Today In History: Saturday, April 24, 2021

Television:
Raymond Burr made his TV acting debut on the “Gruen Guild Playhouse” on the DuMont Network in 1952 in an episode titled, “The Tiger”…Three NBC series began in 1978: two short-loved comedies “Rollergirls” and “Joe and Valerie,” and in NBC daytime, “Card Sharks.” The game show was originally hosted by Jim Perry and ran for three years. Its second revival, hosted by Bob Eubanks, aired for three years in CBS daytime from 1986-89. There were two brief syndicated runs with Bill Rafferty in 1986-87 and Pat Bullard in 2001. The recent edition from 2019, airing in summer prime time on ABC, is hosted by Joel McHale…”The New Mickey Mouse Club” began on Disney Channel in 1989. New episodes were produced through 1996 and the series aired on the cable channel through 2002…Children’s favorite purple dinosaur Barney had his first prime time special with NBC’s “Bedtime with Barney: Imagination Island” in 1994… In 1998, ABC confirmed it was canceling sitcom “Ellen,” headlined by Ellen DeGeneres, after four-and-one-half seasons…Also in 1998: The second of two “Dallas” reunion movies, “Dallas: The War of the Ewings,” was telecast on CBS…Biographical made-for TV movie “The Three Stooges” aired on ABC in 2000.

Movies:
“Our Gang” short “Rushin’ Ballet,“ featuring George “Spanky McFarland,” Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer, Billie “Buckwheat” Thomas, Eugene “Porky” Lee, Tommy Bond and Sidney “Woim” Kibrick, opened in theaters in 1937.

Music:
Ed Sheeran’s “÷” was announced as the best-selling album of 2017, selling 6.1 million copies, according to IFPI.

Celebrity Birthdays:
Oscar winner Shirley MacLaine (“Terms of Endearment”) is 87; Barbra Streisand is 79; actor Djimon Hounsou (“Blood Diamond”) is 57; comedian Cedric the Entertainer is 56; actor Aidan Gillen (“Game of Thrones”) is 53; actress Melinda Clarke (“The O.C.”) is 52; actor Derek Luke (2004 film “Friday Night Lights”) is 47; “American Idol” season one winner Kelly Clarkson is 39.

-Did You Know?:
“The New Mickey Mouse Club” featured a number of notable future stars including Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, Ryan Gosling and Keri Russell…Shirley MacLaine headlined an ABC sitcom in the 1971-72 TV season called “Shirley’s World.” She played a photojournalist and the series lasted just 17 episodes.