Mr. Pop History – Anything that gets on the air – well, that’s not bad – that is, if you’re the producer.
But – I love this one. ABC-TV actually ordered a script and five episode outlines for “America’s Next Muppet.” OMG!
In it, viewers would have chosen the newest member of the Muppets. My warped mind says – “gotta love it.”
Mr. Pop History – Nothing ever compared to the night of December 1, 2005. That’s when Oprah Winfrey appeared on David Letterman’s “Late Show” – her first-ever appearance on anything Dave for 16 years!
Only Oprah could do this… Dave’s ratings were 4X higher than normal – 13.4 million viewers!
No matter how you cut it, Oprah Winfrey is just a..maz..ing.
Mr. Pop History – No problem. WPIX-TV Channel 11 began the “Yule Log” – running it for three hours on Christmas Eve beginning in December of 1966. It remained a staple on channel 11 through 1990, when WPIX extinguished the log for 10 years. The station went back to tradition after the Sept. 11 attacks and never looked back. All the publicity created copycat yule logs of which – KCAL Los Angeles is just one of perhaps a dozen.
I’m told the original Yule Log on channel 11 was only 7 minutes of video, looped – and was shot at Gracie Mansion. It was originally created for NYC apartment dwellers with no fireplace. It was complete with background Christmas/holiday music.
Interestingly – when it returned – knockoff DVD’s came to market – the biggest being “The Happy Holiday Hearth.”
But it all started at New York’s channel 11 – a channel many of us as kids use to watch (after school kid’s shows and all). We all knew about the Yule Log. 
Mr. Pop History – It was “Sly” – a magazine for middle-aged guys. First published in March of 2005, it only lasted four issues.
Interestingly at the same time – another magazine had the same name, but it was about shoes. I noticed today, that it has a facebook page. 
Mr. Pop History – Hmmm. Before Jan got in the horrible auto wreck – his girlfriend Jill Gibson sang and even wrote on some of Jan & Dean’s records.
She’s pretty interesting herself. Like Linda Eastman, she was also a rock & roll photographer. Lots of her work shows up from the 1967 Monterey music fest.
And to boot, she had a brief stint with the Mamas & Papas, so she really could sing! Pretty interesting!
JIll Gibson w/Jan Barry and Dean Torrence \”1-2-3\” co-written by Gibson
The other was “Girlie Men,” an expression used by Gov. Schwarzenegger to deride opponents. 
Mr. Pop History – I don’t remember the exact date – but it began in 1994 and ended on July 8, 2005. A long run for sure.
It was great for Howard – who didn’t have to do anything extra; after all, it was his daily radio show edited.
Thanks www.mrpopculture.com
Mr. Pop History – There’s no question. TV Guide hit a peak circulation of 20 million back in 1978 and was down to around 9 million in 2005.
In the fall of 2005, it re-launched with its “magazine” sized edition. Today, circulation is even less – thanks to the Internet. 
Mr. Pop History – For holiday movie themes and downright holiday releases – the king is Tim Allen (perhaps two records?). There’s the two “Santa Clause” movies and those two “Toy Story” movies. Then there’s “Christmas With the Kranks.”
Also released holiday time – “For Richer or Poorer,” “Joe Somebody” and “Galaxy Quest.” 
Mr. Pop History – Although the exact time was never revealed – Carson did die of “respiratory arrest” brought on by 20 years of emphysema (smoking). He died in Hollywood’s Cedars-Sinai Medical Center at the age of 79. Date was January 23, 2005.
Mr. Pop Culture Report
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