Today in History: Monday, December 4, 2023

Television
“Grady“, the “Sanford and Son” spin-off starring Whitman Mayo, debuted on NBC in 1975. The sitcom lasted just ten episodes…On the ABC sitcom “Happy Days” in 1979, real-life paralysis victim Jim Knaub portrayed a paraplegic character who applies for work at Fonzie’s garage…Long-running CBS serialized drama “Falcon Crest” premiered out of “Dallas” in 1981. It aired for nine seasons and finished in the top 10 from 1982 to 1985…Part one of CBS miniseries “Pope Paul II,” starring Jon Voight and Cary Elwes, opened in 2005.

Movies:
Neil Simon’s “Chapter Two,“ starring Marsha Mason, James Caan, Valerie Harper and Joseph Bologna, opened in New York City in 1977.

Music:
Reaching No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart: “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything Is A Season)” by The Byrds in 1965; “Family Affair” by Sly & The Family Stone in 1971… mother-daughter country act The Judds (Naomi Judd and Wynonna Judd) performed their final concert together as a duo in 1991.

News:
The first Burger King fast food restaurant opened in Miami in 1954. Three years later, “The Whopper” hamburger was introduced.

Sports:
The National Hockey League granted the city of Seattle, Washington a hockey franchise in 2018. The team called the Seattle Kraken is the 32nd team in the NHL and begins play for the 2021-22 season.
 
Celebrity Birthdays:
Game show host Wink Martindale (“Tic-Tac-Dough”) is 90; actor-producer Max Baer, Jr. (Jethro on “The Beverly Hillbillies”) is 86; Oscar winner Jeff Bridges (“The Big Lebowski”) is 74; actress Patricia Wettig (“thirtysomething”) is 72; baseball Hall of Fame relief pitcher Lee Smith is 66; Oscar winner Marisa Tomei (“My Cousin Vinny”) is 59; actress Chelsea Noble (“Growing Pains”) is 59; “SNL” alum Fred Armisen is 57; rapper Shawn Carter aka Jay-Z is 54; Tyra Banks is 50.

Did You Know?
While there was talk of a “Falcon Crest” reboot a few years ago with David Selby and William R. Moses reprising their roles as Richard Channing and Cole Gioberti, respectively, it never surfaced.