ABC 50th Anniversary Airing May 19, 2003 - Many Stars on Hand; Rare Bloopers Airing! - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Pavan · 01-15-2003, 05:29 PM

ABC WILL CELEBRATE ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY IN A SPECTACULAR,
THREE-HOUR TELECAST FEATURING A STELLAR ARRAY OF STARS
FROM THE PAST AND PRESENT

Hollywood Event Will Bring Alive 50 Years of Television History

The ABC Television Network will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a special, three-hour telecast set to air this spring, featuring five decades of television history as seen through the prism of the ABC Television Network. The telecast will include entertaining, dramatic and thrilling moments from all aspects of the past 50 years of ABC television, including news, sports, drama, comedy, music and events.

The event will tape at the Pantages Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard on Sunday, March 16, and is set to air in May 2003. Award-winning executive producer Don Mischer (Opening Ceremonies of the Salt Lake Olympics and Barbra Streisand’s Millennium Concert) will create and executive produce the special.

When it began broadcasting on February 9, 1953, ABC was the third national television network to hit the airwaves. However it went on to many firsts: ABC was the first network to air a series starring an African-American; the first network to feature a female news anchor; the first network to air a series starring an openly gay lead; the first network to air a police drama in primetime, and many more. The 50th Anniversary special will commemorate the network’s rich history as a forerunner in the evolution of television programming, making bold, innovative decisions and taking risks.

“Television has an extraordinary impact on our lives, and the role of the ABC Television Network in entertaining and informing the American people over the past half-century is an amazing story that we look forward to sharing with our viewers,” said Alex Wallau, president, ABC Television Network.

“ABC’s role in the history of television is very significant - in sports, news and entertainment, ABC led the way and set the bar very high. We hope to give viewers a chance to relive some of the most memorable moments in television, with humor, poignancy and emotion,” said executive producer Don Mischer.

Celebrating entertainment, sports and news, the following is a brief list of the featured programs and highlights that will be a part of the 50th Anniversary Special:

ABC Primetime:
* ABC's landmark series - from "Ozzie & Harriet" to "Happy Days" to "NYPD Blue"
* Miniseries & movies - "Roots," "The Winds of War," "Brian's Song," etc.

ABC Sports:
* Olympics coverage - including stunning events such as Nadia Comaneci’s perfect 10 score
* “ABC’s Wide World of Sports” - “The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat”
* ABC’s NFL “Monday Night Football”

ABC Daytime:
* Drama series - “General Hospital,” “Dark Shadows,” “One Life to Live,” “Ryan’s Hope,” “All My
Children,” “Port Charles,” etc.

ABC News:
* ABC News’ stellar cast of news anchors and correspondents - John Daly, Howard K. Smith, Harry
Reasoner, Frank Reynolds, Barbara Walters, Peter Jennings, Ted Koppel, Diane Sawyer, etc.

* ABC News’ historic and memorable exclusive interviews with heads of state and superstar
personalities.

Airing Monday, May 19, 2003:
ABC CELEBRATES ITS MOST MEMORABLE TELEVISION MOMENTS IN AN ALL-STAR 50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION, AIRING MONDAY, MAY 19 ON THE ABC TELEVISION NETWORK

Featuring Appearances by John Ritter, John Travolta, Oprah Winfrey, Tim Allen, Muhammad Ali, Damon Wayans and Jennifer Garner, Among Many Others

The ABC Television Network is commemorating its 50 historic years of television in a memorable three-hour special celebration. The event features appearances, clips and interviews with ABC stars past and present – from Primetime to Daytime, Sports to News – representing every genre of ABC’s 50-year history of television programming. “ABC’s 50th Anniversary Celebration” will air MONDAY, MAY 19 (8:00-11:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.
Dozens of celebrities from ABC’s 50-year history participated in the celebration, including Muhammad Ali, Tim Allen, Jim Belushi, Drew Carey, Richard Chamberlain, Dick Clark, Peter Falk, Farrah Fawcett, Dennis Franz, Jennifer Garner, Florence Henderson, Bonnie Hunt, Jimmy Kimmel, Carl Lewis, George Lopez, Susan Lucci, Joan Lunden, John Madden, Camryn Manheim, Penny Marshall, Al Michaels, Joe Namath, Ryan O’Neal, John Ritter, Roseanne, John Travolta, Barbara Walters, Damon Wayans, Jaleel White, Clarence Williams III, Oprah Winfrey and Henry Winkler, among many, many others.
Highlights of the celebration will include:
· Cast reunions from ABC’s most beloved series, including “Welcome Back Kotter,” “Happy Days,”
“Laverne & Shirley,” “The Love Boat,” “The Mod Squad” and “NYPD Blue,” among others.
· Fifty years of historic news events presented by such ABC news figures as Barbara Walters, Hugh Downs,
Diane Sawyer, Peter Jennings, Ted Koppel, Charles Gibson, Joan Lunden, David Hartman and others.
· Unforgettable moments and tributes from the world of sports, including appearances by legendary sports
figures like heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali, football All-Star great Joe Namath, sports
announcers Al Michaels, John Madden and Jim McKay, Olympic gold medalists Carl Lewis and Dorothy
Hamill and many others.
· Oprah Winfrey and Richard Chamberlain present unforgettable scenes from ABC’s most acclaimed
movies and miniseries.
· Clips from ABC’s favorite comedy and drama series past and present.
The special was conceived and is executive-produced by Don Mischer, directed by Glenn Weiss and written by Dave Boone, Brian Brown, Sara Lukinson, Jon Macks, Stephen Pouliot and Jeff Stilson. “ABC’s 50th Anniversary Celebration” is from Don Mischer Productions.
A TV parental guideline will be posted closer to airdate.

