Television and Radio Coverage of the Apollo 7 team in 1968 marked the first live television broadcast from a manned, orbiting American spacecraft. The craft launched three days earlier and there were six broadcasts during the 11-day Apollo 7 mission…The cast from 1964-67 sitcom “Gilligan’s Island” reunited for the first time in part one of television movie “Rescue from Gilligan’s […]
Television and Radio In 1947, station WBKB in Chicago introduced the children’s show, “Junior Jamboree” with creator and puppeteer Burr Tillstrom. On Nov, 29, 1948, the show moved to WNBQ (the predecessor of Chicago’s WMAQ) and was renamed “Kulka, Fran and Ollie.” “Fran” was Fran Allison, a radio comedian and singer who was usually the only human to appear on screen…In […]
Television and Radio Police drama “The Plainclothesman” debuted on DuMont in 1949 and aired for five seasons…CBS sitcom “The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show” began its eight season run on CBS in 1950. Bea Benaderet (pre “Petticoat Junction”) portrayed Gracie’s friend and neighbor, Blanche Morton, while four actors (Hal March, John Brown, Fred Clark and Larry Keating) ultimately played Blanche’s husband Harry…The Howard Stern radio show premiered in Albany, New […]
Television “McHale’s Navy” began its four season run on ABC in 1962. The sitcom originated from an episode called “Seven Against the Sea” with Ernest Borgnine on anthology series “Alcoa Premiere”…“Live from New York…it’s Saturday Night!” Late night NBC staple “Saturday Night Live” debuted in 1975 with Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Garrett Morris, Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman and Gilda Radner as the original “Not Ready for Prime Time Players”…Critically acclaimed (but perennially low-rated) NBC […]
Television Prior to his two long-running sitcoms, Bob Newhart headlined his own self-titled variety hour. It ran for one season beginning on this day in 1961..PBS favorite “Upstairs, Downstairs,” starring Jean Marsh and Eileen Atkins, made its debut on British network ITV in 1971. It ran for four seasons. CBS tried to copy the format in the fall of 1975 care of drama “Beacon […]
Television and Radio “Cavalcade of America” was first broadcast on CBS radio in 1935…“Land of the Lost” debuted on ABC radio in 1943…Doc Severinsen took over as musical director on NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” in 1967…The identity of the dead woman floating in the Ewing pool at Southfork is revealed to be Sue Ellen’s sister Kristin Shepard […]
Television and Radio “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet” debuted on CBS radio in 1942. The TV show version aired for 14 seasons on ABC (from 1952 to 1966) and remains the longest running live action scripted sitcom in TV history…Also in 1942: Comedy duo Abbott and Costello launched their weekly radio show…There were four other prime time series premieres: “Lawrence […]
