| June 27 |
| 1927 -- Robert James Keeshan is born on Long Island. Although he also portrayed silent Clarabelle the Clown on 'Howdy Doody,' he will always best be remembered as 'Captain Kangaroo,' which Bob portrayed for the entire 29-year run of the show. To be honest, though, I was never a big fan of the Captain's. I was okay with Mr. Green Jeans because he looked like my relatives, but I think my problem with the Captain was that his Captain's coat always looked itchy, and as a kid I was very anti-itchy clothing. Bob died in Vermont of natural causes on January 23, 2004, at the age of 76. Rest easy, Captain. 1947 -- NBC station WNBW, Channel 4, begins broadcasting. In 1956 it changes its call letters to WRC. Max Robinson, Tim Russert, Jim Simpson and Charlie Rose are among those whose careers have included WRC-TV as a stopping point. 1949 -- 'Captain Video & His Video Rangers' premieres on the Dumont Network. Captain Video is initially played by Richard Coogan but in 1951 the radio voice of 'The Green Hornet,' Al Lodge, takes command and remains 'Guardian of the Safety of the World' until the series ends in 1955. Don Hastings ably assisted the Captain as 'The Video Ranger;' after leaving space, Don planted his feet firmly in Oakdale, USA, and has remained there for nearly 50 years in the clever disguise of 'Dr. Bob Hughes' on 'As the World Turns.' 1955 -- two years after being fired on-air by Arthur Godfrey, talented Julius LaRosa bounces back with his eponymous summer replacement series for 'The Perry Como Show.' Julius returns for a second summer the following year. 1958 -- NBC anthology series 'Matinee Theatre' airs for the last time. George Peppard, Susan Oliver and John Barrymore, Jr., star in the final episode which is, ironically, entitled 'End of the Rope.' 1964 -- Which of the following marriages lasted the longest: was it Cher and Gregg Allman, Ernest Borgnine and Ethel Merman or Britney Spears and Jason Allen Alexander? Britney and Jason's marriage lasted just 55 hours in 2004, while Cher and Gregg toughed it out for nine days in 1975 (the ceremony took place three days after Cher divorced Sonny). The winner? Proving that things really were different back in the day, the wedding of Ernest and Ethel, which occured this date in 1964, launched an incredible 38 days of marital bliss -- or a marriage more than 16 times longer than Jason and Britney's! Happy Anniversary, you Lovebugs! 1964 -- There's an unrecognized fact in Hollywood that newer is not always better. 'The Loretta Young Show' lasted eight seasons; 'The New Loretta Young Show' lasted one. 'Perry Mason' lasted nine seasons; 'The New Perry Mason' lasted one. 'The Odd Couple' lasted five seasons; 'The New Odd Couple' lasted one. And the last entry in our 'Those Who Fail to Remember TV History Are Condemned to Rerun It' column: 'The Phil Silvers Show (Sgt. Bilko),' which lasted four seasons and 'The New Phil Silvers Show,' which aired for the final time this date in 1964 after, yes, one season. 1966 -- It's creepy and it's spooky, it's mysterious and ooky . . . No, wait. Even the Addams Family would've been out of place in Collinsport as daytime soap 'Dark Shadows' begins its daily five-year run on ABC with Jonathan Frid as chief vampire Barnabas Collins. The show was a training ground for such future stars as Kate Jackson, John Karlen ('Cagney and Lacey'), David Selby ('Falcon's Crest') and Louis Edmonds ('All My Children'). Scariest moments? For me, when the dead head in the glass box opened its eyes and when Angelique (Lara Parker) had her hand turn into a skeleton's. A weekly nighttime version with Ben Cross as Barnabas lasted just two months in 1991. 1974 -- NBC's 'The Flip Wilson Show' airs for the final time. Though winless, the show was nominated for Emmy Awards in three of its four seasons as 'Outstanding Variety Musical Series.' Flip died of liver cancer in 1998. He was 65 years old. Geraldine, Reverend Leroy, Charlie the Good Time Ice Cream Man and his fans still miss him. |