Today in History: Thursday, July 8, 2021

Television:
Variety hour “The Everly Brothers Show” began on ABC in 1970 as a summer replacement for “The Johnny Cash Show”…The final episode of “Police Squad,” which spawned the “Naked Gun” film franchise, aired on ABC in 1982. Only six episodes were produced. It starred Leslie Nielsen, Alan North and Peter Lupus…ABC sitcom “Mr. Belvedere” concluded its five-and-one-half season run in 1990. Historically, three pilots for a proposed series based on the Belvedere character. The first was in 1956 with Reginald Gardiner. Next was 1959 with Hans Conried, followed by a 1965 version starring Victor Buono (pre-“Batman”) in the title role. All efforts were unsuccessful until 1985, when ABC picked up “Mr. Belvedere” to series to serve as a midseason replacement with British actor Christopher Hewitt playing Lynn Belvedere…The original “Melrose Place” from Aaron Spelling, which was spun-off from “Beverly Hills, 90210,” debuted on Fox in 1992. It aired for seven seasons and was briefly rebooted on The CW in the 2009-10 season. Heather Locklear, who in season one had guest starred as Alison’s (Courtney Thorne-Smith) ambitious and merciless boss Amanda Woodward, was promoted to series regular status in the second season and is known to have “saved” the series.

Movies:
“Deception,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, opened in London in 2010.

Music:
British group the Spice Girls released their debut single “Wannabe” in the UK in 1996.

Books:
“Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” the third book in the series by U.K. Rowling was published by Bloomsbury in the UK.

Celebrity Birthdays
Singer Steve Lawrence is 86; actor Jeffrey Tambor is 77; actress Kim Darby is 74; actress Jonelle Allen (“Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman”) is 73; Oscar winner Anjelica Huston (“Prizzi’s Honor”) is 70; actor Kevin Bacon is 63; country singer Toby Keith is 60; singer Joan Osborne is 59; actor Rocky Carroll (“NCIS”) is 58; actor Michael B. Silver (“Instinct,” ″NYPD Blue”) is 54; actor Billy Crudup (“The Morning Show”) is 53; actor Michael Weatherly (“Bull”) is also 53; “This Is Us” star Milo Ventimiglia is 43; actress Sophia Bush (“Chicago P.D.,” ″One Tree Hill”) is 39; actor Jaden Smith (“The Pursuit of Happiness”) is 23; actress Maya Hawke (“Little Women,” ″Stranger Things”) is also 23.

Did You Know?
Grant Show of the original “Melrose Place” appeared on two episodes of parent “Beverly Hills, 90210” as his character, Jake Hanson, to introduce this spin-off to viewers. Jennie Garth from “90210,” meanwhile, appeared on the first three episodes of “Melrose Place” to continue their characters’ story lines, with brief appearances by Ian Ziering and Brian Austin Green. The trio from “90210,” plus Jason Priestley, Shannen Doherty, Tori Spelling and Gabrielle Carteris reunited on short-lived reboot “BH90210” last summer.