Just a few random TV related events that happened on March 5 (pretty busy day, it seems). Discuss or comment as you please……
1920: Actress Virginia Christine is born (as Virginia Christine Kraft) in Stanton, Iowa. Don’t recognize the name? Think “Folger’s.” Think “Mrs. Olson.” Yup, for 21 years she portrayed the matronly coffee huckster in commercials. DYK: In 1971, her hometown would honor her by transforming the city water tower to resemble a giant coffeepot. ???
1922: Actor James Noble (Benson) is born in Dallas, Texas.
1927: Actor Jack Cassidy is born in Richmond Hill, New York.
1928: Actor Ray MacDonnell (All My Children) is born in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Still portraying Dr. Joe Martin (a role he has held for 39 years) at the age of 80, he is one of only two actors remaining on the show who have played their roles since the very first episode in 1970 (the other being Susan Lucci as Erica Kane).
1934: Actor James Sikking (Hill Street Blues) is born is Los Angeles.
1936: Actor Dean Stockwell (Quantum Leap, JAG, Battlestar Galactica) is born (as Robert Dean Stockwell) in Hollywood, California.
1946: Actor Michael Warren (Hill Street Blues, City of Angels) is born in South Bend, Indiana.
1955: Elvis Presley appears on television for the first time, on Louisiana Hayride (a local show out of Shreveport). With Elvismania yet to take a firm hold, his performance of “That’s All Right Mama” receives a tepid response.
1955: WTTW (channel 11) signs on in Chicago.
1955: Comedian and illusionist Penn Jilette (Penn & Teller: Bullsh*t!) is born in Greenfield, Massachusetts.
1963: Televangelist Joel Osteen is born in Houston, Texas.
1967: The 1959 film version of George Gershwin’s opera “Porgy and Bess” is broadcast by ABC. Despite the film winning an Oscar and a Golden Globe, as well as a Grammy for its soundtrack album, it had been critically and commercially unsuccessful, and this would be its one and only broadcast on network TV. It would, however, air several times in the 1970’s on L.A.’s KTLA, which had access to the Goldwyn Studios archive. Ira Gershwin and the Gershwin estate were unhappy with the film, however, and would eventually rescind the rights to it. As a result, “Porgy and Bess” has never been officially released on video or DVD
1978: Actress Kimberly McCullough (General Hospital) is born in Bellflower, California.
1979: In one of many late 70’s affiliate swaps engendered by ABC’s surprise surge to the top of the ratings, Minneapolis-St. Paul’s KSTP-TV (channel 5) becomes an ABC outlet, ending an over half-decade radio/TV relationship with NBC. It is the biggest ABC “coup” to date. NBC opts to affiliate with WTCN (channel 11), leaving former ABC affiliate KMSP-TV (channel 9) to strike out on its own as an independent.
1979: NBC’s Another World expands to 90 minutes. The show would revert to a one-hour slot six months later.
1979: San Francisco’s KDTV (originally channel 60) and San Mateo’s KCSM (originally channel 14) swap channels and facilities.
1980: Actor Jay Silverheels (The Lone Ranger) dies of a stroke in Calabasas, California. His body would be cremated, and the ashes returned to his place of birth, the Six Nations Indian Reserve in Brantford, Ontario.
1982: Actor John Belushi (Saturday Night Live) is found dead in his room at Bungalow #3 of the Chateau Marmont on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. He is just 33 years old. The death would be attributed to a “speedball,” an injection of cocaine and heroin. DYK: In a gruesome irony, one of Belushi’s last TV roles was a cameo he filmed, as a dead body (floating face-down in a swimming pool), for the sitcom Police Squad! (The footage was part of a running gag where each episode’s “guest star” wouldn't make it past the opening credits without meeting some gruesome end.) The scene was never aired.
1983: CMT (Country Music Television) launches.
1989: Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers premieres on Disney Channel. (The show would later move into first-run syndication.)
2006: After owning the station for more than 50 years, the University of Notre Dame sells WNDU-TV (channel 16) to Gray Television for $85 million.