dawsongirl · 01-15-2003, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by pavanbadal
ABC Daytime:
* Drama series - “General Hospital,” “Dark Shadows,” “One Life to Live,” “Ryan’s Hope,” “All My
Children,” “Port Charles,” etc.

They need to do gameshows too. *cough*FAMILY FEUD*cough*

Pavan · 01-15-2003, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by dawsongirl

They need to do gameshows too. *cough*FAMILY FEUD*cough*

I'm sure that will be included.

SBTB Geek · 01-15-2003, 07:54 PM

HOPEFULLY they will air some "Mr. Belvedere," and "Growing Pains" episodes.

JT · 01-15-2003, 08:29 PM

Praise the lawd! I want to see if they show some classic soap clips, or at least the classic opening credits. I wonder if they will have any classic TV stars there. And if they will have crappy orchestral versions of the TV theme songs. This is, for once, a TV special that DOESN'T include NBC shows!

Pavan · 01-15-2003, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SBTB Geek
HOPEFULLY they will air some "Mr. Belvedere," and "Growing Pains" episodes.

This special is not going to air 'actual' episodes from past and present ABC series, they are showing clips with past and present stars on hand, like the NBC 75th Anniversary from last year.

SBTB Geek · 01-15-2003, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by pavanbadal

This special is not going to air 'actual' episodes from past and present ABC series, they are showing clips with past and present stars on hand, like the NBC 75th Anniversary from last year.

Thanks for clearing that up.

I hope they don't forget to even recognize them. During NBC's anniversary many classic sitcoms went without mention. ("Silver Spoons," "Punky Brewster," etc.)

Mondello · 01-15-2003, 08:50 PM

NBC's problem (i think) is that they focused on the new crap and forgot to mention those that brought them to the dance. I hope ABC doesn't do that. Of course ABC has always been a better network.

ABC1 · 01-15-2003, 09:56 PM

I just hope they include shows from Aaron Spelling. If they don't, I'll be annoyed. His shows may not have been highly regarded by critics, but the fans loved them.

¤I Love Clay Aiken¤ · 01-15-2003, 11:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by pavanbadal
ABC Primetime:
*ABC's landmark series "Happy Days"

Now, all we need is the Brady Bunch and Laverne & Shirley!!!

Pavan · 01-15-2003, 11:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ¤MsConanOBrien¤

Now, all we need is the Brady Bunch and Laverne & Shirley!!!

I'm sure those will be mentioned. This was just a brief list. A more detailed list should be out at a closer date.

LucyFan · 01-16-2003, 04:03 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by ¤MsConanOBrien¤

Now, all we need is the Brady Bunch and Laverne & Shirley!!!

Don't Forget about The Wonder Years, Three's Comapany, and Bewitched!!!

TVJunkie101 · 01-16-2003, 07:41 AM

Hopefully this special will be better than NBC's. They left out a LOT in their anniversary special. They didn't even include their daytime programming. The only good thing about the event was seeing all the stars, and well, the older older clips. They did seem to focus a bit more on the newer stuff.

AJ2086 · 01-16-2003, 03:20 PM

Quote:

ABC Daytime:
* Drama series - “General Hospital,” “Dark Shadows,” “One Life to Live,” “Ryan’s Hope,” “All My
Children,” “Port Charles,” etc.
[/B]

WTF, I do not see why PC is included. It is the WORST SOAP in ABC's history. PC has done nothing but drag down ABC Daytime and rumor is it is set to be cancelled and an announcement is coming next month.

sally mander · 01-16-2003, 06:34 PM

ABC got their dates wrong.
They went only the air in 1948, they were already 5 years old in 53.

