That’s Entertainment
Here are some of the strangest game shows ever to air on American television. ACROSS THE BOARD (1959) Concept: Two contestants competed to see who could finish a crossword puzzle first. (Have you ever watched somebody else fill out a crossword puzzle? It’s pretty boring.) LUCKY PARTNERS (1958) Host Carl Cordell read part of the […]
Ever wonder how rock bands get their names? So do we. After some digging around, we found these origins. CHICAGO They originally called themselves Chicago Transit Authority, but had to shorten it after the city of Chicago sued. ALICE COOPER Lead singer Vincent Furnier claims to have gotten his stage name from a Ouija board, […]
There are only so many notes, so occasionally one hit song sounds a lot like another hit song. In 1982, the Australian rock band Men at Work hit #1 in the U.S. with “Down Under” a song about a proud Australian man traveling the world. It’s also notable for being one of few major hit […]
Before the days of instant interaction via the Internet and social media, the way to tell a celebrity you liked their work was to write them a fan letter. In return, you might get a signed headshot and a form letter. Here are some celebrities, from then and now, with creative responses to fans. Steve […]
Celebrities, politicians, and captains of industry had to start somewhere. Turns out they pretty much started out with the same lame jobs as the rest of us. Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer, was a summer intern at Hewlett-Packard. J. K. Rowling worked for Amnesty International. Chris Rock was a busboy at a Red Lobster. […]
The comedy-only channel debuted 25 years ago this month. Since then it’s launched lots of iconic shows, including The Daily Show, South Park, and Inside Amy Schumer. Here are some short-lived Comedy Central shows that are…not so widely remembered. Comics Only (1990) This talk show hosted by stand-up comedian Paul Provenza only looked like a […]
Merle Haggard went by many names—including Hag, Mighty Merle, and the Poet of the Common Man—and he was among the most influential singer-songwriters in country music history.
We’ve all checked into hotel rooms that left us cold: bad room service, grungy sinks, bedspreads that haven’t been washed—since the ’80s. But at least we made it out alive. These famous folks didn’t. Celebrity: Irish writer and poet Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Where he died: Room 16, Hôtel d’Alsace, Paris Story: At the height of […]
Music is a big part of the movies…except when the song gets cut out entirely. Producers of the 1965 James Bond movie Thunderball couldn’t make up their minds on a title song. After rejecting “Mr. Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang” by Shirley Bassey (who had done “Goldfinger” for Goldfinger), they asked Dionne Warwick to re-record it. […]
Trivia you don’t know about the songs you definitely do know. Penny Lane The song described real locations in Liverpool. Or at least they were real—the street called Penny Lane is no longer there, although the barber, banker, and “shelter in the middle of the roundabout” still stand. The barber and banker are still a […]
You would think that more bands would name themselves after lines in songs that they like—after all, who’s a bigger fan of music than musicians? 1. Lady Gaga gets her name from the Queen hit “Radio Ga Ga.” 2. The Australian alternative rock band Jet (“Are You Gonna Be My Girl”) named itself after the […]
George Martin passed away this week at age 90. He was best known for producing, arranging, and developing the sound of the Beatles. But his career lasted decades and he worked with dozens of acts. Here are some of the most unlikely.
The hottest thing on TV right now, or at least Netflix: Fuller House, the sequel series to the 1987-1995 family sitcom Full House. It’s not the first time that characters from a beloved show have returned to screens years later.
More examples of the unusual places pop-culture architects get their ideas. The One Ring. An ancient Roman gold ring was discovered on a farm in rural England in 1785. A stone tablet found at another site 140 years later curses a thief named Senicianus for stealing the ring from its owner, Silvianus. “Among those who […]
Despite what you may have heard, Uncle John was not the original Ty-D-Bowl Man. (How do these rumors get started, anyway?) Was 1970s shock-rocker Alice Cooper actually Ken Osmond, the teen actor who had played Eddie Haskell on wholesome 1950s sitcom Leave It to Beaver? No. Alice Cooper’s real name is Vincent Furnier. The rumor spread […]
35 years ago, MTV launched and played its very first video, “Video Killed the Radio Star” by the Buggles. Here is a list of the next 19 videos they played.
Doctor Who has on Oscar. Playwright George Bernard Shaw got one well after he died. Here are a few more unlikely Oscar recipients. Kira Roessler In the 1980s, Kira Roessler played bass in the influential punk rock band Black Flag, best known for the song “TV Party” as well as its lead singer, actor Henry […]
Since the 1965 debut of A Charlie Brown Christmas, Charles Schulz’s Peanuts characters have appeared in more than 40 animated specials. The classics leave us feeling warm and fuzzy; others leave us wondering, “What were you thinking, Charlie Brown?” Charlie Brown’s All Stars! (1966) Plot: A recurring storyline in the Peanuts comic strip is Charlie Brown’s […]
