Saturday Nights, September 15, 1973

These days, networks treat Saturday nights as a deep, dark void, reserved as a dumping ground for unwanted television shows. There was a time, however, when Saturday night television was worth staying home to watch. The Honeymooners, Gunsmoke, Alfred Hitchcock, and Jackie Gleason were Saturday staples in the early days. Before the networks declared Saturday nights dead in the 1990s, big hits like the Golden Girls, The Love Boat, and Fantasy Island dominated. And for one season in the early 1970s, CBS lined up five classic television shows one after another, each show at their creative peak.

September 15, 1974, CBS' Saturday night fall season premiered with TV's #1 show, All In the Family. The follow-up show, M*A*S*H began its second and most critically acclaimed season. The centerpiece of the evening was the fourth season of the Mary Tyler Moore, the final season with Rhoda before her spin-off series. CBS wrapped up the Saturday line-up with The Bob Newhart Show and The Carol Burnett Show.

At the end of the 1973-74 season, those programs on CBS Saturday night received a total of 32 Emmy nominations and 14 wins. It was the most notable achievement in weekly programming and excellence in television history. The following season, CBS moved M*A*S*H, then All In the Family, followed by a drop in the ratings for each show. After nearly 2 decades at #1 in the ratings, CBS fell to ABC just 2 seasons later.



Sources:

The Emmy's, Thomas O'Neil

The Oakland Tribune, Sunday, November 2, 1975

The Advocate, Thursday, September 8, 1973

Ricky the Drummer, April 10, 1957

Ricky Nelson had pleaded for months with his father Ozzie to let him sing on their television show. Ozzie Nelson, the famous bandleader leader in the swing era, was thoroughly knowledgeable of the music industry. Ultimately, he decided it was smart business to market the character Ricky Nelson as a rock and roll singer. With his father's aid, Ricky selected some of the best side men in the business, including guitarist James Burton. In the studio and with Ozzie at the helm, Rick cut a Fat's Domino number, I'm Walkin', and the episode was timed with the official release of the record.

According to the official Rick Nelson website, I'm Walkin' sold over a million copies the first week after the show aired. Rick Nelson's music "videos" on the susequent episodes regularly pushed him to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, and for a number of years, Nelson was outselling Elvis Presley. In total, from 1957 - 1966, Rick placed 18 hit singles in the Top Ten. The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet scored big as well, adding ten million teenage viewers to the show.

It is no coincidence that just 5 months later American Bandstand became a national sensation when it premiered on ABC, the same network that aired Ozzie & Harriet. Rick Nelson's massive success on the show excited the network about the current teen music industry. ABC was ready to rock and roll, indeed, after the April 10 episode of The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet.

Icon Restoration: Rick Nelson

Rick Nelson's star should burn brighter. He was the featured player on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, the quintessential family sitcom that ran for 14 seasons on television. Young 11 year old Ricky and the rest of the Nelson family debuted on television after a long run on radio. The young tyke grew up in front of America audiences and was 25 years old when the show finally left the air. His TV character's famous line, "I don't mess around, boy" became a national catch phrase in the early 1950s. His TV character quickly became the most popular on the show, and the majority of story lines were developed around him.

Young Ricky Nelson had a secret, however, he loved music! When Elvis Presley broke nationally in 1956, Ricky picked up the guitar and began to sing. Ozzie and Harriet scripts always incorporated the family's real life into the show, so it seemed natural for Ricky to also sing on TV. He was the ultimate All-American teenager, and it was a risk showcasing the teenager as a rock star. Rock and Roll was considered music of "degenerates" in the 1950s, and generally not acceptable on family shows. The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet's popularity soared even higher, however, as audiences embraced his rock and roll act. And Ricky, soon to be Rick Nelson, became a superstar.

Rick Nelson became the first television character / performer to cross over into a successful, long term career in music. He used his television show to promote his latest releases, and by the end of the show in 1966, Nelson racked up a whopping 34 Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. He also was an essential player in the early development of the music video, and is certainly one of the first pioneers of implementing visual and graphic elements on film to correspond with new music releases. More importantly, he was good. His introspective, sultry vocal style gave Elvis a run for his money, and ultimately landed him in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame!

So why isn't Rick Nelson as fondly remembered and revered as Elvis, Lucy, or even "the Beaver?" He was a strikingly handsome rock star seen on weekly television for 14 years, crossed over into movies, and appeared on the cover of hundreds of major magazines. He had a successful recording career well into the 1970's. He even died at a very young age - which usually pushes icons to the forefront. For whatever reason Rick Nelson is not as well remembered as other major stars, his impact on television and rock music is exceptional.



Rick Nelson died in a plane crash in 1985, at the age of 45. His four children have each had impressive careers on their own. The twins Gunnar and Mathew, known as Nelson, had successful recording careers in America in the early 1990s and are still virtually as popular internationally. Tracy is an accomplished actress and a staple on television, including two classic Seinfeld episodes, The Father Dowling Mysteries, and the classic, cult TV show, Square Pegs. She has made dozens of popular television movies. Sam Nelson inherited his father's brooding sex appeal, and is the front man for the underground rock group h is orange. Obviously, the Nelson genetic code runs deep.

Here are a few video clips from The Adventure of Ozzie and Harriet:







Sources:

The Billboard® Book of Top 40 Hits, Joel Whitburn

Rick Nelson Official Web Site

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Rockabilly Hall of Fame

Tracy Nelson

Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet

Who Shot J.R.?, March 21, 1980

The spring of 1980 was a tumultuous time. The Iran-Hostage Crisis was on every one's mind and there seemed to be no end in sight. President Carter was sinking lower in the polls and the fall election was escalating into high gear. Perhaps to ease troubled minds over increased global tensions, the villain J.R. Ewing soared in popularity. In fact, the 1979-1980 season pushed Dallas to unbelievable heights as it was broadcast in 53 countries around the world!

J.R. Ewing was the very definition of a "snake in the grass." An habitual two-timing scamp, J.R. - played by Larry Hagman - stopped at nothing to get his way with wealth, women, and work. By the end of the season, the entire world loved to hate this character, and indeed, most were waiting for one of his victims to take him down.

As the shows popularity soared, CBS requested that Lorimar and producer Philip Capice add two additional episodes to the season's order. A last minute plot device was created to have J.R. Ewing shot, and, just importantly, implementing a cliff hanger device like the ones used in the old movie serials. The season would end with the "devil" getting his comeuppance. At least a half-dozen characters had a genuine motive to kill him, leaving the audience wondering just "who shot J.R.?"

