I represent the first generation who, when we were born, the television was now a permanent fixture in our homes. When I was born people had breakfast with Barbara Walters, dinner with Walter Cronkite, and slept with Johnny Carson. Read the full "Pre-ramble"
Saturday, November 28, 2020
Your Shop Local Saturday "HOLIDAY SOR-BAY": Mr. Hoopers Egg Cream
Friday, November 27, 2020
Your Black Friday HOLIDAY SOR-BAY: The Mary Tyler Moore Show - Not a Christmas Story
Here is your BLACK FRIDAY
a little spark of madness that we could use to momentarily forget about those things that leave a bad taste in our mouths.
|
Tony Figueroa
Thursday, November 26, 2020
Your Holiday Sor-Bay: Thanksgiving 2020
As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!
In 1997 TV Guide ranked this episode number 40 on its '100 Greatest Episodes of All Time' list.
Happy Thanksgiving
Tony Figueroa
Wednesday, November 25, 2020
Monday, November 23, 2020
This Week in Television History: November 2020 PART IV
November 25, 1920
Noel Neill is
born.
She is best known as her
portrayal of Lois Lane in the film serials Superman (1948) and Atom
Man vs. Superman (1950), and
on the 1950s television series Adventures of Superman.
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an
annual parade presented by the U.S.-based department store chain Macy's. The tradition started in
1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United
States with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit (with both parades
being four years younger than the 6abc Dunkin'
Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia). The three-hour Macy's event is held in New York City starting
at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on Thanksgiving Day, and has been televised nationally on NBC since 1952.
The parade was suspended
from 1942 to 1944 as a result of World War II, owing to
the need for rubber and helium in the war effort. The parade resumed in
1945 using the route that it followed until 2008. The parade became known
nationwide after being prominently featured in the 1947 film, Miracle on 34th Street, which included footage of the 1946
festivities. The event was first broadcast on network television in 1948 (see below). By this
point the event, and Macy's sponsorship of it, were sufficiently well-known to
give rise to the colloquialism "Macy's Day Parade". Since 1984, the
balloons have been made by Raven Aerostar (a
division of Sioux Falls, South Dakota-based Raven Industries).
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, Macy's stated that it planned to change the format of the parade in accordance with New York health orders. On September 14, 2020, details regarding the new format were announced by Macy's. The parade is being produced as a "television-only special presentation" over a two-day period, with 75% fewer participants and social distancing enforced. The event will not include college and high school marching bands (with the affected bands having been reinvited for 2021), nor any participant under 18 years of age. Balloons will be tethered to a "specially rigged anchor vehicle framework of five specialty vehicles" rather than carried by handlers, and the full parade route will not be used — with all activity limited to the Herald Square area. Mayor of New York City Bill de Blasio stated that it will "[not be] a live parade, but something that will really give us that warmth and that great feeling we have on Thanksgiving day."
November 27, 1940
Bruce Lee born.
Lee was born while his father, a
Chinese opera star, was on tour in America. The Lee family moved back to Hong Kong in 1941. Growing up, Lee was a
child actor who appeared in some 20 Chinese films; he also studied dancing and
trained in the Wing Chun style of gung fu (also known as kung fu). In 1959, Lee
returned to America, where he eventually attended the University of Washington
and opened a martial-arts school in Seattle. In 1964, he married Linda Emery,
who in 1965 gave birth to Brandon Lee, the first of the couple’s two children.
In 1966, the Lees relocated to Los Angeles and Bruce appeared on the television
program The Green Hornet (1966-1967), playing the Hornet’s acrobatic
sidekick, Kato. Lee also appeared in karate tournaments around the United
States and continued to teach martial arts to private clients, including the
actor Steve McQueen.
In search of better acting roles than Hollywood was offering, Lee returned
to Hong Kong in the early 1970s. He successfully established himself as a star
in Asia with the action movies The Big Boss (1971) and The Way of the
Dragon (1972), which he wrote, directed and starred in. Lee’s next film, Enter
the Dragon, was released in the United States by Hollywood studio Warner
Brothers in August 1973. Tragically, Lee had died one month earlier, on July
20, in Hong Kong, after suffering a brain edema believed to be caused by an
adverse reaction to a pain medication. Enter the Dragon was a box-office
hit, eventually grossing more than $200 million, and Lee posthumously became a
movie icon in America.
