Music Fair in Gaithersburg, Maryland, in October 1974. His self-titled debut album, released by Capricorn in 1972, featured many noteworthy musicians, including Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Levon Helm from The Band, Keith Spring of NRBQ and Libby Titus.
Elvis Costello and Gary Sperrazza attribute the remark "Writing about music is like dancing about architecture" to Martin Mull.
Mull's first well-known acting role was as Garth Gimble in the 1976 television nighttime absurdist soap opera Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. This led to work in the spin-off talk show parodies Fernwood 2 Night (1977) and America 2 Night (1978), in which he played talk show host Barth Gimble (Garth's twin brother), opposite Fred Willard, as sidekick and announcer Jerry Hubbard. Mull also appeared as the neurotic disc jockey Eric Swan in the 1978 movie FM, his feature film debut.
In 1979, Mull appeared in the Taxi episode Hollywood Calling. He created, wrote for and starred in the short-lived 1984 CBS sitcom Domestic Life, with Megan Follows playing his teenaged daughter. In one episode of The Golden Girls, he played a hippie who was afraid of the outside world. He had a long-running role as Leon Carp, Roseanne Conner's gay boss (and later business partner) on the TV series Roseanne.
During the 1980s, Mull played supporting roles in the films Mr. Mom and Clue, and had a rare lead role in Serial. He also starred in a series of commercials for Michelob and Pizza Hut, and in a series of television and radio commercials for Red Roof Inn with Fred Willard. He appeared in the Pecos Bill episode of the Shelley Duvall TV series Tall Tales & Legends. He also did the voice of Vlad Masters / Vlad Plasmius, the main villain in Danny Phantom from 2004 to 2007. From 1997 to 2000, Mull played Willard Kraft on the show Sabrina the Teenage Witch as Sabrina Spellman's high school's vice-principal in seasons 2 and 3 and then becoming her high school's principal in season 4.
Mull has appeared as a guest star on the game show Hollywood Squares, appearing as the center square in the show's final season, from 2003 to 2004. In late 2004 and in 2013's Netflix-produced Season 4, he portrayed Gene Parmesan, a private investigator, on the TV series Arrested Development. During 2008 and 2009, Mull guest starred in two episodes of the television series Gary Unmarried, as Allison's father.
Mull also starred in the Fox sitcoms Dads and The Cool Kids, the latter with David Alan Grier, Vicki Lawrence, and Leslie Jordan.
Mull began painting in the 1970s, and his work has appeared in group and solo exhibits. He participated in the June 15, 1971 exhibit "Flush with the Walls" in the men's room of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts to protest the lack of contemporary and local art in the museum. His work often combined photorealist painting, and the pop art and collage styles. He published a book of some of his paintings, titled Paintings Drawings and Words, in 1995. One of his paintings was used on the cover for the 2008 Joyce Carol Oates novel My Sister, My Love. Another painting, titled After Dinner Drinks (2008), which is owned by Steve Martin, was used for the cover of Love Has Come for You, an album by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell.
Good Night Mr. Mull
Stay Tuned
Tony Figueroa
Here is another "Mental Sorbet"A little spark of madnessthat we could use to momentarily forget about thosethings that leave a bad taste in our mouthsTriumph the Insult Comic Dog sits down with a group of undecided voters and tries a handful of tactics to get them to make up their damn minds, from sandwich comparisons to Cheesecake Factory metaphors.Stay TunedTony Figueroa
June25, 2009FarrahFawcett died at approximately 9:28 a.m. on June 25, 2009, in theintensive care unit of SaintJohn's Health Center in SantaMonica, California. Shewas 62 years old.Aprivate funeral was held in Los Angeles on June 30, 2009 for Fawcett. Her sonRedmond was permitted to leave his California detention center to attend hismother's funeral, where he gave the first reading. She is buried atthe Westwood Village Memorial Park in Los Angeles,Newsof the death was significantly overshadowed by the death of pop culture icon Michael Jackson who died later on the same day. News coveragewas heavily focused on Jackson's death, leading to significantly less coveragefocused on that of Fawcett.June 25, 2009“King of Pop” Michael Jackson dies at age 50 aftersuffering from cardiac arrest caused by a fatal combination of drugs given tohim by his personal doctor. MichaelJoseph Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana, the seventh ofKatherine and Joe Jackson’s nine children. At the age of 5, Jackson beganperforming with his older brothers in a music group coached by theirsteelworker father. In 1968, Motown Records signed the group, which becameknown as the Jackson 5, and Michael Jackson, a natural showman, emerged as thelead singer and star. The Jackson 5’s first album, released in 1969, featuredthe hit "I Want You Back," and the group’s brand of pop-soul-R&Bmusic made them an immediate success. Their musical popularity even led totheir starring in their own TV cartoon series in the early 1970s.Jackson released his first solo album, "Got to Be There," in 1972,while continuing to sing with his brothers. Six years later, in 1978, he madehis big-screen debut as the Scarecrow in "The Wiz," an adaptation ofthe Broadway musical of the same name. Directed by Quincy Jones, the filmstarred an all-black cast that included singer Diana Ross as Dorothy. Jonescollaborated with Jackson on his 1979 album “Off the Wall,” which sold some 7million copies worldwide. The pair teamed up again for Jackson’s now-iconic1982 album, "Thriller," which went on to sell 50 million copiesaround the globe, making it the best-selling studio album of all time."Thriller" is credited with jump-starting the era of music videos andplaying a key role in the rise of then-fledging cable TV network MTV, whichlaunched in 1981.In 1983, Jackson created a massive sensation on a live Motown anniversary TVspecial when he performed his now-signature Moonwalk dance step while wearing ablack fedora and a single white glove covered with rhinestones. According toThe Los Angeles Times critic Robert Hillburn, the performance served asJackson’s "unofficial coronation as the King of Pop. Within months, hechanged the way people would hear and see pop music, unleashing an influencethat rivaled that of Elvis Presley and the Beatles."Jackson’s next solo effort, "Bad," debuted in 1987. It sold 8million copies and featured a music video from acclaimed movie director MartinScorsese. By this time, however, Jackson had paid a high price for his massivesuccess. According to The Los Angeles Times: "He became so accustomed tobodyguards and assistants that he once admitted that he trembled if he had toopen his own front door."By the 1990s, Jackson’s life was near-constant tabloid fodder. In 1993, hewas accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy who had been a sleepover guest athis home. Jackson denied the allegations and the criminal investigation wasdropped; however, the singer later settled a civil lawsuit with the boy’sfamily for a reported $20 million. In 2003, Jackson was accused of molestinganother boy. Following a highly publicized trial in 2005, he was acquitted ofall charges. During these years, Jackson also faced intense mediascrutiny over his radically altered physical appearance, which included anever-lighter complexion (which he attributed to a skin condition) and multipleplastic surgeries. Although Jackson himself was mostly close-mouthed on thetopic, media sources alleged that Jackson developed an obsession with cosmeticsurgery, in part, following an accident he suffered in January 1984 whileshooting a Pepsi commercial. During filming, a pyrotechnics mishap set thesinger’s hair on fire, and he suffered burns on his head and face that requiredreconstructive surgery. In the aftermath of the surgery, Jackson reportedlysuffered from an addiction to prescription painkillers.Jackson also made headlines with his brief marriage (1994-1994) to LisaMarie Presley, the daughter of singer Elvis Presley. From 1996 to 1999, he waswed to Debbie Rowe, the former assistant of his dermatologist and the mother oftwo of his three children. (Jackson’s youngest child, a boy, was reportedlyborn via a surrogate.)On June 25, 2009, Jackson, who after a lengthy time away from the publicspotlight was preparing for a series of summer concerts in London, wasdiscovered unconscious in his Los Angeles mansion. The Los Angeles coroner’sofficer later ruled the pop star’s death a homicide after lethal levels of thepowerful sedative propofol, as well other drugs, were found in his system.Jackson’s personal physician, who was at the singer’s home when he died, hadbeen giving him propofol as a sleep aid for a period of weeks.On July 7, 2009, more than 20,000 fans attended a public memorial forJackson at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Over 30 million viewers tuned inwatch the event on cable TV, while millions more viewed it online.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
June17, 1994O.J.Simpson arrested after flight from justice. After a dramatic flight from justice witnessed bymillions on live television, former football star and actor O.J. Simpsonsurrenders outside his Rockingham estate to Los Angeles police. The policecharged him with the June 12 double-murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpsonand her friend Ronald L. Goldman.Earlier in the day, after learning he was to bearraigned on the charges, Simpson attempted to escape Los Angeles, but thepolice located him in a vehicle being driven by his friend, former professionalfootball player Al Cowlings. Simpson, speaking on a cellular phone to thepolice, explained that he had a gun and was suicidal, and the police agreed notto stop his vehicle by force. Los Angeles news helicopters soon learned of theevent unfolding on their freeways, and live television coverage of Simpson'sattempted flight began. As millions watched, Cowlings drove Simpson's whiteFord Bronco, escorted by a phalanx of police cars, across Los Angeles whileSimpson cowered in the back seat, allegedly with a gun to his head.Finally, after nearly nine hours on the road, theBronco returned to the Rockingham estate, and a tense 90-minute standoff in thedriveway ensued before Simpson finally surrendered. In the vehicle and on hisperson were discovered the gun, a mustache and goatee disguise, and hispassport.His lengthy criminal trial was a sensational mediaevent that brought to light racial divisions present in America while also,some believed, calling the U.S. justice system into question. In polls, amajority of African Americans consistently believed Simpson, who was black, tobe innocent of the murder of the white victims, while the vast majority ofwhite Americans, supported by the media and law enforcement, maintainedSimpson's guilt.Although the evidence appeared to be pointing almostindisputably toward Simpson's guilt, on October 3, 1995, the jury of nineAfrican Americans, two whites, and one Hispanic took just four hours ofdeliberation to reach their verdict of not guilty on all charges. In 1997,however, Simpson was found liable for several charges related to the slayingsin a civil trial and was sentenced to pay millions in compensatory and punitivedamages to the victims' families, little of which they have received.In 2007, Simpson ran into legal problems once againwhen he was arrested for breaking into a Las Vegas hotel room and taking sportsmemorabilia, which he claimed had been stolen from him, at gunpoint. On October3, 2008, he was found guilty of 12 charges related to the incident, includingarmed robbery and kidnapping, and sentenced to 33 years in prison.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
June 10, 1989HBO aired the first episode of Tales from the Crypt. This horror anthology television series ran from June 10, 1989to July 19, 1996 on HBO for seven seasons with a total of 93 episodes. Thetitle is based on the 1950s EC Comics series of the same name and most of thecontent originated in that comic or the six other EC Comics of the time (The Crypt of Terror, Haunt of Fear, Vault of Horror, Crime SuspenStories, Shock SuspenStories and Two-Fisted Tales). The show was produced by HBO withuncredited association by The Geffen FilmCompany and Warner Bros.Television (all part of a production consortium officially called Tales fromthe Crypt Holdings).June 11, 1999DeForest Kelley died of stomach cancer . His body was cremated and theashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean. In a TLC interviewdone in the late 1990s, Kelley jokingly said one of his biggest fears was thatthe words etched on his gravestonewould be "He'sdead, Jim." Reflecting this, Kelley's obituary in Newsweek magazinebegan: "We're not even going to try to resist: He's dead,Jim." On the other hand, he stated that he was very proud to hearfrom so many Star Trek fans who had been inspired to becomedoctors as a result of his portrayal of Dr. McCoy.June 15, 1969First Hee Haw episode.TVcountry-western variety show Hee Haw debuts. Hee Haw started on CBS as a summer 1969 replacement for TheSmothers Brothers Comedy Hour.Although the program ran for only two years, it was a hit with audiences andwas in the Top 20 when CBS dropped it, deciding the show's hick country focuswasn't appropriate for the network's image. Hosted by country singers Roy Clarkand Buck Owens, the program featured top country musicians and wacky stunts,jokes, and hijinks. The show went into syndication after the network droppedit, becoming highly successful and running until 1992. The show was inspired byRowan& Martin's Laugh-In, themajor difference being that Hee Haw was far less topical, and wascentered around country music. The show was equally well-known for itsvoluptuous, scantily-clad women in stereotypical farmer's daughter outfits.Hee Haw continues to remain beloved and popular withits long-time fans and those who've discovered the program through DVD releasesand its reruns on RFD-TV. In spite of the loving support of the series by itsfans, the program had never been a favorite of television critics or members ofthe more high brow society. This particular fact was reinforced when TV Guideranked the series number 10 on its 50 Worst Shows of All Time List in 2002...afull 10 years after the last first-run episode aired in May 1992 (although theentry specifically refers to the Hee Haw Honeys spinoff, not the main showitself).*June 16, 1959George Reeves Dies.GeorgeReeves (January 5, 1914 – June 16, 1959)was best known for his role as Superman in the 1950s television program Adventures of Superman.His death at age 45 from a gunshot remains a polarizing issue. Some believethe official verdict of suicide; others believe George Reeves was murdered orthe victim of an accidental shooting.[According to the Los Angeles Police Department report, between approximately1:30 and 2:00 a.m. on June 16, 1959, George Reeves diedof a gunshot wound to the head in the upstairs bedroom of his BenedictCanyon home. He was 45 years old.Police arrived within the hour. Present in the house at the time of deathwere Leonore Lemmon,William Bliss, writer Robert Condon, and Carol Van Ronkel, who lived a fewblocks away with her husband, screenwriter Rip Van Ronkel.According to all the witnesses, Lemmon and Reeves had been dining anddrinking earlier in the evening in the company of writer Condon, who was ghostwriting an autobiography ofprizefighter Archie Moore.Reeves and Lemmon argued at the restaurant, and the trio returned home.However, Lemmon stated in interviews with Reeves's biographer Jim Beaver thatshe and Reeves had not accompanied friends dining and drinking, but rather towrestling matches. Contemporary news items indicate that Reeves's friend Gene LeBell was wrestling that night—yetLeBell's own recollections are that he did not see Reeves after a workoutsession earlier in the day. In any event Reeves went to bed, but some time nearmidnight an impromptu party began when Bliss and Carol Van Ronkel arrived.Reeves angrily came downstairs and complained about the noise. After blowingoff steam, he stayed with the guests for a while, had a drink, and then retiredupstairs again in a bad mood.The house guests later heard a single gunshot. Bliss ran into Reeves'sbedroom and found George Reeves dead, lying across his bed, naked and face up,his feet on the floor. This position has been attributed to his sitting on theedge of the bed when he shot himself, after which his body fell back on the bedand the 9mm Luger pistol fell between his feet.Statements made to police and the press essentially agree. Neither Lemmonnor the other witnesses made any apology for their delay in calling the policeafter hearing the gunshot, but the shock of the death, the lateness of thehour, and their state of intoxication were given as reasons for the delay.Police said that all of the witnesses present were extremely inebriated, andthat their coherent stories were very difficult to obtain.In contemporary news articles, Lemmon attributed Reeves's apparent suicideto depression caused by his "failed career" and inability to findmore work. The police report states, "[Reeves was]... depressed because hecouldn't get the sort of parts he wanted." Newspapers and wire-servicereports frequently misquoted LAPD Sergeant V.A. Peterson as saying: "MissLemmon blurted, 'He's probably going to go shoot himself.' A noise was heardupstairs. She continued, 'He's opening a drawer to get the gun.' A shot washeard. 'See, I told you so.'"' However, this statement may have beenembellished by journalists. Lemmon and her friends were downstairs at the timeof the shot with music playing. It would be nearly impossible to hear a draweropening in the upstairs bedroom. Lemmon later claimed that she'd never saidanything so specific but rather had made an offhand remark along the lines of"Oh, he'll probably go shoot himself now."Witness statements and examination of the crime scene led to the conclusionthat the death was self-inflicted. A more extensive official inquiry concludedthat the death was indeed suicide. Reeves's will, dated 1956, bequeathed hisentire estate to Toni Mannix, much to Lemmon's surprise and devastation. Herstatement to the press read, "Toni got a house for charity, and I got abroken heart", referring to the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation.A popular urban legendstates that Reeves died because he believed that he had acquired Superman'spowers and killed himself trying to fly. He is interred at Mountain ViewCemetery and Mausoleum in Altadena,California.Many people at the time, and many more in later years, have refused tobelieve the idea that George Reeves would kill himself. Laymen have commentedon the fact that no powder stippling from the gun's discharge was found on theactor's skin, leading them to believe that the weapon would therefore have tohave been held several inches from the head upon firing. Forensic professionalsreport that powder tattooing is left only when the weapon is not in contactwith the skin, while a contact wound (which skull fracture patterns clearlyreveal Reeves's wound to be) results in "a round entrance with blackenedand seared margins, an entrance wound with a muzzle imprint around it, or astellate entrance," but no powder tattoo. Followers of the case also pointto the absence of fingerprints on the gun and of gunshot-residue testing on theactor's hands as evidence in support of one theory or another. Police, however,found the gun too thickly coated in oil to hold fingerprints, andgunshot-residue testing was not commonly performed by the Los Angeles PoliceDepartment in 1959; thus, no inferences can be drawn in support of any theoryfrom these elements separately. Reeves's incredulous mother, HelenBessolo, employed attorney Jerry Geisler and the Nick Harris Detective Agency.Their operatives included a fledgling detective named Milo Speriglio, who wouldlater falsely claim to have been the primary investigator. A cremation ofReeves's body was postponed. No substantial new evidence was ever uncovered,but Reeves's mother never accepted the conclusion that her son had committedsuicide. Notably, she also publicly denied that her son planned to marryLeonore Lemmon, since he had never told her. However, he had announced this toany number of friends and strangers, even referring to her on occasions as"my wife".An after-the-fact article quoted "pallbearers" at Reeves's funeral(actors Alan Ladd and Gig Young) as not believing that Reeves wasthe "type" who would kill himself. However, neither of these menactually served as pallbearers, and only one, Young, was a friend of Reeves."Anti-suicide" proponents argue that Reeves would have no desire toend his life with so many prospects in sight.The central thesis of the partially fictionalized Reeves biography HollywoodKryptonite states as fact that Reeves was murdered by order of Toni Mannixas punishment for their breakup. This is illustrated as a potential scenario inHollywoodland, with the blame moreclearly leveled at Eddie Mannix than at Toni, although the film ultimatelysuggests the death was a suicide. However, the authors of HollywoodKryptonite were forced to create a "hit man" to make the plot oftheir book work, and no such person appears to have ever existed.In the Grossman book, Jack Larson was quoted as having accepted that it wassuicide. Although he suggested in a 1982 Entertainment Tonight/This Weekendinterview that he had had a momentary slight questioning of the verdict basedon a comment from a friend near the time of the interview, he has statedpublicly on several occasions that he always believed that Reeves had taken hisown life and that quotations implying that he ever believed otherwise wereeither in error or deliberately falsified. "Jack and I never really triedto get anyone to re-open George's death," Noel Neill said. "I am notaware of anyone who wanted George dead. I never said I thought George wasmurdered. I just don't know what happened. All I know is that George alwaysseemed happy to me, and I saw him two days before he died and he was stillhappy then."Hollywoodland dramatizes theinvestigation of Reeves's death. The movie stars Ben Affleck as Reeves and Adrien Brody as fictional investigatorLouis Simo, suggested by real-life detective Milo Speriglio. The movie showsthree versions of his death: killed semi-accidentally by Lemmon, murdered by anunnamed hitman under orders from Eddie Mannix, and, finally, suicide.Toni Mannix suffered from Alzheimer's diseasefor years and died in 1983. In 1999, following the resurrection of the Reevescase by TV shows Unsolved Mysteriesand Mysteries andScandals, Los Angeles publicist Edward Lozzi claimed that ToniMannix had confessed to a Catholic priest in Lozzi's presence that she wasresponsible for having George Reeves killed. Lozzi made the claim on TV tabloidshows, including Extra,Inside Edition, and Court TV. In the wake of Hollywoodland'spublicity in 2006, Mr. Lozzi repeated his story to the tabloid The Globeand to the LA Times, where the statement wasrefuted by Jack Larson. Larson stated that facts he knew from his closefriendship with Toni Mannix precluded Lozzi's story from being true. Accordingto Lozzi, he lived with and then visited the elderly Mannix from 1979 to 1982,and that on at least a half-dozen occasions he called a priest when Mrs. Mannixfeared death and wanted to confess her sins. Mannix suffered from Alzheimer'sdisease and senile dementia, but Lozzi insists that her "confession"was made during a period of lucidity in Mannix's home before she was moved fromher house to a hospital. Mannix lived in a hospital suite for the last severalyears of her life, having donated a large portion of her estate a priorito the hospital in exchange for perpetual care. Lozzi also told of Tuesdaynight prayer sessions that Toni Mannix conducted with him and others at analtar shrine to George Reeves which she had built in her home. Lozzi stated,"During these prayer sessions she prayed loudly and trance-like to Reevesand God, and without confessing yet, asked them for forgiveness." Lozzi'sclaim, however, is unsupported by independent evidence.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa*
June 5, 1954Your Showof Shows final episode.Onthis day in 1954, Your Show of Shows airs its last episode. The comicvariety show featuring Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca launched in 1950. Otherfeatured performers were Carl Reiner,Howard Morris, Nanette Fabray,Bill Hayes,Judy Johnson, The Hamilton Trio and the soprano Marguerite Piazza. The show was created by Sylvester Weaver and directed by MaxLiebman. Writers for the showincluded Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Danny Simon,Larry Gelbart, Mel Tolkin,and Carl Reiner. For three of its four years, it ranked as one of theTop 20 most highly rated shows. In 1952, the program won the Best Show EmmyAward.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
First end of Leno on The Tonight ShowOn September 27, 2004, the 50th anniversary of The Tonight Show's debut, NBC announced Leno would be succeeded by O'Brien, in 2009. Leno explained he did not want to see a repeat of the hard feelings and controversy that occurred when he was given the show over Letterman following Carson's retirement.[9][10]It was announced on July 21, 2008, that Leno would host his final episode of The Tonight Show on Friday, May 29, 2009, with O'Brien and James Taylor as his guests.[11] O'Brien took over hosting duties commencing the following Monday, on June 1, 2009.
On December 9, 2008, it was announced Leno would be hosting a new nightly show in September 2009, which aired at 10 pm ET, during the network's prime time period. The Jay Leno Show ended after a short run on February 9, 2010.
June 1, 2009
Conan O'Brien debuted as the host of NBC's Tonight Show.
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show that featured Conan O'Brien as host from June 1, 2009 to January22, 2010 as part of NBC's long-running Tonight Show franchise. The program's host, Conan O'Brien, previously hostedNBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien, which followed The Tonight Show with Jay Leno for 16 years, untilO'Brien's brief succession over Leno.Manymembers of the Late Night cast and crew made the transitionto The Tonight Show. The Max Weinberg 7, the house band fromO'Brien's Late Night, served as the house band under the newname, Max Weinberg and The Tonight Show Band. Andy Richter returned to the showas announcer, and also began resuming his role as sidekick, shortly before theshow's conclusion. The opening and closing theme song from Late Night wasalso carried over toTonight, in a slightly altered form.
InJanuary 2010, after the show had been on the air for seven months, it wasannounced that NBC was intending to move JayLeno fromprimetime back to his original timeslot at 11:35 pm, with O'Brien's showstarting shortly after midnight. In response to the announcement, O'Brienreleased a press statement saying that he would not continue as host of TheTonight Show if it was moved to any time after midnight toaccommodate The Jay Leno Show. He feared it would ruin the long and rich tradition of TheTonight Show, which had been on after the late local newscasts from thebeginning. After two weeks of negotiations, NBC announced that they had paid$45 million to buy out[3] O'Brien's contract,ending both his tenure as host as well as his relationship with NBC after 22years.
ConanO'Brien's final Tonight Show was broadcast on January 22,2010, with Jay Leno officially resuming his role as host on March 1, 2010,immediately following the conclusion of the 2010 Winter Olympics. To date, it is the shortest running version of The Tonight Show.It later received four Primetime Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Variety, Musicor Comedy Series, the first time The Tonight Show has received anomination for this particular award since 2003.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
May 20, 1989
GildaRadner died.
In the fall of 1988, afterbiopsies and a saline wash of her abdomen showed no signs of cancer, Radnerwent on a maintenance chemotherapy treatment to prolong her remission, butlater that same year, she learned that her cancer returned after a routine bloodtest showed that levels of the tumor marker CA-125 had increased. She wasadmitted to Cedars-SinaiMedical Center in Los Angeles on May17, 1989 for a CAT scan. Despite expressing her fear that she would neverwake up, she was given a sedative and passed into a coma during the scan. Shedid not regain consciousness, and died three days later from ovarian cancer at 6:20 am on May 20, 1989; Wilder was at her side.Her funeral was held in Connecticut on May 24, 1989.In lieu of flowers, her family requested that donations be sent to TheWellness Community. Her gravestonereads: "Gilda Radner Wilder - Comedienne - Ballerina 1946-1989". Shewas interred at Long Ridge Union Cemetery in Stamford,Connecticut.
By coincidence, the news of her death broke on earlySaturday afternoon (Eastern Daylight Time), while Steve Martin was rehearsing as the guest host for that night'sseason finale of Saturday Night Live. Saturday Night Livepersonnel—including Lorne Michaels, Phil Hartman, and Mike Myers (who had, in his own words, "fallen inlove" with Radner after playing her son in a BC Hydro commercial on Canadian television and considered her the reason hewanted to be on SNL) had not known she was so close to death. Theyscrapped Martin's planned opening monologue and instead, Martin, in tears,introduced a video clip of a 1978 sketch in which he and Radner parodied Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse in a well-known dance routine from The Band Wagon.
May 21, 1999
Soap star Susan Lucci wins first Emmy after 19nominations. “The streak isover…Susan Lucci!” announces Shemar Moore of The Young and the Restless onthis night in 1999, right before presenting the Daytime Emmy Award for BestActress to the tearful star of ABC’s All My Children. The award wasLucci’s first win in 19 straight years of being nominated in the Best Actresscategory for her portrayal of Erica Kane.
A native of Garden City, New York, Lucci moved to New York City aftergraduating from college in 1968. She played bit parts in the films Goodbye,Columbus and Me, Natalie (both 1969) before landing the role of thetroubled teenager Erica Kane on a new soap opera, All My Children. Theshow debuted on January 5, 1970, and Lucci would go on to play Erica Kane overthe next four decades, as the character married no fewer than 11 times (toeight different men, and several of the marriages were invalid), had severalchildren and grandchildren, was kidnapped, survived an airplane crash and a caraccident, battled drug addiction and became the owner of her own cosmeticscompany (among other notable events). By 1991, Erica Kane was, according to TVGuide, “unequivocally the most famous soap-opera character in the historyof TV.”As reported by the New York Times, Lucci at that time was thehighest-paid actor on daytime television, earning more than $1 million per yearfor her work on All My Children. Her honors included a Best Soap Actresswin in a 1985 People magazine poll, and a 1989 Soap Opera Digest EditorsAward for an “outstanding contribution to daytime television.” One thing shedidn’t have, however, was an Emmy. She received her first nomination in 1978,and before long had received several nominations in a row without a win. Afterreportedly losing her temper after failing to take home the award in 1982 and1983, Lucci began accepting her runner-up status with more humor. In the fallof 1990, she appeared as a guest host on an episode of Saturday Night Live,in which all of the show’s cast and crew members carried Emmy statuettes pasther during her opening monologue. She also filmed a commercial for a sugarsubstitute called the Sweet One, in which she lampooned her own hunger for anEmmy.
Lucci was the favorite to win that May night in 1999, and Moore’sannouncement brought the audience in the theater at Madison Square Garden totheir feet for a standing ovation that lasted several minutes. Lucci’semotional acceptance speech brought tears to the eyes of many in the crowd,including the talk show host Rosie O’Donnell and Lucci’s All My Childrenco-stars Kelly Ripa and Marcy Walker. After thanking her husband, Helmut Huber,the All My Children cast and crew and her fans, Lucci closed her speechby announcing “I’m going to go back to that studio Monday and I’m going to playErica Kane for all she’s worth.”
In addition to her work on All My Children, Lucci guest-starredrepeatedly on the prime-time soap opera Dallas during the 1990s and hasappeared in a number of TV movies, including Lady Mobster, MafiaPrincess and Secret Passions. In 1999, she starred on Broadway inthe revival of Annie Get Your Gun. Lucci also competed in the seventhinstallment of the reality series Dancing With the Stars, which aired inthe fall of 2008.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
I think that you get something for your acting from almost anything you do.
Dabney Coleman
| | | Dabney Wharton ColemanJanuary 3, 1932 – May 16, 2024 |
Dabney Coleman's television roles include the title characters of Buffalo Bill (1983–1984) and The Slap Maxwell Story (1987–1988), as well as Burton Fallin on The Guardian (2001–2004), the voice of Principal Peter Prickly on Recess (1997–2001), and Louis "The Commodore" Kaestner on Boardwalk Empire (2010–2011). He had won one Primetime Emmy Award from six nominations and one Golden Globe Award from three nominations.This needs no explanation
| | | Good Night Mr. ColemanStay TunedTony Figueroa |
May 17, 1974
LAPD raid leaves six SLA members dead
In Los Angeles, California, police surround a home in Compton where the leadersof the terrorist group known as the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) are hidingout. The SLA had kidnapped Patricia Hearst, of the fabulously wealthy Hearstfamily publishing empire, months earlier, earning headlines across the country.Police found the house in Compton when a local mother reported that her kidshad seen a bunch of people playing with an arsenal of automatic weapons in theliving room of the home.TheLAPD's 500-man siege on the Compton home was only the latest event in a short,but exceedingly bizarre, episode. The SLA was a small group of violent radicalswho quickly made their way to national prominence, far out of proportion totheir actual influence. They began by killing Oakland's superintendent ofschools in late 1973 but really burst into society's consciousness when theykidnapped Hearst the following February.
Monthslater, the SLA released a tape on which Hearst said that she was changing hername to Tania and joining the SLA. Shortly thereafter, a surveillance camera ina bank caught Hearst carrying a machine gun during an SLA robbery. In anotherincident, SLA member General Teko was caught trying to shoplift from a sportinggoods store, but escaped when Hearst sprayed the front of the building withmachine gun fire.
Althoughlaw enforcement officials began talking about the SLA as if they were awell-established paramilitary terrorist organization, the SLA had only ahandful of members, most of who were disaffected middle class youths.
OnMay 17, Los Angeles police shot an estimated 1,200 rounds of ammunition intothe tiny Compton home as six SLA members shot back. Teargas containers throwninto the hideout started a fire, but the SLA refused to surrender. Autopsyresults showed that they continued to fire back even as smoke and flames weresearing their lungs; they clearly chose suicide and martyrdom over jail.Randolph Hearst, Patty's father, remarked that the massive attack had turned"dingbats into martyrs." The raid left six SLA members dead,including leader Donald DeFreeze, also known as Cinque. Patty Hearst was notinside the home at the time. She was not found until September 1975.
PattyHearst was put on trial for armed robbery and convicted, despite her claim thatshe had been coerced, through repeated rape, isolation, and brainwashing, intojoining the SLA. Prosecutors believed that she actually orchestrated her ownkidnapping because of her prior involvement with one of the SLA members.Despite any real proof of this theory, she was convicted and sent to prison.President Carter commuted Hearst's sentence after she had served almost twoyears. Hearst was pardoned by President Clinton in January 2001.
May 17, 2004
Tony Randall died.
Best known for his role as Felix Unger in the television adaptation of Neil Simon‘s play, The Odd Couple.May 19, 2009
The pilot episode of Glee aired.
"Pilot" is the pilot episode ofthe American television series Glee, which premiered on the Fox networkon May 19, 2009. An extended director's cut version aired onSeptember 2, 2009. The show focuses on a high school show choir, also known as a glee club, set within the fictionalWilliam McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio. The pilot episodecovers the formation of the club and introduces the main characters. Theepisode was directed by series creator Ryan Murphy, and written by Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan. Murphy selected the music featured in the episode, with the intentionof maintaining a balance between showtunes and chart hits.Theepisode achieved 9.619 million viewers on first broadcast, and 4.2 millionwhen the director's cut version aired.Critical response was mixed,with The New York Times's Alessandra Stanleyhighlighting the episode's unoriginality and stereotyped characters, butpraising the showmanship and talent of the cast. The Daily News's David Hinckley opinedthat the show was imperfect and implausible but "potentiallyheartwarming," while USA Today's Robert Bianco noted casting and tone problems,but commented positively on the show's humor and musical performances. MaryMcNamara for the LA Times wrote that the showhad a wide audience appeal, calling it: "the first show in a long timethat's just plain full-throttle, no-guilty-pleasure-rationalizations-necessaryfun."
Spanishteacher WillSchuester (Matthew Morrison) learns that Sandy Ryerson (Stephen Tobolowsky), the head of William McKinley High School's glee club has been fired forinappropriate sexual behavior toward male student Hank Saunders (Ben Bledsoe). The school principal,Figgins (Iqbal Theba), gives Will permission totake over the club, and he plans to revitalize it, naming the group NewDirections. The club consists of fame-hungry Rachel Berry (Lea Michele), diva Mercedes Jones (Amber Riley), flamboyant countertenor Kurt Hummel (Chris Colfer), paraplegicelectric guitarplayer ArtieAbrams (Kevin McHale) and stuttering goth Tina Cohen-Chang (Jenna Ushkowitz). Will's efforts arederided by SueSylvester (Jane Lynch), head of the school'ssuccessful cheerleading team, the Cheerioswho soon plans to abolish the Glee club to restore her money funded towards thespoilt Cheerios. His wife Terri (Jessalyn Gilsig) is also unsupportive,suggesting that Will become an accountant to increase their income and give upteaching. Rachel threatens to leave the club if Will cannot find a malevocalist with talent comparable to hers. When the school's football coach Ken Tanaka (Patrick Gallagher) allows Will to try to recruit football team members, in return thathe put a good word for Emma for him (because Ken likes her), he discoversthat quarterback Finn Hudson (Cory Monteith) is secretly a talentedsinger. He plants marijuana in Finn's locker, andblackmails him into joining New Directions. Finn, determined not to disappointhis widowed mother, complies.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
May 6, 1959
Raymond Burr winsthe Best Actor in a Dramatic Series Emmy for Perry Mason, in which heplays a crime-solving attorney.
The popular show, which debuted in 1957,ran for nine years. Derived from mystery novels by Earl Stanley Gardner, thecharacter of Perry Mason had made his radio debut in 1943 and the showcontinued until 1955. The sleuthing Perry Mason character was revived in aseries of TV movies from 1985 to 1993.
May 6, 1984
Spinal Tap stages a "comeback" at CBGB's inNew York City
Almost20 years and who knows how many drummers into their unique career in rock, thesurviving members of one of England's loudest bands had reached yet another lowpoint in the spring of 1984. Only two years removed from a disastrous 1982world tour that not only failed to turn the album Smell The Glove into acomeback hit, but also led to the group's breakup, Spinal Tap now had to sufferthe indignity of seeing the Marty DiBergi-helmed behind-the-scenes film of thattour gain widespread theatrical release. Would the numerous embarrassmentscatalogued in the hard-hitting rockumentary This Is Spinal Tap provokepublic sympathy for and renewed interest in the band that Nigel Tufnel, DavidSt. Hubbins and Derek Smalls began back in 1964 as The Originals? Or would thegroup behind such familiar classic-rock hits as "Give Me Some Money"and "Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight" be consigned once and forall to obscurity? In this atmosphere of uncertainty, Spinal Tap elected to goback to their roots, kicking off a tour of small American rock clubs with anappearance at New York City's legendary CBGB's on May 6, 1984.Ofcourse, almost none of the above is true, strictly speaking. A group callingitself Spinal Tap did play CBGB's on this day in 1984, but that group was thefictitious invention of director Rob Reiner and the comic actors MichaelMcKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer—St. Hubbins, Tufnel and Smalls,respectively. Reiner's directorial debut was the aforementioned This IsSpinal Tap, a film that launched the mockumentary mini-genre as well as athousand catchphrases, from "These go to 11" to "Nonemore black." It was during the film's first week of release thatMcKean, Guest, Shearer and one of their many doomed drummers played their gigat CBGB's, which one attendee recalls as drawing "every professionalmusician in the city of New York."
Thislive appearance by Spinal Tap was the first, but certainly not the last step inan ongoing effort by the McKean et al. to blur the line between fiction andreality. In the years since their live debut, numerous bootleg recordings andearly television appearances have "surfaced," and one full-lengthalbum—1992's Break Like The Wind—has been released. At last report,Nigel Tufnel was working on a pony farm, David St. Hubbins was producinghip-hop records out of a former colonic clinic and Derek Smalls was in rehabfor an Internet addiction. But do not be surprised if one day you encounter asalesman resembling Christopher Guest on a visit to a hat shop, or if nextyear's lineup of Broadway openings includes the long-awaited St. Hubbins rockopera, Saucy Jack
May 6, 2004
Final episode of Friendsairs on NBC
At 9:00 p.m. Eastern andPacific times on this day in 2004, that familiar theme song (“I’ll Be There ForYou” by the Rembrandts) announces the beginning of the end, as an estimated51.1 million people tune in for the final original episode of NBC’s long-runningcomedy series Friends.Created and executive-produced (with Kevin S. Bright) by Marta Kauffman andDavid Crane, Friends debuted 10 years and 236 episodes earlier, onSeptember 22, 1994. Shot at the Warner Brothers studios in Burbank, California,the show was set in New York City’s Greenwich Village, where six friendsstruggled with the ups-and-downs of young adult life in the big city--albeitwhile living in an impossibly large, cushy apartment, apparently without theburden of having to spend much time working actual jobs. Almost from thebeginning of its decade-long run, Friends was a cultural phenomenon,winning six Emmy Awards (including one for Outstanding Comedy Series), sparkinghairstyle trends (“the Rachel”), spawning catch phrases (“How you doin?”)and turning its six principal cast members into household names.
Preceded by a maelstrom of hype and publicity, the hour-long Friends finaledrew approximately two-thirds of the audience garnered by the finales of twoother long-running sitcoms, Cheers (80.4 million) in 1993 and Seinfeld(76.2 million) in 1998, according to a Fox News report. The most-watched TVseries finale ever, MASH, was viewed by some 105 million people whenit aired in 1983. According to the New York Times*, NBC chargedadvertisers an average of $2 million for every 30 seconds of ad time during thefinale--a record amount for a sitcom and only $300,000 less than what CBScharged during that year’s Super Bowl.
In the finale, the long-running on-and-off relationship between Ross (DavidSchwimmer) and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), which over the years included adrunken Las Vegas wedding and a baby, Emma, born in 2002, ended as most of theshow’s fans hoped: They got back together, presumably for good. Meanwhile,Chandler (Matthew Perry) and Monica (Courtney Cox-Arquette) had becomesuburbanites and parents of twins, Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) was married, and Joey(Matt LeBlanc) was headed off to L.A. to pursue his acting career. (A spin-offsitcom, Joey, followed LeBlanc’s character to Hollywood; the show failedto attract a significant audience, and was canceled in 2006.)
Throughout the show’s run, its six stars maintained a famously unifiedfront, ensuring that no one of them emerged as a dominating force onscreen andeven negotiating their salaries together. In the spring of 2000, each member ofthe cast signed a two-year, $40 million contract that netted them each astaggering $1 million per episode. Broadcast in some 100 countries, Friends continuesto earn good ratings for its syndicated rerun episodes.
May8, 1984
Soviets announce boycott of1984 Olympics
Claimingthat its athletes will not be safe from protests and possible physical attacks,the Soviet Union announces that it will not compete in the 1984 Olympics in LosAngeles. Despite the Soviet statement, it was obvious that the boycott was aresponse to the decision of the United States to boycott the 1980 gamesthat were held in Moscow.Justmonths before the 1984 Olympic games were to begin in LosAngeles, the Soviet government issued a statement claiming, "It is knownfrom the very first days of preparations for the present Olympics the Americanadministration has sought to set course at using the Games for its politicalaims. Chauvinistic sentiments and anti-Soviet hysteria are being whipped up inthis country." Russian officials went on to claim that protests againstthe Soviet athletes were likely to break out in Los Angeles and that theydoubted whether American officials would try to contain such outbursts. Theadministration of President Ronald Reagan responded to these chargesby declaring that the Soviet boycott was "a blatant political decision forwhich there was no real justification."
Inthe days following the Soviet announcement, 13 other communist nations issuedsimilar statements and refused to attend the games. The Soviets, who had beenstung by the U.S. refusal to attend the 1980 games in Moscow because of theRussian intervention in Afghanistan in 1979, were turning the tables byboycotting the 1984 games in America. The diplomatic impact of the action wasquite small. The impact on the games themselves, however, was immense. Withoutcompetition from the Soviet Union, East Germany, and other communist nations,the United States swept to an Olympic record of 83 gold medals.
May 8, 1984
"Well,what can I say? Both of our children are married now and they’re starting outto build lives of their own. And I guess when you reach a milestone like thisyou have to have to reflect back on, on what you’ve done and, and what you’veaccomplished. Marion and I have not climbed Mount Everest or written a greatAmerican novel. But we’ve had the joy of raising two wonderful kids, andwatching them and their friends grow up into loving adults. And now, we’regonna have the pleasure of watching them pass that love on to their children.And I guess no man or woman could ask for anything more. So thank you all forbeing, part of our family… ToHappy Days."
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
April 29, 1944
Last"Our Gang" film released. Dancing Romeo, the last "OurGang" film, is released on this day in 1944.
The first film, featuring a band of mischievousyoungsters, was produced in 1922 by Hal Roach. Roach produced the short filmsuntil 1938, when he sold the rights to MGM. In all, more than 100 Our Gangfilms were made. Later, they were shown as TV comedies under the name "TheLittle Rascals."April 30, 1939
NBC began regularU.S. television broadcasts, with a telecast of President Franklin D. Rooseveltopening the New York World's Fair.
Programs were transmitted from the NBCmobile camera trucks to the main transmitter, which was connected to an aerialatop the Empire State Building.Ten days prior to the Roosevelt speech, David Sarnoff,President of RCA (The Radio Corporation of America and NBC's original parentcompany) made a dedication speech for the opening of the RCA Pavilion at theNew York World's Fair. Staging this event prior to the World's Fair openingceremonies ensured that RCA would capture its share of the newspaper headlines.The ceremony was televised, and watched by several hundred viewers on TVreceivers inside the RCA Pavilion at the fairgrounds, as well as on receiversinstalled on the 62nd floor of Radio City in Manhattan. Back then, the programsincluded operas, cartoons, cooking demonstrations, travelogues, fashion shows,and skaters at Rockefeller Center along with numerous live telecasts relayedfrom within the fair itself.
April 30, 1964
The FCC ruled thatall TV receivers should be equipped to receive both VHF and UHF channels.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
April 23, 1939
LeeMajors is born Harvey Lee Yeary.
Film and voice actor, bestknown for his roles as Heath Barkley in the TV series The Big Valley (1965–69), asColonel Steve Austin in The Six Million Dollar Man (1973–78) and as Colt Seavers in The Fall Guy (1981–86).
Inthe late 1980s and 1990s, he reprised the role of Steve Austin in a number ofTV movies, and appeared in a number of supporting, recurring and cameo roles infeature films and TV series, and lent his voice to a number of animated TVseries andvideo games.
April 23, 1989
NBC aired the pilotepisode of Baywatch.
April 26, 1989
Lucille Ball dies. Comedian Lucille Ball dies at age 78.
During her career, she and husband Desi Arnaztransformed TV, creating the first long running hit sitcom.Ball was born in 1911near Jamestown, New York, to an electrician and a concert pianist. Her fatherdied when Ball was two. By age 15, Ball had decided to become an actress andattended drama school. However, the shy, skinny teenager received littleencouragement and was rejected at least four times from Broadway chorus lines,although she eventually joined one in 1926. In 1933, she was hired as theChesterfield cigarette girl and was featured in all the company'sadvertisements. Attracting attention with her Chesterfield ads, she finallybegan playing bit parts in Hollywood movies in 1933. By the late 1930s, thestarlet had graduated to comic supporting roles. In 1940, she met Cubanbandleader Desi Arnaz while shooting Too Many Girls. The couple marriedthe following year.
Ball continued to landmovie roles that didn't fully showcase her talent. Frustrated, she turned toradio and starred as a ditzy wife in My Favorite Husband from 1948 to1951. CBS decided to launch the popular series on the relatively new medium ofTV. Lucy insisted Desi be cast as her husband in the TV version, though thenetwork executives said no one would believe the couple were married. Desi andLucy performed before live audiences and filmed a pilot, convincing networkexecutives that audiences responded well to their act, and CBS cast Desi forthe show.
ILove Lucy became one of the mostpopular TV sitcoms in history, ranking in the top three shows for six years andturning the couple's production company, Desilu, into a multimillion-dollarbusiness. Ball became president of the company in 1960, after she and Desidivorced. She also starred in several other "Lucy" shows, including TheLucy Show, which debuted in 1962 and ran for six seasons, and Here'sLucy, in which she starred with her two children until the show wascancelled in 1974. A later show, Life with Lucy, featuring Lucy as agrandmother, was cancelled after only eight episodes. Ball worked little in thelast years of her life. She died of congestive heart failure followingopen-heart surgery earlier in the month.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
April 16, 1949
Garrowayat Large debuts.
Radio personality Dave Garroway moves to TV, as the host of one of television'searliest musical-variety shows. Garroway at Large was one of the twomost important series to be made in Chicago, along with Kukla, Fran &Ollie, during the city's brief period in the late 1940s as an importantproduction center for network programs. Garroway at Large ran until1951.Dave Garroway started outas a page at NBC and worked his way up to the position of radio announcer forvarious NBC programs. From 1944 to 1948, he announced for the NBC radio series TheWorld's Great Novels. The show featured dramatic readings of classic novelsand later evolved into NBC University of the Air, which offeredaccredited radio-assisted degrees in literature. Garroway also hosted his ownradio talk show with music, which aired under various names from 1946 to 1955.
Startingin 1952, Garroway became the longtime host of NBC's Today show. Hecontinued some prime-time work, though, and when Garroway at Largeended, he tried another show, called The Dave Garroway Show, in 1953.The second show, however, didn't take off, partly because of stiff competitionfrom the other networks, which were airing popular programs Mama andOzzie and Harriet.
April 18, 1929
First Our Gang film with sound debuts.
Small Talk,the first Our Gang picture with sound, debuts on this day in 1929.Producer Hal Roach had started producing the Our Gang short comedies in 1922.The series' mischievous band of kids, later known as the "LittleRascals," quickly caught on with the public, especially after charactersSpanky, Alfalfa, and Darla were added in the early 1930s. In 1938, Roach soldthe Our Gang rights to MGM, which produced the shorts until 1944. In total,more than 100 Our Gang films were made.April 18, 1979
Real People premiered.
Real People had the format of a comedy talk showtaped in front of a large studio audience. Each segment featured a news reportconsisting of visits to people with unique occupations or hobbies, occasionallybringing some of them in-studio to interact with the audience. In its earlyseasons, RealPeople wasNBC's most popular series, often scoring at the top of the ratings, and was a rare hitfor the network at a time when NBC was a distantthird in the ratings and struggling with numerous flops. Segments included"funny pictures" and funny newspaper errors sent in by viewers, whowere awarded a RealPeople T-shirt.According to a 2008 interview with producer GeorgeSchlatter, who also co-created Rowan & Martin'sLaugh-In for NBC, the show had covered serious topics like war heroes.Regularhosts included John Barbour, SarahPurcell, ByronAllen, SkipStephenson, Bill Rafferty, MarkRussell, PeterBillingsley, andFred Willard.
April 20, 1959 - Desilu Playhouse on CBS-TVpresented a two-part show titled The Untouchables.
April 20, 1989 - Scientist announcedthe successful testing of high-definition TV.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
If you don't hop aboard the change train, you're gonna get derailed.-Joe Flaherty
| | | Joseph FlahertyJune 21, 1941 – April 1, 2024 |
Joseph O'Flaherty was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the eldest of seven children. His father was a production clerk at Westinghouse Electric and of Irish heritage and his mother was of Italian descent.
Flaherty served in the United States Air Force for four years. He then got involved in dramatic theatre.
Flaherty moved to Chicago, where he started his comedy career in 1969 with the Second City Theater as Joe O'Flaherty, where he would work with future stars such as John Belushi and Harold Ramis, He dropped the O as there was another Joseph O'Flaherty registered with Actors Equity. Along with several other Second City performers, he began appearing on the National Lampoon Radio Hour from 1973 to 1974. After seven years in Chicago, he moved to Toronto to help establish the Toronto Second City theatre troupe. During those years, he was one of the original writer/performers on SCTV, where he spent eight years on the show, playing such characters as Big Jim McBob (of Farm Film Report fame), Count Floyd/Floyd Robertson, and station owner/manager Guy Caballero, who goes around in a wheelchair only for respect and undeserved sympathy.
Other memorable Flaherty characterizations included emotional talk-show host Sammy Maudlin, seedy saxophonist-private eye Vic Arpeggio, aggressive elocution lecturer Norman Gorman, myopic public-television host Hugh Betcha, and "crazy as a snake" ex-convict Rocco.
SCTV ceased production in 1984. The same year, Flaherty played Count Floyd in a short film that was shown at concerts by the rock band Rush before the song "The Weapon", for their tour in support of Grace Under Pressure (and can be seen in the home video, Grace Under Pressure Tour).
Flaherty appeared in a number of cult-favorite films, for example, playing the part of the Western Union postal worker who delivers Doc Brown's 70-year-old letter to Marty McFly in Back to the Future Part II (1989), as well as the crazed fan yelling "jackass!" who secretly works for antagonist Shooter McGavin in Happy Gilmore. In season eight of Family Guy, Flaherty once again played the Western Union man in "Something, Something, Something, Dark Side". He likewise satirizes his Back to the Future Part II character in "The Big Bang Theory", this time playing a Vatican worker whose role is essentially identical to that of his Western Union character.
In 1989, Flaherty played a guest role in Married... with Children in the season-four episode "Tooth or Consequences", as a recently divorced dentist who must repair Al Bundy's teeth.
During 1997–1998, Flaherty starred in the television adaptation of Police Academy (Police Academy: The Series) as Cmdt. Stuart Hefilfinger. The series lasted for only one season.
In 1999, Flaherty joined the cast of Freaks and Geeks, an NBC hour-long dramedy set in the 1980–1981 academic year, in which he played Harold Weir, the irascible father of two teens. Despite a dedicated cult following, the show only lasted one season. In the third episode, "Tricks and Treats", he dons a cheap vampire costume reminiscent of his "Count Floyd" character of the depicted era.
Flaherty made appearances on the CBS sitcom The King of Queens as Father McAndrew, the priest at the Heffernans' church. He starred on the Bite TV original program, Uncle Joe's Cartoon Playhouse, and served as a judge on the CBC program The Second City's Next Comedy Legend.
From 2001 to 2004, he had appeared in various Disney shows and films, including The Legend of Tarzan and Home on the Range.
In 2018, Flaherty participated in a cast reunion at Toronto's Elgin Theatre filmed by Martin Scorsese for a yet to be released Netflix special.
Beginning in 2004, Flaherty was a member of the faculty at Humber College, where he taught a comedy-writing course. He was also on the program's advisory committee.
Flaherty was married to Judith Dagley for 22 years until their divorce in 1996. They had two children, Gudrun, who is also an actress and writer, and Gabriel. His brothers, Paul and Dave, are comedy writers. He died on April 1, 2024, at the age of 82 after a short illness.
| | | Good Night Mr. Flaherty |
| | | Stay tuned Tony Figueroa |
April 2, 1974
The 46th Academy Awards Streaker.
While David Niven was introducing Elizabeth Taylor topresent the award for Best Picture, a streaker named Robert Opel ran out from backstage,causing spontaneous laughter. David Niven tookcontrol of the situation bysaying, “Isn't it fascinating to think that probably the only laugh that manwill ever get in his life is by stripping off and showing his shortcomings?”April 3, 1924
Doris Day is born DorisMary Ann Kappelhoff.
Day began her career as a big band singer in 1939. Her popularity beganto rise after her first hit recording, “Sentimental Journey“, in 1945. After leaving Les Brown & His Band of Renown to try a solo career,she started her long-lasting partnership with Columbia Records, which would remain heronly recording label. The contract lasted from 1947 to 1967, and included morethan 650 recordings, making Day one of the most popular and acclaimed singersof the 20th century. In 1948, after being persuaded by Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne and her agent at thetime, Al Levy, she auditioned for Michael Curtiz, which led to her beingcast in the female lead role in Romance on the High Seas. Whenthird husband MartinMelcher diedon April 20, 1968, a shocked Day discovered that Melcher and his businesspartner Jerome Bernard Rosenthal had squandered her earnings, leaving herdeeply in debt. Rosenthal had been her attorney since 1949, when herepresented her in her uncontested divorce action against her second husband,saxophonist George W. Weidler. In February 1969, Day filed suit against Rosenthal and won thethen-largest civil judgment (over $20 million) in the state of California.(She later settled for about one-quarter of the amount originally awarded.)
Dayalso learned that Melcher had committed her to a television series, whichbecame The Doris Day Show.
Dayhated the idea of doing television, but felt obliged to it. ”There was acontract. I didn’t know about it. I never wanted to do TV, but I gave it 100percent anyway. That’s the only way I know how to do it.” The firstepisode of The Doris Day Show aired on September 24, 1968,and, from 1968 to 1973, employed “Que Sera, Sera” as its theme song. Daygrudgingly persevered (she needed the work to help pay off her debts), but onlyafter CBS ceded creative controlto her and her son. The successful show enjoyed a five-year run (its secondseason finished in the Top 10 of the Nielsen ratings), and functioned as acurtain-raiser for The Carol Burnett Show. It is remembered today for its abruptseason-to-season changes in casting and premise. It was not widely syndicatedas many of its contemporaries were, and was re-broadcast very little outsidethe United States, Australia and the UK. By the end of its run in 1973,public tastes had changed and her firmly established persona regarded as passé.She largely retired from acting after The Doris Day Show, but didcomplete two television specials, The Doris Mary Anne KappelhoffSpecial (1971) and Doris Day to Day (1975).
April 3, 1944
Tony Orlando is born MichaelAnthony Orlando Cassavitis.
Born to a Greek father and a Puerto Rican mother, he spent his earliest years in Manhattan, New York’sthen-notorious Hell’s Kitchen. In his teenage years, the family moved to Union City and later, Hasbrouck Heights in NewJersey.Bestknown as the lead singer of the group Tony Orlando and Dawn in the early 1970s.
Discoveredby producer DonKirshner,Orlando had songs on the charts in 1961 when he was 16, “Halfway to Paradise” and “Bless You”. Orlando then became a producer himself, and at anearly age was promoted to a vice-president position at CBS Records, where he was in charge ofthe April-Blackwood Music division. He sang under the name “Dawn” in the 1970s,and when the songs became hits, he went on tour and the group became “TonyOrlando and Dawn”. They had several songs which were major hits including “Candida“, “Knock Three Times“, and “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree“.
April 3, 1949
Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis debuted on radio inan NBC program that ran until 1952.
April 4, 1969
The CBS Television Network firedTheSmothers Brothers because the brothers failed to submit an episode of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour tonetwork executives before its broadcast.
The network claimed the second to last show of the season was turned inlate, and claimed that their tardiness constituded a breach of contractjustifying their dropping of the series. The network ultimately refused to runthe episode anyway because they said it "would be considered irreverentand offensive by a large segment of our audience". That episode is on the Smothers Brothers: The Best of Season 3 DVD.The variety show was well knownfor its censorship battles with the network. The network executives oftenobjected to the brothers' selection of controversial, outspoken, left wing, andantiwar guests, including:
Pete Seeger, who had beeninvited to appear on the Smothers' second season premiere to sing his anti-warsong, "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy.” Seeger would later apear on the showand sang that song.
Harry Belafonte was scheduledto do a calypso song called "Don't Stop the Carnival" with imagesfrom the riots at the 1968 Chicago Democratic Convention behind him. The Songwas cut and the time was sold to the Nixon campaign but can now be seen on theseason 3 DVD.
Joan Baez wanted to dedicate asong to her draft-resisting husband who was about to go to prison for hisstance. The dedication to her husband made the air but the reason for thededication did not.
Dr. Benjamin Spock, noted babydoctor and anti-war activist, was prevented from appearing as a guest of theshow because, according to the network, he was a "convicted felon."
Under the category ofirreverent and offensive, we have:
David Steinberg’s satiricalsermonettes caused controversy for being sacrilegious. His second sermonettewas in the episode that never aired.
Leigh French created therecurring hippie character, Goldie O'Keefe, whose parody of afternoon adviceshows for housewives, "Share a Little Tea with Goldie," was actuallyone long celebration of mind-altering drugs. (Tea" was a counter culturecode word for marijuana, but the CBS censors seemed to be unaware of theconnection). Goldie would open her sketches with, "Hi(gh)– and glad ofit!"
Elaine May wrote a skit aboutcensorship that featured Tom and Elaine who playing motion picture censorstrying to find a more acceptable substitution for unacceptable dialogue. Theskit ended up being censored.
Tomand Dick Smothers assembled the old SmothersBrothers Comedy Hour gang in February 1988 for a 20th reunion special onCBS. Now the network wanted the brothers and company to be edgy andcontroversial but no one associated with the show was interested. After allwhen the establishment tells you something is cool... It's no longer cool.
In 1968 when it came time to submit the names of the writers for Emmyconsiderations, Tom refused to include his name for fear that he had become toocontroversial and it would hurt the show’s chances of winning. The show won theEmmy for outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy Variety that year.
Almost 40 Years later (Sunday, September 21st 2008) during thelive television broadcast of the 60th Annual Emmy Awards, Tom Smothers receivedan Emmy acknowledging his contributions as a writer on “The Smothers BrothersComedy Hour”. Steve Martin, who was one of the Emmy winning writers on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,presented Tom with a commemorative Emmy acknowledging his role in the writingof a variety show.
April5, 1949
Fireside Theatre starts. FiresideTheatre, one of TV's first dramatic series to be filmed rather thanbroadcast live, debuts.
The show ranuntil 1958 and was revived for one year in 1963. For the first year, each filmwas only 15 minutes long, but later the time slot expanded to 30 minutes. JaneWyman, who was married to Ronald Reagan between 1940 and 1948, served as hostfrom 1955 to 1958 and during the 1963 revival.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
I believe the gift of acting is a gift from God, my oath to God, and I want to make sure on a daily basis that it is honed and deeply spiritual... I want to believe that the audience believes that my acting comes from this special place.
-Louis Gossett, Jr.
| | | Louis Cameron Gossett Jr.May 27, 1936 – March 29, 2024 |
Good Night Mr. GossettStay TunedTony Figueroa
March 27, 1974
The Rockford Files premierepisode.
The Rockford Files is an American television drama series which aired onthe NBCnetwork between September 13, 1974 and January 10, 1980. It has remained inregular syndication to the present day. The show stars James Garner as Los Angeles-based privateinvestigator Jim Rockford and featuresNoah Beery,Jr. as his father, a retired truckdriver.The show was created by Roy Huggins and Stephen J.Cannell. Huggins had created thetelevision show Maverick (1957–1962), which had also starred Garner, and hewanted to try to recapture that magic in a "modern day" detectivesetting. He teamed with Cannell, who had written for Jack Webb productions such as Adam-12 and Chase (1973–1974, NBC), to create Rockford.
The show was credited as "A Public Arts/RoyHuggins Production" along with Universal Studios and in association with Cherokee Productions.Cherokee was the name of Garner's company, which he ran with partners Meta Rosenberg and Juanita Bartlett, who doubled as story editor during most of Rockford'srun.
The series theme by composers Mike Post and Pete Carpenter was released as a single and went to #10 on the Billboard Hot 100, remaining on the chart for 16 weeks. and won a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement for 1975.
In 2002, The Rockford Files was ranked #39 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.
Producers Roy Huggins and Stephen J. Cannell devisedthe main character to be a rather significant departure from typical televisiondetectives of the time, essentially Maverick as a modern detective. Rockford had served time inCalifornia's SanQuentin Prison in the 1960s due to awrongful conviction. After five years, he received a pardon. His infrequentjobs as a private investigator barely allow him to maintain his dilapidated mobile home (which doubles as his office) in a parking lot on thebeaches of Malibu,California.
The show's title sequence began with someone leaving amessage on Rockford's answering machine, which were still novel in 1974. Adifferent message was heard in each episode. These frequently had to do withcreditors to whom Rockford owed money, or deadbeat clients who owed money tohim. They were usually unrelated to the rest of the plot. As the series wenton, this gimmick became a burden for the show's writers, who had to come upwith a different joke every week. Suggestions from staffers and crew were oftenused.
In contrast to most television private eyes of thetime, Rockford wears low-budget "off the rack" clothing and does hisbest to avoid fights. He rarely carries his ColtDetective Special revolver, for whichhe does not have a permit, preferring to talk his way out of trouble. He workson coldcases, missing personsinvestigations, and low-budget insurance scams, and he repeatedly states in theseries that he does not handle "open cases" to avoid trouble with thepolice.
In early episodes of the show's first season,Rockford's trailer is located in a parking lot alongside the highway (address2354 Pacific Coast Highway) and near the ocean; for the rest of the series, thetrailer is at Paradise Cove (address 29 Cove Road), adjacent to a pier and arestaurant ("The Sand Castle", now known as the "Paradise CoveBeach Cafe").
In the series of television movies from 1994 to 1999,Rockford is still living in a trailer, but it has been extensively enlarged andremodeled.
In an interesting piece of homage, the trailer servingas a home for Mel Gibson's "Martin Riggs" character and hisgirlfriend, shown near the beginning of Lethal Weapon IV, appears to be locatedat nearly the exact same spot.
The show went into hiatus late in 1979 when Garner wastold by his doctors to take time off because of his bad knees and back, as wellas an ulcer. He sustained the former conditions largely because of hisinsistence on performing most of his own stunts, especially those involvingfist fights or car chases. Because of his excruciating physical pain, Garnereventually opted not to continue with the show a number of months later, andNBC cancelled the program in mid-season. It was also alleged that Rockford becameextremely expensive to produce, mainly due to the extensive location filmingand frequent use of high-end actors as guest stars. According to some sources,NBC and Universal claimed the show was generating a deficit of several milliondollars, a staggering amount for a nighttime show in those days, althoughGarner and his production team Cherokee Productions claimed the show alwaysturned a profit.
A pilot for a remake of the series was written andproduced for NBC by David Shore in 2010, with Dermot Mulroney playing the title character, but was not picked up bythe network due to complaints that it was not written well and the lead wasmiscast. NBC then gave it to Peter Berg to rewrite and produce. As of January 2011, theproject is still in development at NBC.
March 30, 1964
Jeopardydebuted on NBC-TV.
March 30, 1994
First episode of Ellen (originally titled These Friends of Mine for seasonone).
Ellen, Ellen DeGeneres'popular show about single thirty-somethings in Los Angeles, premieres. The showquickly became one of the country's Top 15 most watched shows and drew evenmore attention when, in April 1997, the gay title character "cameout" to her friends in a high-profile episode featuring cameos by OprahWinfrey, k.d. lang, Demi Moore, Billy Bob Thornton, and Dwight Yoakum. Some 42million viewers watched the special hour-long program. Ellen became thefirst prime-time sitcom to feature a gay leading character. However, the showwas not renewed the following season.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
March 21, 1983
The last episode of the long-running TV series Little House on the Prairie aired. Theseries, based on the children's book by Laura Ingalls Wilder, premieredin 1974.
The show was one oftelevision's 25 most highly rated shows for seven of its nine seasons. Whenseries star and executive producer MichaelLandon decided to leave the show in1982, the show's title changed to Little House: A New Beginning and focused oncharacter Laura Ingalls Wilder (Melissa Gilbert)and her family. The show lasted only one more season. Three made-for-televisionmovie sequels followed: Little House:Look Back to Yesterday (1983), LittleHouse: Bless All the Dear Children (1983), and Little House: The Last Farewell (1984).
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
March 11, 1989
COPS debuts on Fox.
The hit reality-based television show COPS premieres on the Fox televisionnetwork, and audiences hear the reggae beat of its distinctive theme song,Inner Circle's "Bad Boys," for the very first time.Created by the producing team of John Langley andMalcolm Barbour, COPS placed cameras and production crews in the carwith real patrol officers around the country as they went on raids and didwhatever was necessary to catch the perpetrators of various drug-relatedcrimes. The pilot episode, like the rest of that debut season, was based inBroward County, Florida, and followed members of the Broward County Sheriff's Office. Theactor Burt Lancaster provided the voice-over for the pilot episode, but therest of the show, shot documentary-style, was not accompanied by any narration.
At the time, Fox was only a fledgling televisionnetwork, having launched in October 1986. The network took a chance on COPSafter other major networks passed on it, leaping on Langley and Barbour's ideain the middle of a five-month-long strike by the Writers Guild of America (WGA)during the summer of 1988. A reality-based show was ideal for the network atthe time, as it would require no writers and was relatively inexpensive toproduce.
COPSsurprised the industry by becoming a hit; it is now one of the longest-runningTV shows in history, with more than 700 episodes airing between 1989 and 2008.Its success spawned an entire new genre of reality programming that would gaintraction during the 1990s and become a major cultural phenomenon by the nextdecade. Like any touchstone of popular culture, COPS has inspirednumerous imitators--including the John Langley-produced series Jail and StreetPatrol--and has been parodied extensively, most notably by the ComedyCentral series Reno 911!
In February 2008, producers released a specialtwo-disc DVD set to celebrate the 20th anniversary of COPS.
March 12, 1974
Wonder Woman debuted onABC-TV. The show later went to CBS-TV.
Wonder Woman's firstbroadcast appearance in live-action television was a television movie made in1974 for ABC. Written by John D. F. Black, the TV movie resembles the Wonder Woman of the"I Ching" period. Wonder Woman (Cathy Lee Crosby) did not wear the comic-book uniform, demonstrated noapparent super-human powers, had a "secret identity" of Diana Princethat was not all that secret, and she was also depicted as blonde (differingfrom the brunette image established in the comic books). This 1974 film followsWonder Woman, assistant to government agent Steve Trevor (Kaz Garas) as shepursues a villain named Abner Smith (Ricardo Montalban) who has stolen a set of code books containingclassified information about U.S. government field agents. Along the way, shehas to outwit Smith's chief assistants: the handsome yet dangerous George(Andrew Prine) and a rogue Amazon, Angela (Anitra Ford), who Smith has taken onas a bodyguard; a brief duel between Wonder Woman and Angela is the film's onlysignificant action sequence, which occurs during the final third of the story.March 16, 1949
Henry Enrique"Erik" Estradais born.
Actor and reserve police officer, known for his co-starring lead role in the1977–1983 United States police television series CHiPs.He later became known for his work inSpanish language telenovelas, and in more recent years, his appearances in realitytelevision shows and infomercials and as a regular voice on the Adult Swim series Sealab 2021.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
You will never see a portrait of my love, for miracles are never seen.
— Steve Lawrence
| | | Steve Lawrenceborn Sidney LiebowitzJuly 8, 1935 – March 7, 2024 |
When he was 18 years old, Steve Lawrence was hired by Steve Allen to be one of the singers on Allen's local New York City late night show on WNBC-TV in 1953, along with Eydie Gormé and Andy Williams. When the show got picked up by NBC to be seen on the national network, becoming The Tonight Show, Lawrence, Gormé and Williams stayed on until the program's end in 1957.
In the late 1950s, Lawrence was drafted into the U.S. Army and served as the official vocal soloist with the United States Army Band "Pershing's Own" in Washington, D.C.
Lawrence had success on the record charts in the late 1950s and early 1960s with such hits as "Go Away Little Girl" (U.S. No. 1), "Pretty Blue Eyes" (U.S. No. 9), "Footsteps" (U.S. No. 7), "Portrait of My Love" (U.S. No. 9), and "Party Doll" (U.S. No. 5). "Go Away Little Girl" sold over one million copies and was awarded a Gold record.[6] However, much of Lawrence's musical career was centered on nightclubs and the musical stage.
Lawrence was also an actor, appearing in guest roles on television shows in every decade since the 1950s. After getting his start with Steve Allen's late night show, he was seen in programs such as The Danny Kaye Show; The Judy Garland Show; The Julie Andrews Hour; Night Gallery; The Flip Wilson Show; Police Story; Murder, She Wrote; and CSI.Lawrence and Gormé starred in the 1958 summer replacement series on NBC, The Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé Show. Lawrence made many appearances on The Carol Burnett Show (1967–78), with and without Eydie. The Steve Lawrence Show, with supporting actor Charles Nelson Reilly, ran for 13 weeks in 1965, a variety show that was one of the last CBS television shows to only air in black and white. Lawrence also served as a panelist on What's My Line? (1950–67).
In 1964, Lawrence starred in the Broadway musical What Makes Sammy Run?. It centered on an ambitious young man clawing his way to the top in Hollywood. It ran for 504 performances at the 54th Street Theater.
Lawrence and Gormé appeared together in the Broadway musical Golden Rainbow, which ran from February 1968 to January 1969. Although the show was not a huge success (a summary of this experience is chronicled in unflattering detail in William Goldman's 1968 book The Season), the show contained the memorable song "I've Gotta Be Me". This song was originally sung by Lawrence at the end of the first act of the musical. Sammy Davis, Jr. later recorded a version of the song that hit number 11 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1969.
Lawrence starred as Gary McBride in the 1972 film Stand Up and Be Counted, opposite Jacqueline Bisset and Stella Stevens. In 1980, he was introduced to a new generation of fans with his portrayal of Maury Sline in The Blues Brothers, and reprised the role in the 1998 sequel Blues Brothers 2000. Lawrence's other films include the Steve Martin comedy The Lonely Guy (1984) and the crime thriller The Yards (2000).In 1984, Lawrence and comedian Don Rickles hosted ABC's Foul-Ups, Bleeps & Blunders.
In 1985, Lawrence and Gormé played Tweedledee (Gormé) and Tweedledum (Lawrence) in Irwin Allen's film adaptation of Alice in Wonderland.Lawrence played Mark McCormick's father, Sonny Daye, in two episodes of Hardcastle and McCormick. He appeared on The Nanny several times — first as himself in season 2, episode 14, and then as the much-talked about, but never really seen, Morty Fine, father of Fran Fine in a few of the final episodes of the show. In 2011, he portrayed Jack, a wealthy love interest of Betty White's character, Elka Ostrovsky, on Hot in Cleveland. In 2014, he guest-starred in an episode of Two and a Half Men on CBS, and sang the theme song to the parody miniseries The Spoils of Babylon.
Lawrence and Gormé married on December 29, 1957, at the El Rancho Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada. They had two sons together; David Nessim Lawrence (b. 1960) is an ASCAP Award-winning composer, who wrote the score for High School Musical, and Michael Robert Lawrence (1962–1986), who died suddenly from ventricular fibrillation resulting from an undiagnosed heart condition at the age of 23. Michael was an assistant editor for a television show at the time of his death and was apparently healthy despite a previous diagnosis of slight arrhythmia.
Gormé and Lawrence were in Atlanta, Georgia, at the time of Michael's death, having performed at the Fox Theater the night before. Upon learning of the death, family friend Frank Sinatra sent his private plane to fly the couple to New York to meet David, who was attending school at the time. Following their son's death, Gormé and Lawrence took a year off before touring again.
Eydie Gormé died on August 10, 2013, at age 84, after a brief, undisclosed illness.
In June 2019, following public speculation about his health, Lawrence announced that he was in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease and that treatment to slow its progression had so far been successful.
Lawrence died from complications due to Alzheimer's disease in Los Angeles, on March 7, 2024, at the age of 88.
| | | Good Night Steve |
| | | Stay TunedTony Figueroa |
March 4, 1994
John Candy dies.
The larger-than-life comedic star John Candy dies suddenly of a heartattack on this day in 1994, at the age of 43. At the time of his death, he wasliving near Durango, Mexico, while filming Wagons East, a Western comedyco-starring the comedian Richard Lewis.Born in 1950, Candy's first professional acting work was in children'stheater in his native Canada. In 1972, he was accepted into the prestigiousSecond City comedy troupe in Toronto, where he would become a regular writerand performer for the group's television program, SCTV, alongside otherrising comics like Eugene Levy (later Candy's co-star in Splash) andHarold Ramis (Ghostbusters). When SCTV moved to networktelevision in 1981, Candy moved with it; that year and the next, he won EmmyAwards for writing for the show. Candy's recurring (and most famous) SCTV personawas Yosh Shmenge, a clarinet player in a polka band. He would reprise thecharacter in a mock documentary, The Last Polka, on HBO in 1985 andwould also play a polka musician in the smash hit Home Alone (1990).
Candy made his big break into movies with Splash (1984), in which hestole most of his scenes as the idle, high-living brother of the maincharacter, played by Tom Hanks. The film, directed by Ron Howard, was a smashhit, jump-starting the careers of Candy, Hanks, Darryl Hannah and Levy. In oneparticularly memorable scene, Candy throws himself with abandon around aracquetball court, using his hefty frame to full comedic effect. Six-foot-threeand weighing as much as 275 pounds, he struggled with dieting over the years,but his heft undoubtedly contributed to his success as a comic performer.