The ploy was a sensation, as headlines asked the question all summer long! Bets were placed in casinos, polls were taking all over the world. It seemed there was nothing else to talk about but JR Ewing and the serial's cliff hanger. Pushing the tension to even greater heights was the delay of the new fall season due to a Hollywood writers strike.

There has never been anything like it in television before or since. For 8 long months, the singular topic captured international headlines alongside the election of Ronald Reagan, the continuing saga of the hostage crisis in Iran, and the beginning of the Iraq/Iran War. When the new season finally premiered in November, the audience grew until the answer was revealed a few episodes later on November 21, 1980. As his wife Sue Ellen is arrested, jailed, and bailed out, the audience discovers it wasn't his wife, after all, who shot J.R., it was her sister. Yes, the dog J.R. had been sleeping with his wife's sister, and she was the culprit.

The episode drew a record 76% share of the audience. The success of this cliff hanger activated this plot device into heavy usage on television, particularly at the end of the season. It should be noted that the TV sitcom Soap had great success when it used the cliff hanger device at the end of the 1978 season, and undoubtedly influenced the Dallas producers two years later. It was Dallas, however, that made the device a TV mainstay. It would be used frequently henceforth, and with shows as varied as the sitcom Cheers, the cartoon South Park, and dramas like Dynasty, The West Wing, and The X-files. Ultimately, some TV shows incorporated the cliff hanger for every episode, not just the season's end, most notably Prison Break, 24, and Quantum Leap.

Requiem for a Heavyweight, October 11, 1956

Requiem for a Heavyweight was the high water mark for television's golden age, and the second episode for the classic live anthology show, Playhouse 90. Rod Serling's teleplay recieved endless accolades from the entertainment industry, and arguably, no other television production in history has garnered as much high praise.

The telecast featured Jack Palance as a washed up boxer suffering from "punch drunk" syndrome. The New York Times heralded the telecast as "an artistic triumph that featured a performance of indescribable poignancy" and triumphed it a "play of overwhelming force and tenderness" and "a notable evening of theater." Serling won the first Peabody Award for a television script, and the entire production walked away with 4 Emmy Awards in 1956, plus a best series award for Playhouse 90.

The excellence of Requiem for a Heavyweight placed Rod Serling at the pinnacle of success for television production. Director Ralph Nelson and Jack Palance won Emmy Awards, as well. Playhouse 90 won the "best series" Emmy each of the four seasons it was on the air, and is considered by most the greatest dramatic television series of all time.

Rod Serling's career accomplishments include 6 Emmy Award winning teleplays such as Patterns, The Comedian, and two Twilight Zone episodes. Obviously, Serling is most famous for his classic science fiction series, and besides the five-year run for the Twilight Zone, also created the cult series, Night Gallery. Serling's motion picture screen plays includes The Planet of the Apes in 1968. The Twilight Zone made him a television icon, however, and that classic show is one of the few shows from the golden age of television still regularly broadcast on television.

Sources:

New York Times

Emmy Awards 1956

Time Magazine

Answers.com

Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, Brooks and Marsh

Rod Serling's Requiem for a Heavyweight (below)

Cuban Missile Crisis, October 22 - 28, 1962

"We interrupt this broadcast for a special report from the President of the United States . . . "

7 pm sharp, Monday evening on October 22, 1962, unsuspecting television viewers were about to hear the most chilling speech of their lives. Over the next 17 minutes, American audiences were fed dire words and ominous phrases from their leader, John F. Kennedy. Offensive threats. Maximum peril. Threat to peace. Nuclear missile launched from Cuba! These buzzwords echoed throughout living rooms on all networks just prior to the networks' evening news.

The timing was specific. The Kennedy administration was using television (and radio) for maximum effect this evening. The announcement of a Soviet build-up of nuclear missiles in Cuba would carry over into the evening news, offering immediate repeat and analysis of the speech. Kennedy was using television to reach more than just an American audience! He was also speaking directly to the Soviet Union.

Audiences must have found it difficult to watch "Lucy Misplaces $2000", the sitcom episode that followed the CBS Evening News. But they did, as television programming proceeded as usual, with an occasional news break or special interspersed. The next 6 days proceeded with the same regularly scheduled programming, but the news briefs became more alarming with each program interruption. With saucer eyes, Americans stayed close to the television, mentally zoning out Sing Along With Mitch, Perry Mason, and Red Skelton as they awaited the impending announcement of the end of the world.

The entire affair was complicated. On September 27, a CIA agent in a bar in Cuba overheard that Castro had nuclear weapons. Since the summer of 1962, the U.S. suspected Russia was secretly sending and setting up weapons in Cuba, but as the surveillance continued, the worst news imaginable was proven true. The missiles were nuclear warheads. Khrushchev, upset over new U.S. nuclear weapons in Turkey, proclaimed America should remove the nuclear missiles from Russia's backyard.

Castro was a natural ally for Russia, as the ban on Cuban exports had hit the country hard. The disastrous Bay of Pigs clarified the U.S. intention to invade Cuba. With nuclear weapons, Castro could breathe a sigh of relief. It was a political game, albeit a dangerous one, and both Khrushchev and Castro hoped to win their bluff against Kennedy. These details, however, are not being reported on television.

Most of the news coverage examined Kennedy's quarantine of Cuba's shipping lanes, and wondered aloud if this was an act of war. With Soviet ships moving closer to the United States fleet, watching Americans knew just one slip from either side could mean global annihilation. On October 28, Americans breathed a small sigh of relief as Soviet ships turned back. The tension was not over however until news reports surfaced that Khrushchev agreed to dismantle the Cuban missiles in exchange for a U.S. promise to not invade Cuba.

The official end of the crisis was not until November 20, but the intensity of the crisis subsided for the viewing public on Sunday, 28, 1962. The previous week, as played out on television, put both fear and patriotism into play. And Kennedy, previously faltering in the public eye after numerous foreign policy missteps, rebounded and led the Democrats to success in the mid-term elections. Soviet timing might have been tied to the November elections from the start, and Khrushchev suspecting Kennedy would falter and upset the current political balance in America.