(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…..)
1920: Actress Virginia Christine is born (as Virginia Christine Kraft) in Stanton, Iowa. Don’t recognize the name? Think “Folger’s.” Think “Mrs. Olson.” Yup, for 21 years she portrayed the matronly coffee huckster in commercials. DYK: In 1971, her hometown would honor her by transforming the city water tower to resemble a giant coffeepot. ???
1922: Actor James Noble (Benson) is born in Dallas, Texas.
1927: Actor Jack Cassidy is born in Richmond Hill, New York.
1928: Actor Ray MacDonnell (All My Children) is born in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Still portraying Dr. Joe Martin (a role he has held for 39 years) at the age of 80, he is one of only two actors remaining on the show who have played their roles since the very first episode in 1970 (the other being Susan Lucci as Erica Kane).
1934: Actor James Sikking (Hill Street Blues) is born is Los Angeles.
1936: Actor Dean Stockwell (Quantum Leap, JAG, Battlestar Galactica) is born (as Robert Dean Stockwell) in Hollywood, California.
1946: Actor Michael Warren (Hill Street Blues, City of Angels) is born in South Bend, Indiana.
1955: Elvis Presley appears on television for the first time, on Louisiana Hayride (a local show out of Shreveport). With Elvismania yet to take a firm hold, his performance of “That’s All Right Mama” receives a tepid response.
1955: WTTW (channel 11) signs on in Chicago.
1955: Comedian and illusionist Penn Jilette (Penn & Teller: Bullsh*t!) is born in Greenfield, Massachusetts.
1963: Televangelist Joel Osteen is born in Houston, Texas.
1967: The 1959 film version of George Gershwin’s opera “Porgy and Bess” is broadcast by ABC. Despite the film winning an Oscar and a Golden Globe, as well as a Grammy for its soundtrack album, it had been critically and commercially unsuccessful, and this would be its one and only broadcast on network TV. It would, however, air several times in the 1970’s on L.A.’s KTLA, which had access to the Goldwyn Studios archive. Ira Gershwin and the Gershwin estate were unhappy with the film, however, and would eventually rescind the rights to it. As a result, “Porgy and Bess” has never been officially released on video or DVD
1978: Actress Kimberly McCullough (General Hospital) is born in Bellflower, California.
1979: In one of many late 70’s affiliate swaps engendered by ABC’s surprise surge to the top of the ratings, Minneapolis-St. Paul’s KSTP-TV (channel 5) becomes an ABC outlet, ending an over half-decade radio/TV relationship with NBC. It is the biggest ABC “coup” to date. NBC opts to affiliate with WTCN (channel 11), leaving former ABC affiliate KMSP-TV (channel 9) to strike out on its own as an independent.
1979: NBC’s Another World expands to 90 minutes. The show would revert to a one-hour slot six months later.
1979: San Francisco’s KDTV (originally channel 60) and San Mateo’s KCSM (originally channel 14) swap channels and facilities.
1980: Actor Jay Silverheels (The Lone Ranger) dies of a stroke in Calabasas, California. His body would be cremated, and the ashes returned to his place of birth, the Six Nations Indian Reserve in Brantford, Ontario.
1982: Actor John Belushi (Saturday Night Live) is found dead in his room at Bungalow #3 of the Chateau Marmont on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. He is just 33 years old. The death would be attributed to a “speedball,” an injection of cocaine and heroin. DYK: In a gruesome irony, one of Belushi’s last TV roles was a cameo he filmed, as a dead body (floating face-down in a swimming pool), for the sitcom Police Squad! (The footage was part of a running gag where each episode’s “guest star” wouldn't make it past the opening credits without meeting some gruesome end.) The scene was never aired.
1983: CMT (Country Music Television) launches.
1989: Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers premieres on Disney Channel. (The show would later move into first-run syndication.)
2006: After owning the station for more than 50 years, the University of Notre Dame sells WNDU-TV (channel 16) to Gray Television for $85 million.
(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…..)
