| May 17 |
| 1957 -- In conjunction with the second episode of Betty White's first series, 'Date with the Angels,' sponsor Plymouth ran a full-page ad in TV Guide with 'testimonials' from other network stars, including Jack Benny ('one of the most lovable characters I have seen in all my 39 years'), Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball ('We think Betty White in "Date with the Angels" will be one of the brightest personalities in television') and Lawrence Welk ('as wholesomely funny a show as I have seen in a long time') 'Date with the Angels' aired for the last time on January 29, 1958, after less than a year on the air. 1961 -- the final episode of Groucho Marx's 'You Bet Your Life' was taped. 1975 -- NBC-TV paid $5 million for the rights to air 'Gone with the Wind' just one time. 1976 -- at the Emmy Awards, big winners were 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show,' Jack Albertson for 'Chico & The Man' and actress Michael Learned for 'The Waltons.' 1992 -- television and music legend Lawrence Welk died of pneumonia at the age of 89. 'The Lawrence Welk Show' ran for 31 years: on network television from 1951 thru 1971 and then, after it was cancelled, for another eleven years in first-run syndication. The first inductee into the North Dakota Hall of Fame, you can still visit the restored Lawrence Welk homestead. 1999 -- prolific character actor Henry Jones, who appeared on television, film and Broadway, dies at the age of 86 following a fall. Although mostly known for his likeable if sometime downtrodden roles, he showed his darker side as the coroner in 'Vertigo' and as the creepy but soon-to-be-murdered handyman in 'The Bad Seed' (a role he created on Broadway). He also won a Tony in 1958. He may be best-known for his regular roles as Josh Alden on 'Mrs. Columbo' and as Cloris Leachman's father-in-law, Judge Dexter, on 'Phyllis.' 2004 -- Tony Randall, who starred as lothario Harvey Weskitt on 'Mr. Peepers' and fastidious Felix Unger in 'The Odd Couple,' died of pneumonia following heart surgery at the age of 84. Despite five previous nominations, Tony won his only Emmy in 1975, shortly after the announced cancellation of 'The Odd Couple.' His acceptance speech was classic for both its brevity and wit: 'Thank you very much. Now if I only had a job.' His birth name was Ira Leonard Rosenberg. |