January 31: This Day in TV History

[Stanislav]

Just a few random TV related events that happened on January 31. Discuss or comment as you please……

1915: Comedian/game show host Garry Moore (The Garry Moore Show, I've Got a Secret, To Tell the Truth) is born (as Thomas Garrison Morfit, III) in Baltimore, Maryland.

1940: Actor Stuart Margolin (The Rockford Files) is born in Davenport, Iowa.

1973: Actress Portia de Rossi (Ally McBeal, Arrested Development) is born (as Amanda Lee Rogers) in Geelong, Victoria, Australia.

1988: The Wonder Years debuts on ABC. The premiere broadcast has an awesome lead-in – it is aired immediately after ABC's coverage of Super Bowl XXII.

1993: Homicide: Life on the Street premieres on NBC.

1999: Family Guy premieres on Fox.

(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…..)

 

[Ultimajock]

1915: Comedian/game show host Garry Moore (The Garry Moore Show, I've Got a Secret, To Tell the Truth) is born (as Thomas Garrison Morfit, III) in Baltimore, Maryland.

...Garry Moore as host, and Bill Cullen and Henry Morgan on the panel. All three being among the finest broadcasters of the '40s and '50s. No wonder why the original version of I've Got a Secret was the best panel game of the lot. When Steve Allen took over and tried to dominate it, the show lost a lot of its quality; the Allen-hosted 1972 syndicated version was watchable mainly when both Richard Dawson and Pat Carroll were at opposite ends of the panel...

 

[bpatrick]

Henry Morgan said as much in his autobiography,
published shortly before his death; and Betsy Palmer
echoes it: Garry let the panel and the contestants
be the show, while Steve seemed to compete with them.

Garry's version of To Tell The Truth was often
praised because of the banter among the panelists
(something missing on all other versions of the show)
and the interviews and demonstrations by the "central
characters" after each game.

My dad often says that Garry was like an old shoe.
I wouldn't disagree.

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

1988: The Wonder Years debuts on ABC. The premiere broadcast has an awesome lead-in – it is aired immediately after ABC's coverage of Super Bowl XXII.

1993: Homicide: Life on the Street premieres on NBC.

1999: Family Guy premieres on Fox.

In addition to Wonder Years, it also appears that "Homicide: Life on the Street" and "Family Guy" were also shows that debuted after the Super Bowl on their respective networks.

And it's also hard to believe that if you go by "reel time" from "Wonder Years" (the episodes taking place 20 years in the past)--that it's now 1990 in "Wonder Years" time--halfway through their 3rd season! Amazing how that show is now 22 years old as of tomorrow--and how I'm still disliking its final episode from 1993 (need I say more).

 

[Ultimajock]

Henry Morgan said as much in his autobiography,
published shortly before his death; and Betsy Palmer
echoes it: Garry let the panel and the contestants [on I've Got a Secret]
be the show, while Steve seemed to compete with them.

...now there's a wild piece of trivia: What person connects the TV series I've Got a Secret and the theatrical film Friday the 13th? Answer: Betsy Palmer ;-) ...