Lee’s body was returned to Seattle, where he was buried. His sudden death at
the young age of 32 led to rumors and speculation about the cause of his
demise. One theory held that Lee had been murdered by Chinese gangsters, while
another rumor circulated that the actor had been the victim of a curse. The
family-curse theory resurfaced when Lee’s 28-year-old son Brandon, who had
followed in his father’s footsteps to become an actor, died in an accidental
shooting on the set of the movie The Crow on March 31, 1993. The younger
Lee was buried next to his father at Seattle’s Lake View Cemetery.
November 27, 1980
Bosom
Buddies starring Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari debuted.
An offbeat sitcom about two men disguising themselves
as women, the show ran for four years and first brought Hanks to national
attention.
Hanks
studied acting in high school and played with a Shakespeare festival for three
years. He appeared in a horror flick, He Knows You're Alone, in 1980,
then Splash in 1984, followed by a huge success with Big in 1988,
for which he was nominated for an Oscar. His career took off again with Sleepless
in Seattle (1993); he is now considered one of the top box office draws
alive. He won the Best Actor Oscar twice, for Philadelphia in 1993 and Forrest
Gump in 1994.
Peter Scolari
was born September 12, 1955 later workedon Newhart
and Honey,
I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show.
The Hollywood Christmas Parade (formerly the Hollywood Santa Parade or Santa Claus Lane Parade) is an annual
parade that takes place on the Sunday after Thanksgiving in
the Hollywood community in Los Angeles, California, United
States. The parade follows a 3.5-mile route along Hollywood
Boulevard, then back
along Sunset
Boulevard and features
various celebrities among its participants.
The Parade was
suspended from 1942 to 1944 due to World War II, but reopened in 1945 with record
attendance.
The 2020 Hollywood Christmas Parade, that is traditionally held the first Sunday after Thanksgiving along the streets of Hollywood, must be officially canceled this year due to the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic.
November 25, 1920
Noel Neill is born.
She is best known as her
portrayal of Lois Lane in the film serials Superman (1948) and Atom
Man vs. Superman (1950), and
on the 1950s television series Adventures of Superman.
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an
annual parade presented by the U.S.-based department store chain Macy's. The tradition started in
1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United
States with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit (with both parades
being four years younger than the 6abc Dunkin'
Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia). The three-hour Macy's event is held in New York City starting
at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on Thanksgiving Day, and has been televised nationally on NBC since 1952.
The parade was suspended
from 1942 to 1944 as a result of World War II, owing to
the need for rubber and helium in the war effort. The parade resumed in
1945 using the route that it followed until 2008. The parade became known
nationwide after being prominently featured in the 1947 film, Miracle on 34th Street, which included footage of the 1946
festivities. The event was first broadcast on network television in 1948 (see below). By this
point the event, and Macy's sponsorship of it, were sufficiently well-known to
give rise to the colloquialism "Macy's Day Parade". Since 1984, the
balloons have been made by Raven Aerostar (a
division of Sioux Falls, South Dakota-based Raven Industries).
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, Macy's stated that it planned to change the format of the parade in accordance with New York health orders. On September 14, 2020, details regarding the new format were announced by Macy's. The parade is being produced as a "television-only special presentation" over a two-day period, with 75% fewer participants and social distancing enforced. The event will not include college and high school marching bands (with the affected bands having been reinvited for 2021), nor any participant under 18 years of age. Balloons will be tethered to a "specially rigged anchor vehicle framework of five specialty vehicles" rather than carried by handlers, and the full parade route will not be used — with all activity limited to the Herald Square area. Mayor of New York City Bill de Blasio stated that it will "[not be] a live parade, but something that will really give us that warmth and that great feeling we have on Thanksgiving day."