Numerous landmark decisions were made during the crisis related to television journalism. According to a Museum of Television and Radio thesis by Mary Ann Watson, the "... total preemption of programming made little sense to the networks . . . There was a grave danger, the networks felt, if reporters turned to speculation. As noted in the trade press, 'that might unnecessarily inflame an already frightened public to terror.'" This frame of thought was adopted by television and newspaper executives. At the governments request, information was withheld from the public, including reports of the American spy plane shot down over Cuba. Such statements from networks may seem ironic in today's world of 24 hour news coverage; perhaps, the essential footnote is the extent that journalist turned a blind eye during the crisis and in the name of patriotism.






Sources:



Internet Archives: Complete Kennedy Speech Audio

http://www.hpol.org/jfk/cuban/

http://www.fas.org/irp/imint/cuba.htm

http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/jfk-cuban.htm

http://www.mtr.org/events/satellite/cuba/cuba1.htm

http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq90-5.htm

http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1736.html

Nipplegate, February 1, 2004

An important element of television history is its measure of the pulse of American culture. Never was this more true than February 1, 2004. If nothing else, Superbowl XXXVIII defines America as a confused country with her head tucked deep in the Arab sand. Ensconced in war, the American shift toward overt conservatism created a climate of fear and mistrust, offering up to the Bush administration ample room to tighten the reigns on basic constitutional rights in the name of war. While George Bush and company checked America's phone records, bank statements, and emails, America ignored the mounting cost of war in Iraq, ignored the lack of checks and balances regarding the war. Instead, America turned her full attention to . . . nipples.

It is almost too ridiculous to write about it. For less than 2 seconds and via a camera long shot, Janet Jackson exposed her covered nipple and partially exposed breast, and the country lost control. The public outcry of indecency prompted a record-breaking 200,000 phone calls to the network from outraged viewers. Seemingly, the very violent nature of football itself was no problem, but the possibility that a child (or husband) caught a glimpse of a dangling breast for 2 seconds was seemingly further proof that America was collapsing into a dark, immoral pit. Even stranger, to even get a glimpse of Jackson's partial nipple, a viewer would need to rewind repeatedly, pause the playback, and enlarge the picture about 400 percent.

While America protested, Canadians and Europeans watching the Superbowl hardly noticed, and were left scratching their heads and wondering what were Americans thinking when news spread of the scandal. Janet Jackson attempted to defend herself from the disaster as an innocent wardrobe malfunction. But America would have none of it. No one would pull the wool over their eyes!

The incident sent shock waves throughout broadcasting. The FCC levied record amounts of fines against broadcast networks, including $3.5 million against Clear Channel alone. Congress enacted a bill increasing fines for indecency violations. An onslaught of censorship encompassed daytime TV, talk radio, and cable programming.

Janet Jackson's career has yet to recover. With 27 top ten hits prior to the incident, Ms. Jackson has not landed anywhere near Billboard's Top Ten Singles chart since February 1, 2004. Justin Timberlake skated away unharmed from the incident, also pointing out the double standards imposed on women and African-Americans in American society even in the 21st century. More level headed Americans theorized that fear and political rhetoric had gotten the best of America, and many internet bloggers suggested this type of mass censorship had not been seen since Germany in the 1930's.

Long Beach Earthquake, March 10, 1933

At the height of the great depression, television was a rarity. Even if television sets were for sale in 1933, very few people could have afforded one. In early 1933 Los Angeles, station W6XAO was broadcasting just two hours of programming a day. Having access to the film industry, the station contracted Pathe Newsreels and other studio-filmed programs. The station also staged in-studio interview shows with Hollywood stars. Local television promotion offered home-made "make your own television" kits and also placed sets through the Los Angeles area's appliance stores and department stores. It was common for people to gather just to watch the new radio with pictures.

On March 10, 1933, W6XAO premiered a new format of all-day broadcasting, and was on the air when a major 6.4 earthquake devastated the Los Angeles area. Long Beach was the worst struck. Nearly all schools were demolished, and nearly all buildings sustained damage. The estimated 120 death toll would have been much greater if the earthquake struck a few hours earlier. For this to coincide with W6XAO's new format was both significant and prophetic.

As the earthquake subsided around 6 pm, W6XA0 had in place full news crews ready to film material needed for their new all-day broadcast format. Film crews dispersed and documented compelling, astounding visual images of the destroyed city. The first of the films were filmed and processed for broadcast as early as Saturday, March 11.

Over the coming weeks, people were finding working television sets in some department stores and homes outside the epicenter, and gathered in large numbers to watch. This landmark occasion pushed television to the forefront as newspapers dedicated heavy coverage of the television broadcast and the significant achievement of the filmed document of the natural disaster.

The 1933 L.A. earthquake launched serious changes in building codes and created the Field Act, which implemented better design and construction. It was also the first television coverage for a natural disaster.


Sources:

Please Stand By: A Prehistory of Television by Michael Ritchie

RootsWeb.com

www.anaheimcolony.com

Tiny Tim Marries Miss Vickie, December 17, 1969

Tiny Tim was one of the most unlikely pop culture heroes ever. Sporting stringy hair and elongated nose, his eccentric personality matched his bizarre looks. His popularity soared to new heights with appearances on Rowan and Martin's Laugh In, and his debut album release in 1968 scored him a Top Twenty pop hit, Tip Toe Through The Tulips. It was his appearance on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show in late 1969, however, that pushed Tiny Tim to his greatest heights - as well as Johnny Carson's.

A publicity stunt for sure, Tiny Tim was set to wed Miss Vicky on the late night talk show. Calling her "Miss Vicki, my darling, fantastic angel," odd-ball Tiny Tim's wedding to the attractive, 17-year old Victoria May Budinger caught the public's curiousity, and the Tonight Show's ratings crested at a whopping 85% of the viewing audience and an estimated 40 million viewers. Tiny Tim and Miss Vicky wrote their own wedding vows for the show.

Roots, January 23 - 30, 1977

Roots is the television event that truly changed America. Overnight, a national diaglog was created regarding the historical treatment of African Americans, and white America had to face head-on the horrible truth about their past and anecstors.

ABC's nervousness about the miniseries Roots was solely financial. Suspecting the series would bomb and displace the newly crowned #1 network, ABC rethought the plan to run Roots weekly. All other miniseries, such as successful Rich Man Poor Man series, had run weekly, but ABC decided to run the series for 8 consecutive nights, just prior to the start of February ratings sweeps. Obviously, ABC's nervousness stemmed from the series' portrayal of positive, black characters and their heroic survival despite cruelty from white antagonists. The epic miniseries traced the life of enslaved Africans to America, concluding in the post-civil war era.

