This Month In YesterYear History - September

In "This Month in YesterYear History," we look back at the big pop culture moments from 

20 (2005), 25 (2000), and 30 (1995) years ago!   

Below, you'll find a little time capsule of what was significant during this month in history.  Hopefully, as you read these brief recaps of the past, you'll remember the who, when, and where of some long-tucked-away memories!  That's the whole point of this site! 

POINTS OF REFERENCE

2005:  Green Day, Kelly Clarkson, and Kanye West win at the MTV Music Awards on the 1st.  On the 4th, Kyle Busch becomes the youngest driver to win a NASCAR Cup series race when he wins the Sony HD 500 at California Speedway.  The Johnny Cash biopic "Walk the Line," starring Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon, debuts at the Telluride Film Festival on the same day.  On September 8th, two Russian helicopters land at Little Rock Air Force Base at a disaster aid staging area.  This is the first such mission for the Russians.  On September 11th, the Kiera Knightley adaptation of "Pride and Prejudice" hits theaters.  That same day, Roger Federer retained his title at the US Open, defeating Andre Agassi in his final Grand Slam appearance.  On the 12th, Hong Kong Disneyland opens.  Also on the 12th, Mark Messier announced he would retire from the NHL.  On the 13th, "Supernatural" debuts on the CW.  On the 15th, Mary J. Blige releases her single "Be Without You," which becomes Billboard's Song of the Year 2006.  On the 17th, Diana DeGarmo receives the Horizon Award at the Georgia Music Hall of Fame Awards ceremony.  On the 18th, Everybody Loves Raymond won at the 57th Emmy Awards.  That same night, Farm Aid 18 was held in Tinley Park, Illinois, starring Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Arlo Guthrie, John Mayer, Kenny Chesney, and more.  The hit sitcom "How I Met Your Mother" premieres on the 19th, starring Josh Radnor, Neil Patrick Harris, Cobie Smulders, Jason Segel, and Alyson Hannigan.  On the 20th, Kate Moss is dropped as an H&M model after allegations of drug use go public.  Today, she'd be celebrated... On the 24th, Hurricane Rita made landfall, devastating Beaumont, Texas.  On the 27th, the Atlanta Braves clinch their 14th straight division title when the Phillies lose to the New York Mets.  On the 29th, the Chicago White Sox clinched their first division title since 2000 and became just the 10th team in the history of baseball to be in first place on every day of the season.  

2000:  On the 5th, the Haverstraw-Ossining Ferry makes its maiden voyage across the Hudson River to help commuters avoid trouble on the Tappan Zee Bridge, leaving the west coast of the river just minutes from my childhood home.  This note may not be of much interest to most, but it actually appears on a global "daily news" lookup site, so I'll include it here.  On the 7th, Eminem takes home top honors at the MTV Music Awards.  On the 9th, Venus Williams won her first major US Title against Lynsday Davenport.  On the 10th, James Gandolfini, Will and Grace, and The West Wing won at the 52nd Emmy Awards.  Also on the 10th, Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical "Cats" closes at The Winter Garden Theater, NYC, after 7,485 performances, winning 7 Tony Awards, 3 Drama Desk Awards, and a Grammy Award.  Also occurring on the 10th, Indiana University fires legendary basketball coach Bobby Knight after an altercation with a student.  Knight had spent 29 years at the school, compiling a 662-239 record.  On the 15th, the 27th Olympic Games open in Sydney, Australia.  Ang Lee's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" opens in theaters on the 15th.  On the 16th, Sammy Sosa became the second baseball player to hit 50 home runs in three consecutive seasons, joining Mark McGwire.  Dan Marino's number 13 was retired by the Miami Dolphins on the 17th.  Also on the 17th, Farm Aid 13 was held in Bristow, Virginia, including performers like Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, and... The Bare Naked Ladies?  On the 19th, Ken Griffey, Jr. pinch-hits and scores his 400th home run.  On the 26th, anti-globalization protests turned violent in Prague during the World Bank summit.  The United States baseball team, under coach Tommy LaSorda, wins the Olympic Gold Medal in Sydney on the 27th.

