On October 11, 1975, "Saturday Night Live" (SNL), a topical
comedy sketch show featuring Chevy Chase, John Belushi,
Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, Garrett Morris, Jane Curtin and
Laraine Newman, made its debut on NBC.

On October 7, 1960, the first episode of the one-hour TV drama
“Route 66” aired on CBS.

The program had a simple premise: It followed two young men,
Buz Murdock (George Maharis) and Tod Stiles (Martin Milner),
as they drove across the country in an inherited Corvette
(Chevrolet was one of the show’s sponsors), doing odd jobs
and looking for adventure.

According to the show’s creator and writer, Stirling Silliphant
(already known for his acclaimed “Naked City” series), Buz
and Tod were really on a journey in search of themselves.

On October 2, 1959, Rod Serling’s iconic sci-fi series “The
Twilight Zone” premiered on CBS to rave reviews.

The show, which promises to introduce viewers to a
“dimension as timeless as infinity,” quickly became a
classic.

The original “Twilight Zone” ran on CBS for five seasons,
from 1959 to 1964, totaling 156 episodes.

Each episode used supernatural, science-fiction and
fantastical stories to explore human nature, social issues
and the shared anxieties of the era.

The first episode, “Where Is Everybody?,” follows Mike
Ferris (Earl Holliman below), who finds himself alone in
a small town without any recollection of how he got there
or where he was.

         
ED DANAHUE                                                            

José Feliciano is 80 years old today.

“Star Trek” premiered September 8, 1966, on NBC, launching
what would become the most “successful failure” in television
history.

While the series lasts for only three seasons due to low ratings,
it eventually found new life in syndication, growing into one of
the longest-running and highest-grossing media franchises
of all time.

The show’s creator, Gene Roddenberry, a decorated B-17 World
War II and Pan American World Airways pilot, traded the cockpit
for a badge with the Los Angeles Police Department—an unlikely springboard to Hollywood.

Eugene "Gene" Wesley Roddenberry Sr.
(August 19, 1921 – October 24, 1991)