Today in History: Thursday, August 1, 2024

Television and Radio
“The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour” debuted on CBS in 1971. The show was scheduled to return for a fourth season in October 1974, but Sonny and Cher separated that fall, resulting in it being canceled. After failed solo attempts by the pair to host their own variety series, they reunited in February 1976 for “The Sonny and Cher Show.” It lasted two seasons.

CBS sitcom “Good Times” ended its five-and-one-half season run in 1979. For more on “Good Times,” click here

Cable network MTV debuted in 1981 at 12:01 a.m. ET with the words “Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll” played over footage of the first Space Shuttle launch countdown of Columbia, which took place earlier that year, and footage of the launch of Apollo 11. The initial goal was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs…Rush Limbaugh began his national radio show in 1988.

Several series debuted: HBO’s NFL training camp docuseries “Hard Knocks” in 2001, Game Show Network’s initial reboot of “Chain Reaction” in 2006, The CW’s revival of “Masters of Illusion” in 2014, “Good Morning Football” on NFL Network in 2016, and cooking competition “BBQ Brawl” on Food Network in 2019.

Music
Chubby Checker released “The Twist” in 1960.

Also in 1960 was Aretha Franklin’s first recording session.

Sports
Reggie Jackson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York in 1993.

Books
George R.R. Martin published the epic fantasy novel “A Game of Thrones”, the first in his series “A Song of Ice and Fire”, in 1996.

Celebrity Birthdays
Singer Ramblin’ Jack Elliott is 93; blues musician Robert Cray is 71; singer Michael Penn is 66; singer Joe Elliott of Def Leppard is 65; rapper Chuck D of Public Enemy is 64; singer Adam Duritz of Counting Crows is 60; director Sam Mendes (“Skyfall,” “American Beauty”) is 59; actress Jennifer Gareis (“The Bold and the Beautiful”) is 54; actress Tempestt Bledsoe (“The Cosby Show”) is 51; actor Jason Momoa (“Aquaman,” “Game of Thrones”) is 45; singer Ashley Parker Angel (O-Town) is 43.

Did You Know?
When we first met Florida Evans (Esther Rolle), she was employed as Maude Findlay’s (Bea Arthur) housekeeper in Tuckahoe, New York on sitcom “Maude.“ Her husband, played by John Amos, was named Henry. So, how did she get to the projects of Chicago, with Amos now referred to as James, on spin-off “Good Times”?