After Splash, Candy was in high demand as a lovable oaf. He starredin a number of box-office hits over the next 10 years, including Spaceballs(1987), and collaborations with the writer, producer and director John Hughesin Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987), The Great Outdoors (1988)and Uncle Buck (1989). A devoted sports fan and co-owner of the TorontoArgonauts of the Canadian Football League, he was also part owner of House ofBlues, with the actors Dan Aykroyd and Jim Belushi. In 1993, Candy won praisefor his role as the sensitive coach of an unlikely Jamaican bobsled team in CoolRunnings (1993).
At the time of his death, Candy had just completed his directorial debut,the Fox Television movie comedy Hostage for a Day. He had performedtwo-thirds of his scenes in Wagons East, which was finished after thefilmmakers' insurance company paid a reported $15 million settlement. Anotherrecently wrapped movie, Canadian Bacon, was released in 1995. Candy wassurvived by his wife, Rosemary, and their two children, Jennifer andChristopher.
March 8th, 1974
The last episode The Brady Bunch aired
"TheHair-Brained Scheme"
Bobby is convinced he can get rich by selling Neat & Natural Hair Tonic.Bobby sells Greg a container which turns Greg's hair bright orange on the eveof his high school commencement. Greg is forced to go to the beauty parlor anddye his hair back before going to graduation.
Note: Robert Reed does not appear in this episode, due to dispute over thestory involving the non-FDA approved bottle of hair tonic, which he thought wasinane slapstick. After Reed wrote a large memo to the staff and Paramount,Sherwood Schwartz wrote him out of the episode.March 9,1954
Edward R. Murrow See it Now
"A Report onSenator Joseph R. McCarthy"
Edward R. Murrow may not have scored the first blowagainst Joseph McCarthy, but he landed a decisive one. For that, he always willbe linked inextricably with the Wisconsin senator, and remembered by Americansas a champion of liberty and democracy. As early as 1950, Murrow observed onthe air that "the weight of the public testimony has tended to show thatso far, Senator McCarthy's charges [againstsuspected communist subversives] areunproven." On March 9, 1954, Murrow, then the most respected journalist inAmerica, engaged in a tough exposé of the senator and his tactics; the lastparagraphs of his presentation are indelibly etched into our history as is therhetoric of McCarthy himself. In the interest of the “fairness doctrine,”McCarthy was given an equal amount of time for a rebuttal, which he deliveredin his classic acerbic style on April 6, 1954. This was the beginning of McCarthy’sdownfall.
March 9, 1959
The InternationalToy Fair in New York premiered Barbie.
That event was followed by 50 yearsof Barbie commercials during Saturday morning cartoons.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
I was way more comfortable in front of strangers than I was in front of relatives. So when they would laugh at my dysfunctions or my anxiety, I felt less alone, and I still do it for the same reason.-Richard Lewis
| | | Richard Philip LewisJune 29, 1947 – February 27, 2024 |
Richard Lewis first tried stand-up at an open-mic in Greenwich Village in 1971.He began writing and regularly performing stand-up comedy in 1972, while working as a copywriter for an advertising agency by day. He was discovered by comedian David Brenner while performing in Greenwich Village. Brenner helped Lewis's career by introducing him to the comedy clubs in Los Angeles and getting Lewis his first appearance on The Tonight Show. By the mid-1970s, Lewis had appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and publications, such as the New York Daily News and New York Magazine, were naming him one of the "new breed" or "class" of comedians; this list containing names such as Robert Klein, Lily Tomlin, Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Andy Kaufman, Richard Belzer, and Elayne Boosler. His influences were Richard Pryor, Buster Keaton, Woody Allen, and Lenny Bruce.
Lewis was known for dark comedy, self-deprecation, and for frank discussions regarding his many neuroses, as well as his struggles with alcoholism and drug addiction. He was noted for wearing all-black attire and for pacing and gesticulating wildly during his stand-up act. In his early days, he was also known for bringing taped-together sheets from a legal pad to his performances; he would lay them across the floor in front of him to remind him of joke premises and topics he wished to cover during his performance.
Lewis made his screen acting debut in Diary of a Young Comic, a 90-minute film that aired on NBC in 1979 in the timeslot normally reserved for episodes of Saturday Night Live. A satirical look at the Hollywood scene, Lewis stars in the film as Billy Gondola (born Gondolstein), a young Jewish comedian who leaves New York City to find fame in Los Angeles. The film's script was co-written by Lewis and Bennett Tramer, and was adapted from a story written by Gary Weis, who also served as the film's director. The film features Bill Macy as Billy's father, Michael Lerner as his agent, and Stacy Keach as a landlord. Performers George Jessel, Dom DeLuise, Nina van Pallandt, and Gary Mule Deer make appearances in the film as themselves.Lewis gained much wider exposure in the 1980s and 1990s with numerous appearances on talk shows such as The Tonight Show, both Late Night and the Late Show with David Letterman, and The Howard Stern Show. He also produced the comedy special I'm in Pain, which aired on Showtime in 1985, followed by the specials I'm Exhausted, I'm Doomed, and Richard Lewis: The Magical Misery Tour, all of which aired on HBO in 1988, 1990, and 1997 respectively. From 1989 to 1992, he co-starred with Jamie Lee Curtis on the sitcom Anything but Love. He also starred on the short-lived sitcoms Daddy Dearest with Don Rickles in 1993, and Hiller and Diller with Kevin Nealon in 1998. He played Prince John in the 1993 film Robin Hood: Men in Tights, and starred as a struggling alcoholic and drug addict in the 1995 drama film Drunks. The latter film featured performances from Faye Dunaway, George Martin, Parker Posey, Howard Rollins, Spalding Gray, and Dianne Wiest, and was based on Gary Lennon's play Blackout. Lewis also appeared in the 1995 drama film Leaving Las Vegas, and the 1997 romantic comedy Hugo Pool.Into the 2000s, Lewis had recurring roles as a B movie producer on the sitcom Rude Awakening, and as Rabbi Richard Glass on the family drama series 7th Heaven. He also had a recurring role on the sitcom Curb Your Enthusiasm as a semi-autobiographical version of himself. Lewis first met the show's star and creator, Larry David, at summer camp in Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York, when they were 12 years old – the former claimed that at the time, they hated each other. The two comedians also happened to be born three days apart in the same hospital. The pair met again over a decade later while performing stand-up in New York and became friends.GQ magazine included Lewis on their list of "The 20th Century's Most Influential Humorists", and Lewis was ranked No. 45 on Comedy Central's list of "100 Greatest Standups of All Time" released in 2004.In 2006, The Yale Book of Quotations included an entry for the expression "the ______ from hell" (as in "the night from hell", "the date from hell". etc.,) that was attributed to Lewis. Lewis also petitioned the editors of Bartlett's Familiar Quotations to include the idiom, which was also worked into the plot of Curb Your Enthusiasm during the episode "The Nanny from Hell." His lawyer sent some video tapes to Bartlett's general editor Justin Kaplan showing Lewis using the phrase. Bartlett's declined, stating that the expression had predated Lewis's first taped broadcast. In response, Lewis told Entertainment Weekly that he traces popular usage of the line back to his early days on David Letterman's show.
Lewis met Joyce Lapinsky in 1998 at a Ringo Starr album release party, while Lapinsky was working in music publishing. The pair were engaged in 2004 and married the following year.
Discussions of Lewis's battles with anxiety and depression, and his multiple therapy sessions, were a fixture of his comedy. He also stated in interviews that he suffered from an eating disorder due to body dysmorphia.
Lewis was open about his recovery from alcohol and drug abuse, having been a user of both cocaine and crystal meth. His addictions worsened into the 1990s, prompting Lewis to stop performing stand-up from 1991 to 1994. In a 1995 interview with the Santa Maria Times, Lewis discussed how John Candy's death the year prior had caused him to reflect upon his own life and career. The two starred together in Candy's last film, the Western-themed comedy film Wagons East. In later interviews, Lewis stated that he got sober in 1994 after winding up in a hospital emergency room due to a cocaine overdose.Lewis published his memoir in 2000, titled The Other Great Depression. The book was reissued in 2008 with an added afterword where Lewis reflected further on his continued struggles with addiction. In 2015, he released the book Reflections From Hell: Richard Lewis' Guide on How Not to Live; it contains his commentary and observations in the form of one-liners and other comedic premises, interspersed with images created by artist Carl Nicholas Titolo.
| | | Good Night Richard. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with me. It helped. |
| | | Stay TunedTony Figueroa |
March 1,1954
Ronald William "Ron" Howard isborn.
Film director, producer and actor.
He came to prominence playing Opie Taylor in the sitcom TheAndy Griffith Show for eightyears, and later the teenaged Richie Cunningham in the sitcom Happy Days for six years.[1] He appeared in the films TheMusic Man in 1962, American Graffiti in 1973, and The Shootist in 1976, the latter during his run on Happy Days.
Howard made his directorial debut with the 1977 comedyGrandTheft Auto, and left HappyDays in 1980 to focus on directing. His films include Cocoon, Apollo 13, How the Grinch Stole Christmas and ABeautiful Mind, which earnedHoward the Academy Award for Best Director. In 2002, Howard conceived the idea for the Fox/Netflix series Arrested Development,on which he also serves as producer and narrator, and plays asemi-fictionalized version of himself.
March 2, 1904
Dr. Seuss born.
Theodor Geisel, better known to the world as Dr. Seuss, the author andillustrator of such beloved children's books as "The Cat in the Hat"and "Green Eggs and Ham," is born in Springfield, Massachusetts.Geisel, who used his middle name (which was also his mother's maiden name) ashis pen name, wrote 48 books--including some for adults--that have sold wellover 200 million copies and been translated into multiple languages. Dr. Seussbooks are known for their whimsical rhymes and quirky characters, which havenames like the Lorax and the Sneetches and live in places like Hooterville.
Geisel, who was born on March 2, 1904, in Springfield, Massachusetts, graduatedfrom Dartmouth College, where he was editor of the school's humor magazine, andstudied at Oxford University. There he met Helen Palmer, his first wife and theperson who encouraged him to become a professional illustrator. Back inAmerica, Geisel worked as a cartoonist for a variety of magazines and inadvertising.
The first children's book that Geisel wrote and illustrated, "And to ThinkThat I Saw It On Mulberry Street," was rejected by over two dozenpublishers before making it into print in 1937. Geisel's first bestseller,"The Cat in the Hat," was published in 1957. The story of amischievous cat in a tall striped hat came about after his publisher asked himto produce a book using 220 new-reader vocabulary words that could serve as anentertaining alternative to the school reading primers children found boring.
Other Dr. Seuss classics include "Yertle the Turtle," "If I Ranthe Circus," "Fox in Socks" and "One Fish, Two Fish, RedFish, Blue Fish."
Some Dr. Seuss books tackled serious themes. "The Butter Battle Book"(1984) was about the arms buildup and nuclear war threat during Ronald Reagan'spresidency. "Lorax" (1971) dealt with the environment.
Many Dr. Seuss books have been adapted for television and film, including"How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" and "Horton Hears a Who!"In 1990, Geisel published a book for adults titled "Oh, the Places You'llGo" that became a hugely popular graduation gift for high school andcollege students.
Geisel, who lived and worked in an old observatory in La Jolla, California,known as "The Tower," died September 24, 1991, at age 87.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
February 25, 1928
The Federal Radio Commission issues the firsttelevision license.
The license wentto the Charles Francis Jenkins Laboratories for a television broadcast stationon Connecticut Avenue in Washington, D.C. The station later moved to Marylandand operated until 1932.
Government regulation ofbroadcasting has been in existence almost as long as the broadcast industryitself. The Wireless Act of 1910 required American ships to carry abroadcasting transmitter and qualified radio operator on all sea voyages. Inthe early 1920s, laws were passed governing transmission power, use offrequencies, station identification, and advertising. The Radio Act of 1927shifted regulatory powers from the Department of Commerce to the new FederalRadio Commission, which became the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in1934.
Today, the FCC stillregulates broadcasting and communications. The U.S. president appoints its fivecommissioners with the Senate's consent. The commission licenses and regulatesradio and TV broadcasters as well as other communications mediums, such astelephone and cable television. It assigns frequencies and call signs to radiostations and is responsible for ensuring rapid, efficient telephone andtelegraph service. The FCC also operates the Emergency Broadcast System, whichprovides a vehicle for authorities to communicate with the public anddisseminate critical information immediately when national disaster strikes(though the system can also be used to broadcast weather warnings and localemergencies).
Moreexpansive policy issues under the purview of the commission include decidinghow much sex and violence is permissible on television. Deregulation of theindustry in the 1980s reduced the FCC's size from seven to five commissionersand increased the term of radio and television station licenses. In the 1990s,the FCC developed a television rating system, much like the one used in movies,which helps people decide which shows are appropriate for the viewers in theirhousehold.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
February 18, 1954
JohnJoseph Travolta is born.
Actor,dancer, and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearingon the television series WelcomeBack, Kotter and starring in thebox office successes SaturdayNight Fever and Grease. Travolta's acting career declined through the 1980s.His career enjoyed a resurgence in the 1990s with his role in PulpFiction, and he has sincecontinued starring in more recent films such as Face/Off, Ladder 49, and Wild Hogs. Travolta was nominated for the AcademyAward for Best Actor for SaturdayNight Fever and Pulp Fiction. He won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - MotionPicture Musical or Comedy for hisperformance in GetShorty.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
February 6, 2014
The last Tonight Show with Jay Leno… again.
February 7,2014
The Last LateNight with Jimmy Fallon
February7, 1964
Beatlesarrive in New York. On February 7, 1964, Pan Am Yankee Clipper flight101 from London Heathrow lands at New York's KennedyAirport--and "Beatlemania" arrives.
It was the first visit to the United States by the Beatles, aBritish rock-and-roll quartet that had just scored its first No. 1 U.S. hit sixdays before with "I Want to Hold Your Hand." At Kennedy, the"Fab Four"--dressed in mod suits and sporting their trademark puddingbowl haircuts--were greeted by 3,000 screaming fans who caused a near riot whenthe boys stepped off their plane and onto American soil.Two days later, Paul McCartney, age 21, Ringo Starr,23, John Lennon, 23, and George Harrison, 20, made their first appearance onthe Ed Sullivan Show, a popular television variety show. Although it wasdifficult to hear the performance over the screams of teenage girls in thestudio audience, an estimated 73 million U.S. television viewers, or about 40percent of the U.S. population, tuned in to watch. Sullivan immediately bookedthe Beatles for two more appearances that month. The group made their first publicconcert appearance in the United States on February 11 at the Coliseum in Washington, D.C., and 20,000fans attended. The next day, they gave two back-to-back performances at NewYork's Carnegie Hall, and police were forced to close off the streets aroundthe venerable music hall because of fan hysteria. On February 22, the Beatlesreturned to England.
The Beatles' first American tour left a major imprintin the nation's cultural memory. With American youth poised to break away fromthe culturally rigid landscape of the 1950s, the Beatles, with theirexuberant music and good-natured rebellion, were the perfect catalyst for theshift. Their singles and albums sold millions of records, and at one point inApril 1964 all five best-selling U.S. singles were Beatles songs. By the timethe Beatles first feature-film, A Hard Day's Night, was released inAugust, Beatlemania was epidemic the world over. Later that month, the fourboys from Liverpool returned to the United States for their second tour andplayed to sold-out arenas across the country.
Later, the Beatles gave up touring to concentrate ontheir innovative studio recordings, such as 1967's Sgt. Pepper's LonelyHeart's Club Band, a psychedelic concept album that is regarded as amasterpiece of popular music. The Beatles' music remained relevant to youththroughout the great cultural shifts of the 1960s, and critics of all agesacknowledged the songwriting genius of the Lennon-McCartney team. In 1970, theBeatles disbanded, leaving a legacy of 18 albums and 30 Top 10 U.S. singles.
During the next decade, all four Beatles pursued solocareers, with varying success. Lennon, the most outspoken and controversialBeatle, was shot to death by a deranged fan outside his New York apartmentbuilding in 1980. McCartney was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1997 for hiscontribution to British culture. In November 2001, George Harrison succumbed tocancer.
February8, 1974
GoodTimes first aired on CBS.
Theshow was created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans, and developed by Norman Lear, the series' primary executive producer. GoodTimes is a spin-off of Maude, which is itself a spin-off of All in the Family along with The Jeffersons.The series stars Esther Rolle as Florida Evans and John Amos as her husband, James Evans, Sr. The characters originated on the sitcom Maude as Florida and Henry Evans, with Florida employed as MaudeFindlay's housekeeper in Tuckahoe, New York andHenry employed as a firefighter. When producers decided to feature the Floridacharacter in her own show, they applied retroactive changesto the characters' history. Henry's name became James, there is no mention ofMaude, and the couple now live in Chicago.
Florida and James Evans and their three children livein a rented project apartment, 17C, at 963 N. Gilbert Ave., in a housing project (implicitly the infamous Cabrini–Green projects, shown in the opening and closing credits but nevermentioned by name on the show) in a poor, black neighborhood in inner-cityChicago. Florida's and James's children are James, Jr., also known as "J.J." (Jimmie Walker), Thelma (BernNadette Stanis), and Michael (Ralph Carter). When the series begins, J.J. and Thelma areseventeen and sixteen years old, respectively, and Michael, called "themilitant midget" by his father due to his passionate activism, is eleven years old. Their exuberant neighbor, and Florida's bestfriend, is Willona Woods (played by Ja'net Dubois), a recent divorcée who works at a boutique. Their buildingsuperintendent is Nathan Bookman (Johnny Brown), to whom James, Willona and later J.J. refer as"Buffalo Butt", or, even more derisively, "Booger".
February 9, 1964
America meets the Beatles on The EdSullivan Show.
Atapproximately 8:12 p.m. Eastern time, Sunday, February 9, 1964, The EdSullivan Show returned from a commercial (for Anacin pain reliever),and there was Ed Sullivan standing before a restless crowd. He tried to beginhis next introduction, but then stopped and extended his arms in the universalsign for "Settle Down." "Quiet!" he said with mock gravity,and the noise died down just a little. Then he resumed: "Here's a veryamusing magician we saw in Europe and signed last summer....Let's have a nicehand for him—Fred Kaps!"Forthe record, Fred Kaps proceeded to be quite charming and funny over the nextfive minutes. In fact, Fred Kaps is revered to this day by magicians around theworld as the only three-time Fédération Internationale des Sociétés MagiquesGrand Prix winner. But Fred Kaps had the horrific bad luck on this day in 1964to be the guest that followed the Beatles on Ed Sullivan—possiblythe hardest act to follow in the history of show business.
Itis estimated that 73 million Americans were watching that night as the Beatlesmade their live U.S. television debut. Roughly eight minutes before Fred Kapstook the stage, Sullivan gave his now-famous intro, "Ladies andgentlemen...the Beatles!" and after a few seconds of rapturous cheeringfrom the audience, the band kicked into "All My Lovin'." Fiftyseconds in, the first audience-reaction shot of the performance shows a teenagegirl beaming and possibly hyperventilating. Two minutes later, Paul is singinganother pretty, mid-tempo number: "Til There Was You," from theBroadway musicalMusic Man. There's screaming at the end ofevery phrase in the lyrics, of course, but to view the broadcast today, itseems driven more by anticipation than by the relatively low-key performanceitself. And then came "She Loves You," and the place seems toexplode. What followed was perhaps the most important two minutes and 16seconds of music ever broadcast on American television—a sequence that stillsends chills down the spine almost half a century later.
TheBeatles would return later in the show to perform "I Saw Her StandingThere" and "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" as the audience remained atthe same fever pitch it had reached during "She Loves You." This timeit was Wells & the Four Fays, a troupe of comic acrobats, who had to sufferwhat Fred Kaps had after the Beatles' first set. Perhaps the only non-Beatle onSullivan's stage that night who did not consider the evening a total loss wasthe young man from the Broadway cast of Oliver! who sang"I'd Do Anything" as the Artful Dodger midway through the show. Hisname was Davy Jones, and less than three years later, he'd star in a TV show ofhis own that owed a rather significant debt to the hysteria that began on thisnight in 1964: The Monkees.
February 11, 1934
Tina Louise is bornTina Blacker in New York City.
She was raised by her mother, Betty Horn Myers(1916-2011), a fashion model. Her father, Joseph Blacker, was an accountant.The name "Louise" was supposedly added during her senior year in highschool when she mentioned to her drama teacher that she was the only girl inthe class without a middle name. He immediately picked the name"Louise" and it stuck. She attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. At the age of 17, Louise began studying acting,singing and dancing. During her early acting years, she was offered modelingjobs and appeared on the cover of several pinup magazines such as Adam, Sir!and Modern Man. Her later pictorials for Playboy (May 1958, April 1959) were arranged by ColumbiaPictures studio in an effort to further promote the young actress. Her actingdebut came in 1952 in the Bette Davis musical revue Two'sCompany, followed by roles inother Broadway productions, such as John Murray Anderson's Almanac, The Fifth Season, and Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? She also appeared in such early live televisiondramas as StudioOne, Producers'Showcase, and Appointmentwith Adventure.In 1957, she and Julie Newmar appeared on Broadway in the hit musical Li'l Abner. Her album It's Time for Tina was alsoreleased that year, with songs such as "Embraceable You" and "I'min the Mood for Love".
Louise made her Hollywood film debut in 1958 in God'sLittle Acre. That same year theNational Art Council named her the "World's Most Beautiful Red Head."She became an in-demand leading lady for major stars like RobertTaylor, Richard Widmark and Robert Ryan, often playing somber roles quite unlike theglamorous pinup photographs and Playboy pictorials she had become famous for in the late1950s. She turned down roles in Li'lAbner and OperationPetticoat taking roles onBroadway and in Italiancinema and Hollywood. Among her more notable Italian film credits was thehistorical epic Garibaldi (1960), directed by RobertoRossellini, that concernedGaribaldi's efforts to unify the Italian states in 1860. When Louise returnedto the United States, she began studying with Lee Strasberg and eventually became a member of the Actors Studio. She appeared in the 1964 beach party film For Those Who Think Young, with Bob Denver, prior to the development of Gilligan's Island.
In 1964, she left the Broadway musical FadeOut – Fade In to portray moviestar GingerGrant on the situation comedy Gilligan's Island, after the part was turneddown by JayneMansfield. However, she was unhappywith the role and worried that it would typecast her. The role did make Louise a pop icon of the era, and in 2005 an episode of TV Land TopTen ranked her as second only to Heather Locklear as the greatest of television's all-time sex symbols.
After the series ended in 1967, Louise continued towork in film and made numerous guest appearances in various television series.She appeared in the Matt Helm spy spoof The Wrecking Crew(1969) with Dean Martin. Louise played a doomed suburban housewife in theoriginal The Stepford Wives(1975), and both the film and her performance were well received.
She attempted to shed her comedic image by essayinggrittier roles, including a guest appearance as a pathetic heroin addict in a1974 Kojak episode, as well as a co-starring role as an evilSouthern prison guard in the 1976 ABCTV Movie Nightmarein Badham County. Her othertelevision films of the period included Look What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby (1976), SST: Death Flight (1977), Friendships, Secrets and Lies (1979),and in the prime-time soap opera Dallas, during the 1978-79 seasons. as J.R.'s secretary,Julie Gray, a semi-regular character.
The question "Gingeror Mary Ann?" is regarded to bea classic pop-psychological question when given to American men of a certain age as an insight into theircharacters, or at least their desires as regarding certain female stereotypes.
Despite successes on her own, she declined toparticipate in any of three reunion television films for Gilligan's Islandand the role of Ginger was recast with Judith Baldwin and ConstanceForslund. Although she did not appearin these television movies, she made brief walk-on appearances on a few talkshows and specials for Gilligan's Island reunions, including GoodMorning America (1982), The Late Show(1988) and the 2004 TV Land award show with the other surviving cast members.In the 1990s, she was reunited with costars Bob Denver, Dawn Wells, and Russell Johnson in an episode of Roseanne. She did not reunite with them for the televisionfilm Surviving Gilligan's Island: The Incredible True Story of the LongestThree-Hour Tour in History (2001), co-produced by Wells. She was portrayedby KristenDalton in the television film. Herrelations with series star Denver were rumored to be strained, but in 2005, shewrote a brief, affectionate memorial to him in the year-end"farewell" issue of EntertainmentWeekly.
In 1985, Louise played the second and final TaylorChapin on the syndicated soap opera Rituals. Later film roles included a co-starring appearancein the RobertAltman comedy O.C. and Stiggs (1987) as well as the independently made satire Johnny Suede (1992) starring Brad Pitt. She appeared in Married...with Children as Miss Beck inepisode Kelly Bounces Back (1990).
From 1966 to 1974, Louise was married to radio and TVannouncer/interviewer Les Crane, with whom she has one daughter, Caprice Crane (born 1974), who became an MTV producer and anovelist. Crane's first novel, Stupid and Contagious, was published in2006, and was warmly dedicated to her mother. Louise now resides in New YorkCity. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and alifetime member of the Actors Studio. As a literacy and academic advocate, she becamea volunteer teacher at Learning Leaders, a non-profit organization dedicated to providingtutoring to New York City school children. It has been her passion to helpyoung students gain not only literary skills, but also confidence,self-determination and proof of their own potential. She has written two books:Sunday: A Memoir (1997) and When I Grow Up (2007). The latter isa children's book that inspires children to believe they can become whateverthey choose through creative and humorous comparisons of animal kingdomachievements. She published a second children's book named "What Does ABee Do?".
Louise made four record albums, two for Concert Hall,and two for Urania Record (1958 and 1959 respectively). By far the mostsought-after of these is the 1957 album It's Time For Tina (Concert Hall1521). With arrangements by Jim Timmens and Buddy Weed's Orchestra, 12 tracksinclude "Tonight Is The Night" and "I'min the Mood for Love". ColemanHawkins is featured on tenor sax. A version of this album is planned by UKlabel Harkit Records.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
January29, 1969
The GlenCampbell Goodtime Hour debuted on CBS-TV.
January 31, 1949
These Are My Children, the firstdaytime soap opera, debuts on NBC.The show, only 15 minutes long, aired weekdays at 5 p.m. in January andFebruary 1949.
January 31, 1984
NBCNewsman Edwin Newman retired after 35 years with the network.
February 1, 2004
Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy.
Super BowlXXXVIII, which was broadcast liveon from Houston, Texas on the CBS television network inthe United States, was noted for a controversial halftime show in which Janet Jackson's breast, adorned with a nippleshield, was exposed by Justin Timberlake for about half a second, in what was later referredto as a "wardrobemalfunction". The incident,sometimes referred to as Nipplegate, was widely discussed. Along withthe rest of the halftime show, it led to an immediate crackdown and widespreaddebate on perceived indecency in broadcasting. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) fined CBS a record $550,000 which was fought in Supreme Court, but that fine was appealed and ultimately voided bythe Third Circuit Court of Appeals in a 2011 ruling, and a case to reinstatethe fine was refused in 2012.The incident was ridiculed both abroad and within theUnited States, with some American commentators seeing the incident as a sign ofdecreasing morality in the national culture; others considered the incidentharmless and felt that it received an undue amount of attention and backlash.The increased regulation of broadcasting raised concerns regarding censorshipand free speech in the United States, and the FCC increased the fine perindecency violation from $27,500 to $325,000 shortly after the event. The show was produced by MTV and was themed aroundthe network's Rock the Vote campaign due to the event occurring during anelection year. Following the wardrobe incident, the NFL announced that MTV, which also produced the halftimeshow for Super BowlXXXV, would never be involved inanother halftime show. The exposure was broadcast to an audience of 143.6million viewers in total.
According to YouTube creator Jawed Karim, Janet's Super Bowl incident led to the creation of YouTube. The launchof Facebook commenced within three days of the incident to capitalize on itscontroversy through social networking. The incident also made "JanetJackson" the most searched term, event and image in Internet history, aswell as the most searched person and term of the year 2004 and also for thefollowing year. The incident also broke the record for "most searchedevent over one day". Jackson was later listed in the 2007 edition of GuinnessWorld Records as "MostSearched in Internet History" and the "Most Searched for NewsItem". It became the most watched, recorded and replayed television momentin TiVohistory and "enticed an estimated 35,000 new [TiVo] subscribers to signup". The incident also coined the phrase "wardrobe malfunction",which was later added to the dictionary.
Following the incident, mediaconglomerates involved with the broadcast who were fined by the FCC, including Viacom and CBS, and subsidiaries MTV, ClearChannel Communications, and InfinityBroadcasting, enforced a blacklist of Jackson's singles and music videos on many radio formats and music channels worldwide. The blacklisting and denouncement of Jackson was considered to be"one of the saddest things in pop music over the last decade". In January 2014, former FCC chairman Michael Powell stated the controversy, fines, and reaction to theincident were overblown, and also said Jackson did not deserve the harshtreatment and blacklisting she had received in the media. Powell also consideredit "unfair" that Timberlake did not receive the same effect andbacklash that Jackson had endured.
February 2, 2014
The End of NBCBurbank
RCA'sdecision to expand television studio facilities required moving to the real estate market inthe San FernandoValley-Burbank area, with land purchased from Jack Warner. The newly-christened NBCColor City Studios opened in March 1955, as the first television studiodesigned specially for the origination of color television broadcasting, althoughtheir rivals, ABC and CBS wouldgradually add color broadcasting to their studio facilities in later years.KNBCmoved to a new building in 1962. In 1964, the Radio City Hollywood building wasdemolished, as NBC moved more of their West Coast television operations to theBurbank facility. The site is now occupied by a bank.
Thisstudio hosted production of many of the best-remembered game and variety showsfrom the 1950s through the 1990s, including Hollywood Squares from 1966 to1980, Wheelof Fortune from 1975 to 1989, Rowan andMartin's Laugh-in from 1968 to 1973, and The Tonight Show beginning in 1972.The latter two shows would frequently reference their home in "BeautifulDowntown Burbank" though Tonight would invariably begineach episode with the technically incorrect announcement, "FromHollywood...") During the late 1960s, Carson's TonightShow would move for periods to Burbank, using studio 1.After the permanent move to Burbank in 1972, Bob Hope's shows taped in studio 1, with TheTonight Show taking a hiatus while Hope produced his specials. In1971, President Richard Nixon announced Henry Kissinger's secret negotiationswith Zhou Enlai and his impendingvisit to China from the studio.
The Tonight Show would stay in Burbankthrough Johnny Carson'sretirement, Jay Leno'sascendency to host until the end of hisfirst run in 2009, when it moved to an all-digital studio onthe Universal lot in 2009 for the short-lived TheTonight Show with Conan O'Brien. The show moved back to theBurbank Studios when Leno returned as host of The Tonight Show onMarch 1, 2010. The show used studio 11 until Leno stepped down as host onFebruary 6, 2014. After that, The Tonight Show moved backto New York City's Rockefeller Center when Jimmy Fallon replaced Leno as host,marking the end of the 42-year era in which the show had recorded in SouthernCalifornia.
February 4, 1924
Janet Waldois born.
Actress and voice artist with a career encompassing radio,television, animation and live-action films. She is best known in animation forvoicing Judy Jetson, Penelope Pitstop and Josie McCoy in Josieand the Pussycats. She was equally famed for radio's Meet Corliss Archer,a title role with which she was so identified that she was drawn into the comicbook adaptation.
February 4, 1974
Patty Hearstkidnapped.
On February 4, 1974, Patty Hearst, the 19-year-old daughter ofnewspaper publisher Randolph Hearst, is kidnapped from her apartment inBerkeley, California, by two black men and a white woman, all three of whom arearmed. Her fiance, Stephen Weed, was beaten and tied up along with a neighborwho tried to help. Witnesses reported seeing a struggling Hearst being carriedaway blindfolded, and she was put in the trunk of a car. Neighbors who came outinto the street were forced to take cover after the kidnappers fired their gunsto cover their escape.Three days later, the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA), a small U.S. leftistgroup, announced in a letter to a Berkeley radio station that it was holdingHearst as a "prisoner of war." Four days later, the SLA demanded thatthe Hearst family give $70 in foodstuffs to every needy person from Santa Rosato Los Angeles. This done, said the SLA, negotiation would begin for the returnof Patricia Hearst. Randolph Hearst hesitantly gave away some $2 million worthof food. The SLA then called this inadequate and asked for $6 million more. TheHearst Corporation said it would donate the additional sum if the girl wasreleased unharmed.
In April, however, the situation changed dramatically when a surveillancecamera took a photo of Hearst participating in an armed robbery of a SanFrancisco bank, and she was also spotted during a robbery of a Los Angelesstore. She later declared, in a tape sent to the authorities, that she hadjoined the SLA of her own free will.
On May 17, Los Angeles police raided the SLA's secret headquarters, killingsix of the group's nine known members. Among the dead was the SLA's leader,Donald DeFreeze, an African American ex-convict who called himself GeneralField Marshal Cinque. Patty Hearst and two other SLA members wanted for theApril bank robbery were not on the premises.
Finally, on September 18, 1975, after crisscrossing the country with hercaptors--or conspirators--for more than a year, Hearst, or "Tania" asshe called herself, was captured in a San Francisco apartment and arrested forarmed robbery. Despite her claim that she had been brainwashed by the SLA, shewas convicted on March 20, 1976, and sentenced to seven years in prison. Sheserved 21 months before her sentence was commuted by President Carter. Afterleaving prison, she returned to a more routine existence and later married herbodyguard. She was pardoned by President Clinton in January 2001.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
Life is beautiful but people are crazy.
Charles Osgood
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| Charles Osgood Wood III January 8, 1933 – January 23, 2024 |
Charles Osgood Wood III, known professionally as Charles Osgood, was an American radio and television commentator, writer, and musician.[1] Osgood was best known both for being the host of CBS News Sunday Morning, a role he held for over 22 years from April 10, 1994, until September 25, 2016, as well as The Osgood File, a series of daily radio commentaries he hosted from 1971 until December 29, 2017.
Osgood was also known for being the voice of the narrator of Horton Hears a Who!, an animated film released in 2008, based on the book of the same name by Dr. Seuss. He published a memoir of his boyhood in 2004.
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| Good Night Mr. Osgood |
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| Stay Tuned Tony Figueroa |
January 23, 2004
Bob Keeshan (Captain Kangaroo)died in Windsor, Vermont at age 76.
He was survived by three children, Michael Derek,Laurie Margaret, and Maeve Jeanne. His wife of 45 years, Anne JeanneLaurie Keeshan, died February 25, 1996. Keeshan's grandson, Britton Keeshan, became the youngest person atthat time to have climbed the Seven Summits by climbing Mount Everest in May 2004. He carried photographsof his grandfather on that ascent, and buried a photo of the two of them at thesummit.Keeshan was buried in SaintJoseph's Cemetery in Babylon,New York.
January 25, 1949
The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences presentsits first industry award at the Hollywood Athletic Club in Los Angeles.
The Emmy for most popular program went to PantomimeQuiz Time, and puppeteer Shirley Dinsdale and her puppet Judy Splinters wonan award for Outstanding TV Personality. Most of the awards were for programsproduced by TV station KTLA. The station also won an award for OutstandingOverall Achievement.January26, 1979
TheDukes of Hazzardpremieres.
On this day in 1979, The Dukes of Hazzard, a televisioncomedy about two good-old-boy cousins in the rural South and their souped-up1969 Dodge Charger known as the General Lee, debuts on CBS. The show, whichoriginally aired for seven seasons, centered around cousins Bo Duke (JohnSchneider) and Luke Duke (Tom Wopat) and their ongoing efforts to elude theirnemeses, the crooked county commissioner "Boss" Jefferson DavisHogg (Sorrell Booke) and the bumbling Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane (James Best).The Dukes ofHazzard was known for its car chasesand stunts and the General Lee, which had an orange paint job, a Confederateflag across its roof and the numbers "01" on its welded-shut doors,became a star of the show. The General Lee also had a horn that played thefirst 12 notes of the song "Dixie." Due to all the fast driving,jumps and crashes, it was common for several different General Lees to be usedduring the filming of each episode.
The General Lee also had a CB (Citizens Band) radioand Luke and Bo Duke's CB nicknames or "handles" were Lost Sheep #1and Lost Sheep #2, respectively. "The Dukes of Hazzard" (along withthe 1977 trucking movie "Smokey and the Bandit") helped promote theCB craze that swept America from the mid 1970s to the early 1980s.
Among the other cars featured on the show were BossHogg's white Cadillac Deville convertible, Uncle Jesse Duke's (Denver Pyle)Ford pickup truck and various tow trucks and vehicles belonging to CooterDavenport (Ben Jones), the local mechanic. Bo and Luke's short-shorts wearingcousin Daisy Duke (Catherine Bach) drove a yellow Plymouth Roadrunner withblack stripes and later a Jeep with a golden eagle emblem on the hood and theword "Dixie" on the doors.
The final episode of The Dukes of Hazzard originally aired on August 16, 1985. The showspawned several TV specials and a 2005 movie starring Johnny Knoxville, Seann WilliamScott and Jessica Simpson.
January 28, 1984
The first season of Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer began on CBS.
Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer, with Stacy Keach inthe title role, is a television series that originally aired on CBS fromJanuary 28, 1984 to January 12, 1985. The series was 24 sixty minute episodes.The show follows the adventures of Mike Hammer, the fictitious privatedetective created by crime novelist Mickey Spillane, as he hunts down criminalson the mean streets of New York City. While firmly situated in the 1980s, thetone of the show also incorporated elements of classic film noir detectivefilms, such as The Maltese Falcon. For example, each show featured theprotagonist's narrative voice-over and, much like the archetypal hard-boileddetectives of years gone by, Hammer would rarely be seen without his wrinkledsuit, fedora and trench coat. While his get-up made a particularly awkwardfashion statement for the time, the juxtaposition of old and new was a centraltheme in the show. Indeed, Keach's Mike Hammer left the viewer with theimpression that this detective had been somehow transported from a 1940s filmset to 1980s New York City. The show's theme song "Harlem Nocturne"by Earle Hagen, a jazz tune featuring a deeply melancholy saxophone, set agritty tone for each episode. The song proved to be one of the most popularelements of the program. Prior to the show's debut, Keach starred as MikeHammer in two made-for-TV movies Murder Me, Murder You (April 9, 1983) and MoreThan Murder (January 26, 1984). Like the syndicated series, these two-hourmovies were executed under the guidance of acclaimed Executive Producer JayBernstein. Other actors who played prominent roles in Mickey Spillane's MikeHammer include Don Stroud as Captain Pat Chambers, Lindsay Bloom as Hammer'ssecretary Velda, Kent Williams as Assistant District Attorney Lawrence D.Barrington, Danny Goldman as "Ozzie the Answer", and Donna Denton as"The Face"—a beautiful and mysterious woman who Hammer would seebriefly in each episode but would then vanish before he had a chance to meether.Productionof Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer was interrupted near the end of the seasonwhen Keach was arrested in England for smuggling 1¼ ounces of cocaine. He wasin the country filming Mistral's Daughter, a television miniseries based on anovel by Judith Krantz. Keach found himself sentenced to nine months in ReadingPrison, but he was released after six months with time off for good behaviour.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
January 15, 1974
The first episode of Happy Days airs.
A minor character, super-cool biker Arthur "the Fonz" Fonzarelli, soon came to be the show's central character. The immensely popular series was the most highly rated comedy in the 1976-77 TV season and stayed in the Top 20 most highly rated shows for seven of its 10 seasons. It launched several spin-offs, including Laverne & Shirley and Mork & Mindy.January 16, 1949
KNBC Channel 4 in Los Angeles first went on the airwith the call letters KNBH (NBC Hollywood).
Broadcastingfrom the NBC Radio City Studios on Sunset Boulevard and Vine Streetin Hollywood (The location is now a Chase Bank).The station debuted withthree hours and forty minutes of programming, which followed a fifteen-minutetest pattern-and-music session. The programming included an eighteen-minutenewsreel, a Review of 1948, LA’sfirst variety show called On the Show,and station’s first live program The Pickard Family, featuring Dad and Mom Pickard and their fourchildren singing familiar American songs. By October 1949, KNBH had extendedits operating schedule from five to seven days a week, with approximatelytwenty-six hours of television programming each week.
In 1954 the station changedits call letters to KRCA-TV for NBC's then-parent company, RCA (the Radio Corporation ofAmerica).
In November 1962 the stationrelocated to the network's color broadcast studio facility in "BeautifulDowntown Burbank" known then as NBC Color City. With the move the callletters were changed again to KNBC. NBC took the KNBC identity from its SanFrancisco radio station (which thenbecame KNBR).
NBCStudio in Burbank became home to Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (Where announcerGary Owens first coined the term “Beautiful downtown Burbank)". It wasalso the home to Sanford and Son, Chico and the Man, the daytime drama Days of Our Lives, countless game showsand most notably since 1972 The TonightShow with Johnny Carson and later Jay Leno.
On October 11, 2007,NBC-Universal announced that it would sell its Burbank studios and construct anew, all-digital facility near the UniversalStudios lot. This is in an effort tomerge all of NBC-Universal's West Coast operations into one area. When ConanO'Brien took over The TonightShowhe shot inUniversal’s Sound Stage 1 (The former home to The Jack Benny Program).
And now for the news.
Tom Brokaw, BryantGumbel, Pat Sajak, Tom Snyderand Nick Clooney (George’s dad) worked at KNBC news early in their careers.
On a personal note: Assomeone who grew up in Southern California there were many local news storiesthat later received national or even international attention. I can also saythat Channel 4 was making news while they were covering the news.
May17th 1974 Channel 4 and other local TV stations covered a house inCompton that had been commandeered by the Symbionese Liberation Army, therevolutionary group that three months earlier had kidnapped 19-year-oldPatricia Hearst (The granddaughter of the legendary newspaper baron). This wasthe first time I ever remember channel surfing because the event was beingcovered LIVE (not “Film at 11). Viewers got to see events play out as theyhappened. Shortly after 5 p.m. Los Angeles police, sheriffs and FBI agentsclosed in on the house. The house caught fire and 6 bodies were laterrecovered. Patty Hearst was not there.
In the summer of 1987 duringan afternoon newscast, a gun-wielding mental patient took consumer reporter David Horowitzand the rest of the Channel 4 news team hostage while they were live on theair. The gunman was the son of a former Channel 4 News contributor and aninvited guest of one of the news team members. As soon as the gunman appearedon camera the station stopped broadcasting the news, but as far as the gunmanknew they were ON THE AIR. Viewers would later see tape of Horowitz calmlyreading the gunman's statement on camera with a gun pointed at him. AfterHorowitz finished reading the statement the gunman surrendered his toy gun andwas arrested. This event led Horowitz (whose long running syndicated series, Fight Back! originated from Channel 4)to start a successful campaign to ban "look-alike" toy guns inseveral states, including Californiaand NewYork.
Later that year on October 1st1987 viewers watched anchorman Kent Shocknekand weatherman Christopher Nance dive under their news desk during an aftershock from the Whittier Narrows earthquake. Kent Shocknek would never live downthis event and forever be known as Kent “After-Shocknek”. It should also benoted that Kent Shocknek was later honored by the Red Cross and by a few citiesfor demonstrating how to behave during an earthquake.
On April 30th1992, the second day of the Los Angeles Riots, KNBC News was covering thehistoric event nonstop. But that evening the station decided to suspend it’saround the clock riot coverage to air the series finale of The Cosby Show giving viewers a brief Mental Sorbet.Following the broadcast Bill Cosbywent on the air and asked Angelinos to pray for peace.
This studio hosted production of many of thebest-remembered game and variety shows from the 1950s through the 1990s,including The Tonight Show beginning in 1972. In that year, JohnnyCarson moved the show to California from New York where it remained until 2009when Jay Leno handed hosting duties to Conan O'Brien. During the late 1960s,the Carson Tonight Show would move for periods to Burbank, using the BobHope Stage 3 to video-tape a live feed to the East Coast. After thepermanent move to Burbank, Bob Hope's show taped on Stage 3, with TheTonight Show taking a hiatus while Hope produced his specials.
January 17, 1949
TheGoldbergs debuts as television's first situation comedy.
The show, which evolved from a nearly 20-year-oldpopular radio program of the same name, followed the adventures of amiddle-class Jewish family in the Bronx. Gertrude Berg played gossipy housewifeMolly Goldberg, and Philip Loeb played her husband, Jake, who worked in theclothing business. They had two teenagers, Sammy and Rosalie.In each episode, thefamily would face another typical middle-class problem--and Molly enjoyedtrying to help the neighbors in her apartment complex solve their problems,too. Later, when the fictitious family moved from the Bronx to suburbanHaverville, the cast was joined by philosophical Uncle David, Sammy's fiancee(who later became his wife), her mother, and new neighbors. In 1952, Loeb wasblacklisted for alleged Communist sympathies.
Theshow's sponsor, General Foods, dropped the series, and the show moved toNBC-without Loeb, though Berg had fought to keep him aboard. Loeb declaredunder oath he had never been a member of the Communist Party, and the chargeswere never proved, but his career was destroyed. He died in 1955 after taking afatal overdose of sleeping pills in a hotel room. The show ran until 1954.
January 17, 1994
The Northridge earthquake at 04:31 PacificStandard Time in Reseda, a neighborhood in Los Angeles,California, lasting for about 10–20 seconds.
The earthquake had a "strong" momentmagnitude (Mw) of 6.7, butthe groundacceleration was one of the highestever instrumentally recorded in an urban area in North America, measuring 1.8g(16.7 m/s2) with strong ground motion felt as far away as Las Vegas, Nevada, about 220 miles (360 km) from the epicenter. The peakground velocity in this earthquake at the Rinaldi Receiving station was183 cm/s (6.59 km/h or 4.09 mph), the fastest peak groundvelocity ever recorded. In addition, two 6.0 Mw aftershocks occurred. The first about 1 minute after the initialevent and the second approximately 11 hours later, the strongest of severalthousand aftershocks in all. The death toll came to a total of 57 people, andthere were over 8,700 injured. In addition, the earthquake caused an estimated$20 billion in damage, making it one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S.history.Television, movie, andmusic productions affected
The earthquake disrupted production of movies and TVshows filming in the area at the time. The StarTrek: Deep Space Nine episode"Profitand Loss" was being filmed atthe time and actors Armin Shimerman and Edward Wiley left the ParamountPictures lot in full Ferengi and Cardassian makeup respectively. The seasonfive episode of Seinfeld entitled "The Pie" was due to begin shooting on the day of the earthquake beforestage sets were damaged. CBS's ThePrice is Right which shoots livein the CBS Television Center, had minor set damage. NBC's The Tonight Show, hosted by Jay Leno, took place in the NBC Studios in Burbank, close to the epicenter ofthe quake. Also, ABC's General Hospital, which shoots in Los Angeles, was heavily affected bythe Northridge earthquake. The set, which is at ABC Television Center, sufferedmajor damage including partial structural collapse and water damage.
All of the earthquake sequences in the Wes Craven film NewNightmare were filmed a monthprior to the Northridge quake. The real quake struck only weeks before filmingwas completed. Subsequently, a team was sent out to film footage of the quakedamaged areas of the city. The cast and crew had initially thought that the scenesthat were filmed before the real quake struck were a bit overdone, but whenviewed after the real quake hit, they were horrified by the realism of it.
Michael Jackson had been due to begin recording of his new album HIStory on the day of the earthquake, but Jackson's entouragemoved recording to New York City. They returned to the studio in Los Angeles some six months later.
Some archives of film and entertainment programming were also affected. Forexample, the original 35 mm master films for the 1960s sitcom My Living Doll were destroyed in theearthquake.The earthquake knocked Los Angeles' radio and television stations offthe air. However, they later came back on the air for earthquake coverage.
NBC affiliate KNBC was the firsttelevision station to go off the air while reporters and anchors Kent Shocknek, Colleen Williams and Chuck Henry were producing special reports throughout themorning. Other stations KTLA, KCAL, KCBS and KABC were also knocked off theair. Afterward, anchors and reporters Stan Chambers and Hal Fishman of KTLA, LauraDiaz and Harold Greene of KABC,JohnBeard of KTTV, and Tritia Toyota of KCBSwere doing coverage throughout the morning.
Radio stations such as KFI, KFWB and KNX were on theair during the main tremor, causing severe static on the airwaves. KROQ-FM's Kevin and Bean morning show asked those people tuned in to stay outof their homes. KLOSMorning Duo Mark &Brian's morning show was alsoaffected. The duo spoke to Los Angeles area residents about their situation.
FM radio stations such as KRTH, KIIS-FM, KOST-FM andKCBS-FM were bringing special reports on the earthquake when morning show host Robert W. Morgan, Rick Dees and Charlie Tuna were calling Los Angeles residents and others fromits sister stations to bring their belongings to the station and advisingpeople not to drink water.
January 18, 1974
SixMillion Dollar Man debuts.
Thepopularity of the Six Million Dollar Man, starring Lee Majors as SteveAustin, the world's first bionic man, inspires a superhero trend in the late1970s, which spawns shows like Wonder Woman in 1976 and TheIncredible Hulk in 1978. In 1975 two-part episode entitled The BionicWoman introduced the character of Jaime Sommers,a professional tennis player who rekindled an old romance with Austin, only toexperience a parachuting accident that resulted in her being given bionic partssimilar to Austin. Ultimately, however, her bionics failed and she died. Thecharacter was very popular, however, and the following season she was revived(having been cryogenically frozen) and was given her own spin-off series, The Bionic Woman, which lasted until 1978 when both it and The SixMillion Dollar Man were simultaneously cancelled.
Steve Austin and Jaime Sommers returned in three subsequent made-for-televisionmovies:
The Return of the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman (1987), BionicShowdown (1989) — which featured Sandra Bullock in an early role as a new bionic woman; and BionicEver After? (1994) in which Austin and Sommers finally marry. Majorsreprised the role of Steve Austin in all three productions, which also featuredRichard Anderson and Martin E. Brooks.
January 21, 1959
Carl Switzer, better known as Alfalfa from the Our Gang comedies, is shot and killed ina brawl.
Switzer, who became ahunting guide and bartender in Northern California after his acting careerfizzled, was shot after an argument over a $50 debt. Authorities ruled theshooting "justifiable homicide."
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
| | | Joyce RandolphOctober 21, 1924 – January 13, 2024 |
Joyce Randolph was born in Detroit, Michigan, on October 21, 1924, of Finnish descent. As a teenager, she acted with the Wayne University Workshop. After she finished high school, she began working in retail sales for a Saks Fifth Avenue store in Detroit. When a touring company of Stage Door played in Detroit, she auditioned, got a part, and performed for the rest of the tour. She moved to New York City in 1943 to pursue an acting career. She took roles on Broadway and landed various television roles.
In 1951, she was seen in a Clorets commercial by Jackie Gleason and was asked to appear in a skit on Cavalcade of Stars, Gleason's variety show on the DuMont Television Network. Soon after, she was cast as Trixie in The Honeymooners. Several New York columnists referred to her as the "Garbo of Detroit". "That's still a mystery ... I was a nobody in Detroit. Why Garbo? Well, she was Scandinavian — and so was I", responded Randolph.Randolph originally portrayed Trixie in skits on The Jackie Gleason Show and The Honeymooners, which included Jackie Gleason as Ralph Kramden, Art Carney as Ed Norton, Audrey Meadows as Alice Kramden, and Randolph as Thelma "Trixie" Norton. In a September 2015 interview, Randolph said that she did not portray Trixie Norton in Honeymooners revivals due to personal and geographic reasons; in addition, Randolph stated that Gleason considered her to be "the quintessential Trixie."As claimed by Randolph, asking Gleason to give her more lines was out of the question. “You don’t even talk to Jackie, let alone ask for anything,” Randolph said. "He didn’t talk much and he didn’t like to rehearse much.” Randolph talked about a hectic workload for filming the show, with getting all 39 episodes shot within a calendar year. Though she stated there was not much conversation between cast members, everyone showed up on Saturdays to film the show in front of a live studio audience.On Broadway, Randolph appeared in Ladies Night in a Turkish Bath (1950). After she became identified with the Norton character, she seldom found other parts. "For years after that role," Randolph said, "directors would say: 'No, we can't use her. She's too well known as Trixie." She performed in summer stock musicals, made commercials, and had a few guest appearances on television shows, including her reprisal of Trixie Norton (along with Audrey Meadows reprising her role as Alice Kramden) in the 1991 episode "Fur Flies" in Hi Honey, I'm Home!.Randolph married Richard Lincoln Charles, a wealthy marketing executive, on October 2, 1955, the day after The Honeymooners premiered. Richard Charles died in 1997 at age 74. Their son, Randolph Richard Charles (b. 1960), is a marketing executive.Randolph was the grand-aunt of former Major League Baseball pitcher Tim Redding.Joyce Randolph died in her sleep on January 13, 2024, at the age of 99. She had been a longtime resident of New York City and was in hospice care suffering the effects of old age. Randolph was the last surviving cast member of The Honeymooners.
| | | Good Night Ms. Randolph |
| | | Stay TunedTony Figueroa |
Before I got on Days of Our Lives, I had never watched a serial and I had heard all the remarks downgrading the serials. The only reason I joined Days was to be able to stay in Hollywood and have more time home with my children. But now that I'm on Days, I'm very happy. Every day, I'm floored by the quality of the shows! I'm amazed at how well the shows are produced, and it's very satisfying for me, artistically.
-Bill Hayes
| | | William Foster Hayes IIIJune 5, 1925 – January 12, 2024 |
Bill was born William Foster Hayes III in Harvey, Illinois, on June 5, 1925. He attended Whittier Grade School and Thornton Township High. In March 1943, while a freshman at DePauw University, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy Air Corps, and received his welcome letter on his eighteenth birthday ordering him to report for active duty on July 1. For the next 27 months, he trained to be a fighter pilot. He was two weeks shy of receiving his commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Marine Air Corps, scheduled to fly an F8F off a carrier, when World War II ended. He was awarded the American Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal. Given the choice of reenlisting in the Navy or getting out immediately, he opted for civilian life. After five weeks of hitch-hiking around the Mid-West to celebrate with buddies who were also coming home, he returned to complete his Bachelor of Arts requirements at DePauw University, where he was a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and graduated in June 1947 with a dual major in Music and English.
Hayes was a singer on the Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca variety show Your Show of Shows in the early 1950s. He had a supporting role in the 1952 black comedy Stop, You're Killing Me. During the Davy Crockett craze in 1955, three recorded versions of the Ballad of Davy Crockett were in the top 30. Hayes' version was the most popular: It was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks, sold over two million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. He also starred on Broadway in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Me and Juliet (1953). He had other small hits in the 1950s including "The Berry Tree" and covers of "High Noon" and "Wringle, Wrangle"; the latter was his only other Hot 100 hit, reaching #33 in 1957.
The character of Doug returned in 1986 and 1987 as well as 1993 and 1996. Later, he was on the show from 1999 onwards. His character was killed off in the spring of 2004 by Dr. Marlena Evans. In an elaborate plot hatched by head writer James E. Reilly, Doug turned up alive on a tropical island and went home to his wife.
In 2017, World by the Tail, a documentary about Bill Hayes's life, was released and made available for his fans to watch online.
On June 27, 2017, while present in the show's audience, Hayes was featured in an impromptu interview on a web special for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon; in his heyday, he had been a guest on the Johnny Carson-hosted version of the show.
Hayes graduated from DePauw University with majors in music and English and became a member of Lambda Chi Alpha. Hayes earned a master's degree in music from Northwestern University.[8] and a Ph.D. in education from West Virginia University.
Hayes was married to Mary Hobbs from 1947 to 1969; they had five children. He was then married to Days of our Lives co-star Susan Seaforth Hayes beginning in 1974. Their relationship was so popular that they were featured on the cover of Time in 1976, the only soap opera stars to hold that distinction to date. In 2005, the couple published their joint autobiography, Like Sands Through the Hourglass. The couple also supported the West Texas Rehab Center, hosting the annual telethon in Abilene, Texas.
Hayes died on January 12, 2024, at the age of 98
| | | Good Night Mr. Hayes |
| | | Stay TunedTony Figueroa |
January9, 1959
Rawhide premiered.
The Western series starring Eric Fleming and Clint Eastwood aired for eight seasons on CBS network with atotal of 217 black-and-white episodes. The series was produced and sometimesdirected by CharlesMarquis Warren, who also producedearly episodes of Gunsmoke.January 9, 1979
Popluminaries gather at the U.N. for the Music for UNICEF concert
In an effort to callattention to the poverty, malnutrition and lack of access to quality educationaffecting millions of children throughout the developing world, the UnitedNations proclaimed 1979 the "International Year of the Child." Topublicize the proclamation and raise money for UNICEF—the United Nation'sChildren's Fund—plans were laid for a concert fundraiser featuring dozens ofleading lights of late-70s pop. Staged in the U.N. General Assembly Hall in New York City on January9, 1979, the show was subsequently broadcast around the world as "TheMusic for UNICEF Concert: A Gift of Song."The prime movers behind the Music for UNICEF concertwere the Bee Gees, their manager Robert Stigwood and the British televisionhost David Frost, of Frost-Nixon fame. The 1971 Concert for Bangladesh, whichraised millions for UNICEF through ticket sales and royalties from the concertfilm and album, provided the template that the Bee Gees et al. planned tofollow, with an important, added twist. The organizers of the 1979 concertasked all participating stars to donate to UNICEF the royalties from the songthey performed during the show. Another key difference between the two concertswas a rather dramatic difference in musical esthetics. The Concert forBangladesh featured Ravi Shankar, George Harrison, Bob Dylan and Eric Claptonperforming songs like "Bangla Dun," "My Sweet Lord" and"Blowin' in the Wind." The Music for UNICEF concert, on the otherhand, featured ABBA, Andy Gibb and Rod Stewart singing songs like"Chiquita," "I Go for You" and, most improbably consideringthe occasion, "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?"
Suffice it to say that whenviewed with the benefit of hindsight, there is a very strong only-in-1979 vibeabout the Music for UNICEF concert: John Denver and Donna Summer on the samestage; Henry Winkler (the Fonz) introducing Rod Stewart; and, most charmingly,the late Gilda Radner introducing"Benny-Bror-Goran-Andersson-Bjorn-Christian-Ulvaeus-Agnetha-Ase-Anna-Faltskog-Ulvaeus-Anni-Frida-Lyngstad.Or to put it another way - ABBA!" It is not clear exactly how much moneythe Music for UNICEF concert actually raised, or whether all of theparticipating artists actually signed over all future royalties on the songsthey performed. At the very least, the Bee Gees' contribution to the effort,"Too Much Heaven," would go on to be a #1 pop hit and raise more than$7 million for the charitable programs of UNICEF.
January9, 1984
ClaraPeller was first seen by TV viewers in the "Where's the Beef?"commercial campaign for Wendy's.January 9, 1999
The firstepisode of Providence aired on NBC.
The show revolves around Dr. Sydney Hansen (played by Kanakaredes), who lefther glamorous job in Beverly Hillsas a plastic surgeon for the rich, so she could return to her hometown of Providence, RhodeIsland, and be with her family. Sydney lives with her father Jim,brother Robbie, sister Joanie, and sister's baby Hannah in a large home insuburban Providence that also houses her father's veterinary clinic. Sydney'smother dies in the first episode but continued to appear to Sydney as a spirit,and to offer advice.The show ends rather abruptly, with a two-part weddingepisode. NBC called this Providence's "winter finale," fullyexpecting to bring it back in the spring or autumn of 2003, but these planswere eventually scrapped when some cast members, including Melina Kanakaredes,opted out of producing a sixth season.
January 10, 1999
HBO began airing the series The Sopranos.
The Sopranos is an American television drama created by David Chase. The series revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balancethe conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads. Those difficulties are often highlightedthrough his ongoing professional relationship with psychiatrist Jennifer Melfi (Lorraine Bracco). The show features Tony's family members and Mafiacolleagues and rivals in prominent roles and story arcs, most notably his wife Carmela (Edie Falco) and his cousin and protégé ChristopherMoltisanti (Michael Imperioli).After a pilot of the series was ordered in 1997, theseries premiered on the premium cable network HBO in the United States on January 10, 1999, and endedits original run of sixseasons and 86 episodes on June10, 2007. The series then went through syndication and has been broadcast on A&E in the United States and internationally. TheSopranos was produced by HBO, Chase Films, and Brad Grey Television. It wasprimarily filmed at Silvercup Studios, New York City, and on location in New Jersey. The executiveproducers throughout the show's runwere Chase, Brad Grey, Robin Green, Mitchell Burgess, Ilene S. Landress, Terence Winter, and Matthew Weiner.
January 11, 1949
NBC links its East and Midwest TV networks,celebrating with a special ceremonial telecast.
Radio network NBC had started experimenting withtelevision broadcasts as early as 1938 and began regular service in 1939,starting with the World's Fair in New York. NBC and CBS both receivedcommercial licenses for stations in New York City on July 1, 1941. NBC launchedits first TV network in 1946 by transmitting programs from its New York stationto its Philadelphia and Schenectady stations. The company didn't open itsMidwest network until September of 1948. The West Coast was added in September1951, creating the country's first coast-to-coast network.January 11, 1979
Jack Soo Died.
Soo was diagnosed with esophageal cancer during Barney Miller's fifth season (1978–79).The cancer spread quickly, and Soo died on January 11, 1979 at age 61. His lastappearance on the show was in the episode entitled "The Vandal,"which aired on November 9, 1978.Because his character (and Soo himself) was sobeloved, a special retrospective episode was made, showing clips of his bestmoments, which aired at the end of the season. The most poignant moment of theshow came at the end, when the cast members raised their coffee cups in a finalfarewell toast to the late actor.Soo's last words to his Barney Miller co-star Hal Linden before his death were: "It must have been thecoffee."
January 12, 1949
Arthur Godfrey andHis Friends was debuted on CBS-TV. The show stayed on the network forseven years.
January 12, 1949
Kukla, Fran and Ollie, theChicago-based children’s show, made its national debut on NBC-TV.
January 12, 1964
The Beatles made theirsecond appearance on BBC-TV's "Sunday Night at the LondonPalladium."
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
Here is a"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"a little spark of madnessthat we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.
Stay Tuned
Tony Figueroa
Sometimes I feel an obligation to be accessible as a personality, but for me the driving force since the beginning has always been good work, taking risks, trying new things.If the door opens, go through it. Always go forwards.-David Soul
| | | David Soulborn David Richard SolbergAugust 28, 1943 – January 4, 2024 |
David Soul began performing on stage as an actor in the mid-1960s, when he became a founding member of the Firehouse Theater in Minneapolis. He traveled with the company to New York City in 1965, appearing in Bertolt Brecht's Baal and John Arden's Serjeant Musgrave's Dance. Soul first gained national attention as the "Covered Man" appearing on The Merv Griffin Show in 1966 and 1967, on which he sang while wearing a mask. He explained: "My name is David Soul, and I want to be known for my music." The same year, he made his television debut in Flipper.
In 1967, he signed a contract with Columbia Pictures and following a number of guest appearances, including the episode "The Apple" from the second season of Star Trek, he landed the role of Joshua Bolt on the television program Here Come the Brides with co-stars Robert Brown, Bobby Sherman and Bridget Hanley. The series was telecast on the ABC network from September 25, 1968, to September 18, 1970. In 1972, he co-starred as Arthur Hill's law partner on Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law. Following numerous guest-starring roles on TV, including The Streets of San Francisco, he was cast by Clint Eastwood in the film Magnum Force.
His breakthrough came when he portrayed Detective Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson on Starsky & Hutch, a role he played from 1975 until 1979. Soul also directed three episodes of Starsky and Hutch: "Huggy Can't Go Home" (1979), "Manchild on the Streets" (1977), and "Survival" (1977). During his career he made guest appearances on Star Trek, I Dream of Jeannie, McMillan & Wife, Cannon, Gunsmoke, All in the Family, and numerous TV movies and mini-series, including Homeward Bound (1980), World War III, and Rage (1980), a TV movie commended on the floor of the U.S. Senate and for which he received an Emmy Award nomination. Soul also starred with James Mason in the 1979 TV miniseries adaptation of Stephen King's 'Salem's Lot, which was edited and released as a theatrical feature film in some countries.
During the mid-1970s, Soul returned to his singing roots. He scored one US hit with "Don't Give Up on Us" (1977) which reached No. 1 in the US and the UK. "Silver Lady" (1977) hit No. 1 in the UK. From 1976 until 1978, he had five UK top 20 singles and two top 10 UK albums. From 1976 to 1982, he toured extensively in the U.S., Europe, Far East, and South America.In the U.S., he continued to make guest appearances in various television series. He starred in the miniseries The Manions of America as Caleb Staunton in 1981. He starred in the short-lived 1983 NBC series Casablanca, playing nightclub owner Rick Blaine (the role that was made famous by Humphrey Bogart in the 1942 film Casablanca), and co-starred in the NBC series The Yellow Rose during the 1983–1984 season. He also starred in the television adaptation of Ken Follett's wartime drama The Key to Rebecca (1985) directed by David Hemmings. He later starred as the infamous Florida robber Michael Platt in the TV movie In the Line of Duty: The F.B.I. Murders (1988), which depicted the 1986 FBI Miami shootout, subsequently used as an FBI training film. Soul also directed the episode "No Exit" of the 1980s TV series Miami Vice. In 1987, Soul was cast as Major Oldham in the movie The Hanoi Hilton.
In the mid-1990s, Soul moved to the United Kingdom, forging a new career on the West End stage, including the role of Chandler Tate in Comic Potential and The Narrator in Blood Brothers. He also participated in the successful 1997 election campaign of his friend Martin Bell who ran as an MP for Tatton, as well as Bell's unsuccessful campaign in Brentwood in Essex in the 2001 General Election.
In 2001 and 2002, he appeared in Holby City as Alan Fletcher.
In 2003, he appeared (as himself) in the first series of the BBC's Little Britain. In 2004, he appeared in Agatha Christie's Poirot – Death on the Nile in the role of Andrew Pennington (he had also starred in the 1989 film adaptation of Christie's Appointment with Death). Soul was a guest on the BBC's Top Gear. He was one of the fastest drivers to have appeared on the show, finishing the lap in 1:54:00, but managed to break the car's gearbox (and subsequently a backup car's) very close to the finish.
On July 12, 2004, he took over playing the role of Jerry Springer in Jerry Springer: The Opera at the Cambridge Theatre in London, televised by the BBC in 2005. He returned to the West End in 2006, playing Mack in a new production of Jerry Herman's musical Mack and Mabel at the Criterion Theatre. The production co-starred Janie Dee and was directed by John Doyle. He also appeared in the TV series Dalziel & Pascoe (Game of Soldiers). He had a brief cameo in the 2004 movie version of Starsky & Hutch, alongside original co-star Paul Michael Glaser.
In August 2008, Soul appeared in the reality TV talent show-themed television series Maestro on BBC Two mentored by Natalia Luis-Bassa.
He appeared with Fred Ward and Willem Dafoe in the film Farewell directed by Christian Carion, which received its U.S. release in 2010.
In June 2012, Soul made a one-week appearance with Jerry Hall at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin in a reprise of the Pulitzer Prize-nominated play by A. R. Gurney, Love Letters. On July 29, 2012, Soul appeared in an episode of the British television detective drama series Lewis, playing a murder victim. He was also featured in the hit album by Fosseytango, singing on the track "Landlord". In 2013, Soul appeared in a cameo role in the Scottish film Filth lip-syncing his own recording of "Silver Lady". In 2014, Soul appeared in a British television commercial for National Express singing "Silver Lady" while driving a coach.
| | | Good Night Mr. Soul |
Stay Tuned Tony Figueroa
September 10, 1993
The science fiction series The X-Files premiered.
David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson stared. Duchovnyplayed FBI agent Fox Mulder and Anderson played Dana Scully, a skepticaldoctor. A cult hit, the show attracted an enormous following of loyal viewers.An X-Files movie was released in 1998. David Duchovny left the show inthe 2001 season and was replaced by Robert Patrick, who played agent JohnDoggett.
September 12, 1963
Leave It to Beaver aired its last episode.
The typical 1950s "wholesome family" comedypresented the lives of the Cleaver family from the perspective of youngTheodore "Beaver" Cleaver (Jerry Mathers).The clan included parents June (Barbara Billingsley) and Ward (Hugh Beaumont), and older brother Wally (Tony Dow).The show enjoyed much popularity in reruns and a revival in the 1980s as The New LeaveIt to Beaver .
September 14, 1958
The Invisible Man (1958 TV series) firstaired
TheArchies premiered on CBS.
The cartoon was based on thecomic book series.
September 14, 1978
Thefirst episode of Mork and Mindy airedon ABC.
September16, 1963
The Outer Limitspremiered on ABC-TV.
September16, 1968
The AndyGriffith Show was seen for the final time on CBS.
September 16, 1968
U.S.Presidential candidate Richard Nixon appeared on episode 15 of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In.
He spoke the show signature line "Sock it tome."
September, 16, 1993
Frasier makes its debut on NBC.
Frasier starred Kelsey Grammer as the erudite,snobbish Dr. Frasier Crane, a radio psychiatrist who relocates from Boston tohis hometown of Seattle following the breakup of his marriage. The maincharacters in Frasier’s life are his father Martin (John Mahoney), adown-to-earth retired cop; his younger brother, Niles (David Hyde Pierce), apsychiatrist who shares Frasier’s taste for the finer things in life; hisfather’s kooky caretaker, Daphne Moon (Jane Leeves); his radio show producer,Roz Doyle (Peri Gilpin) and his father’s dog, Eddie.
Kelsey Grammer, who was born on February 21, 1955, studied drama at New YorkCity’s Juilliard School and began his professional acting career in theater. In1984, he made his first appearance on Cheers as the fiance of one of themain characters, Diane (Shelley Long). Although Frasier Crane was originallyonly supposed to appear on Cheers for a few episodes, the popularcharacter became a permanent member of the show. Set in a Boston-based barcalled Cheers, the show debuted on September 30, 1982. Dr. Frasier Cranewas one of the regulars who, along with Norm Peterson (George Wendt) and CliffClavin (John Ratzenberger) drank at Cheers, which was run by Sam Malone (TedDanson). When the final episode of Cheers aired on May 20, 1993, morethan 80 million viewers tuned in, making it one of the most-watched lastepisodes in TV history.
Grammer went on to star in Frasier from September 1993 to May 13,2004. After making an Emmy Award-nominated guest appearance as Crane on the1990s sitcom Wings, Grammer became the only actor in TV history to earnEmmy nominations for playing the same character on three separate shows.
Grammer’s other acting credits include a recurring role as the voice ofSideshow Bob on Fox’s hit animated series The Simpsons. More recently,he and Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond) co-starred as a pair ofnews anchors at a Pittsburgh TV station on the short-lived sitcom Back toYou, which aired from 2007 to 2008 and was directed by Cheers co-creatorJames Burrows.
In solidarity
Kelly Clarkson wins first American Idol.
On this day in 2002, KellyClarkson, a 20-year-old cocktail waitress from Texas, wins Season One of AmericanIdol in a live television broadcast from Hollywood’s Kodak Theater.Clarkson came out on top in the amateur singing contest over 23-year-old runner-upJustin Guarini after millions of viewers cast their votes for her by phone. Shewas awarded a recording contract and went on to sell millions of albums andestablish a successful music career. (Clarkson and Guarnini also co-starred inthe 2003 box-office bomb From Justin to Kelly, which was nominated for aGolden Raspberry Award for that year’s worst film but lost to the JenniferLopez-Ben Affleck vehicle Gigli.) Starting with its first season, AmericanIdol became one of the most popular TV programs in U.S. history and spawneda slew of talent-competition shows.
American Idol was based on a British TV show called Pop Idol,which was developed by the English-born entertainment executive Simon Fullerand debuted in the U.K. in 2001. The Idol concept was shopped around inthe United States and reportedly rejected by several TV networks before Foxpicked it up. The American Idol premiere, which aired on June 11, 2002,was co-hosted by Ryan Seacrest and Brian Dunkleman (who was dropped from theprogram after Season One) and starred a trio of judge--the acerbic Britishmusic executive Simon Cowell, the singer-choreographer Paul Abdul and themusician-producer Randy Jackson. The show followed the judges as they selectedcontestants, who were required to be teens or young adults, from open auditionsaround the United States. Contestants who made the cut were flown to Hollywood,where they were eventually narrowed to 10 finalists, who performed live ontelevision and were critiqued by the judges. Home viewers phoned in their votesfor their favorite performers and each week the contestant who received thelowest number of votes was eliminated from the competition.
Following Clarkson’s Season One victory, subsequent American Idolwinners--Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks,Jordin Sparks and David Cook--have had varying degrees of success in theirmusic careers. In some cases, American Idol runner-ups, such as ClayAiken (Season Two, second place) and Chris Daughtry (Season Five, fourth place),have sold more records than certain A.I. winners. Jennifer Hudson, whofinished seventh in Season Three of the show, later won an Academy Award forher supporting performance in Dreamgirls (2006), the film adaptation ofthe hit Broadway musical.
