Boy! Could we use a show like this in real life!

From 1955 to 1960, for 5 seasons an eccentric millionaire would give away $1 million to somebody he never even met. We were allowed to eavesdrop on the consequences of this sudden cash windfall on CBS.

The man who gave the million was identified at John Beresford Tipton. We never saw any more of him than the back of his head or his arm as he handed a cashier’s check to his executive secretary.

The man who delivered the million was Michael Anthony, played by veteran actor and announcer Marvin Miller. Each week, Miller would look directly into the camera and say something like this:

“My name is Michael Anthony, and until his death a few years ago, I was executive secretary to the late John Beresford Tipton, Jr., a fabulously wealthy and fascinating man, whose many hobbies included his habit of giving away one million dollars, tax free, each week — to persons he had never even met.”

In today’s money, that certified cashier’s check would be worth around $11 million.

Some weeks, the money ended in tragedy. Some weeks in triumph. But America was hooked. The show finished in the Top 20 every season of its first run, except the final season.

Among those who appeared on the show: Richard Anderson, Charles Bronson, John Carradine, Chuck Connors, Angie Dickinson, Barbara Eden, Peter Graves, Harry Guardino, Dennis Hopper, David Janssen, Jack Lord, Lee Meriwether, Martin Milner, Mary Tyler Moore, Agnes Moorehead, Rita Moreno, Aaron Spelling, Robert Vaughn, and Betty White.

Only once did, multi-millionaire Tipton take a direct role in an episode. That one concerned a man who was on death row, wrongly convicted of murder. Tipton visited the man in prison, but we still never saw his face. For the record, Tipton was played by a man more famous as the voice of Boris Badenov, Paul Frees.

For all of its success as a first run series and a long run in syndication, The Millionaire has never had an official home video release.

Ah, yes! We all remember the amazing career of that trend-setting rock & roller James Bartholomew Olsen, who rocketed to fame with the release of hiis debut album Rebel Without a Clue!

Bowties & Freckles Forever! (And what was Superman smoking?)

1964: After a string of musical duds, a little Detroit vocal trio known as the Supremes hits the top of the charts for the first time as their recording of “Where Did Our Love Go” hits #1.

Motown had offered the song first to the Marvelettes. That group hated the song and refused to record it.

1956: Comics Bill Buchanan and Dickie Goodman have the number three song in America with a novelty tune called "Flying Saucer". The premise of the record was two radio news reporters who ask questions which are then humorously answered with snippets from mid-'50s hits. Buchanan and Goodman were sued by 17 different record companies for copyright infringement, but all were dismissed by a ruling that said the parodies did not infringe on the sales of the original hits.

1969: Saying he’s tired of playing for audiences “who clap for all the wrong reasons,” Frank Zappa announces he’s dissolving the Mothers of Invention. He soon changes his mind.

1988: To celebrate the 100^th anniversary of the jukebox, the industry announces that “Hound Dog” by Elvis Presley and “Crazy” by Patsy Cline are the two most played songs in the jukebox’s first century.

1962: After a 2-hour rehearsal, Ringo Starr appears on stage as the Beatles’ drummer for the very first time

1977: Florists Transworld Delivery (FTD) announces that orders for flower deliveries to Graceland the day after Elvis’ passing have surpassed the number for any other event.

1977: A sad day for all of us as Elvis Presley passes away. At first, the cause of death is listed as "cardiac arrhythmia.” As the rumors begin flying, we all learn that Elvis really died of a massive overdose of between ten and fifteen prescription drugs, many taken in doses far exceeding what any physician would prescribe.