The official start of the new 2018–19 television season was also September 24. (I had been meaning to post this sooner; but, other topics were more urgent.)
Last year, on Mondays during the month of October, I wrote about the milestone anniversaries of past television series. Well, I am just to going to use this one given blog entry to post milestone anniversaries of the premieres of some past television series.
This can be interesting because what are noted are series which were, in whatever respect, groundbreaking and had impact on the American culture.
Here are some milestone Television Anniversaries:
50 Years Ago — 1968
• 09.17.1968 — Julia (NBC, 1968–1971)—Diahann Carroll starred as a nurse, a widowed mother, working at an aerospace company. For Carroll, it was the first series—be it a comedy or a drama—which starred in the top role a black woman and actress. Julia was a Top-10 hit with viewers in its first season, and garnered several Emmy nominations including ones for outstanding comedy series and lead actress Carroll.• 09.20.1968 — Hawaii Five–O (CBS, 1968–1980)—The original starred Jack Lord, as head of a special state police task force, and James MacArthur, as his partner. One of series-television’s all-time best themes by Morton Stevens. It has been rebooted more than once. It current version, which premiered in 2010, is now in its ninth season.
• 09.24.1968—60 Minutes (CBS, 1968–present)—The magazine-news format series is still on the air! (I don’t think there is a need to summarize 60 Minutes. The following video is its first episode.)
40 Years Ago — 1978
• 09.09.1978 — The Paper Chase (CBS, 1978–1979; Showtime, 1983–1986)—A series adaptation of the 1973 film, which was about young adults in college studying to become lawyers. For his work in the film, John Houseman—who starred in the series with James Stephens—won the 1973 Oscar for best supporting actor. CBS broadcast The Paper Chase just one season. Despite not getting renewed for a second season, it was nominated for the Emmy for outstanding drama series in 1979. Coming to its rescue, with an interest in original-series programming, was Showtime. It rebooted The Paper Chase in 1983.• 09.12.1978 — Taxi (ABC, 1978–1982; NBC, 1982–1983)—Judd Hirsch carried the lead role as Alex Reiger, the most solid employee of the Sunshine Cab Company. My second favorite television comedy series, after CBS’s The Mary Tyler Moore Show, ABC’s/NBC’s Taxi won three consecutive Emmys for outstanding comedy series, won for directing and writing, and scored in acting categories for Hirsch, Danny DeVito (as ruthless manager Louie De Palma), Christopher Lloyd (as hippie Rev. Jim “Iggy” Ignatowski), and Carol Kane (as sometimes flighty Simka Gravas). Taxi also starred Jeff Conaway, Marilu Henner, Tony Danza, Randall Carver, and Andy Kaufman (who died one year after the series’ end). Taxi also had a great instrumental opening theme by Bob James. (The following video is my favorite scene from the series. In “Reverend Jim: A Space Odyssey,” S02E03, 09.25.1979, everyone is trying to help Jim to join the Sunshine Cab Company. He must first get his driver’s license.)
• 09.17.2018 — Battlestar Galactica (ABC, 1978–1979)—The original science fiction series, which ran only one season, starred Lorne Greene and Richard Hatch. As described by Wikipedia: “In a distant star system, the Twelve Colonies of Mankind were reaching the end of a thousand-year war with the Cylons, warrior robots created by a reptilian race which expired long ago, presumably destroyed by their own creations. Humanity was ultimately defeated in a sneak attack on their homeworlds by the Cylons, carried out with the help of a human traitor, Count Baltar. Protected by the last surviving capital warship, a “battlestar” (from “battle starship”), named Galactica, the survivors fled in any available ships. The Commander of the Galactica, Adama, led this “rag-tag fugitive fleet” of 220 ships in search of a new home. They began a quest to find the long lost thirteenth tribe of humanity that had settled on a legendary planet called Earth. However, the Cylons continued to pursue them relentlessly across the galaxy.” This original was twenty-five years before its reboot (Sci-Fi, 2004–2009), which had a considerably longer run, which starred Mary McDonnell and Edward James Olmos.
• 11.27.1978 — The White Shadow (CBS, 1978–1981)—Future president of the Screen Actors Guild of America Ken Howard starred as Ken Reeves, a pro-basketball player forced by injury into retirement, who accepts a job offer from an old friend to become a high-school basketball instructor. The drama series was the first developed by Bruce Paltrow, husband of Blythe Danner and father of Gwyneth. The White Shadow dealt with numerous social issues, including sexual orientation, prostitution, drug use, child abuse, and suicide.
