November
26, 1989
The television series MTV
Unplugged, featuring stripped-down acoustical performances by a wide range
of artists not usually known for such performances, makes its broadcast
premiere on this day in 1989.
The
premiere episode of MTV Unplugged was only lightly promoted by the
network, in part because it featured a lineup whose biggest name was the
English pop group Squeeze—a band whose greatest popular success was already
several years behind it. The episode also featured performances by the relatively
unknown singer-songwriter Syd Straw, Cars guitarist Elliot Easton and
singer-songwriter Jules Shear, who went on to act as host in the first season
of MTV Unplugged. Following this less-than-star-studded debut,
subsequent episodes featured a smattering of moderately popular acts like
10,000 Maniacs and Michael Penn along with performers with little or no name
recognition among the MTV generation, like Graham Parker and Dr. John.Late
in its first season, however MTV Unplugged began to gain popular
momentum with noteworthy appearances by Sinead O'Connor and Aerosmith. It was a
second-season appearance by Paul McCartney, however, that probably turned the
show into the success it became when McCartney released a recording of his
performance as Unplugged (The Official Bootleg)—an album that enjoyed
tremendous popular success. Soon enough, MTV Unplugged became a popular
stop not only for some of the biggest contemporary acts of the early 1990s,
such as R.E.M. and Nirvana, but also for older artists looking to relaunch
their brands with a younger audience, such as Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart and
Tony Bennett. Unplugged albums released by the latter three artists each
went on to sell upwards of a million copies, making the MTV Unplugged brand
a saleable commodity.
The
program has not been without its critics. Steve Albini, for instance, who
produced Nirvana's final studio album, In Utero, told Time magazine
in 1995, "From an artistic standpoint, it's a total joke.... You take
bands that are fundamentally electric-rock bands and put acoustic guitars in
their hands and make them do a pantomime of a front-porch performance."
Nevertheless, MTV Unplugged is among the most successful original
programs ever produced by MTV.
November 30, 1929
Richard
Wagstaff "Dick" Clark is born.
He
was an American radio and television
personality, as well as a cultural
icon who remains best known for hosting American television's longest-running
variety show, American
Bandstand, from 1957 to 1987. He
also hosted the game show Pyramid and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, which transmitted Times Square's New Year's Eve celebrations worldwide. Clark was
also well known for his trademark sign-off, "For now, Dick Clark. So
long!", accompanied with a military salute.
December 1, 1994
The Game Show Network was launched.
Game Show Network
launched at 7:00 p.m. ET on December 1, 1994. The first aired game show
was What's My Line?. From 1994 until about 1997, the network aired
classic pre-1972 game shows as well as game shows made after 1972, most of
which came from the Mark Goodson–Bill Todman library.
The network aired game shows in a 24-hour cycle, and also used live
interstitials as wraparound programming. In its first few months, GSN's
commercials consisted of public
service announcements (PSAs),
promotions for its programming and commercials related to network parent
company Sony. By
1995, when the network began to expand, the network began accepting
conventional advertising as it gained new sponsorships.
December 1, 2004
NBC anchor Tom Brokaw made he final appearance as
anchor on NBC Nightly News.
He began his run on the show in April 1982. It was
planned that Brokaw would host at least three documentaries a year for NBC.
November
26, 1989
The television series MTV
Unplugged, featuring stripped-down acoustical performances by a wide range
of artists not usually known for such performances, makes its broadcast
premiere on this day in 1989.
Late
in its first season, however MTV Unplugged began to gain popular
momentum with noteworthy appearances by Sinead O'Connor and Aerosmith. It was a
second-season appearance by Paul McCartney, however, that probably turned the
show into the success it became when McCartney released a recording of his
performance as Unplugged (The Official Bootleg)—an album that enjoyed
tremendous popular success. Soon enough, MTV Unplugged became a popular
stop not only for some of the biggest contemporary acts of the early 1990s,
such as R.E.M. and Nirvana, but also for older artists looking to relaunch
their brands with a younger audience, such as Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart and
Tony Bennett. Unplugged albums released by the latter three artists each
went on to sell upwards of a million copies, making the MTV Unplugged brand
a saleable commodity.
The
program has not been without its critics. Steve Albini, for instance, who
produced Nirvana's final studio album, In Utero, told Time magazine
in 1995, "From an artistic standpoint, it's a total joke.... You take
bands that are fundamentally electric-rock bands and put acoustic guitars in
their hands and make them do a pantomime of a front-porch performance."
Nevertheless, MTV Unplugged is among the most successful original
programs ever produced by MTV.
November 30, 1929
Richard Wagstaff "Dick" Clark is born.
December 1, 1994
The Game Show Network was launched.
December 1, 2004
NBC anchor Tom Brokaw made he final appearance as anchor on NBC Nightly News.
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