Mr. Television

Television: In sports, the first Belmont Stakes was held at Jerome Park Racetrack in the Bronx, New York in 1867…Classic game show “I’ve Got a Secret” debuted on CBS in 1952 with Garry Moore as host. The original version ran until April 3, 1967 (switching to a color format in 1966). In 1956, Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin ended their partnership after 16 films…Variety half-hour “The Lux Show […]

Television: In 1961, CBS Radio canceled western “Gunsmoke” despite its ongoing popularity at the time on CBS. “Gunsmoke” on television ran for 20 seasons, from 1955 to 1975, and prior to “Law & Order: SVU” was the longest-running scripted drama in television history…Police detective drama “Bodies of Evidence,” starring Lee Horsley and George Clooney, premiered on CBS in 1992. Created by David Jacobs (“Dallas” […]

Television: “Star Trek: The Next Generation,“ the first spin-off series from “Star Trek,“ reached the 100-episode milestone in 1991. It aired for seven seasons (and 178 episodes), concluding on May 23, 1994…Seven years before starring in the blockbuster flick “Transformers,” Shia LaBeouf starred in the Disney Channel sitcom “Even Stevens” which launched in 2000. It ran for three seasons. […]

Television: The first network news show, “News From Washington,” launched on the long defunct network Dumont…CBS debuted the daytime game show “Musical Chairs” in 1975. It was hosted by Adam Wade and was filmed at New York’s Ed Sullivan Theater. It lasted only four months…TV Land launched sitcom “Hot in Cleveland” in 2010. Nearly 4.8 million viewers tuned in, making it […]

Television: New York City’s WPIX Channel 11 began broadcasting in 1948…Country-themed variety hour “Hee Haw,” hosted by Roy Clark and Buck Owens and inspired by “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In,“ premiered on CBS in 1969. A victim of the infamous “rural purge,” the network canceled “Hee Haw” in 1971 (along with sitcom “The Beverly Hillbillies,“ “Green Acres” and “Mayberry R.F.D.”). But it immediately found a new home in first-run syndication […]

Television: Summer variety hour “The Steve Allen Show” premiered on CBS in 1967.The cast included Jayne Meadows, Louise Nye, Ruth Buzzi and John Byner…Kooky talent show “The Gong Show,” hosted by Chuck Barris, debuted on NBC in daytime in 1976. It also aired in first-run syndication (from 1976 to 1980), on Game Show Network (as “Extreme Gong”) from 1998-99, on Comedy Central (as “The Gong Show with Dave Attell”) in […]