Monica Lewinsky Hosted Short-Lived “Mr. Personality” Reality Show
📺 April 21, 2003: Romance reality competition “Mr. Personality” debuted on Fox. Hosted by infamous former White House intern Monica Lewinsky, this “Bachelorette”-type show that Involved all masked male suitors ran for only five episodes. https://t.co/MaeS34ZY3V https://t.co/1RjA8v80Gh
WGN America Launches First Original Scripted Series, Salem
📺 April 20, 2014: Supernatural horror drama “Salem” debuted on WGN America. Starring Janet Montgomery, Shane West and Seth Gabel, it was the cable network’s first original scripted series and marked WGN’s transition from a Chicago-based superstation int… https://t.co/0UsZbDGfdF https://t.co/UG1OpSgVaz
Soap Ended; Spinoff Benson Outlasted Its Parent
📺 April 20, 1981: “Soap” concluded on ABC. The controversial sitcom ran four seasons. Its spinoff “Benson,” starring Robert Guillaume, had a longer run at seven seasons (from 1979-86). https://t.co/Jrw2yw5q72 https://t.co/aocFs4GbV9
Wings: 1990s Time‑Period Hit Following Cheers
NBC sitcom “Wings” premiered following "Cheers" in 1990. It aired through May 21, 1997, and was what you would call a “time period hit.” https://t.co/aACX3hKuil https://t.co/4g1DPhqODn
ABC Debuts 1948, Emerging TV Latecomer
📺 April 19, 1948: The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) launched. It was a relatively late entrant into the emerging television landscape, competing against more established rivals like NBC and CBS. Originally spun off from the NBC Blue Network follow… https://t.co/uUCaPFxO2L...
1990 TV Ratings Reveal Network Vs. Syndication Trends
Nielsen ratings for network TV for the week ending April 22, 1990 and for syndication for the week ending April 15, 1990 https://t.co/NbOfVihF3W https://t.co/QJL1sFCPCJ
Peanuts Rides Flashdance Hype with “Flashbeagle” Special
📺 April 16, 1984: Capitalizing on the craze of the hit film “Flashdance,” the animated “Peanuts” special “It’s Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown” premiered on CBS. https://t.co/vlyhz3w6BL https://t.co/jP1PBvCf3K
1990’s ‘Shannon’s Deal’ Flopped After 14 Episodes
📺 April 16, 1990: Legal drama “Shannon’s Deal,” starring Jamey Sheridan and Elizabeth Peña, officially began as a series on NBC. Only 14 episodes aired across two spring seasons. https://t.co/g1964yCJMB https://t.co/C608XnHTA5
FX Launches Award‑winning “Fargo” Anthology Series, 2014
📺 April 15, 2014: “Fargo”, Noah Hawley’s award-winning dark comedic crime anthology series inspired by the 1996 feature film of the same name, debuted on FX. Its inaugural season starred Billy Bob Thornton, Allison Tolman, Colin Hanks and Martin Freeman…...
HBO's 'Girls' Premiered April 2012, Launching Dunham's Hit
📺 April 15, 2012: “Girls”, the comedy-drama created by and starring Lena Dunham about the lives of four young women in New York City, debuted on HBO. It also starred Allison Williams, Zosia Mamet, Adam Driver and Andrew Rannells. It...
TCM Launched on Historic Centennial Date, 6 P.m. ET
📺 🎬 April 14, 1994: Turner Classic Movies debuted. At 6 p.m. Eastern Time, Ted Turner launched the channel at a ceremony in New York City’s Times Square district. The date and time were chosen for their historical significance as...
The Bernie Mac Show Ends After Award-Winning Five Seasons
📺 April 14, 2006: Comedy “The Bernie Mac Show” concluded its five-season run on Fox. The series was the recipient of several prestigious awards in its first season, including an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series and a...
CBS Launches Four-Year MLB Broadcast Deal in 1990
📺 ⚾️ April 14, 1990: CBS began its four-year deal with Major League Baseball, with an afternoon doubleheader: Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Pirates followed by Los Angeles Dodgers at Houston Astros. The first game had the network’s main broadcast team...
ABC Axes Beloved Soaps, Replaces Them With Lifestyle Shows
🪓 April 14, 2011: ABC made an announcement that devastated many daytime drama fans: “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” would both conclude within the following year. They were replaced by lifestyle programs “The Chew” and “The Revolution”....
Conan O'Brien Jokes About Jumping From TV to Twitter
📺 April 12, 2010: TBS announced that Conan O’Brien will be the network’s late-night host as of November that year. The news came shortly following his ouster at NBC. O’Brien humorously stated “In three months I’ve gone from network television...