Pick a Day

Music History Events: TV Shows

May 6, 1991 The DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince video for "Summertime" debuts on NBC following the season 1 finale of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. This is part of a new trend; six months earlier, The Simpsons debuted "Do The Bartman" following an episode of their show.

December 6, 1990 The Simpsons, already a cultural phenomenon, venture into music, debuting the video for "Do The Bartman" after the "Bart The Daredevil" episode. The backup singer might sound familiar: it's Michael Jackson, a big fan of the show.

December 4, 1990 The Simpsons extend their pop culture dominance into music with the album The Simpsons Sing The Blues. Led by the Michael Jackson-assisted single "Do The Bartman," it sells over 2 million copies in America.More

March 20, 1989 After 37 years on the air, Dick Clark announces he will discontinue hosting his creation, ABC-TV's highly influential American Bandstand. The show continues with another host, but folds for good soon after.

September 14, 1987 American Bandstand becomes the longest-running entertainment show in America.

September 12, 1987 The syndicated TV series Showtime at the Apollo makes its debut. During its 1093-episode run, hosts include Whoopi Goldberg, Martin Lawrence, Sinbad, Steve Harvey, and Mo'Nique.

September 5, 1987 American Bandstand airs on network TV for the last time. ABC picked up the show in 1957, and throughout its run on the network, Dick Clark was the host. The show continued another year in syndication and aired one season on the USA network in 1989.

September 18, 1985 The Gladys Knight/Flip Wilson sitcom Charlie And Company premieres on CBS.

August 9, 1985 Looking to capitalize on the success of the Motown 25 special, NBC debuts a variety series called Motown Revue, which is cancelled after a five-week run.

March 25, 1981 Rick Springfield makes his first appearance as Dr. Noah Drake on the soap opera General Hospital. As his music career takes off, he continues to appear on the show, playing the character until 1983.

January 16, 1981 The TV series Harper Valley P.T.A., inspired by the Jeannie C. Riley song and the 1978 movie of the same name, debuts on NBC. Barbara Eden, who played scandalous single mom Stella Johnson in the movie, reprises her role. The show lasts two seasons.

October 28, 1980 Five of Walt Disney's original Mouseketeers (Annette, Cubby, Tommy, Sherry, and Dickie) gather in Burbank, California, to celebrate the show's 25th anniversary.

December 28, 1979 The Kate Bush Christmas Special, also known as Kate, airs on the BBC. The singer performs songs from her first three albums and introduces the holiday tune "December Will Be Magic Again." Peter Gabriel guest stars, singing "Here Comes The Flood" and, with Bush, a duet of Roy Harper's "Another Day."

September 12, 1979 The ABC news program 20/20 runs the special "The Elvis Cover-Up," which alleges that Elvis Presley's death was linked to prescription drugs. When his doctor, George Nichopoulous, is brought to trial, evidence shows that Elvis had prescriptions for about 10,000 doses of drugs just in the year he died (1977).

November 2, 1978 David Cassidy stars in a new cop show called David Cassidy: Man Undercover. It is cancelled after 10 episodes.

July 31, 1977 The Starland Vocal Band Show, a variety series hosted by the group famous for the hit "Afternoon Delight," debuts on CBS. It lasts just six episodes.

November 17, 1976 Olivia Newton-John's first TV special, A Very Special Olivia Newton-John, is broadcast on ABC.

September 27, 1976 After appearing on the The Porter Wagoner Show for seven years, Dolly Parton gets her own TV variety show, Dolly!, which premieres on ABC. The show lasts one season; Parton returns in 1987 with another variety show, this time unexclaimed: Dolly.

September 20, 1976 Captain & Tennille's regular-season ABC-TV show begins its six-month run.

August 25, 1976 Frankie Avalon's summer replacement variety series, Easy Does It, debuts on CBS.

February 1, 1976 Cher, married to Gregg Allman and pregnant with his child, launches a new variety show with her ex-husband Sonny Bono called The Sonny And Cher Show on CBS. It runs through 1977.

August 10, 1975 The vocal group The Manhattan Transfer debut a summer replacement series on CBS, simply called Manhattan Transfer. The variety show runs for four weeks.

July 10, 1975 Gladys Knight & the Pips debut their own summer variety music show on NBC TV.

February 16, 1975 Cher, who starred with her husband Sonny Bono in The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour from 1971-1974, gets her own show when Cher premieres on CBS. The first guests are Elton John, Bette Midler and Flip Wilson.

July 4, 1974 The Tony Orlando & Dawn TV show debuts on CBS.

June 5, 1974 At a time when just about every photogenic musician with a hit song is getting their own variety show, Bobbie Gentry of "Ode To Billie Joe" joins the fray with The Bobbie Gentry Happiness Hour on CBS.

May 24, 1974 NBC-TV's wildly successful variety show The Dean Martin Show signs off after nine years.

January 15, 1974 With '50s nostalgia trending, Happy Days premieres on ABC with "Rock Around The Clock" as its theme song.

November 2, 1973 Barbra Streisand hosts a TV special on CBS called Barbra Streisand And Other Musical Instruments. Among the "instruments": Ray Charles.

February 2, 1973 NBC debuts The Midnight Special rock variety show, its response to ABC's popular In Concert series. The first host: Helen Reddy.