This was Television on May 19

2002: The X-Files close Blending police procedural, horror sci-fi, and conspiracy thriller, The X-Files ran for nine seasons and 202 episodes on Fox. Carrying the tagline “the truth is out there,” the series followed two FBI agents, believer Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and skeptic Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) as they investigated the paranormal, the supernatural, and … Continue reading »

This was Television on May 18

2006: Will & Grace concludes Eric McCormack and Debra Messing starred as the titular roommates, in the NBC sitcom, one of the last entrants in the network’s 1990s Must See TV powerhouse. The leads, along with co-stars Sean Hayes and Megan Mullally, made up one of only three sitcoms in TV history in which each member … Continue reading »

This was Television on May 17

1939: The first telecast of a baseball game Columbia University’s Baker Field hosted a contest between Columbia and Princeton, ultimately won 2-1 by the visitors. Approximately 400 TV sets in the New York City area received the game, which was aired by experimental station W2XBS, the precursor to WNBC. The successful seven-inning broadcast led the … Continue reading »

This was Television on May 16

2013: The Office (US) closes Adapted from the acclaimed British comedy of the same name, The Office was one of NBC’s few scripted hits in the post-Must See TV era of the 2000s and 2010s. Helping to make a star of original lead Steve Carell, and gradually expanding into a large ensemble comedy, the faux-documentary about the … Continue reading »

This was Television on May 15

1979: Starsky and Hutch concludes Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul starred as the titular California cops, a mismatched pair who fought crime with the help of a Ford Gran Turino and a flashily-attired street contact named Huggy Bear. The series ran for four seasons and 93 episodes on ABC. -A.D. Today’s Birthdays: Alex Breckenridge, tabloid … Continue reading »

This was Television on May 14

1998: Seinfeld signs off According to TV legend, “The Seinfeld Chronicles” was one of the worst-testing pilots in network history. Yet it eventually spawned a gargantuan hit, the sitcom that would conquer pop culture in the 1990s and help cement NBC’s  ”Must See TV” lineup as a ratings powerhouse. Seinfeld purported to be “a show about nothing,” … Continue reading »

This was Television on May 13

1993, 2004, 2005, 2007, and 2011: Swan songs for long-running series Several of the longest tenured series in modern TV history concluded their runs on this date, including: 1993: Knots Landing, the CBS primetime soap spun off from Dallas, said goodbye to the cul-de-sac after 14 seasons and 344 episodes.  2004: One of the last vestiges … Continue reading »

This was Television on May 12

1987: Hill Street Blues signs off The acclaimed NBC drama, focusing on the lives and work of police officers in an anonymous American city, ran seven seasons and 146 episodes. An MTM Enterprises production created by Stephen Bochco and Michael Kozoll, Hill Street Blues had a significant influence not only on subsequent years of TV drama, … Continue reading »

This was Television on May 11

1996: American Gladiators taps out The stylized athletic competition concluded a seven-year, 139-episode run in first-run syndication. It pitted male and female challengers against a stable of highly trained athletes—the “Gladiators”—in a series of tests of strength, stamina, agility, and more. These events included an obstacle course of gymnastics rings, a race up a pyramid of crash mats, … Continue reading »

This was Television on May 10

1965: Alfred Hitchcock Presents concludes The thriller/mystery anthology series hosted by the famed director enjoyed a run of 10 seasons and 361 episodes, alternating between CBS and NBC. In 1962, the program was expanded from a half-hour and retooled as The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. Although Hitchcock himself directed only 20 episodes during the series’ run, he influenced … Continue reading »

This was Television on May 9

1961: Newton Minow gives his “Wasteland Speech” Minow, then Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, addressed the National Association of Broadcasters in his first major speech since being appointed to head the agency. In it, he stressed the capacity for television to serve as a public resource, as well as the decidedly unenlightened status of contemporary commercial … Continue reading »

This was Television on May 8

1976: “Welcome Back” tops the charts Penned by John Sebastian, the folksy theme to Welcome Back, Kotter spent a week as the number on pop song in America. It followed the theme from the crime drama S.W.A.T. as the first TV theme songs ever to hit the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Having debuted the prior year, … Continue reading »