Author Archives: dcaligari

November 3, 1976 –MGM’s horror classic, based on Stephen King’s best-selling first novel, Carrie, directed by Brian De Palma and starring Sissy Spacek, premiered on this date. Ever the stickler for authenticity, Sissy Spacek insisted that she – not a double – be the one whose hand shoots up out of Carrie’s grave during SueContinue reading “Carrie premiered”

November 3, 1993 –Fran traveled for the first time over the bridge from Flushing to the Sheffield’s door when, The Nanny, premiered on CBS-TV on this date. After cancellation of her sitcom Princesses, Fran Drescher flew to Europe to meet her former co-star Twiggy. On her flight to London, she coincidentally sat next to CBSContinue reading “The Nanny premiered”

November 3, 1978 –Diff’rent Strokes premiered on NBC-TV on this date. Both Diff’rent Strokes and The Facts of Life were Norman Lear productions but for some reason he didn’t put his name on the credits, opting for Tandem Productions (which is his production company) instead.

November 3, 1967 – Captain Kirk and the crew has a second run in with the con man, Harry Mudd and his army of androids when the Star Trek episode I, Mudd premiered on CBS-TV on this date. During the filming, casting director Joseph D’Agosta was in a panic because he needed at least twoContinue reading “I, Mudd premiered”

November 3, 1957 – Laika the dog became the first living creature in space on this date, when she involuntarily fulfilling a canine suicide mission aboard the Soviet Sputnik 2. Soviet engineers expected Laika to die from oxygen deprivation—a painless death within 15 seconds—after seven days in orbit. However, some western researchers speculated, then laterContinue reading “The sad tale of Laika”

Happy National Sandwich Day. It’s celebrated on the birthday of John Montagu, Fourth Earl of Sandwich, creator of the sandwich. As the story goes, he was playing cards and did not want to leave the gaming table to eat. He asked for a serving of roast beef to be placed between two slices of breadContinue reading “Too few people understand a really good sandwich.”

November 3, 1954 – Gojira premiered in Japan on this date 68 years ago (Godzilla: King of the Monsters debuted in America on April 26, 1956) : With the ashes of World War II only recently cooled, Japan is plagued by a sudden wave of maritime disasters: Without warning, ships are exploding into flame andContinue reading “If we don’t stop Godzilla now, what’s to become of us?”

So those of the dearly departed who didn’t make the cut yesterday for All Saint’s Day, take heart; remember today is All Souls Day (the second day of Día de los Muertos.) In the late tenth or early eleventh century, Saint Odilo of Cluny decided that All Souls’ Day would take place after All Saints’Continue reading “Today is the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed”

November 2, 1989 – BBC One aired the screaming funny conclusion to the Blackadder Goes Forth series, Goodbyeee starring Rowan Atkinson and Tony Robinson, written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, on this date. The decision to set Blackadder in the trenches of World War One did not come from Ben Elton, Richard Curtis orContinue reading “The finale of Blackadder Goes Forth premiered”

November 2, 1995 –Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders guest stars on the Friends episode The One with the Baby on the Bus, on this date. She sings Angel of the Morning and learns Smelly Cat from Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow).