SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Today we pay tribute to the sitcom actors, directors, writers, producers, and creators who died in 2012. We lost stars from The Andy Griffith Show, Hogan's Heroes, I Dream of Jeannie, The Jeffersons, McHale's Navy, The Monkees, My Three Sons, The Odd Couple, Webster, Welcome Back, Kotter, and many more who are greatly missed. Other notable TV deaths that we covered on the blog this year have also been listed. They are listed in alphabetical order. Visit the IMDB and Wikipedia links for a full listing of their credits and other biographical information. View video interviews at the Archive of American Television links.



Ian Abercrombie (IMDB/Wikipedia) - Ian Abercrombie was a veteran English actor who played Elaine Benes' boss Mr. Pitt during the sixth season of Seinfeld. He died on January 26, 2012, at a Los Angeles hospital from complications of kidney failure. Mr. Abercrombie was 77.

His American stage debut was a 1951 production of Stalag 17 with Jason Robards and Jules Munshin. Abercrombie made guest appearances in many television series such as Dynasty, Falcon Crest, Murphy Brown, NewsRadio, Star Trek: Voyager, State of Grace, Birds of Prey, Desperate Housewives, How I Met Your Mother, Happily Divorced and Wizards of Waverly Place. He voiced characters in The Batman, Green Lantern: The Animated Series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Rango. His film credits included Army of Darkness, Addams Family Values, The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties.

Norman Alden (IMDB/Wikipedia) - Norman Alden was a character actor who appeared in many television series and films. He died on July 27, 2012, from natural causes in Los Angeles, California. Mr. Alden was 87.

Alden appeared as Pulaski in the CBS sitcom Hennessey in 1960-1962. In 1967, he starred as Capt. Horton in the ABC sitcom Rango. He played Al Cassidy in the 1975-1976 NBC sitcom Fay. He portrayed Coach Leroy Fedder in Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. Some of his many sitcom guest appearances included My Favorite Martian, Family Affair, The Andy Griffith Show, The Doris Day Show, My Three Sons, Hogan's Heroes, Alice, Welcome Back, Kotter, Operation Petticoat, One Day at a Time, The Facts of Life, Webster, Silver Spoons, Sledge Hammer!, Small Wonder, Hooperman, The Hogan Family and Like Family. His film credits included Back to the Future and Ed Wood.

Phillip R. Allen (IMDB/Wikipedia) - Phillip R. Allen was a television and film actor. He died on March 21, 2012, in Los Angeles, California. Mr. Allen was 72.

Allen played Roy Turner in the 1979-1980 CBS sitcom The Bad News Bears. His other sitcom guest appearances included Mary Tyler Moore, The Bob Newhart Show, The Tony Randall Show, Eight Is Enough, CPO Sharkey, Bosom Buddies, Happy Days, Open All Night, Alice, Mork & Mindy, Private Benjamin, Benson, Too Close for Comfort, Designing Women and Out of This World. He played Captain Esteban in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.

William Asher (IMDB/Wikipedia/Archive of American Television) - William Asher was a prolific director and producer best known for his work on I Love Lucy and Bewitched. He died July 16, 2012, from complications due to Alzheimer's disease in Palm Desert, California. Mr. Asher was 90.

Asher's career in television began as a writer and director for a filmed anthology series called Invitation Playhouse. He later started working for CBS Studios. His first directed TV pilot became Our Miss Brooks, which starred Eve Arden and aired on CBS from 1952-1956. In 1952, he was asked by Desi Arnaz to direct a few episodes of the second season of I Love Lucy. Asher went on to direct over 100 episodes of the series, including the classic Job Switching episode where Lucy and Ethel work at a candy factory. In 1955, he was nominated for the DGA award for the Lucy's Mother-in-Law episode. His other early directing credits included Racquet Squad, Big Town, The Danny Thomas Show, General Electic Theater, The Colgate Comedy Hour, December Bride, Sally, The Thin Man, Fibber McGee and Molly, The Twilight Zone, and The Patty Duke Show, which he co-created with writer Sidney Sheldon.

His best known work was as a producer and director of Bewitched. Asher produced the 1964-1972 ABC sitcom, starring his then-wife, Elizabeth Montgomery. He directed over 130 episodes of the series. Asher received four Emmy nominations for his work on the show, winning once in 1966 for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy. Some of his other sitcom directing credits included Gidget, The Paul Lynde Show, The New Temperatures Rising, Operation Petticoat, Tabitha, Alice, The Bad News Bears, Private Benjamin, and Harper Valley. He also directed a couple of TV reunion movies: I Dream of Jeannie... Fifteen Years Later in 1985 and Return to Green Acres in 1990. His film credits as a director and writer included three popular beach-blanket movies starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello: Muscle Beach Party, Bikini Beach, and Beach Blanket Bingo.

Paul Bogart (IMDB/Wikipedia/Archive of American Television) - Paul Bogart was an Emmy-Award winning television and film director. He died age-related causes on April 15, 2012, at his home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Mr. Bogart was 92.

He was a prolific director of episodes of television series from 1955-1991. Bogart directed 20 episodes of the acclaimed 1960s dramatic series The Defenders. In 1965, he won his first Emmy Award for his work on the show. He would later win two Emmys for his directing of CBS Playhouse in 1968 and 1970. His sitcom directing credits included Get Smart, All in the Family (97 episodes), Archie Bunker's Place, Mama Malone, The Golden Girls and Bagdad Cafe. In 1978, he won an Emmy Award for his work on All in the Family for the episode Edith's 50th Birthday, an one-hour episode in which a man tries to sexually assault Edith. He shared an Emmy Award in 1986 as a supervising producer when The Golden Girls won for Outstanding Comedy Series. His film directing credits included Marlowe, Skin Game, Class of '44, Oh, God! You Devil, and Torch Song Trilogy.

Ernest Borgnine (IMDB/Wikipedia/Archive of American Television) - Ernest Borgnine was an Oscar and Emmy-winning actor. He starred as Lieutenant Commander Quinton McHale in McHale's Navy and Dominic Santini in Airwolf. He died of renal failure on July 8, 2012, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. Mr. Borgnine was 95.

Borgnine's career in Hollywood began with roles in China Corsair, The Whistle at Eaton Falls and The Mob. His big breakthrough role came in 1953's From Here to Eternity, where he played the sadistic Sergeant "Fatso" Judson, who beats a stockade prisoner in his charge, Angelo Maggio (played by Frank Sinatra). More film roles as villains would follow in Johnny Guitar, Vera Cruz and Bad Day at Black Rock. In 1955, he played the lonely and lovelorn butcher Marty Piletti in Marty. He won the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for the role. Other film roles included The Catered Affair, Torpedo Run, The Vikings, The Flight of the Phoenix, The Dirty Dozen, Ice Station Zebra, The Wild Bunch, Willard, The Poseidon Adventure, The Black Hole, Ravagers and Escape from New York.

