Today in History: Saturday, April 27, 2024

Television
CBS sitcom “Green Acres” concluded in 1971, which was part of the so-called “rural purge.” In search of a more sophisticated urban audience, the network also axed “The Beverly Hillbillies,” “Mayberry, R.F.D.” and “Hee Haw” that season, and “Petticoat Junction” one year earlier…NBC drama “Operation: Runway,“ starring “Brady Bunch” patriarch Robert Reed, debuted in 1978. It aired for only four episodes… In 1986, electrical engineer John MacDougall jammed the signal of HBO to announce his protest of the channel’s hefty subscription fee. Using the pseudonym “Captain Midnight“, the display of his statement remained on the air for 4.5 minutes and interrupted the showing of the film “The Falcon and the Showman”…”21 Jump Street” concluded its five-season run in 1991. The series about a group of young cops going undercover at a high school was Fox’s first drama in the network’s history. After four seasons there, it ran original episodes in syndication for its fifth and final season. 103 episodes had aired, in total…Part one of three-part ABC miniseries “The Shining,” starring Steven Weber and Rebecca De Mornay, and written by Stephen King opened in 1997…The final telecast of the CBS police drama “Brooklyn South,” from “Hill Street Blues” creator Steven Bochco, aired in 1998. It ran for just one season… Other several short-lived series concluded: ABC spy drama “Masquerade” in 1984; NBC police drama “Reasonable Doubts” in 1993; NBC sitcom “Everything’s Relative” in 1999; ABC sitcom “I’m With Her” in 2004; two NBC series in 2007: detective drama “Raines” and game show “Identity“…Made-for television reunion “The Patty Duke Show Rockin’ in Brooklyn Heights” premiered on CBS in 1999. Featured alongside Patty Duke were the returns of William Schallert (Martin), Jean Byron (Natalie), Paul O’Keefe (Ross) and Eddie Applegate (Richard). Cindy Williams also appeared…Inspirational drama “Touched By An Angel”, the once-top-10 hit that starred Roma Downey and Della Reese and was a CBS Sundays mainstay throughout the late 90’s, ended its nine season run in 2003…ABC launched its daily lifestyle digital subchannel Live Well Network in 2009. It was rebranded as Localish in February 2020… “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”, the late-night talk and news show hosted by John Oliver, premiered on HBO in 2014. Hosted by the former “Daily Show” correspondent, it has since picked up the Emmy award mantle from “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” by winning for Outstanding Variety Talk Series for the past five consecutive years… Critically-acclaimed comedy “Never Have I Ever” debuted on Netflix in 2020. Created by Mindy Kaling (“The Office”, “The Mindy Project”), it stars newcomer Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as a high school student who aimed to make the most out of her sophomore year after a tumultuous freshman year. The series is narrated by tennis great John McEnroe.

Music:
Amy Grant’s “Baby Baby” hit No. 1 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1991…George Harrison released single “Love Comes to Everyone” in 1979…Paul McCartney’s solo rock band Wings disbanded in 1981…Ariana Grande’s first single from her second debut album, “Problem” featuring Iggy Azalea, was released in 2014.

News:
U.S. President Barack Obama, coerced by incessant false “birther” accusations, publicly released a copy of his birth certificate in 2011.

Technology:
Xerox PARC introduced the computer mouse in 1981.

Books:
John Lennon’s “In His Own Write” was published in 1964.

Sports:
Babe Ruth Day was celebrated at Yankee Stadium and throughout the United States in 1947.

Celebrity Birthdays:
Singer Kate Pierson of the B-52’s is 76; actor Douglas Sheehan (“Knots Landing”) is 75; KISS guitarist Ace Frehley is 73; singer Sheena Easton is 65; actor James Le Gros (“Ally McBeal”) is 62; “America’s Next Top Model” judge Nigel Barker is 52; actress Sally Hawkins (“The Shape of Water”) is 48; actor Francis Capra (“Veronica Mars”) is 41; Fall Out Boy frontman Patrick Stump is 40; rapper Lizzo is 36.

-Did You Know?
ABC had expressed interest in a fourth season of sitcom “The Patty Duke Show,” which aired from 1963 to 1966. The network wanted to shift the show’s production permanently to Los Angeles, but Duke refused and the production company, United Artists Television, did not want to switch the series from black and white to color...CBS may have canceled “Hee Haw,” but it was far from over. The weekly variety hour debuted in first-run syndication in 1971 and remained there through 1993. In an attempt to give it a more contemporary feel, “Hee Haw” was revamped in January 1992, with a new cast of young unknowns and the cornfield backdrop replaced by a city street and a shopping mall. But viewers fled and the series concluded at the end of that season…”Hee Haw” spun-off sitcom “Hee Haw Honeys,” which was set in a Nashville nightspot and featured Kathie Lee Johnson (pre-morning talker “Live! with Regis & Kathie Lee”). It aired in the 1978-79 TV season...Sheena Easton appeared in five episodes of NBC’s “Miami Vice” as Caitlin Davies in the 1987-88 season…After his five-season stint on “Knots Landing,“ Douglas Sheehan headlined NBC sitcom “Day By Day” from 1987-88. The series co-starred Linda Kelsey (“Lou Grant”) and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Sports:
Babe Ruth Day was celebrated at Yankee Stadium and throughout the United States in 1947.

Celebrity Birthdays:
Singer Kate Pierson of the B-52’s is 74; actor Douglas Sheehan (“Knots Landing”) is 73; KISS guitarist Ace Frehley is 71; singer Sheena Easton is 63; actor James Le Gros (“Ally McBeal”) is 60; “America’s Next Top Model” judge Nigel Barker is 50; actress Sally Hawkins (“The Shape of Water”) is 46; actor Francis Capra (“Veronica Mars”) is 39; Fall Out Boy frontman Patrick Stump is 38; rapper Lizzo is 34.