January 19: This Day in TV History

[Stanislav]

Just a few random TV related events that happened on January 19. Discuss or comment as you please……

1923: Actress Jean Stapleton (All in the Family) is born (as Jeanne Murray) in New York City.

1924: Actor Nicholas Colasanto (Cheers) is born in Providence, Rhode Island.

1927: Journalist Nancy Dickerson is born (as Nancy Conners Hanschman) in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.

1931: Journalist Robert MacNeil (The MacNeil/Lehrer Report) is born in Montreal, Quebec.

1934: Journalist Lloyd Robertson is born in Stratford, Ontario. He has been a fixture on Canadian television for more than half a century, and it is he whom actor Joe Flaherty parodied (as “Floyd” Robertson) on SCTV.

1944: Actress Shelley Fabares (The Donna Reed Show, Coach) is born in Santa Monica, California.

1953: 68% of all U.S. television sets are tuned to I Love Lucy as Lucy Ricardo gives birth to “Little Ricky.” The same day, Desi Arnaz, Jr. is born to Lucille Ball by cesarean section.

1953: A microwave link between Buffalo, New York and Toronto, Ontario is activated, allowing live airing of programs from the American television networks over CBLT in Toronto.

1954: Actress and voice artist Katey Sagal (Married...with Children, 8 Simple Rules, Futurama) is born in Hollywood, California.

1968: WKBF-TV (channel 61) signs on in Cleveland, Ohio as that market’s first commercial UHF station. Its first day of broadcast was delayed due to one of the worst area snowstorms that winter. The first video transmitted was a simple sentence on a hand lettered message board, reading "We made it, Cleveland," with a 1,000 hertz tone. WKBF would manage to stay on the air for 7 years before going dark, returning its license to the FCC. (The channel is now occupied by WQHS-TV, an Univision affiliate.)

1974: Comedian/impressionist Frank Caliendo (MadTV, Fox NFL Sunday, Frank TV) is born in Chicago. Illinois.

1982: Actress Jodie Sweetin (Full House) is born in Los Angeles.

1988: 48 Hours debuts on CBS.

2004: Howard Dean’s presidential campaign hits P.R. disaster with the infamous “Dean Scream” (repeated ad infinitum on all the news channels) during a speech at a rally in West Des Moines, Iowa.

2006: Actor Tony Franciosa (The Name of the Game, Matt Helm) dies in Los Angeles, aged 77.

2008: Actress Suzanne Pleshette (The Bob Newhart Show) dies in Los Angeles, aged 70.

(Just a little featurette I hope to do as time permits. 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…..)

 

[bpatrick]

1955: John Beresford Tipton sends Michael Anthony
to deliver the first of 188 million-dollar checks on
The Millionaire. According to Castleman and
Podrazik, the first recipient is a woman who refuses
the check because she doesn't want to be richer
than her boyfriend. I can't imagine that today.

I also didn't realize that Suzanne Pleshette died
a year ago; somehow I thought it was later in 2008.
How time flies.

 

[mleach]

I also didn't realize that Suzanne Pleshette died
a year ago; somehow I thought it was later in 2008.
How time flies.

It really does seem hard to believe it has been a year. I believe shortly before her death, Pleshette went to the tabloids herself like the National Enquier to tell them that she was in fact dying from cancer. Patrick Swayze did the same thing as well last year when he came forward to tell about his cancer.

Of course Pleshette and Swayze are the rare exceptions as its usually from a "second, third or even a forth party " when rumors of a star's health woes start appearing in such magazines like " John Doe's BRAVE LAST DAYS". Kinda like with Paul Newman last year. I believe up until two months before his death, Newman's PR people reported that the acting great "is doing fine", even though those last pics of Newman that were published showed a very ill man.

 

[azumanga]

Of course Pleshette and Swayze are the rare exceptions as its usually from a "second, third or even a forth party " when rumors of a star's health woes start appearing in such magazines like " John Doe's BRAVE LAST DAYS".

I remember in the late-1980s when the Enquirer had a front page article about Bob Newhart being in grave health, during a time when his sitcom, "Newhart" was still on CBS. He's still with us today, as active as ever.

 

[LKellerIII]

I also didn't realize that Suzanne Pleshette died
a year ago; somehow I thought it was later in 2008.
How time flies.

It really does seem hard to believe it has been a year. I believe shortly before her death, Pleshette went to the tabloids herself like the National Enquier to tell them that she was in fact dying from cancer. Patrick Swayze did the same thing as well last year when he came forward to tell about his cancer.

Of course Pleshette and Swayze are the rare exceptions as its usually from a "second, third or even a forth party " when rumors of a star's health woes start appearing in such magazines like " John Doe's BRAVE LAST DAYS". Kinda like with Paul Newman last year. I believe up until two months before his death, Newman's PR people reported that the acting great "is doing fine", even though those last pics of Newman that were published showed a very ill man.

