Week of June 25: Remembering a Trio of Stars

This country and the world first got to know Michael Jackson on the radio and on television, as part of the Jackson 5. They made their TV debut, as so many performers did, on CBS' "The Ed Sullivan Show."

Just how popular were they? ABC put a Saturday morning cartoon on the air for them:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbC8Jx2WLpk


Farrah Fawcett (Then Farrah Fawcett-Majors) had made commercials and had appeared in numerous television shows when Aaron Spelling tapped her for "Charlie's Angels." Here's the introduction to the pilot episode:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW_daBHfjag


Finally, Ed McMahon, whose job was to make the leader - whether Johnny Carson on "The Tonight Show," Jerry Lewis on the Labor Day telethon or any of the current notables who came from "Star Search" - look good. He looked pretty good himself. YouTube has a treat: An eight-part interview with McMahon for the Archive of American Television. It is television history:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkdbCDB1KRk

Now, they all belong to the ages.

See you next week.