As Americans tuned into the show in record numbers, each day seemed to bring new light to the plight of civil rights and equality for all. Each day for white America was a time of evaluation, shame, humility, and ultimately, spiritial growth and national healing. Roots was the rare drama that actually changed perspectives.

ABC earned the highest ratings in history, and held the top 8 places in the national ratings Top Ten list. Later in the year, Roots won 30 Emmy Awards. The concluding episode was witnessed by 100 million viewers, and was the highest American television audience of all time. Roots held that distinction for another 6 years, until the final episode of M*A*S*H aired in 1983.

While a few critics dismissed the event as soap opera, Roots aspired to greatness and significance, and it succeeded. The miniseries was based on author Alex Haley's popular book of the same name. The epic concluded in 1979 with Roots II.

Sources:

Museum of Broadcast Communications

The Puppy Show, April 30, 1997

When Ellen Degeneres officially announced her sexual orientation on the cover of Time Magazine, "Yep, I'm Gay," it seemed like old news. Rumours had been circulating for months that both Degeneres and her TV character, Ellen Morgan, would come out of the closet. The show had never been a big hit, but the crossover of Ellen's real life into the fictional series catapulted the show to the top of the ratings and public attention. Religious groups scorned Disney-owned ABC, threatening to boycott anything related to either party. Jerry Falwell called her Ellen Degenerate, to which she aptly responded "I haven't been called that since 4th grade." The intensity of the debate essentially landed into the hands of advertisers, as groups on both sides of the issue awaited to see which corporations would sponsor the show. In the end, only the Chrysler Corporation pulled out.

The episode, however, was brilliant. Witty, poignant, and sharp, Ellen pulled together a classic show and an audience of 42 million. Many critics and viewers had long suspected there was great potential of the show, but seemingly never able to tap into a distinctive voice. "The Puppy Show," so titled to mislead the media about the episode's content, featured great performances and writing, ultimately winning both the prestigious Peabody Award and an Emmy, and gave Ellen much needed creative direction and energy.

Even with huge support from icons like Oprah Winfrey, ABC was a nervous wreck about the new Ellen. Beginning with the April 30, 1997 show, every episode that aired until the end of its run was given an opening viewer warning - as if it was an episode of NYPD Blue. After another season of time slot changes and internal fueding over the show's direction, viewer's gradually tuned out and ABC canned the show in 1998.

The show's impact was substantial, however, and the next season Will and Grace and Queer as Folk premiered, and other television shows began including postive portrayals of gay characters.

Marrying a Millionaire, February 15, 2000

It came crashing to earth like a mile long meteor from outerspace! Seemingly out of nowhere, Fox's 2-hour special, How to Marry A Millionaire detonated over popular culture. It was trainwreck television, and why it was labeled "reality television" is anyone's guess. It was The Dating Game meets Miss America with a Rupert Murdoch/Fox twist of Queen for a Day. However one views this TV reality nightmare, it trashed TV as never before and started an onslaught of similar television.

The basic premise had 50 women prancing before bachelor-millionaire Rick Rockwell. Ultimately, in just 2 hours, Mr. Rockwell was able to select his perfect wife and married her on the spot! The show was the talk of the TV season, as post-show newlywed Dana Conger-Rockwell spent a disastrous honeymoon followed by an annulment. Mr. Rockwell, it seemed had a history of abuse against women. While America reacted with predictable outrage, TV networks knew those crying the loudest would tune in for more. While Fox milked as much publicity from the cash cow as possible, the highly-rated special never became a regular series . . . but it had impact.

The Bachelor, Joe Millionaire, Flavor of Love, Anything for Love, Blind Date, The 5th Wheel, Dismissed, Elimidate, The Shipmates, Temptation Island, Meet the Folks . . . all of these shows spun the concept of How to Marry a Millionaire into the national airwaves. It's the gag gift that just keeps on giving. In many ways, this one shot special is still on the air today, eight long, dry TV seasons later.

I Have a Dream, August 28, 1963

In the early 1960's, Martin Luther King endured numerous arrests. By the early 1960's, he had been stoned and attacked by assailants in public and his home bombed by white supremist. In the early 1960's, the U.S. government and the FBI's J. Edgar Hoover labeled him a leftest, a womanizer, then placed him under surveillance. And in the early 1960's, Martin Luther King prevailed. Undeterred, Martin Luther King led more than 250,000 people in a civil rights march in Washington DC. Centered at the Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous I Have A Dream speech.

Just months earlier in Birmingham, Alabama, organized groups of black children sang "We Shall Overcome". The police began arresting children, and in total 959 children were put in jail! The following day, now depleted of holding cells, the police and fireman hosed children with a jetstream so powerful to break bones! Martin Luther King, Jr.'s civil rights march in Washington was a culmination of these unsettling events as witnessed by most American's on the evening news.

Televised on CBS, NBC, and ABC live, anyone watching television that day saw it. John F. Kennedy was watching and greatly moved. King's powerful, eloquent delivery stirred a nation toward change. In a rarity for TV, the entire speech was repeated on nightly news broadcast that August 28, 1963. His biblical and historical based speech struck a chord with most Americans. The performance won him the honor of Time Magazine's Person of the Year in late 1963, and a Nobel Peace prize in 1964. Later in 1964, President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act.

Here is the end of King's speech, often referred to as one of the greatest American speeches ever produced, as he proclaims freedom across the nation:

"And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

"Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!"

"Let freedom ring from the curvaceous peaks of California!"

"But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!"

"Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!"

"Let freedom ring from every hill and every molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring."

"When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, 'Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!'"

Watch the full speech below as it unfolded on television.

Sources:
http://www.biography.com/search/article.do?id=9365086

http://www.museum.tv/exhibitionssection.php?page=90

Icon Restoration: Gidget Opening Credits, 1st episode

Opening of William Asher directed Gidget pilot from Screen Gems

Icon Restoration: William Asher

Born on August 8, 1921, William Asher is the son of Hollywood film producer Ephraim Asher. In the 1930's, Ephraim Asher was responsible for some of the classic Dracula and Frankenstein movies, as well as the critically acclaimed film, Magnificent Obsession. Son William Asher worked in various roles in Hollywood, from the mailroom to screen writer, and then director, and his professional career really blossomed after his WWII service with the US Army. His first feature was "The Leather Glove", which he co-wrote and co-produced.

