August 26: This Day in TV History

[Stanislav]

Just a few random TV related events that happened on August 26. Discuss or comment as you please……

1909: Actor Jim Davis (Dallas) is born (as Marlin Jim Davis) in Edgerton, Missouri.

1939: The first Major League Baseball game is telecast, a double-header between the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field.

1962: Actor Ted Knight (The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Too Close for Comfort) dies in Glendale, California, aged 62. DYK: He was born Tadeusz Wladyslaw Konopka. (Can’t imagine why he changed it for his acting career…)

1972: Effective with this week’s issue, TV Guide discontinues the practice of using a "C" to indicate color programs, and instead starts using a "BW" for monochrome shows. [And this actually answers a question I had on this very board some months back!]

1996: 7th Heaven premieres on the WB.

1996: Malcolm & Eddie debuts on UPN.
 
(Just a little featurette I hope to do as time permits…..don’t expect it every single day. It’s an entirely random selection based on a quick Net search, and is not meant to be comprehensive. So, don’t post nasty messages about “you forgot THIS” or “how could you not mention THAT?” Do so, and I’ll just take my keyboard and go home…..)

[Mike]

I think there's a goof about Ted Knight. He died in either 1985 or 1986.

[Stanislav]

I think there's a goof about Ted Knight. He died in either 1985 or 1986.

Looks like the digits in "aged 62" somehow got transfered over to the year 1962. You're right -- should have read "1986."

I proofread...and I proofread....what good does it do me? 

[ricksegers]

It's hard to proof read your own writing. Lord knows the goofs I have let through.

[M.J.]

1972: Effective with this week’s issue, TV Guide discontinues the practice of using a "C" to indicate color programs, and instead starts using a "BW" for monochrome shows. [And this actually answers a question I had on this very board some months back!]

A lot of newspaper listings made that change around that time.

I don't know if you can call them "monochrome", as that implies no grey. I'm just feeling nitpickish

[Tim from Springfield, IL]

1960: Saxophonist, composer and bandleader Branford Marsalis is born in Breaux Bridge, LA.  He was the leader of the "Tonight Show Band" from 1992-95 during Jay Leno's first three years as host.

[mleach]

1972: Effective with this week’s issue, TV Guide discontinues the practice of using a "C" to indicate color programs, and instead starts using a "BW" for monochrome shows. [And this actually answers a question I had on this very board some months back!]

A lot of newspaper listings made that change around that time.

I don't know if you can call them "monochrome", as that implies no grey. I'm just feeling nitpickish

On a similar note to this..I have always wondered what was the last BIG market station to had made the switch from B/W to color?

My guess would be Baltimore's WBFF-TV channel 45 since they were airing their local news and other locally produced stuff in B/W as late as 1973 though the movies and syndicated programming..that was in color.

Some years back I saw an old Washington-Baltimore edition of TV Guide from 1973..kinda thought it was strange to see a big city station like WBFF still airing local news in B/W.

[Tim from Springfield, IL]

1965: Actor Chris Burke, best known in the role of Corky on "Life Goes On," is born in Point Lookout, NY.