"3rd Rock from the Sun"
Jan 9 1st episode of TV sitcom "3rd Rock from the Sun" by Bonnie and Terry Turner and starring John Lithgow and Kristen Johnston screens on NBC
53rd Golden Globes
Jan 21 53rd Golden Globes: "Sense and Sensibility", Nicolas Cage, & Sharon Stone win
- Jan 28 12th Sundance Film Festival: "Welcome to the Dollhouse" wins Grand Jury Prize Dramatic
45th Miss USA
Feb 2 Ali Landry, 22, (Louisiana), crowned 45th Miss USA
- Feb 15 46th Berlin International Film Festival: "Sense and Sensibility" wins the Golden Bear
Film & TV History
Feb 22 Revival of William Inge's stage drama "Bus Stop", starring Billy Crudup and Mary-Louise Parker, opens at the Circle in the Square Theater, NYC; runs for 29 performances
Trainspotting
Feb 23 "Trainspotting" directed by Danny Boyle based on the book by Irvine Welsh, starring Ewan McGregor, Robert Carlyle and Jonny Lee Miller opens in cinemas in the UK and Ireland
Film & TV History
Feb 27 American film production company "Happy Madison Productions" is founded by Adam Sandler
- Feb 27 First ever appearance of Pokémon in role-playing video game "Pocket Monsters Red and Green" for Game Boy in Japan
- Mar 6 10th American Comedy Award: James Burrows
Fargo
Mar 8 "Fargo" directed and written by Joel and Ethan Coen, starring Frances McDormand, William H. Macy and Steve Buscemi released in the US
People's Choice Awards
Mar 10 22nd People's Choice Awards: Tom Hanks & Demi Moore win (Dramatic Motion Picture) and Tim Allen & Candice Bergen win (TV)
- Mar 17 Revival of William Inge's stage drama "Bus Stop, starring Billy Crudup and Mary-Louise Parker, closes at the Circle in the Square Theater, NYC, after 29 performances
Film & TV History
Mar 21 Revival of Tennessee Williams' stage drama "Night of the Iguana", starring William Petersen and Marsha Mason, opens at Criterion Theater, NYC; runs for 68 performances
- Mar 24 16th Golden Raspberry Awards: "Showgirls" wins
Academy Awards
Mar 25 68th Academy Awards: "Braveheart", Nicolas Cage & Susan Sarandon win
WrestleMania
Mar 31 WrestleMania XII, Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim, CA - Shawn Michaels beats Bret Hart for WWF Heavyweight title
Film & TV History
Apr 4 Revival of Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee's stage drama "Inherit the Wind", starring George C. Scott and Charles Durning, opens at Royale Theater, NYC; runs for 45 performances
Film & TV History
Apr 6 American actor Marlon Brando makes anti-Semitic remarks about Hollywood on "Larry King Live", stating that the 'Jews control Hollywood'
Music Concert
Apr 12 Rock for the Rainforest benefit concert held at Carnegie Hall, NYC; performers include: Sting, Elton John, James Taylor, Don Henley, Diana Ross, Robin Williams, Branford Marsalis, and Kenny Kirkland
Apple Doesn't Fall..
Apr 14 Trish Vradenburg's play "Apple Doesn't Fall.." directed by Leonard Nimoy opens and closes at Lyceum Theater NYC after 1 performance
A Funny Thing
Apr 18 Second successful revival of Stephen Sondheim's musical comedy "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum", starring Nathan Lane, opens at St James Theater NYC for 715 performances
- Apr 23 42nd British Academy Television Awards: "Father Ted" Best Comedy, "Cracker" Best Drama
- Apr 23 49th British Film and Television Awards (BAFTAs): "Sense and Sensibility" Best Film, Michael Radford Best Director
Music History
Apr 29 Jonathan Larson's rock musical "Rent", loosely based on Giacomo Puccini's 1896 opera "La Bohème", starring Taye Diggs and Idina Menzel, opens at the Nederlander Theatre, NYC; runs for 5,123 performances, and wins 4 Tony Awards, 7 Drama Desk Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama
- May 5 Renette Cruz, Vancouver, wins Miss Canadian Universe
Film & TV History
May 7 Comedian Martin Lawrence suffers a nervous breakdown
Film & TV History
May 10 "Twister" disaster film written by Michael Crichton starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton premieres
Daytime Emmy Awards
May 22 Emmy 23rd Daytime Award presentation - Susan Lucci loses for 16th time
Film & TV History
Jun 1 American actor Woody Harrelson is arrested in Lee County, Kentucky, after he symbolically planted four hemp seeds to challenge the state law which did not distinguish between industrial hemp and marijuana