His televsion work as director began in 1950 with several early classics, Big Town and Racket Squad, and in early 1952, landed a lucrative position with Desilu Studios. Asher directed the Our Miss Brooks tv series, but after 11 episodes, Desi Arnaz moved him to their top show, I Love Lucy. His very first "Lucy" show is monumental, the famous "candy factory" show in which Lucy and Ethel take jobs on a candy assembly line. Bill stays for nearly the remaining run of Lucy, overseeing years of unforgettable television, including, the birth of Little Ricky, Lucy's escapades in Hollywood, and the Ricardo's move to the country. Lucille Ball was immediately comfortable with him, and no other director in Lucille Ball's television career would direct more episodes than William Asher did. His flair for orchestrating physical comedy is the hallmark of I Love Lucy, and his distinct style is easily noticed from the start of season 2. Desi Arnaz was so impressed with Bill Asher, he will not premiere a new Desilu production without him in the director's chair. Asher is called in to direct the first dozen crucial segments for shows such as Make Room for Daddy and December Bride.

In the late 1950's, William moved from Desilu to other TV projects, usually as producer. He headed the Jane Wyman Show (Fireside Theater), and he won Dinah Shore and her "Dinah Shore Chevy Show" two major emmy's in 1959. He also re-established his movie career during this period, producing and directing several major film releases. In the early 1960's, he was the director behind nearly all the classic beach movies starring Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon. He also produced and directed "Johnny Cool", starring television star Elizabeth Montgomery. The two fell in love, wed in 1963, and decided to develop a tv project together.

Bewitched was the result, an enormously popular and sophisticated television show about a mixed marriage between witch Samantha and mortal Darrin Stephens. The Asher's assembled one of tv's all time great casts and one of the very first ensemble comedy shows in tv history. ABC became the #1 network for key demographics nearly overnight, and began ordering almost 40 episodes a season throughout the show's run. In retrospect, network demands for so many episodes per year sometimes diluted Bewitched's episode catalog, but closer inspection uncovers a program showcasing top quality comedy that touched on social issues such as feminism, racism, bigotry, materialism, mass hysteria and so much more. These issues were so smoothly created that many viewers hardly noticed Asher & Montgomery's political statments. The industry did, however, and awarded Bewitched with nearly 2 dozen emmy nominations. In 1971, Bewitched and the Asher's received the Governor's Award for Excellence for the Television Academy for a Christmas episode regarding bigotry and racism. Burning out after 8 years, the Asher's decided to move on to other projects early in 1972, despite the fact that ABC still wanted 2 more years.

Beyond Bewitched, William Asher continued to direct and produce. He has brought countless more hours of entertainment to the television audience, with shows such as The Paul Lynde Show, early episodes of Alice, and the classic teen show Gidget. After a number of other feature films, Asher wrapped up his tv career with a couple of reunion tv movies, I Still Dream of Jeannie and Green Acres.

For some unknown reason, William Asher has not received the credit he is due. His directorial style was a major influence on all situation comedies. Perhaps he was overshadowed by mega-stars like Lucille Ball and Elizabeth Montgomery, but he stands amongst the most significant television directors of all-time!

The Fugitive, August 29, 1967

The Fugitive was the television series that did everything the right way. Opening with a bang, the premise found Dr. David Kimble discovering the murder of his wife, being arrested, and escaping after his train derails en route to prison. The drama unfolded over the seasons much like an anthology series, with Dr. Kimble's miscelaneous interactions with people he met while on the run. The running thread, however, was the mysterious one-armed man, the true murderer.

The Fugitive catapulted into big ratings, and over 119 episodes, never lost its focus or power. At the end of 4 perfect seasons, The Fugitive broadcast the final show, #120. It is notable that this final broadcast was the first of its kind, as no other television show had ever capped its run with an ending plotline.

Dr. Kimble finally met face to face with the one-armed man, culminating into a powerful, breathtaking fight scene atop a water tower. After much struggle, the one-armed man drops the long fall to the ground, ending David Kimble's long run from the law.

This is the first great television series finale, and it broke all ratings records. It would be another full decade before another television show would bookend a series, Mary Tyler Moore in 1977.

Prior to The Fugitive, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp closed its 6-year run with a 5 episode story arc of the showdown at the OK Coral between Earp, Doc Holliday and the Dalton Gang.

Sources:

The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, Marsh & Brooks

Icon Restoration: Classic TV Titles, Bewitched

Original 1st Season Titles from fall, 1964

Icon Restoration: Classic TV Titles, Love American Style

Original 1971 titles for the unsold Happy Days pilot from Love American Style

Network Massacre, Summer 1971

In the early days of television, the experimental nature of programming offered almost free reign for the networks. As broadcasts expanded into daytime, late night, and weekends, local television stations were eager for network fare. By the late 1960s, however, the FCC began tightening the ropes for programming, implementing regulations regarding children's programming, public service programs, and increased local programming. The most sweeping change came in the spring of 1971, as the FCC dictated that the major national networks relinquish blocks of time to local stations.

In daytime programming, local affiliates immediately filled holes with reruns of old network shows, such as Gilligan's Island, I Dream of Jeannie, Leave It To Beaver, and I Love Lucy. The real hit to networks, though, was the loss of 4 hours of primetime programming and advertising dollars.

The CBS network's response has become legendary. Since the early days of 1960, programming geared to less urban audiences had swept the nation and pulled in top ratings. The Real McCoys, Andy Griffith, Gomer Pyle, Green Acres, Petticoat Junction, and the Beverly Hillbillies were all major hits. When advertisers began wondering if high ratings meant increased revenues, the Neilsen company began dividing ratings into demographics, splicing up audiences into the most profitable segments and the least profitable segments; thus, it was the programming geared to rural audiences that took the hit in 1971 as the networks had to suddenly clear their schedules due to the FCC ruling. CBS (and the other networks) canceled all programming that skewed to older and rural audiences. Highly rated shows like Lawrence Welk, Red Skelton, Johnny Cash, Ed Sullivan, the Beverly Hillbillies, Mayberry, RFD, The Jim Nabors Hour, and Hee Haw disappeared. Other shows, like The Doris Day Show, tweaked formats to achieve a hipper, more urban audience. In total, over 30 hours of network programming were removed from the prime time schedule for all three networks. Suddenly, television would be programmed to the younger, more affluent audiences, losing a great deal of the gentle programming offered by television's golden age.