30 Years Ago — 1988
• 10.18.1988 — Roseanne (ABC, 1988–1997; rebooted in 2018)—Standup comedienne Roseanne Barr was given her one series, for the fall of 1988, in which she played Roseanne Conner. It was a family sitcom—also starring John Goodman as husband Dan and Laurie Metcalf as Roseanne’s sister Jackie Harris—and, with the Conner family in a fictional town in Illinois, Roseanne was more grounded in reality than most situation family comedies which preceded it. Barr was awarded an Emmy in 1993. Metcalf, who was nominated this year for the Oscar (for Lady Bird), Tony (she won for Three Tall Women), and Emmy (for the reboot of Roseanne), won the three consecutive years of 1992, 1993, and 1994.• 11.14.1988 — Murphy Brown (CBS, 1988–1998; rebooted in 2018)—The creation, by Diane English, starred a five-time Emmy winning Candice Bergen in the title role: a feminist, a professional, a recovering alcoholic, and the fully determined and revered newscaster of FYI. Surrounding Murphy were the eccentric supporting characters: Corky Sherwood (Faith Ford), the dumb star blond; Miles Silverberg (Grant Shaud), the too-young exec producer of FYI; Jim Dial (Charles Kimbrough), the stiff veteran news anchor; Frank Fontana (Joe Regalbuto), the colleague most experienced working with and relating to Murphy; and, outside FYI, Eldin Bernecky (Robert Pastorelli), who paints Murphy’s house and never seems to finish, and Phil (Pat Corley), owner of everyone’s favorite hangout, Phil’s Bar.
25 Years Ago — 1993
• 09.10.1993 — The X–Files (Fox, 1993–2002; rebooted 2016–2018)—The X–Files achieved a following for its unique drama. It was both dark and humorous. It was about paranormal phenomena. FBI special agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson, who won an Emmy in 1997) investigated unique and strange cases of activity. As the series moved along, it progressed in getting deeper into mythology. One memorable episode, though not mythological, was “Clyde Buckman’s Final Repose,” a 1996 Emmy winner for writing (Darin Morgan) and guest actor (Peter Boyle, just prior to co-starring on CBS’s Everybody Loves Raymond). It was about a life insurance salesman who claims to have some psychic ability—and it was tragic. The X–Files also had one of the all-time greatest opening theme music, by Mark Snow.• 09.16.1993 — Frasier (NBC, 1993–2004)—Kelsey Grammer’s Frasier Crane, a psychiatrist who first appeared at the start of the third season of NBC’s Cheers, was spun off into his own series after the 1992–1993 season. Grammar combined for 20 years, 1984 to 2004, playing this role, which won him four Emmys. Frasier has relocated from Boston, Massachusetts to Seattle, Washington. He has to live with his physically disabled father Martin (the great John Mahoney, who died this past February). Frasier continues his battle-of-the-wits relationship with his younger brother, Niles (David Hyde Pierce), also a psychiatrist, who lusts after the new woman, Daphne (Jane Leeves), hired to look after Martin when Frasier is not available. Frasier becomes a talk-radio host, at KACL, for his Dr. Frasier Crane Show, working along with trusted and feisty Roz (Peri Gilpin). Winner of five consecutive Emmys for outstanding comedy series, from 1994 to 1998, a historical record that was not matched until the arrival of ABC’s Modern Family between 2010 to 2014.
• 09.21.1993 — NYPD Blue (ABC, 1993–2005)—This Steven Bocho co-creation, which proved he had in him another great series after the 1980s NBC series Hill Street Blues, focused on the action in New York City’s 15th Precinct. (Co-creating NYPD Blue was David Milch. Bocho died this past April.) NYPD Blue was controversial, especially in its early period, for incorporating nudity and some foul language. But, that was a part of the vision for this very adult drama. In the first season was the conflicted John Kelly (David Caruso, who left the series with much controversy after the first season). His most immediate—and prominent—successor was the more solid but tragic Bobby Simone (Jimmy Smits). The lead detectives were partnered with the volatile Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz, whose ferocious and gutsy work won him four Emmys between eight nominations). Guiding the precinct was Lt. Arthur Fancy (James McDaniel). The series evolved plenty over its twelve seasons, and this included a revolving cast—including Nicholas Turturro, Sharon Lawrence, Gail O’Grady, and Kim Delaney (a 1997 Emmy winner)—but only Franz and Gordon Clapp (who won an Emmy in 1998 as the frequently flustered Det. Greg Medavoy) were on throughout the entire run of NYPD Blue. It was a personal favorite of mine; I actually watched all twelve seasons. (The following video is the last scene of the series.)