In solidarity
Tony Figueroa
In solidarity
Tony Figueroa
August 29, 1958The King of Pop Michael Jackson is born in Gary, Indiana. Jackson began performing with his four brothers in the pop group the Jackson 5 when he was a child. The group scored its first No. 1 single in 1969, with "I Want You Back." By age 11, Jackson was appearing on TV, and by age 14 he had released his first solo album. A Jackson 5 TV cartoon series appeared in the early '70s, and in 1976 the Jackson family, including sister Janet Jackson, launched a TV variety show called The Jacksons that ran for one season. Throughout the 70s, media attention focused on Michael, who piped vocals in his high voice for "ABC," "I'll Be There," and many other Top 20 hits.Jackson released several solo albums in the '70s, but his great breakthrough came in 1979 with Off the Wall. He became the first solo artist to score four Top 10 hits from one album, including "She's Out of My Life" and "Rock with You." His next album, Thriller (1983), became the biggest selling album up to that time, selling some 45 million copies around the world. This time, he scored seven Top 10 singles, and the album won eight Grammies. Although his next album, Bad (1987), sold only about half as many copies as Thriller, it was still a tremendous best-seller. In 1991, Jackson signed an unprecedented $65 million record deal with Sony. That year, he released Dangerous.In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Jackson developed a reputation as an eccentric recluse. He moved to a 2,700-acre ranch called Neverland, which he outfitted with wild animals and a Ferris wheel. He underwent a facelift and nose job and was rumored to have lightened his skin through chemical treatment, though he claimed his increasing pallor was due to a skin disease. In 1993, scandal broke when Jackson was publicly accused of child molestation and underwent investigation. The case settled out of court. In 1994, Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley; the couple later divorced. Jackson married Deborah Rowe in 1996, and the couple had two sons, Prince and Paris, before divorcing in 1999. On June 13, 2005, Jackson was acquitted of sexual molestation of a young boy, Gavin Arvizo, in criminal court.Michael Jackson died on June 25, 2009, in Los Angeles, California, just weeks before a planned concert tour billed as his "comeback." He was 50 years old.August 30, 1898Shirley Booth was born.Primarily a theatre actress, Booth's Broadway career began in 1925. Her most significant success was as Lola Delaney, in the drama Come Back, Little Sheba, for which she received a Tony Award in 1950. She made her film debut, reprising her role in the 1952 film version, and won both the Academy Award for Best Actress and Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for her performance. Despite her successful entry into films, she preferred stage acting, and made only four more films.From 1961 until 1966, she played the title role in the sitcom Hazel, for which she won two Emmy Awards, and was acclaimed for her performance in the 1966 television production of The Glass Menagerie. She retired in 1974.Booth was born as Marjory Ford, the daughter of Albert James Ford and Virginia Martha Wright, Her childhood was spent in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn where she attended P.S. 152. By the time of the 1910 census in April 1910, aged 11, she was known as Thelma by her family. She had only one sibling, a younger sister, Jean Valentine Ford, who died January 23, 2010.She began her career onstage as a teenager, acting in stock company productions, and was briefly known as Thelma Booth Ford. She was a prominent actress in Pittsburgh theatre for a time, performing with the Sharp Company. Her debut on Broadway was in the play, Hell's Bells, opposite Humphrey Bogart on January 26, 1925 Booth first attracted major notice as the female lead in the comedy hit Three Men on a Horse which ran almost two years in 1935 to 1937. During the 1930s and 1940s, she achieved popularity in dramas, comedies and, later, musicals. She acted with Katharine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story (1939), originated the role of Ruth Sherwood in the 1940 Broadway production of My Sister Eileen and performed with Ralph Bellamy in Tomorrow the World (1943). She was a prolific Broadway performer for over three decades.Booth also starred on the popular radio series Duffy's Tavern, playing the lighthearted, wisecracking, man-crazy daughter of the unseen tavern owner on CBS radio from 1941 to 1942 and on NBC-Blue Radio from 1942 to 1943. Her husband, Ed Gardner, created and wrote the show as well as playing its lead character, Archie, the malapropping manager of the tavern; Booth left the show not long after the couple divorced.Booth auditioned unsuccessfully for the title role of Our Miss Brooks in 1948; she'd been recommended by Harry Ackerman, who was to produce the show, but Ackerman told radio historian Gerald Nachman that he felt Booth was too conscious of a high school teacher's struggles to have full fun with the character's comic possibilities. Our Miss Brooks became a radio and television hit when the title role went to Eve Arden, making her a major star.Booth received her first Tony, for Best Supporting or Featured Actress (Dramatic), for her performance as Grace Woods in Goodbye, My Fancy (1948). Her second Tony was for Best Actress in a Play, which she received for her widely acclaimed performance as the tortured wife, Lola Delaney, in the poignant drama Come Back, Little Sheba (1950). Her leading man, Sidney Blackmer, received the Tony for Best Actor in a Play for his performance as her husband, Doc.Her success in Come Back, Little Sheba was immediately followed by the musical A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1951), (based on the popular novel) in which she played the feisty but lovable Aunt Sissy, which proved to be another major hit. Her popularity was such that, at the time, the story was skewed from the original so that Aunt Sissy was the leading role (rather than Francie).She then went to Hollywood and recreated her stage role in the motion picture version of Come Back, Little Sheba (1952), with Burt Lancaster playing Doc. After that movie, her first of only five films in her career, was completed, she returned to New York and played Leona Samish in The Time of the Cuckoo (1952) on Broadway.In 1953, Booth received the Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in Come Back, Little Sheba, becoming the first actress ever to win both a Tony and an Oscar for the same role. The film also earned Booth Best Actress awards from The Cannes Film Festival, the Golden Globe Awards, The New York Film Critics Circle Awards, and National Board of Review. She also received her third Tony, which was her second in the Best Actress in a Play category, for her performance in the Broadway production of Arthur Laurents' play The Time of the Cuckoo.So prolific was Booth as an award winner at that time, that during her May 3, 1953, appearance on the TV game show What's My Line?, John Charles Daly said, "I might say, if I may, without causing you too much embarrassment, that it's a great honor for us to have the young lady who got the Oscar Award and the Antoinette Perry Award and just won the award in Cannes, in fact I think one of our New York columnists, Mrs. Lyon, said the only thing that you hadn't won so far was the Kentucky Derby." Booth jokingly replied, "Well, I almost won it yesterday, but I drew the wrong ticket in the lottery." Booth was 54 years old when she made her first movie, although she had successfully shaved almost a decade off her real age, with her publicity stating 1907 as the year of her birth. The correct year of birth was known by only her closest associates until her actual age was announced at the time of her death. Her second starring film, a romantic drama About Mrs. Leslie (1954) opposite Robert Ryan, was released in 1954 to good reviews. In 1953, Booth had made a cameo appearance as herself in the all-star comedy/drama movie Main Street to Broadway.She spent the next few years commuting between New York and Southern California. On the Broadway stage, she scored personal successes in the musical By the Beautiful Sea (1954) and the comedy Desk Set (1955). Although Booth had become well known to moviegoers during this period, the movie roles for both The Time of the Cuckoo (re-titled as Summertime for the film in 1955), and Desk Set (1957), both went to Katharine Hepburn.She returned to motion pictures to star in two more films for Paramount Pictures, playing Dolly Gallagher Levi in the 1958 film adaptation of Thornton Wilder's romance/comedy The Matchmaker (the source text for the musical Hello, Dolly!), and to play Alma Duval in the drama Hot Spell (1958). She was named runner-up to Susan Hayward in I Want to Live! as the year's Best Actress by the New York Film Critics Circle for her two 1958 films.In 1957, she won the Sarah Siddons Award for her work on the stage in Chicago. She returned to the Broadway stage in 1959, starring as the long-suffering title character in Marc Blitzstein's musical Juno, an adaptation of Sean O'Casey's 1924 classic play, Juno and the Paycock. Director Frank Capra unsuccessfully attempted to bring Booth back to the screen with Pocketful of Miracles in 1961, but after viewing Capra's original version, Lady for a Day (1933), Booth informed him there was no way she could match May Robson's moving, Oscar-nominated performance in the original film. So Frank Capra instead cast Bette Davis -- and, indeed, Davis was unfavorably compared to May Robson by most reviewers when the film was released.In 1961, Booth began starring in the television situation comedy Hazel, based on Ted Key's popular comic strip from the Saturday Evening Post about the domineering yet endearing housemaid, Hazel Burke. The show reunited her with Harry Ackerman who produced the show, and she won two Emmys for her role in the series, in 1962 and 1963, making her one of the few performers to win all three major entertainment awards (Oscar, Tony, Emmy), and new stardom with a younger audience. Booth received another Emmy nomination for her third season as "Hazel" in 1964, and in 1966 was also Emmy-nominated for her performance as Amanda in a television adaptation of The Glass Menagerie.Booth owned Hazel and personally hired Lynn Borden, a former Miss Arizona, to play the role of Barbara Baxter in the final season, when the series aired on CBS. Borden replaced Whitney Blake, and Ray Fulmer, as Steve Baxter, followed Don DeFore as George Baxter. Hazel ended not because of low ratings in its fifth season but because of Booth's health problems.[5]In 1963, Booth told the Associated Press, at the height of Hazel's popularity, "I liked playing Hazel the first time I read one of the scripts, and I could see all the possibilities of the character—the comedy would take care of itself. My job was to give her heart. Hazel never bores me. Besides, she's my insurance policy." She proved prescient with the last comment; the show was seen in syndicated reruns for many years after it ceased first-run production in 1966.Her last Broadway appearances were in a revival of Noël Coward's play Hay Fever and the musical Look to the Lilies, both in 1970. In 1971, she returned to Chicago to star opposite Gig Young in "Harvey" at the Blackstone Theater. After appearing as Grace Simpson in the TV series A Touch of Grace (1973), which was directed by Carl Reiner, she did voice work for The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974), an animated special, playing "Mrs. Santa", after which she retired.September 2, 1963 *The CBS Evening News* was lengthened from 15 to 30 minutes.In solidarityTony Figueroa**
My first animated voice work was Harley. It was great fun because so much of my acting work has been built around my hair, my earrings, my hats and costumes. On Batman, I could come in looking like a total dog. It was really a treat! I like to say, 'What I've lacked in talent, I made up for in accessories!' Harley was the one job where I didn't have to rely on that at all."-Arleen Sorkin
| | | Arleen SorkinOctober 14, 1955 – August 24, 2023 |
Arleen Sorkin began her career in cabaret in the late 1970s and early 1980s as a member of the comedy group The High-Heeled Women, alongside Mary Fulham, Tracey Berg, and Cassandra Danz.
One of her more prominent roles was the wacky but lovable Calliope Jones, as seen on Days of Our Lives. She played this part from 1984 to 1990 and made return visits in 1992 and 2001. She reprised her role on the soap for the fourth time on February 24, 2006. She returned to Days for a limited run beginning on May 5, 2010.From 1987 to 1989, Sorkin played Geneva, a sexy maid to yuppie couple Richard and Linda Phillips, on the Fox dramedy series Duet. She would reprise this role on one episode of Open House, the sequel series to Duet. She was the original female co-host on America's Funniest People in 1990. In 1992, Sorkin was dismissed from America's Funniest People by producer Vin Di Bona. In response, Sorkin filed a lawsuit against Di Bona, claiming she was dismissed from the show due to her race, after ABC Chairman Dan Burke had suggested to Di Bona that Sorkin be replaced by an African-American or a person of another ethnic minority. Sorkin sought $450,000 for lost earnings, and an additional unspecified amount for harm to her professional reputation and emotional injury. She additionally claimed that after she denounced the move as being racially motivated, Di Bona changed plans and hired new cohost Tawny Kitaen, who was also white.Sorkin's writing included for the Tiny Toon Adventures 1990–1992 television series, and co-writer of the story and screenplay of the 1997 Jennifer Aniston film, Picture Perfect.The character of Harley Quinn was based on her (alongside providing the voice), after her college friend Paul Dini saw her play a jester from a dream sequence in the soap opera Days of Our Lives. Dini then based Harley Quinn on Sorkin, incorporating aspects such as her mannerisms and "very snappy, wisecracking, bubbly blonde" personality. In recording Harley Quinn's voice, Sorkin spoke in her normal Brooklyn accent while putting in a "little Yiddish sound", since Dini made the character Jewish, another aspect of the character borrowed from Sorkin. Harley Quinn made her first appearance in the Batman: The Animated Series episode "Joker's Favor" originally intended to appear in a single episode, but reaction to the character and Sorkin's voice performance was positive, so Quinn was written into the show regularly, and appeared in further DC Animated Universe series including The New Batman Adventures, Static Shock, Justice League, Gotham Girls, and the animated film Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. After the video game DC Universe Online, Sorkin retired from voicing Harley Quinn and therefore did not reprise her role in any subsequent DC projects.
For the series Frasier (1993-2004), produced by her husband Christopher Lloyd, Sorkin would perform as a caller to Frasier Crane's radio show; the lines would later be dubbed over by a celebrity caller. In the final episode of Frasier, Sorkin made an onscreen appearance as the owner of a monkey.
Good Night and thanks for the laughs
In Solidarity
Tony Figueroa
Networks decide who will have a chance to do shows, but it is the viewers who make the final decision of who stays and who goes.I am very fortunate, in that the television viewers of our country have decided that Bob Barker can stay.-Bob Barker
| | | Robert William BarkerDecember 12, 1923 – August 26, 2023 |
Bob Barker was an American television game show host. He hosted CBS's The Price Is Right, the longest-running daytime game show in North American television history, from 1972 to 2007. He also hosted Truth or Consequences from 1956 to 1975.
Born in Darrington, Washington, in modest circumstances, Barker joined the United States Navy Reserve during World War II. He worked part-time in radio while attending college. In 1950, he moved to California to pursue a broadcasting career. He was given his own radio show, The Bob Barker Show, which ran for six years. He began his game show career in 1956, hosting Truth or Consequences. He subsequently hosted various game shows, and the Miss Universe and Miss USA pageants from 1967 to 1987, giving him the distinction of being the longest-serving host of those pageants.Barker began hosting The Price Is Right in 1972. He became an advocate for animal rights and of animal rights activism, supporting groups such as the United Activists for Animal Rights, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. In 2007, he retired from hosting The Price Is Right after celebrating his 50-year career on television. In the years after his retirement, Barker continued to make occasional public appearances from 2009 to 2017.
Barker was a vegetarian. In 1982, Barker began ending The Price Is Right episodes with the phrase: "This is Bob Barker reminding you to help control the pet population — have your pets spayed or neutered."In 1987, Barker requested the removal of fur prizes for the Miss USA pageant and stepped down as host when the producers refused. In 1989, Barker and United Activists for Animal Rights publicly accused several media projects and the American Humane Association of animal mistreatment and condoning animal mistreatment, a tactic which resulted in a $10 million suit against him and the UAAR for libel, slander, and invasion of privacy.Barker founded DJ&T Foundation in 1994, named after his late wife and mother, which has contributed millions of dollars to animal-neutering programs and funded animal rescue and park facilities all over the United States. In 2004, Barker donated $1 million (equivalent to $1.5 million in 2022) to Columbia Law School to support the study of animal rights.
Good Night Neighbor
In SolidarityTony Figueroa
August 22, 1958TV series Life of Riley airs its last episode on this day in 1958. Launched as a radio series in the 1940s, the show moved to TV in 1949, starring young comedian Jackie Gleason in his first TV role, as bullheaded family man Chester Riley. The radio version ran until 1951, starring actor William Bendix as Riley. In 1953, Bendix replaced Gleason in the Riley role on TV and stayed with the show until it was cancelled in 1958.*August 25, 1958Concentration first airedIn solidarityTony Figueroa*
August 15, 1923Rose Marie, actress and comedian who also had a successful singing career as Baby Rose Marie was born.A veteran of vaudeville, Rose Marie's career includes film, theater and television. Her most famous acting role came as television comedy writer Sally Rogers on CBS's classic sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show. She later portrayed Myrna Gibbons on CBS's classic sitcom The Doris Day Show and she was also a frequent panelist on the game show Hollywood Squares.August 19, 1963John Phillip Stamos (STAY-mohs) is born) Best known for his work in television, especially in his starring role as Jesse Katsopolis on the ABC sitcom Full House. Since the ending of that show in 1995, Stamos has appeared in numerous television films and series. Since 2005 he has been the national spokesperson for Project Cuddle. From 2006 to 2009, Stamos had a starring role on the NBC medical drama ER as Dr. Tony Gates. In September 2009, he began playing the role of Albert in the Broadway revival of Bye Bye Birdie. In September 2010 Stamos began a multi-episode arc as Dr. Carl Howell on the second season of the Fox series Glee. In 2013, he assumed a major role in the third season of the USA Network television series Necessary Roughness, which stars Callie Thorne.In solidarityTony FigueroaPosted by Tony Figueroa at 12:00 AM No comments: Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest
August 7, 1948Stanley Victor Frebergauthor, recording artist, animationvoice actor, comedian, radio personality, puppeteer, and advertisingcreative director was born. His first jobs (at age eighteen) involved supplying voices for Warner Brothers cartoons, usually in support of Mel Blanc and always without credit. Soon though, Freberg was being heard on radio shows and on early television. He and V.O. actor Daws Butler worked puppets and supplied the vocals on Bob Clampett's Time for Beany, the first kids' show to attract an adult audience.In 1950, he launched a long association with Capitol Records, recording silly and satirical material. The sales and critical reaction stunned the Capitol execs so they let him keep on doing pretty much anything he wanted, even when it meant attacking their own industry. His recordings all had two outstanding qualities. One is that they were funny. The other is that they were produced with high production values, first-rate music (usually supplied by arranger-conductor Billy May) and a fine supporting cast that included Butler, June Foray and Peter Leeds, along with the hundreds of voices that came out of Freberg himself. Even if you didn't get the satire — and some folks didn't, especially when Freberg records were released overseas — the material was always fun to listen to.Freberg starred in two network radio shows, both of which also featured his frequent partner, Butler. The 1954 That's Rich was a fairly standard situation comedy but the 1957 Stan Freberg Show was a glorious (if short-lived) festival of satire and comedy. It made him, by his definition, "the last network radio comedian in America." A nice way to end an era.When The Stan Freberg Show ended after 15 weeks, Freberg found a new outlet for his humor in advertising, with award-winning campaigns for Sunsweet Prunes, Jeno's Pizza Rolls, Chun King Chow Mein, Pittsburgh Paints and many other clients. He didn't exactly invent the funny commercial but he quickly became its master, and rival ad agencies scrambled to emulate his lead. And of course, he continued to release records, including the album many believe to be the greatest comedy record of all time. Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America, The Early Years.August 10, 1948Candid Camera, produced and hosted by Alan Funt, debuted on this day in 1948. Funt had originally created the concept for radio, debuting Candid Microphone in 1947. When it premiered as a television show, the program kept the name Candid Microphone until its second season. Both the radio and TV versions featured unsuspecting people captured in their natural, bemused responses to comic setups. Candid Camera ran on network television from 1948 to 1950, again in 1953, and once again from 1960 to 1967. In 1989, Alan's son Peter became his father's co-host in a series of Candid Camera specials. In 1991, CBS tried to revive the show with Dom DeLuise and Eva LaRue as co-hosts, but the show flopped.August 11, 1933 Jerry Lamon Falwell, Sr. The evangelical Christian pastor, televangelist, and a conservative commentator was born. He was the founding pastor of the Thomas Road Baptist Church, a megachurch in Lynchburg, Virginia. He founded Lynchburg Christian Academy (now Liberty Christian Academy) in 1967, Liberty University in 1971, and cofounded the Moral Majority in 1979.After the September 11 attacks in 2001, Falwell said on Pat Robertson's The 700 Club, "I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way, all of them who have tried to secularize America. I point the finger in their face and say 'you helped this happen.'" Falwell further stated that the attacks were "probably deserved," a statement which Christopher Hitchens called treasonous. After heavy criticism, Falwell said that no one but the terrorists were to blame, and apologized saying "if I left that impression with gays or lesbians or anyone else, I apologize." On May 15, 2007, Falwell was found without pulse and unconscious in his office about 10:45 am after missing a morning appointment and was taken to Lynchburg General Hospital. "I had breakfast with him, and he was fine at breakfast.... He went to his office, I went to mine and they found him unresponsive" said Ron Godwin, the executive vice president of Falwell's Liberty University. His condition was initially reported as "gravely serious"; CPR was administered unsuccessfully. As of 2:10 pm, during a live press conference, a doctor for the hospital confirmed that Falwell had died of "cardiac arrhythmia, or sudden cardiac death." A statement issued by the hospital reported he was pronounced dead at Lynchburg General Hospital at 12:40 pm, EST. Falwell's family, including his wife Macel and sons Jerry Falwell, Jr. and Jonathan Falwell, were at the hospital at the time of the pronouncement.In solidarityTony Figueroa
But I don't know.Pee-wee just kind of popped out one day,pretty much fully fleshed-out and fully formed.-Paul Reubens
| | | Paul Reubens born RubenfeldAugust 27, 1952 – July 30, 2023 |
Paul Reubens joined the Los Angeles troupe The Groundlings in the 1970s, and started his career as an improvisational comedian and stage actor. It was with the Groundlings that Reubens developed the Pee-wee character. After a failed audition for Saturday Night Live, Reubens started a stage show starring Pee-wee, The Pee-wee Herman Show. Pee-wee became an instant cult figure and, for the next decade, Reubens was completely committed to his character, doing all of his public appearances and interviews as Pee-wee. He produced and wrote a feature film, Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985), directed by Tim Burton, which was a financial and critical success. Its sequel, Big Top Pee-wee (1988), was less successful. Between 1986 and 1990, Reubens starred as Pee-wee in the CBS Saturday-morning children's program Pee-wee's Playhouse.In 1991, Reubens was arrested for indecent exposure in an adult theater in Sarasota, Florida. The arrest set off a chain reaction of national media attention, though he received support from people in the entertainment industry. The arrest postponed Reubens's involvement in major projects until 1999, when he appeared in several big-budget projects including Mystery Men (1999), and Blow (2001). Reubens subsequently started giving interviews as himself rather than as Pee-wee. Reubens was arrested again in 2002 and charged with child pornography possession, though the charges were dropped. After 2006, Reubens made cameos and appearances in numerous film and television shows. In 2010, he revived The Pee-wee Herman Show which he performed in Los Angeles and on Broadway. In 2016, Reubens co-wrote and starred in the Netflix original film Pee-wee's Big Holiday, reprising his role as Pee-wee Herman.Reubens's Pee-wee character maintained an enduring popularity with both children and adults. Playhouse garnered 15 Emmy Awards during its initial run, and was aired again on late-night television in the 2000s, during which TV Guide dubbed it among the top ten cult classic television programs. Reubens died in 2023 from cancer, a diagnosis which had been undisclosed to the public.
Good Night Pee WeeStay Tuned
Tony Figueroa
August 6, 1908Will Lee is born. William "Will" Lee (August 6, 1908 – December 7, 1982) was an American actor and comedian, best known for playing Mr. Hooper on Sesame Street, from the show's debut in 1969 until his death in 1982. Lee was born to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York and began his career as a character actor on stage. He was a member of the Group Theater in the 1930s and appeared in Johnny Johnson, Night Music, Boy Meets Girl, The Time of Your Life (as Willie the pinball machine addict) and other Broadway plays. He succeeded John Garfield as the lead in Golden Boy.Lee was co-founder of the Theater of Action and a member of the Federal Theatre Project. During World War II, he served in Army Special Services in Australia and Manila and was cited twice for directing and staging shows for troops overseas, as well as teaching acting classes. After the war, he appeared Off Broadway in Norman Mailer's Deer Park (as movie mogul Teppis) and on Broadway in The Shrike, Once Upon a Mattress, Carnival!, Incident At Vichy and The World of Sholom Aleichem.Lee also began appearing in movies, including bit parts in Casbah, A Song Is Born, Little Fugitive, and Saboteur. He was blacklisted as an alleged communist and barred from movies and on TV for 5 years during the Red Scare, according to members of his family. He had been active in the Actor's Workshop and had been an unfriendly witness before the House Un-American Activities Committee hearings in 1950 investigating show business. At the end of that period, in 1956, he landed the role of Grandpa Hughes in As The World Turns; however, the role was recast with Santos Ortega on the show's second episode.He taught at the American Theatre Wing for 9 years (where one of his students included James Earl Jones), as well as at the New School for Social Research, Boston University, and the Uta Hagen-Herbert Berghof Studio. In addition, he conducted his own acting classes. Outside of Sesame Street, later roles included TV movies and a supporting role as the judge in the 1983 movie Daniel. Lee also worked in commercials, including a spot for Atari, as a grandfather learning to play Pac-Man from his granddaughter and spots for Ocean Spray juice.In 1969, he pursued the role of Mr. Hooper on the popular children's show Sesame Street. "He gave millions of children the message that the old and the young have a lot to say to each other," said Joan Ganz Cooney, president of the Children's Television Workshop. The New York Times reported that on Sesame Street, Lee's Mr. Hooper ranked ahead of all live cast members in recognition by young audiences, according to a survey. His bowtie and hornrimmed reading glasses became his trademark.In a November 1970 TIME article, following the show's first season, Lee recalled his feelings about the show:I was delighted to take the role of Mr. Hooper, the gruff grocer with the warm heart. It's a big part, and it allows a lot of latitude. But the show has something extra, that sense you sometimes get from great theater, the feeling that its influence never stops.In addition to being a staple of Sesame Street for more than 10 years, Lee played Mr. Hooper in TV specials (Christmas Eve on Sesame Street and A Special Sesame Street Christmas), guest appearances (Evening at Pops: 1971), stage appearances, countless record albums, and parades, including the 1982 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. It was revealed in Christmas Eve on Sesame Street that Mr. Hooper is Jewish, as was Lee himself.[1] Lee taped his final segments as Mr. Hooper in November 1982, but his death would become the focal point of Episode 1839, in which Mr. Hooper's death is explained to Big Bird by the adults.According to his obituary in The New York Times as he became known on Sesame Street, children would approach him on the street and ask, "How did you get out of the television set?" or whisper, "I love you." "Apart from the joy of knowing that you are helping so many kids, the recognition is heartwarming," Lee was quoted as saying in 1981.Lee died in December 1982 at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City from a heart attack. His death left the producers of Sesame Street with questions about how to acknowledge the death of one of the series' most visible actors. After considering a number of options, CTW decided to have the character of Mr. Hooper die as well instead of getting a new actor for him, and use the episode to teach its young viewers about death as a natural part of life.Episode 1839, now known to children and fans as "Farewell, Mr. Hooper" aired on November 24, 1983 (Thanksgiving Day), and was quickly selected by the Daytime Emmys as being one of the 10 most influential moments in daytime television.Lee was never married and never had any children. His sister is Sophia Lee-Lubov, who used to live in Florida.Lee died of a heart attack at Lenox Hill Hospital on December 7, 1982 at the age of 74. He was survived by his sister Sophia Lee-Lubov.In solidarityTony Figueroa
July 27, 2003Bob Hope dies at age 100 in Toluca Lake, California. Known for entertaining American servicemen and women for more than five decades, Hope had a career that spanned the whole range of 20th century entertainment, from vaudeville to Broadway musicals to radio, television and movies.He was born Leslie Townes Hope, the fifth of seven sons, on May 29, 1903, in Eltham, England. In 1907, Hope’s family moved to Cleveland, Ohio. As a young man, he began his entertainment career as a dancer and vaudeville performer. During the 1930s, he appeared in Broadway musicals, along with such performers as Fanny Brice and Ethel Merman. In 1934, Hope wed the nightclub singer Dolores Reade; the marriage would endure until his death. In 1938, Hope, who became known for his snappy one-liners, rose to national fame with his own radio show on NBC and his first feature film, The Big Broadcast of 1938.In 1940, Hope co-starred in the box-office hit Road to Singapore with Bing Crosby. The film, about a pair of singing, wisecracking con men, was the first of seven “Road” movies the pair would make. Hope appeared in more than 50 feature films during his career. He hosted the Academy Awards 18 times, although he never won an Oscar himself, an occurrence he turned into a long-running joke. However, he did receive five special awards from the Academy, including two honorary Oscars. Hope was also a top entertainer on TV and from 1959 to 1996 he made 284 “Bob Hope specials” for NBC.Starting with World War II, Hope began entertaining American troops at military bases around the world. His USO tours traveled to military bases during times of war (Vietnam, the Persian Gulf), as well as times of peace. He was so beloved for his work with the military for more than half a century that Congress passed a resolution in 1997 making Hope an honorary veteran. It was one of the countless honors that Hope received throughout his career. In 1998, he was granted honorary knighthood from Queen Elizabeth.In solidarityTony Figueroa
July 18, 1913Richard Bernard “Red” Skelton was born. The comedian who was best known as a top radio and television star from 1937 to 1971 Skelton's show business career began in his teens as a circus clown and went on to vaudeville, Broadway, films, radio, TV, night clubs and casinos, while pursuing another career as a painter.July 20, 1958The last episode of the popular Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts airs, after nearly a decade on TV. The program, one of television's earliest amateur talent shows, was a breakthrough vehicle for stars including Rosemary Clooney, Pat Boone, Steve Lawrence, Connie Francis, and Patsy Cline. Elvis Presley flunked his audition for the show in 1955.July 20, 1973Bruce Lee dies at age 32. Actor and martial-arts expert Bruce Lee dies in Los Angeles at age 32 from a brain edema possibly caused by a reaction to a prescription painkiller. During Lee’s all-too-brief career, he became a movie star in Asia and, posthumously, in America.Jun Fan (Bruce) Lee was born on November 27, 1940, in San Francisco, California. At the time, his father, a Chinese opera star, was on tour in the United States. The family moved back to Hong Kong in 1941. Growing up, Lee was a child actor who appeared in some 20 Chinese films; he also studied dancing and trained in the Wing Chun style of gung fu (also known as “kung fu”). In 1959, Lee returned to America, where he eventually attended the University of Washington and opened a martial-arts school in Seattle. In 1964, Lee married Linda Emery, who in 1965 gave birth to Brandon Lee, the first of the couple’s two children. In 1966, the Lees moved to Los Angeles and Bruce appeared on the television program The Green Hornet (1966-1967), playing the Hornet’s acrobatic sidekick Kato. Lee also appeared in karate tournaments around the United States and continued to teach martial arts to private clients including the actor Steve McQueen.In search of better acting roles than Hollywood was offering, Lee returned to Hong Kong in the early 1970s and successfully established himself as a star in Asia with the action movies The Big Boss (1971) and The Way of the Dragon (1972), which he wrote, directed and starred in. Lee’s next film, Enter the Dragon, was released in the United States by Hollywood studio Warner Bros. in August 1973. Tragically, Lee had died one month earlier, on July 20, in Hong Kong, after suffering a brain edema believed to be caused by an adverse reaction to a pain medication. Enter the Dragon was a box-office hit, eventually grossing more than $200 million, and Lee posthumously became a movie icon in America.Lee’s body was returned to Seattle, where he was buried. His sudden death at the young age of 32 led to rumors and speculation about the cause of his demise. One theory held that Lee had been murdered by Chinese gangsters while another rumor circulated that the actor had been the victim of a curse. The family-curse theory resurfaced when Lee’s 28-year-old son Brandon, who had followed in his father’s footsteps to become an actor, died in an accidental shooting on the set of the movie The Crow on March 31, 1991. The younger Lee was buried next to his father at Seattle’s Lake View Cemetery.In solidarityTony Figueroa
July 11, 1983 Reading Rainbow is an American educational children's television series that originally aired on PBS and afterwards PBS Kids and PBS Kids Go! from July 11, 1983 to November 10, 2006, with reruns continuing to air until August 28, 2009. 155 30-minute episodes were produced over 21 seasons. Before its official premiere, the show aired for test audiences in the Nebraska and Buffalo, New York markets (their PBS member stations, the Nebraska ETV [now Nebraska Public Media] and WNED-TV, respectively, were co-producers of the show).The show was designed to encourage a love of books and reading among children. In 2012, an iPad and Kindle Fire educational interactive book reading and video field trip application was launched bearing the name of the program.
The public television series garnered over 200 broadcast awards, including a Peabody Award and 26 Emmy Awards, 10 of which were in the "Outstanding Children's Series" category. The concept of a reading series for children originated with Twila Liggett, PhD who in partnership with Cecily Truett Lancit and Larry Lancit, at Lancit Media Productions in New York created the television series. The original team also included Lynne Brenner Ganek, Ellen Schecter, and host LeVar Burton. The show's title was conceived by an unknown intern at WNED. Each episode centered on a topic from a featured children's book that was explored through a number of on-location segments or stories. The show also recommended books for children to look for when they went to the library. It is the third-longest running children's series in PBS history, after Sesame Street and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. It was also one of the first PBS shows to be broadcast in stereo. After the show's cancellation on November 10, 2006, reruns aired until August 28, 2009, when it was removed from the schedule. On June 20, 2012, the Reading Rainbow App was released for the iPad and, within 36 hours, became the #1 most-downloaded educational app in the iTunes App Store. Developed by LeVar Burton and his company, RRKIDZ, the app allows children to read unlimited books, explore video field trips starring Burton, and earn rewards for reading. On the week of July 11, 2013, Reading Rainbow celebrated its 30th anniversary. In May 2014, a Kickstarter campaign was launched to raise funds to make the app available online and for Android, game consoles, smartphones, and other streaming devices along with creating a classroom version with the subscription fee waived for up to 13,000 disadvantaged classrooms. The effort met its initial fundraising goal of $1,000,000 in 11 hours, and ended a few days later at $5,408,916 from 105,857 backers. This campaign led to the launch of Skybrary by Reading Rainbow, a web-based expansion of the Reading Rainbow app experience. Due to a legal dispute, licensing of the Reading Rainbow brand was revoked from RRKidz in October 2017, and all its platforms (including Skybrary)[citation needed] were rebranded to LeVar Burton Kids. July 12, 1908 Milton Berlethe Emmy-winning Americancomedian and actor is born. As the manic host of NBC's Texaco Star Theater (1948–55), he was the first major star of television and as such became known as Uncle Miltie and Mr. Television to millions during TV's golden age.
July 13, 1938Massachusetts Television Institute opens a "television theater" in Boston. The first theater of its kind. The Institute charged 25 cents for admission. Some 200 people attended the first show, which broadcast singers, musicians, and dancers who were performing in a studio above the auditorium.In the theater below, the audience viewed a black-and-white image on a 9-by-12-inch screen. Such experimental uses of television persisted throughout the 1930s, and televisions did not become common household appliances until after World War II.In solidarityTony Figueroa
July 5, 1963
Edie Falco is born in Brooklyn, New York. The Sopranos, proclaimed by some critics to be the greatest TV series of all time, debuted on HBO in January 1999. The show centered around the personal and professional problems of the New Jersey mobster Tony Soprano, played by James Gandolfini. Complicating Tony’s life were a large cast of characters--among them, his materialistic wife Carmela, his therapist Dr. Jennifer Melfi (Lorraine Bracco), his uncle Junior (Dominic Chianese), his children Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) and A.J. (Rober Iler) and his crime-world crew, including Paulie “Walnuts” Gaultieri (Tony Sirico), Silvio Dante (Steven Van Zandt) and Carmela’s cousin Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli). The brainchild of writer and producer David Chase, the show became known for its dark, edgy style, its graphic violence and profanity and its frequent pop-culture references.As the well-coiffed, conflicted Mrs. Soprano, Falco was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in each year of the The Sopranos’ six-season run and won the award three times. In 2003, during the show’s fourth season, she scored a rare trifecta, winning a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) award, and an Emmy in the same year. Falco’s Carmela enjoyed the lavish lifestyle her husband’s profession provided, but struggled with his infidelities and the fact that his illegal career was at odds with her religious faith. The final episode of The Sopranos aired June 10, 2007; almost 12 million people tuned in for the finale, which provoked fierce debate among the show’s die-hard fans over its open-ended final scene.
Prior to her breakout role on The Sopranos, Falco acted on Broadway and appeared on such TV shows as Oz, Law & Order and Homicide. Her first big film break came with a small speaking role in Woody Allen’s Bullets Over Broadway (1994). She went on to appear in A Price Above Rubies (1998), Judy Berlin (1999), Sunshine State (2002) and Freedomland (2006). More recently, Falco guest-starred in several episodes of the acclaimed NBC sitcom 30 Rock.
In solidarityTony Figueroa
June 27, 1968
Elvis Presley tapes his famous TV "comeback special"
There was quite a bit more than just 12 years and a few extra pounds separating the Elvis Presley of 1968 from the Elvis that set the world on fire in 1956. With a nearly decade-long string of forgettable movies and inconsistent recordings behind him, Elvis had drifted so far from his glorious, youthful incarnation that he'd turned himself into a historical artifact without any help from the Beatles, Bob Dylan or the Stones. And then something amazing happened: A television special for NBC that Elvis' manager Colonel Tom Parker envisioned as an Andy Williams-like sequence of Christmas carol performances instead became a thrilling turning point in Elvis's legendary career. Elvis began taping his legendary "Comeback Special" on this day in 1968. Much of the credit for the Comeback Special goes to the young director NBC turned to on the project. Only 26 years old but with a strong background in televised music, Steve Binder had the skills and creativity to put together a more interesting program than the one originally planned, but he'd also had the youthful confidence to tell Elvis that a successful show was an absolute necessity if he wanted to regain his relevance. "Basically, I told him I thought his career was in the toilet," Binder recalled in an interview almost four decades later. From the beginning, Elvis embraced almost every suggestion Binder made, including what would turn out to be the best one, which came after Binder watched Elvis jamming with his friends and fellow musicians in his dressing room one night after rehearsals. "Wait a minute, this is history," Binder recalls thinking. "I want to film this." Binder sold Elvis on the idea that would become the most memorable segment of the show: an informal, "unplugged" session before a live audience.
Elvis went to Hawaii with his wife, Priscilla, and their infant daughter, Lisa Marie, in the weeks leading up to the taping, and when he returned, he was tanned, rested and thinner than he'd been at any time since leaving the Army. "He was totally keyed up now, on edge in a way he had rarely been since abandoning live performing a decade before," writes Peter Guralnick in Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley, the second volume of his Elvis biography. "His professionalism continued to be noted by the entire crew...but there was something else now, too. For the first time in a long time he didn't bother to hide the fact that he really cared."
When Elvis took to the stage on this night in 1968 to record the "jam session" portion of the Comeback Special, he did so only after Binder talked him out of a last-minute case of stage fright. After a nervous start, Elvis Presley gave the legendary performance that would reinvigorate his flagging career.
June 29, 1978
Bob Crane was found bludgeoned to death.
On the afternoon of June 29 Crane's co-star Victoria Ann Berry found his body in his apartment after he failed to show up for a lunch meeting. Crane had been bludgeoned to death with a weapon that was never found, though investigators believed it to be a camera tripod. An electrical cord had been tied around his neck.
Crane's funeral was held on July 5 at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Westwood. An estimated 200 family members and friends attended, including Patty Duke, John Astin, and Carroll O'Connor. Pallbearers included Hogan's Heroes producer Edward Feldman, co-stars Larry Hovis and Robert Clary, and Crane's eldest son, Robert. Crane was interred in Oakwood Memorial Park in Chatsworth, California.
More than 20 years after his death, Crane's widow, Sigrid Valdis, had his remains exhumed and transported approximately 25 miles southeast to Westwood Village Memorial Park in Westwood. After her death from lung cancer in 2007, Valdis was buried next to him.
According to an episode of A&E's Cold Case Files, police officers who arrived at the scene of the crime noted that Carpenter called the apartment several times and did not seem surprised that the police were there, which raised suspicions. The car Carpenter had rented the previous day was impounded. In it, several blood smears were found that matched Crane's blood type. DNA testing was not available at that time. Due to insufficient evidence, Maricopa County Attorney Charles F. Hyder declined to file charges.
In 1990 the Maricopa County Attorney re-opened Crane's murder case; investigators reexamined and retested the evidence found in June 1978. Although DNA testing of the blood found in Carpenter's rental car was inconclusive, Detective Jim Raines discovered an evidence photograph of the car's interior that appeared to show a piece of brain tissue. The blood and tissue samples themselves, which had been found in Carpenter's car the day after Crane's murder, had been lost; but an Arizona judge ruled that the new evidence was admissible. In June 1992 Carpenter was arrested and charged with Crane's murder.
At Carpenter's 1994 trial Crane's son Robert testified that in the weeks before his father's death, Crane had repeatedly expressed a desire to sever his friendship with Carpenter. Carpenter had become, "a hanger-on," he said, and "a nuisance to the point of being obnoxious". The night before his death, Crane reportedly called Carpenter and ended their friendship.
Defense attorneys attacked the prosecution's case as circumstantial and inconclusive. They denied the claim that Carpenter and Crane were on bad terms just before the slaying, and they labeled the determination that a camera tripod was the murder weapon as sheer speculation, based on Carpenter's occupation. They also disputed the claim that the rediscovered photo showed brain tissue, noting that authorities did not have the tissue itself. The defense pointed out that Crane had been videotaped and photographed in compromising sexual positions with numerous women, implying that a jealous person or someone fearing blackmail might have been the killer.
Carpenter was found not guilty. He maintained his innocence until his death on September 4, 1998. Crane's murder remains officially unsolved.
In solidarityTony Figueroa
June 19, 2013
James Gandolfini, TV's Tony Soprano, dies at 51On this day in 2013, James Gandolfini, the actor best known for his role as New Jersey crime boss Tony Soprano on the TV series "The Sopranos," which debuted in 1999 and ran for six seasons, dies of a heart attack while vacationing in Rome, Italy. He was 51.
The son of working-class parents of Italian descent, Gandolfini was born on September 18, 1961, in Westwood, New Jersey, and graduated from Rutgers University in 1983. Afterward, he worked as a bartender and club manager in New York City, drove a delivery truck and studied acting. He made his film debut in 1987’s low-budget "Shock! Shock! Shock!" and went on to play supporting character roles in such movies as "True Romance" (1993), "Get Shortly" (1995) and "The Juror" (1996).
Gandolfini shot to stardom in the groundbreaking HBO drama "The Sopranos," which centered on the violent, complicated Tony Soprano. Gandolfini's portrayal of the brutal mobster, who lives in the New Jersey suburbs where he deals with ordinary family issues and sees a therapist after suffering from panic attacks, earned him three Emmy Awards for outstanding lead actor in a drama. Critics called Tony Soprano one of the greatest TV characters of all time, and by the show's final season Gandolfini was being paid a reported $1 million per episode. Additionally, "The Sopranos" was credited with paving the way for edgier TV shows and flawed leading characters such as corrupt detective Vic Mackey on "The Shield," school teacher-turned-meth dealer Walter White on "Breaking Bad" and cynical, philandering adman Don Draper on "Mad Men."
After "The Sopranos" ended in 2007, Gandolfini acted on Broadway, appeared in movies including "Zero Dark Thirty" (2012) and produced several documentaries about injured American military veterans. Following Gandolfini's June 2013 death, the governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, ordered all state government buildings to fly their flags at half-staff for a day in honor of the popular Garden State native.
June 20, 1948
Toast of the Town premieres.
On this day in 1948, Ed Sullivan's long-running variety show premieres. Although later known simply as The Ed Sullivan Show, the series debuts as Toast of the Town. Among the many performers who made their TV debuts on the show were Bob Hope, Lena Horne, the Beatles, and Walt Disney. Elvis Presley also made several high-profile performances on the show, in 1956 and 1957. The show ran until 1971.June 22, 2008
Stand-up comedian, writer and actor George Carlin dies of heart failure at the age of 71.
Born in New York City, Carlin dropped out of high school and joined the Air Force. While stationed in Shreveport, Louisiana, he got a job as a radio disc jockey; after his discharge, he worked as a radio announcer and disc jockey in Boston and Fort Worth, Texas. Carlin and his early radio colleague, Jack Burns, formed a moderately successful stand-up comedy duo, appearing in nightclubs and on The Tonight Show with Jack Paar. They soon parted ways, and Carlin made his first solo appearance on The Tonight Show in 1962. Three years later, he began a string of performances on The Merv Griffin Show and was later hired as a regular on Away We Go, 1967’s summer replacement for The Jackie Gleason Show. Carlin cemented his early career success with the release of his debut comedy album, the well-reviewed Take-Offs and Put-Downs, that same year.
During the late 1960s, Carlin had a recurring role on the sitcom That Girl, starring Marlo Thomas, and made numerous TV appearances on shows such as The Ed Sullivan Show and Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show. Seeking to make a leap into big-time stardom, the relatively clean-cut, conventional comic reinvented himself around 1970 as an eccentric, biting social critic and commentator. In his new incarnation, Carlin began appealing to a younger, hipper audience, particularly college students. He began dressing in a stereotypically “hippie” style, with a beard, long hair and jeans, and his new routines were punctuated by pointed jokes about religion and politics and frequent references to drugs.
Released in 1972, Carlin’s second album, FM/AM, won a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Recording. A routine from his third hit album, Class Clown (also 1972) grew into the comic’s now-famous profanity-laced routine “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television.” When it was first broadcast on New York radio, a complaint led the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to ban the broadcast as “indecent.” The U.S. Supreme Court later upheld the order, which remains in effect today. The routine made Carlin a hero to his fans and got him in trouble with radio brass as well as with law enforcement; he was even arrested several times, once during an appearance in Milwaukee, for violating obscenity laws.
More popular than ever as a countercultural hero, Carlin was asked to be the first guest host of a new sketch comedy show, Saturday Night Live, in 1975. Two years later, he starred in the first of what would be 14 comedy specials on the cable television station HBO (the last one aired in March 2008). Carlin had a certain degree of success on the big screen as well, including a supporting role in Outrageous Fortune (1987), a memorable appearance in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989) and a fine supporting turn in the drama The Prince of Tides (1991). More recently, he played a Roman Catholic cardinal in Kevin Smith’s satirical comedy Dogma (1999).
Though a 1994 Fox sitcom, The George Carlin Show, lasted only one season, Carlin continued to perform his HBO specials and his live comedy gigs into the early 21st century. He also wrote best-selling books based on his comedy routines, including Brain Droppings (1997), Napalm & Silly Putty (2001) and When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops? (2004). According to his obituary in the New York Times, Carlin gave his last live comedy show in Las Vegas just weeks before his death.
June 25, 1993
Last night of Late Night with David Letterman.
On this day in 1993, Late Night with David Letterman airs its last episode. Offbeat comic Letterman, passed over by NBC for the host seat on The Tonight Show after Johnny Carson's retirement, left the network to launch a rival show on CBS.David Letterman was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1947. From an early age, he aspired to host his own talk show. He became a stand-up comic and a wacky weatherman on a local TV station. After years on the stand-up comedy circuit, he made his first appearance on The Tonight Show in 1978 and served as the program's guest host 50 times. In 1980, Letterman had a short-lived morning variety show, The David Letterman Show, which won two Emmys.
He launched his popular late-night TV show in 1982. His offbeat humor and goofy stunts spoofed traditional talk shows. Antics like wearing a Velcro suit and throwing himself at a wall or tossing eggs into a giant electric fan, Letterman gained a large following, especially among college students. Regular features included his "Top Ten List," "Stupid Pet Tricks," and tours of the neighborhood. He also frequently wandered with his camera into other NBC shows in progress. Over more than 11 years, the show won five Emmys and 35 nominations.
When Carson announced his retirement in 1992, Letterman and rival comic Jay Leno engaged in a heated battle for the coveted host slot. When Letterman was passed over, he left NBC for CBS, where his new program, Late Show, outperformed Leno's show almost every week in its first year. However, Leno pulled ahead the following year and maintained a strong lead. Letterman underwent emergency heart surgery in 2000 and was off the show for five weeks. In recent years, Leno's lead over Letterman in viewership has slimmed.
In solidarityTony Figueroa
June 13, 2008
Tim Russert Dies at Age 58Timothy John "Tim" Russert (May 7, 1950 – June 13, 2008) was an American television journalist and lawyer who appeared for more than 16 years as the longest-serving moderator of NBC's Meet the Press. He was a senior vice president at NBC News, Washington bureau chief and also hosted an eponymous CNBC/MSNBC weekend interview program. He was a frequent correspondent and guest on NBC's The Today Show and Hardball. Russert covered several presidential elections, and he presented the NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey on the NBC Nightly News during the 2008 U.S. presidential election. Time magazine included Russert in its list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2008. Russert was posthumously revealed as a 30-year source for syndicated columnist Robert Novak.
Shortly after 1:30 pm on June 13, 2008, Russert collapsed at the offices of WRC-TV, which houses the Washington, D.C. bureau of NBC News where he was chief. He was recording voiceovers for the Sunday edition of Meet the Press. According to Brian Williams, during his speech at the Kennedy Center on June 13, Russert's last words were, "What's happening?" spoken as a greeting to NBC Washington bureau editing supervisor Candace Harrington as he passed her in the hallway. He then walked down the hallway to record voiceovers in the soundproof booth and collapsed. A co-worker began CPR on him. The District of Columbia Fire and Rescue service received a call from NBC at 1:40 pm, and dispatched an EMS unit which arrived at 1:44 pm. Paramedics attempted to defibrillate Russert's heart three times, but he did not respond. Russert was then transported to Sibley Memorial Hospital, arriving at 2:23 pm, where he was pronounced dead. He was 58 years old.
In accordance with American journalistic tradition, the public announcement of Russert's death was withheld by both the wire services and his network's competitors, until Russert's family had been notified. Retired NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw then delivered, live on NBC, CNBC and MSNBC, the news of his death. NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams was on assignment in Afghanistan and could not anchor the special report. Russert had just returned from a family vacation in Rome, Italy, where he had celebrated his son's graduation from Boston College. While his wife and son remained in Rome, Russert had returned to prepare for his Sunday television show.
Russert's longtime friend and physician, Dr. Michael Newman, said that his asymptomatic coronary artery disease had been controlled with medication and exercise, and that he had performed well on a stress test in late April. An autopsy performed on the day of his death determined that his history of coronary artery disease led to a myocardial infarction (heart attack) and ventricular fibrillation with the immediate cause being an occlusive coronary thrombosis in the left anterior descending artery resulting from a ruptured cholesterol plaque, called a "widow maker".
Russert is buried at Rock Creek Cemetery, next to the historic Soldiers' Home, in Washington's Petworth neighborhood. The Newseum in Washington, D.C., has a re-creation of Russert's office.
In solidarityTony Figueroa
June 6, 1998
Sex and the City premieres on HBO. On this day in 1998, the cable network HBO airs the pilot episode of Sex and the City, a new comedy series chronicling the lives and loves of four single women living in New York City.
The show’s creator, Darren Star, was best known at the time for producing the long-running Fox TV series Beverly Hills, 90210, and its spin-off, Melrose Place. For Sex and the City, Star switched coasts, loosely adapting a book by the same name by Candace Bushnell, compiled from a number of her columns for The New York Observer. In the pilot, Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), who authors a similar newspaper column for the fictional New York City Star, and her three friends--Samantha (Kim Cattrall), Charlotte (Kristin Davis) and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon)--discuss the issue of whether women are capable of having sex like men. Carrie also has an embarrassing first run-in with Mr. Big (Chris Noth), with whom she will begin a tumultuous relationship that will last the length of the series.Sex and the City didn’t really break out with fans until the second season, when the format of the show changed a bit: Carrie stopped addressing the camera directly, and simply provided a voice-over narration, and the man-on-the-street-type testimonials by different characters were largely omitted. The main premise--that each episode provides fodder for one of Carrie’s columns, each of which features a different question about sex, love and relationships--remained constant throughout the show, as did the unusually frank discussion and portrayal of sex that became the show’s hallmark.
At the Emmy Awards, Sex and the City was nominated in the category of Outstanding Comedy Series in each of its six seasons; it won the award in 2001. In 2004, Parker collected an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, while Cynthia Nixon triumphed in the supporting category. To win, Nixon beat out co-stars Davis and Cattrall, who had been nominated in five out of the six seasons of the show’s run. Cattrall and Parker both took home Golden Globe Awards for their performances as well, and the show received three Globes for Best TV Series - Musical or Comedy.
As soon as the series wrapped up in 2004, buzz began about a possible big-screen adaptation. Though the project stalled due to questions over money and Cattrall’s reported reluctance to sign on to the project, the plans finally came to fruition in late May 2008, when Sex and the City: The Movie was released to mixed reviews but great box-office success, including a $55.7 million opening weekend haul. As with the series, Parker served as an executive producer for the movie, which was written and directed by Michael Patrick King.
In solidarityTony Figueroa
May 29, 2003
Bob Hope celebrates 100th birthday
Some 35 U.S. states declare it to be Bob Hope Day onthis day in 2003, when the iconic comedic actor and entertainer turns 100 yearsold.
In a public ceremony held in Hollywood, city officials renamed theintersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Avenue--famous for its historicbuildings and as a central point on the Hollywood Walk of Fame--Bob HopeSquare. Several 1940s-era U.S. planes flew overhead as part of an air showhonoring Hope’s longtime role as an entertainer of U.S. armed forces all overthe world. Hope, who was then suffering from failing eyesight and hearing andhad not been seen in public for three years, was too ill to attend the publicceremonies. Three of his children attended the naming ceremony, along with someof his younger show-business colleagues, including Mickey Rooney.
One of the leading talents on the vaudeville scene by the 1930s, theLondon-born, American-raised Hope met his future wife (of nearly sevendecades), the nightclub singer Dolores Reade, while he was performing onBroadway in the musical Roberta. They married in 1934, and four yearslater Hope launched his own radio program, The Bob Hope Show, whichwould run for the next 18 years. One of the country’s most popular comics, Hopehad a successful film career largely thanks to the series of seven “Road”movies he made with Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour, including Road toSingapore (1940), Road to Morocco (1942), Road to Utopia (1946)and Road to Rio (1947).
In 1941, after America’s entrance into World War II, Hope began performingfor U.S. troops abroad; he would play shows for more than a million Americanservicemen by 1953. Some 65 million people watched him perform for troops inVietnam on Christmas Eve in 1966, in his largest broadcast. Hope also became alegend for his countless TV specials, which he would perform over the course ofsome five decades. He hosted the Academy Awards ceremony a total of 18 times, morethan any other Oscars host.
Dubbed “Mr. Entertainment” and the “King of Comedy,” Hope died on July 27,2003, less than two months after his 100th birthday celebration. He wassurvived by Dolores, their four adopted children--Linda, Anthony, Nora and Kelly--andfour grandchildren.
May 30, 1908
Mel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, andcountless other Warner Bros. cartoon characters, was born in San Francisco.
His parents, who ran a women's clothing business,moved with their son to Portland, Oregon, when Blanc was a child. Blanc beganperforming as a musician and singer on local radio programs in Portland beforehe was 20. In the late 1920s, he and his wife, Estelle, created a daily radioshow called "Cobwebs and Nuts," which became a hit. Blanc made manyother radio appearances and became a regular on Jack Benny's hit radio show,providing the sounds of Benny's ancient car (The Maxwell) and playing severalother characters.
In 1937, Blanc made hisdebut with Warner Bros., providing the voice for a drunken bull in a shortcartoon called "Picador Porky." Another actor provided the pig'svoice, but Blanc later replaced him. In 1940, Bugs Bunny debuted in a shortcalled "A Wild Hare." Blanc said he wanted the rabbit to sound toughand streetwise, so he created a comic combination of Bronx and Brooklynaccents. Other characters Blanc created for Warner Bros. included the RoadRunner, Sylvester, and Tweety Bird. He performed in some 850 cartoons forWarner Bros. during his 50-year career. For other studios, he provided thevoices of Barney Rubble and Dino the dinosaur in The Flintstones, Mr.Spacely for The Jetsons, and Woody Woodpecker's laugh.
In his 1988autobiography, That's Not All Folks, Blanc described a nearly fataltraffic accident that left him in a coma. Unable to rouse him by using his realname, a doctor finally said, "How are you, Bugs Bunny?" and Melreplied, in Bugs' voice, "Ehh, just fine, doc. How are you?"
Blanccontinued to provide voices until the late 1980s, most memorably voicing DaffyDuck dueling with Donald Duck in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988). AfterMel Blanc died of complications from heart disease, his son Noel, trained byhis father, provided the voices for the characters the elder Blanc had helpedbring to life.
May 31, 2013
Jean Stapleton died, surrounded by familyand friends in New York City, of natural causes.
She was 90 and is survivedby her two children, John, a TV director, and Pamela, a TV producer.
NormanLear said, "No one gave more profound 'how to be a human being'lessons than Jean Stapleton." Fellow US sitcom actress RoseanneBarr said that Stapleton's range was "unbelievable, deep andmajestic." Co-star and BAFTA- and Oscar-nominateddirector and producer Rob Reiner said, "Working with her was one ofthe greatest experiences of my life." Sally Struthers said,"Jean lived so in the present. She was a Christian Scientist who didn'tsay or think a negative thing ... She was just a walking, living angel".
The marquee lights on Broadway were dimmed for oneminute on June 5, 2013 at 8 p.m. EDT to honor the memory of Stapleton.
In solidarity
Tony Figueroa
In solidarity
Tony Figueroa
May 23, 1933
Joan Collins is born.
Joan Collins, a classically trained actress who willbecome best known for her role on the 1980s prime-time soap opera Dynasty,is born in London, England.
The daughter of a theatrical booking agent, Collins made her theater debutat the age of nine, in a production of The Dollhouse by Henrik Ibsen. Asa teenager, she studied at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art andappeared in nine British films. She headed to Hollywood at the age of 22, andlanded sultry roles in several popular films, including Girl in the RedVelvet Swing (1955). She continued making films in the United States andthe United Kingdom through the 1960s, but her career languished in the 1970s,and she was reduced to starring in horror flicks like Fear in the Night (1972).She also starred in two films based on best-selling novels by her youngersister Jackie Collins, The Stud (1978) and The Bitch (1979).
In 1981, Collins landed the plum role of Alexis Carrington (later Colby) inthe prime-time soap opera Dynasty, which ran for eight years. Herportrayal of the vindictive ex-wife of the oil tycoon Blake Carrington--and thebitter rival of his current wife and former secretary, the beautiful blondeKrystle (played by Linda Evans)--rejuvenated Collins’ career, as buzz for theshow began to grow and the Alexis-Krystle clash became one of its centralplotlines. In one of Dynasty’s most memorable scenes, Alexis and Krystlecome to blows in a lily pond; in another, Krystle dumps a bowl of mud on Alexisafter she overhears her gossiping about her at a spa. After several years ofdeclining ratings, ABC dropped Dynasty from its lineup in 1989. In1997, Collins reprised the role of Alexis on Aaron Spelling’s Pacific Palisades.She later joined former cast mates in two reunion specials, most recently Caviarand Catfights: The Dynasty Reunion (2006).
By the late 1980s, Collins followed in her sister Jackie’s footsteps andpublished her first novel, which she sold to Simon and Schuster for a rumored$3 million. Despite critical pans, the book, Prime Time, became abestseller when it debuted in 1988. Two years later, Random House offeredCollins $4 million in a two-book deal, paying a $1.3 million advance, with therest due on delivery of the manuscripts. When Collins turned in the first ofthe two manuscripts in 1991, the publishing house claimed the manuscript wasunacceptable and sued for the return of the advance. In 1996, the court ruledin favor of Collins and demanded that Random House pay her an additional $1million for the work she turned in. Her zest for writing was apparentlyunquenched by the battle--she published the beauty book My Secrets in1994, followed by Second Act in 1996 and a sequel My Secrets, MyFriends’ Secrets, in 1999.
In addition to her writing career, Collins has continued to act, appearingin films such as Kenneth Branagh’s In the Bleak Midwinter (1995) and TheFlinstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000), and television series (Will& Grace, Footballers’ Wives) in the United States and the UnitedKingdom. Since 2002, Collins has been married to her fifth husband, PercyGibson, who is more than three decades her junior.
May 28, 1998
Comic Phil Hartman killed by wife Brynn, in amurder-suicide.
He was 49. Born onSeptember 24, 1948, in Ontario, Canada, Hartman was raised in Connecticut andSouthern California, and later became an American citizen. Early on, he foundwork designing record album covers (he created the official logo for the rock bandCrosby, Stills, Nash & Young) but made the leap to acting in 1975 when hejoined the L.A. improvisational acting group, the Groundlings. With his fellowGroundlings alum, Paul Reubens, Hartman wrote the screenplay for the successfulcomedy Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (1985). Along with Reubens, Hartman hadhelped create the zany man-child character of Pee Wee Herman, though Reubensreceived most of the credit. From 1986 to 1990, Hartman portrayed Kap’n Karl onthe Saturday morning children’s TV series Pee-Wee’s Playhouse.
Also in 1986, Hartman earned a spot on the long-running NBC sketch comedyshow Saturday Night Live. In his eight years on the show, Hartman becameknown for his spot-on impersonations of a variety of celebrities, notablyPresident Bill Clinton. He also made frequent guest appearances on TheTonight Show with Jay Leno. In 1989, Hartman shared an Emmy Award for hiswriting contributions to Saturday Night Live. He went on to set a recordfor the most appearances (153) as one of the show’s regulars.
Hartman joined the cast of the TV sitcom NewsRadio in 1995. He playedthe egotistical anchorman of an AM radio news station in New York City throughfour seasons of the show’s five-year run. The ensemble cast also included DaveFoley, Maura Tierney and Andy Dick. Hartman also notably provided the voicesfor a number of characters, including the has-been actor Troy McClure and theincompetent lawyer Lionel Hurtz, on the acclaimed animated series TheSimpsons. In addition to his TV work as an actor and pitchman (forMCI, McDonald’s and Cheetos, among others), Hartman appeared on the big screenin Blind Date (1987), Jingle All the Way (1996) and SmallSoldiers, released after his death.
Off-screen, Hartman was popular among his Hollywood colleagues and known forbeing completely different from some of the more unlikable characters he hadportrayed. The murder-suicide, which shocked fans and friends alike, occurredearly on the morning of May 28, 1998, at the couple’s home in the Los Angelessuburb of Encino. According to news reports, Brynn, Hartman’s third wife (twoprevious marriages ended in divorce) had a history of drug and alcoholproblems. The couple had two children.
In solidarity
Tony Figueroa
In solidarity
Tony Figueroa
May 17, 1973
Televised Watergate hearings begin
In Washington,D.C., the Senate Select Committee onPresidential Campaign Activities, headed by Senator Sam Ervin of North Carolina, beginstelevised hearings on the escalating Watergateaffair. One week later, Harvard lawprofessor Archibald Cox was sworn in as special Watergate prosecutor.
OnJune 17, 1972, five men were arrested for breaking into and illegallywiretapping the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergatecomplex in Washington, D.C. One of the suspects, James W. McCord Jr., wasrevealed to be the salaried security coordinator for President Richard Nixon's reelectioncommittee. Two other men with White House ties were later implicated in thebreak-in: E. Howard Hunt, Jr., a former White House aide, and G. Gordon Liddy,finance counsel for the Committee for the Re-election of the President.Journalists and the Select Committee discovered a higher-echelon conspiracysurrounding the incident, and a political scandal of unprecedented magnitudeerupted.
InMay 1973, the special Senate committee began televised proceedings on theWatergate affair. During the Senate hearings, former White House legal counselJohn Dean testified that the Watergate break-in had been approved by formerAttorney General John Mitchell with the knowledge of chief White House advisersJohn Ehrlichman and H.R. Haldeman, and that President Nixon had been aware ofthe cover-up. Meanwhile, Watergate prosecutor Cox and his staff began touncover widespread evidence of political espionage by the Nixon reelectioncommittee, illegal wiretapping of thousands of citizens by the administration,and contributions to the Republican Party in return for political favors.
InJuly, the existence of what were to be called the Watergate tapes--official recordingsof White House conversations between Nixon and his staff--was revealed duringthe Senate hearings. Cox subpoenaed these tapes, and after three months ofdelay President Nixon agreed to send summaries of the recordings. Cox rejectedthe summaries, and Nixon fired him. His successor as special prosecutor, LeonJaworski, leveled indictments against several high-ranking administrationofficials, including Mitchell and Dean, who were duly convicted.
Publicconfidence in the president rapidly waned, and by the end of July 1974 theHouse Judiciary Committee had adopted three articles of impeachment againstPresident Nixon: obstruction of justice, abuse of presidential powers, andhindrance of the impeachment process. On July 30, under coercion from the SupremeCourt, Nixon finally released the Watergate tapes. On August 5, transcripts ofthe recordings were released, including a segment in which the president washeard instructing Haldeman to order the FBI to halt the Watergateinvestigation. Four days later, Nixon became the first president in U.S.history to resign. On September 8, his successor, President GeraldFord, pardoned him from any criminalcharges.
May 20, 1993
The final episode of Cheers Titled One for the Road.
This episode serves as the 271st episode and the 25thepisode of the eleventh season of Cheers. It first aired on NBC in Thursday,May 20, 1993, to an audience of approximately 42.4 million households in a 98minute version, making it the second-highest-rated series finale of all timebehind the series finale of M*A*S*H and the highest-rated episode of the1992-1993 television season in the United States. The 98 minute version wasre-shown on Sunday, May 23, 1993, and an edited 90 minute version aired onThursday, August 19, 1993.
In solidarity
Tony Figueroa
In solidarity
Tony Figueroa
Here is another
that we could use to momentarily forget about those
things that leave a bad taste in our mouths
Playing live with the Employee of the Month House band featuring Rob Jost, Chris Sullivan, Eric Biondo and Andrew Bancroft.
The cast of Laverne & Shirley (Penny Marshall, Cindy Williams, Michael McKean, David L. Lander, Eddie Mekka, Betty Garrett, and Phil Foster) perform Milwaukee Moon on Laverne & Shirley, S3E18: Bus Stop.
In solidarity
Tony Figueroa
May 10, 1983
Laverne &Shirley ended its 8 season run.
May 14, 1998
Frank Sinatra dies of a heart attack in Los Angeles,at the age of 82.
Sinatra emerged from an Italian-Americanfamily in Hoboken, New Jersey, to become the first modern superstar of popularmusic, with an entertainment career that spanned more than five decades. In thefirst incarnation of his singing career, he was a master of the romantic balladspopular during World War II. After his appeal began to wane in the late 1940s,Sinatra reinvented himself as a suave swinger with a rougher, world-wearysinging style, and began a spectacular comeback in the 1950s.
In addition to his great musical success, Sinatra appeared in 58 films; oneof his earliest was Anchors Aweigh (1945). Playing a cockyItalian-American soldier who meets a violent death in From Here to Eternity (1953),co-starring Burt Lancaster and Montgomery Clift, Sinatra won an Academy Awardfor Best Supporting Actor. His film career flourished after that, as he starredas Nathan Detroit in the movie musical Guys and Dolls (1955) and playeda heroin addict in The Man With the Golden Arm (1955), for which he wasnominated for the Oscar for Best Actor. He also starred in the musicals HighSociety (1956) and Pal Joey (1957) and turned in a memorableperformance as an Army investigator in the acclaimed film The ManchurianCandidate (1962).
By the late 1950s, Sinatra had become the epitome of show-business successand glamorous, rough-edged masculinity. He even headed up his own entourage,known as the Rat Pack, which included Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, PeterLawford and Joey Bishop. The group had originally formed around HumphreyBogart, who died in 1957. The Rat Pack first appeared together on the bigscreen in 1960’s casino caper Ocean’s Eleven. They would go on to make Sergeant’sThree (1962), Four for Texas (1963) and Robin and the Seven Hoods(1964). Onscreen and in real life, the Pack’s famous stomping groundsincluded Las Vegas, Los Angeles and New York (notably the Copacabana Club).
Sinatra worked steadily in film throughout the 1960s, though many of hisperformances seemed almost perfunctory. His last major Hollywood role came in1980’s The First Deadly Sin. A famous heartthrob, Sinatra married fourtimes, divorcing his longtime sweetheart Nancy Barbato after a decade and threechildren (Nancy, Frank Jr. and Christina) to marry the actress Ava Gardner in1951. Their marriage lasted less than two years, and in 1966 Sinatra marriedthe 21-year-old actress Mia Farrow, 30 years his junior; they were divorced in1968. In 1976, he married Barbara Blakely Marx (the former wife of Zeppo Marx),and they remained together until his death.
May 14, 1998
Last episodeof Seinfeld aired.
The showstarred comedian Jerry Seinfeld and was created by Seinfeld and Larry David.Though Seinfeld originally intended the show to be about how a comedian gathersmaterial for his show, it was later better known as the “show about nothing”that was able to draw comedic absurdity from ordinary day-to-day events.Originally, each show began and ended with clips of Seinfeld performingstand-up that related to that episode’s plot.
Seinfeld's ensemble cast included Elaine Benes (JuliaLouis-Dreyfuss), George Constanza (Jason Alexander) and Cosmo Kramer (MichaelRichards), all the main characters in the show were based on Seinfeld’s orDavid’s real-life friends and acquaintances. When the pilot (Originally titled TheSeinfeld Chronicles) airedon July 5, 1989, reception was luke warm. The show was picked up by NBC andattracted a loyell following. Each episode's story line would be discussed atthe water-cooler the folowing morning (One sparked a lawsuit). The show also introduced new catch phrases into thenational lexicon, including “yada yada yada,” “shrinkage,” “man hands” and“spongeworthy.”
The much-anticipatedfinal episode was watched by an estimated 76 million viewers. Advertisers paidthe then-record sum of $1.7 million for a 30-second spot in the show.
The180 episodes of Seinfeld continue to air in syndication around theworld.
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"NOOO!!! You don't have to call me Johnson! My name is Raymond J. Johnson Jr. Now you can call me Ray, or you can call me J, or you can call me Johnny, or you can call me Sonny, or you can call me Junie, or you can call me Junior; now you can call me Ray J, or you can call me RJ, or you can call me RJJ, or you can call me RJJ Jr. . . but you doesn't hasta call me Johnson!"
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| William Saluga as Raymond J. Johnson Jr. September 16, 1937 – March 28, 2023 |
William Saluga (September 16, 1937 – March 28, 2023) was an American comedian and founding member of the improvisational comedy troupe Ace Trucking Company. He appeared on several television programs, including Seinfeld.
Best known for his cigar-smoking, zoot-suit-wearing television character Raymond J. Johnson Jr., famous for his catchphrase "You can call me Ray, or you can call me Jay, or you can call me…" The character then proceeds to list almost every conceivable permutation of his name before finishing with "…but you doesn't has to call me Johnson!"
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| Good Night Mr. Saluga |
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May 5, 1993
The final episode of Quantum Leap aired on NBC.
At the end of season five, Bellisario was told to write an episode that could serve as a season finale or series finale, as it was unclear whether Quantum Leap would be renewed. The episode contained some answers to long-standing questions about the show, but contained enough ambiguity for a season six. When the show was not renewed, two title cards were tacked on to the end of the last episode; one read that Al's first wife Beth never remarried, so they were still married in the present day and had four daughters. The last title cards said "Sam Becket never returned home." The finale was met by viewers with mixed feelings.
A few years after the airing of the finale, a script for an alternate ending was leaked on the internet. It implied that Al, through encouragement of his wife Beth, would become a leaper to go after Sam and that they would be leaping into the future. Bellisario has said no script exists and that he does not know where this idea came from. In 2018, however, fan Allison Pregler purchased title cards taken from season five that contained some shots of Al and Beth together; this implies that part of the alternate ending was, in fact, shot and gives credibility to the alternate-ending scenario. In May 2019, a video of the lost footage was uploaded to Reddit by a contributor with the handle Leaper1953. How this person obtained the footage is not known publicly. Scott Bakula confirmed that several endings were shot and that the footage was authentic.
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Somebody once said I had a face for radio and a voice for newspapers.
-Jerry Springer
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| Jerry Springer February 13, 1944 – April 27, 2023 |
Gerald Norman Springer was born on February 13, 1944, in the London Underground station of Highgate while the station was in use as a shelter from German bombing during World War II, and was raised in Queens, New York City. He attended Northwestern University School of Law, qualified as a lawyer, and first became actively involved in politics working for the campaign of Robert Kennedy in 1968.
Springer was elected to the Cincinnati City Council in 1971. On April 29, 1974, Springer resigned from the council after admitting to soliciting a prostitute. He ran for the office in 1975, winning by a landslide. He was reelected in 1977 and 1979. Springer was considered a "gonzo" type politician with stunts such as staying a night in jail and commandeering a bus after the city took over bus service.
In 1977, Springer was chosen by the Cincinnati City Council to serve for one year as mayor. The one-year term was due to a political arrangement at the time that required the Democrats to split the mayoral term with a local third party group, the Charter Committee, with whom the Democrats governed in an electoral alliance. (Cincinnati has since changed to direct election of its mayor.) In the city council and as mayor, Springer supported changing the local election system so that council members would be elected by districts (thus better representing neighborhood interests) instead of "9X" at-large system, but his efforts (as well as those of everyone else, to date, who has supported such a change) did not meet with success.
Springer considered running for the United States Senate in 2000 and 2004, but he backed down due to negative associations with the Jerry Springer talk show. He also considered running in the 2018 Ohio gubernatorial election, but decided against it due to his age. Even after his departure from politics, he was the largest contributor to the Hamilton County Democratic Party from 1993 to 2018.
Springer's broadcast career started while he was an undergraduate at Tulane University, on WTUL New Orleans FM, a progressive format college radio station. It continued while he was still mayor of Cincinnati, with album-oriented rock radio station WEBN-FM, which was noted for its laid-back and irreverent radio format. The station featured commentaries by Springer under the banner "The Springer Memorandum." The popularity of these commentaries launched his broadcasting career.
Springer was hired as a political reporter and commentator on Cincinnati's NBC affiliate, WLWT, which had, at the time, the lowest-rated news program. Later, having been named primary news anchor and managing editor, he needed a broadcast catchphrase in the model of other great newsmen. With the help of some others at WLWT, he created his signature line: "Take care of yourself, and each other." Within two years he was Cincinnati's number-one news anchor, along with partner Norma Rashid. For five years, he was the most popular news anchor in the city,[13] garnering ten local Emmy Awards for his nightly commentaries, which were frequently satirized by Cincinnati radio personality Gary Burbank. Those commentaries would eventually become his "Final Thought" on Jerry Springer. Springer would remain commentator at WLWT until January 1993. He resided in Loveland, Ohio, during this time.
