There are a lot of athletic records currently being set in Brazil. So we wanted to focus on some television firsts this week. Witness the introduction of some classic characters and catchphrases, not to mention one adorable dog. Let's go to the highlights.

Petticoat Junction "Bye, Bye, Doctor"
Wednesday 17 at 7:30AM | 6:30C

Series star Bea Benaderet tragically passed away from cancer in October of 1968. The sitcom filled the matriarchal void with June Lockhart, who was coming off the recently wrapped Lost in Space. Lockhart joined the cast as Dr. Janet Craig, who shows up at Shady Rest in the fall of '68 and stays until the series end. While this is not her debut episode (it's her fourth), it does mark the first time June Lockhart has a place in the opening credits.

See Also

6 fascinating facts about Petticoat Junction

Matlock "Diary of a Perfect Murder" Parts 1 and 2
Wednesday 17 and Thursday 18 at 10AM | 9C

Here we have the series pilot to Andy Griffith's long-running mystery series. Hard as it is to believe, the actor had more screen time as Matlock than as Sheriff Andy Taylor. Keen viewers of Columbo will notice similarities between this tale and "Etude in Black," the 1972 episode featuring John Cassavetes. In both cases, a vital clue is spotted on the suspect's jacket — a carnation and an ID badge. Both episodes were produced by Dean Hargrove.

Happy Days "Spunky Come Home"
Friday 19 at 9PM | 8C

Yes, Fonzie had a dog, and we're not talking about Mr. Cool from the cartoon The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang. The fluffy white Spunky made his debut in this 1977 outing from season four. Here are 17 more of our favorite television dogs. After studying up, take this quiz on TV pooches.

The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis "The Chicken from Outer Space"
Sunday 21 at 5:30AM | 4:30C

Bob Denver's iconic work on Gilligan's Island overshadows his delightful earlier incarnation as Maynard G. Krebs. The lovable beatnik coined a handful of great catchphrases, and two of them make their debut in this season one episode. He tells Dobie, “I'm getting pretty misty” and "You're like a real human being." Oh, and he over-injects a chicken with hormones in biology class.

Taxi "Guess Who's Coming for Brefnish"
Sunday 21 at 12:30AM | 11:30PM

Andy Kaufman and Carol Kane made for one of television's funniest couples. Their courtship began here, the first episode to feature Kane's Simka character. Latka and Simka are set up on a date. Though they come from the same country, there is a deep divide between Latka's flatlanders and Simka's mountain people. Oddly, Simka Dahblitz would not return to the show for another two years.