Film and TV History on December 17

December 17 Calendar

1953 US Federal Communications Commission approves RCA's black & white-compatible color TV specifications
1954 WEAU TV channel 13 in Eau Claire, WI (NBC) begins broadcasting

The Nat King Cole Show

1957 Last episode of "The Nat King Cole Show" airs on NBC, cancelled due to lack of national sponsorship

1960 Bob Merrill's musical "Take Me Along", starring Jackie Gleason and Walter Pidgeon, closes at Shubert Theater, NYC, after 448 performances. and a Tony Award for Gleason

1964 "Goldfinger", 3rd James Bond film, starring Sean Connery and Honor Blackman premieres in London

1967 WEDW TV channel 49 in Bridgeport, Connecticut (PBS) begins broadcasting
1971 "Diamonds are Forever", 7th James Bond film, last starring Sean Conner, also starring Jill St. John is 1st released in West Germany
1972 WGVC (now WUCX) TV channel 35 in Grand Rapids, MI (PBS) 1st broadcast

1977 Elvis Costello & The Attractions 1st US TV appearance on "Saturday Night Live"

1983 Peggy Lee's one-woman show "Peg" closes at Lunt-Fontanne Theater, NYC, after 5 performances

1989 "The Simpsons" created by Matt Groening, premieres on Fox TV as a full animated series with the episode, "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"

1991 Soap opera "One Life To Live" airs its 6,000th episode
2003 "The Return of the King" 3rd Lord of the Ring films is released. Makes US$72 million opening weekend, 2nd film to gross over 1 billion worldwide.

2014 Sony Pictures cancels the release of "The Interview", starring Seth Rogen, Lizzy Caplan, and James Franco, after a cyber attack on the studio

2017 "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" takes more than $450m worldwide in its opening weekend, 2nd largest opening in North America ($220m)

2018 Catriona Gray of the Philippines crowned 67th Miss Universe
2018 CBS announces former Chief Executive Les Moonves will not receive his $120 million exit payout
2018 US poacher sentenced to watch the film "Bambi" repeatedly during year in prison, for killing hundreds of deer in Missouri

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