| Friday, August 15, 2008 |
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The Dick Van Dyke Show Cast (c. 2003), with Larry Matthews (2nd from left) and Rose Marie (c.) |
Spotlight: Television loves to feature itself as a favorite setting in sitcoms. Entourage and 30 Rock take a behind-the-scenes look at the TV and movie industry; with a wink, we were let in on the joke in The Larry Sanders Show and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. One of the earliest sitcoms to give us a backstage peek was The Dick Van Dyke Show, starring Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore. Producer and writer Carl Reiner admitted that the show was based on his own background as a comedy writer for Sid Caesar's Your Show of Shows. Happy birthday to costars Rose Marie (85) and Larry Matthews (53).
Question of the Day: What was Carl Reiner's Show 'Head of the Family' about?Head of the Family was the original name of the show that became The Dick Van Dyke Show. When Carl Reiner created the comedy, he cast himself in the lead role, as Rob Petrie. Though the idea was well-received, the cast wasn't, and Reiner brought in a new cast, starting with Dick Van Dyke. Van Dyke had just won a Tony Award for his role Bye Bye Birdie on Broadway; Reiner liked his easy-going manner.
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| Skittles at the 15th Asian Games, Doha 2006 |
English ninepin bowling game played with a wooden disk or ball. The pins are set in a diamond formation; the player who knocks down all the pins in the fewest throws wins. Skittles has been played for centuries in public houses and clubs.
In honor of the 2008 Summer Olympics currently being played in Beijing, let's take a look at some of the world's lesser-known sports.
Today's History:
- Macbeth: king of the Scots was killed in battle by Malcolm III; Macbeth had previously killed Malcolm's father, Duncan I, to acquire the throne (1057)
- V-J Day: marked Japan's unconditional surrender in World War II (1945)
- Partition of India: led to the creation of India and Pakistan and their independence of British rule (1947)
- Woodstock: rock music festival held near Bethel, New York, began, attracting 450,000 people (1969)
Today's Birthdays:
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| Julia Child |
- Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821): emperor of France
- Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832): author of Ivanhoe and "Lochinvar"
- Julia Child (1912-2004): chef who taught preparation of French cuisine through TV and books
- Oscar Peterson (1925-2007): jazz pianist/composer; musicians Pete York (66) and Jimmy Webb (62) also have birthdays today
- Princess Anne (58): member of Britain's royal family
- Debra Messing (40): Will and Grace's female lead; also, actors Jim Dale (73), Tess Harper (58), Željko Ivanek (51), Debi Mazar (44), Ben Affleck (36) and Natasha Henstridge (34)
