This Day in Pop Culture for March 4

1966: The Beatles Become More Popular Than Jesus?

There is no doubt that the Beatles were extremely popular in the mid 1960s and apparently, they knew it. During this time, Maureen Cleave of the London Evening Standard ran a series called “How Does a Beatle Live?” interviewing each of the Beatles.

On this day in 1966, Cleave interviewed John Lennon in his home where she spotted a copy of The Passover Plot by Hugh J. Schonfield which influenced Lennon’s views on Christianity. During the interview, he was quoted saying, “Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn’t argue about that; I’m right and I’ll be proved right. We’re more popular than Jesus now; I don’t know which will go first—rock ‘n’ roll or Christianity. Jesus was all right, but his disciples were thick and ordinary. It’s them twisting it that ruins it for me.”

Apparently, those in the UK were not fazed by his comments, but those living in the U.S. were up in arms. (Image: Photo by Fedor on Unsplash)

1982: Detective Lieutenant Frank Drebin Reports for Duty

Clearly ABC didn’t understand their own show when they cancelled Police Squad! after just four episodes. Created by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker, the guys who put Airplane! on the big screen, the show was a mockery of TV police dramas. The trio had originally wanted the show to be a movie, but Michael Eisner (Paramount Pictures’ president at the time), talked them into making a six-episode TV series instead.

The TV series starred Leslie Nielsen as Detective Lieutenant, Alan North as Ed Hocken, the captain of Police Squad, Peter Lupus, Ed Williams, William Duell and Ronald Taylor. During the opening credits, the show would announce the guest stars of the episode (a popular gimmick in early television) only to have them killed on the spot. Even Florence Henderson wasn’t immune.

Police Squad! might have been more popular if the network had given it more time. It was even nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards for its “outstanding writing” and “outstanding lead actor.”

It’s not that Tony Thomopoulos (ABC’s president at the time), didn’t think that Police Squad! was funny. He canceled the sitcom because he felt that viewers would have to really watch carefully in order to understand the humor of the show. Something you would think a network would have wanted. TV Guide has been quoted for saying that it was “the most stupid reason a network ever gave for ending a series.”

In 1988, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! opened in theaters followed by two sequels in 1991 and 1994 and even 2025’s loose sequel.

1974: People Magazine Prints Its First Issue

Originally titled People Weekly, the leading news and gossip magazine was first published on this day in 1974. It featured Mia Farrow on the cover and her role in The Great Gatsby. It also featured stories on The Exorcist, Gloria Vanderbilt’s fourth marriage and Vietnam wives whose husbands were still missing in action. Published by Time Inc., People has a readership of 46.6 million, the largest of any American magazine. The magazine is infamous for its yearly issues of “Sexiest Man Alive,” “Best & Worst Dressed” and others.

1995: Indiana Jones and the Forbidden Eye

*(Image: Christian Thompson/Disneyland Resort)*

One of the most success attractions at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is The Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular Show which has been in operation since August 25, 1989. It’s been hit from day one. Because of its success in Florida, it wasn’t long before Disney decided that they needed something similar in Disneyland.

Walt Disney Imagineering and George Lucas collaborated working on a number of ideas which included a walk-through adventure and a mine car ride that took place within a temple. With over 400 Imagineers working to create Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye, the ride opened with large Jeep-like vehicles that seemingly drove on their own darting in out of danger, dodging flames and giant snakes all the while following an animatronic Dr. Jones.

Another version of the ride opened at Tokyo DisneySea in Chiba, Japan and third version of the ride will be coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Florida in the near future.