Today in History: Thursday, September 23, 2021

Television
Robert Young began his second long-running TV series on ABC’s “Marcus Welby, M.D.” in 1969. It ran for seven seasons…Other series debuting on this day: 1) “Circus Boy” (NBC, 1956), which featured 11-year old Mickey Braddock (who eventually changed his name to Micky Dolenz); 2) animated “The Jetsons” (ABC, 1962); 3) “Archie Bunker’s Place” (CBS, 1979), 4) “Trapper John, M.D.” (CBS, 1979), 5) “Matlock” (NBC, 1986), 6) “Hooperman” (ABC, 1987), 7) “Mad About You” (NBC, 1992); 8) “JAG” (NBC, 1995), 9) “CSI: Miami” (CBS, 2002); 10) “NCIS” on CBS, the “JAG” spinoff which was launched in 2003 as “Navy NCIS;“ and 11) ABC sitcom “Modern Family” in 2009, which aired for 12 seasons; 12) CBS sitcom “Mom” in 2013 which just concluded this past May after eight seasons; 13) NBC drama “The Blacklist” in 2013, entering its ninth season this fall; 14) “NCIS: New Orleans” (CBS, 2014); 15) the updated remake of “MacGyver” (CBS, 2016); 17) CBS sitcom “Bob Hearts Abishola” in 2019; and 18) Fox game show “I Can See Your Voice” in 2020…”All My Children” on ABC ended its 41-season run in 2011. It was briefly revived as a web series by production company Prospect Park on April 29, 2013.

Movies:
“Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans,“ directed by F. W. Murnau, starring George O’Brien and Janet Gaynor, was released in 1927. It won three Oscars, including Best Picture, Unique and Artistic Picture…”Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” directed by George Roy Hill and starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford opened in theaters in 1969…”Gorillas in the Mist” starring Sigourney Weaver as naturalist Dian Fossey opened in theaters in 1988…“The Shawshank Redemption” starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman opened in 1994.

Music:
“That’ll Be the Day” by Buddy Holly and the Crickets reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard charts in 1957… Mac Davis‘ “Baby Don’t Get Hooked on Me” hit No. 1 in the U.S. in 1972…In 1980, legendary reggae singer Bob Marley performed his final concert at the Stanley Theater (currently known as the Benedum Center) in Pittsburgh, PA….Shawn Mendes released his album “Illuminate” in 2016.

News:
Nearly 70 million Americans tuned in to the first televised Presidential debate between Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter in 1976.Sports:
In what was labeled as the “Upset of the Decade,” Gene Tunney defeated defending champion Jack Dempsey by a 10-round unanimous decision at Sesquicentennial Stadium in Philadelphia, Pa. to win the world heavyweight boxing title in 1926…In 1988, Jose Canseco became the first player in Major League Baseball history to accomplish both hitting 40 home runs and stealing 40 bases within a single season.

Celebrity Birthdays
Singer Julio Iglesias is 78; actor Paul Petersen (“The Donna Reed Show”) is 76; actress Mary Kay Place (“Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman”) is 74; Rock legend Bruce Springsteen is 72; actress Rosalind Chao (“Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”) is 64; former NFL head coach Marvin Lewis is 63; 1987 Masters champion golfer Larry Mize is also 63; “Seinfeld” star Jason Alexander is 62; actor Chi McBride (“Hawaii Five-0”) is 60; Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh is 59; actress LisaRaye McCoy-Misick aka LisaRaye (“All of Us”) is 55; singer Ani DiFranco is 51; rapper-record producer Jermaine Dupri is 49; AEW wrestler Matt Hardy is 47; actor Kip Pardue (“Rememberer the Titans”) is 46; actor Anthony Mackie (“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”) is 43; actor Brandon Victor Dixon (“Hamilton”) is 40; actor David Lim (“S.W.A.T.) is 38; Colorado Rockies outfielder Matt Kemp is 37; actress Cush Jumbo (“The Good Fight”) is 36; comedian-former “The Daily Show” correspondent Hasan Minhaj is also 36; actor Skylar Astin (“Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist”) is 34; 2009 U.S. Open tennis champion Juan Martin del Potro is 33.

Did You Know?
“Marcus Welby, M.D.” was the first ABC series historically to finish a season ranked first overall. In 1970-71 it topped the charts with a 29.6 household rating. Rounding off the Top 5 that season was NBC’s “The Flip Wilson Show” (27.9 rating), CBS’ “Here’s Lucy” (26.1), NBC’s “Ironside” (25.7) and “Gunsmoke” on CBS (25.5, which at the time was in season 16).