June 19: This Day in TV History

[Stanislav]

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

1897: Head Stooge Moe Howard is born (as Harry Moses Horowitz) in Bensonhurst, New York.

1948: Actress Phylicia Rashād (The Cosby Show) is born (as Phylicia Ayers-Allen) in Houston, Texas.

1952: I’ve Got a Secret premieres on CBS, beginning a 15-year network run.

1953: WTPA-TV (later WHTM-TV) signs on in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on channel 71. One of the few full-power TV stations to ever broadcast in the 70-83 portion of the UHF spectrum, WTPA would move down to channel 27 four years later.

1953: WCSC-TV (channel 5) begins broadcasting in Charleston, South Carolina. It is the state’s second TV station, and the only Charleston station to maintain the same network affiliation (CBS) over its history.

1962: Singer, dancer, and basket case Paula Abdul (American Idol) is born in New York City.

1964: The Twilight Zone ends its original network run with its 156th episode, “The Bewitchin’ Pool.”

1975: Actress Ally Sheedy appears on To Tell the Truth at the age of 13. Her appearance was due to her having written a best-selling children’s book (“She Was Nice to Mice”) at that tender age.

(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…..)

 

[RyanHoward]

Paula Abdul was born in Los Angeles, not New York City!

 

[Stanislav]

Paula Abdul was born in Los Angeles, not New York City!

Just checked four sources. One source says NYC, another North Hollywood, and two others a more general "San Fernando Valley." So, 'tis clear (3 out of 4) that the weight of evidence is against me. :-[

 

[RicoGregg]

Paula Abdul was born in Los Angeles, not New York City!

Just checked four sources. One source says NYC, another North Hollywood, and two others a more general "San Fernando Valley." So, 'tis clear (3 out of 4) that the weight of evidence is against me. :-[

It only takes one vote for acquittal. Case dismissed!

 

[Tim L]

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

1953: WTPA-TV (later WHTM-TV) signs on in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on channel 71. One of the few full-power TV stations to ever broadcast in the 70-83 portion of the UHF spectrum, WTPA would move down to channel 27 four years later.

While across the USA there werent a lot of full-power stations on channels 70-83, there were actually 3 in Ohio:

73 WFMJ NBC Youngstown 1953-54 (Now Channel 21)
73 WLOK NBC Lima 1953-55 (Changed to WIMA-TV 35 now WLIO-35)
70 WBGU NET Bowling Green 1964-73 (Dropped to channel 57 in 1973:moved to Channel 27 in 1986)

 

[bpatrick]

Re the debut of "I've Got A Secret": In Gil Fates' book
about "What's My Line?" he points out that Mark Goodson
and Bill Todman thought "Secret" too much like "Line," and
tried to rationalize the differences by staging "Secret" on
a courtroom set, with Garry Moore as the judge, the contestant
in the witness box, and the panelists questioning standing. It
was a total shambles, especially on the part of the panelists,
who didn't know what to do with their hands. That same night,
the courtroom set was burned and the next week the show was
conducted in the standard panel-show set of panel at a large
desk, and Garry Moore and the contestant at a smaller one, with
everyone seated. The difference was that the "Line" stage plan
was flip-flopped for "Secret": on "Line" the panel sat to the viewer's
left; John Daly and the contestant to the viewer's right. On "Secret"
it was just the opposite.

BTW, there was considerable turnover in panel that first year of
"Secret," but Bill Cullen became the first permanent panelist on
the third broadcast, July 3, 1952.

 

[charlestondxman]

Talking about WCSC and their 55th anniversary, they have a tribute up on their website, live5news.com.

If you search 55th anniversary, they have a video with Mike Hiott, one of their long-time anchors, and they show some video from the old days of Channel 5, including Charlie Hall's sign-on message "Channel Five is Now Alive!"

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

Some more birthdays:

1954: Kathleen Turner--the actress made her first TV appearance in the NBC soap "The Doctors" as Nola Dancy Aldrich in 1978.

1969: Lara Spencer--host of "The Insider" and formerly host for "Entertainment Tonight" and "Antiques Roadshow"

 

[radioman148]

Re the debut of "I've Got A Secret": In Gil Fates' book
about "What's My Line?" he points out that Mark Goodson
and Bill Todman thought "Secret" too much like "Line," and
tried to rationalize the differences by staging "Secret" on
a courtroom set, with Garry Moore as the judge, the contestant
in the witness box, and the panelists questioning standing. It
was a total shambles, especially on the part of the panelists,
who didn't know what to do with their hands. That same night,
the courtroom set was burned and the next week the show was
conducted in the standard panel-show set of panel at a large
desk, and Garry Moore and the contestant at a smaller one, with
everyone seated. The difference was that the "Line" stage plan
was flip-flopped for "Secret": on "Line" the panel sat to the viewer's
left; John Daly and the contestant to the viewer's right. On "Secret"
it was just the opposite.

BTW, there was considerable turnover in panel that first year of
"Secret," but Bill Cullen became the first permanent panelist on
the third broadcast, July 3, 1952.

Henry Morgan was hysterical on that show.

 

[radioman148]

Some more birthdays:

1954: Kathleen Turner--the actress made her first TV appearance in the NBC soap "The Doctors" as Nola Dancy Aldrich in 1978.

1969: Lara Spencer--host of "The Insider" and formerly host for "Entertainment Tonight" and "Antiques Roadshow"

Having seen Kathleen Turner recently I have to say the years have not been kind to her. She used to be quite a looker.

 

[FreddyE1977]

Lara Spencer on the other hand is still quite a looker

 

[radioman148]

Indeed ;D

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

1980: Actress Lauren Lee Smith (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation) is born in Vancouver, British Columbia.