Video: 'Ernie Kovacs' Biography'

(Saturday, January 13, 1962, shortly before 2:00 a.m. PST) — American comedian, actor, and writer Ernie Kovacs, 42, was killed in a car accident early this morning when he lost control of his Chevrolet Corvair station wagon while turning quickly and crashed into a power pole in Beverly Hills, about a half-block from the Beverly Hilton hotel. Continue reading Comedian Ernie Kovacs, 42, killed in Beverly Hills traffic accident 60 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Jan 13 1962) →

Video: 'An incredible speech by Newton Minow in 1961. "Vast Wasteland".'

(Tuesday, May 9, 1961) — Newton N. Minow, the new chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, presented a scorching indictment of contemporary television at the National Association of Broadcasters convention today in Washington, describing it as a “vast wasteland” and implied that the FCC might not renew licenses of those entities that failed to upgrade their product.
Continue reading Television broadcasters urged to reform ‘vast wasteland’ of programming 60 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (May 9 1961) →

Video: 'Mister Ed S1e1 The First Meeting'

(Thursday, January 5, 1961, first episode scheduled to air at 7:00 p.m. EST on WRCA-TV in New York) — Mister Ed, a situation comedy TV series starring Alan Young as an eccentric and enormously klutzy yet friendly architect named Wilbur Post whose horse Mister Ed (“played” by gelding Bamboo Harvester and voiced by Allan Lane) could talk, debuted tonight in syndication.
Continue reading ‘Mister Ed’ TV sitcom debuts in syndication 60 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Jan 5 1961) →

Video: 'The Andy Griffith Show "The New Housekeeper" First Scene'

(Friday, October 3, 1960, 9:30-10:00 p.m. EDT) — The Andy Griffith Show, an American situation comedy television series about the widowed sheriff of Mayberry, North Carolina, a fictional community of 2,000 people, debuted tonight on CBS-TV. Continue reading ‘The Andy Griffith Show’ sitcom series debuts on CBS-TV 60 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Oct 3 1960) →

Video: 'History of The Flintstones'

(Friday, September 30, 1960, 8:30-9:00 p.m. EDT) — The Flintstones, an American animated situation comedy television series that follows the activities of the title family, the Flintstones, and their next-door neighbors, the Rubbles (who are also their best friends) in a romanticized Stone Age setting, debuted tonight on ABC-TV, becoming the first animated series to hold a prime time slot on television.
Continue reading ‘The Flintstones’ animated sitcom series debuts on ABC-TV 60 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Sep 30 1960) →

Video: 'MY THREE SONS - S1 E1 CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK'

(Thursday, September 29, 1960, 9:00-9:30 p.m. EDT) — My Three Sons, an American situation comedy television series about widower and aeronautical engineer Stephen Douglas as he raises his three sons, debuted tonight on ABC-TV.
Continue reading ‘My Three Sons’ sitcom series debuts on ABC-TV 60 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Sep 29 1960) →

Video: '"JFK: IN HIS OWN WORDS" (1988)' (Wisconsin primary at 16:06)

(Tuesday, April 5, 1960, polls open 7:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. CST; during the 1960 Democratic Party presidential primaries) — Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts defeated Senator Hubert H. Humphrey today in Wisconsin in the first major primary for the 1960 Democratic presidential nomination. Continue reading Kennedy beats Humphrey in first major 1960 Democratic presidential primary 60 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Apr 5 1960) →