November 27, 1940
Bruce Lee born.
Lee was born while his father, a
Chinese opera star, was on tour in America. The Lee family moved back to Hong Kong in 1941. Growing up, Lee was a
child actor who appeared in some 20 Chinese films; he also studied dancing and
trained in the Wing Chun style of gung fu (also known as kung fu). In 1959, Lee
returned to America, where he eventually attended the University of Washington
and opened a martial-arts school in Seattle. In 1964, he married Linda Emery,
who in 1965 gave birth to Brandon Lee, the first of the couple’s two children.
In 1966, the Lees relocated to Los Angeles and Bruce appeared on the television
program The Green Hornet (1966-1967), playing the Hornet’s acrobatic
sidekick, Kato. Lee also appeared in karate tournaments around the United
States and continued to teach martial arts to private clients, including the
actor Steve McQueen.
In search of better acting roles than Hollywood was offering, Lee returned
to Hong Kong in the early 1970s. He successfully established himself as a star
in Asia with the action movies The Big Boss (1971) and The Way of the
Dragon (1972), which he wrote, directed and starred in. Lee’s next film, Enter
the Dragon, was released in the United States by Hollywood studio Warner
Brothers in August 1973. Tragically, Lee had died one month earlier, on July
20, in Hong Kong, after suffering a brain edema believed to be caused by an
adverse reaction to a pain medication. Enter the Dragon was a box-office
hit, eventually grossing more than $200 million, and Lee posthumously became a
movie icon in America.
Lee’s body was returned to Seattle, where he was buried. His sudden death at
the young age of 32 led to rumors and speculation about the cause of his
demise. One theory held that Lee had been murdered by Chinese gangsters, while
another rumor circulated that the actor had been the victim of a curse. The
family-curse theory resurfaced when Lee’s 28-year-old son Brandon, who had
followed in his father’s footsteps to become an actor, died in an accidental
shooting on the set of the movie The Crow on March 31, 1993. The younger
Lee was buried next to his father at Seattle’s Lake View Cemetery.
November 27, 1980
Bosom Buddies starring Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari debuted.
An offbeat sitcom about two men disguising themselves
as women, the show ran for four years and first brought Hanks to national
attention.
Hanks
studied acting in high school and played with a Shakespeare festival for three
years. He appeared in a horror flick, He Knows You're Alone, in 1980,
then Splash in 1984, followed by a huge success with Big in 1988,
for which he was nominated for an Oscar. His career took off again with Sleepless
in Seattle (1993); he is now considered one of the top box office draws
alive. He won the Best Actor Oscar twice, for Philadelphia in 1993 and Forrest
Gump in 1994.
Peter Scolari
was born September 12, 1955 later workedon Newhart
and Honey,
I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show.
The Hollywood Christmas Parade (formerly the Hollywood Santa Parade or Santa Claus Lane Parade) is an annual
parade that takes place on the Sunday after Thanksgiving in
the Hollywood community in Los Angeles, California, United
States. The parade follows a 3.5-mile route along Hollywood
Boulevard, then back
along Sunset
Boulevard and features
various celebrities among its participants.
The Parade was suspended from 1942 to 1944 due to World War II, but reopened in 1945 with record attendance.
The 2020 Hollywood Christmas Parade, that is traditionally held the first Sunday after Thanksgiving along the streets of Hollywood, must be officially canceled this year due to the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic.
Sunday, November 22, 2020
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
Your Mental Sorbet: Sesame Street All-Star 25th Birthday (ABC, 1994)
Here is anotherthat we could use to momentarily forget about thosethings that leave a bad taste in our mouthsSesame Street All-Star 25th Birthday, May 18, 1994. Sesame Street All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever! was a 1994 TV special that aired on ABC to celebrate Sesame Street's 25th anniversary. It was originally broadcast on May 18, 1994.
Monday, November 16, 2020
This Week in Television History: November 2020 PART III
November 17, 1925
Roy Harold Scherer-later known as Rock Hudson-is born
in Winnetka, Illinois.