Borgnine's television debut was in 1951's Captain Video and His Video Rangers as a character named Nargola. More roles would follow in Goodyear Playhouse, Shadow of the Cloak, Short Short Dramas, The Lone Wolf, The Ford Television Theatre, Waterfront, The Danny Thomas Show, Laramie, and Wagon Train. In 1962, he landed the role as gruff but lovable skipper Lieutenant Commander Quinton McHale in McHale's Navy. The show ran for 4 seasons on ABC from 1962-1966. Borgnine was nominated for an Emmy in 1963 for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. He also starred in the 1964 feature film and had a cameo in the 1997 remake, which starred Tom Arnold and Dean Stockwell. Borgnine later starred as helicopter pilot Dominic Santini in the action and adventure series Airwolf for three seasons from 1984-1986 on CBS. In 1995-1997, he co-starred with Jonathan Silverman in the NBC sitcom The Single Guy as doorman Manny Cordoba. Borgnine's many other television guest appearances included Little House on the Prairie, The Love Boat, Magnum, P.I., Highway to Heaven, Murder, She Wrote, Home Improvement, The Commish, JAG, Early Edition, Walker, Texas Ranger, Touched by an Angel, 7th Heaven, Family Law, and The District. In 2009, he received an Emmy nomination for his role as Paul Manning in the final two episodes of ER. He also provided the voice of Mermaid Man for Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants.

Dennis Bowen (IMDB/Wikipedia) - Character actor Dennis Bowen appeared in more than one hundred television shows. He died on March 9, 2012, from pancreatic cancer in Toluca Lake, California. Mr. Bowen was 61.

Bowen was best known for his recurring role as Todd Ludlow in Welcome Back, Kotter from 1975-1977. His other television guest appearances included The Incredible Hulk, CHiPs, Hotel, Hunter, Martial Law, Diagnosis Murder and JAG. Bowen's film credits included Van Nuys Blvd. and Caddyshack II.

Bob Brunner (IMDB/Wikipedia) - Bob Brunner was a television writer and producer. He died of a heart attack on October 28, 2012, in Northridge, California. Mr. Brunner was 78.

He worked as a writer and producer for Happy Days. He produced thirty-seven episodes and worked as writer for fifteen episodes of the series. Brunner is credited with creating the "Fonzie" nickname for the Arthur Fonzarelli character. He also created the "Sit on it" catchphrase. As a writer, he worked on the "Hollywood" three-part episode, which led to the "Jump the Shark" phenomenon. Some of his other producing credits included Brothers and Sisters, The Bad News Bears, Working Stiffs, Diff'rent Strokes and Webster. He wrote episodes of The Odd Couple, Laverne & Shirley, The Bad News Bears, Alice, Love, Sidney, Private Benjamin and Diff'rent Strokes.

Philip Bruns (IMDB/Wikipedia) - Philip Bruns was a television actor, best remembered for portraying George Shumway, the father of Mary Hartman on the 1970s comedic series Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.. He died on February 8, 2012, of natural causes in Los Angeles, California. Mr. Bruns was 80.

Bruns many sitcom guest appearances included Car 54, Where Are You?, Here's Lucy, Maude, Sanford and Son, Hot L Baltimore, M*A*S*H, The Jeffersons, Barney Miller, Night Court, It's Garry Shandling's Show, Mr. Belvedere and Just Shoot Me!. He played the original Morty Seinfeld in the first season episode of Seinfeld entitled "The Stake Out." Some of his many other television guest appearances included Columbo, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Streets of San Francisco, Kojak, Hill Street Blues, Simon & Simon, Airwolf, St. Elsewhere, Trapper John, M.D., Cagney & Lacey, Baywatch Nights and Profiler.

Frank Cady (IMDB/Wikipedia) - Frank Cady was a character actor best known for his role as storekeeper Sam Drucker in Petticoat Junction, Green Acres and The Beverly Hillbillies. He died on June 8, 2012, at his home in Wilsonville, Oregon. No cause of death was provided. Mr. Cady was 96.

Cady's acting career in Hollywood began with appearances in plays in Los Angeles. This led to movie roles in D.O.A., Father of the Bride, The Ashphalt Jungle, When Worlds Collide, Ace in the Hole (aka The Big Carnival), Rear Window, The Bad Seed and 7 Faces of Dr. Lao. Some of his early sitcom appearances included Life with Luigi, December Bride, Private Secretary and The Gale Storm Show. In 1960, he played the town drunk in an episode of Make Room for Daddy that served as the pilot episode of The Andy Griffith Show. Cady played the role of neighbor Doc Williams on The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet in 60 episodes over 12 years.

His best known role was as general-store owner Sam Drucker in Petticoat Junction, Green Acres and The Beverly Hillbillies. He became the only actor to play a recurring character on three television sitcoms at the same time when he did it in 1968-69. Cady first appeared as Sam Drucker in Petticoat Junction in 1963. He was on the show for the entire 7 season run and appeared in approximately 166 of the sitcom's 222 episodes. In 1965, he began appearing in Green Acres. During the 6 season run of the show, he appeared in 142 or more episodes. His final acting appearance was in the 1990 television movie Return to Green Acres. Cady made 10 appearances in The Beverly Hillbillies in 1968-70. His character operated a bank in the later episodes of the series.

Dann Cahn (IMDB/Wikipedia/Archive of American Television) - Dann Cahn was a film and television editor. He worked as the head editor for I Love Lucy. His other editor credits included Our Miss Brooks, The Beverly Hillbillies and Police Woman. Cahn died of natural causes at his West Los Angeles home on November 21, 2012. Mr. Cahn was 89.

Janet Carroll (IMDB/Wikipedia) - Janet Carroll was a television and film character actress. She died from brain cancer at her home in New York City, New York on May 20, 2012. Ms. Carroll was 71.

She had a recurring role as Gary, owner of Gary's Shoes and Al Bundy's boss, in Married with Children from 1994-1997. Her many other sitcom guest appearances included The Golden Girls, Designing Women, 227, Empty Nest, Boy Meets World, Coach, Bonnie, Murphy Brown (as Doris Dial, stoic anchorman Charles Kimbrough's wife), Maggie, Norm, Still Standing (as Helen Michaels, Judy and Linda's mother) and Scrubs. She had a recurring role as Marion Shaw, Kimberly's mother, in Melrose Place from 1993-1997. She played Tom Cruise's oblivious mother in Risky Business.

Dee Caruso (IMDB/Wikipedia) - Dee Caruso was a television writer and producer. He died of pneumonia at his home in Brentwood, California on May 27, 2012. Mr. Caruso was 83.

Caruso and writing partner, Gerald Gardner, were head writers for Get Smart. They also wrote 22 episodes of The Monkees. Some of their other sitcom writing credits included Gilligan's Island, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, The Bill Cosby Show and What's Happening!!. Their film credits included Which Way to the Front?, The World's Greatest Athlete and Doin' Time.