There were positive effects, however, as some niche programming surfaced to reach target audiences, and a host of programs surfaced in the coming years with more diversity and geared toward minorities, such as Sanford and Son, Chico and the Man, Good Times, Welcome Back Kotter, and Maude.

Rhoda's Wedding, October 28, 1974

There was no reason to suspect Rhoda would be more popular than Mary Tyler Moore, but the spin-off was a power house from the start. As Mary Richards' best friend, Rhoda was not the American dream girl next door. She was fiery, witty, heavy-set, and neurotic, but she had a heart of gold. So after 4 seasons on Mary Tyler Moore's show, she visited her family back home in the Bronx, met a man named Joe, and fell in love.

In just nine episodes, the romance blossomed into engagement, and on October 28, 1974, marriage. The classic episode featured the entire gang from Mary Tyler Moore, and was expanded to a full hour special broadcast. As America's favorite ne'r do well and first popular Jewish television character, Rhoda and her wedding were par for the course. There were bickering relatives, the put-upon sister, plus the prickly gang from Minneapolis, including her nemisis Phyllis (played by Cloris Leachman). And Rhoda, deliciously played by Valerie Harper, nearly missed her wedding! The climax came as she ran through the streets of New York in full wedding attire late for her own ceremony.

The episode was the highest rated sitcom episode ever at the time. Valerie Harper won any Emmy, also becoming the first Emmy-winning character for both supporting performance and lead performance. This feat has never been matched again in television.

Seeing RED!, March 9, 1954

See It Now, Edward R. Murrow's ground-breaking news program, had previously in the fall of 1953 broadcast about the red scare. Scores of innocent American's were labeled communists, and a growing political tactic was throwing the communist label at any American with countering views. Senator Joe McCarthy led the way with disgraceful Senate hearings impeaching the name of numerous Hollywood writers, directors, and actors. The result was terrifying. The witch hunt was on and the dividing lines becoming clear. The Republican party was American, the Democratic party labeled socialist.

Also in the fall of 1953, America's number one star was mired in the sludge of the communist hunt. Lucille Ball escaped destruction perhaps by the sheer power of her fame, but I Love Lucy's 3rd season premiere was anticipated by many to be her last. Lucy escaped career destruction, and a popular 1952 play by Arthur Miller, The Crucible, also exposed the red scare as tantamount to the 1692 Salem Witch Trials. Cracks were beginning to surface in Senator McCarthy's tirade. Certainly, these events and other's led to the See It Now broadcast in fall of 1953 exploring the red scare.

By March 9, 1954, however, Edward R. Murrow and producer Fred Friendly had decided to take matters into their own hands. The See It Now broadcasters decided to take Senator McCarthy's own words and flip them, hopefully exposing to America his hypocrisy and the dangerous path of fear-mongering. It was a risky venture, as journalism was expected to be unbiased, and CBS was concerned of a national backlash. The network, also realizing the seriousness of the subject, gave the green light but removed their logo or any network reference from the program's promotion.

The end result was a revolution, as the American public officially came out of hiding and began to question exactly who was un-American, the fear-mongering Joeseph McCarthy or the so-labeled communists. McCarthy was enraged, of course, and demanded an opportunity to respond; however, his appearance a few weeks later on See It Now was even more disastrous, and soon the Senate censured McCarthy, officially ending the Red Scare in America. While hundreds of careers and lives were destroyed forever, the broadcast of March 9, 1954 was American journalism's greatest television moment, and cemented the new medium's power to connect with audiences in troubled times. The immediacy of television continued to prove to be the single greatest instrument of persuasion, whether good or bad, right or wrong, television news came into its own.

References: http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/S/htmlS/seeitnow/seeitnow.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/See_It_Now

See It Now transcript from March 9, 1954

Senator McCarthy's follow-up interview transcript

Here's Lucy, September 14, 1970

After 19 years in television, Lucille Ball could still attract huge audiences and lure top stars to appear on her show. On September 14, 1970, Here's Lucy kicked off its third season with guest appearances by Hollywood's royal couple, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. The plot revolved around Taylor's famous diamond ring, and basically implements a re-written comedy block from an old I Love Lucy script. It would be unfair to suggest the plot was stolen from I Love Lucy, since this episode also marks the return of the show's original writers to Lucy, a long-standing misunderstanding finally resolved. Directed by Dick Van Dyke's Jerry Paris, and featuring a cast and crew of classic television veterans like Gale Gordon, Vanda Barra, Cliff Norton, Army Archerd, Milt Josefsberg, Irma Kusely, and Hal King, this episode presents a simplistic throwback to the great days of old.

The season premiere, titled "Lucy Meets the Burtons", received huge promotion, including a TV Guide cover, and gave Lucille Ball her highest rating since the birth of Little Ricky in 1952! In many ways, this episode is the final hurrah of television's early days, as a batch of brand new shows hit the airwaves that will change the direction of programming, most notably All In the Family, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Flip Wilson Show, and The Odd Couple. While Lucy will hold firm in the Top Three for the season, most of television's old classics are disappearing. Ed Sullivan, Danny Thomas, Lawrence Welk, Fred MacMurray, and Red Skelton get the axe to make way for a newer, more sophisticated approach to programming. The Monday night of September 14, 1970 symbolically represents the changing of the guard, and is the last time the great pioneers of television will rule the airwaves and capture a record breaking percentage of the viewing audience.

Sources: The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows by Brooks and Marsh
The Lucy Book by Geoffrey Mark Fidelman

Stunned by Soup, November 2, 1995

Not since I Love Lucy had a television show broadcast one classic episode after another classic episode, and the 116th episode of Seinfeld, broadcast during the show's seventh season, is only one of the shows dozens of pop culture defining momements. In the 1990s, every Thursday was a television event and nearly every Thursday was Friday's conversation. Arguably the greatest Seinfeld show was the Soup Nazi.

Seinfeld writers had a knack for creating a crescendo of comedy from nothing at all, and this episode proves hilarious with just a string of elements such as a soup line and a typical New Yorker's difficulty moving furniture into an apartment.

