Today in History – Friday, February 19, 2021

Television and Radio
The children’s television series “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,“ hosted by Fred Rogers, began in 1968 on National Educational Television (NET) and ran on its successor, PBS, through August 31, 2001…CBS sitcom “Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.,“ starring Jim Nabors and spun-off from “The Andy Griffith Show,” shot its last scene (episode #150) in 1969. It aired on May 2, 1969. Shazam!…Two-part Miniseries “A Woman of Independent Means”, starring Sally Field, premiered on NBC in 1995…The 500th episode of animated comedy “The Simpsons”  aired on Fox in 2012. Its logline: the family is evicted from Springfield and join an off-the-grid community outside of town. But when Marge and Homer attempt to sneak back into Springfield, they are met with hostility from their former friends and neighbors. Bluegrass-country artists Alison Krauss and Union Station composed their version of the theme song to “The Simpsons”. Guest voices included Kelsey Grammer, Jackie Mason and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange…On CBS in 2015: The latest version of Neil Simon comedy “The Odd Couple“, starring Matthew Perry and Thomas Lennon, debuted. It lasted three half seasons. Following “The Odd Couple” premiere was the one-hour series finale of “Two and a Half Men“. The sitcom that starred Jon Cryer and Ashton Kutcher concluded after 12 seasons. Arnold Schwarzenegger guest starred in the finale as a detective. Although the episode’s plot hinted there would be the return of original cast member Charlie Sheen, he ultimately did not appear…Drama “Big Little Lies” premiered on HBO in 2017. Based on Liane Moriarty‘s bestselling novels and adapted for the screen by legendary TV scribe David E. Kelley, the story revolves around a group of first-grader mothers whose seemingly perfect lives unravel to the point of murder. It starred Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Alexander Skarsgaard, Laura Dern and Zoe Kravitz. “Big Little Lies” was the recipient of eight Primetime Emmy Awards later that year, including for Outstanding Limited Series. Originally billed as a miniseries, HBO produced a second season for the summer of 2019 with Meryl Streep added to the cast…Also in 2017 was the launch of “The Good Wife” sequel legal drama “The Good Fight” on CBS. It stars Christine Baranski in her Emmy-nominated role of Diane Lockhart, a Chicago attorney who entered retirement but then discovered much of her income was wiped out from a financial scandal. Lockhart must rebuild her life working at a competing law film — the only firm that would hire her. The critically acclaimed series has produced four seasons thus far and airs exclusively on CBS All Access (soon to be known as Paramount Plus). It also stars Delroy Lindo, Cush Jumbo, Rose Leslie and Audra McDonald… the final two episodes of long-running procedural “Criminal Minds” aired on CBS in 2020. The series that followed a team of profilers from the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit concluded after 15 seasons and 324 episodes.

Music:
Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra recorded “I’ll Take Tallulah” in 1942…Single “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree” was released by Tony Orlando and Dawn in 1973. It was named the Billboard Song of the Year.

Books:
“The Feminine Mystique” by Betty Friedan, widely credited as the start of second-wave feminism, was published in 1963.

Celebrity Birthdays:
Singer Smokey Robinson is 81; singer Seal is 58; actress Haylie Duff is 37; “Stranger Things” star Millie Bobby Brown is 17.

Did You Know?
In 2013, Millie Bobby Brown made her acting debut as a guest star in the ABC fantasy drama series “Once Upon a Time in Wonderland,“ a spin-off of “Once Upon a Time,” portraying the role of Young Alice….Fox’s “The Simpsons” will be reaching the 700-episode mark on March 21.