Dick Clark (IMDB/Wikipedia) - Dick Clark was a legendary television and music pioneer best known for hosting American Bandstand, Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve and the Pyramid game show. He died on April 18, 2012, after suffering a heart attack following a medical procedure at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California. He had suffered a stroke in December 2004. Mr. Clark, known as "The World's Oldest Teenager" for his youthful appearance, was 82.

Clark's television career began at WKTV in Utica, NY. He first hosted a country music program called Cactus Dick and the Santa Fe Riders. In 1952, he relocated to Philadelphia and worked as a disc jockey at the WFIL radio station. WFIL also had a television station where he would work as a substitute host on Bob Horn's Bandstand. In July 1956, he took over the full time hosting duties. ABC picked up the show nationally and renamed it American Bandstand. The show premiered on ABC on August 5, 1957, with an interview with Elvis Presley. American Bandstand was a a huge hit for its over 30-year run. The show introduced national audiences to numerous artists such as Chuck Berry, Chubby Checker, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Stevie Wonder, and many more.

In 1972, he produced and hosted Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve. He presided over the dropping of the Times Square ball in New York City every year since 1972 except in 1999 when ABC preempted it for ABC 2000 Today and in 2004 after he had suffered a stroke. Clark hosted and appeared in a variety of other television series. In 1958-1960, he hosted a 30-minute Saturday night program called The Dick Clark Show. He began hosting the The $10,000 Pyramid on March 26, 1973. The show continued in various formats until 1988. Clark won three Emmy Awards for best game show host and the daytime versions of Pyramid won nine Emmy Awards for best game show.

In 1984, Clark produced and co-hosted with his friend and former neighbor Ed McMahon the NBC series TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes. The show aired in various formats and specials on NBC and ABC until 2004. In 1990 and 1991, he hosted the syndicated television game show The Challengers and in 1993 he hosted Scattegories on NBC. In 2001-2003, he co-hosted the NBC daytime talk show The Other Half. Clark worked as a producer for many television series and specials, including the American Music Awards, The Golden Globe Awards, Greed and American Dreams. His sitcom guest appearances included The Joey Bishop Show, The Partridge Family, The Odd Couple, Police Squad!, Blossom, Friends, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The Drew Carey Show, Murphy Brown, Dharma & Greg, Just Shoot Me and Baby Bob.

Bob Colleary (IMDB) - Bob Colleary was a television writer and producer. He died on January 8, 2012, at Cottage Hospital in Santa, Barbara, California, after a brief illness. Mr. Colleary was 82.

Colleary was the head writer on Captain Kangaroo for more than 20 years. His sitcom writing credits included Barney Miller (for which he won the Best Writing Emmy in 1980), M*A*S*H, Love, Sidney, Gimme a Break!, Benson, The Golden Girls, It's a Living, Night Court, The Facts of Life and The Hogan Family. He also worked as an executive producer on Benson and It's a Living. His son, R.J. Colleary, has also worked as a writer and producer.

Gary Collins (IMDB/Wikipedia) - Gary Collins was an actor and award-winning talk show host. He died on October 13, 2012, at Biloxi Regional Medical Center in Biloxi, Mississippi, reportedly of natural causes. Mr. Collins was 74.

Collins co-starred with Jack Warden in the 1965-1966 NBC comedy series The Wackiest Ship in the Army. He starred in the ABC western series The Iron Horse in 1966-1968. He played George Adamson in the short-lived NBC adventure series Born Free. Collins hosted the television talk show Hour Magazine from 1980-88, and co-hosted the ABC television series The Home Show from 1989-94. He won an Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show Host in 1983. Some of his sitcom guest appearances included Love, American Style, Alice, The Love Boat, Gimme a Break!, Saved by the Bell: The New Class, Yes, Dear, and Dharma & Greg.

Henry Colman (IMDB/Archive of American Television) - Henry Colman was a television producer and executive. His credits included Dr. Kildare, Peyton Place, The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, The Love Boat and Hotel. He died on November 7, 2012, in Los Angeles, California. Mr. Colman was 89.

Richard Dawson (IMDB/Wikipedia/Archive of American Television) - Richard Dawson was an English-born American actor, comedian, game show panelist and host. He was best known for his role as Corporal Peter Newkirk on the sitcom Hogan's Heroes, being a panelist on Match Game on CBS from 1973-1978, and being the original host of Family Feud from 1976-1985 and 1994-1995. Dawson died from complications of esophageal cancer on June 2, 2012, at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. Mr. Dawson was 79.

One of Dawson's early television appearances (as Dick Dawson) was as dapper entertainer "Racy Tracy" Rattigan in a 1963 episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show. Some of his other guest appearances included The Outer Limits, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Mr. Terrific, McCloud, Love, American Style, The Odd Couple, McMillan & Wife, Fantasy Island, The Love Boat, Angie and Mama's Family. In 1965, he landed the role as Cpl. Peter Newkirk. The popular war-related sitcom ran on CBS for six seasons from 1965-1971. His character with a cockney accent was known for phrases like "righto" and addressing Col. Hogan as "gov'nor." After Hogan's Heroes was cancelled, he was a regular performer on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In from 1971-1973. He was also a regular as Richard Richardson on the final season of the CBS sitcom The New Dick Van Dyke Show in 1973-1974. Dawson appeared in several films, including The Longest Day, King Rat, The Devil's Brigade and The Running Man as the memorable game show host and villain Damon Killian.

Dawson became best known to television audiences as a game show panelist and host. In 1972-73, he appeared as a panelist on the syndicated I've Got a Secret. After a year of that show, he was signed to be a regular on Match Game '73, which he stayed with until 1978. In 1974, he hosted the syndicated Masquerade Party. It featured regular panelists Bill Bixby, Lee Meriwether and Nipsey Russell. He was next hired to host Family Feud. It debuted on ABC's daytime schedule on July 12, 1976. Dawson would win a Daytime in 1978 for Best Game Show Host. The show became a huge hit during the daytime and also found success in syndication at night. He became known as The Kissing Bandit for kissing the show's female contestants. His "Survey says..." line became a national catchphrase. Dawson hosted both versions of Family Feud, until they were cancelled in 1985. In 1994-95, he returned to host the syndicated version of the show. He retired from show business in 1995, but he did return to narrate TV's Funniest Game Show Moments on Fox in 2000.

Phyllis Diller (IMDB/Wikipedia/Archive of American Television) - Actress and comedienne Phyllis Diller appeared on television for more than 50 years and starred in the sitcom The Pruitts of Southampton. She died on August 20, 2012, at her home in Brentwood, California. Ms. Diller was 95.

