On this day in television history - The Stand (2020 TV mini-series & novel):

The Stand

9-episode mini-series.

Directed by Josh Boone, Bridget Savage Cole, Danielle Krudy, Chris Fisher, Vincenzo Natali and Tucker Gates.

Written by Stephen King, Josh Boone, Benjamin Cavell, Jill Killington, Owen King, Knate Lee, Eric Dickinson, Taylor Elmore.

Based on the novel by Stephen King.

Released in the United States on December 17, 2020 – February 11, 2021.

Music by Mike Mogis and Nate Walcott.

Cast:

James Marsden, Odessa Young, Alexander Skarsgård, Whoopi Goldberg, Gordon Cormier, Amber Heard, Jovan Adepo, Owen Teague, Irene Bedard, Brad William Henke, Nat Wolff, Henrique Zaga, Greg Kinnear, Nicholas Lea, Eion Bailey, Katherine McNamara, Olivia Cheng, Fiona Dourif, Tarun Keram, Ezra Miller, Gabrielle Rose, Natalie Martinez, Jason Burkart, Paul Jarrett, Mark Gibbon, Sunita Prasad, Seth Whittaker, Hamish Linklater, Kendall Joy Hall, Daniel Sunjata, Cameron McDonald, Luis Javier, J.K. Simmons, Kristy Dawn Dinsmore, Jennifer-Juniper Angeli, Curtiss Cook Jr., Angus Sampson, Heather Graham, Spencer Drever, Reese Alexander, M.J. Kokolis, Primo Allon, Harrison MacDonald, Nyla Alleyne, Clifton Collins Jr., Ariana Nica, Todd Matthews, Isla Crerar, Peter Anderson, Rob McEachern, Troy Mundle, Jagua Arneja, Briar Diallo, Tim Carlson, Tebo Nzeku, Alexis Paige Dixon, Shadi Janho, Bruce Blain, David Parent, Miles Chalmers, Brandyn Eddy, Lisa Chandler, Arkie Kandola, Darren Dolynski, TJ Kayama, Mariessa Portelance, Angela Moore, Joe Costa, Fletcher Donovan, Donald Sales, Liza Huget, Lissa Neptuno, Veena Sood, Kim Kondrashoff, Eddie Flake, Hugo Raymundo, Jesse Stanley, Camden Filtness, Jasmine Lukuku, Mike Wasko, J. Douglas Stewart, Shishy Gebru, Myles McCarthy, Leah Hennessey, Jeremy Jones, Richard Meen, Sean Millington, Jenny Mitchell, Iris Paluly, Luvia Petersen, Lisa Renee Pitts, Michel Issa Rubio, Eric Ruggieri, Carolyn Tinglin, Danny Wattley, Bryan Cranston, Steve Ellis, Stephen King, Mick Garris, Jeremy Angel.

Recommended reading:

The Stand

By Stephen King.

First published 1978.

Published by Doubleday.

Hardcover.

ISBN-10: 0385199570

ISBN-13: 978-0385199575

Description:

Stephen King’s apocalyptic vision of a world blasted by plague and tangled in an elemental struggle between good and evil remains as riveting – and eerily plausible – as when it was first published.

One of The Atlantic’s Great American Novels of the Past 100 Years! This edition includes all of the new and restored material first published in The Stand: The Complete and Uncut Edition.

A patient escapes from a biological testing facility, unknowingly carrying a deadly weapon: a mutated strain of super-flu that will wipe out 99 percent of the world’s population within a few weeks. Those who remain are scared, bewildered, and in need of a leader. Two emerge – Mother Abagail, the benevolent 108-year-old woman who urges them to build a peaceful community in Boulder, Colorado; and Randall Flagg, the nefarious “Dark Man,” who delights in chaos and violence. As the dark man and the peaceful woman gather power, the survivors will have to choose between them – and ultimately decide the fate of all humanity.

On this day in movie history - Black Swan (2010):

Black Swan

directed by Darren Aronofsky,

written by Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz and John McLaughlin,

based on a story by Andres Heinz,

was released in the United States on December 17, 2010.
Music by Clint Mansell.