I have read many of trivia books that listed several pre-1953 shows that aired on ABC.

But then again was ABC just a regional network prior to 53?
As far as them being the thired network on the air
what about DuMont? That pre-dated ABC and CBS by quite a few years I believe.

01-15-2003, 05:29 PM	#1
Pavan SO News/Reviews Director Administrator Forum Superstar Join Date: Feb 17, 2000 Location: Linden, NJ (Where Hal Linden got his last name from!) Posts: 26,814	ABC 50th Anniversary Airing in May 2003; Happy Days, Ozzie & Harriet, etc ABC WILL CELEBRATE ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY IN A SPECTACULAR, THREE-HOUR TELECAST FEATURING A STELLAR ARRAY OF STARS FROM THE PAST AND PRESENT Hollywood Event Will Bring Alive 50 Years of Television History The ABC Television Network will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a special, three-hour telecast set to air this spring, featuring five decades of television history as seen through the prism of the ABC Television Network. The telecast will include entertaining, dramatic and thrilling moments from all aspects of the past 50 years of ABC television, including news, sports, drama, comedy, music and events. The event will tape at the Pantages Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard on Sunday, March 16, and is set to air in May 2003. Award-winning executive producer Don Mischer (Opening Ceremonies of the Salt Lake Olympics and Barbra Streisand’s Millennium Concert) will create and executive produce the special. When it began broadcasting on February 9, 1953, ABC was the third national television network to hit the airwaves. However it went on to many firsts: ABC was the first network to air a series starring an African-American; the first network to feature a female news anchor; the first network to air a series starring an openly gay lead; the first network to air a police drama in primetime, and many more. The 50th Anniversary special will commemorate the network’s rich history as a forerunner in the evolution of television programming, making bold, innovative decisions and taking risks. “Television has an extraordinary impact on our lives, and the role of the ABC Television Network in entertaining and informing the American people over the past half-century is an amazing story that we look forward to sharing with our viewers,” said Alex Wallau, president, ABC Television Network. “ABC’s role in the history of television is very significant - in sports, news and entertainment, ABC led the way and set the bar very high. We hope to give viewers a chance to relive some of the most memorable moments in television, with humor, poignancy and emotion,” said executive producer Don Mischer. Celebrating entertainment, sports and news, the following is a brief list of the featured programs and highlights that will be a part of the 50th Anniversary Special: ABC Primetime: * ABC's landmark series - from "Ozzie & Harriet" to "Happy Days" to "NYPD Blue" * Miniseries & movies - "Roots," "The Winds of War," "Brian's Song," etc. ABC Sports: * Olympics coverage - including stunning events such as Nadia Comaneci’s perfect 10 score * “ABC’s Wide World of Sports” - “The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat” * ABC’s NFL “Monday Night Football” ABC Daytime: * Drama series - “General Hospital,” “Dark Shadows,” “One Life to Live,” “Ryan’s Hope,” “All My Children,” “Port Charles,” etc. ABC News: * ABC News’ stellar cast of news anchors and correspondents - John Daly, Howard K. Smith, Harry Reasoner, Frank Reynolds, Barbara Walters, Peter Jennings, Ted Koppel, Diane Sawyer, etc. * ABC News’ historic and memorable exclusive interviews with heads of state and superstar personalities. Airing Monday, May 19, 2003: ABC CELEBRATES ITS MOST MEMORABLE TELEVISION MOMENTS IN AN ALL-STAR 50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION, AIRING MONDAY, MAY 19 ON THE ABC TELEVISION NETWORK Featuring Appearances by John Ritter, John Travolta, Oprah Winfrey, Tim Allen, Muhammad Ali, Damon Wayans and Jennifer Garner, Among Many Others The ABC Television Network is commemorating its 50 historic years of television in a memorable three-hour special celebration. The event features appearances, clips and interviews with ABC stars past and present – from Primetime to Daytime, Sports to News – representing every genre of ABC’s 50-year history of television programming. “ABC’s 50th Anniversary Celebration” will air MONDAY, MAY 19 (8:00-11:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network. Dozens of celebrities from ABC’s 50-year history participated in the celebration, including Muhammad Ali, Tim Allen, Jim Belushi, Drew Carey, Richard Chamberlain, Dick Clark, Peter Falk, Farrah Fawcett, Dennis Franz, Jennifer Garner, Florence Henderson, Bonnie Hunt, Jimmy Kimmel, Carl Lewis, George Lopez, Susan Lucci, Joan Lunden, John Madden, Camryn Manheim, Penny Marshall, Al Michaels, Joe Namath, Ryan O’Neal, John Ritter, Roseanne, John Travolta, Barbara Walters, Damon Wayans, Jaleel White, Clarence Williams III, Oprah Winfrey and Henry Winkler, among many, many others. Highlights of the celebration will include: · Cast reunions from ABC’s most beloved series, including “Welcome Back Kotter,” “Happy Days,” “Laverne & Shirley,” “The Love Boat,” “The Mod Squad” and “NYPD Blue,” among others. · Fifty years of historic news events presented by such ABC news figures as Barbara Walters, Hugh Downs, Diane Sawyer, Peter Jennings, Ted Koppel, Charles Gibson, Joan Lunden, David Hartman and others. · Unforgettable moments and tributes from the world of sports, including appearances by legendary sports figures like heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali, football All-Star great Joe Namath, sports announcers Al Michaels, John Madden and Jim McKay, Olympic gold medalists Carl Lewis and Dorothy Hamill and many others. · Oprah Winfrey and Richard Chamberlain present unforgettable scenes from ABC’s most acclaimed movies and miniseries. · Clips from ABC’s favorite comedy and drama series past and present. The special was conceived and is executive-produced by Don Mischer, directed by Glenn Weiss and written by Dave Boone, Brian Brown, Sara Lukinson, Jon Macks, Stephen Pouliot and Jeff Stilson. “ABC’s 50th Anniversary Celebration” is from Don Mischer Productions. A TV parental guideline will be posted closer to airdate.
	__________________ SitcomsOnline.com News Blog -- The best news out there! SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews -- We are #1 in reviews! Last edited by Pavan; 04-03-2003 at 07:25 PM.