Diller first starred in the 1966-1967 ABC sitcom The Pruitts of Southampton (later retitled The Phyllis Diller Show). She played Phyllis Pruitt in the show about a supposedly incredibly wealthy family living on Long Island in the Hamptons. Gypsy Rose Lee, Richard Deacon, John Astin, Marty Ingels and Paul Lynde were featured in supporting roles. In 1968, she starred in the short-lived NBC variety show The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show. Diller's other sitcom guest appearances included Get Smart, The Good Guys, Love, American Style, The Love Boat, 227, Dream On, Boy Meets World, Blossom, Full House, Cybill, Titus, The Drew Carey Show, Even Stevens, Life with Bonnie and Quintuplets. She made regular appearances on many variety series and game shows, including Rowan and Martin's Laugh In, The Dean Martin Comedy Hour, The Gong Show, The Hollywood Squares and Super Password. She appeared in 23 Bob Hope TV specials. Her voice credits include Mad Monster Party, The New Scooby-Doo Movies, A Bug's Life, The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, Robot Chicken and Family Guy. Some of her other television drama guest appearances included CHiPs, 7th Heaven, Boston Legal and The Bold and the Beautiful.

Stephen Dunham (IMDB/Wikipedia) - Actor Stephen Dunham had starring roles in several sitcoms. He died of a heart attack on September 14, 2012, in Burbank, California. Mr. Dunham was 48.

He played Hunter Franklin in the short-lived 1999 ABC sitcom Oh, Grow Up. He appeared as Edward Pillows in the 2001-2001 NBC sitcom DAG, which starred David Alan Grier. In 2003, he played Peter in What I Like About You. He played the role of Dr. Charlie Thorpe on Hot Properties on ABC in 2005. His other sitcom guest appearances included Grand, Just Shoot Me!, The Bill Engvall Show, True Jackson, VP and Hot in Cleveland.

Clive Dunn (IMDB/Wikipedia) - Clive Dunn was an English actor Clive Dunn best known for his role as Lance-Corporal Jack Jones in the popular BBC sitcom Dad's Army. He died in Portugal on November 6, 2012, from complications following an operation which took place earlier in the week. Mr. Dunn was 92.

Dunn first appeared as a regular in the British comedy Bootsie and Snudge as the old dogsbody Harry Johnson from 1960-1963. In 1968, he landed the role Lance-Corporal Jack Jones, the local butcher, on Dad's Army. The show was broadcast on BBC television between 1968 and 1977. It was one of Britain's most popular sitcoms and ran for 9 series and 80 episodes. Dunn later starred as retired and embittered engine driver Sam Cobbett in the short-lived British sitcom My Old Man from 1974-1975. His final lead role was as Charlie Quick, the caretaker at a village hall, on Grandad from 1979-1984. He also performed the show's theme song.

Charles Durning (IMDB/Wikipedia) - Actor Charles Durning appeared in more than 200 movies and television shows. He died of unknown causes at his home in Manhattan, New York on December 24, 2012. Mr. Durning was 89.

Durning was primarily a film actor, but he did appear in a few sitcoms. He played town doctor Harlan Eldridge in the CBS sitcom Evening Shade. In 1992, he received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. He had a recurring role for six episodes on Everybody Loves Raymond as the Barone family's long-suffering parish priest, Father Hubley. He starred as Officer Frank Murphy in the 1975-1976 NBC sitcom The Cop and the Kid. His other sitcom guest appearances included All in the Family and Cybill. From 2004-2011, he played Mike Galvin, the father of Denis Leary's character in the FX drama Rescue Me. He received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 2008.

Chad Everett (IMDB/Wikipedia) - Actor Chad Everett was best known for his role as Dr. Joe Gannon in the television drama Medical Center. He died on July 24, 2012, at his home in Los Angeles, California after a year-and-a-half-long battle with lung cancer. Mr. Everett was 76.

Everett's career began with guest appearances in television series such as Maverick, Lawman, Bronco, 77 Sunset Strip, Cheyenne, Surfside 6 and Hawaiian Eye. In 1963, he played Deputy Del Clark in the short-lived ABC western series The Dakotas. He continued to make guest appearances in series like Route 66, The Lieutenant, Branded, Combat!, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The F.B.I. and Ironside.

His big break came in 1969 when he landed the role of Dr. Joe Gannon in the innovative medical drama Medical Center. The CBS series, which co-starred James Daly, ran for 7 seasons and 171 episodes from 1969-76. In 1978-79, he appeared in the television mini-series Centennial as Major Maxwell Mercy. More starring roles would follow for him in the 1980 CBS detective drama Hagen, the 1983-84 NBC drama The Rousters, the 1994-95 ABC drama McKenna, and the 2000 USA Network mystery show Manhattan, AZ. His many other guest appearances included The Love Boat, Murder, She Wrote, Cybill, Touched by an Angel, Diagnosis Murder, Caroline in the City, Just Shoot Me!, Melrose Place, The Nanny, Jack & Bobby, E-Ring, Cold Case, Without a Trace, Supernatural, Undercovers and Castle. Everett's film credits included Airplane II: The Sequel, Star Command, Psycho (1998) and Mulholland Drive.

James Farentino (IMDB/Wikipedia) - Actor James Farentino appeared in nearly 100 television and film roles. He died on January 24, 2012, of heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California following a long illness. Mr. Farentino was 73.

Farentino played Mary Tyler Moore's boss, Frank DeMarco, in the short-lived 1985-86 CBS sitcom Mary. He also starred in the short-lived 1992 ABC sitcom Julie, which starred Julie Andrews. His drama starring roles included The Bold Ones, Cool Million and Blue Thunder. He appeared as Dr. Nicholas Toscanni in Dynasty in 1981-82. Some of his many other television guest appearances included 77 Sunset Strip, Route 66, Ben Casey, Laredo, The F.B.I., The Fugitive, Run for Your Life, Ironside, The Virginian, Marcus Welby, M.D., Night Gallery, Police Story, ER, and Melrose Place.

Steve Franken (IMDB/Wikipedia) - Actor Steve Franken appeared on screen and television for half a century. He died on August 24, 2012, of complications from cancer in Canoga Park, California. Mr. Franken was 80.

He had a recurring role as playboy dilettante Chatsworth Osborne, Jr. in the CBS sitcom The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis from 1960-1963. He starred in the short-lived NBC sitcom Tom, Dick and Mary in 1964-1965. He appeared in 6-7 episodes of Bewitched in various roles. Some of his many other sitcom guest appearances included McHale's Navy, Petticoat Junction, The Patty Duke Show, Love, American Style, Mary Tyler Moore, Alice, One Day at a Time, Barney Miller, Diff'rent Strokes, Herman's Head, Seinfeld, Murphy Brown and The King of Queens.

Don Grady (IMDB/Wikipedia) - Don Grady was an actor, musician and composer. He was best known as Robbie Douglas in My Three Sons. Grady died after a long battle with cancer on June 27, 2012, in Thousand Oaks, California. Mr. Grady was 68.