1995:  On the 1st, Infinity Broadcasting, the syndicator of Howard Stern's radio show, agrees to pay $1.7 million to the government while not admitting any fault or willing to settle any fines from the FCC.  Also on the 1st, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame museum opens in Cleveland, Ohio.  562 becomes the new area code for Southern California on the 2nd.  The Carolina Panthers NFL team loses in its debut game, 23-20, to the Atlanta Falcons in Atlanta.  The website eBay was created on the 3rd.  Also on the 3rd, the Chicago White Sox's third baseman (and eventual New York Met), Robin Ventura, hits grand slam home runs in the 4th and 5th innings as Chicago destroys Texas 14-3.  On the 4th, cult classic television program Xena: Warrior Princess debuts in syndication.  On the 5th, Cal Ripken, Jr., ties Lou Gehrig's record of playing 2,130 straight games.  He breaks the record the next day.  On the 6th, the United States Senate votes to expel Oregon Senator Bob Packwood for allegations of sexual abuse.  He resigns on the 7th instead of being expelled.  On the 9th, Steffi Graf won her 4th US title by beating Monica Seles.  On the 10th, the 47th Emmys see Frasier, ER, and Candace Bergen win.  On the 12th, Michael Hutchence, member of the band INXS, pleaded guilty to punching a photographer.  The film "Se7en" starring Kevin Spacey and Brad Pitt debuts in theaters on the 15th.  On the same day, St. Louis Cardinals' Ozzie Smith scores his record-setting 1,554th double play.  On the 16th, Atlanta Braves pitcher Greg Maddux set a new record for 17 consecutive on-the-road wins.  On the 19th, the Washington Post and the New York Times published the Unabomber's manifesto.  David Bowie's 20th studio album "Outside" is released by Virgin Records on the 25th.  On the 28th, singer Bobby Brown escapes injury in a gun battle in Roxbury, Massachusetts, while his friend Steven Sealy is killed.  Also on the 28th, Mary Tyler Moore returns to TV in a sitcom called "New York News," but it lasts only 8 episodes before cancellation.  On the 29th, Dennis Martínez's fastball breaks Minnesota Twins Kirby Puckett's jaw, in what becomes his final career plate appearance.  At yet another futile attempt at peace in the Middle East, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat signed the Oslo 2 Accord to transfer the West Bank to the PLO.  Lastly, on the 29th, the O.J. Simpson trial is sent to the jury for deliberation.

TOP MOVIES

2005: "The 40 Year Old Virgin" - 

This classic romantic comedy was Judd Apatow's directorial debut.  Apatow produced the film alongside Clayton Townsend and Shauna Robertson.  It features Steve Carell as the titular character, Andy, a 40-year-old virgin who works at an electronics store.  Paul Rudd, Romany Malco, and Seth Rogen play co-workers who resolve to help him lose his virginity.  Catherine Keener stars as Andy's love interest, Trish.

Watching Carell's performance in the 2004 movie "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" inspired Apatow to cast him in a lead role.  Based on a sketch Carell created with the improv group The Second City, where a man humorously hides a secret from friends.  

Filming for the movie took place in and around Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley, California, from January to April 2005.  Released theatrically on August 19, 2005, by Universal Pictures, it grossed over $177 million worldwide on a $26 million budget.  

Critical reviews were generally positive, with praise for Carell's performance and the film's well-meaning yet bawdy humor.  It was named by the American Film Institute as one of 2005's Top 10 Films.  

Apatow had difficulty coming up with the ending for the film.  Garry Shandling suggested that, instead of directly showing the couple having sex, they would have Andy sing and dance an entire musical number to show his new experience.

A large portion of the dialogue in The 40-Year-Old Virgin was improvised.  Apatow reportedly "never really would even say cut" and instead would say "reload" when burning through film due to the comedic actor's improvisation.  The production used over a million feet of film, a milestone reached on the last day of filming and celebrated with free champagne from Technicolor SA.