Cast:

Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder, Benjamin Millepied, Ksenia Solo, Kristina Anapau, Janet Montgomery, Sebastian Stan, Toby Hemingway, Sergio Torrado, Mark Margolis, Tina Sloan, Abraham Aronofsky, Charlotte Aronofsky, Marcia Jean Kurtz, Shaun O'Hagan, Chris Gartin, Deborah Offner, Stanley B. Herman, Michelle Rodriguez Nouel, Kurt Froman, Marty Krzywonos, Leslie Lyles, John Epperson, Arkadiy Figlin, Tim Fain, Sarah Lane, Liam Flaherty, Patrick Heusinger, Marina Stavitskaya, Olga Kostritzky, Christine Redpath, Alexandra Damiani, Rebecca Azenberg, Laura Bowman, Holly L. Fusco, Abigail Mentzer, Barette Vance, Lillian di Piazza, Megan Dickinson, Jessy Hendrickson, Geneviève Lebean, Rachel Jambois, Ryoko Sadoshima, Kaia A. Tack, Lauren Fadeley, Sarah Hay, Adrianna de Svastich, Jamie Wolf, Carrie Lee Riggins, Gina Artese, Anne Bergstedt, Alyson Cambridge, Andrew Daly, John Farrer, Dj Jess, Daralina Komar, Tim Lacatena, Meredith Miles, Todd Miller, Michael Stein, Carmella Stolyar.

On this day in movie history - Tron: Legacy (2010):

Tron: Legacy

directed by Joseph Kosinski,

written by Edward Kitsis, Adam Horowitz, Brian Klugman, Lee Sternthal, Steven Lisberger, Bonnie MacBird,

released in the United States on December 17, 2010.

Music by Daft Punk.

Cast:

Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Bruce Boxleitner, James Frain, Beau Garrett, Michael Sheen, Anis Cheurfa, Serinda Swan, Yaya DaCosta, Elizabeth Mathis, Yurij Kis, Conrad Coates, Daft Punk, Ron Selmour, Dan Joffre, Darren Dolynski, Kofi Yiadom, Steven Lisberger, Donnelly Rhodes, Belinda Montgomery, Owen Best, Matt Ward, Zoe Fryklund, Dean Redman, Mi-Jung Lee, Christopher Logan, Sheldon Yamkovy, Dale Wolfe, Joanne Wilson, Catherine Lough Haggquist, Thomas Bradshaw, Shafin Karim, Rob Daly, Mike Ching, Michael Teigen, Brent Stait, Shaw Madson, Amy Esterle, Cody Laudan, Jeffrey Nordling, Christine Adams, Kate Gajdosik, Jack McGee, Dawn Mander, Michael Logie, John Reardon, Edie Mirman, Allen Jo, Aaron Toney, Kim Do Nguyen, Patrick Sabongui, Will Erichson, Nicholas MacDonald, Cillian Murphy, Hugo Steele, Odain Watson.

On this day in television history - Pushing Daisies (2008):

Pushing Daisies

Season 2. Episode 10.

Episode entitled: The Norwegians.

Released December 17, 2008.

Directed by Tricia Brock.

Written by Scott Nimerfro.

Series created by Bryan Fuller.

Music by Jim Dooley.

Narrated by Jim Dale.

Cast:

Lee Pace, Anna Friel, Chi McBride, Jim Dale, Kristin Chenoweth, Ellen Greene, Swoosie Kurtz, Field Cate, Orlando Jones, Ivana Milicevic, Michael Weaver, Stephen Root, Nicolas Khayyat, George Hamilton.

On this day in movie history - Narc (2002):

Narc

directed and written by Joe Carnahan,

was released in the United States on December 17, 2002.
Music by Cliff Martinez.

Cast:

Jason Patric, Ray Liotta, Chi McBride, A.C. Peterson, Lina Giornofelice, Karen Robinson, Krista Bridges, Myles Donaldson, Gavyn Donaldson, Anne Openshaw, Stacey Farber, Carly Marie Alves, Mallory Mahoney, Alan van Sprang, Donna Croce, Paulino Nunes, Thomas Patrice, Tony De Santis, John Ortiz, Marilo Nunez, Busta Rhymes, Richard Chevolleau, Bishop Brigante, Carson Durven, Lloyd Adams, Booth Savage, Dan Leis, Kevin Rushton, Darren John.

On this day in the Star Trek universe:

Star Trek: Voyager (1997)

Star Trek: Discovery (2020)

Star Trek: Voyager

Season 4. Episode 12.

Episode entitled: Mortal Coil.

Released December 17, 1997.

Directed by Allan Kroeker.

Created by Rick Berman, Michael Piller, Jeri Taylor.

Written by Bryan Fuller, Lisa Klink.

Based on Star Trek, created by Gene Roddenberry.

Music by Paul Baillargeon.

Cast: Kate Mulgrew, Robert Beltran, Roxann Biggs-Dawson, Robert Duncan McNeill, Ethan Phillips, Robert Picardo, Tim Russ, Garrett Wang, Jeri Ryan, Nancy Hower, Brooke Stephens, Robin Michele Stewart / Robin Stapler, John Copage, Heather Ferguson, Keith Rayve, Pablo Soriano.

