Author Archives: dcaligari

September 27, 1954 –Steve Allen sat down at his piano and the Tonight Show premiered nationally on NBC on this date. The show began in 1953 as a local show on WNBT-TV, the NBC station in New York City. Tonight! began in 1954 when Sylvester L. Weaver Jr., the president of NBC, decided to expandContinue reading “The Tonight Show first aired nationally”

September 27, 1976 –The TV drama Dawn: Portrait of A Teenage Runaway, starring Eve Plumb premiered on NBC-TV, on this date. Eve Plumb has said in interviews that to this day she still “gets crap” from hardcore Brady Bunch fans who didn’t like that she did this movie instead of doing the Brady Bunch VarietyContinue reading “Dawn: Portrait of A Teenage Runaway premiered”

September 27, 1980 –Kurtis Blow becomes the first rapper to perform on national television when he does The Breaks on Soul Train. The Breaks was the first rap song to sell over 500,000 copies, earning a certified Gold record. Rapper’s Delight, released a year earlier, certainly sold a lot more (as Kurtis attests), but thatContinue reading “Kurtis Blow appeared on Soul Train”

September 26, 1945 –Secretly, I wanted to look like Jimi Hendrix, but I could never quite pull it off. Bryan Ferry (the Lord of Louche) lead singer of the group Roxy Music and solo artist, was born on this date.

There are 90 days until Christmas (72 days until Hanukkah.) (I’m sure many of you have failed the naughty/ nice test already. Maybe you still have time.)

September 26, 1964 – S. S. Minnow started it’s three hour tour (and lasted 98 shows) when Gilligan’s Island premiered on CBS-TV, on this date. Alan Hale Jr. was on location in Utah filming a movie when he got a call to come back to Los Angeles to do a test for the series. HeContinue reading “Gilligan’s Island first set sail”

September 26, 1969 – An unsuspecting American public is forced to deal with the vaguely incestuous family comedy series The Brady Bunch which premiered on ABC-TV on this date. Remember, the Bradys were so good, clean and wholesome that didn’t even go to the bathroom (you never saw the toilet.) During the series run, FlorenceContinue reading “The Brady Bunch debuted”

September 26, 1962 –We got to meet the Clampetts when The Beverly Hillbillies first aired on CBS-TV, on this date. After the first season aired, an executive for sponsor Levi Strauss was quoted as saying that “Donna Douglas had done more for the sale of blue jeans in one year than cowboys have done inContinue reading “The Beverly Hillbillies premiered”

September 26, 1969 – The Beatles release the Abbey Road album in London, on this date. It was their 13th album in the U.K. It was also their last album together as a group.

September 25, 1965 – The Beatles Cartoon Show premiered on ABC-TV on this date. It racked up a 13 score (or 52 share), then unheard of in daytime television. The series became notorious for its static visual style with the Beatles being depicted in their mop top and suit look from A Hard Day’s Night,Continue reading “The Beatles Cartoon Show debuted”