The episode was influenced by a real New York restaurant famous for soup. Al Yegeneh, the inspiration for the Soup Nazi character, closed his restaurant in frustration with fans of the show, but in 2005, began selling his classic soups in grocery stores across the nation. "No soup for you!" became a national catch phrase in fall of 1995.

Sources: The Soup Nazi Script
CNN

Icon Restoration: Classic TV Titles, The Electric Company

Death of Mr. Hooper, November 24, 1983

When Will Lee passed away in 1982, the producers of Sesame Street were faced with the dilemma of suddenly withdrawing the beloved and popular character of Mr. Hooper from the show without comment, or facing the difficult task of presenting the serious theme to millions of children. Sesame Street chose the latter.

Mr. Hooper had very close ties to Big Bird, and the topical storyline follows Big Bird's discovery, as he hands out portrait drawings as gifts, that Mr. Hooper is nowhere to be found. With the aid of child psychologists, the writers presented a genuine, heartfelt production that explained Mr. Hooper's death as a natural part of life, and with a delicate touch for the sensitive bird. The program was presented as a Thanksgiving Day offering in 1983 to encourage parents to view the special program with their children. The episode ends with the drawing near Big Bird's nest in honor of Mr. Hooper, and it hangs above the nest to this very day.

This Sesame Street presentation won numerous awards for its bold yet sensitive script, and was named by the Television Academy of Arts & Sciences as one of the ten most significant achievements in children's programming history. It is also the first American children's show to explore the theme of dying.

Source: Answers.com

Felix the Cat, ca. March 30, 1929

The 1929 regular broadcast of Felix the Cat is legendary, and is often cited as the first television broadcast. It was not. In actuality, there had been many broadcast before, including presidential speeches, windmills, a dramatic play, and regular programming. It is not even RCA/NBC's first broadcast. It does not even pre-date the first Milton Berle telecast! What is the 1929 Felix the Cat broacast then?

The 13" paper mache Felix doll rotating on a turntable is the first daily broadcast. For two hours every day, the same non-animated cartoon character, simply spun around and around. The broadcast image was a mere 2 inches tall and compiled of a paltry 60-line screen picture. Broadcast on New York City's channel 1 from Van Cortlandt Park, Felix the Cat was the early broadcast image best remembered, most likely due to RCA's publicity machine, thus, becoming television's first true icon.

Angel's In Paradise, September 14, 1977

In the spring of 1976, a new television genre was officially launched. A jiggly television movie starring Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson, and Jaclyn Smith surpassed anyone's expectations, scoring a staggering 55% share of the TV audience. Naturally, ABC scheduled the movie for a fall series and promoted the upcoming series, Charlie's Angels, with posters, dolls, bubble gum cards, and magazine covers. It didn't matter that most episodes featured stale writing or ridiculous plots. Audiences were tuning in to watch the three beautiful ladies trot around, bra-less, in skimpy costumes.

By the first season's end, as full-scale Farrah-mania gripped the country, Fawcett announced she was leaving the show. With ABC in panic, lawsuits were filed, but to no avail. Farrah Fawcett wanted out of the show. The withdrawal of Fawcett, however, actually pushed the show to greater heights. Summer rerun ratings were enormous, and every tabloid, newspaper, and magazine scored with talk of a new angel and Farrah's departure. Even Farrah's non-Angel appearances inadvertantly promoted the show, as she was repeatedly described as "former-angel Farrah Fawcett."

As it turned out, ABC had nothing to worry about. The producer's taunted and teased the audience as everyone waited to see the new angel, kept secret until the broadcast. At first glimpse, however, it was readily apparent that Cheryl Ladd was the perfect replacement. The second season premiere landed firmly at #1. As before, audiences tuned in for the T&A, and Charlie's Angels wiggled and jiggled around the Top Ten for two more years.

ORIGINAL SPECIAL OPENING CREDITS FOR SEASON 2 and new angel introduction.....



Trivia: In one of the strangest power plays in TV history, Fawcett's husband Lee Majors, star of the Six Million Dollar Man, was the culprit behind Farrah's departure. Somehow this did not offend ABC, nor did Lee Majors' demands that the network cancel the top-rated Bionic Woman, despite an Emmy award win for Bionic star Lindsey Wagner. And ABC did cancel the Bionic Woman! It has been stated by biographer Herbie J. Pilato that Mr. Majors was unhappy that the Bionic Woman was receiving higher ratings and critical acclaim than his own bionic show.

Went With the Wind, November 13, 1976

Late in the long run of the Carol Burnett Show, after a decade on television, this classic variety show was funnier than ever. On November, 13, 1976, episode #238 opened with typical Burnett banter with the audience, and announcing the show's guest, Dinah Shore.

It was the last half hour of the broadcast that can still produce a roomful of laughter just speaking about it! The sketch, Went with the Wind, was timed with the television premiere broadcast of the movie classic, Gone With the Wind. Carol Burnett parodied Scarlett, Dinah Shore played Miss Mellie, Harvey Korman mocked Rhett, and Vickie Lawrence, nearly stealing the show, spoofed Prissy.

The sketch created a greatly condensed version of the movie, and produced one of the most iconic moments in television history. Scarlett, in attempt to look fresh and successful, rips the green velvet drapes down from the window to make a new gown. From the top of the grand stairs, Carol Burnett's Scarlett decends in her new dress, with the curtain rods still attached. As one of the longest laughs in television history finally subsided, Rhett complements her dress and Burnett replies, "Thank you, I saw it in the window and just had to have it."

Trivia: It should be noted that an almost equally funny paradoy of Gone With the Wind had appeared on TV's Here's Lucy four years before, with guest star Flip Wilson, and over the years some viewers have confused and combined the two sketches. Almost no one, however, confuses the iconic image of Burnett's Scarlett O'Hara, as it is permanently burned into the fabric of American culture.

Atomic Shakespeare, November 25, 1986

In the mid-1980s, Moonlighting reshaped and broadened the television landscape. Notorious for mixing tense drama and side-splitting comedy, this television masterpiece influenced the direction of television like no other show of its era. On November 25, 1986, "Atomic Shakespeare" demolished old television devices and created a fresh new approach for entertainment. The episode opens with a young boy obligated to read "The Taming of the Shrew" as homework, but the young tyke would prefer instead to watch the TV show "Moonlighting". This scenario bookends the episode, as the kid daydreams that the Moonlighting cast, including Petruchio Dave and Kate Madie, perform a feminist take of "The Taming of the Shrew," in full iambic pentameter.