Film & TV History
Jun 10 Variety talk show "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" hosted by Rosie O'Donnell premieres
Cable Guy
Jun 14 "Cable Guy" starring Jim Carrey is released
- Jun 23 Nintendo 64 goes on sale in Japan
Independence Day
Jun 25 "Independence Day", directed by Roland Emmerich, and starring Will Smith, Bill Pullman and Jeff Goldblum premieres in Westwood, California
The Nutty Professor
Jun 28 Remake of "The Nutty Professor" starring Eddie Murphy opens in theaters in the USA
- Jul 4 29th San Diego Comic-Con International opens at San Diego Convention Center
Film & TV History
Jul 14 Revival of Herb Gardner's stage comedy-drama "A Thousand Clowns" starring Judd Hirsch, opens at Criterion Theater, NYC, runs for 32 performances
A Game of Thrones
Aug 1 George R.R. Martin publishes the epic fantasy novel "A Game of Thrones", the first in his series "A Song of Ice and Fire"
- Aug 1 M2, MTV's second TV channel is launched
- Aug 11 Revival of Herb Gardner's stage comedy-drama "A Thousand Clowns" starring Judd Hirsch, closes at Criterion Theater, NYC, after 32 performances
- Aug 21 Christie Lee Woods, 18, of Texas, crowned 14th Miss Teen USA
Hughie
Aug 21 Revival of Eugene O'Neill's' drama "Hughie", directed by Al Pacino, and starring Pacino and Paul Benedict, opens at Circle in the Square Theater, NYC; runs for 56 performances
7th Heaven
Aug 26 "7th Heaven", starring Jessica Biel, debuts on The WB
Venice Film Festival
Aug 28 53rd Venice Film Festival: "Michael Collins" directed by Neil Jordan wins Golden Lion
Telethon
Sep 2 Jerry Lewis' 31st Muscular Dystrophy telethon raises $49,200,000
- Sep 5 Revival of Tennessee Williams' stage drama "Summer and Smoke", starring Harry Hamlin and Mary McDonnell, opens at Criterion Theater, NYC; runs for 53 performances
- Sep 8 48th Emmy Awards: ER, Dennis Franz & Kathy Baker win
Seven Guitars
Sep 8 August Wilson's drama "Seven Guitars" closes at Walter Kerr Theater, NYC, after 188 performances
- Sep 14 21st Toronto International Film Festival: "Shine" directed by Scott Hicks wins the People's Choice Award
- Sep 14 Tara Dawn Holland (Kansas), 23, crowned 70th Miss America 1997
Film & TV History
Sep 16 Courtroom reality show "Judge Judy" with Judge Judith Sheindlin premieres in the US
Music History
Sep 19 David Hare's play "Skylight" opens at Royale Theater NYC, starring Michael Gambon
The First Wives Club
Sep 20 Paramount Pictures releases cult revenge comedy "The First Wives Club" starring Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn and Diane Keaton, and directed by Hugh Wilson
- Sep 29 Nintendo 64 video game system debuts in USA (3 months after Japan)
- Oct 9 Howard Stern's book "Miss America" released in paperback
- Nov 1 Shaquille O'Neil makes his Hollywood debut as Los Angeles Lakers beat Phoenix Suns, 96-82 at the Forum, Inglewood; O'Neil scores 23 points and pulls down 14 rebounds in 35 minutes
- Nov 2 Revival of Eugene O'Neill's' drama "Hughie", directed by Al Pacino, and starring Pacino and Paul Benedict, closes at Circle in the Square Theater, NYC, after 56 performances
The English Patient
Nov 6 "The English Patient" based on the novel by Michael Ondaatje, directed by Anthony Minghella and starring Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche and Kristen Scott Thomas premieres in Los Angeles (Best Picture 1997)
Star Trek: First Contact
Nov 18 "Star Trek: First Contact" film directed by Jonathan Frakes and starring Patrick Stewart and Jonathan Frakes premieres
:Once Upon a Mattress"
Dec 19 Revival of Mary Rodgers and Marshall Barer's musical comedy "Once Upon a Mattress", starring Sarah Jessica Parker, opens at Broadhurst Theatre, NYC; runs for 188 performances
Scream
Dec 20 Horror film classic "Scream", starring Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox, is released
- Dec 26 Six-year-old beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey is found beaten and strangled in the basement of her family's home in Boulder, Colorado
Theatrical Finale
Dec 29 David Copperfield's magic show "Dreams and Nightmares" closes at Martin Beck Theater, NYC, after 55 performances
- Dec 29 David Hare's stage drama "Skylight" starring Michael Gambon, closes at Royale Theater, NYC, after 116 performances
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