As a
child, Hudson auditioned for school plays but never landed a role. Later, he
worked as a navy mechanic and a truck driver, then pursued an acting career
after World War II. After extensive grooming, which included acting, dancing,
and fencing lessons, Hudson became a leading actor with Universal. In the late
1940s and early 1950s, he frequently starred in action films and melodramas,
including The Desert Hawk (1950) and The Iron Man (1951). Later,
he shone in comedies like Pillow Talk (1959), the first of his three
pictures with Doris Day. He later worked in television, starring in the series McMillan
and Wife from 1971 to 1977 and appearing in Dynasty in 1984 and
1985. Hudson died of AIDS in 1985, at the age of 59. As one of the first major
celebrities to admit to having AIDS, Hudson boosted awareness about the
epidemic.
November 18, 1985
The adults on Sesame Street
finally meet Mr. Snuffleupagus.
Since Mr.
Snuffleupagus made
his first appearance in the Season 3 premiere, the adults had thought that Mr. Snuffleupagus was just an
imaginary friend of Big
Bird's. Big Bird
would often try to arrange for them to see Mr. Snuffleupagus, face-to-face, but
Snuffy would always be gone by the time they finally chose to look at him.
After years of not seeing him and many near-misses, the adults finally got to
see Mr. Snuffleupagus for the first time in this episode, and finally find out
that he is real.
November 20, 1955
Bo Diddley makes
his national television debut on The Ed Sullivan Show.
Bo Diddley opened
his appearance on Ed Sullivan with the eponymously titled song
“Bo Diddley,”. This now-famous number set portions of the children’s rhyme
“Mockingbird” to what is now known as “the Bo Diddley beat”—a syncopated rhythm
in 4/4 time that is the foundation of such rock-and-roll classics as Buddy
Holly’s “Not Fade Away” and the Stangeloves’ “I Want Candy,” among countless
others. Five months before Elvis Presley would make his famous Ed
Sullivandebut, Diddley’s performance gave many Americans their first
exposure to rock and roll, though that term was not yet familiar to mainstream
audiences. Neither was the Bo Diddley beat, yet within just a few seconds of
the drum-and-maraca opening of “Bo Diddley,” the live Ed Sullivan audience
can be heard spontaneously clapping along to the distinctive rhythm in the
surviving kinescope recording of the performance.
As Diddley would later tell the story, Ed Sullivan had expected him to
perform only a cover version of “Tennessee” Ernie Ford’s “Sixteen Tons” and was
furious enough with him for opening with “Bo Diddley” that Sullivan banned him
from future appearances on his show. Be that as it may, Diddley’s appearance on
this day in 1955 introduced a sound that would influence generations of
followers. As blues-rock artist George Thorogood—who performed and recorded
many Bo Diddley covers during his own career—once told Rolling Stone:
“[Chuck Berry's] ‘Maybellene’ is a country song sped up… ‘Johnny B. Goode’ is
blues sped up. But you listen to ‘Bo Diddley,’ and you say, ‘What in the Jesus
is that?'”
November 21
World Television DayWorld Television Day celebrates the daily value of
television as a symbol of communication and globalization. Television is one of
the single greatest technological advances of the 20th century, serving to
educate, inform, entertain and influence our decisions and opinions. It is estimated that approximately 90% of
homes around the world have televisions, however, with the introduction of
internet broadcasting, the number is declining in favor of computers.
World Television Day was proclaimed by the United
Nations in 1996. It is celebrated annually on November 21.
November 21, 1945
Actress Goldie Hawn is born in Washington, D.C.
The daughter of a musician and a dance-studio owner,
Hawn began training as an entertainer at age three, when she took her first
dance lesson. By age 16, she was acting professionally, playing Juliet with a
regional theater company. After studying briefly at American University, she
went to New York to become an actress. She found dancing jobs-first as a
can-can dancer with the World's Fair in 1964 and later as a go-go dancer-while
playing small parts in movies and ill-fated TV shows.
