Today in History: Saturday, June 29, 2024

Television:
Elvis Presley guest starred on “The Steve Allen Show” in 1956 with a rendition of “Hound Dog” sung to an actually hound…The first draft of the original “Star Trek” pilot, titled “The Cage,” was released in 1964. It was rejected by NBC in February 1965, and the network ordered another pilot episode, which became “Where No Man Has Gone Before.“ Most of the original footage from “The Cage” was later incorporated into the season one two-part episode “The Menagerie” in 1966…High school drama “The Bronx Zoo” starring Ed Asner ended after one-and-a-half seasons on NBC in 1988…Buddy cop comedy-drama “Hardball” ended its single season run on NBC in 1990. It starred John Ashton and Richard Tyson…Summer camp sitcom “Salute Your Shorts” ended its two-season run on Nickelodeon in 1992. It developed a cult following after the series’ conclusion as reruns of its episodes rated successfully among kids demographics throughout the rest of the 90’s…Also in 1992: Dance showcase “The Grind” debuted on MTV. For most of its run, it was hosted by “Real World” season one cast member Eric Nies. It aired for five years, having spawned several aerobics and workout videotapes throughout its run…Aaron Spelling’s “Models Inc.,” starring Linda Gray, premiered on Fox in 1994. It was spun-off from the original “Melrose Place” and ran for 29 episodes…The cable channel Lifetime Movie Network launched in 1998…Louis C.K.’s “Louie” debuted on FX in 2010. The award-winning comedy-drama that depicted a semi-fictionalized version of the title comedian also starred Louis’ frequent collaborator Pamela Adlon. It produced 61 episodes over five seasons…Javier Colon was crowned winner of the inaugural season of NBC’s singing competition “The Voice” in 2011. He was coached by Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine. During the live finale, Colon sung with Stevie Nicks to perform her classic song “Landslide”…USA Network drama “Necessary Roughness” debuted in 2011. The series starred Callie Thorne as a psychological therapist for a professional football team and ran for 38 episodes in three seasons…The critically-acclaimed supernatural mystery thriller “The Leftovers” debuted on HBO in 2014. It was co-created by Damon Lindelof (“Lost”) and starred Justin Theroux and Amy Brenneman. The series produced 28 episodes across three ..abbreviated seasons…Comedy-drama “Californication” concluded its seven-season run on Showtime in 2014. The series starred David Duchovny as a troubled novelist with writer’s block who moved from New York to California to be near his girlfriend and their daughter…The revival of “Battle of the Network Stars” premiered on ABC in 2017. The reality competition featured former and current TV stars, some of whom had competed in the original version from the 70’s and 80’s. Its announcers and sideline reporters all hailed from ESPN: Mike Greenberg, Joe Tessitore, Cari Champion and Cassidy Hubbarth. The most recent update ran for just 10 episodes…Western drama “The Son” starring Pierce Brosnan concluded its two-season run on AMC in 2019.

Movies:
Several comedy flicks premiered in theaters: “Meatballs” starring Bill Murray in 1979; “Bachelor Party” starring Tom Hanks and Adrian Zmed in 1984; one of Eddie Murphy’s classic films “Coming to America” (also starring Arsenio Hall) in 1988…“A.I. Artificial Intelligence,” directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Haley Joel Osment, Jude Law and Frances O’Connor, was released in theaters in 2001.

Celebrity Birthdays
Actor Gary Busey is 80; comedian Richard Lewis is 77; actor/congressman Fred Grandy is 76; actress Maria Conchita Alonso is 69; actress Sharon Lawrence (“NYPD Blue”) is 63; actress Amanda Donohue is 62; actress Melora Hardin (“The Office”) is 57; Broadway actor Brian d’Arcy James (“Hamilton”) is 56; actor Lance Barber (“Young Sheldon”) is 51; singer Nicole Scherzinger is 46; actor Luke Kirby (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”) is also 46; actress Lily Rabe (“American Horror Story”) is 42; “SNL’s” Colin Jost is also 42; two-time NBA champion Kawhi Leonard is 33; actress Camila Mendes (“Riverdale”) is 30.

Did You Know?
Farrah Fawcett was considered for the lead role in “Models, Inc.,“ which ultimately went to Linda Gray. Her character of Hillary Michaels was introduced as Amanda Woodward’s (Heather Locklear) mother towards the end of the season two episodes of “Melrose Place.”