October 13: This Day in TV History

[Stanislav]

Just a few random TV related events that happened on October 13. Discuss or comment as you please……

1930: Producer and writer Bruce Geller (Mission: Impossible, Mannix) is born in New York City.

1946: Actor Demond Wilson (Sanford & Son) is born (as Grady Demond Wilson) in Valdosta, Georgia. (Remember how Redd Foxx’s real-life surname became that of his character? Well, now you also know where the first name of Fred Sanford’s best friend came from.....)

1947: Junior Jamboree premieres on Chicago’s WBKB-TV. Never heard of it, you say? Perhaps you will recognize it under its later title: Kukla, Fran & Ollie.

1990: Pioneering CBS newsman Douglas Edwards dies of cancer, aged 73.

1956: WAGM-TV (channel 8 ) signs on in tiny Presque Isle, Maine. Being the only commercial station in an isolated market, it regularly picked and chose programs from all three major networks at the time (though it was, and is, a CBS primary). In fact, when Fox began carrying NFL football in the 90’s, WAGM would pick them up as well, thus becoming the only station in the U.S. to regularly carry programming from ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox on its weekly schedule.

1958: Game show Beat the Clock moves to ABC after 8 years on CBS.

1959: Singer/actress and future Nutrisystem spokeswoman Marie Osmond (Donnie & Marie) is born in Provo, Utah.

1967: Actress Kate Walsh (Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice) is born in San Jose, California.

1968: Actress and voice artist Bea Benaderet (Burns and Allen, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Flintstones, Petticoat Junction) dies in Los Angeles of lung cancer, aged 62. Her husband, sound effects man Eugene Twombly, would die of a heart attack just 4 days later.

(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]

1956: WAGM-TV (channel 8 ) signs on in tiny Presque Isle, Maine. Being the only commercial station in an isolated market, it regularly picked and chose programs from all three major networks at the time (though it was, and is, a CBS primary). In fact, when Fox began carrying NFL football in the 90’s, WAGM would pick them up as well, thus becoming the only station in the U.S. to regularly carry programming from ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox on its weekly schedule.

...when I visited Dorval, Quebec, in June 1980, there were three different Channel 8s that the cable system on the West End of the Ile de Montreal picked up OTA for carriage: WAGM, CJOH-8 Cornwall ON, and CHEM-TV/8 Trois-Rivières PQ. Of the three, that month there was terrible reception of WAGM and clear signals from CJOH-8 and CHEM. I don't know if those stations are still on the cable system there...

 

[azumanga]

...when I visited Dorval, Quebec, in June 1980, there were three different Channel 8s that the cable system on the West End of the Ile de Montreal picked up OTA for carriage: WAGM, CJOH-8 Cornwall ON, and CHEM-TV/8 Trois-Rivières PQ. Of the three, that month there was terrible reception of WAGM and clear signals from CJOH-8 and CHEM. I don't know if those stations are still on the cable system there...

Actually, the third eight that was on Montreal's systems was WMTW, Portland's ABC affiliate that, until a couple of years back, broadcasted from Mount Washington, reaching Montreal, albeit marginally.

 

[KML0224]

WMTW-TV/DT channel 8/digital 46 of Poland Spring, ME left Mount Washington, NH in 2002 for their current site in Baldwin, ME. It was due to extreme weather conditions up there and the issue of putting a reliable digital signal into Portland, which wouldn't have been possible from that distance.

As for WAGM-TV/DT, they also carried WWE Smackdown! and Star Trek: Enterprise from UPN a few times. Today, WAGM carries FOX on channel 8-2. There's also supposed to be another commercial broadcaster on in their market soon.

 

[Ultimajock]

...when I visited Dorval, Quebec, in June 1980, there were three different Channel 8s that the cable system on the West End of the Ile de Montreal picked up OTA for carriage: WAGM, CJOH-8 Cornwall ON, and CHEM-TV/8 Trois-Rivières PQ. Of the three, that month there was terrible reception of WAGM and clear signals from CJOH-8 and CHEM. I don't know if those stations are still on the cable system there...

Actually, the third eight that was on Montreal's systems was WMTW, Portland's ABC affiliate that, until a couple of years back, broadcasted from Mount Washington, reaching Montreal, albeit marginally.

