Today in History: Wednesday, September 27, 2023

Television
NBC’s late night “Tonight Show” franchise launched with Steve Allen as host in 1954…“The Commish,“ the first regularly scheduled series with Michael Chiklis, debuted on ABC in 1991. It aired for four seasons…Also in 1991 was the premiere of Fran Drescher’s first sitcom, “Princesses”, on CBS. It also starred Julie Hagerty and Twiggy, and was pulled off the air after just five of the eight produced episodes… Sketch comedy show “The Ben Stiller Show” opened on Fox in 1992. Created by Stiller and Judd Apatow, its cast featured Stiller, Andy Dick, Janeane Garofalp and Bob Odenkirk. Despite its brief 12-episode Fox network run, it was the recipient of an Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program. The 13th episode aired on Comedy Central in August 1995…Other notable series premieres: 1) high school comedy “Square Pegs” on CBS in 1982; 2) reverend sitcom “Amen” on NBC in 1986; 3) comedy “Sabrina, The Teenage Witch” on ABC in 1996; 4) animated “Family Guy” spinoff “The Cleveland Show” on Fox in 2009; 5) Sherlock Holmes drama “Elementary” on CBS in 2012; and 6) kids cooking competition “MasterChef Junior” on Fox in 2013…The ABC political drama “Commander in Chief,“ with Geena Davis as the first female president, was off and running and running in 2005. But a shift in showrunners from Rod Lurie to Steven Bochco changed the tone of the series, and the audience fled in droves.

Music
Single “The Way We Were” was released by Barbra Streisand in 1973. It was named the Billboard Song of the Year…Lorde released her debut studio album “Pure Heroine” in 2013.

Books
Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” was published in 1962, and it became one of the most-influential books in the modern environmental movement.

Sports
In 1920, eight Chicago White Sox players were charged with fixing the 1919 World Series.

Celebrity Birthdays
Actor Claude Jarman Jr. (“The Yearling”) is 89; singer-guitarist Randy Bachman of Bachman-Turner Overdrive is 80; actress Liz Torres (“Gilmore Girls”) is 76; actor A Martinez (“LA Law,” ″Santa Barbara”) is 75; former teen idol Shaun Cassidy (“The Hardy Boys”) is 65; comedian Marc Maron (“Maron”) is 60; singer-guitarist Stephan Jenkins of Third Eye Blind is 59; actor Patrick Muldoon (“Melrose Place”) is 55; Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow is 51; singer Brad Arnold of 3 Doors Down is 45; actress Anna Camp (“The Mindy Project,” ″True Blood”) is 41; rapper Lil’ Wayne is also 41; singer Avril Lavigne is 39; actor Sam Lerner (“The Goldbergs”) is 31; actor Ames McNamara (“The Connors”) is 16.

Did You Know?
Michael Chiklis’ first regularly scheduled TV series following “The Commish” was an NBC sitcom called “Daddio.” It aired for just 14 episodes in the fall of 2000.