Trivial Trivia: September '97

On the very first episode of daytime's "Price Is Right", the person winning the Showcase at the end of the show did so with a bid only $4 from the actual retail price. (The bid was $2500, actual price was $2504.) After twenty-five years on the air that record still stands!

Because a formal peace treaty was never signed between Germany and the Soviet Union, World War II never officially ended.

If the universe were a building 20 miles high by 20 miles long by 20 miles wide, the matter in it would comprise a grain of sand.

The concept of the number zero was introduced by the Hindus. Only twelve hundred years ago.

The novel Ben-Hur, originally published in 1880, was the first piece of fiction to be blessed by the Pope.

No President before Kennedy had served in the US Navy. Since Kennedy, Reagan and Clinton are the only ones who haven't.

Alfred Nobel, the man who invented dynamite and who provided the initial funding for what would become the Nobel Prize, also invented plywood.

Northwestern University once gave an honorary degree to Charlie McCarthy--ventriloquist Edgar Bergen's wooden dummy.

As part of their agreeing to become part of the United States, the legislature of Texas can, whenever they want, irrevocably split into five separate states, each with their own representation in the House and Senate.

Because India, which was once a separate continent, continues to push against Asia at the Himalayas, Mount Everest is increasing in height more than a inch per decade.

Most of WWII's Nazi leaders had not read Hitler's Mein Kampf. Claimed it was too boring.

The first "perfect" number is six: it is divisible by 1, 2 and 3, and 1+2+3=6. the 24th perfect number, and the largest one known, is 12,003 digits in length.

Jupiter is 2½ times larger than all the other planets, moons, comets and asteroids in the solar system combined.

from TV's "WHAT MIGHT'VE BEEN" WEEK:

British actress Tammy Grimes turned down the role of Samantha on "Bewitched" in favor of another series, coincidentally entitled "The Tammy Grimes Show." That series lasted exactly four weeks before being cancelled. BONUS: The actor who portrayed her twin brother on that show would later show up on "Bewitched" as the second Darrin.

Bing Crosby was the original choice to play Columbo. He turned it down because it would interfere with his golf game.

"My Three Sons" was originally designed as a series starring the Lennon Sisters.

Jerry Van Dyke ("Coach") was originally chosen to play Gilligan. He turned it down in favor of a series some would later call the worst TV show of all time, "My Mother the Car". BONUS: Carroll 'Archie Bunker' O'Connor read for the role of The Skipper.

When Carl Reiner created what would eventually be called "The Dick Van Dyke Show," he intended himself to be the star. Others convinced him to find another leading man. BONUS: If the other finalist had been chosen to play Rob Petrie, the series might have been called "The Johnny Carson Show."

John Wayne was offered the role of Marshall Dillon on "Gunsmoke", but refused it, correctly believing his movie career was not yet over. He did, however, introduce the first episode and recommend then-unknown actor James Arness for the part. BONUS: Arness' brother, Peter Graves, took over as leader of the Impossible Missions Force when Steven Hill was fired after "Mission: Impossible's" first season.

Genevieve Bujold was originally cast as Captain Janeway of "Star Trek: Voyager." She lasted only a few days before she realized she couldn't handle the rigors of a TV series and quit.

from STAR TREK WEEK:

Back in the Seventies, Paramount producers decided to bring back "Star Trek" as a television series, with most of the original cast returning (everyone but Spock). The show would be the cornerstone of the new TV network Paramount was planning. Star Wars changed all that. The pilot episode was reworked to become Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Twenty years later the studio's dreams were realized when "Star Trek: Voyager" became the flagship series of the United Paramount Network.

During its three years on NBC, "Star Trek" never ranked higher than 52nd in the ratings. In contrast, "Star Trek: The Next Generation" was the highest-ranked syndicated series of its time.

On 60s & 70s game shows "Password" and "Pyramid" the celebrities usually consisted of one male and one female. One of the few times this pattern would be broken was when the celebrity guests were William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy.

According to one of the Star Trek novels, the reason gold-pressed latinum (the 24th century precious metal) is so valuable is that it can't be replicated.

James "Scotty" Doohan is missing the middle finger on his right hand. He lost it in an accident long before the series began. For most close-up shots a hand double was used. It is most noticeable in the Tribbles episode, during the scene where he carries an armload of tribbles into the Rec Room.

Martin "Mission: Impossible" Landau was the original choice for Mr. Spock. The roles would be reversed later when Landau left "MI" and Leonard Nimoy took his place. Meanwhile, Lloyd "Sea Hunt" Bridges was one of the first choices for Captain Kirk.

The first episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" had three different shots of the Enterprise going into warp. For the entire seven-year run of the series, those were the only three shots used.

Trumpeter Herb Alpert is the only artist to have reached the top of the charts with both a vocal ("This Guy's In Love with You") and an instrumental ("Rise").