...hmmm...I stand corrected. Just looked at WMTW's Wikipedia page, and saw the COL as Poland Spring, which I was confusing with Presque Isle. Well, I did say the Montreal Cable reception of WMTW was horrible! ;-) ...

 

[bpatrick]

October 13, 1958 was the day ABC first had anything
resembling a full daytime schedule, known as "Operation
Daybreak." One new show made it, "Day In Court," lasting
until 1965.

The schedule:

11 AM Day In Court
11:30 Peter Lind Hayes
12:30 Mother's Day (Dick Van you-know prefers to forget
this game show on which women performed housework-
related stunts, played pricing games, etc.)
1 PM The Liberace Show (Liberace is dressed in a business
suit but that's the only thing unusual, yet the show
doesn't make it despite the fact that reruns of his
syndicated series have aired in daytime in many markets.)
1:30 (Local)
2 PM Chance For Romance (John Cameron Swayze hosts a
proto-"Dating Game" or perhaps more accurately, Dave Hull's
1980s series "The Matchmaker"--here a psychologist
matches up the couples.)
2:30 (Local)
3 PM Beat The Clock
3:30 Who Do You Trust?
4 PM American Bandstand
5:30 Mickey Mouse Club (Mon/Wed/Fri)/
Walt Disney's Adventure Time (reruns of the serials
from Mickey Mouse Club) (Tue/Thu)

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

Oct. 13 is a happy day in televised World Series history for those who are Pittsburgh Pirates fans:

1960: Despite being outscored by the New York Yankees by a total of 46-17 in the first 6 games of the 1960 World Series, Pirate Bill Mazeroski hits a 9th-inning, walk-off HR off Yankee pitcher Ralph Terry to bring the Pirates their first World Series title since 1925, 10-9. This was the last Yankee ballgame managed by Casey Stengel (who would later be "forced into retirement"). Stengel would become the first manager of the Mets from 1962-65. The 1960 World Series was televised on NBC with Mel Allen and Bob Prince at the mike.

1971: Game 4 of the '71 World Series at Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium becomes the first Series game to be played at night (IIRC, NBC wanted the prime-time start for better ratings). The Pirates defeated the Orioles in Game 4, 4-3, en route to its first World Series title since the memorable '60 Series mentioned above. NBC again broadcast the '71 Series with Curt Gowdy and Bob Prince on the call.

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

1982: Game 2 of the 1982 World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers (in their pre-1998 AL days) at Busch Stadium II in St. Louis. The Cards took Game 2, 5-4, en route to their 9th of 10 World Series crowns (but their first since 1967, while their next one after '82 would not come until their miraculous 2006 postseason run).

The AWESOME opening theme NBC used to the 1982 World Series (with sponsors ColecoVision and Anco wiper blades) is on YouTube for Game 2 at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7EZbfq9oTY

This would be the only World Series called by Dick Enberg.

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

1987: Actress Ashley Newbrough (Priviledged on CW from 2008-09) is born in Newport, RI.

 

[Corky Marlowe]

The 1960 World Series was televised on NBC with Mel Allen and Bob Prince at the mike.

Bob Prince being the Hall Of Fame Pirates play-by-play man. NBC used both teams' local announcers for many years on their World Series telecasts...For example, Marty Brennaman and Dick Stockton during the 1975 Reds-Red Sox series.

 

[mjlarochelle]

1956: WAGM-TV (channel 8 ) signs on in tiny Presque Isle, Maine. Being the only commercial station in an isolated market, it regularly picked and chose programs from all three major networks at the time (though it was, and is, a CBS primary). In fact, when Fox began carrying NFL football in the 90’s, WAGM would pick them up as well, thus becoming the only station in the U.S. to regularly carry programming from ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox on its weekly schedule.

...when I visited Dorval, Quebec, in June 1980, there were three different Channel 8s that the cable system on the West End of the Ile de Montreal picked up OTA for carriage: WAGM, CJOH-8 Cornwall ON, and CHEM-TV/8 Trois-Rivières PQ. Of the three, that month there was terrible reception of WAGM and clear signals from CJOH-8 and CHEM. I don't know if those stations are still on the cable system there...

CHEM is long gone from cable in that area; CJOH was carried well into the 90s since they had a different schedule from CFCF as long as they were separately-owned. I have no idea if CJOH is still carried there.

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

2010: You could add the coverage of the rescue of the 33 Chilean miners to today's TDITVH.