Grady was born Don Louis Agrati in San Francisco, California on June 8, 1944. He was one of the original Mousketeers in The Mickey Mouse Club at the age of 13. Some of his early television appearances included The Ann Sothern Show, The Restless Gun, The Rifleman, Wagon Train, Have Gun -- Will Travel, The Eleventh Hour, The Lucy Show, Mr. Novak, To Rome with Love, and The F.B.I.. In 1960, he landed the role of the middle brother Robbie Douglas in My Three Sons. His character married his longtime classmate/girlfriend, Katie Miller (played by Tina Cole), near the end of the 1967-68 season. The next season she gave birth to triplets named Robert, Steven, and Charles. Grady was written out of the show after the eleventh season. He appeared in approximately 356 of the 380 episodes of the long-running sitcom. In 1970-1971, he appeared in two episodes of Love, American Style. His final credited acting appearances were in two episodes of Simon & Simon in 1983-1984.

Following My Three Sons, he pursued a career in music as a composer. He worked on the film Switch, wrote the theme music for The Phil Donahue Show, and did the music for EFX, a multimedia stage show at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV, which starred Michael Crawford, David Cassidy, Tommy Tune, and Rick Springfield. Grady also composed for productions on Lifetime and the Discovery Channel. In 2008, he released an album called Boomer: JazRokPop, a collection of songs written for and about the baby boomer generation.

Andy Griffith (IMDB/Wikipedia/Archive of American Television) - Andy Griffith was a legendary actor best known to television audiences for his long-running roles as Sheriff Andy Taylor in The Andy Griffith Show and criminal defense attorney Ben Matlock in Matlock. He died of a heart attack on July 3, 2012, at his home on Roanoke Island in Dare County, North Carolina. Mr. Griffith was 86.

Griffith's early career was as a comedian and monologist. His long story, What It Was, Was Football, was released a single in 1953. It reached number nine on the charts in 1954 and became one of the biggest selling comedy records of all time. In March 1955, he made his first appearance on television in an adaptation of No Time for Sergeants in The United States Steel Hour. It was later expanded into a play on Broadway. Griffith received a Tony Award nomination in 1956 for "Distinguished Supporting or Featured Dramatic Actor" for his role as Will Stockdale. He received his second Tony Award nomination in 1960 for Destry Rides Again. Film roles would follow in A Face in the Crowd (1957), No Time for Sergeants (1958), and Onionhead (1958).

A February 1960 episode of Make Room for Daddy would serve as the backdoor pilot for The Andy Griffith Show. In the episode Danny Meets Andy Griffith, Danny Williams (Danny Thomas' character) is arrested by Sheriff Andy Taylor for going through an unnoticed stop sign in the town of Mayberry. CBS picked up The Andy Griffith Show for the fall 1960 season. The show became an immediate ratings and critical hit. It never finished lower than seventh in the ratings during its eight season run. His series co-stars Don Knotts and Francis Bavier won a total of six Emmys (five for Knotts and one for Bavier). Surprisingly enough, Andy Griffith was never even nominated for an Emmy Award during his time on the show. After 8 very popular seasons and 249 episodes were produced, The Andy Griffith Show left the air in 1968. Griffith made five appearances in the spin-off series, Mayberry R.F.D., in 1968-1969. He also served as the show's executive producer. The Andy Griffith Show cast would reunite in 1986 for the highly successful television movie Return to Mayberry on NBC. Two other television reunion specials were aired on CBS in 1993 and 2003.

Griffith started his own production company (Andy Griffith Enterprises) in 1972. He starred in some short-lived television shows such as Headmaster, The New Andy Griffith Show (1971 sitcom), Adams of Eagle Lake, Salvage 1, and The Yeagers. Some of his guest appearances included Mod Squad, Hawaii Five-O, The Doris Day Show, Here's Lucy, The Bionic Woman, Fantasy Island, Hotel, and The Love Boat. During the 1970s and early 1980s, he appeared in many television movies such as The Strangers in 7A, Go Ask Alice, Pray for the Wildcats, Winter Kill, Savages, Street Killing, Murder in Texas, Murder in Coweta County, Fatal Witness, and Crime of Innocence. Griffith received his only Emmy nomination for his role as the father of a murder victim in Murder in Texas. In 1986, he landed the role of criminal defense attorney Benjamin Leighton "Ben" Matlock in the legal drama Matlock. The show ran for 9 successful seasons and 195 episodes from 1986-1992 on NBC and 1992-1995 on ABC. Don Knotts was among the Mayberry alumni to appear on the show. In 1995, he played the dangerous and mysterious grandfather in the memorable TV movie Gramps, which co-starred John Ritter. Some of his later roles included guest appearances on Diagnosis Murder, Family Law, and Dawson's Creek. His final role was in the 2009 film Play the Game.

Larry Hagman (IMDB/Wikipedia/Archive of American Television) - Legendary actor Larry Hagman was best known for playing Major Anthony "Tony" Nelson in I Dream of Jeannie and J.R. Ewing in Dallas. He died on November 23, 2012, at Medical City Dallas Hospital in Dallas from complications of throat cancer. Mr. Hagman was 81.

Hagman's television career began with guest appearances in Decoy, Goodyear Playhouse, Studio One in Hollywood, Search for Tomorrow, Kraft Theatre, Harbormaster, Sea Hunt, The Defenders and The Rogues. He appeared in the daytime soap opera The Edge of Night as Ed Gibson for two years from 1961-1963. In 1965, he landed the role of befuddled astronaut Air Force Captain (later Major) Anthony "Tony" Nelson in I Dream of Jeannie. The series was about a 2000-year-old genie named Jeannie who falls in love and later marries her master. The popular NBC sitcom, co-starring Barbara Eden, Bill Daily and Hayden Rorke, ran for five seasons and 139 episodes. Hagman didn't appear in the two television reunion movies: I Dream of Jeannie: 15 Years Later in 1985 or I Still Dream of Jeannie in 1991. He said that five years of the series was enough for him. He did reunite with Eden several times on The Donny and Marie Show, Larry King Live and at the TV Land Awards in 2004.

His next sitcom role was in the The Good Life. The short-lived 1971-1972 NBC series, which co-starred Donna Mills, was about a middle-class American couple who decide to work as the live-in butler and cook for a wealthy family. In 1973, he starred with Diane Baker, Dick Gauthier and Leslie Graves in the ABC sitcom Here We Go Again. The series about the post-divorce life of two couples ran for 13 episodes. Some of his many other television guest appearances included Love, American Style, Rod Serling's Night Gallery, Dan August, The Name of the Game, Medical Story, Police Woman, McCloud, Police Story, Lucas Tanner, Marcus Welby, M.D., Harry O, Ellery Queen, The Streets of San Francisco, Barnaby Jones, McMillan and Wife and The Rockford Files. In 1997, he starred in the short-lived CBS drama Orleans. In 2011, he appeared in two episodes of Desperate Housewives as the husband of Lynette Scavo's mother. He also directed episodes of I Dream of Jeannie, The Good Life, Dallas and In the Heat of the Night.

