"Doctor, doctor, give me the news..." from "Bad Case of Loving You" - Robert Palmer (written by John Moon Martin)...
I was gonna follow with a medley of songs with "doctor" in the title but I'll spare you (tell the truth, you're thinking of titles right now, aren't you ?). The diagnosis couldn't be more positive from the doctors, nurses and interns on the show that last week beat the show that was #1 since my bar mitzvah - "CSI". "Grey's Anatomy" starring Patrick Dempsey who bears the most overused nickname in television history, "Dr. McDreamy" and Ellen Pompeo. Also the terrific Sandra Oh who was so good in "Sideways". I've only watched part of one show but I can understand why it's such a huge hit. There's great looking people in the cast and lots of sex and the actors portray real people (heaven help us) that you expect are employed at every hospital you've ever visited. Just like "Dr. Kildare" and "Ben Casey" right ? Which leads me to...
The road for "Grey's Anatomy", "ER", "Scrubs", "Marcus Welby" - even "Doogie Howser", was paved on this date, September 28th in 1961 - 45 years ago today when "Dr. Kildare" with Richard Chamberlain, started making house calls. Just 4 days later on October 2nd, "Ben Casey" debuted and the medical race was on. These 2 doctor shows would run neck and neck for the next several years. In the '62-'63 season Vince Edwards, a.k.a. "Ben Casey" topped "Dr. Kildare" 28.7% to 26.2%. Both "Dr. Kildare" and "Ben Casey" would hang up their stethoscopes after the 1966 television season...
From "The Complete Directory To Prime Time Network And Cable TV Shows" (Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh) here are the names of shows with a form of the word "doctor" in the title from the 60's through the mid-90's. How many do you remember ? "Doc Corkle", "Doc Elliot", "The Doctor", "Doctor, Doctor", "Dr. Fix-Um", "Dr. Hudson's Secret Journal", "Doctor I.Q.", "Doctor In The House", "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman", "Dr. Ruth", "Dr. Simon Locke", "The Doctors And The Nurses", "Doctor's Hospital" and "Doctors' Private Lives". Okay, so after "Dr. Quinn" and "Dr. Ruth" (it was a show), how many do you remember ? Relax, a quiz will not follow...
Ten Timeline Memories...
- [1850] Flogging is abolished as a form of punishment in the U.S. Navy (however it continued in radio many years later)...
- [1892] According to the good folks in Pennsylvania, the 1st nighttime football game under electric lights, in America, was played between the Mansfield State Normal School and the Wyoming Seminary (both located in PA)...
- [1920] Eight members of the Chicago White Sox were indicted in the "Black Sox" scandal. They're accused of throwing the 1919 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds (they will all be acquitted in 1921)...
- [1941] Ted Williams goes 6 for 8 in a doubleheader and finishes with a .406 batting average (no one has done it since). 10 years later, same date in 1951 Williams hits a home run in his last at-bat...
- [1951] The Yankees' Allie Reynolds pitches his 2nd no-hitter of the season, beating the Red Sox (Yogi Berra gets a second chance to catch a foul pop-up and this time catches it, ending the game)...
- [1955] The World Series is televised in color for the 1st time (I watched part of those games from a store window on 13th Avenue in Borough Park)...
- [1976] Muhammad Ali wins the rubber match (of 3 fights) against Ken Norton in 15 rounds to win back the heavyweight title at Yankee Stadium...
- [1991] Marion Barry, former mayor of the District of Columbia, is sentenced to 6 months in prison for possession of crack cocaine...
- [1997] Wearing a cowboy hat, Bob Dylan plays at a Bologna (Italy) concert attended by Pope John Paul. In his set Dylan includes....what else ? "Knocking On Heaven's Door"...
- [1997] The 103rd convention of the Audio Engineering Society (AES) is held in New York City with the official debut of the DVD format featured...
#1 on this date: 1957] "Honeycomb" - Jimmie Rodgers...
Released on this date: 1958] "To Know Him Is To Love Him" - Teddy Bears (18-year old Phil Spector, a member of the Teddy Bears writes the song. The title is on his father's headstone...
"Happy Trails": 1989] Ferdinand Marcos (deposed Philippine President) dies in Hawaii (in exile) of kidney, heart and lung failure at 72...1991] Jazz Great Miles Davis dies of a stroke at 65...2000] Former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau dies of Parkinson's disease and prostate cancer at 80...2003] Tennis champion Althea Gibson dies at 76 from respiratory failure...
Premiered on this date: 1961] "Hazel" starring Shirley Booth (will run for 5 years)...
Series finale: 1960] "The Millionaire" airs its last episode (John Beresford Tipton ran out of money after 5 seasons)...
"Sayonara": 1968] Janis Joplin leaves Big Brother and the Holding Company to go solo...
[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]... Commentary... Mrs. Van Valkenburgh of Ormond Beach (FL) believed her 68-year old husband Paul when he told her he wrote "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" under the name, Paul Vance. Which was news to the real Paul Vance. The fake Paul Vance died. The real Paul Vance lives. The 76-year old song writer who got a call from his grandson saying "Grandpa, you're still alive ?", showed proof that he wrote the song by showing some of his royalty checks for the Brian Hyland #1 hit. He's made a handsome living on that song, thank you very much. And that's not the only song he wrote. His 1st hit was "Catch A Falling Star". He and partner Lee Pockriss also wrote "Playground In My Mind" and other hits. "Will the real Paul Vance please stand up"... "Happy Birthday...happy birthday"... Hilary Duff (19), Naomi Watts (38), Ben E. King (68), Brigitte Bardot (72), Arnold Stang (81) and William Windom (83)... Timeline countdown: 5, possibly 4 days until major league playoffs depending on the teams that qualify, 23 days until the World Series and 94 days until 2007. ...
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