This Week in Television History: September 2017 PART III

As always, the further we go back in Hollywood history,
the more that fact and legend become intertwined.
It's hard to say where the truth really lies.

September 18, 1917

June Foray is born. 

The voice actress, best is known as the voice of many popular animated characters (particularly Rocky the Flying Squirrel, Cindy Lou Who and Granny). Her long and prolific career has encompassed radio, theatrical shorts, feature films, television, record albums (particularly with Stan Freberg), video games, talking toys and other media. Foray was also one of the founding members of ASIFA-Hollywood, the society devoted to promoting and encouraging animation.

September 18, 1957

The Big Record premiered on CBS-TV. The show only lasted one season.

September 21, 1957

The first episode of Perry Mason aired on CBS. 

The character of Perry Mason was adapted for motion pictures and a long-running radio series. These were followed by its best-known adaptation, the CBS television series Perry Mason (1957–66) starring Raymond Burr. A second television series, The New Perry Mason starring Monte Markham, ran from 1973 to 1974; and 30 Perry Mason television films ran from 1985 to 1995, with Burr reprising the role of Mason in 26 of them prior to his death in 1993.

September 21, 1972

ABC-TV debuted In Concert. 

Alice Cooper appeared in the first episode.

September 22, 1987

ABC aired the first episode of Full House. 

Full House is an American sitcom created by Jeff Franklin for ABC. The show chronicles the events of widowed father, Danny Tanner, who enlists his brother-in-law and best friend to help raise his three daughters. It aired from September 22, 1987, to May 23, 1995, broadcasting eight seasons and 192 episodes.

While never a critical favorite, the series was consistently in the Nielsen Top 30 (from 1988 onward) and gained even more popularity in syndicated reruns. It has also had tie-in merchandise marketed, such as a series of paperback books. A sequel series, Fuller House, premiered on Netflix on February 26, 2016.

September 22, 1992

MTV Unplugged renamed one episode MTV Plugged when Bruce Springsteen played an electric set on the show.

September 23, 1952

The first Pay Television sporting event took place. 

The Marciano-Walcott fight was seen in 49 theaters in 31 cities. 

September 23, 1992

The first episode of Mad About You aired. 

Mad About You is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 23, 1992 to May 24, 1999. The show starred Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt as a newly married couple in New York City.

The series focuses mainly on newlyweds Paul Buchman, a documentary filmmaker, and Jamie Stemple Buchman, a public relations specialist, as they deal with everything from humorous daily minutiae to major struggles. Near the end of the show's run, they have a baby daughter, whom they name Mabel.

September 23, 2002

The first season of CSI: Miami began. 

CSI: Miami (Crime Scene Investigation: Miami) is an American police procedural drama television series that premiered on September 23, 2002, on CBS. Starring David Carusoas Lieutenant Horatio Caine, Emily Procter as Detective Calleigh Duquesne, and Kim Delaney as Lieutenant Megan Donner, the series is the first direct spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, "transplanting the same template and trickery — gory crimes, procedural plot and dazzling graphics — into while retaining the essence of the original idea".

September 24, 1977

The Love Boat debuted on ABC. 

The Love Boat (Love Boat in its final season) is an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from September 24, 1977, until May 24, 1986. The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship’s captain. It was part of ABC’s popular Saturday night lineup that included Fantasy Islanduntil that show ended in 1984. Gavin MacLeod, Bernie Kopell, and Ted Lange are the only cast members to appear in every episode of the series, including the last three made-for-TV movies. Fred Grandy was in every episode throughout the run of the series, but missed the last of the TV movies. MacLeod was not the captain in the first two TV movies, however. The viewers are told in Love Boat II that Gopher, Doc, Isaac, and the captain served together in Vietnam, but no reference to this is ever made to their shared history again. However, when MacLeod’s character was introduced, there was mention of him being “the new captain.”

September 24, 1987

The series A Different World debuted on NBC. 

A Different World is an American sitcom (and a spin-off of The Cosby Show) that aired for six seasons on NBC from September 24, 1987 to July 9, 1993. The series originally centered on Denise Huxtable (Lisa Bonet) and the life of students at Hillman College, a fictional historically Black college in Virginia. It was inspired by student life at Hampton University, Spelman College, and Howard University. After Bonet's departure in the first season, the remainder of the series primarily focused more on Southern belle Whitley Gilbert (Jasmine Guy) and math whiz Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison).

September 24, 1997

ABC began airing the series Dharma and Greg. 

Dharma and Greg is an American television sitcom that aired from September 24, 1997, to April 30, 2002.

The show starred Jenna Elfman and Thomas Gibson as Dharma and Greg Montgomery, a couple who married on their first date despite being polar opposites. The series was co-produced by Chuck Lorre Productions, More-Medavoy Productions and 4 to 6 Foot Productions in association with 20th Century Fox Television for ABC. The show's theme song was written and performed by composer Dennis C. Brown.

Created by executive producers Dottie Dartland and Chuck Lorre, the comedy took much of its inspiration from culture-clash "fish out of water" situations. The show earned eight Golden Globe nominations, six Emmy Award nominations, and six Satellite Awardsnominations. Elfman earned a Golden Globe in 1999 for Best Actress.

September 24, 2007

The pilot episode of The Big Bang Theory aired. 

The Big Bang Theory is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom serve as executive producers on the series, along with Steven Molaro. All three also serve as head writers. 

The show premiered on CBS on September 24, 2007. The series' tenth season premiered on September 19, 2016. In March 2017, the series was renewed for two additional seasons, bringing its total to twelve, and running through the 2018–19 television season. The eleventh season is set to premiere on September 25, 2017.

To quote the Bicentennial Minute, "And that's the way it was".

Stay Tuned

Tony Figueroa