Hagman's signature role came in 1977 when he was offered the role of ruthless oil baron J.R. Ewing in Dallas. The popular primetime soap opera ran for 14 seasons and 357 episodes from 1978-1991 on CBS. He was the only actor to appear in all 357 episodes of the series. In the 1980 third season cliffhanger finale, there was a big mystery of who shot J.R. two times. The November 1980 episode where the assailant was identified was watched by an estimated 80 million viewers that set a ratings record at the time. Hagman received two Emmy Awards nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1980 and 1981. He didn't win, but the show did receive four Emmy Awards. He also received four Golden Globe Awards nominations from 1981 to 1985. Hagman made five guest appearances as J.R. Ewing on the Dallas spin-off series Knots Landing in 1980-1982. He also returned for the two Dallas television reunion movies: 1996's J.R. Returns and 1998's War of the Ewings. In 2012, he starred in the TNT revival series Dallas, which continued the story of the Ewing family. Hagman had completed 6 of 15 episodes for the upcoming second season. His death will be incorporated into the storyline. The second season is scheduled to premiere on January 28, 2013.

Robert Hegyes (IMDB/Wikipedia/Just My Show) - Actor Robert Hegyes was best known as high school student Juan Epstein in Welcome Back, Kotter. He died January 26, 2012. Hegyes suffered from chest pains at his Metuchen, New Jersey home and later died from an apparent heart attack at John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey. He had health problems in recent years, including a hip replacement and a heart attack. Mr. Hegyes was 60.

His career began with stage work in New York both on and off Broadway. In 1975, he landed the role of Juan Luis Pedro Felipo de Huevos Epstein in Welcome Back, Kotter. The show ran for 95 episodes over 4 seasons on ABC from 1975-79. He would later play undercover detective Manny Esposito in Cagney & Lacey. His other television guest appearances included The Streets of San Francisco, The Love Boat, Chico and the Man, CHiPs, Mr. Rhodes, NewsRadio, Diagnosis Murder and The Drew Carey Show. In his later years, he taught acting and screenplay writing classes at his alma mater, Rowan University. In 2011, he reunited with most of the cast members (except for Ron Palillo who was unable to attend due to recent surgery) of Welcome Back, Kotter for the show's 35th anniversary at the TV Land Awards.

Sherman Hemsley (IMDB/Wikipedia/Archive of American Television) - Actor Sherman Hemsley was best known for his role as the cranky George Jefferson in All in the Family and The Jeffersons, and as Deacon Ernest Frye in Amen. He died of lung cancer on July 24, 2012, at his home in El Paso, Texas. Mr. Hemsley was 74.

Hemsley's professional acting career began as a stage actor in New York. He made his Broadway debut in Purlie in 1970 and toured with the show for a year. In 1971, Norman Lear called him and offered him the role of George Jefferson, a neighbor of the Bunkers, in All in the Family. Hemsley declined the offer because of his theatre work, but he joined the cast two years later. He made his debut as the character on October 25, 1973, in the episode "Henry's Farewell." From 1973-1975 he appeared in a total of thirteen episodes of the series, plus two additional episodes after he left for the spinoff. The Jeffersons premiered on CBS on January 18, 1975. The show became an immediate ratings hit and was one of the most successful and longest-running spinoffs in history. It ran for 11 seasons and 253 episodes. At the time of its cancellation in 1985, it was the longest-running primetime scripted series on the air. Hemsley received an Emmy nomination in 1984 and Golden Globe Award nomination in 1985. The actors on the show were nominated for Emmys a total of 13 times. His television wife, Isabel Sanford, was nominated seven times from 1979-1985 and won in 1981. Although they were twenty years apart in real life, Hemsley and Sanford had great chemistry together. They also appeared together in two episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in 1995 and 1996. In the late 1990s and in the early 2000s, they appeared in a series of commercials for The Gap, Old Navy and Denny's. The cast also reunited for a Jeffersons stage-play. Hemsley and Sanford appeared at the 2nd Annual TV Land Awards in 2004. Hemsley's final credited acting appearance was as George Jefferson in a 2011 episode of Tyler Perry's House of Payne. His Jeffersons co-star Marla Gibbs also appeared in the episode as Florence Johnston.

Hemsley's second major role was in the 1986-1991 NBC sitcom Amen. He starred as the fiery Deacon Ernest Frye for five seasons. The series, which co-starred Clifton Davis, Anna Maria Horsford, Roz Ryan, Barbara Montgomery and Jester Hairston, ran for 110 episodes. Hemsley next voiced the character of B.P. Richfield, Earl Sinclair's horrifying boss, in the live-action 1991-1994 ABC sitcom Dinosaurs for four seasons. In 1996-1997, he co-starred with Dorien Wilson in the UPN sitcom Goode Behavior. Hemsley played the role of Willie Goode, a newly paroled con artist, for one season. In 2006, he was a cast member on the celebrity reality series The Surreal Life. His other television guest appearances included The Incredible Hulk, Fantasy Island, The Love Boat, E/R (1984 CBS sitcom as George Jefferson), The Twilight Zone (1985), 227, What a Dummy, Designing Women, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, Burke's Law, Thunder in Paradise, Lois & Clark: The New Adventure of Superman, Me and the Boys, Family Matters, The Wayans Bros., In the House, Martin, Clueless, Sister, Sister, City Guys, The Hughleys, and Family Guy (voice). Hemsley's film credits included Love at First Bite, Stewardess School, Mr. Nanny, Senseless, and American Pie Presents: The Book of Love.

Celeste Holm (IMDB/Wikipedia) - Celeste Holm was a television and film actress. She died of a heart attack on July 15, 2012, in New York City, New York. Ms. Holm was 95.

She was primarily a film actress. Holm won an Academy Award for her performance in Gentleman's Agreement. She was nominated for Come to the Stable and All About Eve. In 1954, she starred in the short-lived CBS sitcom Honestly Celeste. She played Abigail Townsend in the 1970-1971 NBC sitcom Nancy. Her other sitcom guest appearances included Archie Bunker's Place, The Love Boat, Cheers and Whoopi. She starred in the 1996-1999 CBS adventure series Promised Land.

Davy Jones (IMDB/Wikipedia) - Davy Jones was a British-born actor and singer-songwriter best known as a member of The Monkees. He died of a heart attack on February 29, 2012, at Martin Memorial South Hospital in Stuart, Florida. Mr. Jones was 66.

Jones' career in show business began at age 11 in 1961 on the British soap opera Coronation Street. A year later, he appeared in the BBC police series Z-Cars. He played the role of the Artful Dodger in Oliver! in London and then on Broadway. The role garnered him a Tony Award. Following an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964, with the cast of Oliver!, he was signed by Screen Gems to an acting contract. This led to guest appearances in Ben Casey and The Farmer's Daughter.

In the fall 1965, auditions were held for The Monkees. Due to his contract with Screen Gems, he was shortlisted for the auditions and identified in advance as a potential star for the series. The Monkees premiered on September 12, 1966, on NBC. Although the series ran for only 2 seasons and 58 episodes, it remains hugely popular to this day. They received two Emmy Awards in 1967: Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy (James Frawley). The Monkees music hits include (Theme From) The Monkees, Last Train to Clarksville. I'm a Believer, (I'm Not Your Steppin' Stone, A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You, Pleasant Valley Sunday, Daydream Believer and Valleri. In 1968, they appeared in the feature film Head. The band has reunited several times over the years for tours.