Star Trek: Discovery

Season 3. Episode 10.

Episode entitled: Terra Firma, Part 2.

Released December 17, 2020.

Directed by Chloe Domont.

Created by Bryan Fuller, Alex Kurtzman.

Written by Kalinda Vazquez, Bo Yeon Kim, Erika Lippoldt, Alan B. McElroy, Sean Cochran, Anthony Maranville, Chris Silvestri, Brandon Schultz.

Based on Star Trek, created by Gene Roddenberry.

Music by Jeff Russo.

Cast: Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Anthony Rapp, Mary Wiseman, Wilson Cruz, David Ajala, Michelle Yeoh, Oded Fehr, Blu del Barrio, Hannah Cheesman, Paul Guilfoyle, Daniel Kash, Tig Notaro, Rekha Sharma, Emily Coutts, Patrick Kwok-Choon, Oyin Oladejo, Ronnie Rowe, Sara Mitich, Erik Buckland, Craig Henry.

On this day in television history - The Blue Knight (1975 TV series & novel):

The Blue Knight

created by Albert Ruben and E. Jack Neuman,

based on the novel by Joseph Wambaugh,

was released in the United States on December 17, 1975, and ran for two seasons until October 20, 1976.

The pilot episode was shown on May 9, 1975.
Theme music by Henry Mancini.

Partial cast:

George Kennedy, John Steadman, Barbara Rhoades, Lee Weaver, Lucy Saroyan, Robert Hays, Phillip Pine, Al Hansen, Jess Nadelman, Don Maxwell, Bruce Glover, Gerald McRaney, Tom Bower, Anthony Geary, James A. Watson Jr., Jason Bernard, Ben Frank, Kelly Thordsen, Marc Alaimo, Hoke Howell, Don Hanmer, Byron Mabe, Phillip Simms, Jonathan Goldsmith, Jan Peters, Harry Lauter, Ross Elliott, Alex Rocco, Vic Tayback, Joanna Moore, Mitchell Ryan, John Ireland, Verna Bloom, Steve Sandor, Suzanne Charny, Carmen Zapata, Jacqueline Scott, T.J. Castronovo, Mel Novak, Juno Dawson, Christina Hart, Claire Brennen, Edward James Olmos, Judson Pratt, Lewis Charles, Claudia Bryar, Thomas Carter, Joseph Wambaugh, Kitty Carl, Paul Fierro, Peter Brandon, Booth Colman, Roy West, Lisa Moore, Dorothy Dells, William C. Coleman, Hilary Beane, Sharon Compton, Lieux Dressler, Jason Sommers, Curtis Henderson, Dorothy Meyer, Rita Gomez, Brooks Almy, Michael O'Keefe, Aneta Corsaut, Anjanette Comer, Judith McConnell, Janet MacLachlan, Charles Aidman, Davis Roberts, Kathryn Reynolds, Michael Swan, Helen Craig, Lucy Marlow, Jeff Goldblum, Sherry Jackson, P. J. Soles, Katherine Helmond, Gary Lockwood, Joanne Linville, Elisha Cook Jr., Jim Davis, James Whitmore Jr., Salome Jens, Norman Fell, Guy Stockwell, John Quade, John Lone, Woodrow Parfrey, Hampton Fancher, Jillian Kesner, Kathleen Hughes, Rudy Ramos.

Recommended reading:

The Blue Knight

By Joseph Wambaugh.

First published 1972.

Published by Grand Central Publishing.

Mass Market Paperback.

ISBN-10: 0446509191

ISBN-13: 978-0446509190

Description:

Ex-cop turned #1 New York Times bestselling writer Joseph Wambaugh forged a new kind of literature with his great early police procedurals. Gritty, luminous, and ultimately stunning, this novel is Wambaugh at his best – a tale of a street cop on the hardest beat of his life.

The Blue Knight.

Twenty and two. Those are the numbers turning in the mind of William "Bumper" Morgan: twenty years on the job, two days before he "pulls the pin" and walks away from it forever. But on the gritty streets of L.A., people look at Bumper like some kind of knight in armor – they've plied him with come-ons, hot tips, and the hard respect a man can't earn anywhere else. Now, with a new job and a good woman waiting for him, a kinky thief terrorizing L.A.'s choice hotels, and a tragedy looming, Bumper Morgan is about to face the only thing that can scare him: the demons that he's been hiding behind his bright and shiny badge...

“Marvelous … realistic, frightening, touching in its humanity. – Detroit Free Press.

“An extraordinary piece of craftsmanship.” – Los Angeles Times.