2000: "Bring it On" -  

This iconic teen comedy film was written by Jessica Bendinger and directed by Peyton Reed in his theatrical film directing debut.  The film stars Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku, Jesse Bradford, and Gabrielle Union.  The plot of the film centers on two high school cheerleading teams' preparation for a national competition.

Bring It On was released in theaters in North America on August 25, 2000, and became a box office success, opening at the number 1 spot and remaining there for two consecutive weeks.  It grossed approximately $90 million worldwide to positive reviews and has since reached cult classic status for an entire generation.  Many critics thought the film showed off Kirsten Dunst's range as an actress.  

Bring it On was followed by six direct-to-video sequels, none of which contains any of the original cast members: Bring It On Again (2004), Bring It On: All or Nothing (2006), Bring It On: In It to Win It (2007), Bring It On: Fight to the Finish (2009), Bring It On: Worldwide Cheersmack (2017), and the TV film, Bring It On: Cheer or Die (2022).

When auditioning for the film, the actors were expected to have prepared a cheer for the producers.  To avoid using stunt doubles, the production team required all of the actors to participate in a four-week cheerleading camp.  James Franco and Jason Schwartzman both auditioned for the role of Cliff Pantone, while Kirsten Dunst initially turned down her role.  Marley Shelton was the second choice, but she decided to star in Sugar & Spice instead, and the production team reapproached Dunst.  

Most of the scenes in the film were shot in different high schools in San Diego County, California, as well as San Diego State University.  Local high school cheer squads were used as extras.

The film ranks #30 on Entertainment Weekly's list of 50 Best High School Movies.  

1995: "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything!  Julie Newmar" -  

Barely topping Mortal Kombat for the top movie of the month, this road-trip comedy/drama directed by Beeban Kidron starred Wesley Snipes, Patrick Swayze, and John Leguizamo.  The three played a trio of New York City drag queens who embark on a road trip together.  The title of the film refers to an autographed photo of Julie Newmar that they carry on their journey.  

Newmar also has a cameo appearance in the film as herself.

The film was released on September 8, 1995, and held the number-one spot for two weeks, grossing $47.8 million.  Critical response was mixed, with criticism pointed at the plot and "tired" tropes.  The performances of Swayze, Snipes, and Leguizamo were praised, and the film has since become a cult favorite amongst the LGBT community.  Swayze was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor, and Leguizamo was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor.

Juan Antonio "Chi-Chi" Rodriquez, the Golf Hall of Fame member, sued Universal Pictures for defamation, especially for using his name in the film.  It was eventually settled in private.  

TOP SONGS

2005:  "Gold Digger" by Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx

2000:  "Music" by Madonna

1995:  "Gangsta's Paradise" by Coolio

TOP TV NEWS

September 2005:

2nd:  While presenting at the NBC telecast of the Concert for Hurricane Relief, Kanye West ignores his script and addresses what he perceives as racism in the media and the government, stating:  "George Bush doesn't care about black people."  

5th:  The NBC affiliate in Champaign, Illinois, WICS, ends its 46-year affiliation with the network and switches to ABC.  

8th:  Reunion debuts on FOX.  The mystery/drama was intended to chronicle life after high school for a group of friends from New York.  It lasted nine episodes.

12th:  Judge Alex, The Tyra Banks Show, and The Martha Stewart Show debut in syndication, while Meerkat Manor launches on The Animal Planet.  

13th:  Bones debuts on FOX and Supernatural debuts on The WB.  

18th:  The 57th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards are broadcast by CBS.

19th:  CBS debuts the hit sitcom How I Met Your Mother, which ran nine seasons.  Kitchen Confidential, a sitcom starring Bradley Cooper based on the stories of Anthony Bourdain, debuted.  It lasted only 13 episodes.

 

20th:  Maggie Ausburn is the winner of Big Brother 6 on CBS, winning the $500,000 prize.  The sitcom My Name Is Earl aired for the first time on NBC, lasting four seasons.

22nd:  Everybody Hates Chris, the Chris Rock biographical sitcom, debuts on UPN.

