Today in History: Wednesday, April 3, 2024

Television
The first issue of TV Guide was released in 1953, with a photograph of Lucille Ball and her newborn son, Desi Arnaz, Jr.

The miniseries “Jesus of Nazareth” starring Robert Powell, Anne Bancroft, Ernest Borgnine, James Earl Jones, Christopher Plummer and Laurence Olivier debuted in the U.S. on NBC in 1977. The second part aired one week later on Easter Sunday (Apr. 10, 1977)…CBS detective drama “Barnaby Jones,“ starring Buddy Ebsen, Lee Meriwether and Mark Shera, concluded after eight seasons in 1980.

Also on CBS in 1978: the daytime game show “Pass the Buck” hosted by Bill Cullen debuted. Nearly three months later (on June 30), the show aired its final episode…Animated “The Fat Albert Easter Special” first aired on CBS in 1982…The TV-news set sitcom “Goodnight, Beantown” starring Bill Bixby and Mariette Hartley began on CBS in 1983. The series aired for only 18 episodes.

CBS News’ “Sunday Morning” host Charles Kuralt passed the torch to his successor, Charles Osgood, in 1994. Jane Pauley now hosts…Period drama “Christy” starring Kellie Martin and Tyne Daly debuted on CBS in 1994. Twenty-one episodes were produced across two condensed seasons; also, three telefilms were made for Pax TV (now known as Ion) in 2000 and 2001.

Crime thriller “The Killing” starring Mireille Enos and Joel Kinnaman debuted on AMC in 2011. The series, based on the Danish drama “Forbrydelsen,“ ran for four seasons. Its final season, which consisted of six episodes, moved to Netflix on Aug. 1, 2014… historical drama “The Borgias” starring Jeremy Irons debuted on Showtime in 2011. Three seasons were produced…”How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life)” launched on ABC in 2013. The comedy which starred Sarah Chalke, Elizabeth Perkins and Brad Garrett ran for only 13 episodes.

Movies
Two classic films opened in U.S. theaters in 1968: the original “Planet of the Apes” starring Charlton Heston and Stanley Kubrick‘s “2001: A Space Odyssey.” Four sequels followed the original film from 1970 to 1973: “Beneath the Planet of the Apes,” “Escape from the Planet of the Apes,” “Conquest of the Planet of the Apes,“ and “Battle for the Planet of the Apes.“ There was also a live action television series in 1974 and an animated series in 1975.

Woody Allen‘s “Annie Hall” won four Oscars at the 50th Academy Awards, including for Best Picture and its star Diane Keaton for Best Actress in 1978.

Celebrity Birthdays:
Actress Marsha Mason is 82; singer Wayne Newton is also 82; singer Tony Orlando is 80; Alec Baldwin is 66; actor David Hyde Pierce (“Frasier”) is 65; Eddie Murphy is 63; “Beverly Hills, 90210” star Jennie Garth is 52; actor Adam Scott (“Parks & Recreation”) is 51; “How I Met Your Mother” star Cobie Smulders is 42; actress Amanda Bynes is 38; actress Rachel Bloom (“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”) is 37; model Paris Jackson is 26.

Did You Know?:
After production of “Barnaby Jones” completed, producers were considering a TV-movie crossover between this show and Buddy Ebsen’s previous sitcom, “The Beverly Hillbillies.“ The plot was to open with Millionaire Jed Clampett (played by Ebsen) being kidnapped, and Barnaby Jones (also played by Ebsen) hired to locate him. While that movie never did happen, a similar storyline was created for the 1993 big screen version of “The Beverly Hillbillies,”  with Ebsen returning in a cameo as Barnaby Jones, hired by Miss Hathaway to find the missing Granny.