May 29: This Day in TV History

[Stanislav]

Just a few random TV related events that happened on May 29. Discuss or comment as you please……

1961: Dave Garroway announces his decision to leave The Today Show.

1963: Lisa Whelchel, who first appeared on The New Mickey Mouse Club as a young girl and, later, rose to fame as Blair on The Facts of Life, is born in Littlefield, Texas.

1982: Leonard Maltin begins his still-active run as movie reviewer on Entertainment Tonight.

1985: The final episode of the long-running Uncle Al Show is taped at WCPO in Cincinnati. The classic local kiddie show pumped out over 15,000 episodes in 35 years on the air.

(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 L]

Stanislav..You forgot..(just kidding)..Actually a very good idea..I may use that idea for my Cleveland Vintage Broadcasting Blog..

About Uncle Al:As WCPO was a Scripps-Howard Television Station, Sister station WEWS-TV 5 in Cleveland aired Uncle Al on and off over the years, lastly in the early 1970's.

Dave Garroway was eventually replaced by Hugh Downs, who at the time was also doing Concentration on NBC. After a long run on ABC's 20/20, he is till on the air doing infomercials

 

[Kurt Toy]

John Chancellor replaced Garroway, then Downs took over from Chancellor.

 

[Tim L]

Thanks Kurt,

I thought someone else replaced Garroway before Downs but I wasnt exactly sure who. As it was, Chancellor was only host of Today in 1961-62 before Downs replaced him from 1962-71..Then Frank McGee (1971-74).In my own memories of watching TV in the 60's and very early 70's..Downs was the first host of Today I knew..

 

[Corky Marlowe]

Dave Garroway was eventually replaced by Hugh Downs, who at the time was also doing Concentration on NBC. After a long run on ABC's 20/20, he is till on the air doing infomercials
Yep, 90 year old Hugh Downs and that scary lookin' bug eyed dude selling some sort of quack medical stuff...
Not only frightening, bu the whole enterprise makes Kevin Trudeau look like Marcus Welby.

 

[Ultimajock]

Thanks Kurt,

I thought someone else replaced Garroway before Downs but I wasnt exactly sure who. As it was, Chancellor was only host of Today in 1961-62 before Downs replaced him from 1962-71..Then Frank McGee (1971-74).In my own memories of watching TV in the 60's and very early 70's..Downs was the first host of Today I knew..

...wasn't there a brief stretch -- maybe five or six weeks -- during which John Daly, newly-relieved of his duties at ABC News, took over "Today" because Chancellor couldn't come in immediately after Garroway's departure? I have a video clip of Daly "interviewing" Harpo Marx about his then-new autobiography, HARPO SPEAKS!, on "Today," and I believe that clip dates from the period I just described...

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

This is how it all began--(bump)

 

[radioman148]

>>1961: Dave Garroway announces his decision to leave The Today Show>>

Peace!

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

2009: After 17 years and 4 days, Jay Leno hosts his final "Tonight Show."

 

[easttxtv]

<customary bump for those of us who still enjoy a daily dose...(thanx Stanislav and Tim)>

 

[Ultimajock]

2009: After 17 years and 4 days, Jay Leno hosts his final "Tonight Show."

...too bad he didn't stick to his word ...

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

2009: After 17 years and 4 days, Jay Leno hosts his final "Tonight Show."

...too bad he didn't stick to his word ...

I was just about ready to say "Or so we thought."

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

2010: Actor Dennis Hopper dies in Venice, CA at age 74. His TV roles included appearances on Medic (1955), Gunsmoke, Bonanza, The Big Valley, and E-Ring.

 

[Firebird]

1903: Leslie Townes Hope is born in Eltham, England. You know him better as Bob Hope.

1975: Melanie Janine "Mel B" Brown, aka Scary Spice, is born in West Yorkshire, England.

2004: The World War II Memorial is dedicated in Washington, D.C.

 

[Ultimajock]

2010: Actor Dennis Hopper dies in Venice, CA at age 74. His TV roles included appearances on Medic (1955), Gunsmoke, Bonanza, The Big Valley, and E-Ring.

...Hopper claimed he got his supporting role in Rebel Without a Cause because James Dean dug his guest shot on Medic...he also did an interesting guest job on The Guns of Will Sonnett...