Today in History: Saturday, August 5, 2023

Television
Music performance classic “American Bandstand” debuted on ABC as a weekday late afternoon entry in 1957. Hosted by Dick Clark, the show had begun as a local dance program called “Bandstand” in 1952. “American Bandstand” remained on ABC in daytime until August 1963, and then became a weekly Saturday afternoon program through 1987. It was syndicated in the 1987-88 season, then had a brief run on USA Network in 1989…“Whose Line Is It Anyway?”, starring Ryan Stiles, Colin Mochrie, and Wayne Brady, debuted on ABC in 1998. It ran on ABC through 2004 and moved to cable network ABC Family (now Freeform) from 2005 to 2007. The CW revived it effective in 2013, where it still airs with Aisha Tyler as host…”Insomniac with Dave Attell” premiered on Comedy Central in 2001. The series followed the comedian exploring various cities’ sights and hotspots during the wee hours of the night. Four seasons were produced, along with six hour-long specials throughout its run…”Lingo“, the rebooted version of the 1987-88 game show original, debuted on Game Show Network in 2002. Hosted by Chuck Woolery and having lasted six seasons, it became the longest running version of the game that involved guessing five-letter words while attempting to fill Bingo-style numbered boards…Primetime teen soap opera “The O.C.” launched on Fox in 2003. The series, which starred Ben McKenzie, Adam Brody, Mischa Barton, Rachel Bilson, Tate Donovan, Peter Gallagher and Kelly Rowan became an instant hit, with the latter half of its freshman season having benefitted from its mega-hit “American Idol” lead-in in the spring of 2004. Ratings drastically plunged once Barton exited the show after season three and “The O.C.” ultimately concluded after four seasons…”The Simple Life“, the “Green Acres”-like docuseries starring Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie, concluded after five seasons in 2007. Its first two season aired on Fox, its last three on E!…”How’d You Get So Rich?“, the docuseries starring comedienne Joan Rivers interviewing self-made wealthy people, debuted on TV Land in 2009. It only ran for 12 episodes. Rivers’ former “Fashion Police” co-host Giuliana Rancic fared better with her reality show, “Giuliana & Bill” (with her husband Bill Rancic) which also debuted in 2009, but on E!’s sister channel Style Network; 79 episodes were produced across seven seasons…Mary Hart announced in 2010 that she’d depart syndicated newsmagazine “Entertainment Tonight” after its 30th season. Hart was co-host of the hit program for 29 years.

Movies:
“From Here To Eternity”, based on the book by James Jones and starring Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Frank Sinatra and Donna Reed, opened in theaters in 1953. It won 8 Oscars (including Best Picture and Frank Sinatra and Donna Reed for Best Actor and Actress in a Supporting Role, respectively).

Music:
The Beatles recorded single “Leave My Kitten Alone” in 1964…The Beatles released their “Revolver” album in the UK in 1966…Bobby Gentry released hit single “Ode to Billy Joe” in 1967…The Moody Blues re-issued their 1967 single “Nights in White Satin” in 1972, and it reached No. 2 on US charts, higher than the initial release…Stevie Wonder signed a $13M contract with Motown in 1975.

Periodicals:
Comic strip “Andy Capp” made its debut in 1957. Andy is a working-class figure who never actually works, living in Hartlepool in northeast England. The title of the strip is a pun on the local pronunciation of “handicap”; and the surname “Capp” signifies how Andy’s cap always covered his eyes along with, metaphorically, his vision in life.

News:
Harry Houdini stayed in a coffin under water for one and one-half before escaping in 1926…In 2009, TV journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee were released from a North Korea prison through negotiations between the government and former U.S. President Bill Clinton. In the year prior, the two women had accidentally crossed the border into North Korea from China for a story, which led to them being sentenced 12 years of hard labor.

Celebrity Birthdays:
Actress Loni Anderson (“WKRP in Cincinnati”) is 78; actress Erica Slezak (“One Life To Live”) is 77; singer Rick Derringer is 76; actress Holly Palance (“Under Fire,” “The Omen”) is 73; singer Samantha Sang is 72; actress Maureen McCormick (“The Brady Bunch”) is 67; director James Gunn (“Guardians of the Galaxy”) is 57; actor Jonathan Silverman (“The Single Guy”) is 57; country singer Terri Clark is 55; actress Stephanie Szostak (“A Million Little Things”) is 52; actor Albert Tsai (“Dr. Ken”, “Trophy Wife”) is 19.

-Did You Know?:
Prior to “The Brady Bunch,” Maureen McCormick did guest appearances on sitcoms “The Farmer’s Daughter,“ “Bewitched,” “I Dream Of Jeannie,“ “My Three Sons” and “Camp Runamuck;“ and western drama “Honey West.“