#ftvhistory

[filmandtvhistory]

November 14, 1986 - Slaughter High was released in the US.

The slasher film was written and directed by Mark Ezra, Peter Litten and George Dugdale. It starred Caroline Munroe, Simon Scuddamore, Carmine Iannaconne, Donna Yeager, and Sally Cross.

Fun fact: It was originally titled April Fool’s Day, but the filmmakers changed it when they learned another horror film of the same name was to be released the same year.

[filmandtvhistory]

August 16, 1985 - The Return of the Living Dead is released in the US.

The horror comedy was written and directed by Dan O’Bannon. It stars Clu Gulager, James Karen and Don Calfa.

Fun fact: Dan O’Bannon offered extras a bonus if they ate real calf brains in their scenes. To show them he wouldn’t ask them to do anything he wouldn’t be willing to do himself, he took a bite of the calf brains.

[filmandtvhistory]

December 29, 1967 - Star Trek episode “The Trouble with Tribbles” first airs.

The episode was the fifteenth episode of the second season. It was written by David Gerrold and directed by Joseph Pevney. There were plans for a follow-up episode in season three, but it was never completed. However, a follow-up episode, “More Tribbles, More Troubles”, was done for Star Trek: The Animated Series.

It has made numerous “Best of” lists throughout the years including in 2018 when Collider ranked it as the fifth best episode of the Original Series. In 2013, The Hollywood Reporter said that Captain Kirk being buried in a pile of Tribbles was one of the top 15 key moments in the Original Series. In 2014, io9 writer Charlie Jane Anders made a list of the top 100 Star Trek episodes and it was ranked sixth. 

[filmandtvhistory]

May 7, 1999 - The Mummy is released in the US.

The action-adventure horror film was written and directed by Stephen Sommers. It stars Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo, Jonathan Hyde and Kevin J. O’Connor.

Random fact: Due to the political turmoil going on in Egypt, filming took place in Morocco instead. While the film had the support of the country’s military, Stephen Sommers still decided to take out kidnapping insurance on the main cast members just in case and he made the decision not to tell them until after production had wrapped.

[filmandtvhistory]

June 20, 1975 - Jaws is released in the US.

The horror film is based on Peter Benchley’s 1974 novel of the same name. It was directed by Steven Spielberg. The screenplay was written by Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb. It stars Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Gary and Murray Hamilton.

Fun fact: The film’s iconic line “You’re gonna need a bigger boat” was improvised by Roy Scheider.

[filmandtvhistory]

January 9, 2011 - Bob’s Burgers premieres on Fox.

The animated series was created by Loren Bouchard and is currently in its tenth season. A feature film, Bob’s Burgers: The Movie, is scheduled to hit theaters in July 2020.

In 2013, TV Guide included the show on its list of the Top 60 Greatest TV Cartoons of All Time.

[filmandtvhistory]

August 1, 1986 - Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives is released in the US.

The slasher film was written and directed by Tom McLoughlin. It stars Thom Matthews, Jennifer Cooke and David Kagen.

Fun fact: Lizbeth, Jason’s first female victim in the film, was played by McLoughlin’s wife, Nancy McLoughlin.

[filmandtvhistory]

June 8, 1984 - Ghostbusters is released in Canada and the US.

The supernatural comedy was directed by Ivan Reitman. It was written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. It stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis and Rick Moranis.

Fun fact: In 2015, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”