Today in History: Wednesday, July 17, 2024

Television and Radio:
Crime solver “Dragnet” debuted on NBC radio in 1949… The Disneyland theme park in Anaheim, Calif. was first unveiled in a live TV special on ABC in 1955…John Chancellor replaced Dave Garroway as the host of NBC’s “Today” show in 1961…NBC police drama “CHiPs,” starring Erik Estrada, concluded its six season run on NBC in 1983. Larry Wilcox, Estrada’s original co-star, exited after five seasons due to what he saw as continual favoritism toward Estrada…Pilot “W*A*L*T*E*R“, starring Gary Burghoff aired on CBS in 1984. Burghoff exited “M*A*S*H” early in season 8 in October 1979 and made a cameo appearance at the end of the January 16, 1984 episode of spin-off “AfterMASH,“ seen rehearsing for his wedding. That was followed by a guest appearance in the next episode in which he shows up at the doorstep of his former commanding officer, Sherman Potter (Harry Morgan), having run out on his bride-to-be shortly before the wedding. They later reconciled and were married, and she ultimately left him for another man during their honeymoon. But “W*A*L*T*E*R” was never picked up…Sitcom “Family Matters” ended its 9-season run in 1998 on CBS. The spin-off of “Perfect Strangers” that featured Jaleel White as nerd Steve Urkel had aired for eight seasons prior on ABC.

Movies:
Animated “The Beatles: Yellow Submarine” premiered in 1968. Aside from composing and performing the songs, the real Beatles participated only in the closing scene of the film, while their cartoon counterparts were voiced by other actors...”The Spy Who Loved Me,“ the 10th James Bond film starring Roger Moore, opened in theaters in 1977…Comedy “Arthur” starring Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli opened in 1981. The film was the recipient of two Academy Awards in the spring of 1982 for Best Supporting Actor (Sir John Gielgud) and Best Original Song (“Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)“)…Science-fiction action flick “RoboCop,” directed by Paul Verhoeven, was released in the U.S. in 1987… Catherine Zeta-Jones reached A-list movie stardom starring in “The Mask of Zorro” with Antonio Banderas and Anthony Hopkins, released in 1998…Musical family comedy “Kazaam,” starring basketball star Shaquille O’Neal, premiered in 1996…Marvel superhero film “Ant-Man,” starring Paul Rudd, had its nationwide release in 2015.

Music:
Otis Redding recorded “Respect” in 1965…“All You Need is Love” by The Beatles was released in 1965…“Light My Fire” by the Doors hit #1 in 1967… also in 1967, legendary guitarist and singer Jimi Hendrix is the opening act for The Monkees at a concert in Forest Hills, NY…Rock group Yardbirds disbanded in 1968…”Bills, Bills, Bills” by Destiny’s Child reached No. 1 in the U.S. in 1999.

Celebrity Birthdays
British royal Camilla Parker Bowles is 77; actress Lucie Arnaz (“Here’s Lucy”) is 73; actor David Hasselhoff (“Baywatch”) is 72; TV producer Mark Burnett (“Survivor”) is 64; singer Regina Belle is 61; actress Bitty Schram (“Monk”) is 56; actor Jason Clarke (“Zero Dark Thirty”) is 55; director F. Gary Gray is also 55; country singer and “American Idol” judge Luke Bryan is 48; actor Eric Winter (“The Rookie”) is also 48; actor Mike Vogel (“Under the Dome”) is 45.

Did You Know?
In the fifth season of “CHiPs,“ Erik Estrada went on strike over a dispute over syndication profits. As a result, he did not appear in seven episodes and was temporarily replaced by Bruce Jenner as Officer Steve McLeish).