26th:  Sprout (now called Universal Kids) is launched by PBS, Comcast, Sesame Workshop, and HIT.  It replaces PBS Kids, reaching 16.5 million subscribers.

September 2000:  

2nd:  The Saturday morning cartoon, The Bugs Bunny Show, which had technically run at various times on CBS since 1960, was cancelled. 

4th:  The animated series Clifford, the Big Red Dog, debuts on PBS Kids.

10th:  The 52nd Emmy Awards were broadcast on ABC.

12th:  MTV Cribs debuts.  This show featured tours of the private homes of various celebrities and became something of a pop culture phenomenon.  It ran for 10 years, before being brought back as a short-form online series in 2017 and then again as a full-time series on MTV in 2021.

15th:  The 2000 Summer Olympics are televised by NBC.  The opening ceremonies were watched by 27.5 million viewers.  

16th:  After the $37 billion merger of Viacom and CBS, the CBS "Kidshow" block is replaced with Nick Jr. on CBS, programmed by the new corporate "sister" company Nickelodeon.

21st:  ABC Sports celebrates the 30th anniversary of Monday Night Football.

26th:  NBC announces it has declined to renew its broadcast agreement with Major League Baseball, after 50 seasons.  Game 6 of the 2000 American League Championship Series is the last Major League Baseball game that NBC would televise for the next 22 years.  In that game, the New York Yankees would defeat the Seattle Mariners 9–7 to advance to the World Series (in which they would beat the New York Mets in five games). 

29th:  Eddie McGee wins the first season of the American version of Big Brother.  It is the only season the final vote was determined by public viewers instead of an in-show vote.

September 1995:

4th:  The very first edition of WCW Monday Nitro airs from the Mall of America in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on TNT.  Xena: Warrior Princess debuted on the same day in syndication.

5th:  Alan Kalter replaces Bill Wendell as the announcer of The Late Show with David Letterman.

6th:  In front of a nationwide audience on ESPN, Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. surpasses New York Yankees legend Lou Gehrig on Major League Baseball's list for most consecutive games played.

8th:  With the cancellation of the 1988 incarnation of Family Feud (which returned in 1999 with a different production company), The Price Is Right becomes the last remaining Goodson-Todman show on the air until a revival of Match Game three years later.

9th:  Kids' WB debuts on The WB, anchored by Animaniacs, which transfers over from Fox Kids, where it had debuted 2 years prior.  The other series on Kids WB included Earthworm Jim, Pinky and the Brain, and Freakazoid!

10th:  The 47th Emmy Awards are aired on FOX.  UPN launches "UPN Kids," with two new series, Space Strikers and Teknoman.

11th: Daytime talk show "Tempesstt," featuring Tempesstt Bledsoe, debuted on FOX.  It lasted one season.  The Mark Walberg show, a tabloid-type show featuring the producer (and not the actor) Mark Walberg, lasted only one season after debuting on this day in syndication.  Ned and Stacey, a sitcom that pulled Thomas Hayden Church off Wings, debuted on this day.  The show paired him with Debra Messing on FOX, and lasted two seasons.

13th:  The Drew Carey Show debuts on ABC.

15th:  Batman:  The Animated Series is canceled after three years.

17th:  Part 2 of "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" on The Simpsons serves as the premiere for Season 7.  A special episode of America's Most Wanted airs beforehand, including "Springfield's Most Wanted."  What a great tie-in at the height of The Simpsons' popularity.

21st:  Caroline in the City, starring Leah Thompson, debuts on NBC.  It would run for four years.

23rd:  8-Track Flashback launches on VH1.

24th:  JAG debuts on NBC.  

27th:  Jennifer Love Hewitt joins the cast of Party of Five, after appearing in three failed shows as a cast member.  Those shows were FOX's Shaky Ground and ABC's The Byrds of Paradise and McKenna.

30th: Will Ferrell, Cheri Oteri, and Darrell Hammond join the cast of Saturday Night Live, arguably in what is arguably the last of the all-time great ensemble casts for the series.