The complexity of the writing, including the self-mocking show-with-in-a-show formula, was landmark. Television networks (and cable) began to push for the development of smarter programming. It was cable that paid the most attention, however, as broadcast networks continued to demand too many episodes per season for this type of production. Moonlighting, refusing to litter their catalog with filler episodes, set a new standard for production companies. Ultimately, Moonlighting's refusal to create a 22 episode season was muddied by ABC's demanding schedule of repeats, and the smash show lost viewers.

In 2007, television viewers who love cable TV's superior, shorter season series of 12 to 15 episodes with superior production values, such as the Sopranos, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Rome, can thank "Atomic Shakespeare" and Moonlighting.

For a complete episode description, visit Moonlighting Season 3

Like A Virgin, September 14, 1984

By 1985, MTV had revolutionized the music industry. Video had killed the radio star, and, naturally, MTV decided it was time to hand out some awards. The first MTV Video Music Awards was hosted by Bette Midler and Dan Ackroyd, setting the tone that this was not your parents' Grammy show, but a youthful celebration of everything edgy, decadent, and dangerous. It was a perfect fit for their "virgin" broadcast that newcomer Madonna debut her single from her second album.

On September 14, 1984, fans and video artist filled New York City's Radio City Music Hall to watch rock stars David Bowie, Tina Turner, Cyndi Lauper inaugarate the latest incarnation of Hollywood self-indulgence. Catching everyone by surprise, however, was the relatively new star, Madonna.

Rising from the stage on a giant wedding cake, a fully-veiled Madonna launched into "Like a Virgin" in full wedding attire and a "Boy Toy" belt buckle. As she stripped her wedding veil, Madonna introduced herself to the world as true performance artist. By the song's end, Madonna was literally writhing and grinding on the stage floor. Audiences at home and in the auditorium went wild, and the performance catapulted Madonna into the stratosphere. Not since Elvis had a television performance caught America so off-guard. It would hardly be the last time that Madonna would push the envelope and stir up controversy.

The Great Chase, June 17, 1994

All the evidence pointed to a premeditated crime of passion. A six inch knife purchased days before the murder measured the same depth of the stab wounds. The suspect had been spotted in the neighboorhood, running a redlight in his Ford Bronco, around the time of the murders. A waiting limo driver witnessed a tall, dark figure race through the yard and immediately into the house, where the suspect finally answered the limo driver's repeated calls. The suspect says, out of breath, "he overslept." The suspect had planned a last minute trip to Chicago, and was scheduled to leave for the airport immediately!

Once the DNA was analyzed, the suspect's blood was found intermingled with the two murder victims, including on a glove left behind. Also left behind were a set of six bloody footprints, all from the same person, seemingly a man with expensive taste in shoes. Perhaps the most incriminating aspect were the corpses. Violently and repeatedly stabbed, each the hallmark of a crime of passion. O.J. Simpson's violent past and abuse toward his ex-wife fit the pattern. He was the prime suspect.

Of course, this is the infamous murders of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman. The suspect, football legend turned actor O.J. Simpson, on June 16, 1994 attended Nicole's funeral, falling on the casket and begging forgiveness. The next day, with so much evidence studied, analyzed, and tested, it all pointed to O.J. Simpson.

Simpson's attorney, Robert Kardashian, was notified the morning of June 17 to report with his client to the LAPD headquarters. O.J. never arrived, and 3 police cars were dispatched to Kardashan's home, where O.J. Simpson was staying. Kardashian, however, tells the police that O.J. and friend Al Cowling drove away in Cowling's white Ford Bronco and never returned.

At 2:00 p.m., LAPD Spokesperson and Commander David Gascon announce at a Park Center press conference that O.J. Simpson was a fugitve on the run. A warrant had been issued for his arrest as the suspected murderer of Ron Goldman and Nicole Simpson.

By 5 pm, with an all points bulletin issued for the capture and arrest of Simpson, Robert Kardashan held an impromptu press conference to publicly plea for O.J. to turn himself into the Los Angeles Police Department. Kardashian also read an ambigious, desperate note from O.J., seemingly suicidal, proclaiming his innocence within a lengthy, meandering letter.

It was not long before the LAPD traced Simpson and Cowling's cellphone location within Orange County, and at 6:45 pm, Cowling's white Ford Bronco was spotted driving north on Interstate-5. Soon a trail of police cars and helicopters were hovering on the slowly traveling Bronco. Cowling reported by cell phone that Simpson was suicidal and holding a gun to his own head, threatening to kill himself. With this, feverish coverage by news media began. Every major network halted regular programming to cover this odd, unintentional event. Within minutes, millions of viewers tuned in to watch the birds-eye view of the white Bronco traveling a mere 40 miles per hour. Slowly and delibertly, it weaved between traffic. Soon, the interstate was lined with cars and people, many carrying signs reading "Go, OJ, GO!" Crowds on overpasses shouted, and cheered, as if the event was a parade for a ballgame.

The dawdling police chase was like some surreal action movie filmed in slow motion. The impromptu television event lasted for hours, as American's sat glued to watch the story unfold. After hours of slow motion drama, driver Cowling moved toward the Simpson address at Rockingham Avenue, and television viewers stayed tune to see the final outcome. Would O.J. Simpson kill himself? Would he surrender? Would he attempt another getaway?

As 8 pm Pacific time approached, the plodding journey ended as the now famous white Bronco arrived at Simpson's home. Also waiting were 27 LAPD swat team members, a dozens of other specialist, negotiators, and assault teams. Even so, O.J. Simpson refused to leave the Bronco, and sat huddled inside, still with the gun to his head. At 8:45 pm, once O.J. Simpson was prevailed to exit the Bronco and face his arrest, the viewers received their denouement. Found in the white Ford Bronco was Simpson's passport, a disguise kit, a loaded Smith and Wesson .357 Magnum and $8000.

The final tally was that 95 million U.S. viewers watched the event unfold that night. It was the end of the chase but just the beginning of the story called the "Murder of the Century." Over the next year, Simpson was the lead televsion news story. He even eclipsed Elvis Presley as the #1 most-googled name on the internet. O.J. Simpson was the most famous man on earth.



Sources: Crime Library
Chemistry Daily