Pick a Day

Music History Events: TV Shows

January 1, 2006 Flavor Flav's reality show, Flavor of Love, premieres on VH1. The series lasts for three seasons. Flav is one of the founding members of the pioneering rap group Public Enemy.

September 15, 2003 The rapper Eve's sitcom Eve debuts on the UPN network, where it runs for three seasons.

March 8, 2003 It's like American Idol, but country: The singing competition show Nashville Star debuts on the USA network. It lasts six seasons; Miranda Lambert comes in third on Season 1.

October 12, 2002 Court-TV's crime documentary series Forensic Files depicts the murder of Walter Scott, lead singer of the '60s rock 'n' roll band Bob Kuban & the In-Men. Scott disappeared in 1983 and his body was found hidden in a cistern four years later, leading to the arrest of his widow's new husband.

March 13, 2002 Danny Bonaduce of The Partridge Family wins his bout against Barry Williams (Greg from The Brady Bunch) on the Fox TV special Celebrity Boxing. In another bout, Todd Bridges from Diff'rent Strokes whoops up on Vanilla Ice.

January 9, 2002 MTV Cribs tours Mariah Carey's New York penthouse in a special one-hour episode. The pop star, who shows off her personal salon and department-store-sized closet, also demonstrates an elliptical workout in stilettos and enjoys a chaste bubble bath.

October 5, 2001 Reba McEntire's TV show Reba premieres on the WB network, with the singer playing a single mom to three children. The show runs for six seasons.

May 28, 2001 MTV's Total Request Live spawns a country spinoff on sister network CMT with Most Wanted Live. Broadcasting from Nashville's Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, hosts Lance Smith and Amber Moog present a crop of country clips ranked by fan voters.

May 14, 2001 After a six-season run, the last episode of Brandy's TV series Moesha airs. This final episode is a cliffhanger, with Moesha learning she is pregnant and her brother getting kidnapped.

March 12, 2001 "Freud's Dilemma," the first ever episode of The Chris Isaak Show, airs on Showtime. The new adult comedy stars Chris Isaak playing a wannabe rock star.

March 6, 2001 MTV Cribs visits Redman's two-bedroom pad on Staten Island. Unlike the show's usual ostentatious fare, the rapper's modest crib is a testament to "keeping it real." The highlights are his makeshift doorbell (which is signaled by crossing two exposed wires), a freezer-full of Gorton's fish, and his cousin conked out on his living room floor.

October 26, 2000 The short-lived sitcom Cursed (aka The Weber Show), starring Steven Weber, debuts on NBC with its theme song, "Miss Fortune," written and performed by Liz Phair.

October 6, 2000 The TV series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation debuts on CBS with "Who Are You?" by The Who as the theme song. Three more series in the franchise appear, all with theme songs by The Who: CSI: Miami ("Won't Get Fooled Again"), CSI: NY ("Baba O'Riley") and CSI: Cyber ("I Can See For Miles").

September 20, 2000 The first episode of MTV Cribs airs on the music network, showcasing the (mostly) lavish homes of Jewel, Moby, and The Osbournes. The popularity of the show helps The Osbournes land their own hit reality series a couple years later.More

March 24, 2000 MTV debuts the reality series Making the Band, with the first season spawning the boy band O-Town. Lou Pearlman, the creator of Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC, manages the group.

April 27, 1999 Songs From Dawson's Creek is released after the teen drama airs its first season on The WB. The soundtrack peaks at #7 on the US albums chart.More

January 10, 1999 The Sopranos debuts on HBO. Bruce Springsteen's guitarist, Steven Van Zandt, plays Silvio Dante, a character he modeled on his relationship with Bruce: Unlike most of Tony Soprano's inner circle, Silvio doesn't want to be the boss.

October 7, 1998 Charmed debuts on the WB network with the Love Spit Love cover of "How Soon Is Now" as the theme song. Two years earlier, this same cover was used in the movie The Craft, which like Charmed, is about a coven of high school girls.

February 17, 1997 ABC airs Hey, Hey, It's the Monkees, a one-hour comedy special written and directed by original Monkee Mike Nesmith. From their '60s pad, the group recalls their old shenanigans and sings a medley of their classic hits: "Last Train To Clarksville," "Daydream Believer," "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone," "I'm A Believer" and "Pleasant Valley Sunday."

November 7, 1996 On the Seinfeld episode "The Checks," Elaine is frustrated by her new boyfriend's obsession with the Eagles' song "Desperado." The actor, James Patrick Stuart, has a real-life musical connection: His dad is Chad Stuart, half of the '60s pop duo Chad & Jeremy.

July 15, 1996 Nickelodeon premieres the teen sitcom Kenan & Kel, with the theme song "Aw, Here It Goes" from Coolio.

January 23, 1996 The TV series Moesha, starring Brandy as a high-school student in California, debuts on UPN, where it runs for six seasons.

October 5, 1994 Jamie Walters, who sang the #1 hit theme song "How Do You Talk To An Angel?" for the short-lived Aaron Spelling series The Heights, joins Beverly Hills 90210 as Ray Pruit, an aspiring musician. Unfortunately for Walters, his character takes a dark turn and starts abusing fan fave Donna Martin, causing his real-life music career to suffer.More

May 6, 1994 Donna Summer appears on an episode of Family Matters, playing Steve Urkel's shy Aunt Oona (from Altoona). Oona comes out of her shell when she belts out "Last Dance" at karaoke.

March 8, 1993 Beavis and Butt-Head, a show about two animated idiots who watch MTV, debuts on MTV.

August 27, 1992 The Heights, a drama series about a group of working-class youths struggling to form a rock band, premieres on the FOX network. Produced by Aaron Spelling, the short-lived show spawns a #1 single with its theme song, "How Do You Talk To An Angel."

February 23, 1991 With his group MGM, R. Kelly wins the only season of the competition show Big Break, hosted by Natalie Cole.

March 21, 1990 The sitcom Sydney premieres on CBS, starring Valerie Bertinelli and a pre-Friends Matthew Perry. Bertinelli's husband Eddie Van Halen provides the theme song: "Finish What Ya Started."

February 28, 1989 The sitcom Coach debuts on ABC, starring Craig T. Nelson as a college football coach and Shelley Fabares as his longtime girlfriend. Fabares became famous in the '50s and '60s, starring in The Donna Reed Show - on which she debuted the hit "Johnny Angel" - and appearing in three films with Elvis Presley.

January 3, 1989 The Arsenio Hall Show debuts in syndication, bringing a spate of contemporary musical acts - including many hip-hop artists - to late night during its five-season run. Highlights include Mariah Carey's national TV debut in 1990, and a 1992 appearance by Bill Clinton, who uses his airtime to win over young voters on this way to the White House.