In 1997, the Chicago-based NBC-owned station WMAQ-TV hired Springer to serve as a news commentator. However, this proved to be unpopular among viewers, as it resulted in the resignation of long-time news anchors Ron Magers and Carol Marin due to Springer's talk show. After performing only two commentaries, Springer resigned as commentator.
Jerry Springer debuted on September 30, 1991. It started as a politically oriented talk show, a longer version of Springer's commentaries. Guests on the show included Oliver North and Jesse Jackson, and topics included homelessness and gun politics.
In early 1994, Springer and his new producer, Richard Dominick, revamped the show's format in order to garner higher ratings. The show became more successful as it became targeted toward tabloidish sensationalism. Guests were everyday people confronted on a television stage by a spouse or family member's adultery, homosexuality, transsexuality, prostitution, transvestism, hate group membership, or other controversial situations. These confrontations were often promoted by scripted shouting or violence on stage. The show received substantial ratings and much attention. By 1998, it was beating The Oprah Winfrey Show in many cities, and was reaching more than 6.7 million viewers.
On July 10, 2002, the sons of guest Nancy Campbell-Panitz – who was murdered by her ex-husband after they appeared on a May 2000 episode with his girlfriend – filed suit in Sarasota County against Springer, his producers, and his distributor, claiming he created "a mood that led to murder". Ultimately, the estate of Campbell-Panitz dropped all monetary claims against Jerry Springer and the show agreed to waive its claims for malicious prosecution against the personal representative of the estate of Campbell-Panitz and his counsel.In 2005, a UK version of the show aired on Britain's ITV network titled The Springer Show. A subdued and more tongue-in-cheek version of the U.S. show, it beat its talk-show rival Trisha Goddard five to one in the ratings.The VH1 "celebreality" series The Springer Hustle, which took a look at how Jerry Springer is produced, premiered in April 2007.
In April 2015, Springer debuted The Jerry Springer Podcast on his website, JerrySpringer.com. He later partnered with Westwood One to stream the podcast. It was also broadcast in the UK on Talkradio, on Sundays at midnight. Springer was the second American talk show host to travel to Cuba, after Conan O'Brien, for The Jerry Springer Podcast. The podcast ended in 2022.On July 26, 2018, Jerry Springer aired its final episode in syndication after 27 seasons before it began airing reruns on The CW on September 10, 2018.Springer debuted a new courtroom show, Judge Jerry, on September 9, 2019. The show gave him the opportunity to host a more "grown-up" program and to use his law school education. On March 9, 2022, the series was canceled after three seasons.Springer hosted America's Got Talent on NBC for its second and third seasons, replacing Regis Philbin, before leaving to concentrate on other projects.
From January 17, 2005, to December 5, 2006, Springer hosted Springer on the Radio, a liberal talk show on Cincinnati's WCKY-AM. He did the show from the Clear Channel studios in Kenwood, Ohio on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and in Chicago (where his television show taped at the time) on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Air America Radio syndicated the program for most of the show's run. |
| Good Night Jerry Stay Tuned Tony Figueroa |
and Each Other
My activism always existed.
My art gave me the platform to do something about the activism.
-Harry Belafonte
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| Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr. March 1, 1927 – April 25, 2023 |
Harry Belafonte was a Jamaican-American singer, actor and activist, who popularized calypso music with international audiences in the 1950s. His breakthrough album Calypso (1956) was the first million-selling LP by a single artist.
Belafonte was best known for his recordings of "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)", with its signature "Day-O" lyric, "Jump in the Line (Shake, Senora)", "Jamaica Farewell", and "Mary's Boy Child". He recorded and performed in many genres, including blues, folk, gospel, show tunes, and American standards. He also starred in several films, including Carmen Jones (1954), Island in the Sun (1957), and Odds Against Tomorrow (1959).
Belafonte considered the actor, singer, and activist Paul Robeson a mentor, and he was a close confidant of Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. As he later recalled, "Paul Robeson had been my first great formative influence; you might say he gave me my backbone. Martin King was the second; he nourished my soul." Throughout his career, Belafonte was an advocate for political and humanitarian causes, such as the Anti-Apartheid Movement and USA for Africa. From 1987 until his death, he was a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. He was a vocal critic of the policies of the George W. Bush presidential administration. Belafonte acted as the American Civil Liberties Union celebrity ambassador for juvenile justice issues.
Belafonte won three Grammy Awards (including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award), an Emmy Award, and a Tony Award. In 1989, he received the Kennedy Center Honors. He was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1994. In 2014, he received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Academy's 6th Annual Governors Awards and in 2022 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Early Influence category.
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| Good Night Mr. Belafonte Stay Tuned Tony Figueroa |
April 25, 1908
Edward R.Murrow was born EgbertRoscoe Murrow.
Hefirst came to prominence with a series of radio news broadcasts during World War II, which were followed by millions of listeners inthe United States.Fellow journalists Eric Sevareid, Ed Bliss, and AlexanderKendrick consideredMurrow one of journalism's greatest figures, noting his honesty and integrityin delivering the news.
A pioneer of television news broadcasting, Murrow produced a series of TV newsreports that helped lead to the censure of Senator JosephMcCarthy.
A chainsmoker throughout his life, Murrow was almost never seen without histrademark Camel cigarette. It was reported that he smokedanywhere from sixty to sixty-five cigarettes a day, equivalent to roughly threepacks. See It Now was the first television program to have a reportabout the connection between smoking and cancer; Murrow said during the show that "I doubt I couldspend a half hour without a cigarette with any comfort or ease." Hedeveloped lungcancer and lived for two years after an operation to remove his left lung.
Murrow died at his home on April 27, 1965, two days after his 57th birthday.His colleague and friend Eric Sevareid said of him, "He was a shootingstar; and we will live in his afterglow a very long time." CBS carried amemorial program, which included a rare on-camera appearance by Paley.
April 25, 1978
Vega$ first aired
April 26, 1933
Carol CreightonBurnett was born.
Actress,comedienne, singer and writer, whose career spans six decades of television.She is best known for her long-running TV variety show, The Carol BurnettShow,originally aired on CBS. She has achieved success on stage,television and film in varying genres including dramatic and comedy roles. Shealso has appeared on various talk shows and as a panelist on game shows.
Bornin San Antonio, Texas, Burnett moved with hergrandmother to Hollywood, where she attended Hollywood High School andeventually studied theater and musical comedy at UCLA. Later she performed innightclubs in New York City and had a breakout success on Broadway in 1959in Once Upon aMattress,for which she received a Tony Award nomination. She soon made her televisiondebut, regularly appearing on The Garry MooreShow forthe next three years, and won her first Emmy Award in 1962. In 1963, she was the star of theDallas State Fair Musicals presentation of "Calamity Jane". Burnett moved to Los Angeles, California, and began an 11-year run as star of TheCarol Burnett Show on CBS television from 1967to 1978. With its vaudeville roots, TheCarol Burnett Show was a variety show that combined comedy sketches with song and dance. The comedy sketchesincluded film parodies and character pieces.Burnett created many memorable characters during the show's run, and both sheand the show won numerous Emmy and Golden Globe Awards.
Duringand after her variety show, Burnett appeared in many television and filmprojects. Her film roles include Pete 'n' Tillie (1972), The FrontPage (1974), The Four Seasons (1981), Annie (1982), Noises Off (1992), and Horton Hearsa Who! (2008).On television, she has appeared in other sketch shows; in dramatic rolesin 6 Rms Riv Vu (1974) and Friendly Fire (1979); in variouswell-regarded guest roles, such as in Mad About You, for which she won an Emmy Award; and inspecials with Julie Andrews, Dolly Parton, Beverly Sills, and others. She returned to the Broadway stage in1995 in Moon Over Buffalo, for which she wasagain nominated for a Tony Award.
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When people laugh at me, they are not laughing in the way that they normally would at a comedian. They are laughing with relief, because the truth has been spoken, and political correctness has not strangled this particular gigastar.
-Barry Humphries
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| John Barry Humphries February 17th 1934 – April 22nd 2023 |
The Australian comedian, actor, author and satirist. He was best known for writing and playing his on-stage and television alter egosDame Edna EverageandSir Les Patterson. He was also a film producer and script writer, a star of London'sWest Endmusical theatre, a writer, and a landscape painter. For his delivery ofdadaistandabsurdisthumour to millions, biographer Anne Pender described Humphries in 2010 as not only "the most significant theatrical figure of our time … [but] the most significantcomedianto emerge sinceCharlie Chaplin".
Humphries' characters brought him international renown, and he also appeared in numerous stage productions, films, and television shows. Originally conceived as a dowdyMoonee Pondshousewife who caricatured Australian suburban complacency and insularity, Dame Edna Everage evolved over four decades to become a satire of stardom – a gaudily dressed, acid-tongued, egomaniacal, internationally fêted "Housewife Gigastar".
Humphries' other satirical characters included the "priapic and inebriated cultural attaché" Sir Les Patterson, who "continued to bring worldwide discredit upon Australian arts and culture, while contributing as much to the Australian vernacular as he has borrowed from it"; gentle, grandfatherly "returned gentleman" Sandy Stone; iconoclastic 1960s underground film-maker Martin Agrippa; Paddington socialist academic Neil Singleton; sleazy trade union official Lance Boyle; high-pressure art salesman Morrie O'Connor; failed tycoon Owen Steele; and archetypal Australian bloke Barry McKenzie.
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| Good Night Mr. Humphries Stay Tuned Tony Figueroa |
April 19, 1938
The National Broadcasting Company launchedexperimental television broadcasts from the Empire State Building. These experiments aired only five hours a week tovery few TV households.
April 22, 1978
The Blues Brothers maketheir world premiere on Saturday Night Live.
The characters and the band that Belushiand Aykroyd unveiled that night took more than two years to evolve. The firstincarnation came during SNL's first season, in a January 17, 1976,appearance singing "I'm a King Bee" as "Howard Shore and hisAll-Bee Band." There were no dark suits, skinny ties or Ray-Bans at thatpoint, but the appearance did feature Aykroyd on the harmonica and Belushi onvocals belting out a blues classic very much in the style of the future Elwoodand "Joliet" Jake Blues, albeit while wearing bee costumes. The BluesBrothers' look—and much of their repertoire—would come together after Belushi'strip to Eugene, Oregon, during the hiatus between SNLseasons two and three to film Animal House. It was there thatBelushi, a committed rock-and-roll fan, met a 25-year-old bluesman named CurtisSalgado, future harmonica player for Robert Cray, frontman for Roomful of Bluesand a major figure on the burgeoning Pacific Northwest blues scene of the 1970s. Belushi became a regular visitor to the EugeneHotel to catch Salgado's act during the filming of Animal House, and itwas from that act and from Salgado himself that he picked up a passion for theblues as well as the inspiration for the Blues Brothers' sound and look .Backin New York for the third season of SNL,Belushi and Aykroyd honed their concept for the Blues Brothers Band andrecruited an incredible roster of backing instrumentalists drawn from among thefinest blues and R&B session musicians in the country. Even if their debutperformance on this night in 1978 hadn't been a huge hit, the band was far toogood to break up after a single gig. Indeed, the closing portion of PaulShaffer's introduction that night—"Today they are no longer an authentic bluesact, but have managed to become a viable commercial product"—ended upbeing borne out in real life, with the Blues Brothers earning three top-40 hits("Soul Man," "Rubber Biscuit" and "Gimme SomeLovin'"), a #1 pop album (Briefcase Full of Blues) and a piece ofscreen immortality via their 1980 film, The Blues Brothers.
SteveMartin wasthe host of that episode and he previewed the novelty song "King Tut".Performed by and the Toot Uncommons (actually members of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band). It was released as a single in 1978, sold over amillion copies, and reached number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was alsoincluded on Martin's album A Wild and Crazy Guy.
"King Tut" paid homage to Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun and presents a caricatureof the sensational Treasures of Tutankhamun traveling exhibit thattoured seven United States cities from 1976 to 1979. The exhibit attractedapproximately eight million visitors. In the Saturday Night Liveperformance of "King Tut," loyal subjects appease a joyful King Tutwith kitchen appliances. An instrumental solo is delivered by saxophone player Lou Marini, who steps out of a sarcophagus to great laughter.
In the book Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live,authors Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad write that the sketch was one of the mostexpensive productions the show had attempted up to that point. Steve Martin hadbrought the song to the show and asked if he could perform it, not expectingthe production that occurred—producer Lorne Michaels put everything behind it.
Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers recorded the song in a bluegrass version for their 2011album, Rare Bird Alert.
The song is the subject of in-depth analysis in Melani McAlister's EpicEncounters: Culture, Media, and U.S. Interests in the Middle East, 1945–2000.
It is also referenced in a dialogue in the video game The Lost Vikings (1992) at the end of one ofthe Egyptian themed levels of the game.
April 22, 1978
Maude aired its finalepisode after 6 seasons on the air.
"Maude'sBig Move: Part 3"
Maudeand Walter leave New York for Washington, D.C. to begin a new chapter in theirlives. Final episode of the series.
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April 12, 1998
The pilot episode of Junkyard Wars aired.
April 15, 1948
HollywoodScreen Test debuts. TVtalent show Hollywood Screen Test debuts on this day in 1948. Unlikeother talent shows, the program featured aspiring professionals, not pure amateurs,performing in drama and comedy sketches with established stars. Grace Kelly,Jack Klugman, and Jack Lemmon all got their big break on the show, which ranuntil 1953.
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April 3, 1953
"TV Guide" waspublished for the first time. The cover was a photo of Lucille Ball's infantDesiderio Alberto Arnaz IV.
April 4, 1973
NBC aired the Elvis Presleymovie "Aloha From Hawaii."
April 4, 2013
Legendarymovie critic Roger Ebert dies.
On this day in 2013, one ofAmerica's best-known and most influential movie critics, Roger Ebert, whoreviewed movies for The Chicago Sun-Times for 46 years and on TV for 31 years, dies at age 70 after abattling cancer. In 1975, Ebert started co-hosting a movie review program on TVwith fellow critic Gene Siskel that eventually turned them both into householdnames and made their thumbs-up, thumbs-down rating system part of American popculture.
Born on June 18, 1942, in Urbana, Illinois, Ebert was theonly child of an electrician father and bookkeeper mother. At age 15, Ebert hebegan writing about high school sports for his local newspaper. In 1964, hegraduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where majored injournalism and served as editor of the school's newspaper. Two years later, hewent to work for the Chicago Sun-Times. When the paper's film critic retired in1967, Ebert was named as her replacement.
Ebert's column soon became a must-read for movielovers, and in 1975 he became the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize.That same year, he and rival critic Gene Siskel, of The Chicago Tribune, werepaired as co-hosts of a monthly movie-review show, "Opening Soon at aTheater Near You," on Chicago’s public broadcasting station. In 1978, theshow, renamed "Sneak Previews," went into national syndication, andlater became the highest-rated half-hour series in the history of publictelevision. In the early 1980s, the program was acquired by another broadcasting company andrechristened "At the Movies." Its name was changed to"Siskel & Ebert at the Movies" in 1986, the same year the twohosts, who became known for their sometimes contentious on-screen chemistry,debuted their thumbs-up, thumbs-down judgments. The program helped turnSiskel and Ebert into some of the planet's most powerful film critics as wellas celebrities in their own right. After Siskel died in 1999 at age 53 from abrain tumor, Ebert selected his Sun-Times colleague Richard Roeper as his newco-host and the program was rechristened "At the Movies with Ebert &Roeper."
Ebert reportedly watched 500 movies a year and pennedreviews of at least half that many on an annual basis. (In 2012, when asked toname the 10 greatest films of all time, his list included such titles as"Apocalypse Now," "Citizen Kane," "Raging Bull"and "Vertigo.") His work was syndicated in hundreds of newspapersaround the world, and he was the author of more than 15 books, including theacclaimed 2011 memoir "Life Itself." Ebert had a brief foray intomovie making when he wrote the script for 1970’s "Beyond the Valley of theDolls." Upon its release, the film was trashed by critics, includingSiskel.
Diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2002 and salivarygland cancer the following year, Ebert lost the ability to speak, drink and eatin 2006 following surgery for jaw cancer. However, he continued to work,writing for the Sun-Times, blogging for his own website and developing a largefollowing on Facebook and Twitter. On April 2, 2013, Ebert publicly announcedhe would be writing fewer reviews due to a recurrence of cancer. He died twodays later. The Sun-Times published his final movie review on April 6, for"To the Wonder." Ebert awarded it 3.5 out of 4 stars.
April 5, 2008
Charlton Heston dies at the age of 84.
Born on October 4, 1923, andraised in the Midwest, Heston caught the acting bug in high school; he laterattended Northwestern University. He landed his first major role in a 1947production of Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra on Broadway, andthree years later made his film debut in Dark City. Impressed with theyoung actor’s screen presence, the legendary director Cecil B. DeMille castHeston as the manager of a circus in The Greatest Show on Earth (1952).Four years later, DeMille gave Heston the role that would make him famous--thatof the biblical hero Moses in The Ten Commandments.
With his leading-man status confirmed, Heston went on to star in othernotable films for Hollywood’s best directors. In 1958, he played a Mexicannarcotics detective in Orson Welles’s Touch of Evil, appearingopposite Welles himself. Another biblical epic, Ben-Hur (1959),directed by William Wyler, won a then-record 11 Academy Awards (a mark that waslater tied by Titanic in 1998 and The Lord of the Rings: TheReturn of the King in 2004). Heston took home an Oscar for Best Actor forhis portrayal of a rebellious young aristocrat in ancient Judea.
In all, Heston would appear in some 100 movies on the big and small screensover the course of his lengthy career. He played the title character in theSpanish medieval epic El Cid (1961), opposite Sophia Loren, and waspanned by critics for his turn as Michelangelo in The Agony and the Ecstasy(1965). He portrayed Mark Antony in both Julius Caesar (1970) andAntony and Cleopatra (1973); he also directed the latter film. Hestonalso made forays into the Western genre (1968’s Willy Penny), sciencefiction (the 1968 hit The Planet of the Apes and its 1970 sequel,1971’s Omega Man and 1973’s Soylent Green), and highbrowliterary adaptations (1972’s The Call of the Wild and 1973’s TheThree Musketeers). His later work for cable television included A Manfor All Seasons (1988) and The Avenging Angel (1995).
Long active in political and social causes, Heston publicly supported thecivil rights movement and participated in the historic march on Washington withMartin Luther King Jr. in 1963. In 1966, Heston succeeded his friend and fellowactor Ronald Reagan as president of the Screen Actors Guild, a post he wouldhold until 1971. He also served as chairman of the American Film Institute from1973 to 1983. After Reagan won the U.S. presidency in 1980, he appointed Hestonas the co-chairman of a task force on arts and humanities. In this role, Hestondefended National Endowment for the Arts and proved to be an effective speakerand public figure.
According to his obituary in The New York Times, Heston switchedhis political affiliation from Democrat to Republican in 1987, after theDemocrats blocked the Supreme Court appointment of Robert Bork, a conservativewhom Heston supported. Over the next decade, Heston began increasingly to speakout about what he saw as a decline of morality in American popular culture andentertainment. In 1996, he campaigned on behalf of various Republican candidates.He began focusing specifically on the opposition to gun control. After beingelected vice president of the NRA in 1997, he became president the followingyear.
Heston parlayed his rugged onscreen persona into a forceful role at the headof the NRA’s campaign against what it saw as the federal government’s attemptsto encroach on the constitutional right to bear arms. In 2000, he made amemorable speech at the NRA’s annual convention, bringing his audience to theirfeet with the rousing claim that gun-control advocates would have to pry hisgun “from my cold, dead hands!” Meanwhile, Heston continued acting through the1990s, making one of his final film appearances (uncredited) in Tim Burton’s2001 remake of Planet of the Apes.
April 7, 1978
The final episode, number37, of Black Sheep Squadron aired onNBC.
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I'll keep doing it until I die or the audiences die.
-Mark Russell
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| Mark Russell August 23, 1932 – March 30, 2023 |
Beginning in the early 1960s, he was a regular entertainer at the Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. and did his first PBS show in 1975. From 1979 to 1984, he was a correspondent on the NBC reality TV show Real People. He also made brief appearances on all six episodes of the short lived Starland Vocal Band Show (CBS) during the summer of 1977.
Russell's song parodies use melodies from old standards with new humorous lyrics pertinent to the subject matter. For example, in 1990, following the execution of the Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu, Russell did a parody song on his show to the tune of "Chattanooga Choo-Choo". ("Pardon me, boys / Are you the cats who shot Ceauşescu?") Russell himself admits that most of his jokes and songs are very topical and have "a shelf life shorter than cottage cheese".
Russell's humor is known for skewering Democrats and Republicans as well as third party, independent politicians and other prominent political (and sometimes nonpolitical) figures.
Russell has often been asked the question "Do you have any writers?" His standard response is "Oh, yes. I have 535 writers: One hundred in the Senate and 435 in the House of Representatives!" When asked if his views on current events are too caustic, Russell replies, "I follow the old newsman's adage. As they say, 'I don't make the news. I just report it.' And in my case, I don't even make the jokes. I just report them as they masquerade as news."
For several years, on the Sunday before Labor Day, Russell made annual appearances on Meet the Press, which was hosted from 1991 to 2008 by Tim Russert, also a Canisius High graduate.
Good Night Mr. Russell
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March 27, 1973
Marlon Brando declines Best Actor Oscar.
Marlon Brando declines the Academy Award for Best Actor for The Godfather. The Native American actress Sacheen Littlefeather attended the ceremony in Brando’s place, stating that the actor “very regretfully” could not accept the award, as he was protesting Hollywood’s portrayal of Native Americans in film.
Now revered by many as the greatest actor of his generation, Brando earned his first Oscar nomination for his portrayal of the brutish Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951). The role was a reprisal of Brando’s incendiary performance in the 1947 stage production of Tennessee Williams’ play, which first brought him to the public’s attention. Nominated again for roles in Viva Zapata! (1952) and Julius Caesar (1953), he won his first Academy Award for On the Waterfront (1954).
Brando’s career went into decline in the 1960s, with expensive flops such as One-Eyed Jacks (1961), which he also directed, and Mutiny on the Bounty (1962). Aside from his preternatural talent, the actor had become notorious for his moodiness and demanding on-set behavior, as well as his tumultuous off-screen life. Francis Ford Coppola, the young director of The Godfather, had to fight to get him cast in the coveted role of Vito Corleone. Brando won the role only after undergoing a screen test and cutting his fee to $250,000--far less than what he had commanded a decade earlier. With one of the most memorable screen performances of all time, Brando rejuvenated his career, and The Godfather became an almost-immediate classic.
On the eve of the 1972 Oscars, Brando announced that he would boycott the ceremony, and would send Littlefeather in his place. After Brando’s name was announced as Best Actor, the presenter Roger Moore (star of several James Bond films) attempted to hand the Oscar to Littlefeather, but she brushed it aside, saying that Brando could not accept the award. Littlefeather read a portion of a lengthy statement Brando had written, the entirety of which was later published in the press, including The New York Times. “The motion picture community has been as responsible as any,” Brando wrote, “for degrading the Indian and making a mockery of his character, describing his as savage, hostile and evil.”
Brando had been involved in social causes for years, speaking publicly in support of the formation of a Jewish state in the 1940s, as well as for African-American civil rights and the Black Panther Party. His Oscar statement expressed support for the American Indian Movement (AIM) and referenced the ongoing situation at Wounded Knee, the South Dakota town that had been seized by AIM members the previous month and was currently under siege by U.S. military forces. Wounded Knee had also been the site of a massacre of Native Americans by U.S. government forces in 1890.
Brando was the second performer to turn down a Best Actor Oscar; the first was George C. Scott, who politely declined to accept his award for Patton in 1971 and reportedly said of the Academy Awards hoopla: “I don’t want any part of it.” Scott had previously declined a Best Supporting Actor nomination for The Hustler (1961).
March 31, 2003
The first season of American Chopper began.
April 1, 1963
Soap operas General Hospital and The Doctors premiere. The ABC television network airs the premiere episode of General Hospital, the daytime drama that will become the network’s most enduring soap opera and the longest-running serial program produced in Hollywood. On the same day, rival network NBC debuts its own medical-themed soap opera, The Doctors.
In contrast to General Hospital, The Doctors first ran as an anthology series, with each episode focusing on a single plotline. It later ran as a weekly serial and became a full-fledged daily soap in March 1964. For most of its run, the show was largely sponsored by the Colgate-Palmolive Company, makers of Fab detergent, Palmolive dish liquid and Irish Spring soap, among many other products. The tagline of The Doctors, announced at the beginning of each episode, was “a daytime drama series dedicated to the brotherhood of healing.” The Doctors won numerous Emmy Awards, including Best Daytime Drama in 1972 and 1974, Best Actress for Elizabeth Hubbard (who played Dr. Althea Davis) in 1974 and Best Actor for Pritchett in 1978. Some of the notable actors that have appeared on The Doctors include Ellen Burstyn, Alec Baldwin, Kathleen Turner and Armand Assante. With ratings declining steadily after 1975, The Doctors was canceled in 1982, just months before its 30th anniversary.
For its part, General Hospital has remained on the air for more than four decades, making it ABC’s longest-running soap opera. Though falling ratings in the late 1970s threatened the show’s existence, it turned things around and become a hit with younger audiences in the early 1980s. Some of its more popular ongoing storylines involved the “super couple” Luke Spencer (Anthony Geary) and Laura Webber (Genie Francis), whose 1981 wedding was the most-watched event in daytime television history. In June 2008, the show won a record-breaking 10th Emmy Award for Best Daytime Drama.
April 2, 1978
Dallas first aired
Stay Tuned
Tony Figueroa
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Tony Figueroa
March 20, 1928
Fred McFeely Rogers is born.
Mr. Rogers was most famous for creating and hosting Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (1968–2001), which featured his gentle, soft-spoken personality and directness to his audiences. Initially educated to be a minister, Rogers was displeased with the way television addressed children and made an effort to change this when he began to write for and perform on local Pittsburgh-area shows dedicated to youth. WQED developed his own show in 1968 and it was distributed nationwide by Eastern Educational Television Network. Over the course of three decades on television, Fred Rogers became an indelible American icon of children's entertainment and education, as well as a symbol of compassion, patience, and morality. He was also known for his advocacy of various public causes. His testimony before a lower court in favor of fair use recording of television shows to play at another time (now known as time shifting) was cited in a U.S. Supreme Court decision on the Betamax case, and he gave now-famous testimony to a U.S. Senate committee, advocating government funding for children's television.Rogers received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, some forty honorary degrees, and a Peabody Award. He was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame, was recognized by two Congressional resolutions, and was ranked No. 35 among TV Guide's Fifty Greatest TV Stars of All Time. Several buildings and artworks in Pennsylvania are dedicated to his memory, and the Smithsonian Institution displays one of his trademark sweaters as a "Treasure of American History".
Rogers was born in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, 40 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, to James and Nancy Rogers; he had one sister, Elaine. Early in life he spent much of his free time with his maternal grandfather, Fred McFeely, who had an interest in music. He would often sing along as his mother would play the piano and he himself began playing at five.
Rogers graduated from Latrobe High School (1946). He studied at Dartmouth College (1946–48), then transferred to Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, where he earned a B.A. in Music Composition in 1951.
At Rollins, he met Sara Joanne Byrd, an Oakland, Florida native; they married on June 9, 1952. They had two sons, James (b. 1959) and John (b. 1961). In 1963 Rogers graduated from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and was ordained a minister in the Presbyterian Church.
Rogers had an apartment in New York City and a summer home on Nantucket island in Massachusetts. Rogers was red-green color blind, swam every morning, was a vegetarian, and neither smoked nor drank. Despite recurring rumors, he never served in the military.
Fred Rogers had a life-changing moment when he first saw television in his parents' home. He entered seminary after college; but, after his first experience as a viewer, he wanted to explore the potential of the medium. In an interview with CNN in his later years, Rogers stated, "I went into television because I hated it so, and I thought there's some way of using this fabulous instrument to nurture those who would watch and listen."
He thus applied for a job at NBC in New York City in 1951 and was hired because of his music degree. Rogers spent three years working on the production staffs for such music-centered programming as NBC Opera Theater. He also worked on Gabby Hayes' show for children. Ultimately, Rogers decided that commercial television's reliance on advertisement and merchandising undermined its ability to educate or enrich young audiences, so he quit NBC.
In 1954, he began working at WQED, a Pittsburgh public television station, as a puppeteer on a local children's show The Children's Corner. For the next seven years, he worked with host Josie Carey in unscripted live TV, developing many of the puppets, characters, and music used in his later work, such as King Friday XIII, and Curious X the Owl.
Rogers began wearing his famous sneakers when he found them to be quieter than his work shoes as he moved about behind the set. He was also the voices of King Friday XIII and Queen Sara Saturday (named after his wife), rulers of the neighborhood, as well as X the Owl, Henrietta Pussycat, Daniel Striped Tiger, Lady Elaine Fairchild, and Larry Horse. The show won a Sylvania Award for best children's show, and was briefly broadcast nationally on NBC.
During these eight years, he would leave the WQED studios during his lunch breaks to study theology at the nearby Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Rogers, however, was not interested in preaching; and, after his ordination, he was specifically charged to continue his work with Children's Television. He had also done work at the University of Pittsburgh's program in Child Development and Child Care.
In 1963, Rogers moved to Toronto, where he was contracted by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) to develop his debut in front of the camera, the 15-minute children's program Misterogers, which though popular with children ran just three seasons. Many of his famous set pieces—Trolley, Eiffel Tower, the 'tree', and 'castle'—were created by CBC designers. While in Canada, Rogers brought his friend and understudy Ernie Coombs, who would go on to create Mr. Dressup, a very successful and long-running children's show in Canada, and similar in many ways to Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Mr. Dressup also used some of the songs that would be featured on Rogers' later program. The two of them co-starred on Butternut Square on CBC TV between October 19, 1964 and February 10, 1967.
In 1966, Rogers acquired the rights to his program from the CBC and moved the show to WQED in Pittsburgh, where he had worked on The Children's Corner. He developed the new show for the Eastern Educational Network. Stations that carried the program were limited but did include educational stations in Boston, Washington, D.C., and New York City.
After returning to Pittsburgh, Rogers attended the Sixth Presbyterian Church in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood.
Distribution of Mister Rogers' Neighborhoodbegan on February 19, 1968. The following year, the show moved to PBS(Public Broadcasting Service). In 1971, Rogers formed Family Communications, Inc. (FCI), and the company established offices in the WQED building in Pittsburgh. Initially, the company served solely as the production arm of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, but now develops and produces an array of children's programming and educational materials.
Visually, the presentation of the show was very simple, and it did not feature the animation or fast pace of other children's shows, which Rogers thought of as "bombardment". Rogers also believed in not acting out a different persona on camera compared to how he acted off camera, stating that "One of the greatest gifts you can give anybody is the gift of your honest self. I also believe that kids can spot a phony a mile away." Rogers composed almost all of the music on the program. He wanted to teach children to love themselves and others, and he addressed common childhood fears with comforting songs and skits. For example, one of his famous songs explains how a child cannot be pulled down the bathtub drain because he or she will not fit. He even once took a trip to the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh to show children that a hospital is not a place to fear. During the Gulf War (1990–91), he assured his audience that all children in the neighborhood would be well cared for and asked parents to promise to take care of their own children. The message was aired again by PBS during the media storm that preceded the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
In 1994, Rogers created another one-time special for PBS called Fred Rogers' Heroes which consisted of documentary portraits of four real-life people whose work helped make their communities better. Rogers, uncharacteristically dressed in a suit and tie, hosted in wraparound segments which did not use the "Neighborhood" set.
For a time, Rogers produced specials for parents as a precursor to the subject of the week on the Neighborhood called "Mister Rogers Talks To Parents About [topic]". Rogers didn't host those specials, but instead invited news announcers, such as Joan Lunden, who hosted the Conflict special, to take on the emcee duties in front of a gallery of parents while Rogers answered questions from them. These specials were made to prepare parents for questions their children might ask after watching the episodes on the topic of the week.
The only time Rogers appeared on television as someone other than himself was in 1996, when he played a preacher on one episode of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.
In the mid-1980s, the Burger King fast-food chain lampooned Rogers' image with an actor called "Mr. Rodney", imitating Rogers' television character. Rogers found the character's pitching fast food as confusing to children, and called a press conference in which he stated that he did not endorse the company's use of his character or likeness (Rogers did no commercial endorsements of any kind throughout his career, though over the years he acted as a pitchman for several non-profit organizations dedicated to learning). The chain publicly apologized for the faux pas, and pulled the ads. By contrast, Fred Rogers found Eddie Murphy's parody of his show on Saturday Night Live, "Mister Robinson's Neighborhood," amusing and affectionate, which was also initially broadcast at a time of night when his own child audience was not likely to see it.
Rogers voiced himself on the "Arthur Meets Mister Rogers" episode of the PBS Kids series Arthur.
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood won four Emmy awards, and Rogers himself was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 1997 Daytime Emmys, as described by Esquire's Tom Junod:
Mister Rogers went onstage to accept the award — and there, in front of all the soap opera stars and talk show sinceratrons, in front of all the jutting man-tanned jaws and jutting saltwater bosoms, he made his small bow and said into the microphone, "All of us have special ones who have loved us into being. Would you just take, along with me, ten seconds to think of the people who have helped you become who you are. Ten seconds of silence."
And then he lifted his wrist, looked at the audience, looked at his watch, and said, "I'll watch the time." There was, at first, a small whoop from the crowd, a giddy, strangled hiccup of laughter, as people realized that he wasn't kidding, that Mister Rogers was not some convenient eunuch, but rather a man, an authority figure who actually expected them to do what he asked. And so they did. One second, two seconds, three seconds — and now the jaws clenched, and the bosoms heaved, and the mascara ran, and the tears fell upon the beglittered gathering like rain leaking down a crystal chandelier. And Mister Rogers finally looked up from his watch and said softly "May God be with you," to all his vanquished children.
Other works
In 1969, Rogers appeared before the United States Senate Subcommittee on Communications. His goal was to support funding for PBSand the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, in response to significant proposed cuts. In about six minutes of testimony, Rogers spoke of the need for social and emotional education that public television provided. He passionately argued that alternative television programming like his Neighborhoodhelped encourage children to become happy and productive citizens, sometimes opposing less positive messages in media and in popular culture. He even recited the lyrics to one of his songs.
The chairman of the subcommittee, John O. Pastore, was not previously familiar with Rogers' work, and was sometimes described as impatient. However, he reported that the testimony had given him goosebumps, and declared, "I think it's wonderful. Looks like you just earned the $20 million." The subsequent congressional appropriation, for 1971, increased PBS funding from $9 million to $22 million.
During the controversy surrounding the introduction of the household VCR, Rogers was involved in supporting the manufacturers of VCRs in court. His 1979 testimony in the case Sony Corp. of America v. Universal City Studios, Inc. noted that he did not object to home recording of his television programs, for instance, by families in order to watch together at a later time. This testimony contrasted with the views of others in the television industry who objected to home recording or believed that devices to facilitate it should be taxed or regulated.
The Supreme Court considered the testimony of Rogers in its decision that held that the Betamax video recorder did not infringe copyright. The Court stated that his views were a notable piece of evidence "that many [television] producers are willing to allow private time-shifting to continue" and even quoted his testimony in a footnote:
Some public stations, as well as commercial stations, program the "Neighborhood" at hours when some children cannot use it ... I have always felt that with the advent of all of this new technology that allows people to tape the "Neighborhood" off-the-air, and I'm speaking for the "Neighborhood" because that's what I produce, that they then become much more active in the programming of their family's television life. Very frankly, I am opposed to people being programmed by others. My whole approach in broadcasting has always been "You are an important person just the way you are. You can make healthy decisions." Maybe I'm going on too long, but I just feel that anything that allows a person to be more active in the control of his or her life, in a healthy way, is important.
Rogers was diagnosed with stomach cancer in December 2002, not long after his retirement. He underwent surgery on January 6, 2003, which was unsuccessful. A week earlier, he served as grand marshal of the Tournament of Roses Parade, with Art Linkletter and Bill Cosby.
Rogers died on the morning of February 27, 2003 at his home with his wife by his side, less than a month before he would have turned 75. His death was such a significant event in Pittsburgh that the entire front page of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette published the next day devoted its coverage to him. The Reverend William P. Barker presided over a public memorial in Pittsburgh. More than 2,700 people attended the memorial at Heinz Hall, including former Good Morning America host David Hartman, Teresa Heinz Kerry, philanthropist Elsie Hillman, PBSPresident Pat Mitchell, Arthur creator Marc Brown, and The Very Hungry Caterpillar author-illustrator Eric Carle. Speakers remembered Rogers' love of children, devotion to his religion, enthusiasm for music, and quirks. Teresa Heinz Kerry said of Rogers, "He never condescended, just invited us into his conversation. He spoke to us as the people we were, not as the people others wished we were." Rogers is interred at Unity Cemetery in Latrobe.
On New Years Day of 2004, Michael Keaton hosted the PBS TV special Fred Rogers: America's Favorite Neighbor. It was released on DVD September 28 that year. Keaton was a former stagehand on the show before he quit to become an actor. To mark what would have been his 80th birthday, Rogers' production company sponsored several events to memorialize him, including "Won't You Wear a Sweater Day", during which fans and neighbors were asked to wear their favorite sweaters in celebration.
The television industry honored Rogers with a George Foster Peabody Award "in recognition of 25 years of beautiful days in the neighborhood" in 1987, the same year he was initiated as an honorary member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity, the national fraternity for men of music. Rogers was a National Patron of Delta Omicron, an international professional music fraternity. He was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1999. One of Rogers' iconic sweaters was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution, which displays it as a "Treasure of American History". In 2002 Rogers received the PNC Commonwealth Award in Mass Communications.
He was furthermore awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002, for his contributions to children's education, justified by President George W. Bush, who said, "Fred Rogers has proven that television can soothe the soul and nurture the spirit and teach the very young". A year later, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed Resolution 16 to commemorate the life of Fred Rogers. It read, in part, "Through his spirituality and placid nature, Mr. Rogers was able to reach out to our nation's children and encourage each of them to understand the important role they play in their communities and as part of their families. More importantly, he did not shy away from dealing with difficult issues of death and divorce but rather encouraged children to express their emotions in a healthy, constructive manner, often providing a simple answer to life's hardships."
Following Rogers' death, the U.S. House of Representatives in 2003 unanimously passed Resolution 111 honoring Rogers for "his legendary service to the improvement of the lives of children, his steadfast commitment to demonstrating the power of compassion, and his dedication to spreading kindness through example."
The same year the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) approved an overture "to observe a memorial time for the Reverend Fred M. Rogers" at its General Assembly. The rationale for the recognition of Rogers reads, "The Reverend Fred Rogers, a member of the Presbytery of Pittsburgh, as host of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood since 1968, had a profound effect on the lives of millions of people across the country through his ministry to children and families. Mister Rogers promoted and supported Christian values in the public media with his demonstration of unconditional love. His ability to communicate with children and to help them understand and deal with difficult questions in their lives will be greatly missed."
Several buildings, monuments, and works of art are dedicated to Rogers' memory, including a mural sponsored by the Pittsburgh-based Sprout Fund in 2006, "Interpretations of Oakland," by John Laidacker that featured Mr. Rogers. Saint Vincent College in (Latrobe, Pennsylvania) completed construction of The Fred M. Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children's Media in 2008. The Fred Rogers Memorial Statue on the North Shore near Heinz Field in Pittsburgh was created by Robert Berks and dedicated in 2009.
The asteroid 26858 Misterrogers is named after Rogers. This naming, by the International Astronomical Union, was announced on May 2, 2003 by the director of the Henry Buhl Jr. Planetarium & Observatory at the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh. The science center worked with Rogers' Family Communications, Inc. to produce a planetarium show for preschoolers called "The Sky Above Mister Rogers' Neighborhood", which plays at planetariums across the United States.
March 21, 1983
The last episode of the long-running TV series Little House on the Prairie aired. The series, based on the children's book by Laura Ingalls Wilder, premiered in 1974.
The show was one of television's 25 most highly rated shows for seven of its nine seasons. When series star and executive producer Michael Landon decided to leave the show in 1982, the show's title changed to Little House: A New Beginning and focused on character Laura Ingalls Wilder (Melissa Gilbert) and her family. The show lasted only one more season. Three made-for-television movie sequels followed: Little House: Look Back to Yesterday (1983), Little House: Bless All the Dear Children (1983), and Little House: The Last Farewell (1984).March 25, 1983
Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever aired.
Technically, the 25th anniversary of Motown Records should have been celebrated nine months later, in January 1984, but that was only one of several details glossed over in staging the landmark television special Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever. Filmed before a rapturous live audience on March 25, 1983, the Motown 25 special is perhaps best remembered for Michael Jackson's performance of "Billie Jean," which brought the house down and introduced much of the world to the "moonwalk." There were other great performances that night, too, but there were also moments that revealed cracks in the joyous-reunion image that Motown chief Berry Gordy sought to portray.The most glaring breakdown in decorum came during what could have been the evening's greatest triumph: the reunion of Diana Ross and the Supremes. When Ross, Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong performed together that night for the first time in 13 years, they took to the stage with something closer to 20 years' worth of unresolved resentment among them. Early in their performance of "Someday We'll Be Together," as Diana slowly moved upstage, Mary and Cindy had the audacity to keep stride alongside her. Diana turned around and angrily pushed Mary back—a move that was carefully edited out of the later broadcast but which prompted Smokey Robinson and others to take the stage and form an impromptu chorus/demilitarized zone between the warring Supremes.
The "Battle of the Bands" medley between the Temptations and the Four Tops was a much bigger creative success, though the biggest individual names in the Temptations—Eddie Kendricks and David Ruffin—were absent due to squabbling within the group, leaving Melvin Franklin and Otis Williams as the only original Temptations on stage that night. Also missing from the stage that night was a man whose name was then unfamiliar to all but the most obsessive Motown fans, but whose contribution to the label's success was monumental. The late James Jamerson, whose bass guitar formed the foundation of almost every great Motown record of the 1960s, was in the building that night, but as a paying member of the audience seated in the back rows. His own troubles with alcohol abuse played a part in his estrangement from the Motown "family," but so did a decades-long history of what he and fellow members of the Funk Brothers—the Motown backing band—felt was a lack of appreciation and respect for their role in creating the famous Motown sound.
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Tony Figueroa
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Tony Figueroa
March 14, 1948
Billy Crystal is born in Long Beach, California.
Crystal began performing in comedy clubs as a teenager; after graduating from New York University's film school, he formed his own comedy troupe, 3's Company. As a young stand-up comic, Crystal opened for acts like the singer Barry Manilow and was particularly known for his impression of the sportscaster Howard Cosell interviewing Muhammad Ali. After setting off for Hollywood, Crystal landed the role of Jodie Dallas, one of the first openly gay characters on television, on Soap (1977-81). Though his first film, Rabbit Test (1978)--in which he played the world's first pregnant man--flopped, Crystal's star kept rising. His popular live performances and regular appearances on TV's Saturday Night Live landed him roles in a string of movies, including Rob Reiner's This is Spinal Tap (1984), Running Scared (1986) and The Princess Bride (1987), and Throw Momma From the Train (1987). In 1989, he made his highest-profile star turn yet, playing opposite Meg Ryan in the hit romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally..., also directed by Reiner.
In 1990, Crystal won over audiences with his first Oscar hosting gig, performing silly songs based on the nominated films and popping up in film-clip montages. He would host the ceremony seven more times (1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2004), along with a number of other events, including the Grammy Awards and the HBO benefit series Comic Relief, alongside Whoopi Goldberg and Robin Williams. Crystal scored his biggest movie hit to date in 1991, playing a radio executive going through a mid-life crisis in City Slickers (1991), which he also executive-produced. The film's success led to a memorable moment at the 1992 Oscars, when Crystal's 73-year-old co-star, Jack Palance, dropped to the stage to perform one-armed pushups when accepting his statuette for Best Supporting Actor. As emcee that night, Crystal wrung maximum comedic potential about the incident with his follow-up jokes. The film's sequel, City Slickers 2: The Legend of Curly's Gold, came out in 1994.
Crystal had less success with his next producing and acting effort, the ambitious 1992 film Mr. Saturday Night, which he also directed. In the film, Crystal played the stand-up comedian Buddy Young Jr., a character he had originated in 1984 and later portrayed on Saturday Night Live, among other shows. Mr. Saturday Night received mixed reviews, and was a failure at the box office. In 1995, Crystal wrote, directed, produced and starred in Forget Paris, a romantic comedy co-starring Debra Winger; the film was a critical and commercial disappointment.
Crystal appeared in Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet (1996) and Woody Allen's Deconstructing Harry (1997), but another producing effort, 1998's My Giant, also flopped. He came back strong, however, with 1999's blockbuster hit Analyze This, as a therapist who counsels a mob boss, played by Robert De Niro. A sequel, Analyze That, was released in 2002. In between those big-screen successes, Crystal earned an Emmy Award nomination for directing the HBO movie 61*, about the home run race between Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle in 1961; the project was driven by Crystal's longtime love of baseball. He also wrote and co-starred in the Hollywood-skewering comedy America's Sweethearts and provided the voice of one of the lead characters in the animated hit Monsters, Inc., all in 2001.
After a three-year absence, Crystal returned to his Oscar hosting duties in 2004, for the eighth time. He was reportedly offered the Oscar hosting gig for the 2006 ceremony but turned it down to concentrate on his autobiographical one-man show, 700 Sundays, on Broadway. Attendance was so good that the show's run was extended past its original booking; it also won a Tony Award for Best Theatrical Event. That same year, Crystal became a best-selling children's book author with the release of I Already Know I Love You (2006), based on his experiences with the birth of his first granddaughter.
March 14, 1968
The original Batman series concluded its short run.
First Academy Awards program on network TV (NBC).
The first network broadcast of the Academy Awards takes place on this day in 1953. Some 174 stations across the country carried the awards. Gary Cooper won Best Actor for his performance in High Noon, and Shirley Booth won Best Actress for her role in Come Back, Little Sheba. The Greatest Show on Earth won Best Picture. for the first time, audiences are able to sit in their living rooms and watch as the movie world’s most prestigious honors, the Academy Awards, are given out at the RKO Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, California.Organized in May 1927, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was envisioned as a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the film industry. The first Academy Awards were handed out in May 1929, in a ceremony and banquet held in the Blossom Room of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. The level of suspense was nonexistent, however, as the winners had already been announced several months earlier. For the next 10 years, the Academy gave the names of the winners to the newspapers for publication at 11 p.m. on the night of the awards ceremony; this changed after one paper broke the tacit agreement and published the results in the evening edition, available before the ceremony began. A sealed envelope system began the next year, and endures to this day, making Oscar night Hollywood’s most anticipated event of the year.
Public interest in the Oscars was high from the beginning, and from the second year on the ceremony was covered in a live radio broadcast. The year 1953 marked the first time that the Academy Awards were broadcast on the fledgling medium of television. The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) TV network carried the 25th annual awards ceremony live from Hollywood’s RKO Pantages Theatre. Bob Hope was the master of ceremonies, while Fredric March, a two-time Academy Award winner for Best Actor (for 1932’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and 1946’s The Best Years of Our Lives), presented the awards. The statuette for Best Picture went to Cecil B. DeMille’s The Greatest Show on Earth, while John Ford won Best Director for The Quiet Man. Winners in the top two acting categories were Gary Cooper (High Noon) and Shirley Booth (Come Back, Little Sheba).
Hope, a star of stage and screen who tirelessly performed in United Service Organization (USO) shows for American troops during World War II, would become a mainstay of the new TV medium. He was also the most venerated Academy Awards host, playing MC no fewer than 18 times between 1939 and 1977. NBC broadcast the Oscars until 1961, when the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) took over for the next decade, including the first awards broadcast in color in 1966. Although NBC briefly regained the show in the early 1970s, ABC came out on top again in 1976 and has broadcast every Academy Awards show since. The network is under contract to continue showing the Oscars until 2014.
Ratings for the Academy Awards have been notoriously uneven, with larger audiences tending to tune in when box-office hits are nominated for high-profile awards such as Best Picture. When Titanic won big in 1998, for example, the Oscar telecast drew 55 million viewers; the triumph of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King in 2004 drew 44 million. The 80th Academy Awards ceremony, held in February 2008, drew the lowest ratings since 1953, with a total of about 32 million viewers--just 18.7 percent of America’s homes--tuned in to the telecast. Analysts blamed the relative obscurity of the Best Picture nominees--the winner, No Country For Old Men, made a relatively puny $64 million at the box office--and the lingering effects of a Hollywood writers’ strike for the poor viewer turnout.
March 19, 1983
Diff'rent Strokes - The Reporter (Season 5: Episode 22).
Determined to prove he didn't fabricate a story about drug abuse in his grade school just to win a journalism contest, Arnold takes his article to the New York City newspaper sponsoring the competition, and when they run his story on the front page, Arnold receives some unexpected more support from First Lady Nancy Reagan.
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Tony Figueroa
Stay Tuned
Tony Figueroa
March 7, 1988
Writers Guild of America strike begins.
After rejecting what the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) said was a final offer, representatives of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) called a strike for all the union’s members to begin at 9 a.m. Pacific Time on this day in 1988.
The origins of the strike went back to late 1987, when producers began demanding that writers accept a sliding scale on residuals--payment received when work is re-broadcast after its original airing--from domestic syndicated reruns of one-hour shows, claiming that syndication prices had dropped. Writers balked at this restriction; they also wanted a bigger share of foreign rights and more creative control over the scripts they were writing. With negotiations stalled, the current contract between the AMPTP and the WGA expired at midnight on March 1, and the strike began a week later.
Some companies got around the strike by signing interim deals with the WGA, including Carsey-Werner Co., producers of The Cosby Show, who were able to continue production on a new sitcom, Roseanne, which shot to No. 2 in the ratings that season. Near the end of July, after the writers rejected a settlement, the entertainment lawyer Ken Ziffren stepped in to run interference between the two sides of the conflict. Along with the producers’ chief negotiator, Nick Counter, Ziffren got both producers and writers to modify their positions in time for a meeting in early August at the headquarters of the AMPTP in Sherman Oaks, California. Sixteen hours later, the strike was over, after the two sides struck a deal by which producers upped the payment for foreign rights and writers agreed to the sliding scale on syndication residuals.
Though it came at a relatively opportune time, as the networks were winding down TV production for the summer, the five-month walkout still had an effect. Overall network ratings dropped 4.6 percent that fall from a year earlier, and many viewers began watching cable channels, which were not affected by the strike because they showed little original programming. Overall, the walkout was estimated to have cost Hollywood some $500 million. One enduring effect of the strike was the increasing ubiquity of so-called “reality” programming. As networks scrambled to fill the holes in their schedules, they relied on such programs as Unsolved Mysteries, which began as an NBC special but was expanded to a regular series by the network during the strike. Fox’s unscripted police reality series COPS made its debut the following year, and such shows would become increasingly popular during the 1990s.
Mach 8, 1993
The first episode of the animated series Beavis and Butthead airs.
Beavis and Butthead offered audiences rude and crude buddy humor in the tradition of The Three Stooges, Cheech and Chong, and Wayne and Garth of Saturday Night Live and the Wayne’s World movies. The titular main characters were two teenage boys living in the fictional town of Highland; they attended Highland High (based on a real school in creator Mike Judge’s hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico) but spent most of their time eating junk food, talking about girls and--most importantly--watching music videos. Beavis and Butthead alternated between animated storylines and clips of actual music videos, which Beavis and Butthead commented on in their signature bone-headed style, punctuated by sarcastic comments and grunt-like laughter.
Judge first drew his two main characters for an animation festival, where an MTV producer spotted them and picked up an episode for its animated showcase Liquid Television. After signing Judge on for 65 episodes, the network began airing the show on weeknights at 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. Critics were divided in their response: Some praised Judge and MTV for effectively skewering a big part of the network’s own core demographic--young men who watch music videos--while others cited Beavis and Butthead’s lowest-common-denominator humor as evidence of an overall decline in the quality of television.
Despite the mixed critical response, the show earned MTV’s highest ratings. It also sparked a heated controversy over the influence of TV programs on impressionable young children, especially after an incident in 1993, when a mother blamed Beavis and Butthead’s well-documented pyromaniac tendencies for inspiring her five-year-old son to set a fire that killed his two-year-old sister. In response to the uproar over this tragedy, MTV pulled four episodes off the air, cut all references to fire and moved Beavis and Butthead to the 10:30 p.m.-11:30 p.m. time slot, claiming they were simply targeting an older audience.
Regardless of its dubious influence on young audiences, the success of Beavis and Butthead prompted MTV to launch a spin-off program featuring the boys’ nerdy female classmate, Daria Morgendorffer. Daria first aired in March 1997, eight months before Beavis and Butthead ended its run. Judge later created the Emmy-winning animated series King of the Hill for Fox and directed films for the big screen, including a feature-film version of Beavis and Butthead, Beavis and Butthead Do America (1996) and the cult hits Office Space (1999) and Idiocracy (2006).
March 10, 1978
CBS began airing the series The Incredible Hulk.
The Incredible Hulk is an American television series based on the Marvel Comics character The Hulk. The series aired on the CBS television network and starred Bill Bixby as David Banner, Lou Ferrigno as the Hulk, and Jack Colvin as Jack McGee.
In the TV series, Dr. David Banner, a widowed physician and scientist, who is presumed dead, travels across America under assumed names (his false surnames always begin with the letter "B", but he keeps his first name), and finds himself in positions where he helps others in need despite his terrible secret: in times of extreme anger or stress, he transforms into a huge, incredibly strong green creature, who has been named "The Hulk". In his travels, Banner earns money by working temporary jobs while searching for a way to either control or cure his condition. All the while, he is obsessively pursued by a tabloid newspaper reporter, Jack McGee, who is convinced that the Hulk is a deadly menace whose exposure would enhance his career.
The series' two-hour pilot movie, which established the Hulk's origins, aired on November 4, 1977. The series' 82 episodes was originally broadcast by CBS over five seasons from 1978 to 1982. It was developed and produced by Kenneth Johnson, who also wrote or directed some episodes. The series ends with David Banner continuing to search for a cure.
In 1988, the filming rights were purchased from CBS by rival NBC. They produced three television films: The Incredible Hulk Returns (directed by Nicholas J. Corea), The Trial of the Incredible Hulk, and The Death of the Incredible Hulk (both directed by Bill Bixby). Since its debut, The Incredible Hulk series has garnered a worldwide fan base.
March 11, 1818
Frankenstein published
March 11, 1903
Lawrence Welk is born.
For the generation that grew up on the big bands of the 30s and 40s, The Lawrence Welk Show was a blessed island of calm in a world gone mad for rock and roll, and it aired like clockwork every Saturday night from 1955 to 1982. But for the children and grandchildren watching along with them, it seemed more like the "television show that time forgot." The man at this generational flash point was an accordion-playing, Alsatian-accented bandleader who kicked off each number with "A vun and a two" and ended with a cheery "Wunnerful, wunnerful." Although he delighted the older crowd, youngsters were usually not so enamored. As polarizing in his own folksy way as Elvis Presley was in his, the inimitable Lawrence Welk—creator and King of "Champagne Music"—was born in rural North Dakota on March 11, 1903.
Welk's parents were immigrants from Alsace-Lorraine who spoke only German to the nine children they raised on their farm outside Strasburg, North Dakota. In fact, Lawrence Welk did not learn English until his early 20s, which explains the accent that became his trademark. A dutiful son, Welk dropped out of school in the fourth grade to work full time on the family farm, but he decided early on that he wished to pursue a career in music. He learned to play the accordion from his father, who carried his own antique instrument with him when he immigrated to America. Lawrence wore out the inexpensive, mail-order accordion bought for him as a boy, so he made a deal with his parents: In exchange for a $400 loan to purchase a professional accordion, he would stay and work on the family farm through the age of 21. Playing small professional gigs in the surrounding area, Welk honed his musical skills and earned enough money to pay his parents back when he left home for good in 1924.
By the early 1930s, Lawrence Welk had earned a degree in music and made a name for himself as the leader of a traveling orchestra. He had also failed in a restaurant venture selling "squeezeburgers" cooked on an accordion-shaped grill, but he had succeeded in developing a unique brand as the proponent of a pleasing pop style dubbed "Champagne Music" for its light and bubbly quality. After two decades of success in the Midwest, Welk made his way to Los Angeles in 1951, taking up residence with his orchestra at the Aragon Ballroom in Pacific Ocean Park. He made his first appearance on local television the following year, and his show was picked up by ABC in 1955. When ABC dropped The Lawrence Welk Show in 1971, Welk independently arranged a syndication deal that kept him on the air for another 11 years and made him one of the richest entertainers in America. Born on this day in 1903, Lawrence Welk died at the age of 89 on May 17, 1992.
Stay Tuned
Tony Figueroa
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Tony Figueroa
February 27, 2003
Children’s Television Host Fred Rogers succumbs to stomach cancer at 74.
The talented writer and puppeteer, known to generations of children simply as “Mr. Rogers,” hosted “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” on public television for more than 30 years.A native of Latrobe, Pennsylvania, Rogers filmed the famed show in Pittsburgh, 30 miles east of his hometown. He studied early childhood development at the University of Pittsburgh and, in 1962, was ordained as Presbyterian minister with a mission to work with children and families through television. Beginning in 1954, he worked as a puppeteer on a show called “The Children’s Corner,” before beginning work on his own show, which first aired in 1968.
Singing his well-known theme song, “It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” Rogers would enter his living-room-like set at the beginning of each episode, changing his shoes and sweater. He would then take his viewers on a magical trolley ride to the “Neighborhood of Make-Believe,” where he introduced them to characters such as King Friday XIII, his wife Queen Sara Saturday, Curious X the Owl, and Henrietta Pussycat. Even in an era of slick packaging and new technology in children’s programming, Rogers found continued success by sticking to his original message—that children should love each other and themselves. He aimed to help children deal with troubling emotions, like fear and anger, as well as everyday problems, like visiting the dentist.
Rogers composed most of his show’s songs and did much of the puppeteering and voices himself. Despite countless awards and honors, including four Emmys® and a George Foster Peabody Award, Rogers once remarked, “I have never really considered myself a TV star. I always thought I was neighbor who just came in for a visit.” He taped his last show in December 2000, but came out of retirement briefly to film public service announcements helping parents and children deal with the September 11th tragedy. One of Rogers’ trademark red sweaters now hangs in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
February 28, 1983
Last episode of M*A*S*H airs. M*A*S*H,the cynical situation comedy about doctors behind the front lines of the Korean War, airs its final episode on this day in 1983, after 11 seasons. The last episode drew 77 percent of the television viewing audience, the largest audience ever to watch a single TV show up to that time.
M*A*S*H premiered on the CBS television network in September 1972. Under threat of cancellation during its first season because of low ratings, the show turned things around the following year, landing in the top 10 in the ratings and never dropping out of the top 20 for the rest of its run. While the show began as a thinly veiled critique of the Vietnam War, its focus switched to more character-driven plotlines after that war’s anti-climactic end, allowing the series to continue to hold the public’s attention as it developed. In the middle of the show’s tenure, Alda began to take more and more creative control, co-writing 13 episodes and directing more than 30, including the series finale. Alda became the first person ever to win Emmy Awards for acting, directing and writing for the same show.
Elements such as long-range and tracking camera shots as well as sophisticated editing techniques distinguished M*A*S*H from more traditional TV sitcoms. From the beginning, the influence of Altman’s movie was evident in the cinematic nature of the show’s camera work. In addition, each half-hour episode of M*A*S*H contained a signature mixture of dramatic and comedic plot lines, and its success marked the rise of a new genre of TV show dubbed “dramedy.”
After earning consistently high ratings throughout its 11-year run, M*A*S*Henjoyed enduring popularity in the following decades, as it became one of the world’s most syndicated shows. It also spawned an unsuccessful spin-off, AfterMASH, which CBS aired from 1983 to 1985.
March 4, 1968
The Dick Cavett Show first aired.
The Dick Cavett Show was the title of several talk shows hosted by Dick Cavett on various television networks, including:
- ABC daytime, (March 4, 1968–January 24, 1969) originally titled This Morning
- ABC prime time, Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Fridays (May 26 – September 19, 1969)
- ABC late night (December 29, 1969 – January 1, 1975)
- CBS prime time, Saturdays (August 16 – September 6, 1975; this version was actually more of a variety show)
- PBS, early evenings, weeknights (October 10, 1977 – October 8, 1982)
- USA Network prime time (September 30, 1985 – September 23, 1986)
- ABC late night, Tuesdays & Wednesday nights (September 22 – December 30, 1986)
- CNBC (April 17, 1989 – January 26, 1996)
- TCM (2006–2007)
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Tony Figueroa
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Tony Figueroa
To be able to work for 20 years as an actor in an industry that is not so predictable, I'm grateful every day. I'll do it till I drop, I guess - or drop out.
-Richard Belzer
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| Richard Jay Belzer August 4, 1944 – February 19, 2023 |
After his first divorce, Belzer relocated to New York City, moved in with singer Shelley Ackerman, and began working as a stand-up comic at Pips, The Improv, and Catch a Rising Star. He participated in the Channel One comedy group that satirized television and became the basis for the cult movie The Groove Tube, in which Belzer played the costar of the ersatz TV show The Dealers.
Belzer was the audience warm-up comedian for Saturday Night Live and made three guest appearances on the show between 1975 and 1980. He also opened for musician Warren Zevon during his tour supporting the release of his album Excitable Boy.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Belzer became an occasional film actor. A short skit of a younger Belzer can be found on Sesame Street in a season 9 episode in 1978 when two young men attempt a picnic and boat ride, only to be thwarted by a dog who eats their food. He is noted for minor roles in Fame, Café Flesh, Night Shift, and Scarface. He appeared in the music videos for the Mike + The Mechanics song "Taken In" and for the Pat Benatar song "Le Bel Age", as well as the Kansas video "Can't Cry Anymore". He appeared in A Very Brady Sequel as an LAPD detective.In addition to his film career, Belzer was a featured player on the National Lampoon Radio Hour with co-stars John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, and Harold Ramis, a half-hour comedy program aired on 600 plus U.S. stations from 1973 to 1975. Several of his sketches were released on National Lampoon albums, drawn from the Radio Hour, including several bits in which he portrayed a pithy call-in talk show host named "Dick Ballantine".
In the late 1970s, he co-hosted Brink & Belzer on WNBC radio (660 AM) in New York City. He was a frequent guest on The Howard Stern Show. Following the departure of Randi Rhodes from Air America Radio, Belzer guest-hosted the afternoon program on the network.
Belzer was a regular guest on the right-wing radio show of Alex Jones and appeared on the episode covering the Boston Marathon bombing, in which he referred to the bombing as a false flag event.In the 1990s, Belzer appeared frequently on television. He was a regular on The Flash as a news anchor and reporter. In several episodes of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, he played Inspector William Henderson.
He followed that with starring roles on the Baltimore-based Homicide: Life on the Street (1993–1999) and the New York City-based Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999–2013), portraying police detective John Munch in both series. Barry Levinson, Executive Producer of Homicide, said Belzer was a "lousy actor" in audition when he read lines from the script for "Gone for Goode", the first episode in the series. Levinson asked Belzer to take time to reread and practice the material, then read it again. At his second reading, Levinson said Belzer was "still terrible", but that the actor eventually found confidence in his performance.In addition, Belzer played Munch in episodes on seven other series and in a sketch on one talk show, making Munch the only fictional character to appear on eleven different television shows played by a single actor. These shows were on six different networks:
- Homicide: Life on the Street (NBC)
- Law & Order (NBC)
- The X-Files (Fox)
- The Beat (UPN)
- Law & Order: Trial by Jury (NBC)
- Belzer's appearance on Trial by Jury, which aired April 15, 2005, made him the third actor ever to play the same character in six different prime time TV series. The other two actors are John Ratzenberger and George Wendt, who played Cliff Clavin and Norm Peterson, respectively, in Cheers (1982–93); St. Elsewhere (1985); The Tortellis (1987); Wings (1990); The Simpsons (1994); and Frasier (2002).
- Arrested Development (Fox)
- The Wire (HBO)
- 30 Rock (NBC)
- The characters are watching a Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episode; a scene shot for 30 Rock
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC)
- Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC)
- Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix), in which he played a John Munch-like character on a fictional Law & Order spinoff.
In March 2016, executive producer Warren Leight announced Belzer would return to reprise the role in a May 2016 episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, titled "Fashionable Crimes".
Belzer portrayed Det. Munch for 22 consecutive seasons on Homicide (7 seasons) and Law & Order: SVU (15 seasons), which exceeded the previous primetime live-action record of twenty consecutive seasons held by James Arness (who portrayed Marshal Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke from 1955 to 1975) and Kelsey Grammer (as Dr. Frasier Crane on Cheers and Frasier from 1984 to 2004). This record has since been passed by Belzer's "SVU" co-star Mariska Hargitay.
Belzer appeared in several of Comedy Central's televised broadcasts of Friars Club roasts. On June 9, 2001, Belzer himself was honored by the New York Friars Club and the Toyota Comedy Festival as the honoree of the first-ever roast open to the public. Comedians and friends on the dais included Roastmaster Paul Shaffer; Christopher Walken; Danny Aiello; Barry Levinson; Robert Klein; Bill Maher; SVU costars Mariska Hargitay, Christopher Meloni, Ice-T, and Dann Florek; and Law & Order's Jerry Orbach. At the December 1, 2002, roast of Chevy Chase, Belzer said, "The only time Chevy Chase has a funny bone in his body is when I fuck him in the ass."
Belzer voiced the character of Loogie for most of the South Park episode titled "The Tooth Fairy Tats 2000". He and Brian Doyle-Murray were featured in the tenth-season premiere of Sesame Street.
Belzer believed there was a conspiracy to assassinate President John F. Kennedy and wrote five books discussing conspiracy theories:
- UFOs, JFK, and Elvis: Conspiracies You Don't Have to Be Crazy to Believe (2000)
- Dead Wrong: Straight Facts on the Country's Most Controversial Cover-Ups
- Hit List: An In-Depth Investigation into the Mysterious Deaths of Witnesses to the JFK Assassination
- Corporate Conspiracies: How Wall Street Took Over Washington
- Someone Is Hiding Something: What Happened to Malaysia Airlines Flight 370?
Dead Wrong and Hit List were written with journalist David Wayne and reached The New York Times Best Seller list. Someone Is Hiding Something was also written with David Wayne as well as radio talk show host George Noory. Belzer's long-time character, John Munch, was also a believer in conspiracy theories, including the JFK assassination. In 2008, Belzer published a novel, I Am Not a Cop!, about a fictional version of himself investigating a murder.
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| Good Night Mr. Belzer |
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| Stay Tuned Tony Figueroa |
February 25, 1928
The Federal Radio Commission issues the first television license.
The license went to the Charles Francis Jenkins Laboratories for a television broadcast station on Connecticut Avenue in Washington, D.C. The station later moved to Maryland and operated until 1932.
Government regulation of broadcasting has been in existence almost as long as the broadcast industry itself. The Wireless Act of 1910 required American ships to carry a broadcasting transmitter and qualified radio operator on all sea voyages. In the early 1920s, laws were passed governing transmission power, use of frequencies, station identification, and advertising. The Radio Act of 1927 shifted regulatory powers from the Department of Commerce to the new Federal Radio Commission, which became the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 1934.
Today, the FCC still regulates broadcasting and communications. The U.S. president appoints its five commissioners with the Senate's consent. The commission licenses and regulates radio and TV broadcasters as well as other communications mediums, such as telephone and cable television. It assigns frequencies and call signs to radio stations and is responsible for ensuring rapid, efficient telephone and telegraph service. The FCC also operates the Emergency Broadcast System, which provides a vehicle for authorities to communicate with the public and disseminate critical information immediately when national disaster strikes (though the system can also be used to broadcast weather warnings and local emergencies).
More expansive policy issues under the purview of the commission include deciding how much sex and violence is permissible on television. Deregulation of the industry in the 1980s reduced the FCC's size from seven to five commissioners and increased the term of radio and television station licenses. In the 1990s, the FCC developed a television rating system, much like the one used in movies, which helps people decide which shows are appropriate for the viewers in their household.
February 22, 1963
Pebbles was born at the Bedrock Rockapedic Hospital.
The Flintstones Season 3 Episode 23 The Blessed Event
In 1963, when Hanna Barberadecided to add a baby to the show, their first choice was a boy. When Ideal Toy Company heard this, company executives approached Hanna Barbera with a proposal to change the baby character to a girl for which the toymaker could create a doll, and Hanna Barbera agreed.
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Tony Figueroa
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Tony Figueroa
I don’t enjoy making people get a hard-on as much as I do trying to make them laugh.
— Stella Stevens
Stella Stevens
born Estelle Eggleston
October 1, 1938 – February 17, 2023
born Estelle Eggleston
October 1, 1938 – February 17, 2023
Stella Stevens appeared in several top television series in the 1960s, including Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1960), General Electric Theater (1960, 1961), and Ben Casey (1964). One of her earliest television appearances was in a critically acclaimed 1960 episode of Bonanza, "Silent Thunder", playing a deaf-mute.
In the early 1970s, she began working regularly on television series, miniseries, and movies. She appeared in episodes of such popular series as Banacek (1973) and Police Story (1975), as well as the pilot films for Wonder Woman (1975), The Love Boat (1977), and Hart to Hart (1979). In 1979, she appeared along with her son Andrew Stevens in The Oregon Trail (1977) episode "Hannah's Girl".
In the 1980s, she continued to work regularly on series such as Newhart (1983), The Love Boat (1983), Fantasy Island (1983), Highway to Heaven (1984), Night Court (1984), Murder, She Wrote (1985), Magnum, P.I. (1986), and Father Dowling Mysteries (1987). Stevens appears in 34 episodes of the primetime soap opera Flamingo Road (1981–82), as Lute-Mae Sanders, the former madam of a brothel.
From 1989 to 1990, she had a role on Santa Barbara as Phyllis Blake. Her string of appearances on popular television series continued into the 1990s with The Commish (1993), Burke's Law (1994), Highlander: The Series (1995), Silk Stalkings (1996), and General Hospital (1996, 1999). She also appeared in the critically acclaimed miniseries In Cold Blood (1996). Her television career continued into the 2000s when she appeared in an episode of Twenty Good Years (2006).
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| Stay Tuned Tony Figueroa |
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| Good Night Ms. Stevens |
I have a very, very good life.
I'm grateful for all of my friends,
my family and the life that I have,
and the possibilities in my future.
-Raquel Welch
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Raquel Welch
Born Jo Raquel Tejada September 5, 1940 – February 15, 2023 |
Here is another
that we could use to momentarily forget about those
things that leave a bad taste in our mouths
"I'm a Woman" is sung by Raquel Welch and Miss Piggy as the closing number in episode 311 of The Muppet Show.Stay Tuned
Tony Figueroa
February 19, 1978
Project U.F.O. first aired
An anthology television series which ran on NBC from 1978 to 1979. Running for two seasons of 13 episodes each, the show was based loosely on the real-life Project Blue Book. The show was created by Jack Webb, who pored through Air Force files looking for episode ideas.
The show was a production of Mark VII Limited in association with Worldvision Enterprises, now CBS Television Distribution and was Webb's last weekly series produced before his death. It was also one of the rare times that Webb did not produce a series with Universal Television or Warner Bros. Television; Webb partnered with Universal for every series he made following his departure from Warner Bros., who had named him the president of its television division in the 1960s.
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Tony Figueroa
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Tony Figueroa
February 8, 1928
Jack Edward Larson is born.
Actor, librettist, screenwriter and producer. He is best known for his portrayal of photographer/cub reporter Jimmy Olsen on the TV series The Adventures of Superman.
February 8, 1953
Walt Disney is featured in a one-hour special broadcast of Ed Sullivan's hit show The Toast of the Town.
The following year, Disney launched his own show, which ultimately broke Ed Sullivan's record as longest-running prime-time network program. Ed Sullivan's show ran from 1948 to 1971, but Walt Disney's show, which ran under several names, including Disneyland,Walt Disney Presents, and The Wonderful World of Disney, was on the air from 1954 to 1990, more than 10 years longer than Ed Sullivan.
February 12, 2008
Writers’ strike ends after 100 days.
Hollywood’s longest work stoppage since 1988 ends on this day in 2008, when members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) vote by a margin of more than 90 percent to go back to work after a walkout that began the previous November 5.
The writers’ strike began during the negotiation of the WGA’s latest contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents over 300 production companies. Negotiations stalled after WGA members demanded a share of the revenues generated by movies, television shows and other works distributed on the Internet and viewed on computers, cell phones and other new-media devices.
Heavily covered by the press, the walkout proved to be much more damaging to the entertainment industry than expected. More than 60 TV shows had to be shut down, causing a drop in ratings and the loss of tens of millions of dollars in ad revenue for the networks. By the end, the strike was estimated to have cost the local L.A. economy more than $3 billion, taking into account lost wages for writers and crew members, lost business for service industries such as catering and equipment rental and reduced consumer spending. For the duration of the strike, TV viewers at home were forced to go without new episodes of their favorite shows, as networks dealt with the shutdown of production by loading the schedule with reruns and increased amounts of reality programming (such as a revamped version of the 1990s hit American Gladiators).