In
1967, Hawn's career picked up thanks to the comedy-variety show Laugh-In,
in which she played a ditzy blonde. In 1969, she won her first featured movie
role, in Cactus Flower, for which she won a Best Supporting Actress
Oscar. She starred in comedies with actor Chevy Chase, including Foul Play
(1978) and Seems Like Old Times (1980). She produced the hit comedy Private
Benjamin (1980), for which she received an Best Actress Academy Award
nomination. Other films include Overboard (1987), Death Becomes Her
(1992), The First Wives Club (1996), and The Banger Sisters (2002). Hawn has had a
romantic relationship with actor Kurt Russell since 1982. Her daughter, Kate
Hudson, is also a well-known actress.
November 21, 1980
Millions tune in to find out who shot J.R.
On November 21, 1980, 350 million people around the world tune in to
television’s popular primetime drama “Dallas” to find out who shot J.R. Ewing,
the character fans loved to hate. J.R. had been shot on the season-ending
episode the previous March 21, which now stands as one of television’s most
famous cliffhangers. The plot twist inspired widespread media coverage and left
America wondering “Who shot J.R.?” for the next eight months. The November 21
episode solved the mystery, identifying Kristin Shepard, J.R.’s wife’s sister
and his former mistress, as the culprit.
As J.R. had many enemies, audiences were hard-pressed to guess who was
responsible for his attempted murder. That summer, the question “Who Shot
J.R.?” entered the national lexicon, becoming a popular t-shirt slogan, and
heightening anticipation of the soap’s third season, which was to air in the
fall. After a much-talked-about contract dispute with Hagman was finally
settled, the season was delayed because of a Screen Actors Guild strike, much
to the dismay of “Dallas” fans. When it finally aired, the episode revealing
J.R.’s shooter became one of television’s most watched shows, with an audience
of 83 million people in the U.S. alone—a full 76 percent of all U.S.
televisions on that night were tuned in—and helped put “Dallas” into greater
worldwide circulation. It also popularized the use of the cliffhanger by
television writers.
November 17, 1925
Roy Harold Scherer-later known as Rock Hudson-is born
in Winnetka, Illinois.
As a
child, Hudson auditioned for school plays but never landed a role. Later, he
worked as a navy mechanic and a truck driver, then pursued an acting career
after World War II. After extensive grooming, which included acting, dancing,
and fencing lessons, Hudson became a leading actor with Universal. In the late
1940s and early 1950s, he frequently starred in action films and melodramas,
including The Desert Hawk (1950) and The Iron Man (1951). Later,
he shone in comedies like Pillow Talk (1959), the first of his three
pictures with Doris Day. He later worked in television, starring in the series McMillan
and Wife from 1971 to 1977 and appearing in Dynasty in 1984 and
1985. Hudson died of AIDS in 1985, at the age of 59. As one of the first major
celebrities to admit to having AIDS, Hudson boosted awareness about the
epidemic.
November 18, 1985
The adults on Sesame Street
finally meet Mr. Snuffleupagus.
Since Mr.
Snuffleupagus made
his first appearance in the Season 3 premiere, the adults had thought that Mr. Snuffleupagus was just an
imaginary friend of Big
Bird's. Big Bird
would often try to arrange for them to see Mr. Snuffleupagus, face-to-face, but
Snuffy would always be gone by the time they finally chose to look at him.
After years of not seeing him and many near-misses, the adults finally got to
see Mr. Snuffleupagus for the first time in this episode, and finally find out
that he is real.
November 20, 1955
Bo Diddley makes his national television debut on The Ed Sullivan Show.
Bo Diddley opened his appearance on Ed Sullivan with the eponymously titled song “Bo Diddley,”. This now-famous number set portions of the children’s rhyme “Mockingbird” to what is now known as “the Bo Diddley beat”—a syncopated rhythm in 4/4 time that is the foundation of such rock-and-roll classics as Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away” and the Stangeloves’ “I Want Candy,” among countless others. Five months before Elvis Presley would make his famous Ed Sullivandebut, Diddley’s performance gave many Americans their first exposure to rock and roll, though that term was not yet familiar to mainstream audiences. Neither was the Bo Diddley beat, yet within just a few seconds of the drum-and-maraca opening of “Bo Diddley,” the live Ed Sullivan audience can be heard spontaneously clapping along to the distinctive rhythm in the surviving kinescope recording of the performance.
