TV Time Capsule

For ‘The Nanny,’ Hanukkah is a Time for Miracles!

“Eight Crazy Nights,” a celebration of Hanukkah-themed episodes, continues.

Night No. 7: December 16, 1998, when CBS aired “The Nanny” episode “The Hanukkah Story,” which opens with Fran explaining that Jewish holidays begin at sundown “because God realized that before 5, to wear sequins is gauche.”

In a flashback, a bored Fran (Jamie Renee Smith) asks her mother Sylvia (Drescher) why Hanukkah has no parades. Says Sylvia: “After all that walking we did in the desert, we like to sit on the holidays!”

Fran’s husband Maxwell (Charles Shaughnessy) is driving home through a blizzard when his car gets stuck.

Several frantic hours later, he returns, explaining his car’s gas lasted eight hours – long enough for the police to rescue him.

“That’s like Hanukkah!” Fran exclaims. “The oil lasted for eight days!”

The crisis over, Sylvia (Renee Taylor) announces she’s going home.

Fran rejoices: “Another miracle!”

See for yourself: “The Hanukkah Story” isn’t (legally) online or on video. “Eight Crazy Nights” will conclude tomorrow.

 

On TV

Here’s the prime-time lineup for Wednesday, December 16, 1998:

8: “Dharma & Greg” (ABC), “The Nanny” (CBS), “Beverly Hills 90210” (Fox), “Dateline NBC,” “Seven Days” (UPN), “Dawson’s Creek” (WB)

8:30: “Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place” (ABC), “Maggie Winters” (CBS) 

9: “The Drew Carey Show” (ABC), “To Have & To Hold” (CBS), “Party of Five” (Fox), “3rd Rock From the Sun” (NBC), “Star Trek: Voyager” (UPN), “Charmed” (WB)

9:30: “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” (ABC), “Encore! Encore!” (NBC)

10: “20/20” (ABC), “Chicago Hope” (CBS), “Law & Order” (NBC)

 

The Record

For the week of December 13, 1998:

Top novel: “A Man in Full” by Tom Wolfe

Top song: “I’m Your Angel” by R. Kelly and Celine Dion

Top movie: “Star Trek: Insurrection”

Top TV show: “ER” (NBC)

In the news: Impeachment neared

 

 

Captions: In “The Hanukkah Story,” a young Sylvia (Fran Drescher) fills a menorah and explains the holiday’s meaning to her bored daughter Fran, who’ll grow up to become “The Nanny.”

The ‘Rugrats’ Save Grandpa from the ‘Meany of Hanukkah’

“Eight Crazy Nights,” a celebration of Hanukkah-themed episodes, continues.

Night No. 3: December 4, 1996, when Nickelodeon showed the “Chanukah” episode of “Rugrats.”

The children’s animated series, which became one of cable television’s biggest hits when it debuted in 1991, chronicled the adventures of a group of babies and toddlers with overactive imaginations.

In “Chanukah,” the children – including Jewish cousins Tommy and Anjelica Pickles – lead a fight to save their Grandpa Boris from the dreaded “Meany of Hanukkah.”

The gang also imagine they are in ancient Egypt, where they assume the role of the “Macababies,” fighting to free their people.

“Chanukah” debuted at 8 p.m. and was seen in more than 3 million homes, making it the third highest-rated program on basic cable the week it aired; only two NFL football games on ESPN drew a bigger audience.

“Chanukah” also outdrew the WB’s lineup the night it debuted, and almost beat UPN’s “Star Trek: Voyager.”

See for yourself: “Chanukah” is part of the “Rugrats Holiday Celebration” DVD and can be downloaded from iTunes. “Eight Crazy Nights” will continue December 14.

 

On TV

Here’s the prime-time lineup for Wednesday, December 4, 1996:

8: “Grace Under Fire” (ABC), “Story of Santa Claus” (CBS), “Billboard Music Awards” (Fox), “Wings” (NBC), “The Sentinel” (UPN), “Sister, Sister” (WB)

8:30: “Townies” (ABC), “NewsRadio”* (NBC), “Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher”  (WB)

9: “The Drew Carey Show” (ABC), “A Child is Missing” (CBS), “NewsRadio” (NBC), “Star Trek: Voyager” (UPN), “The Wayans Bros.” (WB)

9:30: “Ellen” (ABC), “The Jamie Foxx Show” (WB)

10: “PrimeTime Live” (ABC), “Dateline NBC”

 

The Record

For the week of December 1, 1996:

Top novel: “Silen Honor” by Danielle Steel

Top song: “No Diggity” by BlackStreet

Top movie: “101 Dalmations”

Top TV show: “Seinfeld” (NBC)

In the news: Hawaii moved closer to recognizing same-sex marriage

 

Captions: Scenes from the “Chanukah” episode of “Rugrats.”

Ben Passes ‘Felicity’ the Gravy

“Thanksgiving Week” concludes.

On November 28, 2001, the WB aired “The Last Thanksgiving,” the “Felicity” episode in which University of New York student Ben Covington (Scott Speedman) brings his friend Lauren (Lisa Edelstein) to dinner at the home of his ex, Felicity Porter (Keri Russell).

Awkward!

During dinner, Felicity’s witchy pal Meghan (Amanda Foreman) – suspecting recovering alcoholic Lauren has designs on Ben – offers to fix her up with a friend (“You guys’d be perfect together. He’s in AA, too!”).