Negotiators reached a tentative agreement on February 8, and both the East Coast and West Coast branches of the WGA ratified the deal on February 10. Two days later, the writers themselves approved the truce, and a new contract with the AMPTP was signed February 25. Based in part on a deal signed the previous month between production companies and the Directors Guild of America, the new contract gave WGA members residual payments for programs streamed online (at a much higher rate than that paid for DVDs) and formalized union jurisdiction over programming created for the Web. Writers would be paid for shows streamed on advertising-supported Web sites and WGA members hired to write original content for the Web would be covered under a union contract.
Though labor experts and WGA supporters heralded the outcome as an important victory for the striking writers, the contract included several key concessions. Studios could hire non-union writers to work on low-budget Internet shows, for example, and no residuals would be paid to writers for repeat shows viewed online within a few weeks after the original show aired on television. The strike also failed to win the union jurisdiction over the ever-more-important realms of reality programming and animation.
Still, in an email message to East and West Coast writers groups quoted in the New York Times, Patric M. Verrone, president of the West Coast guild, and Michael Winship, his East Coast counterpart, stressed the positive ending to the 2007-08 writers’ strike: “Much has been achieved, and while this agreement is neither perfect nor perhaps all that we deserve for the countless hours of hard work and sacrifice, our strike has been a success.”
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Tony Figueroa
Stay Tuned
Tony Figueroa
Growing up in the country,
you're left to the wilds of your imagination.
Cindy Williams
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| Cynthia Jane Williams August 22, 1947 – January 30, 2023 |
After college, Williams began her professional career by landing national commercials, which included Foster Grant sunglasses and TWA. Her first roles in television, among others, were on Room 222, Nanny and the Professor and Love, American Style.
Williams accompanied an actor-friend from Los Angeles City College who needed a scene partner for the audition and was also accepted at The Actors Studio West, but rarely attended due to acting commitments Williams picked up important film roles early in her career: George Cukor's Travels with My Aunt (1972); as Laurie Henderson, Ron Howard's character's high school sweetheart in George Lucas's American Graffiti (1973) for which she earned a BAFTA nomination as Best Supporting Actress; and Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation (1974).
She auditioned, along with thousands of others, for Lucas's Star Wars for the role of Princess Leia, but it was played by Carrie Fisher.
Williams met Penny Marshall, first on a double date, and later at Francis Ford Coppola’s Zoetrope company, both hired as comedy writers, because "they wanted two women", on a prospective TV spoof for the Bicentennial. While writing at Zoetrope, Penny Marshall's brother, Garry Marshall, called to ask if they would like to make an appearance on one episode of Happy Days, the television series he produced.
In 1975, Williams was cast as a fun-loving brewery bottle capper, Shirley Feeney, in an episode of Happy Days with Penny, who played her best friend and roommate Laverne De Fazio. The girls were cast as "sure-thing" dates of Richie and Fonzie (Henry Winkler). Their appearance proved so popular that Garry Marshall, producer of Happy Days, commissioned a spin-off series for the characters of Shirley and Laverne. Williams continued her role on the very successful Laverne & Shirley series from 1976 until 1982. At one point during its run, the series was the number one rated show on television. Williams was praised for her portrayal of Shirley Feeney. She left the show after the second episode of the show's eighth and what would become its final season, after she became pregnant with her first child. The show's various producers were not enthusiastic that Williams was pregnant, as her character Shirley was not pregnant. Williams and co-star Penny Marshall had also been feuding for quite some time on the set long before Williams became pregnant. They would reconcile many years later. The success of the TV series led to a short-lived Saturday morning animated series Laverne & Shirley in the Army (1981–82), created by Hanna-Barbera.
In 1990, Williams returned to series TV in the short-lived sitcom Normal Life and, a couple years later, reunited with former Laverne & Shirley producers Thomas L. Miller and Robert L. Boyett to star in their family sitcom Getting By (1993–94). She guest starred on several television shows, including two episodes of 8 Simple Rules.
Williams performed onstage in the national tours of Grease, Deathtrap and Moon Over Buffalo, and a regional production of Nunsense. She reunited with her Laverne & Shirley co-star Eddie Mekka in a November 2008 regional production of the Renée Taylor-Joseph Bologna comedy play It Had to Be You.
She made her Broadway debut as daffy Mrs. Tottendale in The Drowsy Chaperone at the Marquis Theatre on December 11, 2007, succeeding Jo Anne Worley in the role originated by Georgia Engel.
Williams reunited with Penny Marshall on the TV series Sam & Cat in the episode "#SalmonCat" (2013).
In 2015, her memoir Shirley, I Jest! (co-written with Dave Smitherman) was published. In the same year, Williams engaged in celebrity branding for the senior citizen service Visiting Angels.
Good Night Ms. Williams
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| Stay Tuned Tony Figueroa |
January 30, 1933
The Lone Ranger debuts on Detroit radio
With the stirring notes of the William Tell Overture and a shout of "Hi-yo, Silver! Away!"The Lone Ranger debuts on Detroit's WXYZ radio station.
The creation of station-owner George Trendle and writer Fran Striker, the "masked rider of the plains" became one of the most popular and enduring western heroes of the 20th century. Joined by his trusty steed, Silver, and loyal Indian scout, Tonto, the Lone Ranger sallied forth to do battle with evil western outlaws and Indians, generally arriving on the scene just in time to save an innocent golden-haired child or sun-bonneted farm wife.
Neither Trendle nor Striker had any connections to or experience with the cowboys, Indians, and pioneers of the real West, but that mattered little to them. The men simply wanted to create an American version of the masked swashbuckler made popular by the silent movie actor Douglas Fairbanks in The Mark of Zorro, arming their hero with a revolver rather than a sword. Historical authenticity was far less important to the men than fidelity to the strict code of conduct they established for their character. The Lone Ranger never smoked, swore, or drank alcohol; he used grammatically correct speech free of slang; and, most important, he never shot to kill. More offensive to modern historical and ethnic sensibilities was the Indian scout Tonto, who spoke in a comical Indian patois totally unrelated to any authentic Indian dialect, uttering ludicrous phrases like "You betchum!"
Historical accuracy notwithstanding, the radio program was an instant hit. Children liked the steady stream of action and parents approved of the good moral example offered by the upstanding masked man. Soon picked up for nationwide broadcast over the Mutual Radio Network, over 20 million Americans were tuning into The Lone Ranger three times a week by 1939. In an early example of the power of marketing tie-ins, the producers also licensed the manufacture of a vast array of related products, including Lone Ranger guns, costumes, books, and a popular comic strip.
The Lone Ranger made a seemingly effortless transition from radio to motion pictures and television. The televised version of The Lone Ranger, staring Clayton Moore as the masked man, became ABC's first big hit in the early 1950s. Remaining on the air until 1957, the program helped define the golden age of the TV Western and inspired dozens of imitators like The Range Rider, The Roy Rogers Show, and The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok. Although the Lone Ranger disappeared from American television and movie screens by the 1960s, he lived on in a popular series of comic books well into the1970s.
January 31, 1988
The first episode of The Wonder Years aired on ABC.
A coming-of-age comedy-drama television series created by Neal Marlens and Carol Black. It ran on ABC from 1988 until 1993. The pilot aired on January 31, 1988, following ABC's coverage of Super Bowl XXII. It stars Fred Savage as Kevin Arnold, a boy growing up in a middle class family, and takes place from 1968–1973.
The show earned a spot in the Nielsen Top 30 during its first four seasons. TV Guide named it one of the 20 best shows of the 1980s. After six episodes, The Wonder Years won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1988. In addition, at age 13, Fred Savage became the youngest actor ever nominated as Outstanding Lead Actor for a Comedy Series. The show was also awarded a Peabody Award in 1989 for "pushing the boundaries of the sitcom format and using new modes of storytelling". In total, the series won 22 awards and was nominated for 54 more. In 1997, "My Father's Office" was ranked #29 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time, and in the 2009 revised list the pilot episode was ranked #43. In 2016, Rolling Stone ranked The Wonder Years #63 on its list of 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. In 2017, James Charisma of Paste ranked the show's opening sequence #14 on a list of The 75 Best TV Title Sequences of All Time. As of recent years many critics and fans consider The Wonder Years to be a classic and that it has had tremendous impact on the industry over the years and has inspired many other shows and how they are structured.
February 1, 1953
CBS-TV debuted Private Secretary (also known as Susie)
A sitcom that aired from February 1, 1953, to September 10, 1957, on CBS, alternating with The Jack Benny Program on Sundays at 7:30pm EST. The series stars Ann Sothern as Susan Camille "Susie" MacNamara, devoted secretary to handsome talent agent Peter Sands, played by Don Porter.
February 2, 1973
NBC-TV debuted Midnight Special hosted by Helen Reddy.
The Midnight Special is an American late-night musical variety series originally broadcast on NBC during the 1970s and early 1980s, created and produced by Burt Sugarman. It premiered as a special on August 19, 1972, then began its run as a regular series on February 2, 1973; its last episode was on May 1, 1981.[2]The 90-minute program followed the Friday night edition of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
Like its syndicated late-night cousin Don Kirshner's Rock Concert, the show typically featured guest hosts, except for a period from July 1975 through March 1976 when singer Helen Reddy served as the regular host. Wolfman Jack served as the announcer and frequent guest host. The program's theme song, a traditional folk song called "Midnight Special", was performed by Johnny Rivers.
The Midnight Special was noted for featuring musical acts performing live, which was unusual since most television appearances during the era showed performers lip-synching to prerecorded music. The series also occasionally aired vintage footage of older acts, such as Bill Haley & His Comets. As the program neared the end of its run in the early 1980s, it began to frequently use lip-synched performances rather than live ones. The program also featured occasional performances of comedians such as Richard Pryor, Andy Kaufman, and George Carlin.
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January 23, 1983
The A-Team debuts on NBC.
In the pilot episode of the NBC television series The A-Team, which airs on this day in 1983, the go-getting newspaper reporter Amy Allen (Melinda Culea) seeks the help of a mysterious group of Vietnam-veterans-turned-soldiers-for-hire to find her missing colleague in Mexico. An elite commando unit in Vietnam, the so-called A-Team was wrongly imprisoned by the Army. They escaped and began working as mercenaries, doing whatever needed to be done for their various clients while consistently eluding the fanatic Army officers sent to catch them. The A-Team went on to become a huge hit and make a star of the-then little known actor Mr. T.Produced by Stephen Cannell and first envisioned by Brandon Tartikoff, NBC’s president, as a volatile combination between films such as The Dirty Dozen, The Magnificent Seven and The Road Warrior and TV programs such as Hill Street Blues, The A-Team became a bona fide phenomenon during its five-year run. Despite its late entry to the 1982-83 ratings season, The A-Team was on its way to a No. 1 ranking by season’s end. It also topped a list of the most violent shows on TV, compiled that year by the National Coalition on Television Violence.
George Peppard, who memorably starred opposite Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), played the A-Team’s leader, John “Hannibal” Smith; he called his A-Team role “probably the best part I’ve had in my career.” The show also featured Dirk Benedict as Templeton “Faceman” Peck and Dwight Schultz as H.M. (Howling Mad) Murdock, but its breakout star was the mohawked, gold-bedecked Mr. T. Born Laurence Tureaud in a tough Chicago neighborhood, Mr. T got into show business after winning a contest as the “World’s Toughest Bouncer.” He was spotted by Sylvester Stallone, who cast him as a boxer in Rocky III (1982). As the surly A-Team mechanic B.A. (Bad Attitude) Baracus, Mr. T uttered some of the show’s most memorable catchphrases, including “You better watch out, sucker” and “Pity the fool.”
Campy and outrageously violent, The A-Team was particularly popular among children and teenagers, and with male audiences. Over the years, the show’s producers experimented with adding a woman to the mix--including Culea’s Amy Allen, Marla Heasley as Tawnia Baker and Tia Carrere (who later starred in Wayne’s World) as a Vietnam war orphan meant to provide a link to the soldiers’ past--but these stints were relatively short-lived, and the team’s testosterone-heavy vibe remained intact. By its fourth season, the show’s popularity was waning, due partially to its formulaic nature and partially to the growing trend towards family-friendly comedy that was being driven by the success of The Cosby Show. In the spring of 1986, Cosby-inspired shows such as Who’s the Boss? and Growing Pains on ABC were beating The A-Team handily in the ratings each week.
A-Team producers tried different tricks to win audiences over, including one episode centered on the popular game show Wheel of Fortune and various guest appearances by such prominent personalities as the pop star Boy George, the professional wrestler Hulk Hogan and the Chicago Bears defensive lineman William “Refrigerator” Perry. The show hung on into a fifth season, but aired only 13 episodes, ending unceremoniously in March 1987.
January 28, 1973
CBS-TV debuted Barnaby Jones.
Barnaby Jones was an American detective television series starring Buddy Ebsen as a formerly retired investigator and Lee Meriwether as his widowed daughter-in-law, who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles, California. The show was originally introduced as a midseason replacement on the CBS network and ran from 1973 to 1980. Halfway through the series' run, Mark Shera was added to the cast as a much younger cousin of Ebsen's character, who eventually joined the firm.
Barnaby Jones was produced by QM Productions (with Woodruff Productions in the final two seasons). It had the second-longest QM series run (seven and a half seasons), following the nine years of The FBI. The series followed the characteristic Quinn Martin episode format with commercial breaks dividing each episode into four "acts," concluding with an epilogue. The opening credits were narrated by Hank Simms.
The first episode of the show, "Requiem for a Son", featured a crossover with another QM program, Cannon, with William Conrad guest-starring as detective Frank Cannon. There was another crossover between the two programs in the 1975 two-part episode "The Deadly Conspiracy".
January 28, 1978
Fantasy Island premieres. Fantasy Island is created in early 1978 as a follow-up to ABC's surprise hit The Love Boat.
Screen actor Ricardo Montalban played the mysterious Mr. Roarke, and his diminutive sidekick, Tattoo, was played by Herve Villechaize. Before it became a television series, Fantasy Island was introduced to viewers in 1977 and 1978 through two made-for-television films. Airing from 1978 to 1984, the original series starred Ricardo Montalbán as Mr. Roarke, the enigmatic overseer of a mysterious island somewhere near Devil's Island, French Guiana in the Atlantic Ocean, where people from all walks of life could come and live out their fantasies, albeit for a price.
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Here is another
that we could use to momentarily forget about those
things that leave a bad taste in our mouths
On January 19, 1993, the band Fleetwood Mac reunites to perform at the recently elected U.S. President Bill Clinton’s first inaugural gala.
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January 16, 1973
Long-running western series
Bonanza is cancelled after 14 seasons. The episode The Hunter was written and directed by Michael Landon.
The show, which debuted in 1959, was the first western to be televised in color. Throughout the 1960s, the show, which featured the adventures of the Cartwright family on their ranch, the Ponderosa, was one of the most highly rated programs on television. Its trademark theme song rose to No. 19 on Billboard's Top Singles chart in 1961.
January 18, 1948
Original Amateur Hour debuts
One of TV's first talent shows was a spin-off of a popular radio show, Major Bowes' Amateur Hour, the program where Frank Sinatra was discovered in 1937. The show, which aired for 12 years, was one of the few programs to be aired by all four early TV networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, and the ill-fated DuMont network) at different times. Seven-year-old Gladys Knight and 18-year-old Pat Boone were both grand prize winners on the show.
January 19, 1953
Lucy gives birth to Little Ricky.
Episode #56, “Lucy Goes to the Hospital,” of hit 1950s sitcom I Love Lucy airs for the first time. The episode, in which Lucy Ricardo, played by Lucille Ball, gives birth to a son, was one of the most popular in television history. The ground-breaking episode was one of the first American television programs to deal with the issue of pregnancy, a taboo subject in conservative 1950s America, when even married couples were not shown on television sharing the same bed. Forty-four million viewers, a full 72 percent of all U.S. homes with a television, tuned in; only 29 million viewers had watched President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s televised inauguration the previous night.January 19, 1993
Fleetwood Mac reunite to play "Don't Stop" at Bill Clinton's first Inaugural gala. On this day in 1993, the band Fleetwood Mac reunites to perform at the recently elected U.S. President Bill Clinton's first inaugural gala.
Fleetwood Mac had faced much intra-band squabbling since their 1970sheyday, why they released one of the biggest albums of all time—Rumours—and a string of decade-defining hits like "Landslide," "Rhiannon," "Say You Love Me" and "Go Your Own Way." And then, of course, there was "Don't Stop" (as in "thinking about tomorrow"), which was candidate Bill Clinton's unofficial theme song during the 1992 presidential campaign.
Along with Truman's "I'm Just Wild About Harry," Eisenhower's "I Like Ike" and Ross Perot's "Crazy," Clinton's "Don't Stop" can certainly be placed within the catchy-and-memorable subset of Presidential campaign songs—in contrast to, say, "Buckle Down with Nixon," "Get on a Raft with Taft" and "Huzzah for Madison." Clinton's theme song may have lacked specificity regarding his political agenda, but it had a good beat, a warm vibe and a chorus that audiences could sing along to. Fleetwood Mac's 1977 recording of "Don't Stop" played in a seemingly endless loop from the night of Clinton's nomination at the 1992 Democratic National Convention that previous summer through to election night in November, so that by the time January rolled around, the mere playing of the record would have seemed a disappointing way to end the evening of the Inaugural gala.
And so the Clinton transition team sprang into action and accomplished a political feat that certainly seemed to bode well for the new president's ambitious plans to bring peace and stability to Haiti and overhaul the nation's health-care system. It had been more than five years since Lindsay Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks had shared a stage, but in a true coup of diplomacy, the Clinton team convinced the entire Rumours-era lineup of Fleetwood Mac to reunite for a truly historic live performance of "Don't Stop" on this day in 1993.
January 20, 1998
The first episode of Dawson's Creek aired on the WB network.
The teen drama television series about the fictional lives of a close-knit group of friends beginning in high school and continuing in college that ran from 1998 to 2003. The series stars James Van Der Beek as Dawson Leery, Katie Holmes as his best friend and love interest Joey Potter, Joshua Jackson as their fellow best friend Pacey Witter, and Michelle Williams as Jen Lindley, a New York City transplant to the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts, where the series was set. The show was created by Kevin Williamson and debuted on The WB on January 20, 1998. It was produced by Columbia TriStar Television (renamed Sony Pictures Television before the sixth and final season) and was filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Part of a new craze for teen-themed movies and television shows in America in the late 1990s, it catapulted its leads to stardom and became a defining show for The WB. The show placed at No. 90 on Entertainment Weekly's "New TV Classics" list in 2007. The series ended on May 14, 2003. During the course of the series, 128 episodes of Dawson's Creek aired over six seasons.
January 20, 2008
The pilot episode of Breaking Bad aired.
Breaking Bad is an American neo-western crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. The show originally aired on the AMC network for five seasons, from January 20, 2008 to September 29, 2013. It tells the story of Walter White (Bryan Cranston), a struggling high school chemistry teacher diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. Together with his former student Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul), White turns to a life of crime by producing and selling crystallized methamphetamine to secure his family's financial future before he dies, while navigating the dangers of the criminal world. The title comes from the Southern colloquialism "breaking bad", meaning to "raise hell" or turn toward crime.[5] Breaking Bad is set and was filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Walter's family consists of his wife Skyler (Anna Gunn) and children, Walter, Jr. (RJ Mitte) and Holly (Elanor Anne Wenrich). The show also features Skyler's sister Marie Schrader (Betsy Brandt), and her husband Hank (Dean Norris), a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent. Walter hires lawyer Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk), who connects him with private investigator and fixer Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks) and in turn Mike's employer, drug kingpin Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito). The final season introduces the characters Todd Alquist (Jesse Plemons) and Lydia Rodarte-Quayle (Laura Fraser).
Breaking Bad is widely regarded as one of the greatest television series of all time. By the time the series finale aired, it was among the most-watched cable shows on American television. The show received numerous awards, including 16 Primetime Emmy Awards, eight Satellite Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, two Peabody Awards, two Critics' Choice Awards and four Television Critics Association Awards. For his leading performance, Cranston won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series four times, while Aaron Paul won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series three times; Anna Gunn won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series twice. In 2013, Breaking Bad entered the Guinness World Records as the most critically acclaimed show of all time.
January 22, 1968
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In first aired.
It was hosted by comedians Dan Rowan and Dick Martin and featured, at various times, Chelsea Brown, Johnny Brown, Ruth Buzzi, Judy Carne, Richard Dawson, Henry Gibson, Arte Johnson, Goldie Hawn, Larry Hovis, Jeremy Lloyd, Dave Madden, Pigmeat Markham, Gary Owens, Pamela Rodgers, Barbara Sharma, Alan Sues, Lily Tomlin and Jo Anne Worley.Laugh-In originally aired as a one-time special on September 9, 1967 and was such a success that it was brought back as a series, replacing The Man from U.N.C.L.E. on Mondays at 8 pm (EST). The title of the show was a play on the "love-ins" or "be-ins" of the 1960s hippie culture, terms that were, in turn, derived from "sit-ins", common in protests associated with civil rights and anti-war demonstrations of the time.
In 2002, Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In was ranked #42 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.
Laugh-In had its roots in the humor of vaudeville and burlesque, but its most direct influences were from the comedy of Olsen and Johnson(specifically, their free-form Broadway revue Hellzapoppin'), the innovative television works of Ernie Kovacs, and the topical satire of That Was The Week That Was. The show was characterized by a rapid-fire series of gags and sketches, many of which conveyed sexual innuendo or were politically charged. The co-hosts continued the exasperated straight man (Rowan) and "dumb" guy (Martin) act which they had established as nightclub comics. This was a continuation of cartoonist Chic Young's "Dumb Dora", and acts from vaudeville, best popularized by Burns and Allen.
Each episode followed a somewhat similar format, often including recurring sketches. The show would start with a short dialogue between Rowan and Martin. Shortly afterward, Rowan would intone: "C'mon Dick, let's go to the party". This live-to-tape segment comprised all cast members and occasional surprise celebrities dancing before a 1960s "Mod" party backdrop, delivering one- and two-line jokes interspersed with a few bars of dance music (later adopted on The Muppet Show, which had a recurring segment that is similar to "The Cocktail Party" with absurd moments from characters). The show would then proceed through rapid-fire comedy bits, pre-taped segments, and recurring sketches.
At the end of every show, Dan Rowan turned to his co-host and said, "Say good night, Dick", to which Martin replied, "Good night, Dick!" (varying a bit from the Burns and Allen old-time radio show). The show then featured cast members opening panels in a psychedelically-painted "joke wall" and telling jokes. As the show drew to a close and the applause died, executive producer George Schlatter's solitary clapping continued even as the screen turned blank and the production logo, network chimes, and NBC logo appeared.
Although most episodes included most of the above segments, the arrangement of the segments would often be changed, so that the audience couldn't predict what was next.
The show often featured guest stars. Sometimes the guest had a prominent spot in the program, other times the guest would pop up in short "quickies" (one- or two-liner jokes) interspersed throughout the show. While the guest was available, other bits were recorded, and would be added to other episodes of the series.
Ruth Buzzi, Judy Carne, Henry Gibson, Larry Hovis, Arte Johnson and Jo Anne Worley were originally in the pilot special from 1967. Gary Owens (announcer), Eileen Brennan, Roddy Maude-Roxby, and Goldie Hawn came on in the show. Most of the cast members were not in all 14 episodes from the season. Only the two hosts, announcer, and Judy, Henry, and Arte were in all 14 episodes. Eileen only appears in half of the episodes. She, Larry, and Roddy left after the first season.
The second season saw a handful of new people, including Alan Sues, Dave Madden, and Chelsea Brown. All of the new cast members from the second season left at the end of that season, except Alan Sues who stayed on until 1972.
At the end of the 1968–1969 season, Judy Carne chose not to renew her contract, though she did make appearances during 1969–1970; producer George Schlatter blamed her for breaking up the "family." The show also survived the departures of Goldie Hawn and Jo Anne Worley to remain a top-20 show in 1970–1971. Schlatter tried to replace Hawn with other wide-eyed starlets acting dumb: first Pamela Rodgers, then Sarah Kennedy, and finally Donna Jean Young, but Hawn's ditzy characterization proved inimitable.
The third season saw several new people who only stayed on for that season, Teresa Graves, Jeremy Lloyd, Pamela Rodgers, and Stu Gilliam. Lily Tomlin joined in the middle of the season. Jo Anne Worley, Goldie Hawn, and Judy Carne left after the season.
New faces in the 1970–1971 season included tall, sad-eyed Dennis Allen, who alternately played quietly zany characters and straight man for anybody's jokes; comic actress Ann Elder, who also contributed to scripts, tap dancer Barbara Sharma, who would later appear on Rhoda, and beefy Johnny Brown, who played the superintendent Nathan "Buffalo Butt" Bookman on Good Times.
Arte Johnson, who created many characters, insisted on star billing, apart from the rest of the cast. The producer mollified him, but had announcer Gary Owens read Johnson's credit as a separate sentence: "Starring Dan Rowan and Dick Martin! And Arte Johnson! With Ruth Buzzi ..." This maneuver gave Johnson star billing, but made it sound like he was still part of the ensemble cast. Johnson left the show after the 1970–1971 season. NBC aired the pilot for his situation comedy Call Holme, but it never became a series.
Henry Gibson also departed after the 1970–1971 season. He and Johnson were replaced by Richard Dawson and Larry Hovis, both of whom had appeared occasionally in the first season. Both of them were on Hogan's Heroes. However, the loss of Johnson's many characters caused ratings to drop farther. The show celebrated its 100th episode during the 1971–1972 season, with Carne, Worley, Johnson, Gibson, Graves, and Tiny Tim all returning for the festivities. John Wayne was also on hand for his first cameo appearance since 1968.
For the show's final season (1972–1973), Rowan and Martin assumed the executive producer roles from George Schlatter (known on-air as "CFG", which stood for "Crazy Fucking George") and Ed Friendly. Except for holdovers Dawson, Owens, Buzzi, and only occasional appearances from Tomlin, a new cast was brought in. This final season featured future Match Game panelist Patti Deutsch, folksy singer-comedian Jud Strunk, and ventriloquist act Willie Tyler and Lester. Deutsch, Strunk, and Tyler caught on to the spirit of the show and made valuable contributions (Deutsch did celebrity impressions — in the presence of the celebrity — and took over Worley's role in "The Farkel Family"). The shows were still amusing, but without the usual gang, viewers didn't respond as they once had.
These last shows never aired in the edited half-hour rerun syndicated (through Lorimar Productions) to local stations in 1983 and later aired on Nick at Nite. The cable network Trio started airing the show in its original one-hour form in the early 2000s, but only the pilot and the first 69 episodes (extending to the fourth episode of the 1970–1971 season) were included in Trio's package. Two "Best-of" DVD packages are also available; they only contain six episodes each.
Of over three dozen entertainers to grace the cast, only Rowan, Martin, Owens and Buzzi were there from beginning to end. However, Owens was not in the 1967 pilot and Buzzi missed two first-season episodes.
Lily Tomlin and Goldie Hawn later became noted film stars (Hawn won an Academy Award while still a member of the cast; Tomlin was later nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 1975 for Nashville). Henry Gibson later co-starred in the Robert Altman film Nashville and was nominated for a Golden Globe. Ruth Buzzi became a regular on the Sesame Street children's television series. Dave Madden, whose trademark was to throw confetti (representing an unspoken impure thought) while keeping a dour expression at the punchline of a joke, played Reuben Kincaid on the television sitcom The Partridge Family. Richard Dawson, who previously had a regular supporting role on the sitcom Hogan's Heroes, went on to success on the game shows Match Game and Family Feud. Larry Hovis, also a regular on Hogan's Heroes, appeared on Laugh-In during the first and the fifth seasons. Teresa Graves parlayed her season on the show into the title role of the police drama Get Christie Love! Flip Wilson took Geraldine and his other characters to his own variety show from 1970 through 1974.
Laugh-In writers included: George Schlatter, Jack Mendelsohn, Lorne Michaels, Phil Hahn, Jim Mulligan, Jack Hanrahan, Gene Farmer, Jim Abell, Bill Richmond, Don Reo, Allan Katz, Jack Wohl, Larry Siegel, John Rappaport, Allan Manings, Jack Margolis, Bob Howard, John Jay Carsey, Richard Goren (also credited as Rowby Greeber and Rowby Goren), Chris Bearde (credited as Chris Beard), Chet Dowling, David Panich, Marc London, Paul Keyes,[3] Dave Cox, Jack Kaplan, Stephen Spears, Hugh Wedlock Jr., Coslough Johnson (Arte Johnson's twin brother), Hart Pomerantz, Barry Took, Digby Wolfe, Jeremy Lloyd.
The Musical Director for Laugh-Inwas Ian Bernard. Ian Bernard wrote the opening theme music, plus the infamous "What's the news across the nation" number. Ian Bernard also wrote all the cute musical "play-ons" that introduced comedy sketches like Lilly Tomlin's little girl character who sat in a giant rocking chair, and Arte Johnson's old man who always got hit with a purse. Ian Bernard also appeared in many of the cocktail scenes where he directed the band as they stopped and started between jokes. Composer-lyricist Billy Barnes, who wrote all of the original musical production numbers in the show. Barnes is the creator of the famous Billy Barnes Revues of the 1950s and 1960s, and composed such popular hits as "(Have I Stayed) Too Long at the Fair" recorded by Barbra Streisand and the jazz standard "Something Cool" recorded by June Christy.
The show was recorded at NBC's Burbank facility using two-inch quadruplex videotape. Since computer-controlled online editing had not been invented at the time, post-production video editing of the montage was achieved by the error-prone method of visualizing the recorded track with ferrofluid and cutting it with a razor blade or guillotine cutter and splicing with video tape, in a manner similar to film editing. This had the incidental benefit of ensuring that the master tape would be preserved, since a spliced tape could not be recycled for further use. Laugh-In Editor Arthur Schneider won an Emmy Award in 1968 for his pioneering use of the "jump cut" – the unique editing style in which a sudden cut from one shot to another was made without a fade-out.
During the September 16, 1968 episode, Richard Nixon, running for president, appeared for a few seconds with a disbelieving vocal inflection, asking "Sock it to me?" Nixon was not doused or assaulted. An invitation was extended to Nixon's opponent, Vice-President Hubert Humphrey, but he declined. According to George Schlatter, the show's creator, "Humphrey later said that not doing it may have cost him the election", and "[Nixon] said the rest of his life that appearing on Laugh-In is what got him elected. And I believe that. And I've had to live with that."
In 1977, Schlatter and NBC briefly revived the property as a series of specials – entitled simply Laugh-In – with a new cast, including former child evangelist Marjoe Gortner. The standout was a then-unknown Robin Williams, whose starring role on ABC's Mork & Mindy one year later prompted NBC to rerun the specials as a summer series in 1979. Rowan and Martin, who owned part of the Laugh-Infranchise, were not involved in this project. They sued Schlatter for using the format without their permission, and won a judgment of $4.6 million in 1980.
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Seahunt debuted on CBS-TV.
Mike Nelson (Lloyd Bridges) is a free-lance scuba diver who has various adventures. Nelson, a former U.S. Navy frogman (having left the service about four years before the series began), is a well-known expert on diving who is often called on for difficult or dangerous projects. Traveling on his boat the Argonaut, Nelson outmaneuvers villains, salvages everything from a bicycle to a nuclear missile, rescues children trapped in a flooded cave, and even a dog. In the pilot episode, Mike rescues a downed Navy pilot from his sunken jet. Since no dialogue was possible during the underwater sequences, Bridges provided voice-over narration for all the installments. Nelson also educated non-diving characters (and the audience) in various aspects of diving and the underwater world.
The series made frequent references to Marineland of the Pacific, which provided facilities, resources and technical advice to the production company.
At the end of each episode, Bridges would appear as himself to deliver a brief comment. These comments sometimes included a plea to viewers to understand and protect the marine environment, along with gems of wisdom from Bridges' own experiences.
The show was aired on the network for four years.
January 11, 1963
The Beatles made their first national TV appearance in the U.K.
They performed the song "Please Please Me" on the show "Thank Your Lucky Stars."
January 11, 1983
The Joy of Painting aired for the first time.
The half-hour instructional television show hosted by painter Bob Ross which ran from January 11, 1983 until May 17, 1994. In each episode, Ross taught techniques for landscape oil painting, completing a painting in each session. The program followed the same format as its predecessor, The Magic of Oil Painting, hosted by Ross's mentor Bill Alexander. In its running it won three Emmy Awards.
January 13, 1928
Experimental Television sets are installed in three homes in Schenectady, New York.
January 13, 1973
ABC aired the final episode of Alias Smith and Jones.
1973 - ABC aired the final episode of "Alias Smith and Jones."
January 15, 1993
Last episode of soap opera Santa Barbara airs.
“The worst program on television--maybe ever…” one reviewer dubbed NBC’s daytime soap opera Santa Barbara upon its debut in July 1984. Critics soon changed their tune about the show, however, and it would run for more than eight years, garnering numerous Daytime Emmy Awards, including the statuette for Best Drama Series in 1988, 1989 and 1990. The show’s ratings never reached the level of its critical buzz, however, and NBC finally pulled the plug, airing its final episode on January 15, 1993.Created by the husband-and-wife team Bridget and Jerome Dobson, former head writers at Guiding Light and As the World Turns, Santa Barbara centered on four California families: the wealthy Capwells and Lockridges, the middle-class Perkinses and the poorer Andrades. Channing Capwell Jr. was killed five years before the action of the series began, and much of the show’s drama revolved around unraveling the mystery surrounding his murder. After Santa Barbara’s unimpressive debut--which could partially be blamed on its coincidence with the 1984 Summer Olympic Games--the show’s writers took a radical approach to boost ratings, killing off a number of characters with earthquake and serial killer storylines. By the 1987 season, Santa Barbara was earning more Daytime Emmy nominations than any other show, and had also earned a following of devoted fans.
Among daytime soaps, Santa Barbara was notable for its generous $30 million budget and its unique blend of romance, melodrama and black comedy (one popular character was killed when a giant neon letter “C” fell from the Capwell Hotel sign, crushing her). It was also the first soap with prominent Hispanic characters--notably Cruz Castillo (A. Martinez), who with Eden Capwell (Marcy Walker) formed one of the show’s resident “power couples”--and even featured a member of the British nobility, Dame Judith Anderson, as the grand dame Minx Lockridge.
Despite the enthusiasm of such famous fans as President Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy, Santa Barbara never finished above 10th place in the ratings, and its popularity began to wane after the 1988 season. This trend continued over the next few years, even as the show won its string of Emmy Awards and became a smash hit in such far-flung locales as Eastern Europe and post-Soviet Russia. After fiddling with airtimes in an effort to bolster ratings, NBC made the decision to cancel Santa Barbara. In the supremely unsubtle final shot of the finale, Paul Rauch, the show’s executive producer, walked in front of the camera, smashed a cigar under his shoe and walked away.
Among soap opera fans around the world, Santa Barbara remains a cult favorite. Alumni of the series include Robin Wright Penn, star of such films as The Princess Bride, Forrest Gump and Message in a Bottle; soap opera mainstay Jack Wagner (Melrose Place) and executive producer Mary Ellis-Bunim, the late co-creator of MTV’s The Real World.
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"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"
a little spark of madness
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January 3, 1993
The first episode of Star Trek - Deep Space Nine aired.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (sometimes abbreviated to DS9) is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe in the Milky Way galaxy, in the years 2369–2375. In contrast to other Star Trek TV shows, it primarily takes place on a space station rather than a starship, so as not to have two series with starships in the same time period; the series ran concurrently with Star Trek: The Next Generation during its first two seasons and with Star Trek: Voyager for the remainder of its run. The starship USS Defiant was introduced in season 3, but the Deep Space Nine space station remained the show's primary setting.
The show is noted for its well-developed characters, original and complex plots, religious themes, and for starring the only black captain in any of the televised Star Trek incarnations. Rather than following the classical Star Trek focus of space exploration, the show often showcased complex and darker social themes, and in later seasons, an emphasis on many aspects of war.
DS9 premiered in 1993 and ran for seven seasons until 1999. Although rooted in Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek universe, it was the first Trek spin-off created without Roddenberry's direct involvement, although he did give the concept his blessing shortly before his death in 1991.
DS9 began while Star Trek: The Next Generation was still on the air, and there were a few cameos featuring characters from either show (such as Picard's appearance in the DS9 pilot). The station appeared in TNG during the sixth-season episode "Birthright". In addition, two Next Generation characters, Miles O'Brienand (from season 4 onwards) Worf, became regular members of DS9. The station also appeared in the first part of the Voyager pilot episode, "Caretaker".
DS9 centers on the formerly Cardassian space station Terok Nor. After the Bajorans have liberated themselves from the long and brutal Cardassian Occupation, the United Federation of Planets is invited by the Bajoran Provisional Government to administer joint control of the station, which initially orbits Bajor. The station is renamed Deep Space Nine, and a Starfleet crew is assigned to manage it. Shortly after their arrival, the Starfleet crew discovers a stable wormhole in Bajoran space leading from the Alpha Quadrant to the Gamma Quadrant, and the station is moved to a strategic position near the wormhole's entrance to safeguard it from the Cardassians. Deep Space Nine and Bajor quickly become a center for exploration, interstellar trade, political maneuvering, and open conflict. Threats come not only from Cardassians, Klingons, and Romulans from the Alpha Quadrant, but later from the Dominion, an alliance of alien species from the Gamma Quadrant that take up arms alongside the Cardassians against the Federation and its allies starting in Season 3. Deep Space Nine becomes a key military base for the Federation in the Dominion War, and is assigned the starship USS Defiant to aid in its protection.
According to co-creator Berman, he and Piller considered setting the new series on a colony planet, but they felt a space station would appeal more to viewers, and would save the money required for a land-based show's on-location shooting. They did not want the show set aboard a starship because Star Trek: The Next Generation was still in production, and in Berman’s words, it "seemed ridiculous to have two shows—two casts of characters—that were off going where no man has gone before."
While its predecessors tended to restore the status quo ante at the end of each episode, allowing out-of-order viewing, DS9 contains story arcs that span episodes and seasons. One installment often builds upon earlier ones, with several cliffhanger endings. Michael Piller considered this one of the series' best qualities, allowing repercussions of past episodes to influence future events and forcing characters to "learn that actions have consequences." This trend was especially noticeable toward the series finale, by which time the show was intentionally scripted as a serial.
Unlike Star Trek: The Next Generation, interpersonal conflicts were prominently featured in DS9. This was at the suggestion of Star Trek: The Next Generation's writers, many of whom also wrote for DS9, who felt that Roddenberry's prohibition of conflicts within the crew restricted their ability to write compelling dramatic stories. In Piller's words, "People who come from different places—honorable, noble people—will naturally have conflicts".
January 5, 1998
Sonny Bono, Congressman and former half of the singing duo Sonny and Cher, is killed in a skiing accident.
Born in 1935, Bono rose to fame in the early 1970s as the straight man to his wife in “The Sonny and Cher Show.” As a signer and songwriter he received ten gold records during his career but his biggest hit was undoubtedly 1965’s ”I Got You Babe.” He entered the political world in 1988 when he was elected mayor of Palm Springs. He was elected to Congress in 1994 as a Republican. He was 62.
January 6, 1963
Wild Kingdom premiered on NBC.
The original Wild Kingdom grew from discussions that started in 1962 between zoologist Marlin Perkins and V. J. Skutt, the chairman and CEO of insurance company Mutual of Omaha. The company had been the sponsor of an earlier animal-related show, Zoo Parade, that Perkins had hosted from 1952 until 1957. Also intimately involved with the creation of Wild Kingdom was Zoo Parade producer Don Meier, who was credited as the series' creator. Mutual of Omaha sponsored and lent its name to the new program.
Liz and Henk Maartens, from Irene, Pretoria in South Africa won five Emmy Awards for the documentary series Wild Kingdom in 1970. One Emmy Award was for camerawork while the other Emmy Awards were for aspects of production.
Wild Kingdom was first broadcast by NBC. The half-hour show aired on Sundays starting January 6, 1963 and continued until 1971, when the program entered first-run syndication. As a prime-time syndicated program, Wild Kingdom enjoyed great popularity. Although most of the programs aired after 1971 were repeats, new shows continued to be produced until 1987. Several episodes were filmed by cameraman Roy Pinney. Perkins was the host for most of the show's history until he was forced to retire in 1985 for health reasons. He died of cancer the following year at age 81 and Jim Fowler, Perkins' long-time assistant and sidekick, became the host.
One of Wild Kingdom's film editors, Bernard Braham, A.C.E., was offered membership with the American Cinema Editors in 1979 and won a prestigious EDDIE award in Hollywood for best documentary of the year, for the episode "Desert Spring". His competition for the award was a National Geographic episode titled "Gold". He was also nominated for several other awards.[citation needed]
Perkins often introduced commercial spots by tying them into the subject of the show. For example, at the end of a segment about lions, he might say something like, "Just as the mother lion protects her cubs, you can protect your children with an insurance policy from Mutual of Omaha..."
The format of the show often featured Perkins narrating off-camera, describing Fowler's on-camera work with the wild animals. This was commonly parodied as Perkins saying "I'll wait here [someplace safe] while Jim [does something or other with the dangerous animal]". However, according to a 1997 interview with Fowler, Perkins never said any such thing: according to Fowler, "Johnny Carson started the jokes about me and Marlin in his monologues".
Perkins often featured pet chimpanzees in the studio: one named "W.K." (Wild Kingdom); the other named "Mr. Moke", after the Mini Moke vehicle.
Wild Kingdom increased ecological and environmental awareness in the United States. Its exciting footage brought the wilds of Africa, the Amazon River and other exotic locales into the living rooms of millions of Americans. It created an interest in commercial nature programming that was a precursor to cable television networks such as the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet.
The original series has not been seen since it went off the air. (Mutual of Omaha owns the rights to the series.) However, several episodes have now been released on DVD from BCI Eclipse (under license from Mutual of Omaha). Some episodes are also available on an official YouTube channel.
The success of "Wild Kingdom" led to several other wildlife documentary series going on the air, including Animal World, Wild, Wild, World Of Animals. and Lorne Greene's New Wilderness. But many fans of wildlife documentaries still consider "Wild Kingdom" the "gold standard" against which other such shows are compared.
January 6, 1973
The animated Saturday morning TV series of shorts called Schoolhouse Rock premieres on ABC with Multiplication Rock. The short musical cartoons featured lessons in math, history, science, grammar, and more, with classics like "Conjunction Junction," "Interjections," and "The Preamble to the Constitution."
January 8, 1923
Lawrence Samuel "Larry" Storch is born.
Actor best known for his comic television roles, including voice-over work for cartoon shows, such as Mr. Whoopee on Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales, and his live-action role of the bumbling Corporal Randolph Agarn on F Troop. In 1975, Storch co-starred with Bob Burns (who was disguised as a gorilla) and Forrest Tucker on the short-lived but popular Saturday morning children's show The Ghost Busters. He also appeared on The Love Boat, was Al Bundy's childhood hero on Married... with Children, and was a semi-regular on Car 54, Where Are You?. He co-starred on the short-lived series The Queen and I.
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"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"
a little spark of madness
that we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.
New Years Day
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Here is a
"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"
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A Hot Fudge Sundae and a trashy novel is my idea of heaven.
-Barbara Walters
Barbara Jill Walters
September 25, 1929 – December 30, 2022
During her childhood her father managed the Latin Quarter nightclub. This club was owned in partnership with E. M. Loew and was initially located in Boston. In 1942, her father opened the New York version of the Latin Quarter. He also worked as a Broadway producer where he produced the Ziegfeld Follies of 1943. He also was the Entertainment Director for the Tropicana Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he imported the "Folies Bergère" stage show from Paris to the resort's main showroom. Walters's brother, Burton, died in 1944 of pneumonia. Walters's elder sister, Jacqueline, was born mentally disabled and died of ovarian cancer in 1985.
According to Walters, her father made and lost several fortunes throughout his life in show business. He was a booking agent, and unlike her uncles who were in the shoe and dress business, his job was not very safe. During the good times, Walters recalls her father taking her to the rehearsals of the nightclub shows he directed and produced. The actresses and dancers would make a huge fuss over her and twirl her around until she was dizzy. Then she said her father would take her out for hot dogs, their favorite.
According to Walters being surrounded by celebrities when she was young kept her from being "in awe" of them. When she was a young woman, Walters's father lost his night clubs and the family's penthouse on Central Park West. As Walters recalled, "He had a breakdown. He went down to live in our house in Florida, and then the government took the house, and they took the car, and they took the furniture." Of her mother, she said, "My mother should have married the way her friends did, to a man who was a doctor or who was in the dress business." During her childhood in Miami, Walters briefly lived with the mobster Bill Dwyer.
Walters attended Lawrence School, a public school in Brookline, Massachusetts, to the middle of fifth grade, when her father moved the family to Miami Beach in 1939, where she also attended public school. After her father moved the family to New York City, she went to eighth grade at Ethical Culture Fieldston School, after which the family moved back to Miami Beach. Then, she went back to New York City, where she attended Birch Wathen School from which she graduated in 1947. In 1951 she received a B.A. in English from Sarah Lawrence College and immediately looked for work in New York City. After about a year at a small advertising agency, she began working at the NBC network affiliate in New York City, WNBT-TV (now WNBC), doing publicity and writing press releases. She began producing a 15-minute children's program, Ask the Camera, directed by Roone Arledge in 1953. She began producing for TV host Igor Cassini (Cholly Knickerbocker). However she left the network after her boss pressured her to marry him and engaged in a fistfight with a man she preferred to date. Then she went to WPIX to produce the Eloise McElhone Show; it was canceled in 1954. She became a writer on The Morning Show at CBS in 1955.After a few years as a publicist with Tex McCrary Inc. and a job as a writer at Redbook magazine, Walters joined NBC's The Today Show as a writer and researcher in 1961. She moved up becoming the show's regular "Today Girl," handling lighter assignments and the weather. In her autobiography, she describes this era before the Women's Movement as a time when it was believed that nobody would take a woman seriously reporting "hard news." Previous "Today Girls" (whom Walters called "tea pourers") included Florence Henderson, Helen O'Connell, Estelle Parsons and Lee Meriwether. Within a year, she had become a reporter-at-large developing, writing, and editing her own reports and interviews. One very well-received film segment was "A Day in the Life of a Novice Nun," edited by then-first assistant film editor Donald Swerdlow (now Don Canaan), who was subsequently promoted to become a full film editor at NBC News. She had a great relationship with host Hugh Downs for years. When Frank McGee was named host, he refused to do joint interviews with Walters unless he was given the first three questions. She was not named co-host of the show until McGee's death in 1974 when NBC officially designated Walters as the program's first female co-host. Beginning in 1971, she also hosted her own local NBC affiliate show, Not for Women Only, which ran in the mornings after The Today Show.
Walters and Harry Reasoner co-anchored the ABC Evening News from 1976 to 1978. Reasoner had a difficult relationship with Walters because he disliked having a co-anchor, even though he worked with former CBS colleague Howard K. Smith nightly on ABC for several years. Walters said that the tension between the two was because Reasoner did not want to work with a co-anchor and also because he was unhappy at ABC, not because he disliked Walters personally. In 1981, five years after the start of their short-lived ABC partnership and well after Reasoner returned to CBS News, Walters and her former co-anchor had a memorable (and cordial) 20/20 interview on the occasion of Reasoner's new book release.
Walters was also known for her years on the ABC newsmagazine 20/20 where she reunited with former The Today Show host Downs in 1979. Throughout her career at ABC, Walters appeared on ABC news specials as a commentator, including presidential inaugurations and the coverage of the September 11 attacks. She was also chosen to be the moderator for the third and final debate between candidates Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford, held on the campus of the College of William and Mary at Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall in Williamsburg, Virginia, during the 1976 presidential election. In 1984, she moderated a presidential debate held at the Dana Center for the Humanities at Saint Anselm College in Goffstown, New Hampshire.
Walters was known for "personality journalism" and her "scoop" interviews. In November 1977, she landed a joint interview with Egypt's president, Anwar Al Sadat, and Israel's Prime Minister, Menachem Begin. According to The New York Times, when she went mano a mano with Walter Cronkite to interview both world leaders, at the end of Cronkite's interview, he is heard saying: "Did Barbara get anything I didn't get?" Her interviews with world leaders from all walks of life are a chronicle of the latter part of the 20th century. They include the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and his wife, the Empress Farah Pahlavi; Russia's Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin; China's Jiang Zemin; the UK's Margaret Thatcher; Cuba's Fidel Castro, as well as India's Indira Gandhi, Czechoslovakia's Václav Havel, Libya's Muammar al-Gaddafi, King Hussein of Jordan, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, and Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, among many others. Other interviews with influential people include pop icon Michael Jackson, actress Katharine Hepburn, Vogue editor Anna Wintour, and in 1980 Sir Laurence Olivier. Walters considered Robert Smithdas, a deaf-blind man who spent his life improving the lives of other individuals who are deaf-blind, as her most inspirational interview.
Walters was widely lampooned for asking actress Katharine Hepburn, "If you were a tree, what kind would you be?" On the last 20/20 television episode in which she appears, Walters showed a video of the Hepburn interview, showing the actress saying that she felt like a strong tree in her old age. Walters followed up with the question, "What kind of a tree?", and Hepburn responded "an oak" because they don't get Dutch elm disease. According to Walters for years Hepburn refused her requests for an interview. When Hepburn finally agreed to one she said she wanted to meet Walters first. Walters walked in all smiles and ready to please, while Hepburn was at the top of the stairs and barked, "You're late. Have you brought me chocolates?"
Walters hadn't but said she never showed up without them from then on. They had several other meetings later, mostly in Hepburn's living room where she would give Walters her opinions. These included that careers and marriage did not mix as well as her feelings that children and careers were out of the question as a combination. Walters said Hepburn's opinions stuck with her so much, she could repeat them almost verbatim from that point onward.
Her television special about Cuban leader Fidel Castro aired on ABC-TV on June 9, 1977. Although the footage of her two days of interviewing Castro in Cuba showed his personality, in part, as freewheeling, charming, and humorous, she pointedly said to him, "You allow no dissent. Your newspapers, radio, television, motion pictures are under state control." To this, he replied, "Barbara, our concept of freedom of the press is not yours. If you asked us if a newspaper could appear here against socialism, I can say honestly no, it cannot appear. It would not be allowed by the party, the government, or the people. In that sense we do not have the freedom of the press that you possess in the U.S. And we are very satisfied about that." She concluded the broadcast saying, "What we disagreed on most profoundly is the meaning of freedom—and that is what truly separates us." At the time, Walters kept quiet about seeing New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, pitcher Whitey Ford, and several coaches in Cuba who were there to assist Cuban ballplayers.
On March 3, 1999, her interview with Monica Lewinsky was seen by a record 74 million viewers, the highest rating ever for a news program. Walters asked Lewinsky, "What will you tell your children when you have them?" Lewinsky replied, "Mommy made a big mistake," at which point Walters brought the program to a dramatic conclusion, turning to the viewers and saying, "And that is the understatement of the year."
Walters was a co-host of the daytime talk show The View, of which she also was co-creator and co-executive producer with her business partner, Bill Geddie. It premiered on August 11, 1997.
In the original opening credits Walters said the show is a forum for women of "different generations, backgrounds, and views." "Be careful what you wish for..." was part of the opening credits of its second season. On The View, she won Daytime Emmy Awards for Best Talk Show in 2003 and Best Talk Show Host (with longtime host Joy Behar, moderator Whoopi Goldberg, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, and Sherri Shepherd) in 2009.
Walters retired from being a co-host on May 15, 2014. Although retired, Walters returned as a guest co-host on an intermittent basis throughout 2014 and 2015.
After leaving her role as 20/20 co-host in 2004, Walters remained a part-time contributor of special programming and interviews for ABC News until 2016. On March 7, 2010, Walters announced that she would no longer hold Oscar interviews, but will still be working with ABC and on The View.
On March 28, 2013, numerous media outlets reported that Walters would retire in May 2014 and that she would make the announcement on the show four days later. However, on the April 1 episode, Walters neither confirmed nor denied the retirement rumors; she said "if and when I might have an announcement to make, I will do it on this program, I promise, and the paparazzi guys—you will be the last to know". Walters confirmed six weeks later that she would be retiring from television hosting and interviewing in May 2014, as originally reported; she made the official announcement on the May 13, 2013, episode of The View while also announcing that she will continue as the show's executive producer for as long as it's on the air.
On June 10, 2014, it was announced that she would be "coming out of retirement" to do a special 20/20 interview with Peter Rodger, the father of the perpetrator of the 2014 Isla Vista killings, Elliot Rodger. In 2015, Walters hosted special 20/20 episodes featuring interviews with Mary Kay Letourneau and Donald and Melania Trump. In 2015, Walters hosted the documentary series American Scandals on Investigation Discovery.
Walters continued to host her 10 Most Fascinating People series on ABC in 2014 and 2015. Her last on-air interview was with Donald Trump for ABC News in December 2015, and she made her final public appearance in 2016.
Good Night Ms. Walters
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Here is a "HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"
a little spark of madness
that we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.
Today isKwanzaa (until Jan 1st)andBoxing DayKwanzaaA Short FilmDirected ByStephen Anthony BaileyStarringKevin Scott WilliamsPaige DiazDonna AllenJon DurnellJaySin MatlockWritten and Produced By Kevin Scott WilliamsUnlimited Destiny Productions2016
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Tony Figueroa
Here is a
"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"
a little spark of madness
that we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
Here is a
"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"
a little spark of madness
that we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
Here is a
"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"
a little spark of madness
that we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.
Not originally intended to be a pilot for a series, but it became one because it was so popular. Except for the children and Grandma Walton, the actors for the movie were not the same as for the series. The musical score was by Oscar-winning composer Jerry Goldsmith (Goldsmith also scored several episodes of the first season, but the producers believed his TV movie theme was too gentle and requested he write a new theme for the series) and was later released on an album by Film Score Monthly paired with James Horner's score for the 1982 TV movie Rascals and Robbers: The Secret Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn.
Patricia Neal (as Olivia) won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Television Series Drama. The movie was also nominated for three Emmys: Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie (Neal), Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama - Adaptation (Earl Hamner), and Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama - A Single Program (Fielder Cook).
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
Here is a
a little spark of madness
that we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
Here is a
a little spark of madness
that we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
Here is a
"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"
a little spark of madness
that we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.
Kris Kringle's Christmas is rudely interrupted when he lands in the clink with a bunch of bogus Santas after tripping a home burglar alarm, and his only hope of deliverance is the passionate belief of an eight-year-old boy (Gabriel Damon).
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Here is a
"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"
a little spark of madness
that we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.
California Christmastime" full music video from Rachel Bloom and the cast of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
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Here is a
"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"
a little spark of madness
that we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.
The Big .22 Rifle for Christmas (First aired December, 18th 1952). The Story is as relevant today as it was then.
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Here is a "HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"
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Today is the first day of Chanukah/Hanukkah
Adam Sandler - CHANUKAH (HANUKKAH) Song Part 4
Adam Sandler - CHANUKAH (HANUKKAH) Song Part 4
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"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"
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WKRP in Cincinnati: Season 2, Episode 11
Jennifer's Home for Christmas (17 Dec. 1979)
WKRP s02e11 Jennifer's Home For Christmasbycarpalton
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Here is a "HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"
a little spark of madness
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In its December 16, 1995 episode, the Fox Network's comedy seriesMADtvaired "Raging Rudolph"which also parodiedMartin Scorsese's films. In it, Sam The Snowman narrates in aJoe Pesci-like voice how Rudolph and Hermey got violent Mafia-style revenge on their tormentors.
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"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"
a little spark of madness
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This 1966 CBS’ Christmas Message by illustrator, animator, and editorial cartoonist R.O. Blechman.
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Here is a
"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"
a little spark of madness
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Here is a
"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"
a little spark of madness
that we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.
Today is St. Lucia's Day (or St. Lucy's Day)
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"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"
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Santa' McHale must practice some psychological warfare, when he, the crew, Binghamton, and a war correspondent are captured by a Japanese patrol, while on a mission to bring some Christmas joy to the children of a nearby orphanage.
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Here is a
"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"
a little spark of madness
that we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.
Tony Figueroa
Here is a
"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"
a little spark of madness
that we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.
WATCH Ed Asner Read ‘The Night Before Christmas’ for Kids in 1987 (Flashback)
Tony Figueroa
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"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"
a little spark of madness
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December 9, 1965
For the first time in nearly six decades, the Charlie Brown holiday specials will not be broadcast on television. Instead, the Peanuts are heading to Apple TV+.
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"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"
a little spark of madness
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December 8, 1980
John Lennon, is murdered by a deranged fan in front of his New York apartment building. Lennon was born in 1940 in Liverpool, England. As a boy, Lennon lived with his aunt after his father left the family. Lennon attended Quarry Bank High School, from which he derived the name for his first band, the Quarrymen, formed in 1955. In 1956, he met Paul McCartney, who joined the band, and the two began writing songs together. George Harrison joined the band in 1957, and the three played together under several different names and with varying members until 1960, when they adopted the name the Beatles.
The band toured German beerhouses in 1961 and debuted later that year at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, where they gave more than 300 performances during the next two years. Drummer Ringo Starr joined the group in 1962. The group scored several U.K. hits in 1963, launching the "Beatlemania" tidal wave that hit the United States in 1964. In a little more than 10 years, the group transformed rock and roll, scoring 20 No. 1 hits on the Billboard pop charts, more than any group in history. The group's records spent a total of 59 weeks topping the charts between 1964 and 1970.
Lennon divorced his first wife, Cynthia Lennon, the mother of his son Julian, and married artist Yoko Ono in 1969. With Ono, he released the album Two Virgins in 1968. He became more involved in liberal political causes and pursued projects with Ono. In 1970, McCartney announced that the Beatles had broken up. Lennon released his first solo album, Imagine, in 1971, and it rose to No. 1 on the charts. During the next few years, he released projects with Ono as well as his own solo albums, including chart-topper Walls and Bridges (1974). He gave his last public performance in 1974 and released his last solo album, Rock 'n' Roll, the following year. In 1975, Lennon and Ono had a son, Sean, and in 1980 the couple released their album Double Fantasy, which topped the charts and included the No. 1 single "(Just Like) Starting Over."
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"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"
a little spark of madness
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/https://public-media.si-cdn.com/filer/b1/5f/b15f3801-7db6-4806-82b8-b6c53678ef90/hermey\_the\_elf\_and\_rudolph.jpg)
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"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"
a little spark of madness
that we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.
TV History
December 6, 1964
Rudolph the Red–Nosed Reindeer the long-running Christmas television special produced in stop motion animation by Rankin/Bass first aired on the NBC television network. The show was sponsored by General Electric under the umbrella title of The General Electric Fantasy Hour.
The special is based on the song by Johnny Marks, which was in turn taken from the 1939 poem of the same title written by Marks' brother-in-law, Robert L. May. Since 1972, the special has aired over CBS, which unveiled a high-definition, digitally remastered version in 2005. As with A Charlie Brown Christmas and How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Rudolph no longer airs just once annually, but several times during the Christmas season. It has been telecast every year since 1964, making it the longest running Christmas TV special, and one of only four 1960s Christmas specials still being telecast (the others being A Charlie Brown Christmas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and Frosty the Snowman). And again, as with the Charlie Brown special, Rudolph has now been shown more than thirty-one times on CBS, although in this case, CBS was not Rudolph 's original network.Stay TunedTony Figueroa
I never did go back to acting class. I was too busy working.
-Kirstie Alley
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| Kirstie Louise Alley January 12, 1951 – December 5, 2022 |
Kirstie Alley died on December 5, 2022, following a short battle with cancer at age 71.
Alley made her film debut in 1982 inStar Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, playing theVulcanStarfleetofficer LieutenantSaavik,but chose not to reprise that role in the next two sequels, later saying she was offered less money than forStar Trek II.In the years following, she starred in a number of smaller films, includingOne More Chance,Blind DateandRunaway. In 1985, she starred in theABCminiseriesNorth and South.In 1987, Alley starred alongsideMark Harmonin the comedy filmSummer School. The film was a box office success, grossing over $35 million in the United States.
Later in 1987, Alley joined the cast of NBC sitcom Cheers, replacing Shelley Long and remaining with the show until its eleventh and final season. In 1989, Alley starred with John Travolta in Look Who's Talking. The film grossed over $295 million worldwide. They then went on to make two other films centered on the same theme, Look Who's Talking Too and Look Who's Talking Now. After two Emmy Award nominations for her work on Cheers, in 1988 and 1990, she won the Emmy on her third nomination, in 1991.
Alley earned her second Emmy for the 1994 television filmDavid's Mother.For her contributions to the film industry, Alley received amotion pictures staron theHollywood Walk of Fameat 7000Hollywood Boulevardin 1995.
From 1997 to 2000, Alley played the title character in the NBC sitcomVeronica's Closet, as well as serving as executive producer on the show. She served as the spokesperson forPier Onefrom 2000 to 2004, and forJenny Craigfrom 2004 to 2007.
TV Landaired a sitcom that centered on Alley as aBroadwaystar and a new parent. It was titledKirstie, and reunited her with formerCheersco-starRhea PerlmanandSeinfeldstarMichael Richards. The series premiered on December 4, 2013, and ran for one season before it was canceled, five months after ending its freshman run.
In February 2011, Alley was announced as a contestant onDancing with the Stars. She was partnered withMaksim Chmerkovskiy. She also took part in the15th seasonofDancing with the Stars.In 2022, Alley competed inseason sevenofThe Masked Singeras "Baby Mammoth" of Team Cuddly.
Good Night Ms. Alley
Stay Tuned
Tony Figueroa
Here is a "HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"
a little spark of madness
that we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
It's nothing short of an extraordinary show. When I got hired, I started thinking, 'Hmmm, I'm not really an actor. I wonder what I'm going to be doing?' It was interesting. I kept saying, 'Who am I supposed to be?' I told my wife, 'They're not going to pay me just for going in and being myself for 130 shows'. They did make me the music teacher. I come out of that background, and I'd taught music to kids before. Finally they said, 'We don't want you to be anybody but yourself'. And that was pretty much true of anyone in the original cast and those they hired later.
-Bob McGrath
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| Robert Emmett McGrath June 13, 1932 – December 4, 2022 |
Bob McGrath died on December 4, 2022, at the age of 90.
Bob McGrath was born on June 13, 1932 in Ottawa, Illinois. He was named for Irish patriot Robert Emmet. As a child, he would sing for his family while his mother would play the piano. His mother enrolled him in the Roxy Theater’s Amateur Program, where he came in second place. He graduated from Marquette High School.
McGrath graduated from University of Michigan in 1954 where he was in School of Music. While attending Michigan, he was a member of the University of Michigan Men's Glee Club and of the fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta, where during fraternity events, he washed dishes while fraternity brother David Connell waited tables, a connection which Connell would use when casting began for Sesame Street. After graduating, he was inducted in to the U.S. Army, where he spent 2 years in Germany, booking and performing for the Seventh Army Symphony Orchestra.
McGrath obtained a Master of Music degree in Voice, from Manhattan School of Music in 1959.
McGrath worked with Mitch Miller and was the featured tenor on Miller's NBC-TV television singalong series Sing Along with Mitch for four seasons from 1960 to 1964. He was a singer on the Walt Kelly album Songs of the Pogo.
In the mid-1960s, McGrath became a well-known recording artist in Japan, releasing a series of successful albums of Irish and other folk songs and ballads sung in Japanese. This aspect of his career was the basis of his "secret" when he appeared on the game shows To Tell the Truth in 1966 and I've Got a Secret in 1967. From 1969 to 2016, McGrath was a regular cast member on Sesame Street, playing the character of Bob Johnson.Along with series matriarch Susan Robinson, played by Loretta Long, McGrath had been one of the two longest-lasting human characters on the series since the show's debut. A Noggin segment proclaimed the four decades of Bob when promoting Sesame Street on that network. In July 2016, Sesame Workshop announced that McGrath would not return to the show for its 47th season because it would be re-tooling the series, but the company did say that McGrath would continue to represent the Workshop at public events. Sesame Workshop later announced that there would be talks to bring him back. Sesame Workshop said that he would still represent Sesame Street. Although McGrath had not been in any new material since season 45, he subsequently appeared in online videos for the show. He also returned for the 2019 TV special Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration.
For 38 years, McGrath was a regular fixture on Telemiracle, a telethon broadcast annually on CTV outlets in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. 2015 was his final regular appearance at Telemiracle, where performers at the show paid tribute to him. He returned for a special appearance in 2018. On March 3, 2006, he was awarded the Commemorative Medal for the Centennial of Saskatchewan for this work by the Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan, Lynda Haverstock. He was given the Saskatchewan Distinguished Service Award in 2013 by the Premier of Saskatchewan, Brad Wall.
McGrath wrote many children's books, including Uh Oh! Gotta Go! and OOPS! Excuse Me Please!
In 1995, he was awarded a grant from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists Award.
McGrath's Sing Me a Story was nominated for the 7th Annual Independent Music Awards for children's album of the year.
On April 10, 2010, he was the first recipient of the University of Michigan Men's Glee Club Lifetime Achievement Award. McGrath also served as master of ceremonies at the Glee Club's 150th anniversary celebration weekend.
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| Stay Tuned Tony Figueroa |
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| Good Night Bob |
Here is a"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"a little spark of madnessthat we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.
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Tony Figueroa
Here is a "HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"a little spark of madnessthat we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.The Little Drummer Boy / Peace On Earth.Music video by Bing Crosby & David Bowie performing
Stay Tuned
Tony Figueroa
Here is a "HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"a little spark of madnessthat we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.
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Mystery Science Theater 3000 - Santa Claus It's Christmas time on the SOL! After Mike and the 'bots exchange gifts, they get to watch a movie where Santa Claus has to outwit Satan in order to deliver gifts.
Stay Tuned
Tony Figueroa
Here is a "HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"a little spark of madnessthat we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.TV History
December 1, 1940
Richard Pryor is born in Peoria, Illinois. According to the Museum of Broadcast Communications, Pryor was “the first African-American stand-up comedian to speak candidly and successfully to integrated audiences using the language and jokes blacks previously only shared among themselves when they were most critical of America. His comic style emancipated African-American humor.”
December 1, 1945
Bette Midler is born in Honolulu, Hawaii.
By the time she appeared as the final guest of Johnny Carson's 30-year career on The Tonight Show and brought tears to the unflappable host's eyes with an emotional performance of "One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)," she was an established star of stage and screen—a Tony winner, an Oscar nominee, a Grammy winner and a multimillion-selling recording artist. It would be difficult, however, to imagine a more unorthodox path to mainstream stardom than the one followed by Bette Midler—"The Divine Miss M"—who was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, on this day in 1945.
Equal parts Judy Garland and Ethel Merman, Bette Midler early on set her sights on making it in New York City. Arriving in New York in 1965, Midler soon tried out for the national touring company of Fiddler On The Roof only to land the role of Tzeitel (and the job of singing "Matchmaker" eight times a week) in the Broadway production instead. After several years of singing in various Manhattan nightclubs on the side, she got what would prove to be the most important gig of her career, singing poolside nightly at the fabled Continental Baths, a gay bathhouse/cabaret in the basement of the Ansonia building on West 72nd Street in Manhattan. It was there, in collaboration with a young pianist named Barry Manilow, that she fully developed her "Divine Miss M" stage persona—a brash, campy interpreter of numbers ranging from "Chattanooga Choo Choo" and "Leader Of The Pack" to "Superstar" and "Delta Dawn." It was at the Continental Baths that Atlantic Records chief Ahmet Ertegun discovered Midler and signed her to record the album that made her a star: The Divine Miss M (1972). That album, which made an unlikely pop hit out of "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" (Billboard #8, June 1973), earned Midler the Best New Artist award at the 1973 Grammy Awards.
Though she would remain a beloved favorite of a significant fan base over the next decade or so, her only pop hit during that period was the theme song from the 1979 movie The Rose. In 1986, however, her flagging Hollywood career was revived by a comic turn in Paul Mazursky's Down And Out In Beverly Hills. Two years later, she would earn a Record of the Year Grammy and her first and only #1 pop hit with "Wing Beneath My Wings," from the 1988 movie Beaches, in which Midler co-starred alongside Barbara Hershey.
December 1, 1950
Keith Thibodeaux is born. The former child actor and musician is best known for playing “Little Ricky” in the I Love Lucy and The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour television shows.
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Tony Figueroa
November 28, 1962
Talk-show host and comedian Jon Stewart born.
Stewart’s irreverent take on national and world events has been a huge hit with audiences and has even led some viewers to cite The Daily Show as their primary source of news.Raised in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz attended the College of William and Mary and after graduation began performing stand-up comedy at clubs in New York City. In 1991, he became host of Short Attention Span Theater on Comedy Central, which was followed in 1992 by You Wrote It, You Watch It on MTV. In 1993, he hosted a half-hour program, The Jon Stewart Show, also on MTV. A late-night, nationally syndicated version of the program launched the following year but was cancelled in 1995.
In January 1999, Stewart took over hosting duties of The Daily Showfrom Craig Kilborn, who had hosted the show since its 1996 debut on Comedy Central and left to replace Tom Snyder as host of The Late Late Show. With Stewart in the anchor seat, The Daily Show typically opens with a monologue about the day’s news stories, followed by a satirical report from one of the program’s “fake news” correspondents. (Previous correspondents have included Steve Carrell, who was a Daily Show regular from 1999 to 2004 and went on to star in such movies as The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Little Miss Sunshine and Get Smart and the NBC sitcom The Office. Another Daily Show correspondent, Stephen Colbert, left the program in 2005 to launch his own spin-off, The Colbert Report.)During the final segment of the half-hour Daily Show, Stewart conducts interviews with politicians, authors, Hollywood celebrities or other newsmakers. The Daily Show has won multiple Emmy Awards, and in 2004 Stewart and his writing staff released a best-selling mock-history textbook titled America (The Book): A Citizen’s Guide to Democracy Inaction.
In addition to hosting The Daily Show, Stewart served as master of ceremonies for Hollywood’s biggest annual event, the Academy Awards, in 2006 and 2008. His own movie career, which includes appearances in Playing by Heart (1998), The Faculty (1998)and Big Daddy (1999), has yet to win him any Oscars. On The Daily Show, Stewart has mocked his roles in such box-office bombs as 2001’s Death to Smoochy.
November 28, 1997
The final episode of "Beavis and Butt-head" aired on MTV.
When Highland High's secretary calls Beavis and Butt-head's home to see why the boys aren't in school, Beavis falsely claims that he and Butt-head are dead. Principal McVicker is pleasantly surprised and even stops his typical nervous shaking. Mr. Van Driessen mourns the loss and tries to get the class to remember something good about the obnoxious duo, though Daria echoes most of the class's sentiments by saying "it's not like they had bright futures ahead of them". The school faculty mostly agree (except Van Driessen) that although they never liked Beavis and Butt-head, they should exploit their apparent deaths to make their trouble worthwhile. Beavis and Butt-head see news that someone died at school, and decide to show up anyway. Just as Principal McVicker is on camera, holding a jar full of the memorial charity's change saying he would (hypothetically) trade it to have Beavis and Butt-head back, they greet him to his shock and end up in possession of the jar. Beavis and Butt-head walk off into the sunset, believing that they are rich and have no need to attend school anymore. This episode was the original series finale, up until the 2011 revival.November 30, 1927
Robert Guillaume is born Robert Peter Williams.
The stage and television actor, known for his role as Benson on the TV-series Soap and the spin-off Benson, voicing the mandrill Rafiki in The Lion King and as Isaac Jaffe on Sports Night. In a career that has spanned more than 50 years he has worked extensively on stage (including a Tony Award nomination), television (including winning two Emmy Awards), and film.December 4, 1937
Max Baer Jr. is born.
Baer was born Maximilian Adalbert Baer Jr. in Oakland, California, the son of boxing champion Max Baer and his wife Mary Ellen Sullivan. His father was of German, Jewish and Scots-Irish descent. His brother and sister are James Manny Baer (1941–2009) and Maude Baer (b. 1943). His uncle was boxer and actor Buddy Baer.Actor, screenwriter, producer, and director. He is best known for playing Jethro Bodine on The Beverly Hillbillies.Stay TunedTony Figueroa
Here is your Shop Local Saturday "HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"a little spark of madnessthat we could use to momentarily forget about those things that leave a bad taste in our mouths.Telly and Gordon want a "Mr. Hooper Egg Cream."
Stay Tuned
Tony Figueroa
Here is a "HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"a little spark of madnessthat we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.
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| The Jack Benny Program: Season 8, Episode 7Christmas Shopping Show (15 Dec. 1957) |
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This year we are spending Thanksgiving in Cincinnati.
I guess I should watch out for falling Turkeys.
As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!
-Arthur CarlsonHere is a Thanksgiving "HOLIDAY SOR-BAY" tradition.This is a little brain candy to snack on while dinner is cooking.
May we all be thankful for what we are about to view... Station manager Arthur Carlson comes up with a big idea for a unique holiday promotion involving live turkeys and a helicopter. First aired on 40 years ago on October 30th 1978 (Season 1, Episode 7)
In 1997 TV Guide ranked this episode number 40 on its '100 Greatest Episodes of All Time' list. This Week in TV History November 25th 2020 "Thanksgiving Edition"
Happy Thanksgiving
Tony Figueroa
Here is a"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"a little spark of madnessthat we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.
