Today in History: Sunday, November 17, 2023

Television
NBC broke away from a pro football game between the New York Jets and the Oakland Raiders in 1968 to air a TV movie adaptation of “Heidi,” sparking furious protest. From that point on, all televised NFL football games have been shown in their entirety, taking precedence over subsequent programming…In 1973, Mary (Mary Tyler Moore) enlisted Sue Ann’s (Betty White) help in a dinner party she was preparing for a Congresswoman on CBS’ “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.“

Two-part miniseries “Salem’s Lot,“ based on the horror novel of the same name by Stephen King, premiered on CBS in 1979. It starred David Soul and James Mason.

Science fiction crime drama “Almost Human” starring Michael Ealy and Karl Urban debuted on Fox in 2013. It premiered well thanks to an NFL lead-in, but the J.J. Abrams-produced series did not last past its initial 13-episode order…Dick Wolf’s medical drama “Chicago Med” debuted on NBC in 2015. It stars Nick Gehlfuss, Brian Tee, Oliver Platt and “Law & Order” alum S. Epatha Merkerson.
 
Movies:
“Yentl,”  produced, directed and starring Barbra Streisand and Mandy Patinkin, opened in theaters in 1983. It was based on Leah Napolin and Isaac Bashevis Singer’s play of the same name, which itself was based on Singer’s short story “Yentl the Yeshiva Boy.”

“Twilight,“ based on the book by Stephenie Meyer, directed by Catherine Hardwicke, and starring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, premiered in Los Angeles in 2008.
 
Music:
The Madonna compilation album “You Can Dance” was released in 1987…Whitney Houston released single “My Love is Your Love” in 1998…Also in 1998: Mariah Carey released single “#1’s.“

History
Abraham Lincoln began the first draft of his Gettysburg Address in 1863.

Merchandising:
Sony’s PlayStation 3 went on sale in the United States in 2006. The PlayStation 3 competed primarily against Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Nintendo’s Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles.
 
Celebrity Birthdays:
Singer-songwriter Bob Gaudio of The Four Seasons is 83; movie director Martin Scorsese is 82; actress Lauren Hutton is 81; “Saturday Night Live” producer Lorne Michaels is 80; actor-director Danny DeVito is also 80; actor Stephen Root (“King of the Hill,” ″NewsRadio”) is 73; actress Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio is 66; entertainer RuPaul Charles is 64; actor Dylan Walsh (“Nip/Tuck,” ″Brooklyn Bridge”) is 61; singer Ronnie DeVoe of New Edition and Bell Biv DeVoe is 57; actor David Ramsey (“Arrow,” “Blue Bloods”) is 53; actress Leslie Bibb (Film’s “Iron Man,” TV’s ″Popular”) is 51.

Did You Know?
Betty White, who joined the cast of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” in season four, was originally signed as a guest star. But the character of Sue Ann Nivens became so popular she was upped to regularly scheduled status and won two Emmy Awards for her efforts.