It’s all too much for Felicity, who leaves the table.

Ben takes Lauren home, then returns to Felicity’s to chat – which leads to them sleeping together while everyone else does the dishes.

Awkward!

Felicity awakens in the night to find Ben getting dressed to leave. “This was a mistake,” he says.

Yeah, maybe it was: “The Last Thanksgiving” was seen in just 2.5 million homes, ranking 99th in the weekly ratings.

See for yourself: “The Last Thanksgiving” is part of the “Felicity: Senior Year” DVD collection.

 

On TV

Here’s the prime-time lineup for Wednesday, November 28, 2001:

8: “My Wife and Kids” (ABC), “60 Minutes II” (CBS), “Malcolm in the Middle” (Fox), “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” (NBC), “Enterprise” (UPN), “Dawson’s Creek” (WB)

8:30: “According to Jim” (ABC), “Grounded for Life” (Fox)

9: “The Drew Carey Show” (ABC), “The Amazing Race” (CBS), “Bernie Mac” (Fox), “The West Wing” (NBC), “Special Unit 2” (UPN), “Felicity” (WB)

9:30: “Titus” (Fox)

10: “20/20” (ABC), “Garth Brooks: Coast to Coast” (CBS), “Law & Order” (NBC)

 

The Record

For the week of November 25, 2001:

Top novel: “Desecration” by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins

Top song: “Family Affair” by Mary J. Blige

Top movie: “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”

Top TV show: “Carol Burnett: Show Stoppers” (CBS)

In the news: American warplanes bombed Afghanistan

 

Captions: Felicity, Megan, Ben and Lauren have a tense holiday dinner in “The Last Thanksgiving” (top, images courtesy missvee812000’s YouTube channel; thanks missvee812000!); the WB’s advertisement for the episode, from TV Guide’s November 24, 2001, issue (bottom).

Turning On ‘Charmed’

On October 7, 1998, the WB introduced “Charmed,” a supernatural series about sibling witches who fight evil.

In “Something Wicca This Way Comes,” the first episode, the three Halliwell sisters – who live in modern-day San Francisco – discover they are actually powerful witches, each with a special gift: Prudence (Shannen Doherty), the oldest, is telekinetic; Piper (Holly Marie Combs), the middle sister, can freeze time; and Phoebe (Alyssa Milano) is psychic.

The sisters also learn they are the target of witch-hunting warlocks, murderous demons and other evil-doers.

Aaron Spelling produced “Charmed,” selling the series with a 28-minute pilot, which was never broadcast and featured Lori Rom as Phoebe.

“Charmed” represented a comeback for Doherty, who – four years earlier – had walked away from Spelling’s “Beverly Hills, 90210” amid tabloid reports of on-set tantrums, off-screen partying and other bad behavior.

Critics couldn’t resist commenting on Doherty’s new role – USA Today’s Robert Bianco wrote that “the idea of Shannen Doherty as a witch does have a certain intuitive appeal” – but most reviewers welcomed the actress back to prime time. One exception: the Washington Post’s Tom Shales, who described her as being destined to “play fat-faced Monica Lewinsky somewhere down the road.”

“Charmed” itself received mixed reviews: Cox News Service’s Kevin D. Thompson compared the series to Spelling’s earlier hit “Charlie’s Angels,” calling the new show “funny, spooky and entertaining,” while Bianco concluded “‘Charmed’ has witchcraft but precious little magic.”

The “Charmed” debut was seen in 7.7 million homes, tying with its Wednesday night lead-in – “Dawson’s Creek” – for 78th in the weekly ratings, making it the most-watched series premiere in the WB’s history.

Doherty departed the show at the end of “Charmed’s” third season – this time amid rumors of backstage tension with Milano. Prudence was killed off and replaced by Rose McGowan as Paige – the Halliwell siblings’ long-lost half-sister – who remained with the series through the end of its eighth and final season.

“Something Wicca This Way Comes” is part of the “Charmed: The Complete Series”  DVD set.

 

Also on TV

On October 7, 1998, the WB also aired the season premiere of “Dawson’s Creek;” ABC broadcast “Dharma & Greg,” “Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place,” “The Drew Carey Show,” and “The Secret Lives of Men,” a sitcom starring Peter Gallagher and Bradley Whitford, as well as “20/20;” CBS showed “The Nanny,” the Faith Ford sitcom “Maggie Winters,” the romantic comedy “To Have and to Hold” and “Chicago Hope;” on Fox, the New York Yankees beat the Cleveland Indians, 4 to 2, in a National League baseball playoff; NBC’s lineup consisted of “Dateline NBC,” “3rd Rock From the Sun,” “NewsRadio” (featuring Jon Lovitz’s first appearance as the late Phil Hartman’s replacement) and “Law & Order;” and UPN introduced the action show “7 Days” with a two-hour premiere.

 

The Record

During the week of October 4, 1998, the number ones were Tom Clancy’ “Rainbow Six” (novel), Monica’s “The First Night” (song) and “Antz” (movie). In Washington, Democrats rallied around President Clinton as Republicans moved closer to impeaching him.

  

Captions: “Charmed” cast members, from left, Shannen Doherty, Alyssa Milano and Holly Marie Combs in a photograph from TV Guide’s September 12, 1998, fall preview issue (top; Doherty and Combs by Fergus Greer, Milano by Kate Garner); the WB’s advertisement for the series premiere, from the October 3, 1998, edition (bottom).