As Diddley would later tell the story, Ed Sullivan had expected him to
perform only a cover version of “Tennessee” Ernie Ford’s “Sixteen Tons” and was
furious enough with him for opening with “Bo Diddley” that Sullivan banned him
from future appearances on his show. Be that as it may, Diddley’s appearance on
this day in 1955 introduced a sound that would influence generations of
followers. As blues-rock artist George Thorogood—who performed and recorded
many Bo Diddley covers during his own career—once told Rolling Stone:
“[Chuck Berry's] ‘Maybellene’ is a country song sped up… ‘Johnny B. Goode’ is
blues sped up. But you listen to ‘Bo Diddley,’ and you say, ‘What in the Jesus
is that?'”
November 21
World Television Day
World Television Day celebrates the daily value of television as a symbol of communication and globalization. Television is one of the single greatest technological advances of the 20th century, serving to educate, inform, entertain and influence our decisions and opinions. It is estimated that approximately 90% of homes around the world have televisions, however, with the introduction of internet broadcasting, the number is declining in favor of computers.
World Television Day was proclaimed by the United Nations in 1996. It is celebrated annually on November 21.
November 21, 1945
Actress Goldie Hawn is born in Washington, D.C.
The daughter of a musician and a dance-studio owner,
Hawn began training as an entertainer at age three, when she took her first
dance lesson. By age 16, she was acting professionally, playing Juliet with a
regional theater company. After studying briefly at American University, she
went to New York to become an actress. She found dancing jobs-first as a
can-can dancer with the World's Fair in 1964 and later as a go-go dancer-while
playing small parts in movies and ill-fated TV shows.
In
1967, Hawn's career picked up thanks to the comedy-variety show Laugh-In,
in which she played a ditzy blonde. In 1969, she won her first featured movie
role, in Cactus Flower, for which she won a Best Supporting Actress
Oscar. She starred in comedies with actor Chevy Chase, including Foul Play
(1978) and Seems Like Old Times (1980). She produced the hit comedy Private
Benjamin (1980), for which she received an Best Actress Academy Award
nomination. Other films include Overboard (1987), Death Becomes Her
(1992), The First Wives Club (1996), and The Banger Sisters (2002). Hawn has had a
romantic relationship with actor Kurt Russell since 1982. Her daughter, Kate
Hudson, is also a well-known actress.
November 21, 1980
Millions tune in to find out who shot J.R.
As J.R. had many enemies, audiences were hard-pressed to guess who was responsible for his attempted murder. That summer, the question “Who Shot J.R.?” entered the national lexicon, becoming a popular t-shirt slogan, and heightening anticipation of the soap’s third season, which was to air in the fall. After a much-talked-about contract dispute with Hagman was finally settled, the season was delayed because of a Screen Actors Guild strike, much to the dismay of “Dallas” fans. When it finally aired, the episode revealing J.R.’s shooter became one of television’s most watched shows, with an audience of 83 million people in the U.S. alone—a full 76 percent of all U.S. televisions on that night were tuned in—and helped put “Dallas” into greater worldwide circulation. It also popularized the use of the cliffhanger by television writers.
Saturday, November 14, 2020
Your HOLIDAY SOR-BAY: The 2020 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
Nov. 14—The Tree arrives at Rockefeller Center.
Dec. 2—The Tree will be lit for the first time on Rockefeller Plaza.
Broadcast Info
NBC Wednesday, December 2, 7–10 pm
Dec. 25—On Christmas Day, the lights shine for a full 24 hours.
Dec. 31—On New Year’s Eve, visiting hours are from 6 am to 9 pm
Donna and I Christmas 2019
Here is a "HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"
a little spark of madness
that we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.
Tony Figueroa
Thursday, November 12, 2020
Your Mental Sorbet: Family Ties Cast Reunion | Stars in the House