Today in History: Friday, March 8, 2024

Television
Groucho, Chico and Harpo Marx made their final appearance together in a short comedy on “General Electric Theater” on CBS in 1959 called “The Incredible Jewel Robbery.” The trio  made 13 films together. The first five – “The Cocoanuts”, “Animal Crackers”, “Monkey Business,“ “Horse Feathers” and “Duck Soup” – also included younger brother Zeppo…TV movie “The Marcus-Nelson Murders” which introduced the character of detective Theo Kojak (Telly Savalas) first aired on CBS in 1973. Kojak, best known for eating Tootsie Roll pops and uttering his catchphrases “Who loves ya, baby?” and “Cootchie-koo!“, returned later that year in “Kojak“, the weekly drama series that would run for five seasons and 118 episodes. Savalas would return to his role as Theo Kojak in seven made-for-TV movies starting in 1985…The final episode of “The Brady Bunch” (minus Robert Reed, who refused to participate) aired on ABC in 1974. But it was certainly not the end of the clan called Brady (with the first revival, “The Brady Bunch Hour”, arriving on ABC in the fall of 1976)…NBC’s “The A-Team” concluded its five season run in 1987…”Baby Talk“, the sitcom based on the hit film “Look Who’s Talking“, premiered on ABC in 1991. It starred Julia Duffy and George Clooney with Tony Danza as the voice of her infant son. For the 1991-92 season, the show got retooled with new lead stars Mary Page Keller and Scott Baio. “Baby Talk” aired for just 35 episodes across two seasons…Animated “Beavis and Butt-Head” created by Mike Judge about two unemployed metalhead misfits who are politically incorrect and proud of it, debuted on MTV in 1993. This spin-off from MTV’s animated showcase “Liquid Television” aired for seven original seasons in 1993-97 with a brief revival for an eighth season in the fall of 2011. Its animated feature film adaptation “Beavis and Butt-Head Do America” was released in 1996 and grossed $63.1 million at the box office…”The George Wendt Show“, the sitcom based on the public radio show “Car Talk” and a star vehicle for the former “Cheers” actor, debuted on CBS in 1995. The series was canceled after six episodes…Groundbreaking dramedy “The L Word” concluded its six-season 70-episode run on Showtime in 2009. The series starred Jennifer Beals, Pam Grier, Katherine Moennig, Leisha Hailey, Mia Kirshner and Marlee Matlin. Showtime’s recent revival “The L Word: Generation Q” with Beals, Moennig and Hailey returning as their “L Word” characters began in December 2019…Two series launched in 2016. The first was children’s talent showcase “Little Big Shots” hosted by Steve Harvey on NBC — an instant hit at the time, it ran for three seasons with Harvey, and a fourth season with Melissa McCarthy as host (46 episodes, in all). The second was biblical drama “Of Kings and Prophets” on ABC, which canceled after its second airing…In 2017, the 500th episode of long-running reality competition “Survivor” was the season premiere of “Survivor: Game Changers“, the series’ 34th edition on CBS. It was fourth time the cast was comprised of entirely all returning players. Among the notable castaways competing that season were Cirie Fields, Sandra Diaz-Twine, Ozzy Lusth, Tai Trang, Aubry Bracco, Brad Culpepper, Sarah Lacina and Tony Vlachos…Gym comedy “Champions” co-created by Mindy Kaling (“The Office”), debuted on NBC in 2018. It only lasted ten episodes…Three series’ runs concluded in 2020: the HBO murder mystery limited series “The Outsider“, based on a Stephen King novel, starred Cynthia Erivo and Jason Bateman; offbeat Showtime comedy “Kidding” starring Jim Carrey, after two condensed seasons; and, critically-acclaimed USA Network teen drama “Dare Me” after one season.

Movies:
“Fargo”, directed and written by Joel and Ethan Coen, and starring Frances McDormand, William H. Macy and Steve Buscemi, opened in theaters in 1996. It won two Oscars: Frances McDormand for Best Actress in a Leading Role and the Coen brothers for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen.

Music:
“We Are The World“, the benefit song for African famine relief performed by the group USA for Africa which consisted of some of the biggest stars in music and pop culture of the 1980s, was released as a single in 1985. The lyrics were written by Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson. “We Are The World” became one of the bestselling songs of all time, having sold at 20 million copies worldwide.
 
Sports:
Casey Stengel was elected to Hall of Fame in 1966… at the “Fight of the Century” in New York City’s Madison Square Garden in 1971, Joe Frazier defeated Muhammad Ali by unanimous decision after 15 rounds to retain the heavyweight boxing title. It was Ali’s first defeat in 32 career bouts. The picture of Frazier’s fight victory on the cover of Life magazine was taken by crooner Frank Sinatra who sat near ringside. Two more rematches between the two men would follow within the subsequent four years; Ali would beat Frazier in both those fights.

Celebrity Birthdays:
Actress Sue Ane Langdon is 88; actress Susan Clark (“Webster”) is 81; The Monkees” drummer Mickey Dolenz is 79; songwriter Carole Bayer Sager is 77; singer Peggy March is 76; singer Gary Numan is 66; NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt is 65; actor Aidan Quinn (“Elementary”) is also 65; actress Camryn Manheim (“The Practice”) is 63; TNT Inside the NBA analyst Kenny Smith is 59; singer Shawn Mullins is 56; actor Boris Kodjoe (“Code Black”) is 51; actor Freddie Prinze Jr. (“She’s All That”) is 48; “Dawson’s Creek” star James Van Der Beck is 47; actor Nick Zano (“2 Broke Girls”) is 46.

Did You Know?
The “Brady Bunch” is considered to be the first series to show a married couple (Mike and Carol) sleeping in the same bed together. But it was actually “Mary Kay and Johnny,” starring real life couple Mary Kay and Johnny Stearns, which debuted on early TV network DuMont in 1947 and ended on NBC in 1950…Five seasons, to-date, have been produced for FX drama “Fargo”, set in the same universe as the theatrical of the same name.