Posted in July 2012 …

This Was Television On July 31

This Was Television On July 31

1987: E! Entertainment Television debuts Called Movietime until 1990, the network brought the world of entertainment into the 24-hour news cycle. It specialized in news from Tinseltown, awards show coverage, and coming attractions programs such as Coming Attractions. The popularity of shows like the cult daytime digest Talk Soup and the docu-taboid E! True Hollywood Story helped put the network on the … Continue reading »

This Was Television On July 30

This Was Television On July 30

2006: Top of the Pops ends after 42 years Premiering on New Year’s Day 1964, Top of the Pops was one of the most popular and prolific music programs in British history, and one of the longest-running TV programs anywhere. It featured tracks and live performances of the week’s biggest hit singles, as well as a rigorous rundown … Continue reading »

This Was Television On July 29

This Was Television On July 29

1983: Friday Night Videos debuts NBC, attempting to replicate the burgeoning success of MTV, began airing the 90-minute bloc of music videos and variety programming Fridays at 12:30 a.m. EST. Although Friday Night Videos never attained the cultural cachet of its cable counterpart, it did prove a more accessible option for millions of viewers who in the … Continue reading »

This Was Television On July 28

This Was Television On July 28

1973: Farrah Fawcett & Lee Majors wed The union of the Six Million Dollar Man and one of Charlie’s Angels created one of the most formidable action-hero marriages in recent Hollywood History. Majors and Fawcett were the prime-time power couple of the 1970s. In 1976, each of them was starring on of the top 1o-rated series of the … Continue reading »

This Was Television On July 27

This Was Television On July 27

1940: Bugs Bunny is born The wascally wabbit and his eternal tormentor, Elmer Fudd, “officially” debuted in the Oscar-nominated short “A Wild Hare.” Like much of the material that would come to comprise the Looney Tunes and Merry Melodies, this was a theatrical feature. But the iconic characters and their wacky exploits have been passed … Continue reading »

This Was Television On July 26

This Was Television On July 26

1995: Northern Exposure concludes The 1992 Emmy winner for Outstanding Drama offered early 90s audiences a lighter, quirkier take on colorful small-town life in the Northwestern corners of America than did some of its contemporaries. Beginning life as a CBS summer replacement in 1990, the goings-on in Cicely, Alaska quickly became a surprise hit, running for … Continue reading »

This Was Television On July 25

This Was Television On July 25

2011: The 90s return to Nick Embracing a bit of its own TV History, Nickelodeon’s sister channel, TeenNick, began rerunning a few of the programs that defined an era for the mothership network 20 years prior. The late-night programming bloc, dubbed “The ’90s Are All That,” featured nostalgia-stoking favorites such as Clarissa Explains It All, Doug, All That, and Kenan … Continue reading »

This Was Television On July 24

This Was Television On July 24

1959: Color TV lights a spark in the Cold War As part of a cultural exchange between the United States and the U.S.S.R., Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev accompanied Vice President Richard Nixon through an exhibition set up in Moscow to exemplify everyday American life. An incredulous Khrushchev grew increasingly incensed during the tour, finally blowing his … Continue reading »

This Was Television On July 23

This Was Television On July 23

1996: High-definition TV is first broadcast in the U.S. The first digital signal on American airwaves was transmitted by WRAL-TV in Raleigh-Durham, which a few days prior became the first station in the country granted an experimental HDTV license by the Federal Communications Commission.  HDTV’s unprecedented clarity has revolutionized the viewing experience, bringing into sharp … Continue reading »

This Was Television On July 22

This Was Television On July 22

1991: The final episode of China Beach Flagging ratings in the ABC drama’s fourth and final season led to a six-month midseason hiatus. This unsuual move pushed the final episode into the 1992 Emmy eligibility period. Consequently, when star Dana Delany won her second Best Actress trophy in the fall of ’92, it was for a show … Continue reading »