20 Years Ago — 1998
• 08.23.1998 — That ’70s Show (Fox, 1998–2006)—A period sitcom, set in the late-1970s, about a group of teenagers growing in a fictional town in Wisconsin. It starred Topher Grace, Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Danny Masterson, Laura Prepon, and Wilmer Valderrama as the teens and, as the adults, Debra Jo Rupp, and Kurtwood Smith. (The following video is the opening theme to its first season.)• 09.21.1998 — Will & Grace (NBC, 1998–2006; rebooted in 2017)—A comedy series, in New York City, between two opposite-sex friends: Will Truman (Eric McCormack), a lawyer who is gay, and Grace Adler (Debra Messing), an interior designer. Grace’s assistant is Karen Walker (Megan Mullally), a socialite. Will’s friend, who is also gay, is Jack McFarland (Sean Hayes). Will & Grace premiered in the fall following the cancellation of ABC’s Ellen (which started as These Friends of Mine and ran from the spring 1993–94 through the entire 1997–98 season). What stood out between them was that Will & Grace, for the LGBT community, was established from the get-go whereas Ellen’s Ellen Morgan (Ellen DeGeneres) didn’t come out until 1997. Will & Grace won the Emmy for outstanding comedy series for the 1999–2000 season. McCormack (2001), Messing (2003), Mullally (2000, 2006), and Hayes (2000) were also awarded Emmys.
What also premiered during the 1998–99 season were HBO’s Sex and the City (06.06.1998) and The Sopranos (01.10.1999). The above list were scheduled for the Fall 1998—well, what was the start of a new season television season—and these two HBO series, both major Emmy winners, do not fit within the context of this topic. But, of course, they deserve to get mentioned. (Sex ended with the 2003–04 season. Sopranos ended with the 2006–07 season.)
As for the 2008–09 television season: Surprisingly, not one series from the broadcast networks stood out as must-list. But, there were two from cable, both with September 2008 premieres, which will be mentioned here:
10 Years Ago — 2008
• 09.03.2008 — Sons of Anarchy (FX, 2008–2014)—This a crime drama series about the close members, and they are outlaws, of a motorcycle club who operate in a fictional town in the Central Valley of California. It starred, among many, Charlie Hunnam, Katey Sagal, and Ron Perlman. Sagal’s husband, Kurt Sutter, created the series and he was its showrunner. Many felt Sons of Anarchy should have received respect from the Emmys. (This was a period in which other basic-cable sensations, like AMC’s Mad Men and Breaking Bad, received more attention and accolades.) It was never nominated for major awards. But Sagal, perhaps one from a Top 10 of underappreciated actors who over the last 30 years was never nominated for an Emmy, won the 2010 Golden Globe for best actress in a television drama series. (That was awarded to Sagal in January 2011.) This series spun off Mayans, M.C., which premiered last month on FX.• 09.07.2008 — True Blood (HBO, 2008–2014)—Alan Ball, the 1999 Oscar winning screenwriter of that year’s best-picture winner American Beauty, and who also created HBO’s Six Feet Under (2001–2005), created this fantasy series mixing drama and dark comedy. It was about vampires and non-vampires—very violent, very lusty—in a fictional town in Louisiana. True Blood starred, among many, Anna Paquin (winner of the 1993 supporting-actress Oscar for The Piano), Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Ryan Kwanten, Rutina Wesley, Chris Bauer, Nelsan Ellis, Carrie Preston, and Alexander Skarsgard. (The following is a scene in which Paquin’s Sookie has a dream which involves both Moyer’s Bill and Skarsgard’s Eric.)
• UPDATE—Thursday, October 18, 2018, at 08:00 p.m. ET •
The blog entry topic, for Friday, October 19, 2018, will be “Jimmy Dore Interviews Chris Hedges.”
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