After the show ended and the band disbanded, Jones had a solo singing career and continued acting. One of his solo hits was Rainy Jane in 1971. He made guest appearances in sitcoms, including The Joey Bishop Show, Make Room for Granddaddy, The Brady Bunch (where he performed Girl), Love, American Style, The New Love, American Style, Sledge Hammer!, My Two Dads, The Single Guy, Boy Meets World and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. In 1995, he appeared in The Brady Bunch Movie.

Kathryn Joosten (IMDB/Wikipedia/Archive of American Television) - Kathryn Joosten was a character actress best known as the crotchety, nosy neighbor Karen McCluskey in Desperate Housewives and the president's secretary in The West Wing. She died of lung cancer on the morning of June 2, 2012, in Los Angeles, California. Ms. Joosten was 72.

Joosten's first career was as a psychiatric nurse in Chicago. At the age of 42, she started acting in community theater. Next, she worked as a street performer at Disney in Orlando. In 1995, she decided to move to Hollywood. Many television guest appearances and recurring roles would follow. Her sitcom guest appearances included Family Matters, Grace Under Fire, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Roseanne, Murphy Brown, Seinfeld, Frasier, Just Shoot Me!, Home Improvement, Dharma & Greg, The Drew Carey Show, Scrubs and My Name Is Earl. In 1999, she landed the role of Mrs. Landingham, personal secretary to President Josiah Bartlet (played by Martin Sheen), in NBC's The West Wing. She appeared in thirty episodes during the first two seasons of the series before her character was killed off in a car crash. Her success on The West Wing led to many more roles in dramas, such as Ally McBeal, Providence, The X-Files, The Division, Judging Amy, Gilmore Girls, The Closer and Grey's Anatomy. She made five appearances as Ida Warren on General Hospital from 2002-03. Another recurring role was as Old Lady God in eight episodes of Joan of Arcadia.

In 2005, she began her longest-running role as Karen McCluskey on ABC's Desperate Housewives. She appeared in 89 episodes from the pilot until the series finale. Joosten appeared as a guest star during the first five seasons. She started to receive "also starring" and "starring" credits at the start of the sixth season. Joosten received three "Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series" Emmy nominations for the role in 2005, 2008 and 2010. She won in 2005 and 2008. Joosten was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2001. She was a strong advocate of lung cancer awareness and research. Joosten asked creator Marc Cherry that her character Karen suffer long cancer to call attention to the disease. She died twenty days after her character died of lung cancer in the series finale.

Alex Karras (IMDB/Wikipedia) - Alex Karras was a NFL player and actor. He starred as George Papadapolis in Webster. Karras died on October 10, 2012, at his Los Angeles, California home from complications caused by kidney failure. He had suffered from a variety of health problems in recent years, including dementia, heart disease and stomach cancer. Mr. Karras was 77.

Karras' acting career begain in 1968 when he played himself in the film adaptation of Paper Lion. He made many television guest appearances in series such as Daniel Boone, Love American, Style, The Odd Couple, McMillian & Wife and M*A*S*H. In 1974, he played thug Mongo in the Mel Brooks' comedy film Blazing Saddles. His character knocks out a horse with a single punch in a memorable scene. He played Hans Brumbaugh in the 1978-1979 NBC miniseries Centennial. Karras' television movie credits included Hardcase, The 500 Pound Jerk, Babe (a 1975 biopic where he met his wife Susan Clark), Mad Bull, Jimmy B. & André, Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story, Masada and Made in America. His theatrical film credits included Victor Victoria, Porky's and Against All Odds.

Karras played the lovable George Papadapolis, a former professional football player turned sportscaster, in the hit sitcom Webster. The series was about a couple who adopts a recently orphaned 7-year-old child named Webster. Karras starred with his real-life wife Susan Clark and Emmanuel Lewis. ABC aired the series for four seasons from 1983-1987 before it moved into first-run syndication for the final two seasons from 1987-1989. A total of 150 episodes were produced. Karras and Clark were among the producers of the series through their Georgian Bay Entertainment production company.

He played college football at the University of Iowa from 1956-1957. Karras was a first team All-American in 1956. In 1957, he helped his team win the Rose Bowl and received the Outland Trophy for the best interior lineman. He finished as the runner-up in voting for the Heisman Trophy. The Detroit Lions drafted him 10th overall in the first round of the NFL draft in 1958. He was one of the most dominant defensive tackles in the league during his 12 seasons in the league from 1958-1962 and 1964-1970. Karras was named to Pro Bowl team four times in 1959, 1960, 1961 and 1965. He was also named to the 1960s All-Decade NFL team. Following the end of his career, he later worked on ABC's Monday Night Football broadcast team with Howard Cosell and Frank Gifford for three seasons from 1974-1976.

Alan Kirschenbaum (IMDB/Wikipedia) - Alan Kirschenbaum was a television producer and writer. He was the co-creator of the CBS sitcom Yes, Dear. His producing credits included Stark Raving Mad, Yes, Dear, Center of the Universe, My Name Is Earl and Raising Hope. He worked as a writer for Dear John, Coach, Yes, Dear, My Name Is Earl and Raising Hope. He died of an apparent suicide on October 26, 2012, in Burbank, California. Mr. Kirschenbaum was 51.

Jack Klugman (IMDB/Wikipedia/Archive of American Television) - Actor Jack Klugman was best known to sitcom fans as Oscar Madison on the hit '70s sitcom The Odd Couple, based on the Neil Simon play and film of the same name. He died December 24, 2012, at his home in Woodland Hills, California. Mr. Klugman was 90.

The Odd Couple on ABC from 1970-75 and Klugman co-starred with Tony Randall, who played Felix Unger. The series was of course about two divorced men living together -- a neat freak and a slob -- Klugman played Oscar Madison, the slob sportswriter to Tony Randall's overly fussy Felix Unger. The sitcom got solid ratings and received critical acclaim. Klugman won two Emmys for this role (and was nominated three other times) and a Golden Globe, not bad for a man whose first drama teacher told him he was better suited to be a truck driver. The show ran just for five years, but has lived on for decades in syndication. Klugman's co-star Randall passed away in 2004 at age 84. In 2005, Klugman published Tony And Me: A Story of Friendship, a book about his long friendship with Randall which began in 1955 (15 years prior to Odd Couple) when they both appeared on an episode of the CBS series Appointment with Adventure. For Klugman, no cause of death was mentioned, however he battled throat cancer for many years, losing his voice as a result of a 1989 surgery. He spoke in a rasp thereafter.

