This Week In TV History: Glee Mourns A Loss, General Hospital's 'Seduction,' Beverly Hills 90210 Debuts And More

Those who forget TV history are condemned to repeat it. Is that the saying...?

Whatever, close enough. Because as the modern TV landscape (and its future) looks stranger than ever, with This+ and That Max entering the streaming mix and the pandemic playing havoc with scheduling, we thought it'd be at the very least fun to note meaningful series launches of the past, memorable on-screen moments, award-show milestones and anything else that strikes our fancy.

For example, three iconic series celebrate round-number anniversaries this week, with Beverly Hills, 90210 having arrived on the scene a full 30 years ago, while both Gilmore Girls and the OG CSI made their debuts in the year 2000.

Scroll down for many more of this week's noteworthy TV moments.

On this date in 2005, the first "Office Olympics" were held on the popular NBC workplace comedy. Paul Feig, who directed the episode, told Collider it marked a turning point for the series, because the earnest victory speech that boss man Michael Scott gives at the end struck a chord with the millions who had raced to theaters to see Steve Carell as a sweet, loveable 40-Year-Old Virgin.

Also on this date, Leave It to Beaver premiered on CBS (in 1957), while Fox's Beverly Hills, 90210 started schooling us on love triangles and what not in 1990, ultimately spawning a spinoff (Melrose Place) and, even later down the road, reboots of each series.

On this date in 1979, in one of daytime TV's most important — and controversial — storylines, General Hospital antihero Luke Spencer, bereft upon learning that Frank Smith's crime organization was readying to whack him, preyed upon the sympathies of crush and fellow campus disco employee Laura Webber. What transpired behind the disco's closed doors was rape, though the supercouple's popularity led the event to be retconned as a "seduction." Some 18 years later, the ABC serial retconned that retcon, when son Lucky learned from an adversary of the assault, and confronted his father about the ugly truth.

Also on this date in TV history: Harry Truman gave the first televised presidential address from the White House (in 1947), Monty Python's Flying Circus swung onto the BBC (1969), Gilmore Girls premiered (2000), and So You Think You Can Dance crowned its first champion, Nick Lazzarini (in 2005).

On this date a cool 20 years ago, CBS' CSI made its debut, starring William Petersen, Marg Helgenberger, Gary Dourdan, George Eads, Paul Guilfoyle and (starting with Episode 2) Jorja Fox, and delivering north of 17 million viewers.

The Las Vegas-based crime drama would spawn the offshoots CSI: Miami, CSI: New York and the short-lived CSI: Cyber. And as last reported by TVLine, an event series revival is in development, with Petersen and Fox in talks to reprise their respective roles as Gil Grissom and Sara Sidle. (Initially timed to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the franchise's launch but postponed due to the pandemic, any revival will now likely be pushed to 2021).

On this date in 2018, Jodie Whitaker — amid more than a bit of fanboy fussing — made her debut as Doctor Who's 13th (and first female) titular timelord. "The Woman Who Fell To Earth" episode delivered 1.4 million viewers and a 0.5 rating, up 48 and 67 percent from the April 2017 launch of Peter Capaldi's final cycle as the Doctor.

Also on this date: CBS embarked on Route 66, in 1960.

Though titled "The Calm," the Oct. 8, 2014 episode of The CW's Arrow (aka the Season 3 premiere) left fans in quite a tizzy. Nudged by Diggle to seize the titular calm moment in Star City and make time for his own someone special, Oliver asked Felicity (multiple times) out on a date, where they would later acknowledge they had already through their adventures talked through all the usual small talk (and seen Oliver shirtless). And though that cozy dinner got cut short by a rocket launched by Count Vertigo, Oliver would later make clear to a frustrated Felicity — in the clip embedded above — that she best not dare suggest he doesn't love her. Which he then sealed with the couple's first kiss.

On this date in 1986, The Late Show With Joan Rivers premiered on Fox, making the iconic funny lady the first woman to host a late-night talk show in the U.S. The milestone did not come without its setbacks, however. Rivers had served as Johnny Carson's permanent Tonight Show guest host since 1983, but upon picking up more than a few signals that she was not being considered as his eventual successor, she took a sweet deal from Fox to sire The Late Show. Carson in turn saw Rivers' move as a snub, if only because she hadn't been up front with him about it.

Whatever the case, in the wake of soft ratings and affiliates reluctant to irk Carson by airing the talker, Rivers was fired in May 1987, to eventually be replaced by [fist pump at crowd!] Arsenio Hall.

Also on this date, in 2017:  Harvey Weinstein was fired from his own The Weinstein Company, after a multitude of allegations of sexual abuse/misconduct came to light.

On this date in 2013: Nearly three months after male lead Cory Monteith died of a toxic combination of heroin and alcohol, Fox's Glee, with its third episode of Season 5, killed off the character of QB/New Directions member Finn Hudson (cause unspecified), and in turn paid tribute to character and actor.

Also on this date: the variety show The Bob Newhart Show premiered in NBC, while in 1983 the TV-movie Adam, starring starring Daniel J. Travanti and based on John Walsh's son's murder, debuted on NBC.