Today in History: Sunday, January 23, 2022

Television
Classic ABC miniseries “Roots” launched in 1977 and aired for eight consecutive evenings. It won nine Emmy Awards (with 36 nominations), with an estimated reach of between 130 and 140 million viewers… There were three regularly scheduled primetime series premieres of note: Variety-driven “The King Family Show” on ABC in 1965; sitcom “Barney Miller” on ABC in 1975, and NBC action drama “The A-Team” in 1983. A feature film based on “The A-Team” opened in theaters in 2010.

Music
RCA released “Station to Station”, David Bowie’s 10th studio album in 1976.

Sports
Hulk Hogan defeated Iron Sheik to win his 1st World Wrestling Federation title at Madison Gardens, New York in New York.

Celebrity Birthdays
Original “MacGyver” star Richard Dean Anderson is 71; “Law & Order: SVU” star Mariska Hargitay is 57; “Saved By the Bell” and “Beverly Hills, 90210” star Tiffani Thiessen is 47.

Did You Know?
“Barney Miller” was one of six series to debut on ABC in the 1974-75 TV season in midseason. The others were sitcoms “The Hot L Baltimore” from Norman Lear and “Karen,” starring Karen Valentine; and dramas “Baretta,” “Caribe” and“S.W.A.T.”  Three of those series — “The Hot L Baltimore,” “Karen” and “Caribe” — did not make it into a second season…“Barney Miller” spawned a spin-off sitcom, “Fish”, which ran for two seasons from 1977-78 and starred Abe Vigoda.