Stay Tuned
Tony Figueroa
November 21
World Television Day
World Television Day celebrates the daily value of television as a symbol of communication and globalization. Television is one of the single greatest technological advances of the 20th century, serving to educate, inform, entertain and influence our decisions and opinions. It is estimated that approximately 90% of homes around the world have televisions, however, with the introduction of internet broadcasting, the number is declining in favor of computers.
World Television Day was proclaimed by the United Nations in 1996. It is celebrated annually on November 21.
November 21, 1937
Margaret Julia ”World Television Day is born.
Actress, producer, and social activist known for her starring role on the TV series That Girl (1966–1971) and her award-winning feminist children’s franchise, Free to Be… You and Me. For her work in television, she has received four Emmys, a Golden Globe, the George Foster Peabody Award and has been inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame. She also received a Grammy award for her children’s album Thanks & Giving All Year Long.
November 21, 1972
Maude's Dilemma Part two.
Maude Findlay (Beatrice Arthur) discovers she is pregnant and opts for an abortion. To comfort Maude, her grown daughter said "When you were young, abortion was a dirty word. It's not anymore."Two CBS affiliates canceled the episodes and 32 CBS affiliates were pressured not to rerun the segments in the summer of 1973 by anti-abortion factions.
The second airing of the program gave the show a 41 percent share with 65 million people tuning in. The first time the show aired CBS received 7,000 letters; the second time around 17,000 letters of protest poured in.
This program appeared at a time when the Supreme Court had not yet protected legalized abortion (The Roe vs. Wade decision was still one year away). Reportedly, Pro-Life groups mailed Norman Lear photographs of aborted fetuses in protest.
November 22, 1932
Robert Francis Vaughn is born.
Actor noted for his stage, film and television work. His best-known TV roles include the suave spy Napoleon Solo in the 1960s series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and the wealthy detective Harry Rule in the 1970s series The Protectors. In film, he portrayed one of the title characters in The Magnificent Seven and Major Paul Krueger in The Bridge at Remagen, and provided the voice of Proteus IV, the computer villain of Demon Seed.November 23, 2012
Larry Hagman, star of "Dallas" and "I Dream of Jeannie," dies.
Larry Hagman dies at age 81 of complications from cancer at a hospital in Dallas. Hagman was best known for his role as the villainous Texas oil baron J.R. Ewing on “Dallas,” which aired from 1978 to 1991 and was revived in 2012.
Hagman was born on September 21, 1931, in Fort Worth, Texas, to actress Mary Martin, who would become known for her roles in Broadway musicals including “Peter Pan,” “South Pacific” and “The Sound of Music,” and Benjamin Hagman, a lawyer. After graduating from high school in Weatherford, Texas, the younger Hagman briefly attended Bard College before dropping out to pursue acting. During the Korean War, he served in the U.S. Air Force, producing and directing shows for American troops. Following his military service, Hagman worked as a New York stage actor in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He also appeared on various TV series, including a two-year stint on the daytime soap opera “The Edge of Night.” Hagman made his movie debut in 1964’s “Ensign Pulver,” whose cast also included Jack Nicholson.
Hagman’s breakout role was on the hit sitcom “I Dream of Jeannie,” which aired from 1965 to 1970. He played astronaut Tony Nelson, who becomes “master” to a genie (played by Barbara Eden) whom he releases from a bottle he finds on a desert island. Following “I Dream of Jeannie,” Hagman appeared in several short-lived TV shows before the 1978 debut of “Dallas,” the prime-time soap opera about a wealthy, feuding Texas family, the Ewings. J.R. Ewing was originally intended to be a supporting character, but as portrayed by Hagman, the gleefully conniving, cowboy-hatted oil tycoon became the star of the show and someone audiences loved to hate.
In the cliffhanger finale of the show’s second full season, broadcast on March 21, 1980, J.R. was gunned down by an unknown assailant, and the question of who shot him soon became a pop culture phenomenon. Hagman landed on multiple magazine covers, there were “I Shot J.R.” T-shirts and bookmakers even took bets on the identity of the person who pulled the trigger. The answer, finally revealed eight months later in an episode that aired November 21, 1980, turned out to be J.R.’s scorned ex-mistress, Kristin Shepard (played by Mary Crosby). The episode was seen by an estimated 350 million viewers around the globe, and remains the second-highest-rated television program in U.S. history, after the final episode of “MAS*H” in 1983. J.R. survived the shooting, and Hagman went on to appear in all 357 episodes of the original “Dallas.”
After “Dallas” ended in 1991, Hagman had roles in movies including “Nixon” (1995) and “Primary Colors” (1998) and made appearances on “Nip/Tuck,” “Desperate Housewives” and other television shows. In October 2011 the actor, who developed cirrhosis after years of heavy drinking and had a liver transplant in 1995, announced he had cancer but still would reprise his role as J.R. Ewing on the revival of “Dallas.” The rebooted “Dallas” premiered in June 2012, and Hagman died on November 23 of that same year. His death later was worked into the show, and in an episode that aired on March 4, 2013, the iconic J.R. was shot and killed by a then-unknown assailant.
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade presented by the U.S.-based department store chain Macy's.
The tradition started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit (with both parades being four years younger than the 6abc Dunkin' Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia). The three-hour Macy's event is held in New York City starting at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on Thanksgiving Day, and has been televised nationally on NBC since 1952. The parade was suspended from 1942 to 1944 as a result of World War II, owing to the need for rubber and helium in the war effort. The parade resumed in 1945 using the route that it followed until 2008. The parade became known nationwide after being prominently featured in the 1947 film, Miracle on 34th Street, which included footage of the 1946 festivities. The event was first broadcast on network television in 1948 (see below). By this point the event, and Macy's sponsorship of it, were sufficiently well-known to give rise to the colloquialism "Macy's Day Parade". Since 1984, the balloons have been made by Raven Aerostar (a division of Sioux Falls, South Dakota-based Raven Industries).
November 25, 1947
John Bernard Larroquette III is born.
His roles include Dan Fielding on the 1984–1992 sitcom Night Court (winning a then-unprecedented four consecutive Emmy Awards for his role), Mike McBride in the Hallmark Channel series McBride, John Hemingway on The John Larroquette Show, Lionel Tribbey on The West Wing and Carl Sack in Boston Legal.November 26, 1922
Cartoonist Charles M. Schulz is born in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The son of a barber, Schulz showed an early interest in art and took a correspondence course in cartooning. After serving in the army in World War II, Schulz returned to St. Paul and took a job lettering comics for a small magazine. In 1947, Schulz began drawing a comic strip for the St. Paul Pioneer Press called "L'il Folks," featuring Charlie Brown and his gang of friends. In 1950, after several rejections, Schulz sold syndication rights to United Features, which renamed the strip "Peanuts." Schulz drew the comic himself, without assistants, until his retirement in 1999. Peanuts ran in some 2,600 papers, in 75 countries and 21 languages, earning Schulz some $30 million a year. Schulz died in 2000.The Hollywood Christmas Parade (formerly the Hollywood Santa Parade or Santa Claus Lane Parade) is an annual parade that takes place on the Sunday after Thanksgiving in the Hollywood community in Los Angeles, California, United States.
The parade follows a 3.5-mile route along Hollywood Boulevard, then back along Sunset Boulevard and features various celebrities among its participants. The Parade was suspended from 1942 to 1944 due to World War II, but reopened in 1945 with record attendance.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
We were not even human beings. When we got to Buchenwald, the SS shoved us into a shower room to spend the night. I had heard the* rumors about the dummy shower heads that were gas jets. I thought, 'This is it.' But no, it was just a place to sleep. The first eight days there, the Germans kept us without a crumb to eat. We were hanging on to life by pure guts, sleeping on top of each other, every morning waking up to find a new corpse next to you. The whole experience was a complete nightmare — the way they treated us, what we had to do to survive. We were less than animals. Sometimes I dream about those days. I wake up in a sweat terrified for fear I'm about to be sent away to a concentration camp, but I don't hold a grudge because that's a great waste of time. Yes, there's something dark in the human soul. For the most part, human beings are not very nice. That's why when you find those who are, you cherish them.***
-Robert Clary
| | | Robert Clary (born Robert Max Widerman)March 1, 1926 – November 16, 2022 |
Robert Clary died at his Los Angeles home on November 16, 2022, at the age of 96.
Born in 1926 in Paris, France, Clary was the youngest of 14 children, 10 of whom would die in the Holocaust. At the age of twelve, he began a career singing professionally on a French radio station and also studied art in Paris. In 1942, because he was Jewish, he was deported to the Nazi concentration camp at Ottmuth, in Upper Silesia (now Otmęt, Poland). He was tattooed with the identification "A5714" on his left forearm. He was later sent to Buchenwald concentration camp.At Buchenwald, Clary sang to an audience of SS soldiers every other Sunday, accompanied by an accordionist. He said, "Singing, entertaining, and being in kind of good health at my age, that's why I survived. I was very immature and young and not really fully realizing what situation I was involved with ... I don't know if I would have survived if I really knew that."Clary was liberated from Buchenwald on April 11, 1945. Twelve other members of his immediate family were sent to Auschwitz concentration camp; Clary was the only survivor. When he returned to Paris after World War II, he learned that three of his 13 siblings had not been taken away and had survived the Nazi occupation of France.
Clary returned to the entertainment business and began singing songs that not only became popular in France, but in the United States as well. Clary made his first recordings in 1948; they were brought to the United States on wire and were issued on disk by Capitol Records. He went to the U.S. in October 1949. One of Clary's first American appearances was a French-language comedy skit on The Ed Wynn Show in 1950. Clary later met Merv Griffin and Eddie Cantor. This eventually led to Clary meeting Cantor's daughter, Natalie Cantor Metzger, whom he married in 1965, after being "the closest of friends" for 15 years. Cantor later got Clary a spot on The Colgate Comedy Hour. In the mid-1950s, Clary appeared on NBC's early sitcom The Martha Raye Show and on CBS's drama anthology series Appointment with Adventure.Clary's comedic skills were quickly recognized by Broadway, where he appeared in several popular musicals, including New Faces of 1952, which was produced as a film in 1954.
In 1952, he appeared in the film Thief of Damascus which also starred Paul Henreid and Lon Chaney Jr. In 1958, he guest-starred on The Gisele MacKenzie Show (NBC). He guest-starred on The Munsters Today (1989) as Louis Schecter, Lily's acting coach, in the episode "Green Eyed Munsters".
In 1959, he was cast in the title role of Henri Toulouse-Lautrec in a British production of an Edward Chodorov play, Monsieur Lautrec. The play ran for two weeks at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry. Although The Stage panned the play, it praised Clary for portraying Lautrec "with a delicacy and yet moving intenseness."In 1965, the diminutive 155 cm (5 ft 1 in) Clary was offered the role of Corporal Louis LeBeau on a new television sitcom called Hogan's Heroes, and he accepted the role when the pilot sold. The series was set in a German prisoner of war (POW) camp during World War II, and Clary played a French POW who was a member of an Allied sabotage unit operating from inside the camp.
Asked about parallels between LeBeau's incarceration and his own, Clary said, "Stalag 13 is not a concentration camp. It's a POW camp, and that's a world of difference. You never heard of a prisoner of war being gassed or hanged. When the show went on the air, people asked me if I had any qualms about doing a comedy series dealing with Nazis and concentration camps. I had to explain that it was about prisoners of war in a Stalag, not a concentration camp, and although I did not want to diminish what soldiers went through during their internments, it was like night and day from what people endured in concentration camps."
Clary became one of the last two surviving principal cast members of Hogan's Heroes, with Kenneth Washington (Sergeant Richard Baker, final season), when Cynthia Lynn (Helga, first season, 1965–1966) died on March 10, 2014. He was the last surviving original principal cast member.
After Hogan's Heroes was cancelled in 1971, Clary maintained close ties to fellow Hogan's Heroes cast members Werner Klemperer, John Banner, and Leon Askin, whose lives were also affected by the Holocaust. Following the show's cancellation, he appeared in a handful of feature films with World War II themes, including the made-for-television film Remembrance of Love, about the Holocaust. Clary also appeared on the soap operas Days of Our Lives, The Young and the Restless, and The Bold and the Beautiful.Clary appeared in the 1975 film The Hindenburg, which portrayed a fictional plot to blow up the German airship after it arrived at the Lakehurst Naval Air Station. He played Joseph Späh, a real-life passenger on the airship's final voyage.
Clary spent years touring Canada and the United States, speaking about the Holocaust. He was a painter, painting from photographs he took on his travels.
Clary published a memoir, From the Holocaust to Hogan's Heroes: The Autobiography of Robert Clary, in 2001.
Au revoir Monsieur Clary
Restez à l'écoute
Tony Figueroa
Here is your*"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"*a little spark of madness that we could use to momentarily forget about thosethings that leave a bad taste in our mouths.
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| The Mary Tyler Moore Show S05E09 Not a Christmas StoryEveryone is getting on each others nerves when they are trapped in the newsroom by a snowstorm. |
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Tony Figueroa
This is a business. Be smart. Choose wisely.-John Aniston
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John Anthony Aniston (born Yannis Anastassakis)
| July 24, 1933 – November 11, 2022 |
John Aniston died on November 11, 2022, at the age of 89.
Aniston was born on the island of Crete, Greece, on July 24, 1933, to Stella Joanne (née Koume; 1899–1992) and Antonios Anastassakis (1889–1965). The family left Crete for the United States when Aniston was two years old; his father anglicized the family’s names on arriving in America. The family settled in Chester, Pennsylvania, where they operated a restaurant.Aniston graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a bachelor's degree in Theater Arts. While at Pennsylvania State University, he became a member of Alpha Chi Rho fraternity. After college, he served in the United States Navy as an intelligence officer on active duty in Panama and later in the reserve, attaining the rank of lieutenant commander.
Aniston began his acting career in 1962 in 87th Precinct as "Officer #1" in the episode "New Man in the Precinct". He has appeared in soap operas regularly since 1970, when he first joined Days of Our Lives as a character named Eric Richards. In 1975, he joined the cast of Love of Life as Eddie Aleata, appearing in one episode. He played Mary Stuart's new love interest, Martin Tourneur, on Search for Tomorrow from 1980 until April 1984. He returned to the cast of Days of Our Lives a second time, this time as Victor Kiriakis, in July 1985, and continues to play the role as of 2021. He was nominated for the 2017 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his performance.In April 2022, it was announced that Aniston would receive a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award at the 49th Annual Daytime Creative Arts & Lifestyle Emmy Awards on June 18.
Aniston also played small roles on the television series Airwolf in season two's episode "Short Walk to Freedom", Gilmore Girls as Douglas Swope in the 2002 episode "A Deep Fried Korean Thanksgiving", The West Wing as Alexander Thompson in the episodes Game On and Debate Camp (both in 2002), as the First IMF Captain in the 1969 Mission Impossible episode Time Bomb. Aniston has also made guest appearances on Combat! (1964), My Big Fat Greek Life (2002), Star Trek: Voyager (2001), American Dreams (with Days co-star Frances Reid), Journeyman, and Mad Men.
Aniston had a daughter, Jennifer Aniston (born 1969), with his first wife, Nancy Dow, and a son, Alexander, with his second wife, Sherry Rooney (whom he met while co-starring on Love of Life). His daughter Jennifer's godfather was Telly Savalas, one of his best friends.
John also had a stepson, John T. Melick, from Nancy's prior marriage, whom he raised since he was a toddler.
Aniston was an avid Shakespeare fan and was the owner of numerous first-edition copies of Romeo and Juliet.
| | | Stay TunedTony Figueroa |
| | | Good Night Mr. Aniston |
November 18, 1942
Linda Evans is born.
Known primarily for her roles on television. In the 1960s, she first gained fame after playing Audra Barkley in the Western television series, The Big Valley (1965–1969). However she is most prominently known for the role of Krystle Carrington in the 1980s ABC prime time soap operaDynasty, a role she played from 1981 to 1989.November 20, 1942
Stewart Robert "Bob" Einstein is born.
Actor and comedy writer who portrayed the fictional stuntman Super Dave Osborne.
Einstein got his start as a writer on several TV variety shows, including The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour. Einstein is also known for his roles as Marty Funkhouser in Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Larry Middleman on Arrested Development.
He won two Emmy Awards as a writer and was nominated four other times. He also won a CableACE Award for acting as Super Dave, along with five other nominations. His parents were the comic Harry Einstein, best known for playing the character Parkyakarkus on radio and in the movies, and the actress-singer Thelma Leeds. His younger brother is comedian and writer Albert Brooks (born Albert Lawrence Einstein), and his older brother, Cliff Einstein, is a retired advertising executive in Los Angeles.
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I found out why God made babies cute.It's so you don't kill them.-Gallagher
| | | Leo Anthony Gallagher Jr.July 24, 1946 – November 11, 2022 |
Here is another"Mental Sorbet"A little spark of madnessthat we could use to momentarily forget about thosethings that leave a bad taste in our mouths
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November 7, 1957
Christopher Anton Knight is born.
Best known for playing Peter Brady on the 1970s series, The Brady Bunch. He has since gone on to become a successful businessman and enjoyed a semi-resurgence in the public eye with television appearances in the 2000s. His father, Edward Knight, was also an actor.November 8, 1972
Home Box Office, aka HBO, made its debut.
The first film to run on pay cable service was Sometimes a Great Notion, an Oscar-nominated adaptation of the second novel by One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest author Ken Kesey starring Paul Newman and Henry Fonda.Stay TunedTony Figueroa
Here is a"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"a little spark of madnessthat we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.
The official "Almost Too Early For Christmas" audio by Jimmy Fallon and Dolly Parton. Listen & download here: https://jimmyfallon.lnk.to/tooearly
Stay Tuned
Tony Figueroa
Here is another"Mental Sorbet"A little spark of madnessthat we could use to momentarily forget about thosethings that leave a bad taste in our mouths**| | |
Stay Tuned**| | | | |**Tony Figueroa
November 2, 1992
Hal Roach dies.
Producer, director, and screenwriter Hal Roach dies at the age of 100. Roach is best remembered for his silent comedies featuring Laurel and Hardy, Harold Lloyd, and the gaggle of mischievous kids who starred in the "Our Gang" comedies (who later became known as the Little Rascals). The silent-film maker, born in Elmira, New York, had worked as a mule skinner, stunt man, truck driver, and Alaska gold prospector when he came to Hollywood in the early 1900s. He started out as a stunt man and bit-part actor, then formed his own production company with D. Whiting, called The Rolin Company, after he inherited $3,000 in 1915 (he later bought Whiting out and changed the studio's name to Hal Roach Studios).
Roach hired Harold Lloyd to play Willie Work in a series of comic shorts he hoped to produce. The series fell through until Roach changed Willie Work's name to Lonesome Luke, who became a much-beloved movie character known as "the man with the glasses." Regulars in the comic series, called "Phun-Philms," included Will Rogers, Edgar Kennedy, and Laurel and Hardy.
In the 1920s, Roach started making feature films and dramas along with the comedies and westerns that had occupied the bulk of his energy earlier in his career. He weeded out the least-popular shows and concentrated on his gems, including the Laurel and Hardy and Our Gang series. Actors who worked under Hal Roach contracts early in their careers included Jean Harlow, Mickey Rooney, and Zasu Pitts, along with directors Norman Z. McLeod, Leo McCarey, and George Stevens.
Roach won Oscars for two shorts, The Music Box in 1932 and Bored of Education in 1936. When he shifted his focus to feature-length movies (in partnership with his son, Hal Roach Jr.), he sold the Our Gang rights to MGM and produced the acclaimed film Of Mice and Men, an adaptation of John Steinbeck's novel about a sweet, developmentally disabled man named Lennie and his protector, George. In the 1940s, he turned his attention from the big screen to television production. A military colonel, Roach produced propaganda and training films for the armed forces during World War II, and when he returned to Hollywood after the war, he began working in television. His company collapsed in the 1950s, but in the 1960s he produced The Crazy World of Laurel and Hardy. The film proved to be his swan song: His studio was demolished in 1963 (a housing development is on Roach Ranch now). He received an honorary Academy Award in 1983 for his contributions to making movies. He died in 1992 at age 100.
November 4, 1937
Loretta Jane Swit is born.
Stage and television actress known for her character roles. Swit is best known for her portrayal of Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan on MASH*.
November 5, 2007
Writers strike stalls production of TV shows, movies.
Members of the Writers Guild of America, East, and Writers Guild of America, West—labor organizations representing television, film and radio writers—go on strike in Los Angeles and New York after negotiations break down with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), a trade group that represents TV and film producers in the United States, including CBS, NBC Universal, Walt Disney Company, Paramount Pictures, News Corp., Sony Pictures Entertainment, MGM and Warner Brothers. The strike caused production to shut down on more than 60 TV shows and resulted in a loss of $3 billion, by some estimates, to the Los Angeles economy alone.The strike’s key issues included the writers’ demand for a larger share of DVD revenues and payment for films and TV shows distributed over the Internet and other forms of new media. Late-night talk shows, which used guild writers, were immediately affected by the strike and went into reruns. Production also shut down on many prime-time comedies and dramas; however, some had stockpiled completed programming and were able to avoid going straight into reruns.
After a series of stalemated discussions, leaders from both sides eventually reached a tentative agreement, and on February 12, 2008, WGA members voted to end the strike and go back to work. The strike officially ended on February 26, when WGA members overwhelmingly approved a new three-year contract with the AMPTP.
The impact of the writers’ walkout was felt across the entertainment industry, from actors to caterers to editors to set designers to animal wranglers. According to the Los Angeles Times, the chief economist for the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation estimated the strike resulted in a loss to the local economy of more than $3 billion. The Times article stated: “Of that total, an estimated $772 million came from lost wages for writers and production workers, $981 million from various businesses that service the industry, including caterers and equipment rental houses, and $1.3 billion from the ripple effect of consumers not spending as much at retail shops, restaurants and car dealers.”
Previous multiple-month strikes launched by Writers Guild members in 1960 and 1988 had also greatly impacted the entertainment industry, bringing TV and movie production to a standstill and costing millions in revenue.
November 6, 1967
Phil Donahue began a TV talk show in Dayton, OH.
The show, "Donahue," was on the air for 29 years. In 1967, Phil Donahue left his positions as news reporter and interviewer at WHIO radio and television in Dayton and became the host of a new television program, Phil Donahue Show on WLWD (now WDTN), also in Dayton. His new program replaced The Johnny Gilbert Show, when Gilbert left on short notice for Los Angelesfor a hosting job. On November 6, 1967, Donahue hosted his first guest, atheist Madalyn Murray O'Hair. Though he would later call her message of atheism "very important", he also stated she was rather unpleasant and that, off-camera, she mocked him for being Catholic.Initially, the program was shown only on other stations owned by the Crosley Broadcasting Corporation (which would later take the name of its parent Avco Company), which also owned WLWD. But, on January 5, 1970, The Donahue Show entered nationwide syndication.
Donahue relocated the show's home base to Chicago in 1974, first housing it at then-independent station WGN-TV. Around this time the show's popularity increased, and in the process it became a national phenomenon. When the Avco Company divested their broadcasting properties in 1976, Multimedia Inc.assumed production and syndication of the program, which was now known as simply Donahue. In 1982, Donahue moved the show to CBS-owned WBBM-TV for its final years based in Chicago and the Midwest.
In 1984, Donahue introduced many viewers to hip-hop culture, as a program featured breakdancing for the first time on national television, accompanied by a performance from the hip hop group UTFO. In 1985, Donahue left Chicago for New York City and began recording in Studio 8-G at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, the home of his New York affiliate WNBC-TV. Prior to the move, a month-long series of commercials heralded the move, and NBC's late-night talk host David Letterman would use portions of his national program counting down the days to Donahue's move with a huge calendar in his studio. One of the most talked-about incidents in Donahue's history came on January 21, 1985, soon after the show moved to New York. On this day's program, seven members of the audience appeared to faint during the broadcast, which was seen live in New York. Donahue, fearing the fainting was caused by both anxiety at being on television and an overheated studio, eventually cleared the studio of audience members and then resumed the show. It turned out the fainting "spell" was cooked up by media hoaxer Alan Abel in what Abel said was a protest against what he termed as poor-quality television.
In 1992, Donahue celebrated the 25th anniversary of his long-running television program with a NBC special produced at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York, in which he was lauded by his talk-show peers. Ironically, in many corners, he was seen as having been bypassed both by Oprah Winfrey, whose own hugely successful national show was based in Donahue's former Chicago home base; and Sally Jessy Raphael, whose own talk show was distributed by Do The talk show field became increasingly saturated as the 1990s progressed, leading to a decline in ratings. The show also lost support after Donahue expressed his feelings regarding the first Gulf War. In the fall of 1995, ABC-owned KGO-TV in San Francisco dropped Donahue after carrying it for several years and, weeks later, New York's WNBC-TV also canceled it. Donahue was also evicted from its Rockefeller Plaza home, and relocated to new studios in Manhattan. Many other stations, such as KTRK-TV (another ABC O&O) in Houston, and KYW-TV in Philadelphia either began dropping Donahue or moving it to late-night and early-morning time slots, causing a further loss of viewers. Donahue never aired on another station in New York or San Francisco, two of the largest U.S. television markets.
After 29 years (26 of which in syndication) and nearly 7,000 shows, the final episode aired on September 13, 1996, culminating in what continues to be the longest continuous run of any syndicated talk show in U.S. television history.
nahue's syndicator, Multimedia.
The end of Donahue. The talk show field became increasingly saturated as the 1990s progressed, leading to a decline in ratings. The show also lost support after Donahue expressed his feelings regarding the first Gulf War. In the fall of 1995, ABC-owned KGO-TV in San Francisco dropped Donahue after carrying it for several years and, weeks later, New York's WNBC-TV also canceled it. Donahue was also evicted from its Rockefeller Plaza home, and relocated to new studios in Manhattan. Many other stations, such as KTRK-TV (another ABC O&O) in Houston, and KYW-TV in Philadelphia either began dropping Donahue or moving it to late-night and early-morning time slots, causing a further loss of viewers. Donahue never aired on another station in New York or San Francisco, two of the largest U.S. television markets.After 29 years (26 of which in syndication) and nearly 7,000 shows, the final episode aired on September 13, 1996, culminating in what continues to be the longest continuous run of any syndicated talk show in U.S. television history.Stay TunedTony Figueroa
Here is another"Mental Sorbet"A little spark of madnessthat we could use to momentarily forget about thosethings that leave a bad taste in our mouths10/30/1998. From the Donny & Marie talk show**| | |
Stay Tuned**| | | | |**Tony Figueroa
I fell out of the womb and landed in my mother's high heels.-Leslie Jordan.
| | | Leslie Allen JordanApril 29, 1955 – October 24, 2022 |
Leslie Jordan died after his car hit the side of a building at Cahuenga Boulevard and Romaine Street in Hollywood. He was believed to have experienced a medical episode which led to the crash. Jordan was pronounced dead at the scene.
His television roles included Lonnie Garr on Hearts Afire (1993–1995), Beverly Leslie on Will & Grace (2001–2006, 2017–2020), for which he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series in 2006, several characters in the American Horror Story franchise (2011–present), Sid on The Cool Kids (2018–2019), and Phil on Call Me Kat (2021–2023). In theater, he played Earl "Brother Boy" Ingram from Sordid Lives, and also portrayed the character in the popular cult film of the same name. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Jordan became an Instagram sensation, amassing 5.8M followers. In April 2021, he published his autobiography How Y'all Doing?: Misadventures and Mischief from a Life Well Lived.
Good Night Mr. Jordan
| | | Stay TunedTony Figueroa |
October 25, 1982
Newhart first aired.
Starring comedian Bob Newhart and actress Mary Frann as an author and wife who owned and operated an inn located in a small, rural Vermont town that was home to many eccentric characters. TV Guide, TV Land, and A&E named its series finale as one of the most memorable in television history.October 27, 1947
The first episode of You Bet Your Life premiered on ABC Radio.
The show was later shown on NBC TV.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
| | | Ronald Alan MasakJuly 1, 1936 – October 20, 2022Good Night Mr. Masak Stay TunedTony Figueroa |
October 21, 1962
Chubby Checker sings his 1960 No. 1 hit, "The Twist," on Ed Sullivan's variety show.
His appearance boosted sales of the record, which became increasingly popular until January, when the song hit No. 1 again, making "The Twist" the only record ever to top the charts twice. The song is still considered one of the most successful singles of all time, having stayed in the Top 100 charts for 39 weeks.October 22, 1942
Annette Funicello is born in Utica, New York. Funicello became a featured Mouseketeer on Disney's Mickey Mouse Cluband later starred in several Disney features, including The Shaggy Dog(1959).
Her popularity continued into her teenage years. She starred in a series of beach movies with singer Frankie Avalon, including Beach Party in 1963 and Muscle Beach Party in 1964. Decades later, the pair reunited in Back to the Beach (1987).October 22, 1952
Jeff Goldblum born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Goldblum began performing in stage productions in New York City in the 1970s. His big-screen debut came with a tiny part in 1974’s Death Wish, which starred Charles Bronson as an architect turned vigilante. Goldblum then went on to roles in director Robert Altman’s California Split (1974) and Nashville(1975), which was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. In 1977, he had a small role in Woody Allen’s Annie Hall,which won four Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actress (Diane Keaton). The following year, he appeared in the hit sci-fi movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
Goldblum’s movie career heated up in the 1980s. In 1983, he played a tabloid magazine reporter in director Lawrence Kasdan’s The Big Chill, about a group of college friends from the 1960s who reunite in the 1980s following the death of a friend. The Big Chill, which featured an ensemble cast also including Glenn Close, Kevin Kline, Tom Berenger, William Hurt, Mary Kay Place, JoBeth Williams and Meg Tilly, was nominated for three Oscars, including Best Picture. In 1985, Goldblum co-starred with Michelle Pfeiffer in director John Landis’s Into the Night and teamed with Kevin Costner, Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn and Danny Glover in the Western Silverado. The following year, Goldblum starred in David Cronenberg’s The Fly as Seth Brundle, a scientist who turns into a giant bug-like creature after an experiment goes wrong. The Fly, which featured the now-famous line, “Be afraid…Be very afraid,” was a critical and commercial success, and Goldblum received strong reviews for his performance. The film, which won an Oscar for Best Makeup, co-starred Geena Davis, to whom Goldblum was married from 1987 to 1990. Goldblum and Davis also co-starred in the 1988 comedy Earth Girls Are Easy.
In 1993, Goldblum played a mathematician in Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi blockbuster Jurassic Park, about a fictional island filled with cloned dinosaurs created by scientists. Based on a Michael Crichton novel, Jurassic Park became one of the highest-grossing movies in history. The film, which co-starred Sam Neill and Laura Dern (to whom Goldblum was engaged for a time), won Oscars for Best Sound, Best Visual Effects and Best Sound Effects Editing. In 1996, Goldblum appeared with Will Smith, Bill Pullman and Mary McDonnell in another sci-fi blockbuster, Independence Day, about an alien attack on Earth. The following year, Goldblum reprised his role as Dr. Ian Malcolm in Spielberg’s Jurassic Park sequel The Lost World, also featuring Julianne Moore and Vince Vaughan.
Goldblum went on to appear in such movies as 2002’s Igby Goes Down, with Kieran Culkin and Claire Danes; director Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), co-starring Bill Murray and Owen Wilson; and director Barry Levinson’s Man of the Year (2006).
October 23, 2002
A Michigan appeals court reversed the 1999 decision against the Jenny Jones Show.
The court ruled that the program had no legal duty to protect a guest who was murdered after revealing a gay crush. Scott Amedure was shot to death by Jonathan Schmitz in 1995, three days after Amedure revealed an attraction to Schmitz during a taping of the show in Chicago. The segment was never aired.Stay TunedTony Figueroa
Here is another"Mental Sorbet"A little spark of madnessthat we could use to momentarily forget about thosethings that leave a bad taste in our mouths*Daffy Duck and Porky Pig Meet the Groovie Goolies is a 1972 animated one-hour TV-movie (with a live-action segment near the end) that was aired on December 16 as an episode of the anthology series The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie.[1] In this Filmation-produced movie, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, and other Looney Tunes characters interact with the characters from the Filmation series Groovie Goolies.This movie is notable for being the one and only time that Warner Bros. "loaned out" their famous Looney Tunes characters to appear in a Filmation production (otherwise they were a silent partner). Warner Bros. had shut down their animation studio in 1969. While Warner Bros. had outsourced production to other companies since the 1960s, it was usually to studios run by former Warner Bros. alumni (such as Friz Freleng and later Chuck Jones), something that was not the case with Filmation.***| |
Stay Tuned**| |**Tony Figueroa
Bringing humor and bringing happiness and joy to an audience is a wonderful opportunity in life, believe me.-Angela Lansbury
| | | Dame Angela Brigid Lansbury16 October 1925 – 11 October 2022 |
Angela Lansbury was an Irish-British and American actress and singer who played various roles across film, stage, and television. Her career, one of the longest in the entertainment industry, spanned eight decades, much of it in the United States; her work also received much international attention. She was one of the last surviving stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema at the time of her death.
Lansbury was born to an upper-middle-class family in central London, the daughter of Irish actress Moyna Macgill and English politician Edgar Lansbury. To escape the Blitz, she moved to the United States in 1940, studying acting in New York City. Proceeding to Hollywood in 1942, she signed to MGM and obtained her first film roles, in Gaslight (1944), National Velvet in 1944, and The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945), earning her two Academy Award nominations and a Golden Globe Award. She appeared in eleven further MGM films, mostly in minor roles, and after her contract ended in 1952 she began supplementing her cinematic work with theatrical appearances. Although largely seen as a B-list star during this period, her role in the film The Manchurian Candidate (1962) received widespread acclaim and is often cited as one of her career-best performances, earning her a third Academy Award nomination. Moving into musical theatre, Lansbury finally gained stardom for playing the leading role in the Broadway musical Mame (1966), which won her her first Tony Award and established her as a gay icon.
Amidst difficulties in her personal life, Lansbury moved from California to County Cork, Ireland in 1970, and continued with a variety of theatrical and cinematic appearances throughout that decade. These included leading roles in the stage musicals Gypsy, Sweeney Todd, and The King and I, as well as in the hit Disney film Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971). Moving into television in 1984, she achieved worldwide fame as fictional writer and sleuth Jessica Fletcher in the American whodunit series Murder, She Wrote, which ran for twelve seasons until 1996, becoming one of the longest-running and most popular detective drama series in television history. Through Corymore Productions, a company that she co-owned with her husband Peter Shaw, Lansbury assumed ownership of the series and was its executive producer for the final four seasons. She also moved into voice work, contributing to animated films like Disney's Beauty and the Beast (1991) and Don Bluth's Anastasia (1997). She toured in a variety of international productions and continued to make occasional film appearances such as Nanny McPhee (2005) and Mary Poppins Returns (2018).
Lansbury received an Honorary Academy Award, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the BAFTA, a Lifetime Achievement Tony Award and five additional Tony Awards, six Golden Globes, and an Olivier Award. She also was nominated for numerous other industry awards, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress on three occasions, and various Primetime Emmy Awards on 18 occasions, and a Grammy Award. In 2014, Lansbury was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II. She was the subject of three biographies.
Good Night Dame AngelaStay TunedTony Figueroa
October 15, 2007
Drew Carey debuts as new host of The Price is Right.
Comedian and actor Drew Carey takes over hosting duties on The Price is Right, the longest-running daytime game show in television history. Carey replaced Bob Barker, who retired at the age of 83 after hosting the show for 35 years.Barker, who was born on December 12, 1923, began his career in radio. In 1956, he made his national TV debut as the host of the game show Truth or Consequences. He began hosting The Price is Right on September 4, 1972. The show’s format centered around contestants bidding on the retail value of one product; the contestant who came closest to the price without going over was able to advance and compete for bigger prizes. A previous version of the show, hosted by Bill Cullen, had aired from 1956 to 1965. In the late 1970s, Barker became a vegetarian and an animal-rights activist. He started ending each show by telling audiences: “Help control the pet population; have your pet spayed or neutered.” He also convinced the show’s producers not to offer fur coats as prizes or any other products harmful to animals. Barker’s final original episode as host of The Price is Rightaired on June 15, 2007.
After a highly publicized search for Barker’s replacement, Drew Carey was selected for the job. Carey, who was born on May 23, 1958, grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve (his trademark crew cut hairstyle dates back to this period) before beginning a career as a stand-up comic. From 1995 to 2004, he starred in his own television sitcom, The Drew Carey Show, on ABC. From 1998 to 2006, Carey hosted the American version of the improvisational comedy program Whose Line Is It Anyway?His first stint as a game show host came in 2007 with The Power of 10.On July 23, 2007, Carey announced on The Late Show with David Lettermanthat he’d agreed to host The Price is Right. He taped his first episode the following month, and it aired on October 15, 2007.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
Actors Michael J Fox and Christopher Lloyd grace the stage for a historic reunion at New York Comic Con 2022 to discuss the past, present and future of their friendship, filming career and the Back to the Future franchise. #beyondthemarquee #nycc #backtothefuture
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Loretta Lynn and The Count sing Count on Me! If you need a friend they'll be there for you in 1, 2, 3!
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
October 3, 1947
WMAL-TV became the first VHF high band station. The District of Columbia's third television station began broadcasting on October 3, 1947 as WTVW, owned by the Washington Star, along with WMAL radio (630 AM and 107.3 FM, now WRQX). It was the first Band III VHF television station (channels 7-13) in the United States. A few months later, the station changed its call letters to WMAL-TV after its radio sisters. WMAL radio had been an affiliate of the NBC Blue Network since 1933, and remained with the network after it was spun off by NBC and evolved into ABC. However, channel 7 started as a CBS station since ABC had not yet established its television network. When ABC launched on television in 1948, WMAL-TV became ABC's third primary affiliate; the station continued to carry some CBS programming until WOIC (channel 9, now WUSA) signed on in 1949. During the late 1950s, the station was also briefly affiliated with the NTA Film Network.[2] (Note: The WTVW call letters were later picked up by what is now WISN-TV, the ABC affiliate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, when it signed on in 1954. Now the callsign is residing in Evansville, Indiana on a CW-affiliated station that is also on channel 7.)October 3, 1957
The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom premiered on ABC-TV.
The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom is a half-hour variety show that aired on ABC-TV from October 3, 1957 to June 23, 1960, starring the young singer Pat Boone and a host of top-name guest stars sponsored by Chevrolet. Boone, a descendant of Kentucky frontiersman Daniel Boone, was, at 23, still attending Columbia University in New York City when the program began production. Upon his graduation from Columbia in 1958, TV Guidemagazine pictured him in his cap and gown on its cover. Boone, the No. 10 all-time vocalist in sales, was at the time the youngest person to host his own network variety programuntil ABC's The Donny & Marie Show, with two hosts, broke the record in 1976.October 3, 1977
CBS-TV broadcasted Elvis In Concert.
It was a special that was filmed during his last tour. Elvis In Concert is a posthumous 1977 TV special starring Elvis Presley. It was Elvis' third and final TV special, following Elvis (a.k.a. The '68 Comeback Special) and Aloha From Hawaii. It was filmed during Presley's final tour in the cities of Omaha, Nebraska, on June 19, 1977, and Rapid City, South Dakota, on June 21, 1977. It was broadcast on CBS on October 3, 1977, two months after Presley's death. It is one of only few of Elvis' programs which remains unlikely to ever be commercially released on home video and is only available in bootleg form.However, parts of the special were used in the video documentary Elvis: The Great Performances and the theatrical documentary This is Elvis, both of which were released on home video.
October 3, 1992
Sinead O'Connor tore a picture of the pope during her appearance on Saturday Night Live.
On 3 October 1992, O'Connor appeared on Saturday Night Live as a musical guest. She sang an a cappella version of Bob Marley’s "War", intended as a protest against sexual abuse in the Catholic Church—O'Connor referred to child abuse rather than racism. She then presented a photo of Pope John Paul II to the camera while singing the word "evil", after which she tore the photo into pieces, said "Fight the real enemy", and threw the pieces towards the camera.Saturday Night Live had no foreknowledge of O'Connor's plan; during the dress rehearsal, she held up a photo of a refugee child. NBC Vice-President of Late Night Rick Ludwin recalled that when he saw O'Connor's action, he "literally jumped out of [his] chair." SNL writer Paula Pell recalled personnel in the control booth discussing the cameras cutting away from the singer.The audience was completely silent, with no booing or applause; executive producer Lorne Michaels recalled that "the air went out the studio". Michaels ordered that the applause sign not be used.
A nationwide audience saw O'Connor’s live performance, which the New York Daily News's cover called a "Holy Terror". NBC received more than 500 calls on Sunday and 400 more on Monday, with all but seven criticising O'Connor; the network received 4,400 calls in total. Contrary to rumour, NBC was not fined by the Federal Communications Commission for O'Connor’s act; the FCC has no regulatory power over such behaviour. NBC did not edit the performance out of the West coast tape-delayed broadcast that night, but reruns of the episode use footage from the dress rehearsal.
As part of SNL's apology to the audience, during his opening monologue the following week, host Joe Pesci held up the photo, explaining that he had taped it back together—to huge applause. Pesci also said that if it had been his show, "I would have gave her such a smack."
In a 2002 interview with Salon, when asked if she would change anything about the SNL appearance, O'Connor replied, "Hell, no!"On 24 April 2010, MSNBC aired the live version during an interview with O'Connor on The Rachel Maddow Show.
October 4, 1957
Leave It to Beaver debuts. The typical 1950s "wholesome family" comedy presented the life of the Cleaver family from the perspective of seven-year-old Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver. The Cleaver clan included parents June and Ward, and older brother Wally. The show, which ran until 1963, enjoyed much popularity in reruns as well as a revival in the 1980s as The New Leave It to Beaver.
October 5, 1947
U.S. President Harry S. Truman held the first televised presidential address from the White House. The subject was the current international food crisis.
On this day in 1947, President Harry Truman (1884-1972) makes the first-ever televised presidential address from the White House, asking Americans to cut back on their use of grain in order to help starving Europeans. At the time of Truman’s food-conservation speech, Europe was still recovering from World War II and suffering from famine. Truman, the 33rd commander in chief, worried that if the U.S. didn’t provide food aid, his administration’s Marshall Plan for European economic recovery would fall apart. He asked farmers and distillers to reduce grain use and requested that the public voluntarily forgo meat on Tuesdays, eggs and poultry on Thursdays and save a slice of bread each day. The food program was short-lived, as ultimately the Marshall Plan succeeded in helping to spur economic revitalization and growth in Europe. In 1947,television was still in its infancy and the number of TV sets in U.S. homes only numbered in the thousands (by the early 1950s, millions of Americans owned TVs); most people listened to the radio for news and entertainment. However, although the majority of Americans missed Truman’s TV debut, his speech signaled the start of a powerful and complex relationship between the White House and a medium that would have an enormous impact on the American presidency, from how candidates campaigned for the office to how presidents communicated with their constituents. Each of Truman’s subsequent White House speeches, including his 1949 inauguration address, was televised. In 1948, Truman was the first presidential candidate to broadcast a paid political ad. Truman pioneered the White House telecast, but it was President Franklin Roosevelt who was the first president to appear on TV–from the World’s Fair in New York City on April 30, 1939. FDR’s speech had an extremely limited TV audience, though, airing only on receivers at the fairgrounds and at Radio City in Manhattan.October 5, 1957
Bernard Jeffrey McCullough better known by his stage name Bernie Mac, was born on the South Side of Chicago.
Mac gained popularity as a stand-up comedian. He joined comedians Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer, and D.L. Hughley as The Original Kings of Comedy.After briefly hosting the HBO show Midnight Mac, Mac appeared in several films in smaller roles. His most noted film role was as Frank Catton in the remake Ocean's Eleven and the titular character of Mr. 3000. He was the star of The Bernie Mac Show, which ran from 2001-2006, earning him two Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. His other films included starring roles in Friday,The Players Club, Head of State, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, Bad Santa, Guess Who, Pride, Soul Men, and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa.
Mac suffered from sarcoidosis, an inflammatory lung disease that produces tiny lumps of cells in the solid organs, but had said the condition was in remission in 2005. Despite having the disease, his death on August 9, 2008 was caused by complications from pneumonia.
October 6, 1992
Ross Perot appeared in his first paid broadcast on CBS-TV after entering the U.S. presidential race.
October 9, 1967
Doc Severinsen replaced Skitch Henderson as musical director of "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson."
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
September 26th, 1982
The first episode of Knight Rider was aired.
Knight Rider is an American television series created and produced by Glen A. Larson. The series was originally broadcast on NBC from 1982 to 1986. The show stars David Hasselhoff as Michael Knight, a high-tech modern crime fighter assisted by KITT, an advanced artificially intelligent, self-aware and nearly indestructible car.
Self-made billionaire Wilton Knight rescues police Detective Lieutenant Michael Arthur Long after a near fatal shot to the face, giving him a new identity (by plastic surgery) and a new name: Michael Knight. Wilton selects Michael to be the primary field agent in the pilot program of his public justice organization, the Foundation for Law and Government (FLAG). The other half of this pilot program is the Knight Industries Two Thousand (KITT), a heavily modified, technologically advanced Pontiac Firebird Trans Am with numerous features including an extremely durable shell and frame, controlled by a computer with artificial intelligence. Michael and KITT are brought in during situations where "direct action might provide the only feasible solution".Heading FLAG is Devon Miles, who provides Michael with directives and guidance. Dr. Bonnie Barstow is the chief engineer in charge of KITT's care, as well as technical assistant to Devon (April Curtis fills this role in Season 2).
September 26th, 1987
Jake and the Fatman first aired.
The television crime drama starring William Conrad as prosecutor J. L. (Jason Lochinvar) “Fatman” McCabe and Joe Penny as investigator Jake Styles. The series ran on CBS for five seasons from 1987 to 1992. Diagnosis: Murder was a spin-off of this series. Conrad guest starred as an aging prosecutor in a two-part episode of Matlock during its first season on NBC. Executive producers Fred Silverman and Dean Hargrove decided to use this character as a model for one of the main characters in a new show they were creating for CBS. Penny also guest starred in these episodes, but his character was not on the same side as Conrad’s character in the storyline’s legal case.
Following the departure of Hargrove, executive producers David Moessinger and Jeri Taylor were brought on to run the series with Silverman. They also hired J. Michael Straczynski as story editor and, later, co-producer. Taylor and Moessinger ran the show for two years before finally leaving in a dispute over control over the show.
September 28, 1987
The first episode of Star Trek: The Next Generationaired.
Star Trek: The Next Generation (abbreviated as TNG and ST:TNG) is an American science fiction television series in the Star Trek franchise created by Gene Roddenberrythat ran between 1987 and 1994. Roddenberry, Maurice Hurley, Rick Berman, Michael Piller and Jeri Taylor served as executive producers at different times throughout its production.The series involves a starship named Enterprise and is set in the nearby regions of the Milky Way galaxy, the Alpha Quadrant. The first episode takes place in the year 2364, 100 years after the start of the five-year mission described in the original series, which began in 2264. It features a new cast and a new starship Enterprise, the fifth to bear the namewithin the franchise's storyline. An introductory statement, performed by Patrick Stewartand featured at the beginning of each episode's title sequence, stated the starship's purpose in language similar to the opening statement of the original series, but was updated to reflect an ongoing mission, and to be gender-neutral:
Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its continuing mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before.
TNG premiered the week of September 28, 1987, drawing 27 million viewers, with the two-hour pilot "Encounter at Farpoint". In total, 176 episodes were made, ending with the two-hour finale "All Good Things..." the week of May 23, 1994.
The series (1987–94) was broadcast in first-run syndication with dates and times varying among individual television stations. Three additional Star Trek spin-offs followed The Next Generation: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993–99), Star Trek: Voyager (1995–2001), and Star Trek: Enterprise (2001–2005). The series formed the basis for the seventh through to the tenth of the Star Trek films, and is also the setting of numerous novels, comic books, and video games.
In its seventh season, Star Trek: The Next Generation became the first and only syndicated television series to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series. The series received a number of accolades including 19 Emmy Awards, two Hugo Awards, five Saturn Awards, and a Peabody Award.
September 29, 1987
Thirtysomething first aired.
Thirtysomething (stylized as thirtysomething) is an American drama television series created by Ed Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz for ABC that aired from 1987 to 1991. It tells of baby boomers living in their thirties who reside in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and examines how this group of friends learn to negotiate their prior involvement with the early 1970s counterculture as young adults, in contrast to the yuppie lifestyle which dominated American culture during the 1980s.The title of the show was designed as thirtysomething (with a lowercase "t") by Kathie Broyles, who combined the words of the original title, Thirty Something. It premiered in the United States on September 29, 1987, and lasted four seasons until it was cancelled in May 1991 because the ratings had dropped and the executive producers Ed Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz moved on to other projects.The series earned 13 out of its' total 41 nominated Primetime Emmy Awards, and received 2 Golden Globe Awards.
Although seen as an ensemble drama, the series revolves around husband and wife Michael Steadman (Ken Olin) and Hope Murdoch (Mel Harris) and their baby Janie. Michael's cousin is photographer Melissa Steadman (Melanie Mayron) who used to date his college friend Gary Shepherd (Peter Horton). Gary eventually marries Susannah (Patricia Kalember). Michael's business partner is Elliot Weston (Timothy Busfield), who has a troubled marriage with his wife Nancy (Patricia Wettig), a painter. Hope's childhood friend is local politician Ellyn Warren (Polly Draper).
Thirtysomething was influenced by the 1980 film Return of the Secaucus 7 and the 1983 film The Big Chill. The show reflected the angst felt by baby boomers and yuppies in the United States during the 1980s, such as the changing expectations related to masculinity and femininity introduced during the era of second-wave feminism.[19] It also introduced "a new kind of hour-long drama, a series that focused on the domestic and professional lives of a group of young urban professionals, a socio-economic category of increasing interest to the television industry [...] its stylistic and story-line innovations led critics to respect it for being 'as close to the level of an art form as weekly television ever gets,' as the New York Times put it." During its four-year run, Thirtysomething "attracted a cult audience of viewers who strongly identified with one or more of its eight central characters, a circle of friends living in Philadelphia." Even after its cancellation in 1991, it continued to influence television programming, "in everything from the look and sound of certain TV advertisements, to other series with feminine sensibilities and preoccupations with the transition from childhood to maturity (Sisters), to situation comedies about groups of friends who talk all the time (Seinfeld)." The show also influenced the British television series Cold Feet, which featured similar storylines and character types. The creator of Cold Feet wanted his show to be in the mould of successful American TV series like Thirtysomething and Frasier.
Susan Faludi, in her 1991 bestseller Backlash, argues that Thirtysomething often reinforced, rather than dismantled, gender stereotypes. She suggests that it exhibited a disdainful attitude toward single, working, and feminist women (Melissa, Ellyn, and Susannah) while at the same time "exalting homemakers" (Hope and Nancy). In this manner, the series was seen as "seemingly progressive but substantially conservative in its construction of reality."
Oxford English Dictionary
Almost immediately after the introduction of the show, the term "Thirtysomething" became a catchphrase used to designate baby boomers in their thirties. This cultural shift was reinforced by the Oxford English Dictionary, which added Thirtysomething in 1993 (under the word thirty) and defined the term as follows:
Draft additions 1993 - n. [popularized as a catch-phrase by the U.S. television programme thirtysomething, first broadcast in 1987] colloq. (orig. U.S.) an undetermined age between thirty and forty; spec. applied to members of the ‘baby boom’ generation entering their thirties in the mid-1980s; also attrib. or as adj. phr. (hence, characteristic of the tastes and lifestyle of this group).
While it aired, Thirtysomething was nominated for 41 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning 13. It also won two Golden Globe awards. Later, by 1997, "The Go Between" and "Samurai Ad Man" were listed as number 22 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time.[27]Thirtysomething then placed the number 19 spot on TV Guide′s 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time in 2002,[28] and in 2013, TV Guideplaced it as No. 10 in its list of The 60 Greatest Dramas of All Time.[29]
1988 Winners:
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Drama Series
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Supporting Actress in a Drama Series — Patricia Wettig
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Writing in a Drama Series — Paul Haggis and Marshall Herskovitz (episode: "Business as Usual")
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Guest Performer in a Drama Series — Shirley Knight (episode "The Parents Are Coming")
It also received the following nominations in 1988:
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Supporting Actor in a Drama Series — Timothy Busfield
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Supporting Actress in a Drama Series — Polly Draper
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Editing for a Series — Single Camera Production (Victor Du Bois and Richard Freeman for episode "Therapy")
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Main Title Theme Music
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Costuming for a Series (Marilyn Matthews and Patrick R. Norris for episode "Pilot") and Marjorie K. Chan, Patrick R. Norris, Anne Hartley and Julie Glick for episode "Whose Forest is This?")
1989 Winners:
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Supporting Actress in a Drama Series — Melanie Mayron
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Writing in a Drama Series — Joseph Dougherty (episode: "First Day/Last Day")
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Editing for a Series — Single Camera Production (episode: "First Day/Last Day")
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Costuming for a Series (episode: "We'll Meet Again")
It also received the following nominations in 1989:
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Drama Series
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Supporting Actor in a Drama Series — Timothy Busfield
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Guest Actor in a Drama Series (Jack Gilford for episode "The Mike Van Dyke Show")
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Directing in a Drama Series (Scott Winant for episode "We'll Meet Again")
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Writing in a Drama Series (Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick for episode "The Mike Van Dyke Show")
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Art Direction for a Series (Brandy Alexander and Mary Ann Biddle for episode "Michael Writes A Story")
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Sound Mixing for a Drama Series (Clark Conrad, Tim Philben, Scott Millan and Will Yarbroug for episode "Michael Writes A Story")
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Special Visual Effects (episode: "Michael Writes a Story")
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Outstanding Hairstyling for a Series (Carol Pershing for episode "We'll Meet Again")
1990 Winners:
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Lead Actress in a Drama Series — Patricia Wettig
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Directing in a Drama Series (episode: "The Go-Between") (tied with Equal Justice).
It also received the following nominations in 1990:
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Drama Series
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Supporting Actor in a Drama Series — Timothy Busfield
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Supporting Actress in a Drama Series — Melanie Mayron
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Guest Actor in a Drama Series (Peter Frechette for "Strangers")
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Guest Actress in a Drama Series (Shirley Knight for "Arizona")
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Writing in a Drama Series (episode: "The Go-Between")
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Art Direction for a Series (Brandy Alexander and Mary Ann Biddle for episode "Michael's Campaign")
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Hairstyling for a Series (Carol Pershing for episode "Strangers")
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Costuming for a Series (Patrick R. Norris and Julie Glick for episode "Strangers")
1991 Winners:
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Lead Actress in a Drama Series — Patricia Wettig
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Supporting Actor in a Drama Series — Timothy Busfield
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Costuming for a Series (episode: "A Wedding")
It also received the following nominations in 1991:
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Drama Series
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Supporting Actress in a Drama Series — Melanie Mayron
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Supporting Actor in a Drama Series — David Clennon
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Writing in a Drama Series (episode: "Second Look")
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Guest Actress in a Drama Series (Eileen Brennan for "Sifting the Ashes")
September 29, 1992
The 100th episode of "Roseanne" aired on ABC.
September 29, 2002 The first pilot episode of "American Chopper" aired. A second pilot was aired on
January 19, 2003.
September 30, 1982
The first episode of “Cheers” aired on NBC.
Cheers is an American sitcom television series that ran for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. It was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions in association with Paramount Network Television for NBC and created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles. The show is set in a bar named Cheers (named after the popular toast) in Boston, Massachusetts, where a group of locals meet to drink, relax, and socialize. The show’s theme song, written and performed by Gary Portnoy, and co-written with Judy Hart Angelo, lent its famous refrain, “Where Everybody Knows Your Name“, as the show’stagline.October 1, 1927
Thomas Edward Bosley is born.
Among his early television appearances was in 1962 as Assistant District AttorneyRyan in the episode "The Man Who Wanted to Die" on James Whitmore's legal drama The Law and Mr. Jones on ABC.
Bosley's best known role is the character Howard Cunningham, Richie Cunningham's father, in the long-running television sitcom Happy Days. Bosley is also known for portraying Sheriff Amos Tupper on Murder, She Wrote. He also portrayed the titular Father Frank Dowling on the TV mystery series, Father Dowling Mysteries. In 2004, Bosley guest starred as a toy maker named Ben-Ami on the series finale of the Christian video series K10C: Kids' Ten Commandments. Among myriad television appearances, one notable early performance was in the "Eyes" segment of the 1969 pilot episode of Rod Serling's Night Gallery, directed by Steven Spielbergand starring Joan Crawford. In 2008, Bosley starred in the Hallmark Channel television movie Charlie & Me.
Also notable as a voice actor due to his resonant, fatherly yet expressive tone, Bosley hosted The General Mills Radio Adventure Theater, a 1977 radio drama series for children. He went on to voice many animated cartooncharacters, including Harry Boyle in the animated series Wait Till Your Father Gets Home. He provided the voice of the title character in the 1980s cartoon The World of David the Gnome, and the shop owner Mr. Winkle in the children's Christmas special The Tangerine Bear. He also narrated the movie documentary series That's Hollywood. Additionally, he played the narrator B.A.H. Humbug in the Rankin/Bassanimated Christmas specialThe Stingiest Man In Town. Bosley was also the voice of Gepetto, Pinocchio's 'dad' in Filmation's Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night, released in 1987.
October 1, 1952
This is Your Lifebegan airing on NBC-TV.
This Is Your Life was an American reality documentary series broadcast on NBC radio from 1948 to 1952, and on NBC television from 1952 to 1961. It was originally hosted by its creator and producer Ralph Edwards. In the program, the host would surprise guests and then take them through a retrospective of their lives in front of an audience, including appearances by colleagues, friends, and family. Edwards revived the show in 1971–1972, and Joseph Campanella hosted a version in 1983. Edwards returned for some specials in the late 1980s, before his death in 2005.
October 1, 1962
Johnny Carson becomes the new host of The Tonight Show.
Ed McMahonwas Carson's announcer. The Tonight Showorchestra was for several years still led by Skitch Henderson. After a brief stint by Milton DeLugg, beginning in 1967 the "NBC Orchestra" was then headed by trumpeter Doc Severinsen who played in the Tonight Show Band in the years that 'Skitch' Henderson conducted. For all but a few months of its first decade on the air, Carson's Tonight Show was based in New York City. In May 1972 the show moved to Burbank, California into Studio One of NBC StudiosWest Coast (although it was announced as coming from nearby Hollywood), for the remainder of his tenure. Carson is often referred to as "The King of Late-Night" because of the great influence he has had on so many well-known talk show hosts and comedians. Carson started each show with a monologue and continued with sketches in which he played recurring characters "Carnac the Magnificent". In 1965, Carson insisted on delivering his monologue at 11:30 instead of 11:15, the show's official starting time, because many stations ran news until 11:30 and didn't join The Tonight Show until the half hour. In 1967, Carson walked out over contract differences, returning several weeks later when the network allegedly offered him a contract worth more than $1 million a year-an exorbitant salary at that time. The show moved to Burbank in 1972. In March 1978, Carson received a contract reportedly worth $3 million. Frequent guest hosts included Joan Rivers, who became "permanent guest host" from 1983 to 1986, and Jay Leno, who became permanent guest host in 1987. David Letterman also served as guest host, appearing more than 50 times.
When Carson announced he would retire in 1992, a highly publicized battle for the job ensued between top contenders Jay Leno and David Letterman. When Letterman lost, he accepted CBS's offer for his own show and launched Late Show with David Letterman in 1993. Carson died at the age of 79, in 2005.
October 1, 1962
The Lucy Show aired for the first time.
The Lucy Show is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from 1962–68. It was Lucille Ball's follow-up to I Love Lucy. A significant change in cast and premise for the 1965–66 season divides the program into two distinct eras; aside from Ball, only Gale Gordon, who joined the program for its second season, remained. For the first three seasons, Vivian Vance was the co-star.The earliest scripts were entitled The Lucille Ball Show, but when this title was rejected by CBS, producers thought of calling the show This Is Lucy or The New Adventures of Lucy, before deciding on the title The Lucy Show. Ball won consecutive Emmy Awards as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for the series' final two seasons, 1966–67 and 1967–68.
October 1, 1982
NBC aired the first episode of Remington Steele.
Remington Steele is an American television series co-created by Robert Butler and Michael Gleason. The series, starring Stephanie Zimbalist and Pierce Brosnan, was produced by MTM Enterprises and first broadcast on the NBC network from 1982 to 1987. The series blended the genres of romantic comedy, drama, and detective procedural. Remington Steele is best known for launching the career of Pierce Brosnan.Remington Steele's premise is that Laura Holt, a licensed private detective played by Stephanie Zimbalist, opened a detective agency under her own name but found potential clients refused to hire a woman, no matter how qualified. To solve the problem, Laura invents a fictitious male superior she names Remington Steele. Through a series of events in the first episode, "License to Steele," Pierce Brosnan's character, a former thief and con man (whose real name even he proves not to know, and is never revealed), assumes the identity of Remington Steele. Behind the scenes, a power struggle ensues between Laura and Steele as to who is really in charge, while the two carry on a casual romantic relationship.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
September 21, 1957
The first episode of Perry Mason aired on CBS.
The character of Perry Mason was adapted for motion pictures and a long-running radio series. These were followed by its best-known adaptation, the CBS television series Perry Mason (1957–66) starring Raymond Burr. A second television series, The New Perry Mason starring Monte Markham, ran from 1973 to 1974; and 30 Perry Mason television films ran from 1985 to 1995, with Burr reprising the role of Mason in 26 of them prior to his death in 1993.
September 21, 1972
ABC-TV debuted In Concert. Alice Cooper appeared in the first episode.
September 22, 1987
ABC aired the first episode of Full House.
Full House is an American sitcom created by Jeff Franklin for ABC. The show chronicles the events of widowed father, Danny Tanner, who enlists his brother-in-law and best friend to help raise his three daughters. It aired from September 22, 1987, to May 23, 1995, broadcasting eight seasons and 192 episodes.
While never a critical favorite, the series was consistently in the Nielsen Top 30 (from 1988 onward) and gained even more popularity in syndicated reruns. It has also had tie-in merchandise marketed, such as a series of paperback books. A sequel series, Fuller House, premiered on Netflix on February 26, 2016.
September 22, 1992
MTV Unplugged renamed one episode MTV Plugged when Bruce Springsteen played an electric set on the show.
September 23, 1992
The first episode of Mad About You aired.
Mad About You is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 23, 1992 to May 24, 1999. The show starred Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt as a newly married couple in New York City.The series focuses mainly on newlyweds Paul Buchman, a documentary filmmaker, and Jamie Stemple Buchman, a public relations specialist, as they deal with everything from humorous daily minutiae to major struggles. Near the end of the show's run, they have a baby daughter, whom they name Mabel.*September 23, 2002The first season of CSI: Miami* began.
CSI: Miami (Crime Scene Investigation: Miami) is an American police procedural drama television series that premiered on September 23, 2002, on CBS. Starring David Carusoas Lieutenant Horatio Caine, Emily Procter as Detective Calleigh Duquesne, and Kim Delaney as Lieutenant Megan Donner, the series is the first direct spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, "transplanting the same template and trickery — gory crimes, procedural plot and dazzling graphics — into while retaining the essence of the original idea".September 24, 1977
The Love Boat debuted on ABC.
The Love Boat (Love Boat in its final season) is an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from September 24, 1977, until May 24, 1986. The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship’s captain. It was part of ABC’s popular Saturday night lineup that included Fantasy Islanduntil that show ended in 1984. Gavin MacLeod, Bernie Kopell, and Ted Lange are the only cast members to appear in every episode of the series, including the last three made-for-TV movies. Fred Grandy was in every episode throughout the run of the series, but missed the last of the TV movies. MacLeod was not the captain in the first two TV movies, however. The viewers are told in Love Boat II that Gopher, Doc, Isaac, and the captain served together in Vietnam, but no reference to this is ever made to their shared history again. However, when MacLeod’s character was introduced, there was mention of him being “the new captain.”September 24, 1987
The series A Different World debuted on NBC.
A Different World is an American sitcom (and a spin-off of The Cosby Show) that aired for six seasons on NBC from September 24, 1987 to July 9, 1993. The series originally centered on Denise Huxtable (Lisa Bonet) and the life of students at Hillman College, a fictional historically Black college in Virginia. It was inspired by student life at Hampton University, Spelman College, and Howard University. After Bonet's departure in the first season, the remainder of the series primarily focused more on Southern belle Whitley Gilbert (Jasmine Guy) and math whiz Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison).
September 24, 1997
ABC began airing the series "Dharma and Greg."
Dharma & Greg is an American television sitcom that aired from September 24, 1997, to April 30, 2002.The show starred Jenna Elfman and Thomas Gibson as Dharma and Greg Montgomery, a couple who married on their first date despite being polar opposites. The series was co-produced by Chuck Lorre Productions, More-Medavoy Productions and 4 to 6 Foot Productions in association with 20th Century Fox Television for ABC. The show's theme song was written and performed by composer Dennis C. Brown.
Created by executive producers Dottie Dartland and Chuck Lorre, the comedy took much of its inspiration from culture-clash "fish out of water" situations. The show earned eight Golden Globe nominations, six Emmy Award nominations, and six Satellite Awardsnominations. Elfman earned a Golden Globe in 1999 for Best Actress.
*September 24, 2007The pilot episode of The Big Bang Theory* aired.
The Big Bang Theory is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom serve as executive producers on the series, along with Steven Molaro. All three also serve as head writers. The show premiered on CBS on September 24, 2007. The series' tenth season premiered on September 19, 2016. In March 2017, the series was renewed for two additional seasons, bringing its total to twelve, and running through the 2018–19 television season. The eleventh season is set to premiere on September 25, 2017.Stay TunedTony Figueroa
September 12, 1972
Maude preimered.
Maude stars Bea Arthur as Maude Findlay, an outspoken, middle-aged, politically liberal woman living in suburban Tuckahoe, Westchester County, New York with her fourth husband, household appliance store owner Walter Findlay (Bill Macy). Maude embraced the tenets of women's liberation, always voted for Democratic Partycandidates, strongly supported legal abortion, and advocated for civil rights and racial and gender equality. However, her overbearing and sometimes domineering personality often got her into trouble when speaking out on these issues.The program was a spin-off of All in the Family, on which Beatrice Arthur had first played the character of Maude, Edith Bunker's cousin; like All in the Family, Maudewas a sitcom with topical storylines created by producer Norman Lear.
Unusual for a U.S. sitcom, several episodes (such as "Maude's Night Out" and "The Convention") featured only the characters of Maude and Walter, in what amounted to half-hour "two-hander" teleplays. Season 4's "The Analyst" was a solo episode for Bea Arthur, who delivered a soul-searching, episode-length monologue to an unseen psychiatrist.
Maude, introduced as Edith Bunker's cousin, had been married three times before marrying her fourth and current husband. Her first husband, Barney, had died shortly after their marriage; she had divorced the next two, Albert and Chester. Albert was never portrayed on screen, but the episode "Poor Albert" revolved around his death, while Chester would appear on the show (played by Martin Balsam). Her current husband, Walter Findlay (played by Bill Macy), owned an appliance store called Findlay's Friendly Appliances; he was said to be a Maytag dealer in the first episode. Maude and Walter met just before the 1968 presidential election. Maude sometimes got in the last word during their many arguments with her hallmark catchphrase, "God'll getcha for that, Walter."
Maude's divorced daughter, Carol Traynor (from her second marriage, played by Adrienne Barbeau; in the Maude pilot, an episode of All in the Family, Carol was played by Marcia Rodd), and Carol's son, Phillip (played by Brian Morrison and later by Kraig Metzinger), also lived with the Findlays. Though single, Carol maintained her reputation of dating many men, as evidenced by her weekend "business trips" with various boyfriends. She dated various men throughout early seasons, eventually forming a serious (but brief) relationship with a man named Chris (played by Fred Grandy) in the later seasons. Like her mother, Carol was an outspoken liberal feminist who was not afraid to speak her mind, though they often clashed. After the fourth season, and with ratings dropped, Barbeau's appearances were reduced.
The Findlays' next-door neighbors were Dr. Arthur Harmon (a stuffy, sardonic Republican whose views clashed with those of Maude; in lieu of Archie Bunker, Arthur was Maude's foil), played by Conrad Bain and his sweet but scatterbrained second wife Vivian, played by Rue McClanahan, who confirmed in an interview with the Archive of American Television that she was approached by Norman Lear during the taping of the All in the Family episode "The Bunkers and the Swingers" (1972), to take on the role as a late replacement for Doris Roberts, who was originally intended for the part. Arthur had been Walter's best friend since the two men served together in World War II; he was the one who brought Walter and Maude together in 1968 and "affectionately" called Maude "Maudie." Vivian had been Maude's best friend since they both attended college together. When the series began, Arthur was a widower and Vivian was a soon-to-be divorcée (her previous last name was Cavender); in a late first-season episode, Vivian and her husband Chuck were getting a divorce after 21 years of marriage. Arthur and Vivian began dating at the beginning of the second season and were married during the middle of it.
For the entire run of the show, Maude also had a housekeeper. Shortly after the series began, the Findlays' hired Florida Evans, a no-nonsense black woman who often had the last laugh at Maude's expense. Maude would often make a point of conspicuously and awkwardly demonstrating how open-minded and liberal she was (Florida almost quit working for Maude because of this). Despite Florida's status as a maid, Maude emphasized to Florida she felt that they were "equals," and insisted she enter and exit the Findlay house via the front door (even though the back door was more convenient).
As portrayed by Esther Rolle, the character of Florida proved so popular that, in 1974, she became the star of her own spin-off series, entitled Good Times. In the storyline of Maude, Florida's husband, Henry (later James), received a raise at his job, and she quit to be a full-time housewife and mother. Good Times is based on the childhood of its creator, Mike Evans, who starred as Lionel Jefferson on All in the Family and The Jeffersons. Whereas Maudetook place in New York, the setting for Good Times was Chicago.
After Florida's departure in 1974, Mrs. Nell Naugatuck (played by Hermione Baddeley), an elderly (and vulgar) British woman who drank excessively and lied compulsively, took over. Unlike Florida, who commuted, Mrs. Naugatuck was a live-in maid. She met and began dating Bert Beasley (an elderly security guard at a cemetery, played by J. Pat O'Malley) in 1975. They married in 1977 and moved to Ireland to care for Bert's mother. Mrs. Naugatuck's frequent sparring with Maude was, it can be argued, just as comedically popular as Florida's sparring. The difference in the two relationships was that Mrs. Naugatuck often came off as if she despised Maude Findlay, whereas Florida seemed only periodically frustrated by her boss.
Lear said the last name 'Naugatuck' was directly taken from the town of Naugatuck, Connecticut, which he found amusing. Due to the popularity of the program, Baddeley even visited the town in the late 1970s and was given a warm, official ceremony at the town green.
Maude then hired Victoria Butterfield (played by Marlene Warfield), a native of Norman Island in the British Virgin Islands, whom Maude initially accused of stealing her wallet. Victoria remained until the end of the series in 1978. However, Warfield's character was never as popular as her two predecessors, and she was never given a credit as a series regular.
The opening title sequence begins with an aerial shot of New York City, including the Chrysler Building. It then showcases a drive from the city to Maude's house in Tuckahoe, where Maude answers her door to greet the viewing audience. Although the sequence supposedly shows the trip in the then-present day (1970s), most of the cars in one part of the sequence appear to be from the 1950s.
One shot in the title sequence takes the viewer over the George Washington Bridge. In reality, this bridge connects New York City with New Jersey to the west, whereas Westchester County, where Maude lives, lies to the north of Manhattan. The most obvious and direct route from Manhattan to Tuckahoe would be to drive through The Bronx.
The show's theme song, "And Then There's Maude", was written by Marilyn and Alan Bergman and Dave Grusin, and performed by Donny Hathaway.
The character of Maude Findlay was said to be loosely based on creator Norman Lear's then-wife Frances. She first appeared on two episodes of All in the Family as Edith Bunker's cousin. Maude represented everything Archie Bunker did not: She was a liberal, a feminist, and upper-middle class, whereas Archie was conservative, sexist, and in the working class.
Maude's political beliefs were closer to those of the series creators than Archie Bunker's, but the series often lampooned Maude as a naive "limousine liberal" and did not show her beliefs and attitudes in an entirely complimentary light. Just before the show's premiere in September 1972, TV Guide described the character of Maude as "a caricature of the knee-jerk liberal."
While the show was conceived as a comedy, scripts also incorporated much darker humor and drama. Maude took Miltown, a mild tranquilizer, and also Valium; she and her husband Walter began drinking in the evening. Maude had an abortion in November 1972, two months before the Roe v. Wade decision made abortion legal nationwide, and the episodes that dealt with the situation are probably the series' most famous and most controversial. Maude, at age 47, was dismayed to find herself unexpectedly pregnant. Her daughter Carol brought to her attention that abortion was now legal in New York State. After some soul-searching (and discussions with Walter, who agreed that raising a baby at their stage of life was not what they wanted to do), Maude tearfully decided at the end of the two-parter that abortion was probably the best choice for their lives and their marriage. Noticing the controversy around the storyline, CBS decided to rerun the episodes in August 1973, and members of the country's clergy reacted strongly to the decision. At least 30 stations pre-empted the episode. Future Golden Girls creator Susan Harris was a writer on the episode.
