Today in History: Wednesday, August 2, 2023

Television and Radio:
Roger Ebert’s “Movie News” premiered on ABC FM Radio in 1982…The final telecast of primetime CNN news program “Paula Zahn Now” aired in 2007…Long-running high school drama “Degrassi” concluded its 14-season run in 2015. Produced in Canada, its final five seasons were designated as “Degrassi: The Next Generation”…Mystery drama “The Sinner” debuted on USA Network in 2017. Based on Petra Hammesfahr’s novel of the same name, it was initially billed as an eight-episode miniseries that starred Jessica Biel. Critical acclaim and high ratings led to its transition to an anthology series with Bill Pullman’s Detective Harry Ambrose at its center in each season. The fourth season is set to premiere this October…Drama “Kingdom” concluded its three-season run on DirecTV’s Audience Network in 2017. The series set at a mixed martial arts gym starred Frank Grillo, Kiele Sanchez, Matt Lauria, Jonathan Tucker and Nick Jonas…Musical made-for-cable movie “Descendants 3” premiered on Disney Channel in 2019. It was directed by musical movie director/choreographer Kenny Ortega, and starred Dove Cameron (who later won for Favorite Movie Actress at the Kids Choice Awards in the following year). Co-star Cameron Boyce passed away from an epileptic seizure shortly prior to its premiere…HBO comedy “A Black Lady Sketch Show”, created by Robin Thede and co-executive produced by “Insecure’s” Issa Rae, launched in 2019. It was recently renewed for a third season.

Movies:
Theatrical “In the Heat of the Night,” which was spun-off into the long-running drama of the same name on NBC, opened in theaters in 1967…“American Graffiti” opened in 1973. The film was nominated for 5 Academy Awards (including Best Picture and Candy Clark for Best Actress in a Supporting Role), but failed to win in any category. “The Sting” was named Best Picture that year…“The Sixth Sense”, starring Bruce Willis, Toni Collette and Haley Joel Osment opened in 1999. The film grossed $26.6 million in its opening weekend and spent five weeks as the No. 1 film at the U.S. box office, becoming only the second film after “Titanic” in 1997 to have grossed more than $20 million a weekend for five weekends.

Theater:
“Gilda Radner Live from New York” began on Broadway in 1979…

Books:
“Breaking Dawn”, the 4th book in Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight Saga” was published by Little Brown in 2008.

Sports:
Tom Seaver, Rollie Fingers, Hal Newhouser and Bill McGowan were inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992…Also in 1992, American Jacki Joyner-Kersee became the first athlete to win consecutive gold medals in the heptathlon with a 199 point win over Irina Belova (Soviet Union) at the Barcelona Olympics…Michael Phelps ended the World Swimming Championships in Rome with his 5th gold medal as part of the US 4x100m medley relay team in 2009.

Celebrity Birthdays:
Actress Joanna Cassidy (“Blade Runner”) is 78; actress Kathryn Harrold (“MacGruder and Loud”) is 72; Butch Patrick (Eddie on sitcom “The Munsters”) is 70; actress Victoria Jackson (“Saturday Night Live”) is 64; actress Apollonia (“Purple Rain”) is also 64; actress Cynthia Stevenson (“Men in Trees,” ″Hope and Gloria”) is 61; ;“Weeds” star Mary-Louise Parker is 59; director-actor Kevin Smith (“Clerks,” ″Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back”) is 53; actor Sam Worthington (“Terminator Salvation”) is 47; actor Edward Furlong (“Terminator 2: Judgment Day”) is 46; “Today” meteorologist Dylan Dreyer is 42; actress Marci Miller (“Days of Our Lives”) is 38; singer Charlotte Aitchison (aka Charli) XCX is 31.

-Did You Know?:
“In the Heat of the Night’s” movie tagline, “They call me Mister Tibbs!,” was voted as the No. 16 movie quote of all time by the American Film Institute…Dissatisfied with the name “American Graffiti,” producers Francis Ford Coppola and Ned Tanen suggested that George Lucas retitle it “Another Slow Night in Modesto” or “Rock Around the Block.” Due to the low budget, Lucas was unable to pay all of the crew members. He offered to give many of them a screen credit in lieu of payment, and they accepted.