01-15-2003, 08:50 PM	#8
Mondello Resident of Mayfield Occasional Poster Join Date: Jan 04, 2003 Location: Mayfield Posts: 27	NBC's problem (i think) is that they focused on the new crap and forgot to mention those that brought them to the dance. I hope ABC doesn't do that. Of course ABC has always been a better network.
	__________________ Whitey: What did you do Beav, spend your money on candy or something? Beaver: Dry up Whitey Whitey: Don't tell me to dry up, i'm your pal Beaver: Dry up anyway (Beaver Trivia) Jerry Mathers told a story at a book signing, about a detective search that was done to find Rusty Stevens who played Larry. The detective finally located the house where he lived. He went up to the front door inquiring about the child star. His wife responded by telling the individual that he had the wrong house. She went back in and told Rusty the story. Rusty said to his wife that the detective was correct in his assumption. Flabbergasted, his wife asked, Well, why didn't you ever tell me about this? Rusty told her, it never came up in the conversation

01-16-2003, 07:41 AM	#13
TVJunkie101 Member...you 'member? Senior Member Join Date: May 28, 2002 Location: Florida Posts: 2,838	Hopefully this special will be better than NBC's. They left out a LOT in their anniversary special. They didn't even include their daytime programming. The only good thing about the event was seeing all the stars, and well, the older older clips. They did seem to focus a bit more on the newer stuff.
	__________________ Shawn DVD Reviews \| My TV on DVD List \| Sitcoms Online NewsBlog

01-15-2003, 07:54 PM	#4
SBTB Geek Smooth Moderator Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 21, 2002 Location: Southern California Posts: 6,004	HOPEFULLY they will air some "Mr. Belvedere," and "Growing Pains" episodes.

01-15-2003, 08:29 PM	#5
JT Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 29, 2001 Location: USA Posts: 7,219	Praise the lawd! I want to see if they show some classic soap clips, or at least the classic opening credits. I wonder if they will have any classic TV stars there. And if they will have crappy orchestral versions of the TV theme songs. This is, for once, a TV special that DOESN'T include NBC shows!

01-15-2003, 09:56 PM	#9
ABC1 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Dec 04, 2001 Location: Champaign, Illinois Posts: 279	I just hope they include shows from Aaron Spelling. If they don't, I'll be annoyed. His shows may not have been highly regarded by critics, but the fans loved them.

01-16-2003, 06:34 PM	#15
sally mander Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Oct 31, 2002 Location: Fort Collins, Colorado Posts: 64	ABC got their dates wrong. They went only the air in 1948, they were already 5 years old in 53. I have read many of trivia books that listed several pre-1953 shows that aired on ABC. But then again was ABC just a regional network prior to 53? As far as them being the thired network on the air what about DuMont? That pre-dated ABC and CBS by quite a few years I believe.