Author Archives: dcaligari

October 27, 1954 –“… It was all started by a mouse.” Walt Disney’s first TV show, Disneyland, premiered on ABC-TV on this date. All of the ABC episodes were filmed in color, even though they aired in black and white. In general, ABC did not broadcast in color until the mid 1960s. During the yearsContinue reading “Disneyland premiered”

October 26, 1965 –Queen Elizabeth decorated The Beatles with the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, at Buckingham Palace, on this date. The Beatles, ever polite, allowed Her Majesty to add chintz curtains and tufted sofas in their living rooms. (According to an account by John Lennon the group smoked dope in one ofContinue reading “The Beatles receive the MBE”

October 26, 1970 –Elton John released his first hit single Your Song, on this date. This was one of the first songs John wrote with Bernie Taupin. They met after a record company gave John some of Taupin’s lyrics to work with. Eventually, they both moved into John’s parents’ house, where they started working together.

October 26, 1982 – TV’s longest dream sequence, St. Elsewhere, premiered on NBC-TV on this date. The writers of this show shared a building and a copy machine at MTM with the writers from Hill Street Blues. Whenever they needed inspiration, they would look at a script from Hill Street Blues and that always pushedContinue reading “St. Elsewhere premiered”

October 26, 1972 – Ringo Starr and singer Lulu appear in non-speaking cameos on the Monty Python’s Flying Circus episode Mr And Mrs Brian Norris’ Ford Popular on this date. The tramp (Michael Palin) enters and sits between them and begins his introduction, in David Frost style: “Hello, good evening, welcome … It’s …” aContinue reading “Mr And Mrs Brian Norris’ Ford Popular premiered”

October 25, 1978 –The independently produced horror film Halloween, directed by John Carpenter and starring Donald Pleasence and Jamie Lee Curtis, premiered in the US on this date. In the documentary short, ‘Halloween’ Unmasked 2000, it was revealed that the crew had chosen two masks for Michael Myers to decide on. The first was aContinue reading “Halloween premiered”

October 25, 1931 –I’ve left some of the very unsavory details out for those readers with a more delicate nature. Elena Hoyos, a pretty and vivacious 21 year old Cuban-American girl died from tuberculosis in Florida on this date. While this is sad, it wouldn’t be noteworthy other than for her middle aged neighbor withContinue reading “In every home there is a heartbreak“

It’s Saints Crispin and Crispinian Day. They are the patron saints of cobblers, tanners and leather workers. So remember, if you’re walking through the West Village this morning and come upon a gimlet-eyed Leather Daddy walking his ‘boy‘ home on a leash, wish them a Happy St. Crispin’s Day! Times were hard, it’s 1415 –Continue reading “These wounds I had on Crispin’s day”

October 25, 1975 –Paul Simon released his fourth solo album, Still Crazy After All These Years on this date. On the second episode of Saturday Night Live, Simon hosted the show, which he opened by singing Still Crazy alone on stage. This was the song’s debut, as the album was released a week later. WhenContinue reading “Still Crazy After All These Years released”

October 25, 1982 – Bob Newhart’s second successful-sitcom Newhart, premiered on CBS-TV on this date. The show was videotaped in the first season, but later episodes were filmed. It was Bob Newhart’s idea to begin using film from season two onward in order to give the show a more realistic look.