The producers and the writers of the show tackled other controversies. In a story arc that opened the 1973-74 season, Walter came to grips with his alcoholism and subsequently had a nervous breakdown. The beginning of the story arc had Maude, Walter, and Arthur enjoying a night of revelry. However, Maude panicked when she woke up the following morning to find Arthur in her bed. This alarmed her to the point that both of them swore off alcohol entirely. Walter could not do it ("Dean Martin gets a million dollars for his buzz") and became so aggravated during his attempts to stop that he struck Maude. Afterward, he suffered a breakdown as a result of his alcoholism and guilt over the domestic violence incident. The arc, which played out in two parts, was typically controversial for the show but gained praise for highlighting how social drinking can lead to alcoholism.
The first season episode "The Grass Story" tackled the then-recent Rockefeller Drug Laws, as Maude and her well-meaning housewife friends try to arrange to get arrested in protest over a grocery boy's tough conviction for marijuana possession. The severity of the marijuana laws was contrasted with the characters' own lax attitudes toward drinking and prescription pill abuse.
In season four, Maude had a session with an analyst, in which she revealed insecurities about her life and marriage and talked through memories from her childhood. The episode was a solo performance by Beatrice Arthur.
During the fifth season, Walter suffered another nervous breakdown, this time even attempting suicide, when he saw his business go bankrupt.
The Nielsen ratings for Maude were high, in particular, during the first seasons of the program (during the heyday of topical sitcoms, which its presence helped to create), when it was regularly one of the top-ten highest-rated American television programs in any given week.
In Great Britain, Maude was not shown nationally, although it was shown in the ITVregions of Westward, Border, Tyne Tees,[ Anglia, Yorkshire, Granada and Channel.Satellite station Sky One ran the series in the early/mid 1990s.
In the fifth season, Maude unexpectedly plunged from #4 to out of the top thirty in the ratings. In 1978, late in the sixth season, CBS revamped the series. The final few episodes paved the way for Maude to be appointed to Congress as a Democrat during the 1978 U.S. midterm elections(she helped campaign for a congresswoman who unexpectedly died in her house). With this change, Maude and husband Walter would move to Washington, D.C., and the rest of the regular cast written out of the series. In the story, the Harmons moved to Idaho, where Arthur accepted a job offer, while Carol also got a new job offer and she and Phillip moved to Denver.
Those plans changed after just three episodes in the new format, when Bea Arthur decided she no longer wanted to continue the role of Maude. Thus, the Maude series ended. Lear still liked the idea of a member of a minority group in Congress, and it evolved into the pilot Mr. Dugan, about a black congressman. Mr. Dugan was judged below standard, and, in 1979, the same premise was reworked as the short-lived CBS sitcom Hanging In starring Bill Macy and several cast members from Mr. Dugan.
September 13, 1977
SOAP Priemered on ABC.
The show was created as a parody of daytime soap operas, presented as a weekly half-hour prime time comedy. Similar to a soap opera, the show's story was presented in a serial format and included melodramatic plot elements such as amnesia, alien abduction, demonic possession, murder and kidnapping. In 2007 it was listed as one of Time magazine's "100 Best TV Shows of All-TIME," and in 2010, the Tates and the Campbells ranked at number 17 in TV Guide's list of "TV's Top Families". The show was created, written, and produced by Susan Harris. The show aired for four seasons and 85 episodes. The final four episodes of the series aired as one-hour episodes during the original run on ABC. These hour-long episodes were later split in two, yielding 93 half-hour episodes for syndication.
The cast included three former soap opera actors. Robert Mandan (who played Chester Tate) had previously appeared on Search for Tomorrow as a leading man for Mary Stuart, and Donnelly Rhodes (who played Dutch Leitner) had played the first husband of Katherine Chancellor on The Young and the Restless. Arthur Peterson, Jr. ("The Major") played Rev. John Ruthledge in the radio version of Guiding Light.
Soap is set in the fictional town of Dunn's River, Connecticut.
In the opening sequence of the first installment, the announcer says that the Tates live in a wealthy neighborhood. Jessica Tate and her husband, Chester, are hardly models of fidelity, as their various love affairs result in several family mishaps, including the murder of Mary's stepson, Peter Campbell (Robert Urich). Even though everyone tells Jessica about Chester's affairs, she does not believe them until she sees his philandering with her own eyes: while out to lunch with Mary, Jessica spots Chester necking with his secretary. Heartbroken, she sobs in her sister's arms. On later occasions, it becomes clear Jess has always known on some level about Chester's affairs but never allowed herself to process the information.
The wealthy Tate family employs a sarcastic butler, Benson (Robert Guillaume).
Mary's family, the Campbells, are working class, and as the series begins, her son Danny Dallas, a product of her first marriage to Johnny Dallas, is a junior gangster-in-training. Danny is told to kill his stepfather, Burt Campbell, Mary's current husband, who, Danny is told, murdered his father Johnny. It is later revealed that Danny's father was killed by Burt in self-defense. Danny refuses to kill Burt and goes on the run from the Mob in a variety of disguises. This eventually ends when Elaine Lefkowitz (played by Dinah Manoff in one of her earliest roles), the spoiled daughter of the Mob Boss (played by Sorrell Booke), falls in love with Danny and stops her father, who then tells Danny he will have to marry Elaine or he will kill him. In the fourth season, it is revealed that Chester is, in fact, Danny's true father, the product of a secret affair between him and Mary before his marriage to Jessica.
The first season ends with Jessica convicted of the murder of Peter Campbell. The announcer concludes the season by announcing that Jessica is innocent, and that one of five characters – Burt, Chester, Jodie, Benson or Corinne – killed Peter Campbell. Chester later confesses to Peter's murder and is sent to prison. He is soon released after a successful temporary insanity defense.
[edit] Major plots of later seasons
Other plot lines include Jessica's adopted daughter Corinne courting Father Tim Flotsky, who ended up leaving the priesthood, and the two eventually marrying and having a child who is possessed by the Devil; Chester being imprisoned for Peter's murder, escaping with his prison roommate Dutch, and being afflicted with amnesia after a failed operation; Jessica's other daughter, Eunice, sleeps with a married congressman, and then falls in love with Dutch; Mary's stepson Chuck, a ventriloquist whose hostilities are expressed through his alter ego, a quick-witted dummy named Bob; Jessica's love affairs with several men, including Donahue, a private investigator hired to find the missing presumed-dead Chester, her psychiatrist, and a Latin American revolutionary known as "El Puerco" ("The Pig"; his friends just call him "El"); Billy Tate's confinement by a cult called the "Sunnies" (a parody of Sun Myung Moon's Unification Movement, called the "Moonies" by its critics), and then his affair with his school teacher who becomes unhinged; Danny and his romantic trials with the daughter of a mobster, a black woman, a prostitute, and Chester's second wife, Annie; and Burt's confinement to a mental institution, his abduction by aliens while being replaced with an oversexed alien look-a-like on Earth, and getting blackmailed by the Mob after becoming sheriff of their small town.
At the beginning of each episode, off-camera announcer Rod Roddy gives a brief description of the convoluted storyline and remarks, "Confused? You won't be, after this week's episode of...Soap". At the end of each episode, he asks a series of life-or-death questions in a deliberately deadpan style—"Will Jessica discover Chester's affair...? Will Benson discover Chester's affair? Will Benson care?" and concludes each episode with the trademark line, "These questions—and many others—will be answered in the next episode of...Soap."
Writer Susan Harris developed a story arc for five seasons of Soap, but the series was canceled after its fourth season, due to declining ratings. Therefore the final episode, which originally aired on April 20, 1981, did not serve as a series finale and instead ended with several unresolved cliffhangers. These involve a suicidal Chester preparing to kill Danny and Annie after catching them in bed, Burt preparing to walk into an ambush orchestrated by his political enemies, and Jessica about to be executed by a Communist firing squad.
A 1983 episode of Benson mentions Jessica's disappearance, noting the Tate family is seeking to have her declared legally dead. In the episode, Jessica appears as an apparition whom only Benson can see or hear and reveals to him that she is not dead, but in a coma somewhere in South America. No other incidents from the final episode of Soap are mentioned.
The show was controversial during its time, often generating criticism for its relatively frank depictions of homosexuals, racial and ethnic minorities, the mentally ill as well as its treatment of other taboo topics such as social class, marital infidelity, impotence, incest, sexual harassment, rape, student-teacher sexual relationships, kidnapping, organized crime, and new age cults.
Much of the criticism focused on the openly gay character of Jodie Dallas (Billy Crystal). Soap was among the earliest American prime time series to include an openly gay character who was a major part of the series. Social conservatives opposed the character on religious grounds, while some gay rights activists were also upset with the character of Jodie, arguing that certain story developments reinforced negative stereotypes, i.e. his desire to have a sex change operation, or represented a desire to change or downplay his sexual orientation.
A number of organizations then mobilized against Soap, including the Christian Life Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, the International Union of Gay Athletes,[4] and the National Gay Task Force. Also mobilized were the National Council of Churches, the United Church of Christ, the United Methodist Church, and the National Council of Catholic Bishops, although they asked the members of their 138,000 collective churches to watch the show first, and then inform ABC of their feelings about it. Nonetheless, the network reportedly received 32,000 letters of complaint before the show's premiere, and eight out of 195 ABC affiliates refused to air the show.[6]
Much of Soap's controversy, among liberals and conservatives alike, ironically actually helped to sell the series. In June of 1977, a Newsweek review of the show's pilot by Harry F. Waters panned the show while mischaracterizing some of its basic plot elements and offering exaggerated reports of its sexual content.[citation needed] Waters also stated:
Soap promises to be the most controversial network series of the coming season, a show so saturated with sex that it could replace violence as the PTA's Video Enemy No. 1." Whether Waters' errors and misrepresentations were intentional or accidental is unresolved.
September 14, 1967
The first episode of Ironside aired.
Ironside is an American television crime drama that aired on NBC over 8 seasons from 1967 to 1975. The show starred Raymond Burr as Robert T. Ironside, a consultant for the San Francisco police (usually addressed by the title Chief Ironside), who was paralyzed from the waist down after being shot while on vacation. The character debuted on March 28, 1967, in a TV movie entitled Ironside. When the series was broadcast in the United Kingdom, in the 1970s, it was broadcast under the title A Man Called Ironside. The show earned Burr six Emmy and two Golden Globe nominations. Ironside was a production of Burr's Harbour Productions Unlimited in association September 14, 1972
The series The Waltons began airing.
The Waltons is an American television series created by Earl Hamner, Jr., based on his book Spencer's Mountain, and a 1963 film of the same name, about a family in rural Virginia during the Great Depression and World War II. The series pilot The Homecoming: A Christmas Story was broadcast on December 19, 1971. Beginning in September 1972, the series aired on CBS for nine seasons. After the series was canceled by CBS in 1981, NBC aired three television movie sequels in 1982, with three more in the 1990s on CBS. The Waltons was produced by Lorimar Productionsand distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution in syndication.
September 16, 1927
Peter Falk was born. The actor is best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the television series Columbo. He appeared in numerous films and television guest roles, and has been nominated for an Academy Awardtwice, and won the Emmy Award on five occasions and the Golden Globe awardonce. The Columbo character was originally played in a 1960 episode of the NBC anthology series The Chevy Mystery Show, where the detective was played by Bert Freed, and in a subsequent Broadway play by Thomas Mitchell. Falk first appeared as Columbo in Prescription: Murder, a 1968 TV movie, but the character was not the subject of a show of its own until 1971. Columbo aired regularly from 1971 to 1978 on NBC, and then more infrequently on ABC as TV movies beginning in 1989. The most recent episode was broadcast in 2003.
Despite his frazzled exterior, Columbo possesses a keen mind and invariably solves his cases by paying close attention to tiny inconsistencies in suspects' stories, hounding them until they confess; he merely puts on a good show of being dimwitted so that the criminals will be more at ease around him. Columbo's signature technique is to exit the scene of an interview, only to stop in the doorway to ask a suspect "just one more thing," which often brings to light the key inconsistency. Four of Columbo's cases gave Falk the chance to work with his longtime friend Patrick McGoohan, the latter playing the episodes' villain roles.
In May 2009, it was reported that Falk is suffering from dementia, and he no longer remembers his role in Columbo. In June 2009, a conservatorship was placed on him by a California court.
The 83-year-old Falk died at his longtime Roxbury Drive Beverly Hills home on the evening of June 23, 2011. The cause of death was later revealed as cardiorespiratory arrest, with pneumonia and Alzheimer's disease as underlying causes. Falk was survived by his wife and two daughters. His daughters said they would remember his "wisdom and humor". Falk is buried at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.
September 16, 1972
The Bob Newhart Show premiered on CBS-TV.
The Bob Newhart Show is an American sitcom produced by MTM Enterprises that aired on CBS from September 16, 1972, to April 1, 1978, with a total of 142 half-hour episodes spanning over six seasons. Comedian Bob Newhart portrays a psychologist having to deal with his patients and fellow office workers. The show was filmed before a live audience.September 16, 1987
The first episode of Wiseguy aired on CBS.
Wiseguy is an American crime drama series that aired on CBS from September 16, 1987 to December 8, 1990, for a total of 75 episodes over four seasons. The series was produced by Stephen J. Cannell and was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, to avoid the higher studio costs associated with filming in Los Angeles.Wiseguy originally starred Ken Wahl as Vinnie Terranova, a Brooklyn native and deep cover operative for the FBI under the supervision of senior agent Frank McPike, played by Jonathan Banks. The primary cast was rounded out by Jim Byrnes, who played an information operative known as Lifeguard (real name Daniel Burroughs) who assisted Vinnie in the field. This cast remained together for three full seasons, after which Wahl left the series. The writers conceived a new lead character Michael Santana, and brought on Steven Bauer to fill the role.
The show placed #74 on Entertainment Weekly's "New TV Classics" list.
September 17, 1972
MAS*H first aired
MAS*H (the television series) developed by Larry Gelbart, adapted from the 1970 feature film MASH (which was itself based on the 1968 novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors, by Richard Hooker).
The series is a medical drama that was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for CBS. It follows a team of doctors and support staff stationed at the "4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital" in Uijeongbu, South Korea, during the Korean War. MASH's title sequence featured an instrumental version of the song "Suicide Is Painless", which also appears in the original film. The show was created after an attempt to film the original book's sequel, MASH Goes to Maine, failed. It is the most well known version of the MASH works.The series premiered in the US on September 17, 1972, and ended February 28, 1983, with the finale becoming the most watched television episode in U.S. television history at the time, with a record-breaking 125 million viewers (60.2 Rating and 77 Share) , according to the New York Times. In contrast to the high turnout for the final episode of MASH, it struggled in its first season and was at risk of being cancelled. However, season two of MAS*H placed it in a better time slot (airing after the popular All in the Family) and the show became one of the top ten programs of the year and stayed in the top twenty programs for the rest of its eleven-season run. The show is still broadcast in syndication on various television stations. The series, which covered a three-year military conflict, spanned 251 episodes and lasted eleven seasons.
Many of the stories in the early seasons are based on real-life tales told by real MASH surgeons who were interviewed by the production team. Like the movie, the series was as much an allegory about the Vietnam War (still in progress when the show began) as it was about the Korean War.
In 1997, the episodes "Abyssinia, Henry" and "The Interview" were respectively ranked number 20 and number 80 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time. In 2002, MAS*H was ranked number 25 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.
MAS*H aired weekly in its original CBS run, with most episodes being a half-hour in length. The series is usually categorized as a situation comedy, though it is sometimes also described as a "dark comedy" or a "dramedy" because of the dramatic subject material often presented. The show was an ensemble piece revolving around key personnel in a United States Army Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH; the asterisks in the name are not part of military nomenclature and were creatively introduced in the novel) in the Korean War (1950–1953). The "4077th MASH" was just one of several surgical units in Korea. As the show developed, the writing took on more of a moralistic tone. Richard Hooker, who wrote the book on which the television and film versions were based, noted that Hawkeye's character was far more liberal in the show than on the page (in one of the MASH books, Hawkeye makes reference to "kicking the bejesus out of lefties just to stay in shape"). While the show is traditionally viewed as a comedy, there were many episodes of a more serious tone. Airing on network primetime while the Vietnam War was still ongoing, the show was forced to walk the fine line of commenting on that war while at the same time not seeming to protest it. For this reason, the show's discourse, under the cover of comedy, often questioned, mocked and grappled with America's role in the Cold War. Episodes were both plot and character driven, with several episodes being narrated by one of the show's characters as the contents of a letter home. The show's tone could move from silly to sobering from one episode to the next, with dramatic tension often occurring between the civilian draftees of 4077th—Hawkeye, Trapper John, B.J. Hunnicutt, for example—who are forced to leave their homes to tend to the wounded and dying of the war, and the "regular Army" characters, like Margaret Houlihan and Colonel Potter, who tend to represent ideas of patriotism and duty. Other characters like Col. Blake, Maj. Winchester, and Corp. Klinger, help demonstrate various American civilian attitudes towards army life, while guest characters such as Eldon Quick, Herb Voland, Mary Wickes, and Tim O'Connor also help further the show's discussion of America's place as Cold War war-maker and peace-maker.
Laugh track
Series creators Larry Gelbart and Gene Reynolds wanted MAS*H broadcast without a laugh track ("Just like the actual Korean War", Gelbart remarked dryly), but CBS rejected the idea. By season two, a compromise had been reached, whereby the producers were allowed to omit the laugh track during operating room scenes if they wished. As a result, few scenes in the operating room contain laughter. Certain episodes omitted the laugh track completely ("O.R.", "The Bus", "Quo Vadis, Captain Chandler?", "The Interview", "Dreams", "Point of View", "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen") as did some international and syndicated airings of the show. The first five seasons of the series contained a noticeable laugh track, similar to other laugh-tracked sitcoms of the period, but by Season Six, newer, significantly quieter, laughs were recorded and employed. In the United Kingdom, where the show was broadcast by the BBC (and therefore also without advertising breaks), the laugh track was removed entirely from all episodes.
On all released DVDs, both in Region 2 (Europe, including the UK) and Region 1 (including the U.S. and Canada), there is an option to watch the show with or without the laugh track.
Syndicated broadcasts in the U.S. and UK today retain the original U.S. laugh track.
September 18, 1917
June Foray is born.
The voice actress, best is known as the voice of many popular animated characters (particularly Rocky the Flying Squirrel, Cindy Lou Whoand Granny). Her long and prolific career has encompassed radio, theatrical shorts, feature films, television, record albums (particularly with Stan Freberg), video games, talking toys and other media. Foray was also one of the founding members of ASIFA-Hollywood, the society devoted to promoting and encouraging animation.September 18, 1957
The Big Recordpremiered on CBS-TV. The show only lasted one season.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
September 5, 1972
Munich massacre.
The Games were largely overshadowed by what has come to be known as the Munich massacre. On September 5 a group of eight Palestinian terrorists belonging to the Black September organization broke into the Olympic Village and took nine Israeli athletes, coaches and officials hostage in their apartments. Two of the hostages who resisted were killed in the first moments of the break-in; the subsequent standoff in the Olympic Village lasted for almost 18 hours.Late in the evening of September 5, the terrorists and their hostages were transferred by helicopter to the military airport of Fürstenfeldbruck, ostensibly to board a plane bound for an undetermined Arab country. The German authorities planned to ambush them there, but under-estimated the number of terrorists and were thus undermanned. During a botched rescue attempt, all of the Israeli hostages were killed. Four of them were shot, then incinerated when a Palestinian detonated a grenade inside the helicopter in which the hostages were sitting. The five remaining hostages were then machine-gunned by another terrorist.
All but three of the Palestinians were killed as well. Although arrested and imprisoned pending trial, the three PLO survivors were released by the West German government on October 29, 1972 in exchange for a hijacked Lufthansa jet. Two of those three were supposedly hunted down and assassinated later by the Mossad. Jamal Al-Gashey, who is believed to be the sole survivor, and is still living today in hiding in an unspecified African country with his wife and two children. The Olympic events were suspended several hours after the initial attack, but once the incident was concluded Avery Brundage, the International Olympic Committee president, declared that "the Games must go on". A memorial ceremony was then held in the Olympic stadium, and the competitions resumed after a stoppage of 24 hours. The attack prompted heightened security at subsequent Olympics beginning with the 1976 Winter Olympics.
The massacre led the German federal government to re-examine its anti-terrorism policies, which at the time were dominated by a pacifist approach adopted post-World War II. This led to the creation of the elite counter-terrorist unit GSG 9, similar to the British SAS. It also led Israel to launch an aggressive counterterrorism campaign known as Operation Wrath of God, in which those suspected of involvement were systematically tracked down and assassinated. The events of the Munich massacre were chronicled in the Oscar-winning documentary, One Day in September. An account of the aftermath is dramatized in Steven Spielberg's 2005 film Munich.
September 6, 1947
Jane Therese Curtin actor, comedian and ignorant slut was born.
First coming to prominence as an original cast member on Saturday Night Live in 1975, she would go on to win back-to-back Emmy Awards for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series on the 1980s sitcom Kate & Allie. Curtin later starred in the hit series 3rd Rock from the Sun. She recreated her SNL character for the film The Coneheads
September 6, 1997
Some 2.5 billion TV viewers watch Princess Diana’s funeral.
Diana, Princess of Wales, who died at the age of 36 in a car crash in Paris the week before. During her 15-year marriage to Prince Charles, the son of Queen Elizabeth II and the heir to the British throne, Diana became one of the most famous, most photographed people on the planet. Her life story was fodder for numerous books, television programs and movies and her image appeared on countless magazine covers, including those of People and Vanity Fair. After her death, she remained an iconic figure and a continual source of fascination to the media and entertainment world. Diana Spencer was born on July 1, 1961, in Norfolk, England. On July 29, 1981, at the age of 20, “Shy Di” as the voracious British media dubbed her--married Prince Charles at London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral, in a ceremony that was watched by hundreds of millions of TV viewers around the world. On June 21, 1982, Diana gave birth to Prince William. A second son, Prince Harry, was born September 15, 1984. Charles and Diana separated in 1992, amidst allegations of infidelities on both sides, and the couple was officially divorced on August 28, 1996. After her divorce, Diana continued the humanitarian work she’d begun as a member of the royal family, campaigning to raise awareness of the deadly AIDS epidemic and to ban the use of landmines, or explosive devices planted on or in the ground that often cause death or injury to civilians.
In the early morning hours of August 31, 1997, the driver of Diana’s car lost control of the vehicle while trying to elude paparazzi and crashed in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris. Diana’s companion, Dodi al-Fayed, was also killed in the crash, as was the driver, Henri Paul, who was later determined to be speeding and under the influence of alcohol.
England experienced an unprecedented outpouring of public grief over Diana’s death. On September 6, 1997, hundreds of thousands of people lined the streets of London to watch the former princess’s coffin being transported to Westminster Abbey, where politicians, celebrities and royalty gathered for her funeral. Elton John performed a re-worked version of his song “Candle in the Wind,” which he and Bernie Taupin had originally written about Marilyn Monroe. Diana’s brother, Lord Spencer, spoke at the funeral and blamed the media for his sister’s death, calling her the “most hunted person of the modern age.” Diana was buried at Althorp, her family’s estate in Northamptonshire, England.
September 7, 1927
Philo Taylor Farnsworth (August 19, 1906 – March 11, 1971) best known for inventing the first completely electronic television.
In particular, he was the first to make a working electronic image pickup device (video camera tube), and the first to demonstrate an all-electronic television system to the public. Largely self-educated, Farnsworth grew up on farms in Utah and Idaho. As a boy he took an interest in electricity and electrons, and it's said he came up with the idea of electronically scanning images for transmission while he was in high school.On September 7, 1927, Farnsworth's Image dissectorcamera tube transmitted its first image, a simple straight line, at his laboratory at 202 Green Street in San Francisco. The source of the image was a glass slide, backlit by an arc lamp. This was due to the lack of light sensitivity of the tube design, a problem Farnsworth never managed to resolve independently. On September 1, 1928, Farnsworth had developed the system sufficiently to hold a demonstration for the press—2 years after John Logie Baird had demonstrated his mechanical Television system in London. His backers had demanded to know when they would see dollars from the invention. The first image shown to them was a dollar sign. In 1929, the system was further improved by elimination of a motor-generator; the television system now had no mechanical moving parts. That year, Farnsworth transmitted the first live human images using his television system, including a three and a half-inch image of his wife, Pem—with her eyes closed because of the blinding light required.
Farnsworth spent the next decade arguing over patent rights in legal battles with David Sarnoff and engineer Vladimir Zworykin of RCA. In 1934 the U.S. Patent Office sided with Farnsworth, and in 1939 he sold his various patents to RCA. Although Farnsworth was awarded more than a hundred patents related to television, he did not become famous as "the inventor of television." Now it is generally agreed that the development of television involved many individuals, but it is also the consensus that Farnsworth deserves the lion's share of the credit.
September 8, 1922
Isaac Sidney "Sid" Caesar was born.
The comic actor and writer known best as the star of the 1950s television series Your Show of Showsand Caesar's Hour. Caesar began his television career when he made an appearance on Milton Berle's Texaco Star Theater. In early 1949, Sid and Max met with Pat Weaver, vice president of television at NBC (and father of Sigourney Weaver), which led to Caesar's appearance in his first series The Admiral Broadway Revue with Imogene Coca. The Friday show, simultaneously broadcast on NBCand the DuMontnetwork (in order for the show to be carried on the only TV station then operating in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania- DuMont's WDTV- the sponsor had to agree to a simulcast) was an immediate success, but its sponsor, Admiral, an appliance company, could not keep up with the demand for its new television sets, so the show was cancelled after 26 weeks on account of its runaway success. According to Sid, an Admiral executive later told him the company had the choice of building a new factory, or continuing their sponsorship of the Revuefor another season.On February 23, 1950, Caesar appeared in the first episode of Your Show of Shows, a Saturday night 90-minute variety program produced by Max Liebman. The show launched Caesar into instant stardom and was a mix of scripted and improvised comedy, movie, and television satires, Caesar's inimitable double-talk monologues, top musical guests, and large production numbers. The impressive guest list included: Jackie Cooper, Robert Preston, Rex Harrison, Eddie Albert, Michael Redgrave, Basil Rathbone, Charlton Heston, Geraldine Page, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Pearl Bailey, Fred Allen, Benny Goodman, Lena Horne and many other big stars of the time. It was also responsible for bringing together one of the best comedy teams in television history: Sid, Carl Reiner, Howard Morris, and Imogene Coca. Many prominent writers, denizens of the famed Writer's Room, also got their start creating the show's madcap sketches, including Lucille Kallen, Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Woody Allen, Michael Stewart, Mel Tolkin, and Larry Gelbart. Sid Caesar won his first Emmyin 1952. In 1951 and 1952, he was voted the United States' Best Comedian by Motion Picture Daily's TV poll. The show ended after 160 episodes on June 5, 1954. Just a few months later, Sid Caesar returned with Caesar's Hour, a one-hour sketch/variety show with Morris, Reiner, a young Bea Arthur, and much of the seasoned crew. Nanette Fabray replaced Imogene Coca who left to star in her own short-lived series. Ultimate creative and technical control was now totally in Caesar's hands. The show moved to the larger Century Theater, which allowed longer, more sophisticated productions and the weekly budget doubled to $125,000. The premier on September 27, 1954 featured Gina Lollobrigida.
Contemporary movies, foreign movies, theater, television shows and even opera all became targets of satire by the writing team, whose frenetic and competitive spirit produced some of the best comedy in television history. Often the publicity generated by the sketches boosted the box office of the original productions. Some notable sketches included: From Here to Obscurity(From Here to Eternity), Aggravation Boulevard (Sunset Boulevard), Hat Basterson (Bat Masterson), and No West For the Wicked (Stagecoach). Even silent movies were parodied, which showed off the impressive pantomime skills of the entire ensemble. They also performed some recurring sketches. "The Hickenloopers" were television's first bickering couple, predating The Honeymooners. As "The Professor", Caesar was the daffy expert who bluffed his way through his interviews with earnest roving reporter Carl Reiner. In its various incarnations, "The Professor" could be Gut von Fraidykat (mountain-climbing expert), Ludwig von Spacebrain (space expert), or Ludwig von Henpecked (marriage expert). Later, "The Professor" evolved into Mel Brooks' famous "The Two Thousand Year Old Man". The most prominent recurring sketch on the show was "The Commuters", featuring Caesar, Reiner and Morris involved with everyday working and suburban life situations.
Caesar's Hour was followed by Sid Caesar Invites You, briefly reuniting Caesar and Coca in 1958, and in 1963 with several As Caesar Sees It specials, which evolved into the 1963-'64 Sid Caesar Show, which alternated with Edie Adams in Here's Edie. Caesar also teamed up with Edie Adams in the Broadway show Little Me, a successful Neil Simon play, with choreography by Bob Fosse and music by Cy Coleman in which Sid played eight parts with 32 costume changes. Caesar and Edie Adams played a husband and wife drawn into a mad race to find buried money in the mega-movie-comedy It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World.
September 8 1997
The television show "Ally McBeal" debuted on Fox.
September 11, 1942
Comedian Tom Dreesen is born.
Dreesen grew up in Harvey, Illinois, south of Chicago. His family was one of the few white families in a largely African American community. While working as an insurance salesman in 1968, he met Tim Reid through a local Jayceechapter, and the two teamed up to form the first biracial stand-up comedy duo in the United States. Though their material is now considered cutting-edge for its time, the pair struggled to make a living together, and split up in the mid-1970s. However, each found individual success: while Reid landed a role on WKRP in Cincinnati, Dreesen became a regular on The Tonight Showand toured with Frank Sinatra as the crooner's opening act. In 1989, Dreesen released a comedy album through Flying Fish Recordscalled That White Boy's Crazy. The album was recorded in front of an all-black audience in Harvey, Illinois.Dreesen continues to perform today. He is also involved in philanthropic endeavors and hosts an annual celebrity golf tournament called the Tom Dreesen Celebrity Classic. In 2008, Dreesen, Reid, and former Chicago Sun-Times sportswriter Ron Rapoport completed the book Tim and Tom: An American Comedy in Black and White.
September 11, 1967
The Carol Burnett Show premiered on CBS.
The Carol Burnett Show (also Carol Burnett and Friends in syndication) is an American variety/sketch comedy television show starring Carol Burnett, Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, and Lyle Waggoner. In 1975, frequent guest star Tim Conway became a regular after Waggoner left the series. In 1977, Dick Van Dyke replaced Korman for much of its final season (but he left the show by Thanksgiving, on friendly terms). The show originally ran on CBS from September 11, 1967, to March 29, 1978, for 279 episodes, and again with nine episodes in the fall of 1991. The series originated in CBS Television City's Studio 33, and won 25 primetime Emmy Awards, was ranked number 16 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time in 2002, and in 2007 was listed as one of Time magazine's 100 Best TV Shows of All Time.In 2013, TV Guide ranked The Carol Burnett Show number 17 on their list of the 60 Greatest Shows of All Time.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
August 29, 1967
The final episode of The Fugitive aired.
August 31, 1957
Children's show Kukla, Fran and Ollieairs its last episode on prime-time network TV.
The show featured beloved puppets Kukla, Ollie (a dragon), and others, with live actress Fran Allison as host. The show began as a local Chicago program and moved to NBC in 1948. It was one of the two most important series made in Chicago, along with Garroway at Large, during the city's brief period as an important production center for network programs in the late 1940s. After its network cancellation, PBS revived the series from 1969 to 1971.September 4, 1966
The Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon
was an annual telethon held each Labor Day in the United States to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). The show was founded and hosted by actor and comedian Jerry Lewis, who hosted the broadcast from its 1966 inception until 2010. The history of MDA's telethon dated back to the 1950s, when the Jerry LewisThanksgiving Party for MDA raised funds for the organization's New York City area operations. The telethon was held annually on Labor Day weekend beginning in 1966, and would raise $2.45 billion for MDA from its inception through 2009.The telethon aired up to 21½ hours, starting on the Sunday evening preceding Labor Day and continuing until late Monday afternoon on the holiday itself. MDA called its network of participating stations the "Love Network". The show originated from Las Vegas for 28 of the years it was broadcast.
Beginning in 2011, coinciding with Lewis's controversial departure, MDA radically reformatted and shortened the telethon's format into that of a benefit concert, shortening the length of the special each successive year. The 2011 edition was seen exclusively on the Sunday evening before Labor Day for six hours; This edition, syndicated to approximately 160 television stations throughout the United States on September 4, 2011, Nigel Lythgoe, Jann Carl, Alison Sweeney and Nancy O'Dell were brought on as co-hosts. shared hosting duties for the 2011 edition.
Successive telethons from 2012 to 2014 renamed the show as the MDA Show of Strength and further cut its airtime. The 2012 edition aired on Sunday, September 2, 2012; the job of renaming the new show was given to MDA's advertising agency E.B. Lane (now LaneTerralever). Mark Itkowitz, their Exec. Creative Director came up with the name MDA Show of Strength and it quickly gained internal approval. The 2012 edition was reduced to three hours as a primetime-only broadcast. The telethon aired at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific Time, and was seen live in the Eastern and Central time zones.
The 2012 edition did not refer itself as a "telethon". The 2013 Show of Strength discontinued the long-standing format of being syndicated to individual stations of varying network affiliation and aired on a major national network instead of being syndicated to individual stations, airing on ABC on Sunday, September 1, 2013, and being reduced to two hours. While the 2012 edition did not refer itself as a "telethon", it referred itself as such for the 2013 edition.
The final edition, for 2014, aired on ABC on August 31, again as a two-hour special beginning at 9PM ET/PT. This was the final edition for the telethon, as it was announced on May 1, 2015 that the MDA would be discontinuing the annual event.
September 4, 1967*Gilligan's Island, The classic TV comedy about seven people stranded on a deserted island, airs its last episode.*The show starred:Bob Denveras Gilligan, the bumbling, dimwitted, accident-prone crewman of the S.S. Minnow. None of the show's episodes ever specified Gilligan's full name, nor clearly indicated whether "Gilligan" was the character's first name or his last. On the DVD collection, series creator Sherwood Schwartz states that he preferred the full name of "Willie Gilligan" for the character. On Rescue from Gilligan's Island, the writers artfully dodge the recitation of Gilligan's full name, when the other names are announced. Alan Hale, Jr. as Jonas Grumby, the "Skipper". A longtime actor in B-westerns and the lookalikeson of Alan Hale, Sr., a legendary movie character actor, Hale so loved his role that, long after the show went off the air, he would still appear in character in his Los Angeles restaurant, Alan Hale's Lobster Barrel. Although the Skipper was a father figure to Gilligan, Hale was only 14 years older than Denver. It is alluded in one episode that Gilligan pushed the Skipper out of the way of a loose depth-charge when they were both serving in the United States Navy. Jim Backusas Thurston Howell, III, the condescending millionaire. Backus was already a well-known actor when he took the part. He was perhaps best known as the voice of the cartoon character Mr. Magoo. He reused some of the voice inflections and mannerisms of Magoo in the role. He was well known for his ad-libs on the set. Natalie Schafer as Eunice "Lovey" Wentworth Howell, Thurston's wife. Schafer had it written into her contract that there were to be no close-ups of her, perhaps due to her advanced age. Schafer was 63 when the pilot was shot although, reportedly, no one on the set or in the cast knew her real age, and she refused to divulge that information. Originally, she only accepted the role because the pilot was filmed on location in Hawaii. She looked at the job as nothing more than a free vacation, as she was convinced that a show this silly would "never go". Tina Louiseas Ginger Grant, the movie star. When regular shooting began, Louise clashed with the producers, because she believed that she was to be the main focus of the show (despite its title). Her character was originally written as a sarcastic and sharp-tongued temptress, but Louise argued that this was too extreme and refused to play it as written. A compromise was reached; Louise agreed to play her as a cross between Marilyn Monroeand Lucille Ball. The evening gowns and hair style used were designed to re-create the look of Myrna Loy. Louise continued to clash with producers and was the only cast member who refused to return for any of the TV moviesthat followed the series' cancellation, and the fourth season, which was later canceled to make room for Gunsmoke, saying that the role had destroyed her career as a serious actress. However, she did appear in a reunion of the cast on a late night TV talk show in 1988 and on an episode of Roseanne in 1995. In the first season, Ginger often wore gowns that looked as if they were tailored from S.S. Minnow tarps or similar ersatz cloth (some had the name of the vessel stenciled on them). Later on, she wore regular evening gowns with high heels, though it was never explained why she brought so many changes of clothing on a "three-hour tour". Russell Johnson as Roy Hinkley (The Professor). Incongruously, "the Professor" was in fact a high schoolscience teacher, not a university professor. In the first episode, the radio announcer described him as a research scientist and well-known Scoutmaster. Johnson stated that he had some difficulty remembering his more technically-oriented lines. Dawn Wellsas Mary Ann Summers. Wells was a former Miss Nevadawhen she auditioned for the role. Her competition included Raquel Welchand Pat Priest. She wrote The Gilligans Island Cookbook and starred as Lovey Howell in the musical stage adaption of the show.Although the show ran for only three years, it aired in reruns for decades. The characters were resurrected in three TV movies.September 4, 2002
Kelly Clarkson wins first American Idol. On this day in 2002, Kelly Clarkson, a 20-year-old cocktail waitress from Texas, wins Season One of American Idol in a live television broadcast from Hollywood’s Kodak Theater. Clarkson came out on top in the amateur singing contest over 23-year-old runner-up Justin Guarini after millions of viewers cast their votes for her by phone. She was awarded a recording contract and went on to sell millions of albums and establish a successful music career. (Clarkson and Guarnini also co-starred in the 2003 box-office bomb From Justin to Kelly, which was nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award for that year’s worst film but lost to the Jennifer Lopez-Ben Affleck vehicle Gigli.) Starting with its first season, American Idol became one of the most popular TV programs in U.S. history and spawned a slew of talent-competition shows.American Idol was based on a British TV show called Pop Idol, which was developed by the English-born entertainment executive Simon Fuller and debuted in the U.K. in 2001. The Idol concept was shopped around in the United States and reportedly rejected by several TV networks before Fox picked it up. The American Idol premiere, which aired on June 11, 2002, was co-hosted by Ryan Seacrest and Brian Dunkleman (who was dropped from the program after Season One) and starred a trio of judge--the acerbic British music executive Simon Cowell, the singer-choreographer Paul Abdul and the musician-producer Randy Jackson. The show followed the judges as they selected contestants, who were required to be teens or young adults, from open auditions around the United States. Contestants who made the cut were flown to Hollywood, where they were eventually narrowed to 10 finalists, who performed live on television and were critiqued by the judges. Home viewers phoned in their votes for their favorite performers and each week the contestant who received the lowest number of votes was eliminated from the competition.
Following Clarkson’s Season One victory, subsequent American Idolwinners--Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks and David Cook--have had varying degrees of success in their music careers. In some cases, American Idol runner-ups, such as Clay Aiken (Season Two, second place) and Chris Daughtry (Season Five, fourth place), have sold more records than certain A.I. winners. Jennifer Hudson, who finished seventh in Season Three of the show, later won an Academy Award for her supporting performance in Dreamgirls (2006), the film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical.
September 4, 2002
Joan Rivers, one of the best-known comedians of her era, dies at age 81 in a New York City hospital, a week after she went into cardiac arrest while undergoing a medical procedure on her vocal cords at a Manhattan clinic.
During a showbiz career that spanned more than five decades, Rivers blazed a trail for women in stand-up comedy and turned “Can we talk?” into a national catchphrase. No topic was taboo for the irreverent, sharp-tongued performer, who poked fun at her personal life and affinity for plastic surgery, skewered Hollywood celebrities and once said, “I succeeded by saying what everyone else is thinking.”Born Joan Molinsky on June 8, 1933, to Russian immigrants in Brooklyn, New York, the entertainer graduated from Barnard College in 1954. Interested in becoming an actress, she scored parts in Off-Broadway plays and worked office temp jobs to support herself. In the late 1950s, she started performing stand-up comedy in nightclubs as a means to earn money; at the time, there were few other female stand-up comics. In the early 1960s, she did a stint with the Chicago-based Second City comedy troupe. Along the way, at the suggestion of an agent, she changed her last name to Rivers. In 1965, her career took off after she made her first appearance on “The Tonight Show,” hosted by Johnny Carson, who told her she was going to be a star. Rivers went on to rack up numerous guest spots on the program, while also appearing on other TV comedy shows and doing her stand-up act around the country.
In 1983, Rivers was tapped as the permanent guest host on “The Tonight Show.” Three years later, she inked a deal for her own late-night TV show on another network. Afterward, Carson, who reportedly felt betrayed, never spoke to Rivers again (she was blacklisted from “The Tonight Show” until 2014, when host Jimmy Fallon invited her on as a guest). “The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers” debuted in October 1986 but soon sank in the ratings, and Rivers was fired in May 1987. That August, Rivers’ husband, Edgar Rosenberg, who served as a producer of her show, committed suicide.
Rivers’ career temporarily stalled but she eventually signed on to host her own daytime talk show, “The Joan Rivers Show,” which aired from 1989 to 1993. Next, the raspy-voiced comedian added fashion maven to her resume and helped revolutionize red-carpet coverage and popularize the question “Who are you wearing?,” after she and her daughter, Melissa, began hosting E! Entertainment’s pre-award shows for the Golden Globes, Academy Awards and other events, starting in the mid-1990s. From 2010 until her death, Rivers was a co-host of the TV program “Fashion Police,” on which she cattily critiqued the style choices of celebrities. Rivers also published a dozen books during her career, produced a jewelry line for TV shopping channel QVC and supported a variety of charitable causes. After starting out in the 1950s with dreams of working in theater, she earned a Tony Award nomination in the best actress category in 1994 for her role in the Broadway play “Sally Marr…and her escorts,” which she co-wrote.
Rivers gave what turned out to be her last stand-up performance, in Manhattan, on August 27, 2014, the night before the medical procedure that led to her death on September 4. Three days later, the legendary funny woman was memorialized at a star-studded service in New York City. As Rivers had noted in her 2012 book “I Hate Everyone … Starting With Me,” she wanted a send-off that was “a huge showbiz affair with lights, cameras, action.”
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
August 22, 1932
The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) began its first TV broadcast in England.
August 27, 1952
Paul Reubens is born Paul Rubenfeld. Actor, writer, film producer, game show host, and comedian, best known for his character Pee-wee Herman.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
August 15, 1912
Julia Child was born Julia Carolyn McWilliams.
Chef, author and television personality, who introduced French cuisine and cooking techniques to the American mainstream, through her many cookbooks and television programs. Her most famous works are the 1961 cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking and the television series The French Chef, which premiered in 1963 and showcased her sui generispersona.
August 16, 1977
Elvis Presley the King of Rock n' Roll is found dead at Graceland, his mansion in Memphis.
While congestive heart failure was cited as the official cause of death, drug abuse was suspected as a contributing factor.
Elvis was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, on Jan. 8, 1935, and moved with his family to Memphis, Tennessee, as a teenager. He worked as a movie theater usher and a truck driver while learning the guitar.
In 1954, he paid $4 to record two songs at a recording studio for his mother's birthday. The office assistant was so impressed that she brought a copy of the recording to studio executive Sam Phillips, who asked Presley to audition for him. Presley started the audition with country-and-western standards, but when he felt Phillips' interest wane, he belted out a rhythm-and-blues song called "That's All Right." Impressed, Phillips recorded the song, and a week later it became No. 4 on the country-and-western charts in Memphis.
That summer, Phillips brought Presley together with guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black, both country-and-western artists, and one of their songs was played on a Memphis radio station. The audience went wild, and Presley gave his first radio interview. He made his one and only appearance at the Grand Ole Opry on September 25 and soon began appearing regularly on the radio. He made his television debut on a Memphis show in March 1955 and that September scored his first No. 1 country record: a rendition of Junior Parker's "Mystery Train."
RCA purchased Presley's contract from Sun Records for an unprecedented $35,000, plus a $5,000 advance for Presley, which he used to buy a pink Cadillac for his mother. He made his first records in Nashville in 1956, including "I Got a Woman," "Heartbreak Hotel," and "I Was the One."
On January 28, 1956, television audiences met Presley on the Dorsey Brothers' Stage Show. He performed on several variety shows before he began filming his first movie, Love Me Tender,which took just three days to earn back the $1 million it cost to make. All his singles released that year went gold. Parents, preachers, and other performers denounced the seductive hip gyrations that made teen girls swoon; on his last appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, cameras showed him only from the waist up. In 1967, Presley married Priscilla Beaulieu, who had moved into Presley's family home, Graceland, as a teenager six years earlier. The couple divorced in 1973. As his popularity continued to skyrocket, the King of Rock and Roll turned to drugs. He gave his final live performance on June 25, 1977. Six weeks later, on August 16, 1977, his girlfriend found him dead in a bathroom at Graceland. He was buried at Graceland and his estate was passed on to his daughter, Lisa Marie Presley. Nine years after his death, he was one of the first 10 people inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He had earned 94 gold singles and more than 40 gold LPs.
August 17, 1997
The first episode of VH-1's Behind the Music aired.
August 18, 1977
Comedian Grouch Marx died. Marx was born in New York in 1890.
His mother encouraged him and his brothers Chico, Harpo, and Zeppo to enter show business at an early age. They worked the vaudeville circuit, then moved to Broadway in the early 1920s, writing their own musical comedies. One of their Broadway comedies, Cocoanuts, became their first film, in 1929. After the brothers stopped making films, Groucho continued to have a successful performing career. He hosted a popular radio quiz show called You Bet Your Life from 1947 to 1956, which became a TV show and ran until 1961. The show was revived briefly in 1980 with Bill Cosby as host. Groucho was still performing late in life: At the age of 82, he gave a one-man show at Carnegie Hall.Stay TunedTony Figueroa
August 8, 1974
President Richard M. Nixonresigns in the wake of the Watergate burglary scandal. He was the first president in American history to resign.
In a televised address, Nixon, flanked by his family, announced to the American public that he would step down rather than endure a Senate impeachment trial for obstruction of justice. Since 1972, Nixon had battled increasing vociferous allegations that he knew of, and may have authorized, a botched burglary in which several men were arrested for attempting to bug the offices of the Democratic National Committee, located in the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C. Between 1972 and 1974, the press, and later a Senate investigation committee, revealed disturbing details that revealed that Nixon had indeed attempted to cover up the crime committed by key members of his administration and re-election committee. The most damning evidence came from subpoenaed tape recordings of Nixon's White House conversations. Nixon fought the release of the tapes, which led the House of Representatives in 1973 to initiate impeachment charges against the president for obstruction of justice. During the televised address, Nixon stated that he had never been a "quitter" and that choosing to resign went against his instincts. He refused to confess to committing the alleged high crimes and misdemeanors of which he was accused. He claimed his decision was encouraged by his political base and was in the best interests of the country and said
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
August 2, 1924
John Carroll O'Connor was born. Actor, producer,and directorwhose television career spanned four decades. Known at first for playing the role of Major General Colt in the 1970 cult movie, Kelly's Heroes, he later found fame as the bigoted workingman Archie Bunker, the main character in the 1970s CBStelevision sitcoms All in the Family (1971 to 1979) and Archie Bunker's Place (1979 to 1983). O'Connor later starred in the 1980s NBCtelevision crime drama In the Heat of the Night, where he played the role of Sheriff William (Bill) Gillespie. At the end of his career in the late 1990s, he played the father of Jamie Stemple Buchman (Helen Hunt) on Mad About You.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
I was very blessed in always knowing what I wanted to do, and by the grace of God I've been able to succeed in my chosen career.-- Nichelle Nichols
| | | Nichelle Nicholsborn Grace Dell NicholsDecember 28, 1932 – July 30, 2022 |
Grace Dell Nichols was born the third of six children in Robbins, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois, to Samuel Earl Nichols, a factory worker who was elected both town mayor of Robbins in 1929 and its chief magistrate, and his wife, Lishia (Parks) Nichols, a homemaker. Later, the family moved into an apartment in the Woodlawn neighborhood of Chicago. Nichols attended Englewood High School, from where she graduated in 1951. Nichols also studied in New York City and Los Angeles.Nichols' break came in an appearance in Kicks and Co., Oscar Brown's highly touted but ill-fated 1961 musical. In a thinly veiled satire of Playboy magazine, she played Hazel Sharpe, a voluptuous campus queen who was being tempted by the devil and Orgy Magazine to become "Orgy Maiden of the Month". Although the play closed after a short run in Chicago, Nichols attracted the attention of Hugh Hefner, the publisher of Playboy, who booked her for his Chicago Playboy Club. She also appeared in the role of Carmen for a Chicago stock company production of Carmen Jones and performed in a New York production of Porgy and Bess. Between acting and singing engagements, Nichols did occasional modeling work.
In January 1967, Nichols also was featured on the cover of Ebony magazine, and had two feature articles in the publication in five years. Nichols toured the United States, Canada, and Europe as a singer with the Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton bands. On the West Coast, she appeared in The Roar of the Greasepaint and For My People and she garnered high praise for her performance in the James Baldwin play Blues for Mister Charlie. Prior to being cast as Lieutenant Uhura in Star Trek, Nichols was a guest actress on television producer Gene Roddenberry's first series The Lieutenant (1964) in an episode, "To Set It Right", which dealt with racial prejudice.
Star TrekMain article: Nyota UhuraOn Star Trek, Nichols was one of the first Black women featured in a major television series. Her prominent supporting role as a bridge officer was unprecedented. Nichols was once tempted to leave the series; however, a conversation with Martin Luther King Jr. changed her mind. Towards the end of the first season, Nichols was given the opportunity to take a role on Broadway. She preferred the stage to the television studio, so she decided to take the role. Nichols went to Roddenberry's office, told him that she planned to leave, and handed him her resignation letter. Roddenberry tried to convince Nichols to stay but to no avail, so he told her to take the weekend off and if she still felt that she should leave then he would give her his blessing. That weekend, Nichols attended a banquet that was being run by the NAACP, where she was informed that a fan really wanted to meet her.
I thought it was a Trekkie, and so I said, 'Sure.' I looked across the room and whoever the fan was had to wait because there was Dr. Martin Luther King walking towards me with this big grin on his face. He reached out to me and said, 'Yes, Ms. Nichols, I am your greatest fan.' He said that Star Trek was the only show that he, and his wife Coretta, would allow their three little children to stay up and watch. [She told King about her plans to leave the series because she wanted to take a role that was tied to Broadway.] I never got to tell him why, because he said, 'you cannot, you cannot...for the first time on television, we will be seen as we should be seen every day, as intelligent, quality, beautiful, people who can sing dance, and can go to space, who are professors, lawyers." Dr. King Jr went further stating "If you leave, that door can be closed because your role is not a black role, and is not a female role; he can fill it with anybody even an alien."
King personally encouraged her to stay on the series, saying she "could not give up" because she was playing a vital role model for Black children and young women across the country, as well as for other children who would see Black people appearing as equals, going so far as to favorably compare her work on the series to the marches of the ongoing civil rights movement. This response by King left Nichols speechless, allowing her to realize how important to the civil rights movement her role was, and the next day she went back to Roddenberry's office to tell him that she would stay. When she told Roddenberry what King had said, tears came to his eyes. Nichols asked Roddenberry for her role back and Roddenberry took out her resignation letter, which he had already torn up. Former NASA astronaut Mae Jemison has cited Nichols' role of Lieutenant Uhura as her inspiration for wanting to become an astronaut and Whoopi Goldberg has also spoken of Nichols' influence. Goldberg asked for a role on Star Trek: The Next Generation, and the character Guinan was specially created, while Jemison appeared on an episode of the series.
In her role as Lieutenant Uhura, Nichols kissed white actor William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk in the November 22, 1968, Star Trek episode "Plato's Stepchildren". The episode is cited as the first example of an interracial kiss on scripted U.S. television, although several earlier examples exist. The Shatner/Nichols kiss was seen as groundbreaking, even though it was portrayed as having been forced by alien telekinesis. There was some praise and some protest. On page 197 of her 1994 autobiography Beyond Uhura, Star Trek and Other Memories, Nichols cited a letter from a white Southerner who wrote, "I am totally opposed to the mixing of the races. However, any time a red-blooded American boy like Captain Kirk gets a beautiful dame in his arms that looks like Uhura, he ain't gonna fight it." During the Comedy Central Roast of Shatner on August 20, 2006, Nichols jokingly referred to the kiss and said, "what do you say, let's make a little more TV history ... and kiss my black ass!"
Despite the cancellation of the series in 1969, Star Trek lived on in other ways, and continued to play a part in Nichols' life. She again provided the voice of Uhura in Star Trek: The Animated Series; in one episode, "The Lorelei Signal", Uhura assumes command of the Enterprise. Nichols noted in her autobiography her frustration that this never happened on the original series. Nichols co-starred in six Star Trek films, the last one being Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. Following the death of Leonard Nimoy in 2015, and until her own death in July of 2022, Nichols was one of four surviving cast members, the others being William Shatner, George Takei, and Walter Koenig.Other acting rolesIn 1994, Nichols published her autobiography Beyond Uhura: Star Trek and Other Memories. In it, she claimed that the role of Peggy Fair in the television series Mannix was offered to her during the final season of Star Trek, but producer Gene Roddenberry refused to release her from her contract. Between the end of the original series and the Star Trek animated series and feature films, Nichols appeared in small television and film roles. She briefly appeared as a secretary in Doctor, You've Got to Be Kidding! (1967), and portrayed Dorienda, a foul-mouthed madam in Truck Turner (1974) opposite Isaac Hayes, her only appearance in a blaxploitation film.
Nichols appeared in animated form as one of Al Gore's Vice Presidential Action Rangers in the "Anthology of Interest I" episode of Futurama, and she provided the voice of her own head in a glass jar in the episode "Where No Fan Has Gone Before". She voiced the recurring role of Elisa Maza's mother Diane Maza in the animated series Gargoyles, and played Thoth-Kopeira in an episode of Batman: The Animated Series. In 2004, she provided the voice for herself in The Simpsons episode "Simple Simpson". In the comedy film Snow Dogs (2002), Nichols appeared as the mother of the male lead, played by Cuba Gooding Jr. In 2006, she appeared as the title character in the film Lady Magdalene's, the madam of a legal Nevada brothel in tax default. She also served as executive producer and choreographer, and sang three songs in the film, two of which she composed. She was twice nominated for the Chicago theatrical Sarah Siddons Award for Best Actress. The first nomination was for her portrayal of Hazel Sharpe in Kicks and Co.; the second for her performance in The Blacks.Nichols played a recurring role on the second season of the NBC drama Heroes. Her first appearance was on the episode "Kindred", which aired October 8, 2007. She portrayed Nana Dawson, the matriarch of a New Orleans family financially and personally devastated by Hurricane Katrina, who cares for her orphaned grandchildren and her great-nephew, series regular Micah Sanders. In 2008, Nichols starred in the film The Torturer, playing the role of a psychiatrist. In 2009, she joined the cast of The Cabonauts, a sci-fi musical comedy that debuted on DailyMotion. Playing CJ, the CEO of the Cabonauts Inc, Nichols is also featured singing and dancing. On August 30, 2016, she was introduced as the aging mother of Neil Winters on the long-standing soap opera The Young and the Restless. She received her first Daytime Emmy nomination in the "Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series" category for this role March 22, 2017.MusicNichols released two music albums. Down to Earth is a collection of standards released in 1967, during the original run of Star Trek. Out of This World, released in 1991, is more rock oriented and is themed around Star Trek and space exploration.
As Uhura, Nichols sang songs on the Star Trek episodes "Charlie X" and "The Conscience of the King".
Work with NASAAfter the cancellation of Star Trek, Nichols volunteered her time in a special project with NASA to recruit minority and female personnel for the space agency. She began this work by making an affiliation between NASA and a company which she helped to run, Women in Motion.The program was a success. Among those recruited were Dr. Sally Ride, the first American female astronaut, and United States Air Force Colonel Guion Bluford, the first African-American astronaut, as well as Dr. Judith Resnik and Dr. Ronald McNair, who both flew successful missions during the Space Shuttle program before their deaths in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster on January 28, 1986. Recruits also included Charles Bolden, the former NASA administrator and veteran of four shuttle missions, Frederick D. Gregory, former deputy administrator and a veteran of three shuttle missions and Lori Garver, former deputy administrator. An enthusiastic advocate of space exploration, Nichols served from the mid-1980s on the board of governors of the National Space Institute (today's National Space Society), a nonprofit, educational space advocacy organization.
In late 2015, Nichols flew aboard NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) Boeing 747SP, which analyzed the atmospheres of Mars and Saturn on an eight-hour, high-altitude mission. She was also a special guest at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, on July 17, 1976, to view the Viking 1 soft landing on Mars. Along with the other cast members from the original Star Trek series, she attended the christening of the first space shuttle, Enterprise, at the North American Rockwell assembly facility in Palmdale, California. On July 14, 2010, she toured the space shuttle simulator and Mission Control at the Johnson Space Center.
Nichols' work with NASA is given significant focus in the documentary Woman in Motion about her life.
In her autobiography, Nichols wrote that she was romantically involved with Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry for a few years in the 1960s. She said the affair ended well before Star Trek began, when she realized Roddenberry was also involved with her acquaintance Majel Hudec (known as Majel Barrett). Hudec went on to marry Gene Roddenberry and have a regular supporting role as nurse Christine Chapel on Star TrekWhen Roddenberry's health was fading, Nichols co-wrote a song for him, entitled "Gene", which she sang at his funeral.Nichols married twice, first to dancer Foster Johnson (1917–1981). They were married in 1951 and divorced that same year. Johnson and Nichols had one child together, Kyle Johnson, who was born August 14, 1951. She married for the second time to Duke Mondy in 1968. They were divorced in 1972.Nichols' younger brother, Thomas, was a member of the Heaven's Gate cult. He died on March 26, 1997, in the cult's mass suicide that purposely coincided with the passing of Comet Hale–Bopp. A member for 20 years, he frequently identified himself as Nichelle's brother in promotional materials released by the cult.
On February 29, 2012, Nichols met with President Barack Obama in the Oval Office. She later tweeted about the meeting, "Months ago, [President] Obama was quoted as saying that he'd had a crush on me when he was younger," Nichols also wrote. "I asked about that and he proudly confirmed it! President Obama also confirmed for me that he was definitely a Trekker! How wonderful is that?!"
Nichols was a lifelong Democrat and a practicing Presbyterian
| | | Stay Tuned Tony Figueroa |
Good Night Ms. Nichols
| | | Anthony Lee DowApril 13, 1945 – July 27, 2022 |
With almost no acting experience, Dow's career began when he went on a casting call and landed the role of Wally Cleaver in Leave It to Beaver. For the show's entire run, from 1957 to 1963, he played the older son of June (played by Barbara Billingsley) and Ward (played by Hugh Beaumont) Cleaver, and the older brother of Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver (played by Jerry Mathers).After Leave it to Beaver, Dow appeared on other television shows, including My Three Sons, Dr. Kildare, The Greatest Show on Earth, Never Too Young, and on five episodes of Mr. Novak in three different roles. Then, from 1965 to 1968, he served in the U.S. National Guard, interrupting his acting career. On his return to acting, he guest starred on the television series Adam-12, Love, American Style, Knight Rider, Square Pegs, The Mod Squad, The Hardy Boys, and Emergency!During the 1970s, Dow continued acting while working in the construction industry and studying journalism and filmmaking.
From 1983 to 1989, Dow reprised his role as Wally Cleaver in a reunion television movie and in a subsequent series The New Leave It to Beaver.
In 1986, he wrote an episode of The New Leave It to Beaver. In 1987, he was honored by the Young Artist Foundation with its Former Child Star Lifetime Achievement Award for his role as Wally Cleaver.
In 1989, Dow made his debut as a director with an episode of The New Lassie, followed by episodes of Get a Life, Harry and the Hendersons, Coach, Babylon 5, Crusade, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He served as the visual effects supervisor for Babylon 5. In 1996, he provided visual effects for the Fox television movie Doctor Who.
Aside from acting, he was also a sculptor, creating abstract bronze sculptures. He said about his work, "The figures are abstract and not meant to represent reality but rather the truth of the interactions as I see and feel them. I find the wood in the hills of Topanga Canyon and each piece evolves from my subconscious. I produce limited editions of nine bronzes using the lost wax process from molds of the original burl sculpture." One of his bronze pieces was on display in the backyard garden of Barbara Billingsley, who played his mother on Leave It to Beaver. He was chosen as one of three sculptors to show at the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts exhibition, in the Carrousel du Louvre, in Paris, France, in December 2008. He represented the United States delegation, which was composed of artists from the Karen Lynne Gallery. His abstract shown at the Parisian shopping mall was titled "Unarmed Warrior", a bronze figure of a woman holding a shield.Good Night Mr. DowStay TunedTony Figueroa
July 27, 1922
Norman Milton Lear is born.
Writer and producer who produced such 1970s sitcomsas All in the Family, Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons, Good Times and Maude. As a political activist, he founded the civil liberties advocacy organization People For the American Way in 1981 and has supported First Amendment rights and liberal causes.
Lear was born in New Haven, Connecticut, the son of Jeanette (née Seicol) and Herman Lear, who worked in sales. [1]He grew up in a Jewishhome and had a Bar Mitzvah.[2]Lear went to high school in Hartford, Connecticut and subsequently attended Emerson College in Boston, but dropped out in 1942 to join the United States Army Air Forces. During World War II, he served in the Mediterranean Theater as a radio operator/gunner on Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers with the 772nd Bombardment Squadron, 463rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) of the Fifteenth Air Force. He flew 52 combat missions, for which he was awarded the Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters. Lear was discharged from the Army in 1945. He and his fellow WWII crew members are featured in the book "Crew Umbriago" by Daniel P.Carroll (tail gunner), and also in another book: 772nd Bomb Squadron: The Men, The Memories by Turner Publishing Company.
In 1954, Lear was enlisted as a writer hoping to salvage the new Celeste Holm CBSsitcom, Honestly, Celeste!, but the program was canceled after eight episodes. In 1959, Lear created his first television series starring Henry Fonda, a half-hour western for Revue Studios called The Deputy. Starting out as a comedy writer, then a film director (he wrote and produced the 1967 film Divorce American Style and directed the 1971 film Cold Turkey, both starring Dick Van Dyke), Lear tried to sell a concept for a sitcom about a blue-collarAmerican family to ABC. They rejected the show after two pilots were filmed. After a third pilot was shot, CBS picked up the show, known as All in the Family. It premiered January 12, 1971 to disappointing ratings, but it took home several Emmy Awards that year, including Outstanding Comedy Series. The show did very well in summer reruns, and it flourished in the 1971-1972 season, becoming the top-rated show on TV for the next five years. After falling from the #1 spot, All in the Family still remained in the top ten, well after it transitioned into Archie Bunker's Place. The show was based on the Britishsitcom Til Death Us Do Part, about an irascible working-class Tory and his Socialistson-in-law.
Lear's second big TV hit was also based on a British sitcom, Steptoe and Son, about a West London junk dealer and his son. Lear changed the setting to the Wattssection of Los Angeles and the characters to African-Americans, and the NBC show Sanford and Son was an instant hit. Numerous hit shows followed thereafter, including Maude (the lead character of which was reportedly based on Lear's then-wife Frances), The Jeffersons (both spin-offs of All in the Family), and One Day at a Time.
What most of the Lear sitcoms had in common was that they were character-driven, had sets that more resembled stage plays than common sitcom sets, were shot on videotape in place of film, used a live studio audience, and most importantly dealt with the social and political issues of the day. Ironically, although Lear's shows are often considered somewhat autobiographical and closely identified with his personal experiences, his early hits were actually all adapted from someone else's creations: the two aforementioned British adaptations and Maude, while reputedly based on Lear's wife, was actually the brainchild of series producer Charlie Hauck.
Lear's longtime producing partner was Bud Yorkin, who served as executive producer of Sanford and Son, split with Lear in 1975. He started a production company with writer/producers Saul Turteltauband Bernie Orenstein, but they had only two shows that ran more than a year: What's Happening!! and Carter Country. The Lear/Yorkin company was known as Tandem Productions. Lear and talent agent Jerry Perenchio founded T.A.T. Communications (T.A.T. stood for "Tuchus Affen Tisch", which is Yiddish for "Putting one's butt on the line") in 1975, which co-existed with Tandem Productions and was often referred to in periodicals as Tandem/T.A.T. The Lear organization was one of the most successful independent TV producers of the 1970s.
He also developed the cult favorite TV series Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. Lear himself stepped down as production supervisor on his shows in 1978 to work on a film dealing with his concerns about the growing influence of radical right-wing evangelists. The film was never fully developed, but the process stimulated his long engagement in political activism.
In 1982, the company bought out Avco Embassy Pictures from Avco Financial Corporation, and the Avco part of its name was dropped. Embassy Pictures was led by (current Warner Bros. President) Alan Horn and Martin Schaeffer, later co-founders of Castle Rock Entertainment with Rob Reiner. In 1985, Lear sold all his film and television production holdings to Columbia Pictures (then owned by the Coca-ColaCompany) which acquired Embassy's film and television division (which included Embassy's in-house television productions and the television rights to the Embassy theatrical library) for $485 million in shares of The Coca-Cola Company. Lear and his longtime partner Jerry Perenchio split the net proceeds (about $250 mm). Coke later sold the film division to Dino De Laurentiis and the home video arm to Nelson entertainment (led by Barry Spikings).
The brand Tandem Productions was abandoned in 1986 with the cancellation of Diff'rent Strokes, and Embassy ceased to exist as a single entity in late 1987, having been split into different components owned by different entities. The Embassy TV division became ELP Communications in 1988, but shows originally produced by Embassy were now under the Columbia Pictures Televisionbanner from 1988–1994 and the Columbia TriStar Televisionbanner from 1994-1998.
Lear attempted to return to TV production in the 1990s with the shows Sunday Dinner, The Powers That Be, and 704 Hauser, the last one putting a different family in the house from All in the Family. None of the series proved successful, despite critical acclaim.
Today, Lear's TV library is owned by Sony Pictures Television.
However, Lear was successful as a businessman, especially with his leveraged acquisition vehicle Act III Communications, founded in 1986 and led initially by Tom McGrath (who met Lear while negotiating on behalf of Coca-Cola the acquisition of Lear's old company) and later by Hal Gaba, a former Embassy executive. This included: Act III Theatres, sold to KKR in 1997 at what is to this day considered a record premium; Act III Broadcasting, sold to Abry Communications; and Act III Publishing, sold to PriMedia. Lear is also the owner of Concord Records and in 2005 consummated a 50% interest in the film library and production assets of Village Roadshow Productions Pty Ltd.
Lear is unofficially credited with giving Rob Reiner, son of Carl Reiner (and a star of All in the Family) his start as a director by financing the mockumentaryThis is Spinal Tap. Lear's Act III Communications, founded in 1986 with Tom McGrath as President, produced several notable films, including Rob Reiner's next two films: Stand By Me, and The Princess Bride as well as Fried Green Tomatoes.
Lear helped finance his then wife's magazine, Lear's Magazine, started by Frances Lear in the late 1980s. The magazine ceased publication in 1994.
In 1997, Lear teamed up with Jim George to produce the Kids' WB cartoon series, Channel Umptee-3. It premiered on Kids WB's Saturday morning lineup on October 25, 1997. The cartoon made television history, as it was the first to meet the Federal Communications Commission's then-new educational/informal programming requirements. Like Lear's other television works, it received positive reviews, but ratings were low due to the network's focus on their core high-rated programming at the time. A time switch from a concrete Saturday schedule to a revolving Friday timeslot caused the show's ratings to dip even more, and it was eventually canceled after one season. September 4, 1998 marked the last airing of Umptee-3on the WB.
In 2003, Lear made an appearance on South Park during the "I'm a Little Bit Country" episode, providing the voice of Benjamin Franklin. He also served as a consultant on the episodes "I'm a Little Bit Country" and "Cancelled".
In 1967, Lear was nominated for an Academy Award for writing Divorce, American Style. Lear was among the first seven television pioneers inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1984. He received four Emmy Awards (two in 1971, and one each in 1972 and 1973) and a Peabody Award in 1978. He received the Humanist Arts Award from the American Humanist Association in 1977. His star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is located at 6615 Hollywood Boulevard.
In 1999, President Bill Clinton awarded the National Medal of Arts to Lear, noting that “Norman Lear has held up a mirror to American society and changed the way we look at it.”
In addition to his success as a TV producer and businessman, Lear is an outspoken supporter of First Amendment and liberal causes. The only time that he did not support the Democraticcandidate for Presidentwas in 1980: he voted for John Anderson because he considered the Carteradministration to be "a disaster".[citation needed]
In 1981, Lear founded People For the American Way, a civil liberties advocacy organization. People For ran several advertising campaigns opposing the interjection of religion in politics. In 1987, People For campaigned against Robert Bork's nomination to the Supreme Court of the United States. The organization is still active.
in 1989, Lear founded the Business Enterprise Trust, an educational program that used annual awards, business school case studies, and videos to spotlight exemplary social innovations in American business. In 2000, he established the Norman Lear Center, a multidisciplinary research and public policy center for exploring the convergence of entertainment, commerce, and society, at the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication.
Lear serves on the National Advisory Board of the Young Storytellers Foundation. He has written articles for The Huffington Post.
Lear is a trustee emeritus at The Paley Center for Media.[3]
In 2001, Lear and his wife, Lyn, purchased a Dunlap broadside—one of the first published copies of the United States Declaration of Independence—for $8.1 million. Not a document collector, Lear said in a press release and on the Today show that his intent was to tour the document around the United States so that the country could experience its "birth certificate" firsthand.[4]Through the end of 2004, the document traveled throughout the United States in the Declaration of IndependenceRoadtrip, which Lear organized, visiting several presidential libraries, dozens of museums, as well as the 2002 Olympics, Super Bowl XXXVI, and the Live 8 concert in Philadelphia.
Lear and Rob Reiner produced a filmed, dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence—the last project filmed by famed cinematographer Conrad Hall—on July 4, 2001, at Independence Hallin Philadelphia. The film, introduced by Morgan Freeman, features Kathy Bates, Benicio del Toro, Michael Douglas, Mel Gibson, Whoopi Goldberg, Graham Greene, Ming-Na, Edward Norton, Winona Ryder, Kevin Spacey, and Renée Zellweger as readers. The film was directed by Arvin Brown and scored by John Williams.
In 2004, Lear established Declare Yourself, a national nonpartisan, nonprofit campaign created to empower and encourage eligible 18-29 year-olds in America to register and vote. Since then, it has registered almost 4 million young people and contributed significantly to the unprecedented turnout of young voters.
As part of the ongoing drive to promote active and thoughtful citizenship, Lear premiered BornAgainAmerican.org at the Presidential Inauguration in 2009. The BornAgainAmerican campaign includes a specially commissioned song and an interactive website, reminding visitors of the American values expressed in the Declaration of Independence.
July 29, 1957
Jack Paar becomes host of The Tonight Show.
NBC returned the program to a talk/variety show format once again, with Jack Paar becoming the new solo host of the show. Under Paar, most of the NBC affiliates which had dropped the show during the ill-fated run of America After Dark began airing the show once again. Paar's era began the practice of branding the series after the host, and as such the program, though officially still called The Tonight Show, was marketed as The Jack Paar Show. A combo band conducted by Paar's Army buddy pianist Jose Melis filled commercial breaks and backed musical entertainers. [See music and announcers below.] Paar also introduced the idea of having guest hosts; one of these early hosts was Johnny Carson. In the late 1950s, it was one of the first regularly scheduled shows to be videotaped in color.
On February 11, 1960, Jack Paar walked off his show for a month after NBC censors edited out a segment, taped the night before, about a joke involving a "W.C." (water closet, a polite term for a flush toilet) being confused for a "wayside chapel." As he left his desk, he said, "I am leaving The Tonight Show. There must be a better way of making a living than this." Paar's abrupt departure left his startled announcer, Hugh Downs, to finish the broadcast himself.
Paar returned to the show on March 7, 1960, strolled on stage, struck a pose, and said, "As I was saying before I was interrupted..." After the audience erupted in applause, Paar continued, "When I walked off, I said there must be a better way of making a living. Well, I've looked... and there isn't."
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
July 22, 1922
Daniel “Dan” Hale Rowan is born.
He was featured in the television show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, where he played straight man to Dick Martin. Born on a carnivaltrain near the small town of Beggs, Oklahoma, under the name of “Daniel Hale David”, Rowan toured with his parents, Oscar and Nellie David, who performed a singing and dancing act with the carnival. He was orphaned at age 11, spent four traumatic years at the McClelland Home in Pueblo, Colorado, then was taken in by a foster family at age 16 and enrolled in Central High School (Pueblo, Colorado). After graduating from high school, he hitchhiked to Los Angeles, California, in 1940 and found a job in the mailroom at Paramount Pictures; quickly ingratiating himself with studio head Buddy DeSylva, a year later he became Paramount's youngest staff writer.
July 22, 1947
Albert Brooks is born Albert Lawrence Einstein.
Actor, writer, director son of Thelma Leeds (née Goodman), a singer and actress, and Harry Parke (né Einstein), a radio comedian who performed on Eddie Cantor's radio program and was known as Parkyarkarkus. His brothers are comedic actor Bob Einstein, better known by his stage name "Super Dave Osborne" and Cliff Einstein, a partner and longtime chief creative officer at the Los Angeles ad agency Dailey & Associates and his half-brother was Charles Einstein (1926-2007), a writer who wrote for such shows as Playhouse 90 and Lou Grant. Brooks started his own career in comedy by landing regular roles on variety shows in the late 1960s and gaining popularity on Saturday Night Live in the 1970s. Brooks' first film appearance was Taxi Driver(1976). He began screenwriting and directing in the 1980s, with films including Lost in America (1985), Defending Your Life (1991), The Muse(1999) and Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World (2005).Stay TunedTony Figueroa
July 12, 1937
William "Bill" Henry Cosby, Jr. the American comedian, actor, author, television producer, and activist is born.
A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a vanguard role in the 1960s action show I Spy. He later starred in his own series, The Bill Cosby Show, in 1969. He was one of the major characters on the children's television show The Electric Company for its first two seasons, and created the humorous educational cartoon series Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, about a group of young friends growing up in the city. Cosby also acted in numerous films. Cosby's net worth is estimated at over $300 million.
July 12, 2002
The first season of "Monk" began.
Monk is an American mystery comedy-drama television series created by Andy Breckman and starring Tony Shalhoub as the title character, Adrian Monk. It originally ran from 2002 to 2009 and is primarily a police procedural series, but also exhibits comic and dramatic tones in its exploration of the main characters' personal lives. The series was produced by Mandeville Films and Touchstone Television in association with Universal Network Television.The series debuted on July 12, 2002, on USA Network. It continued for eight seasons, with the final season concluding on December 4, 2009. The series held the record for the most-watched scripted drama episode in cable television history from 2009 through 2012 (broken by The Walking Dead) with "Mr. Monk and the End – Part II", its series finale, with 9.4 million viewers, 3.2 million of them in the 18–49 demographic. The series was critically acclaimed, winning eight Emmy Awards, one Golden Globe Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.
July 16, 1967
Will Ferrell is born in Irvine, California.
After rising to fame on TV’s Saturday Night Live,Ferrell starred in a string of big-screen comedies, including Old Schooland Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.Ferrell graduated from the University of Southern California in 1990 and went on to join The Groundlings, an improvisational comedy group whose members have included Phil Hartman, Jon Lovitz and Lisa Kudrow. In 1995, Ferrell became a cast member of Saturday Night Live (SNL). Over the course of his seven seasons with the show, he became known for his impersonations of such celebrities as President George W. Bush, game show host Alex Trebek and Inside the Actors Studio host James Lipton. Ferrell also became known for the fictional characters he created, including cowbell player Gene Frenkle of Blue Oyster Cult, cheerleader Craig Buchanan and dense nightclubber Steve Butabi.
In 1998, Ferrell reprised the Butabi character for the feature-length movie A Night at the Roxbury, which co-starred his SNL castmates Chris Kattan and Molly Shannon. The following year, Ferrell and Shannon appeared together in another SNL sketch movie spin-off, Superstar, about the nerdy Catholic schoolgirl Mary Katherine Gallagher (played by Shannon). During his years at SNL, Ferrell also had supporting roles in movie comedies like Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1995), Zoolander(2001) and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001).
In 2003, Ferrell starred in the box-office hits Elf, about a human raised by Santa’s elves, and Old School, about three men in their 30s who try to relive their college days by starting their own fraternity. Ferrell, along with his Old School co-stars Luke Wilson and Vince Vaughn, came to be known in the media as members of the so-called “Frat Pack,” a group of male Hollywood actors who appeared together in comedies in the late 1990s and 2000s. Jack Black, Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller were also considered members of the group.
In recent years, Ferrell has starred in several sports-themed comedies, including 2006’s Talladega Nights, about auto racing; 2007’s Blades of Glory, about figure skating; and 2008’s Semi-Pro, about basketball.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
July 4, 1927
Playwright and screenwriter Neil Simon born in the Bronx section of New York City. In one of his earliest jobs, in the 1950s, Simon wrote for Sid Caesar’s live comedy television program Your Show of Shows, alongside other future greats such as Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner. As Simon went on to write for the stage and big screen, humor would continue to play a major role in his work. Simon’s first Broadway play, Come Blow Your Horn, opened in 1961. He went on to write over 30 plays, including Barefoot in the Park (1963), The Odd Couple(1965), The Last of the Red Hot Lovers (1969), The Sunshine Boys(1972), Chapter Two (1977), the autobiographical trilogy of Brighton Beach Memoirs (1983), Biloxi Blues (1985) and Broadway Bound(1986), Lost in Yonkers (1991) and The Goodbye Girl (1993).
Simon wrote the screenplay for many of his stage productions that were adapted for the big screen. In 1967, Robert Redford and Jane Fonda starred in a cinematic version of Barefoot in the Park, about a young newlywed couple in Manhattan. Redford had also appeared in the original Broadway cast. In 1968, Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau starred in a film version of The Odd Couple,about the mismatched roommates Felix Ungar, a neurotic neat freak, and Oscar Madison, a slob. Matthau also played Oscar Madison in the original Broadway production. The Odd Couple later became a popular TV sitcom that aired from 1970 to 1975 and starred Tony Randall and Jack Klugman. In 1998, Lemmon and Matthau reunited for The Odd Couple II. (The pair appeared in a number of comedic films together, starting with 1966’s The Fortune Cookieand including 1993’s Grumpy Old Men and its 1995 sequel.) Simon has received four Academy Award nominations for Best Screenplay: for The Odd Couple, The Sunshine Boys (1975), which starred Matthau and George Burns, The Goodbye Girl (1977), which starred Richard Dreyfuss and Marsha Mason (whom Simon was married to from 1973 to 1981) and California Suite(1978), which featured Jane Fonda, Alan Alda, Michael Caine and Richard Pryor.
July 6, 1927
Patrick “Pat” Layton Paulsen was born.
The comedian and satirist notable for his roles on several of the Smothers Brothers TV shows, and for his campaigns for President of the United States in 1968, 1972, 1980, 1988, 1992, and 1996, which had primarily comedic rather than political objectives, although his campaigns generated some protest votesfor him.
July 7, 1927
Carl Hilding "Doc" Severinsen the pop and jazztrumpeter is born.
He is best known for leading the NBC Orchestraon The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Severinsen was born in Arlington, Oregon, the son of Minnie Mae and Carl Severinsen, who was a dentist. He was nicknamed "Little Doc" after his father, and had originally wanted to play the trombone. But the senior Severinsen, a gifted amateur violinist, urged him to study the violin. The younger Severinsen insisted on the trombone, but had to settle for the only horn available in Arlington's small music store a trumpet. A week later, with the help of his father and a manual of instructions, the seven-year-old was so good that he was invited to join the high school band.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
July 1, 1952
Daniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, the Academy Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning Canadian-Americancomedian, actor, screenwriter, musician, winemaker and ufologist is born.
He was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, an originator of The Blues Brothers (with John Belushi) and Ghostbusters and has had a long career as a film actor and screenwriter.July 2, 1947
Lawrence "Larry" Gene David the Americanactor, writer, comedian, producer, and film director. David is the co-creator and producer of two successful television comedies, Seinfeld (1989-1998) and Curb Your Enthusiasm (1999-present) is born.
In 1989, he teamed up with Jerry Seinfeld to co-create the television series Seinfeld, where he also acted as head writer and executive producer. David's work won him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1993. In 1999, he created the HBOseries Curb Your Enthusiasm, a mostly improvised sitcom in which he stars as a fictionalized version of himself.
Formerly a standup comedian, David went into television comedy, writing and starring in ABC's Fridays, as well as writing briefly for Saturday Night Live.
July 3, 2012
TV legend Andy Griffith dies age 86 at his North Carolina home.
The actor also was known for his starring role in the 1980s-1990s TV drama "Matlock," in which he portrayed a shrewd Atlanta defense attorney.
Andrew Samuel Griffith was born on June 1, 1926, in Mount Airy, North Carolina. He majored in music at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, graduating in 1949. Griffith went on to teach school for several years before finding success as a stand-up comedian. In 1957, he made his feature film debut in the critically acclaimed drama "A Face in the Crowd," starring, in a serious role, as a drifter who becomes a manipulative, power-hungry celebrity.
"The Andy Griffith Show" premiered in the fall of 1960 and quickly became a hit. Griffith played the amiable Sheriff Andy Taylor, a widower raising his young son Opie, played by Ron Howard (now a successful Hollywood director, whose credits include "A Beautiful Mind" and "The Da Vinci Code"). Set in the small, idyllic community of Mayberry (based on Griffith's hometown of Mount Airy), the show included an ensemble of eccentric characters such as bumbling Deputy Barney Fife (played by Don Knotts), prim Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier), gas-station attendant Gomer Pyle (Jim Nabors), Floyd the barber (Howard McNear) and Otis the town drunk (Hal Smith). The folksy sitcom, memorable for its whistled theme song, which played over opening credits featuring Andy and Opie on their way to go fishing, continues to air in reruns. Additionally, the program spawned the TV shows "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C." (1964-69) and "Mayberry R.F.D." (1968-71).
During the 1970s and 1980s, Griffith appeared in several short-lived TV series and various made-for-TV movies before again finding success in the legal drama "Matlock," which originally aired from 1986 to 1995. The actor's final role was in the 2009 feature film "Play the Game." Also in 2009, the Andy Griffith Museum opened in Mount Airy. The TV legend died of a heart attack on July 3, 2012, at his home on Roanoke Island in North Carolina.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
The controversial Sesame Street episode aired on Feb. 10, 1976 and featured Wizard of Oz star Margaret Hamilton in character as the Wicked Witch of the West.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
June 24, 1987
Jackie Gleason dies.
Actor Jackie Gleason dies on this day in 1987. Raised by a single mother who worked at a subway token booth in New York, Gleason dropped out of high school and began performing on the vaudeville circuit in his teens. Signed to a movie contract by the time he was 24 years old, Gleason played character roles in a handful of movies in 1941 and 1942, but found much more success in television. He became one of TV's most popular stars in a number of shows, including The Jackie Gleason Show, which ran throughout most of the 1950s and '60s. On the show, he created the character of Ralph Kramden, a bus driver who became the beloved star of the spin-off television show The Honeymooners. On June 24, 1987, Gleason died at his Florida home. After a private funeral mass at the Cathedral of Saint Mary in Miami, Gleason was interred in an outdoor mausoleum at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Cemetery in Miami. At the base is the inscription, “And Away We Go.” Stay TunedTony Figueroa
June 16, 1952
My Little Margie debuted on CBS-TV.
The situation comedy starring Gale Storm and Charles Farrell that alternated between CBS and NBC from 1952 to 1955. The series was created by Frank Fox and produced in Los Angeles, California at Hal Roach Studios by Hal Roach, Jr. and Roland D. Reed.My Little Margie premiered on CBS as the summer replacement for I Love Lucy on June 16, 1952, under the sponsorship of Philip Morris cigarettes (when the series moved to NBC for its third season in the fall of 1953, Scott Paper Company became its sponsor). In an unusual move, the series—with the same leads—aired original episodes on CBS Radio, concurrently with the TV broadcasts, from December 1952 through August 1955. Only 23 radio broadcasts are known to exist in recorded form.
June 16, 2002
The first episode of The Dead Zone aired.
The Dead Zone, a.k.a. Stephen King's Dead Zone (in USA) is an American/Canadian science fiction drama television series starring Anthony Michael Hall as Johnny Smith, who discovers he has developed psychic abilities after a coma. The show, credited as "based on characters" from Stephen King's 1979 novel of the same name, first aired in 2002, and was produced by Lionsgate Television and CBS Paramount Network Television (Paramount Network Television 2002-06) for the USA Network.
The show was originally commissioned for UPN, but the network later dropped the show and it was picked up instead by USA.03nmThe series was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for its first five seasons. The sixth and last season was billed as "The season that changes everything" and production was moved to Montreal.
The Dead Zone was expected to be renewed for a seventh season; however, due to low ratings and high production costs the series was canceled in December 2007, without a proper series finale.
Some rumors spread that Syfy would pick up the series after it was canceled by USA, but it did not happen. Rumors of a made-for-TV movie have all but faded with time.
June 18, 1942
Film critic Roger Ebert born.
Roger Ebert used his thumbs to pass judgment on Hollywood’s latest offerings on his long-running TV show, is born in Urbana, Illinois.While a student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the 1960s, Ebert was the editor of the school newspaper, the Daily Illini. He began his professional career in 1966, as a reporter and feature writer at the Chicago Sun-Times, where his interest in movies led him to visit the set of Camelot, the 1967 film starring Richard Harris as King Arthur and Vanessa Redgrave as Queen Guinevere. In the spring of 1967, after the Sun-Times movie critic Eleanor Keane left the paper, Ebert was given the job. Ebert’s first review as critic was of the French New Wave film Galia (1966).
In 1975, Ebert became the first film critic to win the Pulitzer Prize. That same year, he teamed with another critic, Gene Siskel, on a monthly show on local television called Opening Soon at a Theater Near You. By the time the show later moved to PBS (Public Broadcasting System), Siskel and Ebert had established their now-famous format: two men sitting in theater seats discussing the newest movies and giving each of them a positive--”thumbs up”--or negative--”thumbs down”--review. In 1982, the show began a nationwide syndicated broadcast as At the Movies; four years later, the title changed to Siskel & Ebert, which it would keep for the next 20 years.
Siskel and Ebert’s colorful criticism--and their good-natured disagreements--turned their show into a long-running hit, and made them well-known personalities in their own right. Their run lasted until early 1999, when Siskel died at the age of 53, from complications of surgery to remove a brain tumor. Ebert co-hosted with a series of guests until mid-2000, when Richard Roeper of the Sun-Times became his permanent co-host. Ebert & Roeper aired through the summer of 2006, when Ebert underwent surgery to remove cancer in his jaw. Ebert kept fans in the loop about his condition and recovery with written updates on his Sun-Times Web site.
In July 2008, the show’s owner, Buena Vista, decided to pull the plug on Ebert & Roeper, which Roeper had been continuing with guest critics. Ebert had remained active behind the scenes, but had not been able to appear on air because of his illness. In early 2002, Ebert was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer. In February of that year, surgeons at Northwestern Memorial Hospital were able to successfully remove the cancer with clean margins. He later underwent surgery in 2003 for cancer in his salivary gland, and in December of that year, underwent a four-week follow-up course of radiation to his salivary glands, which altered his voice slightly. As he battled the illness, Ebert continued to be a dedicated critic of film, not missing a single opening while undergoing treatment.
Ebert underwent further surgery on June 16, 2006, just two days before his 64th birthday, to remove additional cancerous tissue near his right jaw, which included removing a section of jaw bone. On July 1, Ebert was hospitalized in serious condition after his carotid artery burst near the surgery site and he "came within a breath of death". He later learned that the burst was likely a side effect of his treatment, which involved neutron beam radiation. He was subsequently kept bedridden to prevent further damage to the scarred vessels in his neck while he slowly recovered from multiple surgeries and the rigorous treatment. At one point, his status was so precarious that Ebert had a tracheotomy performed on his neck to reduce the effort of breathing while he recovered.
Ebert had pre-taped enough TV programs with his co-host Richard Roeper to keep him on the air for a few weeks; however, his extended convalescence necessitated a series of "guest critics" to co-host with Roeper: Jay Leno (a good friend to both Ebert and Roeper), Kevin Smith, John Ridley, Toni Senecal, Christy Lemire, Michael Phillips, Aisha Tyler, Fred Willard, Anne Thompson, A.O. Scott, Mario Van Peebles, George Pennacchio, Brad Silberling, and John Mellencamp. Michael Phillips later became Ebert's replacement for the remainder of Roeper's time on At the Movies, until mid-2008, when Roeper did not extend his contract with ABC.
In October 2006, Ebert confirmed his bleeding problems had been resolved. He was undergoing rehabilitation at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago due to lost muscle mass, and later underwent further rehabilitation at the Pritikin Center in Florida."[93] After a three-month absence, the first movie he reviewed was The Queen. Ebert made his first public appearance since the summer of 2006 at Ebertfest on April 25, 2007. He was unable to speak but communicated through his wife, Chaz, through the use of written notes. His opening words to the crowd of devout fans at the festival were a quote from the film he co-wrote with Russ Meyer, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls: "It's my happening and it freaks me out."[94] Also in April 2007, in an interview with WLS-TV in Chicago, he said, "I was told photos of me in this condition would attract the gossip papers — so what?" On April 23, the Sun-Timesreported that, when asked about his decision to return to the limelight, Ebert remarked, "We spend too much time hiding illness."
June 19, 1897
Moe Howard is born Moses Harry Horwitz.
He is best known as the de facto leader of the Three Stooges, the farce comedy team who starred in motion pictures and television for four decades. That group originally started out as Ted Healy and His Stooges, an act that toured the vaudeville circuit. Moe's distinctive hairstyle came about when he was a boy and cut off his curls with a pair of scissors, producing a ragged shape approximating a bowl cut.Stay TunedTony Figueroa
June 10, 2007
Last episode of The Sopranos airs.
Almost 12 million people tune in for the series finale of HBO’s critically acclaimed, multi-award-winning Mob-family drama The Sopranos on this day in 2007.
The mastermind behind The Sopranos was David Chase, a longtime writer, producer and director for TV series such as The Rockford Files, I’ll Fly Away and Northern Exposure. Chase drew inspiration for his latest series from his Italian-American childhood growing up in New Jersey, when he was fascinated by William Wellman’s great 1931 gangster film The Public Enemy, starring Jimmy Cagney. The Sopranos was an immediate hit with critics when it premiered in January 1999. At its center was the New Jersey Mafia boss Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), whose attacks of anxiety early in the series send him into the office of a therapist, Dr. Jennifer Melfi (Lorraine Bracco). It soon becomes clear that Tony has a stressful life managing his family--including his vindictive mother (Nancy Marchand) and uncle (Dominic Chianese), his materialistic but good-hearted wife Carmela (Edie Falco) and his two teenage children, Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) and Anthony Jr., or A.J. (Robert Iler)--as well as his crew of lieutenants, notably Paulie Walnuts (Tony Sirico), Silvio Dante (Steve Van Zandt) and Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli).The Sopranos brought to television a complex, compassionate vision of Mafia life similar to those previously portrayed on the big screen by directors like Francis Ford Coppola (the three Godfather movies) and Martin Scorsese (Mean Streets, Goodfellas). Both The Godfather and Goodfellas were touchstones for Chase (and his characters) throughout the series, as was The Public Enemy, which Tony memorably watches after his mother’s death in the show’s third season.
According to Alessandra Stanley, writing in the New York Times during the final season of The Sopranos: “The series lowered the bar on permissible violence, sex and profanity at the same time that it elevated viewers’ taste, cultivating an appetite for complexity, wit and cinematic stylishness on a serial drama in which psychological themes flickered and built and faded and reappeared. The best episodes had equal amounts of high and low appeal, an alchemy of artistry and gutter-level blood and gore, all of it leavened with humor.” As Stanley recounts, critics and pop-culture observers were often hyperbolic in their praise for the show, calling it Dickensian or Shakespearian; the author Norman Mailer, for one, called The Sopranos the closest thing to the Great American Novel in today’s culture. Fans loved it as well: The show’s audience reached a peak of some 18 million viewers during its fourth season. The show’s breakout success, along with that of the comedy series Sex and the City (which debuted six months before The Sopranos), established HBO’s reputation as the home of some of TV’s most popular original programming.
In the final season of The Sopranos, Tony survives a near-fatal shooting and begins to contemplate his own aging and mortality. Meanwhile, it appears that a full-scale war is brewing between the crime families of New York and New Jersey, as the hated Phil Leotardo (Frank Vincent) takes control of New York after former boss Johnny Sack (Vincent Curatola) dies in prison. When Phil goes after Tony and his crew, they react in turn, and the bodies stack up. In the closing scene of the open-ended finale, Tony meets Carmela, Meadow and A.J. in a diner for dinner. As soon as the screen went black, fans immediately began debating what actually happened, and mourning the end of a show that many had considered the best in the history of television.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
June 1, 1980
CNN (Cable News Network), the world's first 24-hour television news network, makes its debut.
The network signed on at 6 p.m. EST from its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, with a lead story about the attempted assassination of civil rights leader Vernon Jordan. CNN went on to change the notion that news could only be reported at fixed times throughout the day. At the time of CNN's launch, TV news was dominated by three major networks--ABC, CBS and NBC--and their nightly 30-minute broadcasts. Initially available in less than two million U.S. homes, today CNN is seen in more than 89 million American households and over 160 million homes internationally.CNN was the brainchild of Robert "Ted" Turner, a colorful, outspoken businessman dubbed the "Mouth of the South." Turner was born on November 19, 1938, in Cincinnati, Ohio, and as a child moved with his family to Georgia, where his father ran a successful billboard advertising company. After his father committed suicide in 1963, Turner took over the business and expanded it. In 1970, he bought a failing Atlanta TV station that broadcast old movies and network reruns and within a few years Turner had transformed it into a "superstation," a concept he pioneered, in which the station was beamed by satellite into homes across the country. Turner later bought the Atlanta Braves baseball team and the Atlanta Hawks basketball team and aired their games on his network, TBS (Turner Broadcasting System). In 1977, Turner gained international fame when he sailed his yacht to victory in the prestigious America's Cup race.
In its first years of operation, CNN lost money and was ridiculed as the Chicken Noodle Network. However, Turner continued to invest in building up the network's news bureaus around the world and in 1983, he bought Satellite News Channel, owned in part by ABC, and thereby eliminated CNN's main competitor. CNN eventually came to be known for covering live events around the world as they happened, often beating the major networks to the punch. The network gained significant traction with its live coverage of the Persian Gulf War in 1991 and the network's audience grew along with the increasing popularity of cable television during the 1990s.
In 1996, CNN merged with Time Warner, which merged with America Online four years later. Today, Ted Turner is an environmentalist and peace activist whose philanthropic efforts include a 1997 gift of $1 billion to the United Nations.Stay TunedTony Figueroa
May 25, 1992
Jay Leno's first Tonight Show. When Carson announced his retirement in 1992, Jay Leno succeeded him as host (Jay Leno, who became "permanent guest host" in 1987.), much to the outrage of David Letterman, host of Late Night, which ran after Tonight. The following year, Letterman accepted CBS's $42 million offer for his own show and launched the Late Showin 1993, running against Leno's time slot. Letterman beat Leno every week for the show's first year.
On September 22, 2006, Variety reported that The Tonight Showled in ratings for the 11th consecutive season, with a nightly average of 5.7 million viewers – 31% of the total audience in that time slot – compared to 4.2 million viewers for the Late Show with David Letterman, 3.4 million for Nightline and 1.6 million for Jimmy Kimmel Live. When the Leno show initially directly faced Letterman's show, Letterman initially led in ratings, however the turning episode is generally marked when Hugh Grant appeared on Leno (July 10, 1995). Leno famously asked Grant "What the hell were you thinking?" referring to Grant's arrest for seeing a prostitute.
NBC announced in 2004 that Leno would leave The Tonight Show at the end of May 2009, handing the reins to Conan O'Brien. However, following rumors of Leno being interested in moving elsewhere to launch a competing program, NBC signed Leno to a new deal for a nightly talk show in the 10:00 p.m. ET timeslot. The primetime series, tentatively titled The Jay Leno Show, will debut in fall 2009, following a similar format to the Leno incarnation of Tonight.
In their new roles, neither O'Brien nor Leno succeeded in delivering the viewing audiences the network anticipated. On January 7, 2010, multiple media outlets reported that beginning March 1, 2010, Jay Leno would move from his 10pm weeknight time slot to 11:35pm, due to a combination of pressure from local affiliates whose newscasts were suffering, and both Leno's and O'Brien's poor ratings.[27][28]Leno's show would be shortened from an hour to 30 minutes. All NBC late night programming would be preempted by the 2010 Winter Olympics between February 15 and February 26. This would move The Tonight Show to 12:05am, a post-midnight timeslot for the first time in its history. O'Brien's contract stipulated that NBC could move the show back to 12:05 a.m. without penalty (a clause put in primarily to accommodate sports preemptions).[29]
On January 10, NBC confirmed that they would move Jay Leno out of primetime as of February 12 and intended to move him to late night as soon as possible. TMZ reported that O'Brien was given no advance notice of this change, and that NBC offered him two choices: an hour-long 12:05am time slot, or the option to leave the network. On January 12, O'Brien issued a press release that stated he would not continue with Tonight if it moved to a 12:05am time slot, saying, "I believe that delaying The Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. The Tonight Showat 12:05 simply isn’t the Tonight Show."
On January 21, it was announced that NBC had struck a deal with O'Brien. It was decided that O'Brien would leave The Tonight Show. The deal was made that O'Brien would receive a $33 million payout and that his staff of almost 200 would receive $12 million in the departure. O'Brien's final episode aired on Friday, January 22. Leno returned as host of The Tonight Showfollowing the 2010 Winter Olympics on March 1, 2010.
Notable episodes In September 2000, with California in an energy crisis that forced power outages, Jay Leno did an episode in the dark using only candles and flashlights known as "The Tonight Show Unplugged" in response to California's power crisis. * Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, The Tonight Show was off the air for about a week, as were most similar programs. The first post-9/11 episode began with a still image of an American flag and a subdued opening without the usual opening credits. Leno's monologue paid tribute to those who lost their lives and to firefighters, police and rescue workers across the US. Leno had questioned whether a show that regularly poked fun at the government could continue after the attacks, but in his monologue, he explained that he saw the show as a respite from the grim news of the world, akin to a cookie or glass of lemonade handed to a firefighter. Senator John McCain and the musical group Crosby, Stills, and Nash were featured guests. For an extended period after the attack, a short clip of a large American flag waving was shown in between the announcement of the musical guest and Leno's introduction during the opening montage. * On August 6, 2003, actor Arnold Schwarzenegger appeared on The Tonight Show and confirmed he would be running against California Governor Gray Davis for the California recall election. Schwarzenegger won the election on October 7. * On January 24, 2005, Leno had an episode that paid tribute to Tonight Show predecessor Johnny Carson, who had died the day before. There were no opening credits, and the monologue simply gave condolence to Carson. There were no segments used, however, Leno played clips from The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson before commercials. All the guests were people who had worked with Carson or had been on his show, including Ed McMahon, Drew Carey, Don Rickles, and Bob Newhart. * On July 20, 2006, as Colin Farrell was being interviewed by Leno, Farrell's stalker, Dessarae Bradford, evaded security, walked on stage as cameras were rolling, confronted Farrell, and threw her book on Leno's desk. In front of a silent, stunned audience, Farrell escorted her off the stage himself, told the camera crew to stop filming, and handed her over to security. As Bradford was led out of the studio, she shouted, "I'll see you in court!" Farrell's response was a smooth, "Darling, you're insane!" Outside the studio, NBC security handed her off to Burbank police, who eventually released her. While waiting to begin filming again, a shocked Leno sarcastically called for "a round of applause for NBC security" from the audience. After Farrell apologized to the audience, describing Bradford as, "my first stalker," the show then continued filming and the incident was edited out of the broadcast aired that night. Farrell later requested a restraining order in court against Bradford. * On January 2, 2008, The Tonight Show (along with Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Late Night with Conan O'Brien) returned to air without writers, with the WGA still on strike. This was in response to the deal by David Letterman's production company Worldwide Pants with the WGA to allow Late Show with David Letterman and Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson* to return with writers. Leno's guest that night, Republican Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, was criticized for crossing the WGA picket line to appear on the show. Huckabee would go on to win the Iowa caucuses the next day. * On March 19, 2009, President Barack Obama appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. This marked the first time that a sitting President of the United States appeared on a late night talk show. President Barack Obama came under fire for a remark made about the Special Olympics, in which he made in reference to Leno's congratulations to Obama's low bowling score.
May 27, 1972
Comedian George Carlin first listed in his monologue "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television". The words are shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker, and tits. At the time, the words were considered highly inappropriate and unsuitable for broadcast on the public airwaves in the United States, whether radio or television. As such, they were avoided in scripted material, and bleep censored in the rare cases in which they were used; broadcast standards differ in different parts of the world, then and now, although most of the words on Carlin's original list remain taboo on American broadcast television as of 2012. The list was not an official enumeration of forbidden words, but rather was compiled by Carlin. Nonetheless, a radio broadcast featuring these words led to a U.S. Supreme Court decision that helped establish the extent to which the federal government could regulate speech on broadcast television and radio in the United States.
During one of Lenny Bruce's performances in 1966, he said he was arrested for saying nine words, and says them in alphabetical order: ass, balls, cocksucker, cunt, fuck, motherfucker, piss, shit, tits. The last seven words are the same as George Carlin's.
In 1972, George Carlin released an album of stand-up comedy entitled Class Clown. One track on the album was "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television," a monologue in which he identified these words, expressing amazement that these particular words could not be used, regardless of context. He was arrested for disturbing the peace when he performed the routine at a show at Summerfest in Milwaukee.
On his next album, 1973's Occupation: Foole, Carlin performed a similar routine titled "Filthy Words," dealing with the same list and many of the same themes. Pacifica station WBAI-FMbroadcast this version of the routine uncensored on October 30 that year. John Douglas, an active member of Morality in Media, claimed that he heard the broadcast while driving with his then 15-year-old son and complained to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that the material was inappropriate for the time of day.
Following the lodging of the complaint, the FCC proceeded to ask Pacifica for a response, then issued a declaratory order upholding the complaint. No specific sanctions were included in the order, but WBAI was put on notice that "in the event subsequent complaints are received, the Commission will then decide whether it should utilize any of the available sanctions it has been granted by Congress." WBAI appealed this decision, which was overturned by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The FCC in turn appealed to the Supreme Court, which in 1978 ruled in favor of the FCC in FCC v. Pacifica Foundation.
This decision formally established indecency regulation in American broadcasting. In follow-up rulings, the Supreme Court established the safe-harbor provision that grants broadcasters the right to broadcast indecent (but not obscene) material between the hours of 10 pm and 6 am, when it is presumed many children will be asleep. The FCC has never maintained a specific list of words prohibited from the airwaves during the time period from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., but it has alleged that its own internal guidelines are sufficient to determine what it considers obscene. The seven dirty words had been assumed to be likely to elicit indecency-related action by the FCC if uttered on a TV or radio broadcast, and thus the broadcast networks generally censor themselves with regard to many of the seven dirty words. The FCC regulations regarding "fleeting" use of expletives were ruled unconstitutionally vague by a three-judge panel of the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in New York on July 13, 2010, as they violated the First Amendment due to their possible effects regarding free speech.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
Here is another"Mental Sorbet"A little spark of madnessthat we could use to momentarily forget about thosethings that leave a bad taste in our mouthsToday released a video of Audible Theater's reading of Murder in Studio One* which was performed April 27 at Off-Broadway's Minetta Lane Theater. The reading starred NBC News personalities Hoda Kotb, Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker, Craig Melvin, and Jenna Bush Hager. Watch the full video above.The whodunit play first premiered in 1941 and was written by Norman Corwin. It runs roughly 37 minutes in duration. The show takes place in a New York radio station and follows a female private investigator and her fast-talking sidekick as they take on a murder case.The radio play has been adapted for this reading with permission from the Norman Administrative Trust. Proceeds from ticket sales were donated to Boys and Girls Clubs of America. The performance was also released as a podcast through Audible.Stay Tuned and Wash Your Hands
| |*Tony Figueroa
May 19, 1992
Vice President Dan Quayle criticized the Murphy Brown character for "ignoring the importance of fathers by birthing a child alone".
In the show's 1991–1992 season, Murphy became pregnant. When her baby's father (ex-husband and current underground radical Jake Lowenstein) expressed his unwillingness to give up his own lifestyle to be a parent, Murphy chose to have the child and raise it alone. Another major fiction-reality blending came at Murphy's baby shower: the invited guests were journalists Katie Couric, Joan Lunden, Paula Zahn, Mary Alice Williams and Faith Daniels, who treated the fictional Murphy and Corky as friends and peers.
At the point where she was about to give birth, she had stated that "several people do not want me to have the baby. Pat Robertson; Phyllis Schlafly; half of Utah!" Right after giving birth to her son, Avery, Murphy sang the song "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" by Aretha Franklin. This storyline made the show a subject of political controversy during the 1992 American presidential campaign. On May 19, 1992, then Vice President Dan Quayle spoke at the Commonwealth Clubin San Francisco. During his speech,[5] he criticized the Murphy Brown character for "ignoring the importance of fathers by birthing a child alone".Quayle's remarks caused a public discussion on family values, culminating in the 1992–93 season premiere, "You Say Potatoe, I Say Potato", where the television characters reacted to Quayle's comments and produced a special episode of FYIshowcasing and celebrating the diversity of the modern American family. Because Quayle's actual speech made little reference to Murphy Brown's fictional nature (other than the use of the word character), the show was able to use actual footage from his speech to make it appear that, within the fictional world of the show, Quayle was referring to Murphy Brown personally, rather than to the fictional character. At the end, Brown helps organize a special edition of FYIfocusing on different kinds of families then arranges a retaliatory prank in which a truckload of potatoes is dumped in front of Quayle's residence, while a disc jockey commenting on the incident notes the Vice President should be glad people were not making fun of him for misspelling "fertilizer", (On June 15, 1992, at a spelling bee in Trenton, New Jersey, Quayle had erroneously corrected an elementary school student's spelling of "potato" to "potatoe".) When Candice Bergen won another Emmy that year, she thanked Dan Quayle. The feud was cited by E! as #81 on its list of "101 Reasons the '90s Ruled."
In 2002, Bergen said in an interview that she personally agreed with much of Quayle's speech, calling it "a perfectly intelligent speech about fathers not being dispensable" and adding that "nobody agreed with that more than I did."
Quayle would eventually display a sense of humor about the incident—after the controversy died down, he appeared for an interview on an independent Los Angeles TV station and for his final question was asked what his favorite TV show was. He responded with "Murphy Brown—Not!" The station would later use the clip of Quayle's response to promote its showing of Murphy Brown re-runs in syndication.
May 20, 2007
The Simpsons airs 400th episode.
The Simpsons was created by Matt Groenig, whose comic strip Life Is Hell caught the attention of the Hollywood producer James L. Brooks. Brooks enlisted Groenig to create a cartoon short that would run during the Fox sketch comedy series The Tracey Ullmann Show. Two of the show’s regulars, Dan Castellaneta and Julie Kavner, provided the voices for Homer and Marge Simpson, while Nancy Cartwright (who had originally auditioned for the role of their daughter, Lisa) landed the role of their troublemaking adolescent son, Bart. Lisa (voiced by Yeardley Smith) rounded out the speaking parts for the dysfunctional Simpson family, who made their debut on The Tracey Ullmann Show in April 1987. Brooks later convinced Barry Diller, Fox’s then-chief executive, to turn the shorts into a half-hour weekly series, to be developed by Brooks, Groenig and Sam Simon. The Simpsons debuted on Fox in December 1989 with a special Christmas episode, “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire.”The first animated prime-time sitcom since The Flinstones in the 1960s, The Simpsons burst onto the scene during a period when most of the successful comedy series on television were family-friendly offerings such as The Cosby Show, Full House, Growing Pains and Family Matters. Offbeat and dysfunctional, The Simpsons offered a far different view of family life. Critics raved about the show and its edgy, pop-culture savvy humor from the beginning, and it became a huge ratings hit.
In 2005, The Simpsons became the longest-running sitcom ever, passing The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, which ran for 14 seasons (1952-66). Over the years, the series racked up no fewer than 23 Emmy Awards, and was named by TIME magazine as the best show of all time in 1999 and as No. 1 on Entertainment Weekly’s list of New Classic TV Shows in 2008. Its incredible success paved the way for other adult-oriented animated series, notably Beavis and Butthead, King of the Hill, The Family Guyand South Park.
May 22, 1992
The FinalThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonAs his retirement approached, Johnny Carson tried to avoid too much sentimentality, but would periodically show clips of some of his favorite moments and revisit with some of his favorite guests.
However, no one was quite prepared for Carson's next-to-last night, where his final guests his guests were Robin Williams and Bette Midler. Midler found the emotional vein of the farewell. After the topic of their conversation turned to Johnny's favorite songs ("I'll Be Seeing You" and "Here's That Rainy Day"), Midler mentioned she knew a chorus of the latter. She began singing the song, and after the first line, Carson joined in and turned it into a touching impromptu duet. Midler finished her appearance when, from center stage, she slowly sang the pop standard "One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)." This penultimate show was immediately recognized as a television classic, and Midler would win an Emmy Award for her role in it.
Carson did not have guests on his final episode of The Tonight Show. An estimated 50 million people watched this retrospective show, which ended with him sitting on a stool alone on the stage, curiously similar to Jack Paar's last show. He gave these final words of goodbye,
“And so it has come to this: I, uh... am one of the lucky people in the world; I found something I always wanted to do and I have enjoyed every single minute of it. I want to thank the gentlemen who've shared this stage with me for thirty years. Mr. Ed McMahon, Mr. Doc Severinsen, and you people watching. I can only tell you that it has been an honor and a privilege to come into your homes all these years and entertain you. And I hope when I find something that I want to do and I think you would like and come back that you'll be as gracious in inviting me into your home as you have been. I bid you a very heartfelt good night”.
During his final speech, Carson told the audience that he hoped to return to television with another project and that hopefully "will meet with your approval". A few weeks after the final show aired, it was announced that NBC and Carson had struck a deal to develop a new series, but ultimately he chose never to return to television with another show of his own.
Johnny Carson died of complications from emphysema on January 23, 2005 at age 79.
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
May 9, 1992
The final episode of "The Golden Girls" aired on NBC.
After six consecutive seasons in the top 10, and the seventh season at number 30, The Golden Girls came to an end when Bea Arthur chose to leave the series. In the hour-long series finale, which aired in May 1992, Dorothy meets and marries Blanche's Uncle Lucas (Leslie Nielsen), and moves to Hollingsworth Manor in Atlanta, Georgia. Sophia was to join her, but in the end, Sophia stays behind with the other women in Miami, leading into the spin-off series, The Golden Palace. The series finale was watched by 27.2 million viewers. As of 2016, it was the 17th-most watched television finale.May 9, 2002
The pilot episode of "CSI: Miami" aired.
Starring David Caruso as Lieutenant Horatio Caine, Emily Procter as Detective Calleigh Duquesne, and Kim Delaney as Lieutenant Megan Donner, the series is the first direct spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, "transplanting the same template and trickery — gory crimes, procedural plot and dazzling graphics — into [a new city] while retaining the essence of the original idea".May 12, 1992
Robert Reed dies. An only child, Reed was born John Robert Rietz, Jr., in the northeast Chicago suburb of Highland Park, Illinois. His parents were Helen (born Teaverbaugh) and John Robert Rietz,
Sr. His parents, high school sweethearts, were married since they were 18. The family lived in Des Plaines, Illinois at 621 Parsons Street, and Reed attended the West Division School in Community Consolidated School District 62 until 1939. His father worked in the government, and his mother was a housewife. Reed spent his later childhood years in Muskogee, Oklahoma, as well as Navasota, Texas, and later studied Shakespeare in college. In Oklahoma his father, John Sr., worked as a turkey farmer, raising 200 turkeys annually. Reed seems not to have taken in interest in his father's farm work.In his youth, he joined the 4-H agricultural club, and showed calves. But he was more interested in acting and music. While attending Central High School in Muskogee, he participated in both activities. He was a handsome, popular student in high school, hanging out with classmates at the nearby ice cream parlor. John Jr. also took to the stage, where he performed and sang. During breaks, he also put on plays himself, practicing all night long.
John Jr. knew he was going to make it and was very serious about becoming an actor. He appeared in every school play and landed the majority of lead roles. He was a consummate professional, who demanded the same of his teen peers. In his junior year, he took a radio and speech class. His charming delivery led him to a job as the city's radio disc jockey, reading news and commercials. John Jr. graduated from Muskogee Central in 1950. His drama teacher told him the next step in his theatrical training should be at Northwestern University. John also wanted to attend the university, with a major in theater; however, his parents had other plans for him. They wanted him to study law or any other profession in college. But he took acting classes anyway, choosing to be an actor.
At Northwestern he was a member of Beta Theta Pi, and later transferred to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, in London.
During his years at Northwestern, he appeared in several plays under the direction of Alvine Krause, a celebrated Northwestern drama coach. He also appeared in Summer Stock in Eagles Mere, Pennsylvania. John performed in more than 8 plays in college all with leading roles and mastered Shakespeare as well. He practiced his skills for a camera while revealing a rarely seen, comical side. While he was working hard in college, he was keeping a private secret. He would not reveal that he was gay, especially to his best friend, Tam Spiva. Despite his sexual orientation, he was dating a woman.
When he became an actor, he adopted the stage name Robert Reed.
Reed made his first guest-starring appearance in an episode of Father Knows Best, a role which led him to co-star in The Defenders. The part also led to other roles such as: Men into Space, Family Affair, Ironside, The Mod Squad, Bob Hope Presents The Chrysler Theatre, Lawman, 4 episodes of Love, American Style, Chase, Harry O, McCloud, Jigsaw John, The Streets of San Francisco, Barnaby Jones, Crazy Like a Fox, The Paper Chase, among many others.
He first gained fame in the early 1960s for starring along with E. G. Marshall in the television drama series The Defendersfrom 1961 to 1965. He also appeared in the 1968 film Star!
Appearing in the Neil Simon play, Barefoot in the Park led him to two new contracts, at Paramount Studios and ABC, both in 1968. The minute that studio decided to turn the television version of Barefoot in the Park into an African-American show, they planned for Reed to star in something else. Originally titled, The Bradey Bunch, the show featured a widowed man, who had 3 kids from a previous marriage, marrying a divorcee, also with 3 kids, from a previous marriage. According to former Gilligan's Island creator Sherwood Schwartz, he said about the show's plan for 6 kids (meaning 3 boys/3 girls) to create a well-blended family: "I read a small item in the Los Angeles Times. It said that that year, 29% of all marriages had a previous spouse with a child or children from that other marriage. It was a social phenomenon that was occurring, and I said, 'I could take advantage of that.'
Reed was actually the producers' second choice for the role of Mike Brady, after Gene Hackman was rejected because he was too unfamiliar at the time. Also starring on The Brady Bunch was a popular singer/unknown actress Florence Henderson, who played the role of Mike's wife Carol Brady; after her best friend Shirley Jones turned down that role, in favor of another sitcom, The Partridge Family, which debuted the year later, also on ABC. Also cast on the show was the only familiar actress Ann B. Davis, as the maid, Alice Nelson, along with a half-dozen unknown stars: Maureen McCormick as the oldest girl in the family, Marcia Brady, Eve Plumb as the middle girl in the family, Jan Brady, Susan Olsen as the youngest girl in the family, Cindy Brady, Barry Williams as the oldest boy in the family, Greg Brady, Christopher Knight as the middle boy in the family, Peter Brady and Mike Lookinland as the youngest boy in the family, Bobby Brady. Reed was notoriously difficult to work with both on and off the set; despite that, the cast got along well with him. Olsen became friends with Reed's real-life daughter, who in turn made a guest appearance on the show.
However, unlike The Defenders, The Brady Bunch was a lighthearted comedy. Despite not being a Top 30 show during its five season run, which competed against two highly-rated TV series, The High Chaparral for 2 seasons (1969–1971) and Sanford and Son for 3 1/2 seasons (1972–1974), The Brady Bunch was an audience favorite of the 1970s, and appeared on dozens of magazines. It was one of five series to be canceled in 1974 (along with other ABC shows such as Room 222, The F.B.I., The Partridge Family and Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law), after 5 seasons, and 117 episodes, due to low ratings, however, the show had continued to enjoy its success in strong syndication, including TV Land.
From the beginning of The Brady Bunch, Reed was unhappy with his role of Mike Brady. He felt that acting in the often silly sitcom was beneath his serious Shakespearean training. Despite his discontent with the show, by most accounts, he genuinely liked his co-stars and was a beloved father figure to the younger cast members. In his efforts to bring more realism to the show, Reed often locked horns with the show's creator and executive producer, Sherwood Schwartz. Reed presented Schwartz with frequent, usually hand-written memorandums detailing why a certain character's motivation did not make sense, and/or why it was wrong for a certain episode to combine elements of different styles, such as farce and satire.
Reed was particularly appalled by The Brady Bunch's fifth season finale, "The Hair-Brained Scheme". He sent Schwartz a memo picking apart the episode, but Schwartz did not receive the memo promptly enough to change the show as Reed wanted. As a result, the disgusted Reed told Schwartz they'd have to do the episode without him, which they did, changing the shooting schedule and giving Mike Brady's lines to other characters. As a result Schwartz fired him from the series — which turned out not to make a difference because The Brady Bunch was canceled after that.
Reed reprised the role of Mike Brady in the variety show The Brady Bunch Hour, as well as The Brady Brides, several made-for-TV Brady movies, and another series that followed, The Bradys.
During the run of The Brady Bunch, Reed also had a recurring role as Lieutenant Adam Tobias on the television drama Mannix from 1967 to 1975.
After the end of The Brady Bunch in 1974, Reed acted on the stage and made many guest star appearances on other television shows and television movies, including Pray for the Wildcats and SST: Death Flight. He won critical acclaim for his portrayal of a doctor who wants to undergo a sex change operation in a two-part episode of Medical Center in 1975. Reed also appeared in The Boy in the Plastic Bubble, Rich Man, Poor Man and Roots. He also guest starred on Wonder Woman, playing the Falcon. Other notable guest appearances include: Hawaii Five-O, Charlie's Angels, Galactica 1980, Vega$, and Murder, She Wrote for at least three appearances. Reed played the regular role of Dr. Adam Rose on the critically acclaimed (though short-lived) hospital drama Nurse during the 1981–1982 television season. In 1986, he played the role of Lloyd Kendall on the daytime soap opera Search for Tomorrow. He also made multiple appeances in Hunter (U.S. TV series) and Jake and the Fatman as well as The Love Boat.
In 1971, Reed was the defendant in Anglia TV v. Reed, an important case in English contract common law. Reed lost the lawsuit for £2,750.
Reed was married to Marilyn Rosenberg (1954–1959). The couple had one daughter, Karen Rietz, who was born in 1956. Karen had a small role in an episode of The Brady Bunch entitled "The Slumber Caper." Her character's name was Karen and she is credited as "Carolyn Reed." This episode also reunited Reed with his co-star from The Defenders, E. G. Marshall.
Reed felt his career required him to be secretive about his homosexuality. Nonetheless, most of the Brady Bunch cast members—most notably Barry Williams and Florence Henderson—knew of his sexual orientation, and expressed outrage at the media's exploitation of it after his death.
In 1972, at the end of the third year of The Brady Bunch, Reed took his own family, his parents, along with his on-screen Brady Bunch family on vacation to New York City and London, England. In New York, he introduced the young actors to Broadway, then they headed on a crossing aboard the RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 to England. Reed enjoyed spending time with his on-screen kids, as he rarely had time to spend with his own daughter, Karen. Years after the divorce, his former wife, Marilyn, moved back to Chicago, where she remarried. Reed allowed Karen to be adopted by her stepfather.
He purchased a home in South Pasadena, California, with the money he made from The Brady Bunch, and invited his parents to live with him.
His father, John Rietz, Sr., died in 1975; his mother continued to live with her son after her husband's death, while she served as a hostess. The two got along well. Just before Reed's death, when his relationship with his mother diminished, she moved back to Oklahoma.
Reed was very close friends with actress Anne Haney. It was she who informed his daughter of his homosexuality and his having contracted HIV. She often got his HIV medication for him under a pseudonym to protect his private life.
Reed died on May 12, 1992, at his home in South Pasadena, California, after a six month battle with colon cancer and lymphoma; he tested HIV positive the previous year but did not have AIDS at the time of his death, as has been reported in the media. He was cremated and his ashes are interred in Memorial Park Cemetery, Skokie, Illinois next to his grandparents, Harvey and Elizabeth Rietz, and an uncle who died in childhood. Joined by many mourners at a private memorial were the cast of The Brady Bunch, and his best friends Anne Haney and E. G. Marshall. Both his mother, Helen, and daughter, Karen, declined to attend his memorial.
May 13th, in 1922
Bea Arthur is born Bernice Frankel
She was an American actress, comedian, singer, and animal rights activist. Her career spanned seven decades.Arthur achieved fame as the character Maude Findlay on the 1970s sitcoms All in the Family (1971–72) and Maude (1972–78), and as Dorothy Zbornak on the 1980s sitcom The Golden Girls (1985–92), winning Emmy Awards for both roles. A stage actress both before and after her television success, she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance as Vera Charles in the original cast of Mame (1966).
Stay TunedTony Figueroa
May 5, 1997 The final episode of The Jeff Foxworthy Show aired. The first series aired on ABC during the 1995-1996 season, but was cancelled after one season. NBC picked up the show for the following season, but it was again cancelled after one season. In the first series, thinking his routine was "too Southern" for a national network, they based his sitcom in Bloomington, Indiana. Jay Mohr and Bob Saget made regular or cameo appearances, as did country singers Tim McGraw and Travis Tritt. When the show moved to NBC, in addition to the casting changes, the show's production changed. In the first series, the show was recorded on tape; the second season was shot on film. In the second series, the show was set in a fictitious town in Georgia, based on his hometown in the South, and the series was given a redesigned opening and theme. Haley Joel Osment was the only other actor besides Foxworthy to make the move to NBC with the series, and Jeff's wife Karen was the only character that carried over with Jeff and Matt. Jonathan Lipnicki was added to the cast as the Foxworthys' other son Justin.May 7, 1947* Kraft Television Theaterpremiered on NBC. Initially produced by the J. Walter Thompson advertising agency, the live hour-long series offered television plays with new stories and new characters each week, in addition to adaptations of such classics as A Christmas Carol and Alice in Wonderland. The program was broadcast live from Studio 8-H at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, currently the home of Saturday Night Live. Beginning October 1953, ABC added a separate series (also titled Kraft Television Theatre), created to promote Kraft's new Cheez Whiz product. This series ran for sixteen months, telecast on Thursday evenings at 9:30pm, until January 1955. After Kraft cancelled the second show, the second show changed its sponsor to become Pond's Theatre on ABC-TV from March 1955, while the original Kraft Theatre continued on NBC-TV. May 7, 1987 Shelly Long, as Diane Chambers, made her last appearance as a regular on the TV show Cheers.In December 1986, Long decided to leave Cheers for a movie career and family; she said that she and Danson had "done some really terrific work at Cheers". Her decision was so surprising that it became national news and greatly worried the show's cast and crew, who believed that the Sam-Diane relationship was fundamental to Cheers'success. In February 1987, the creators decided to find a female lead replacement who did not resemble Shelley Long. During production of "I Do, Adieu," the producers developed ideas to separate Sam and Diane. Many ideas of writing out Diane were attempted, but they decided she would leave Boston for a writing career. James Burrows said they intended Cheers to be a comedy about comedy set in the bar, but the "Sam and Diane" romance predominated the show for five years and would have made the bar a minor role and less relevant if Long had not left the show in 1987. When Long decided to leave Cheers, producers made plans to revise the show without losing its initial premise; they credited Long's departure for saving the series from cancellation.Stay TunedTony Figueroa*
April 25, 1992 The final episode of Growing Pains aired on ABC.* April 25, 1992 The final episode of Who's the Boss?* aired on ABC. *April 25, 1997 The Dukes of Hazzard television movie entitled "The Reunion" aired.April 28, 1957Mike Wallace was seen on TV for the first time. He was the host of Mike Wallace Interviews. April 29, 1992The Los Angeles Riots were sparked on when a jury* acquitted*four* Los Angeles Police Department*officers accused in the videotaped beating of* African-American*motorist* RodneyKing following a high-speed pursuit. Thousands of people in the Los Angeles area rioted over the six days following the verdict. First day (Wednesday, April 29) The acquittals of the four accused Los Angeles Police Department officers came at 3:15 p.m. local time. By 3:45, a crowd of more than 300 people had appeared at the Los Angeles County Courthouse, most protesting the verdicts passed down a half an hour earlier and many miles away. Between 5 and 6 p.m., a group of two dozen officers, commanded by LAPD Lt. Michael Moulin, confronted a growing African-Americancrowd at the intersection of Florence and Normandie in South Central Los Angeles. Outnumbered, these officers retreated. A new group of protesters appeared at Parker Center, the LAPD's headquarters, by about 6:30 p.m., and 15 minutes later, the crowd at Florence and Normandie had started looting, attacking vehicles and people, mainly whites.At approximately 6:45 p.m., Reginald Oliver Denny, a white truck driver who stopped at a traffic light at the intersection of Florence and South Normandie Avenues, was dragged from his vehicle and severely beaten by a mob of local black residents as news helicopters hovered above, recording every blow, including a concrete fragment connecting with Denny's temple and a cinder block thrown at his head as he lay unconscious in the street. The police never appeared, having been ordered to withdraw for their own safety, although several assailants (the so-called L.A. Four) were later arrested and one, Damian Williams, was sent to prison. Instead, Denny was rescued by an unarmed, African American civilian named Bobby Green Jr. who, seeing the assault live on television, rushed to the scene and drove Denny to the hospital using the victim's own truck, which carried twenty-seven tons of sand. Denny had to undergo years of rehabilitative therapy, and his speech and ability to walk were permanently damaged. Although several other motorists were brutally beaten by the same mob, Denny remains the best-known victim of the riots because of the live television coverage.April 30, 1992*The final episode of the* The Cosby Show aired. The sitcom debuted in 1984 at a time when the sitcom was declared to be dead. Comedian Bill Cosby starred in the nation's top-rated program for four of its eight years and always ranked in the top 20 shows. The show focused on the Huxtable family, an upper-middle class African-American family living in a brownstonein Brooklyn Heights, New York. The patriarch was Heathcliff "Cliff" Huxtable, an obstetrician. The matriarch was attorneyClair Huxtable. Despite its comedic tone, the show sometimes involved serious subjects, such as son Theo's experiences dealing with dyslexia, inspired by Cosby's child Ennis, who was also dyslexic.Although the cast and characters were predominantly African-American, the program was unusual in that issues of race were rarely mentioned when compared to other situation comedies of the time, such as The Jeffersons. However, The Cosby Show had African-American themes, such as civil rights marches, and it frequently promoted African-American and African culture represented by artists and musicians such as Jacob Lawrence, Miles Davis, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Lena Horne, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie and Miriam Makeba.*April 30th 1992The second day of the Los Angeles Riots, KNBC (NBC's Los Angeles affiliate) was covering the historic event nonstop. But that evening the station decided to suspend it’s around the clock riot coverage to air the series finale of The Cosby Showgiving viewers a brief Mental Sorbet. Following the broadcast Bill Cosby went on the air and asked Angelinos to pray for peace. April 30, 1997In* The Puppy Episode of the ABC sitcom Ellen*, the character of Ellen Morgan (played by Ellen DeGeneres) announces that she is gay. The widely publicized episode featured cameos by Oprah Winfrey, k.d. lang, Demi Moore, Billy Bob Thornton, and Dwight Yoakam. An estimated 42 million viewers watched the special hour-long program. Ellen DeGeneres herself had come out earlier that year on The Oprah Winfrey Show and in TIME. Ellenis often credited to be the first primetime sitcom to feature a gay leading character but there was a sitcom titled Love, Sidney (1981 until 1983) staring the late Tony Randall. The first openly gay regular character on a sitcom was Soap's (1977) Jodie Dallas, played by Billy Crystal.In the spring of 1994, Ellen DeGeneres was cast in a series called These Friends of Mine, but in the fall of 1994, she took center stage and the program was retiled Ellen*. The program finished in the top 20 shows for the 1994-1995 season. The outing ignited a storm of controversy, prompting ABC to place a parental advisory at the beginning of each episode.Despite her success, and the enormous audience drawn by the coming-out episode, ABC cancelled the series at the end of the 1998 season. Although the network pointed to dwindling ratings, Ellen DeGeneres contended that the network buckled under pressure from conservative groups and stopped promoting the show after the controversial episode. Stay TunedTony Figueroa**
April 18, 2012Dick Clark, host of "American Bandstand" and "New Year's Rockin' Eve," dies.On this day in 2012, Dick Clark, the TV personality and producer best known for hosting "American Bandstand," an influential music-and-dance show that aired nationally from 1957 to 1989 and helped bring rock `n' roll into the mainstream in the late 1950s, dies of a heart attack at age 82 in Santa Monica, California. The clean-cut, youthful-looking Clark, dubbed "America’s Oldest Teenager," also was the longtime host of the annual telecast "New Year's Rockin' Eve" and headed an entertainment empire that developed game shows, awards shows, talk shows, made-for-TV movies and other programs.Richard Wagstaff Clark was born on November 30, 1929, and raised in Mount Vernon, New York. His father was a salesman who later managed a radio station. Clark graduated from Syracuse University in 1951 and moved to Philadelphia the following year to work as a radio disc jockey. In 1956, he became the host of a local, teen-oriented TV show called "Bandstand" (launched in 1952) after the original host was fired.In 1957, "American Bandstand," as it was renamed, began airing nationwide. The program, which showcased ordinary teenagers dancing to records and musical acts introduced by Clark, quickly became a hit with millions of young viewers, who tuned in for the latest music, fashions and dance crazes. Clark helped end the then-standard practice of having white singers cover the songs of black artists on TV, and a number of African-American performers, including Chuck Berry and Chubby Checker, made their national TV debut on "American Bandstand."In 1960, amidst the show's success, Clark was called to testify before a congressional subcommittee investigating the practice of payola, in which record companies bribed disc jockeys in order to get airplay for records. At the hearings, Clark testified to holding an ownership stake in more than 30 different record labels, distributors and manufacturers, and featuring the acts from those labels on "American Bandstand." He denied doing anything illegal and was never charged with a crime. However, prior to the hearings, ABC, which broadcast "American Bandstand," directed Clark to divest himself of all his music-related businesses, a move said to cost him millions of dollars."American Bandstand" originally aired every weekday afternoon before switching to a Saturdays-only schedule in late 1963. In 1964, the show relocated from Philadelphia to Los Angeles. In the ensuing years, as popular music styles changed, it continued to be a place for artists to launch or advance their careers. Among the multitudes of acts to appear on the program were the Beastie Boys, The Doors, Kiss, The Mamas & The Papas, Prince, Run-DMC, Michael Jackson and Madonna. Clark hosted "American Bandstand" until just months before it was cancelled in late 1989 (the show's final installments were hosted by David Hirsch).The music impresario furthered his place in pop culture as the host and producer of "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve," a TV special that debuted in 1974 and included musical performances and live coverage of the ball drop from New York City's Times Square. Clark helmed the telecast every year until December 31, 2004, having suffered a stroke earlier that month. Though the stroke left him speech-impaired, he returned to the countdown special the following year, with Ryan Seacrest as co-host, and continued to make annual appearances through 2011.In addition to being an on-air personality, Clark became a media titan with his eponymous production company, formed in 1957. The company's long list of credits range from "The $10,000 Pyramid" to "TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes" to the American Music Awards and the Golden Globe Awards. Clark also remained involved in radio throughout his career, hosting several national shows and co-founding a radio network. After half a century in the entertainment business, the thrice-married Clark suffered a fatal heart attack on April 18, 2012, following a surgical procedure at St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica.April 24, 1962First coast-to-coast satellite telecast. The first coast-to-coast telecast by satellite takes place on this day in 1962. Signals from California were bounced off the first experimental communications satellite, Echo I, and received in Massachusetts.April 24, 1982Jane Fonda’s first Workout video released. Hollywood royalty, fashion model, Oscar-winning actress, controversial anti-war activist. Jane Fonda fit all of these descriptions by the late 1970s and 1980s, when she emerged in her latest incarnation--exercise guru. On April 24, 1982, Fonda extended her reach into the home-video market with the release of Workout, the first of her many bestselling aerobics tapes.Daughter of the celebrated actor Henry Fonda (star of 1940’s The Grapes of Wrath), Jane worked as a model before joining Lee Strasberg’s famed Actors Studio. She broke out in 1960 with a Tony-nominated performance in Broadway’s There Was a Little Girl and a starring role in the big-screen comedy Tall Story. She soon established a reputation as both sexpot (1968’s Barbarella) and serious actress, earning her first Oscar nomination for 1969’s They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? and taking home the Best Actress statuette two years later for Klute. As an outspoken member of the opposition to the U.S. war in Vietnam, Fonda was famously photographed behind enemy lines next to an anti-aircraft gun during a visit to North Vietnam in 1972. Dubbed “Hanoi Jane,” she earned the lasting scorn of many Vietnam veterans and has since expressed deep regret about posing for the photograph.Fonda won her second Best Actress Oscar in 1979 for Coming Home. That same year, she opened her first workout studio, breaking into a gym industry previously dominated by male boxers and bodybuilders. A former ballet enthusiast, Fonda had begun practicing aerobics with her future business partner, Leni Cazden, to keep fit. In 1981, Fonda published Jane Fonda’s Workout Book, which remained at No. 1 on the nonfiction bestseller’s list for more than six months and in the top five for more than 16 months. The cover showed a grinning Fonda striking a pose in black tights and legwarmers.With the phenomenal success of her exercise studios, books and videos, Fonda not only sparked the aerobics trend of the late 1970s and 1980s--she also popularized the concept of working out for women in general. Other instructors soon capitalized on the workout movement, including Richard Simmons and Judi Missett, creator of the aerobics spin-off known as Jazzercise. For the first time, millions of women (and a few men) were exercising together in groups, doing leg lifts, side bends and lifting dumbbells to the beat of peppy music. Aerobics also launched a fashion craze, with neon spandex, legwarmers and leotards becoming ubiquitous among health-conscious women. Fonda’s videos remained top sellers into the latter half of the 1980s, including Jane Fonda’s New Workout (1986) and Jane Fonda’s Low-Impact Aerobic Workout(1987).The revenues from Fonda’s exercise empire financed the Campaign for Economic Democracy, a leftist political organization founded by her then-husband, the leading 1960s radical Tom Hayden. After divorcing Hayden in 1989, Fonda largely withdrew from the spotlight. She announced her retirement from acting in 1992, explaining her desire to spend more time with her third husband, the media mogul Ted Turner. The couple divorced in 2001. Fonda has recently returned to the big screen in several movies, including Monster-In-Law (2005)and Georgia Rule (2007).Stay TunedTony Figueroa
I have always felt comedy and tragedy are roommates.If you look up comedy and tragedy, you will find a very old picture of two masks. One mask is tragedy. It looks like it's crying. The other mask is comedy. It looks like it's laughing. Nowadays, we would say, 'How tasteless and insensitive. A comedy mask is laughing at a tragedy mask.'-Gilbert Gottfried
| | | Gilbert Jeremy GottfriedFebruary 28, 1955 – April 12, 2022 |
Gottfried was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Lillian (Zimmerman), a homemaker, and Max Gottfried, who ran a hardware store with his own father, above which the family lived. At age 15, Gottfried began doing amateur stand-up in New York City and, after a few years, became known around New York as "the comedian's comedian." In 1980, Saturday Night Live was being retooled with a new staff and new comedians; the producers noticed Gottfried and hired him as a cast member for season 6. Gottfried's persona in SNL sketches was very different from his later characterization: he rarely (if ever) spoke in his trademark screeching, obnoxious voice and never squinted. During his 12-episode stint, he was given very little airtime and seldom used in sketches. Gottfried recalled that a low point was having to play a corpse in a sketch about a sports organist hired to play inappropriate music at a funeral. Despite this, he had one recurring character (Leo Waxman, husband to Denny Dillon's Pinky Waxman on the recurring talk show sketch, "What's It All About?") and two celebrity impersonations: David A. Stockman and controversial film director Roman Polanski.
Gottfried also played accountant Sidney Bernstein in the 1987 film Beverly Hills Cop II which reunited him with friend and fellow SNL alumnus Eddie Murphy.
Beginning in the late 1980s, Gottfried was a favorite guest of Howard Stern's, often impersonating Andrew "Dice" Clay, Bela Lugosi as Dracula, and a senile Groucho Marx.
Although not a regular, he also appeared in The Amazing Live Sea Monkeys, as well as voicing the crazed dentist Dr. Bender and his son Wendell in The Fairly OddParents and the voice of Jerry the Belly Button Elf on Ren and Stimpy. Three of his most prominent roles came in 1990, 1991, and 1992, when he was cast as the adoption agent Igor Peabody in Problem Child and Problem Child 2 and the parrot Iago in Aladdin. When asked how he prepared for the role, Gottfried said, "I did the whole DeNiro thing. I moved to South America! I lived in the trees!" Gottfried reprised the role in Aladdin: The Return of Jafar, Aladdin and the King of Thieves, the television series and various related media, such as Kingdom Hearts and House of Mouse. However, the character was ultimately recast to Alan Tudyk for the 2019 remake. Gottfried also voiced Berkeley Beetle in 1994's Thumbelina.
Gottfried was the host of the Saturday edition of USA Up All Night for its entire run from 1989 to 1998.
Gottfried was a recurring guest star during the Tom Bergeron era of The Hollywood Squares and became the central figure in a bizarre episode that aired October 1, 1999. In this episode, the two contestants made nine consecutive incorrect guesses, six of which were to be game-deciding questions asked to Gottfried. Penn Jillette, who, with his partner Teller was a guest on the same episode, berated a contestant earlier for giving an incorrect guess by shouting "You fool!", which Gottfried himself then began to use, with most of the other stars including host Bergeron himself eventually joining in with every successive wrong guess, beginning with the second question he was asked. As a consequence, it took the entire half hour to play only one game. Appropriately, the episode became known as the "You Fool!" episode.
Gottfried provided the voice of the duck in the Aflac commercials and Digit in Cyberchase, as well as Mister Mxyzptlk (pronounced "Mitz-yez-pit-lik") in Superman: The Animated Series. He reprised his role as Mxyzptlk in Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, Justice League Action, and Lego DC Super-Villains. He also voiced a nasty wisecracking criminal genius named Nick-Nack in two episodes of Superboy (he also co-wrote an issue of Superboy: The Comic Book, which featured Nick-Nack's origin). Gottfried made regular appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
In 2004, Comedy Central featured Gottfried's stand-up material for Shorties Watchin' Shorties. Gottfried was part of an online advertising campaign for Microsoft's Office XP software, showing, in a series of Flash-animated cartoons, that the Clippy office assistant would be removed. In 2006, Gottfried topped the Boston Phoenix's tongue-in-cheek list of the world's 100 Unsexiest Men. In April 2006, Gottfried performed with the University of Pennsylvania's Mask and Wig Club in their annual Intercollegiate Comedy Festival. Also in 2006, he made an appearance on the Let's Make a Deal portion of Gameshow Marathon (as a baby in a large high chair, he says "Hey Ricki, I think I need my diaper changed!"), and in the Dodge Viper in the big deal (where he tells the contestants "What were you thinking?!" because neither one picked it). He also guest-starred in The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy as Santa Claus in the one-hour Christmas Special. He voiced Rick Platypus in an episode of My Gym Partner's a Monkey entitled "That Darn Platypus".
He appeared as Peter's horse in an episode of Family Guy entitled "Boys Do Cry" (in which Peter Griffin is enthused to learn that Gottfried is providing the horse's voice). He also guest-starred in Hannah Montana as Barny Bittmen. In January 2009, Gottfried worked again with David Faustino for an episode of Faustino's show Star-ving. In 2011, Gottfried appeared in the episode "Lost Traveler" on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Leo Gerber, a sarcastic computer professional working for the NYPD's Technical Assistance Response Unit, which producer Warren Leight said could become a recurring character. Gottfried read a section from the hit book Fifty Shades of Grey in a June 2012 YouTube video, which was created with the aim of using Gottfried's trademark voice to make fun of the book's graphic sexual content.
In 2013, Gottfried became a member of "Team Rachael" on the second season of Food Network's Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off. In March that year he appeared on ABC's Celebrity Wife Swap. He swapped wives with Alan Thicke. He was also a commentator on truTV Presents: World's Dumbest....
On May 28, 2014, Sideshow Network premiered Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast, an interview series where Gottfried and his co-host Frank Santopadre discussed classic movies and talk to "Hollywood legends and behind-the-scenes talents" who shaped Gottfried's childhood and influenced his comedy. His first guest was Dick Cavett.
Gottfried was the third contestant fired during the fourteenth season of the NBC reality show The Celebrity Apprentice. In 2016 he played the 'Pig Man' in a comedy/fantasy film Abnormal Attraction.
In 2017 he appeared as himself in Episodes, where a contestant on a fictional TV endurance game show is penalized with "48 hours of Gilbert Gottfried".
On June 10, 2018, he appeared in a special segment of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver where, for UK viewers only, a segment about the UK's law restricting broadcast of debates from the Houses of Parliament was replaced by five minutes of him reading "3 star Yelp reviews", along with host John Oliver telling the audience "you brought this on yourself because of your stupid law". He returned on November 18, 2018, in the show's last episode of the year to read out extracts from the Brexit agreement, again for UK viewers only. He had previously performed as "the real voice of Jared Kushner" in dubbed film clips on the show.
On July 31, 2019, he appeared as a guest in episode 170 of the Angry Video Game Nerd. On January 10, 2022, he guest-starred as God on the season finale of Smiling Friends.
Good Night Mr. GottfriedStay Tuned Tony Figueroa
April 12, 198721 Jump Street first airs on the Fox Network. The series focused on a squad of youthful-looking undercover police officers investigating crimes in high schools, colleges, and other teenage venues.Created by Patrick Hasburgh and Stephen J. Cannell, the series was produced by Stephen J. Cannell Productions in association with 20th Century Fox Television. The show was an early hit for the fledgling Fox Network, and was created to attract a younger audience. The final season aired in first-run syndication mainly on local Fox affiliates. It was later rerun on the FX cable network from 1996 to 1998.The series provided a spark to Johnny Depp's nascent acting career, garnering him national recognition as a teen idol. Depp found this status irritating, but he continued on the series under his contract and was paid $45,000 per episode. Eventually he was released from his contract after the fourth season. A spin-off series, Booker, was produced for the character of Dennis Booker (Richard Grieco); it ran one season, from September 1989 to June 1990.April 15, 1987Magnum P.I. Episode – Limbo"Limbo" was originally intended to be the series finale (with Magnum seemingly walking off to heaven). When they filmed this episode everyone on the crew thought it was the last one, including Tom Selleck. Not long before the air date in April of 1987, Tom agreed to do one final (short) season (Season Eight). After Season Eight was greenlighted, "Limbo" underwent some minor edits to reenforce the idea that Magnum is not really dead (Michelle's visit to the hospital). Still, some scenes couldn't be re-done or re-edited, namely the scene were everybody is at Robin's Nest dressed in black, and talking about Magnum in the past tense.April 17, 1937Daffy Duck debuts. Daffy Duck makes his debut in the Warner Bros. short Porky's Duck Hunt. In the 1920s, movie houses had started showing a short cartoon before feature presentations, but the form became more innovative and popular after sound was introduced in 1928.April 17, 2002General Hospital airs 10,000th episode. ABC airs the 10,000th episode of the daytime drama General Hospital, the network’s longest-running soap opera and the longest-running program ever produced in Hollywood.Created by Frank and Doris Hursley, General Hospital premiered on April 1, 1963. It was set in the fictional town of Port Charles in upstate New York, and focused on the lives and loves of the staff working in the town’s General Hospital. Prominent characters in the show’s early days included Dr. Steve Hardy (John Beradino) and Nurse Audrey March (Rachel Ames). On the same day General Hospital debuted, ABC’s rival network, NBC, launched its own medical soap opera, The Doctors. Both networks were attempting to capitalize on the success of prime time-medical dramas such as Dr. Kildare and Ben Casey.General Hospital set a new standard for daytime soap operas by introducing dramatic action-adventure plotlines into the complicated mix of family and romantic issues that was the usual bread and butter of soaps at the time. Still, by the late 1970s, the show’s ratings had dropped to the point where it seemed on the brink of cancellation. In general, ratings for daytime soap operas were declining, a development some attributed to the fact that growing numbers of women--the target audience for the genre since the first of its kind, CBS’s Guiding Light, debuted in 1952--were entering the work force and weren’t home during the day. In 1978, Gloria Monty took the reins as executive producer of General Hospital; in a few short years, the show had become the No. 1 daytime drama, largely by captivating growing numbers of teenage audiences.One of the big secrets to the show’s new success was viewers’ fascination with the romance of the “super couple” Luke Spencer and Laura Webber (known to millions of fans simply as “Luke and Laura”), played by Anthony Geary and Genie Francis. After bad-boy Luke stole Laura from her lawyer husband, Scotty Baldwin (Kin Shriner), their 1981 wedding became the most-watched event in soap-opera history. Luke and Laura divorced on the show in 2001 after 20 years of marriage; with great fanfare, they remarried in the fall of 2006.In the 10,000th episode of General Hospital, Nurse Audrey receives a medal commemorating her 10,000 days of service. Rachel Ames departed the show in 2007, and the longest-running character on General Hospital (as of its 46th season in 2008) is Shriner’s Scotty Baldwin, who was introduced in 1965. Among the more famous performers to appear on General Hospital over the years are Demi Moore, who got her start on the show, and Rick Springfield, who became a pop star due to his soap-opera fame. Other General Hospital veterans include John Stamos, Jack Wagner and Ricky Martin. Elizabeth Taylor, a longtime fan of the show, made a cameo appearance in 1981.One General Hospital spinoff, Port Charles, ran from 1997 to 2003; another, General Hospital: Night Shift, premiered in 2007. In recent years, General Hospital has been praised for its treatment of such sensitive issues as HIV/AIDS and sexual abuse of children. Chosen by TV Guide asthe All-Time Best Daytime Soap, the show won a record-breaking 10th Emmy Award for Best Daytime Drama in June 2008.Stay TunedTony Figueroa