I've often wondered about those "doing fine" notices you read about celebrities that are dying. It's not like we would have thought any less of Paul Newman if we knew he was dying, or stop buying his products.

I think it's a very human attempt by their loved ones to hold onto the belief that they will somehow survive, or go into remission. Joanne Woodward and Newman were married for 50 years - it must have been very difficult for her.

I remember that my mother-in-law, who we thought was totally gone mentally and physically in her last weeks, rallied in the last few days, and became very lucid and looked much better just before she passed away.

 

[RicoGregg]

comment as you please……

1974: Comedian/impressionist Frank Caliendo (MadTV, Fox NFL Sunday, Frank TV) is born in Chicago. Illinois.

Comment/Opinion: Frank Caliendo is one of THE unfunniest people to ever call himself a comedian. His show to me is totally unwatchable. He ranks right down there with Emo Phillips and Tom Arnold.

I have never met Mr. Caliendo, so I haven't had any kind of bad experience involving him. I'm speaking only as a member of the general public.

 

[mleach]

I also didn't realize that Suzanne Pleshette died
a year ago; somehow I thought it was later in 2008.
How time flies.

It really does seem hard to believe it has been a year. I believe shortly before her death, Pleshette went to the tabloids herself like the National Enquier to tell them that she was in fact dying from cancer. Patrick Swayze did the same thing as well last year when he came forward to tell about his cancer.

Of course Pleshette and Swayze are the rare exceptions as its usually from a "second, third or even a forth party " when rumors of a star's health woes start appearing in such magazines like " John Doe's BRAVE LAST DAYS". Kinda like with Paul Newman last year. I believe up until two months before his death, Newman's PR people reported that the acting great "is doing fine", even though those last pics of Newman that were published showed a very ill man.

I've often wondered about those "doing fine" notices you read about celebrities that are dying. It's not like we would have thought any less of Paul Newman if we knew he was dying, or stop buying his products.

I think it's a very human attempt by their loved ones to hold onto the belief that they will somehow survive, or go into remission. Joanne Woodward and Newman were married for 50 years - it must have been very difficult for her.

I remember that my mother-in-law, who we thought was totally gone mentally and physically in her last weeks, rallied in the last few days, and became very lucid and looked much better just before she passed away.

I am sure its a privacy thing as to those "doing fine" notices to the press even if in reality it is far from that. Or perhaps the fear of those taboids making something that isn't. Last summer for example there was a rather recent pic that made it to the Globe of singer Barry Manilow taken at the beach. He was skin and bones. Of course Manilow never was a big guy to begin with anyway. But the Globe started making a big deal about that pic and since Manilow is a single guy, the Globe brought up HIV and AIDS in the article. Of course they didn't say directly that Barry Manilow has either but they did interview a "source" who claimed he has "seen people with HIV who look like Barry". Of course the rumors start. I guess the people who run those magazines are still stuck in 1982 when it comes to subjects like HIV. I am sure the celebrities see all of this ( what happened to Barry Manilow ) and question is it worth going public about the illnesses and such thinking the taboids will take it a whole different route. Still though I still believe Suzanne Pleshette, Patrick Swayze and going back a ways..Michael Landon..all did the right thing by going public about thier health issues. After all they are all part of our national family.

 

[mjlarochelle]

1931: Journalist Robert MacNeil (The MacNeil/Lehrer Report) is born in Montreal, Quebec.

1934: Journalist Lloyd Robertson is born in Stratford, Ontario. He has been a fixture on Canadian television for more than half a century, and it is he whom actor Joe Flaherty parodied (as “Floyd” Robertson) on SCTV.

I had no idea either of them had the same birthday as me. I didn't even realize MacNeil was Canadian. Lloyd Robertson started his career on CJCS Radio in his hometown Stratford. In the late 1960s he was the evening news anchor on CBLT in Toronto, later anchoring The National on CBC and then shifting to CTV in 1976 where he remains to this day.

Lloyd is supposed to be in Washington for the Obama inauguration, but he wasn't on tonight, not because of his birthday - he has a sore throat.

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

1946: Singer/songwriter/actress Dolly Parton is born in Seiverville, TN.

1947: ABC News reporter Ann Compton is born.

 

[bpatrick]

1955: John Beresford Tipton sends Michael Anthony
to deliver the first of 188 million-dollar checks on
The Millionaire. According to Castleman and
Podrazik, the first recipient is a woman who refuses
the check because she doesn't want to be richer
than her boyfriend. I can't imagine that today.

I also didn't realize that Suzanne Pleshette died
a year ago; somehow I thought it was later in 2008.
How time flies.

Saturday on AMC "Support Your Local Gunfighter,"
in which she co-starred with James Garner, was on.
Didn't they join "8 Simple Rules" as the grandparents
after John Ritter died?

 

[KML0224]

Yes, they did indeed. When bringing her up, the series finale of Newhart gets a mention from me. Now that was classic stuff!