August 20: This Day in TV History

[Stanislav]

Just a few random TV related events that happened on August 20. Discuss or comment as you please……

1945: The nearly 3 ½-year wartime ban on the manufacture of television and radio equipment for civilian use comes to an end.

1954: Meteorologist Al Roker (Today) is born in Queens, New York.

1961: CKPG-TV (channel 2) begins operations in Prince George, British Columbia.

1969: WKPT-TV (channel 19) signs on in Kingsport, Tennessee as an ABC affiliate. It is the oldest UHF station still operating in Tennessee.

(Just a little featurette I hope to do as time permits…..don’t expect it every single day. It’s an entirely random selection based on a quick Net search, and is not meant to be comprehensive. So, don’t post nasty messages about “you forgot THIS” or “how could you not mention THAT?” Do so, and I’ll just take my keyboard and go home…..)

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

1907: Alan Reed (d. 1977), best known as the voice of Fred Flintstone, is born as Teddy Bergman in New York City. He was also well-known for roles on radio shows including "Duffy's Tavern," the radio "Life of Riley," the Fred Allen show, and "Life with Luigi." His other TV roles included "Mr. Adams and Eve" (1957-58), and Mickey Rooney's short-lived 1964-65 sitcom "Mickey."

 

[Ultimajock]

1907: Alan Reed (d. 1977), best known as the voice of Fred Flintstone, is born as Teddy Bergman in New York City. He was also well-known for roles on radio shows including "Duffy's Tavern," the radio "Life of Riley," the Fred Allen show, and "Life with Luigi." His other TV roles included "Mr. Adams and Eve" (1957-58), and Mickey Rooney's short-lived 1964-65 sitcom "Mickey."

...in fact, the same voice that Reed used for his Falstaff Openshaw character on The Fred Allen Show popped up on The Flintstones whenever Fred got conked on the head and changed into a different identity...

 

[LKellerIII]

1907: Alan Reed (d. 1977), best known as the voice of Fred Flintstone, is born as Teddy Bergman in New York City. He was also well-known for roles on radio shows including "Duffy's Tavern," the radio "Life of Riley," the Fred Allen show, and "Life with Luigi." His other TV roles included "Mr. Adams and Eve" (1957-58), and Mickey Rooney's short-lived 1964-65 sitcom "Mickey."

...in fact, the same voice that Reed used for his Falstaff Openshaw character on The Fred Allen Show popped up on The Flintstones whenever Fred got conked on the head and changed into a different identity...

Well, yeah...even the most prolific voice-over actors have a limited number of variations on a theme. The Berkeley Farms Dairy in the San Francisco Bay Area hired Mel Blanc (probably in the 1950s) to do a tag they used in their commercials for at least 3 decades: "Farms? In Berkeley? Mooooo!" The voice was immediately recognizable as Mel Blanc - a combination of Bugs Bunny and Barney Rubble.

Paul Frees was the voice for "the ape named Ape" in George of the Jungle, which was the exact same voice Frees used for Toucan Sam in the Kellogg's Froot Loops commercials. It was based on his impression of actor Ronald Coleman. Bill Scott's Tom Slick = Dudley Doright. Etc....

 

[Corky Marlowe]

...in fact, the same voice that Reed used for his Falstaff Openshaw character on The Fred Allen Show popped up on The Flintstones whenever Fred got conked on the head and changed into a different identity...

Was that the snobby uppercrust voice he used? (I can't remember the name of his alter ego in those episodes.)

 

[Ultimajock]

...in fact, the same voice that Reed used for his Falstaff Openshaw character on The Fred Allen Show popped up on The Flintstones whenever Fred got conked on the head and changed into a different identity...

Was that the snobby uppercrust voice he used? (I can't remember the name of his alter ego in those episodes.)

...yep -- Frederick something-or-other, wasn't it?...

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

1946: News anchor (and Mrs. Maury Povich) Connie Chung is born (as Constance Yu-Hwa Chung) in Washington, DC.