After The Odd Couple ended, Klugman went on to play another iconic TV character in the NBC drama Quincy, M.E. from 1976-83. In that series, Klugman became just as iconic playing the relentless Los Angeles medical examiner with a talent for forensics. He was nominated four times for an Emmy for this show, but never won. He actually got his start in show business in 1950 and by 1954 he was on the soap opera The Greatest Gift. He had various guest appearances on series in the '50s such as in Gunsmoke, Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchock Presents, and appeared in major movies like 12 Angry Men (1957), playing juror No. 5; Days of Wine and Roses (1962), starring opposite Jack Lemmon; and Goodbye Columbus (1969), based on the novella by Philip Roth, starring Ali MacGraw and Richard Benjamin. He won his first Emmy Award in 1964 for Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in the series The Defenders.

He starred in the short-lived NBC sitcom Harris Against the World in the 1964-65 season. After Quincy, he starred with a then-unknown John Stamos in the short-lived sitcom You Again? on NBC from 1986-87. Some of his other TV appearances were on The Virginian, Naked City, The Fugitive, Ben Casey, I Dream of Jeannie, The F.B.I., Love American Style, The Love Boat, Diagnosis Murder, Brother's Keeper, The Outer Limits, Third Watch, Crossing Jordan and Presido Med. He also appeared on many game shows like Match Game, Hollywood Squares, Password Plus, and $25,000 Pyramid. In 1993, he reunited with Tony Randall for the TV-movie The Odd Couple: Together Again, but this time on CBS.

George Lindsey (IMDB/Wikipedia) - George Lindsey was a character actor best known for his role as Goober Pyle in The Andy Griffith Show, Mayberry R.F.D. and Hee Haw. He died on May 6, 2012, in Nashville, Tennessee following a brief illness. Mr. Lindsey was 83.

Lindsey appeared as the grinning Goober Pyle on television for nearly 30 years. He got his big break in television in 1964 when he guest starred as the slow-witted but kindly Goober Beasley in the fifth season of The Andy Griffith Show. The character's name was later changed to Goober Pyle. It was established that he was the cousin of Gomer Pyle played by Jim Nabors. Jim Nabors and George Lindsey appeared in only one episode of The Andy Griffith Show together: Fun Girls. When Jim Nabors left to do the spin-off series Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. in 1964, the beanie-wearing Goober became a regular character. Lindsey appeared in 86 episodes of the show from 1964 until 1968 when it left the air. In 1965, he appeared in an episode of Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. called A Visit from Cousin Goober. He continued to appear as the character in 44 episodes of The Andy Griffith Show spin-off series Mayberry R.F.D. from 1968-1971. In 1971, he appeared in an episode of The New Andy Griffith Show on CBS. From 1972-1992 he appeared as Goober Pyle in 44 episodes of the country music variety program Hee Haw. His other Goober Pyle portrayals included the 1978 television movie Goober & the Truckers Paradise and the 1986 television reunion movie Return to Mayberry.

He had a number of other television and film roles during his career. His television guest appearances included The Rifleman, The Great Adventure, Twilight Zone, The Tycoon, Daniel Boone, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Gunsmoke, Banacek, Love, American Style, Movin' On, M*A*S*H, Fantasy Island, CHiPs and NewsRadio. Lindsey's film roles included Cannonball Run II and Take This Job and Shove It. He voiced characters in the Walt Disney animated films The Aristocats, Robin Hood and The Rescuers.

Laurie Main (IMDB/Wikipedia) - Laurie Main was an Australian actor best known as host and narrator of the Disney Channel's Welcome to Pooh Corner. He died on February 8, 2012, in Los Angeles, California. Mr. Main was 89.

Main's many sitcom guest appearances included Bachelor Father, Ichabod and Me, Get Smart, The Andy Griffith Show, That Girl, The Monkees, Hogan's Heroes, Mayberry R.F.D., The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Family Affair, Bewitched, The Doris Day Show, The Partridge Family and The Facts of Life Goes to Paris (TV movie).

Mike Martineau (IMDB/Wikipedia) - Mike Martineau was a television writer and former stand-up comedian. His writing credits included episodes of The Larry Sanders Show, The Preston Episodes, Love and Marriage, Mad About You, State of Grace, The Job and Rescue Me. He died on September 8, 2012, from heart disease in North Hollywood, California. Mr. Martineau was 53.

Hazel Medina (IMDB/Wikipedia) - Hazel Medina was an actress who appeared in films and on television for more than four decades. She died on February 14, 2012, due to complications from myeloma in New York City, New York. Ms. Medina was 74.

She played Crazy Alice on Sanford and Son in the episode Chinese Torture. Her other television credits included I Spy, Gunsmoke, Medical Center, The Bill Cosby Show, Baretta, The Rockford Files, Lou Grant, The White Shadow, The Cosby Show and Law & Order.

George Murdock (IMDB/Wikipedia) - George Murdock was a television and film character actor. He died on April 30, 2012, of cancer at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California. Mr. Murdock was 81.

Murdock played Lt. Scanlon, the oily Internal Affairs officer, in Barney Miller from 1978-1982. He also appeared as Capt. Krupnick in the 1964-1965 ABC sitcom No Time for Sergeants. His other sitcom starring role was as Laslo Gabov in the 1986-1987 syndicated sitcom What a Country!, which starred Yakov Smirnoff. Murdock's many other sitcom guest appearances included Fish, Bosom Buddies, Benson, Small Wonder, Night Court, Seinfeld, The Nanny, Madman of the People, Malcolm & Eddie, Just Shoot Me! and Norm. He played Dr. Salik in Battlestar Galactica.

Lupe Ontiveros (IMDB/Wikipedia) - Television and film actress Lupe Ontiveros was known for her roles as Carlos Solis' mother n Desperate Housewives and as the grandmother in the sitcoms Greetings from Tucson and Rob. She died on July 26, 2012, in Whittier, California after a brief battle with liver cancer. Ms. Ontiveros was 69.

Ontiveros was known for appearing as a maid over 150 times in films and television series over her 35-year career. She played an all-knowing grandmother in some of her later roles. Her career began with an appearance in a 1976 episode of Charlie's Angels. She continued to make guest appearances in television dramas, including Police Story, The White Shadow and Hill Street Blues. In 2002, she played the grandmother in an upwardly mobile family of mixed Irish and Mexican heritage in The WB's Greetings from Tucson. She had a recurring role in the 2004-05 season of Desperate Housewives as Gabrielle's suspicious mother-in-law. Her role in the series earned her an Emmy nomination for Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. In 2012, she played the grandmother in the CBS sitcom Rob, which starred Rob Schneider and Cheech Marin. Some of her many sitcom guest appearances included Alice, Soap, a.k.a. Pablo, I Married Dora, Who's the Boss?, Punky Brewster, Dudley, Caroline in the City, Dave's World, Veronica's Closet, The Brothers Garcia, Reba and Cory in the House. Her film credits included The Goonies, My Family, Selena, As Good as It Gets, Chuck & Buck, Real Women Have Curves, Tortilla Heaven and Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2.

Ron Palillo (IMDB/Wikipedia) - Actor Ron Palillo was best known for his role as high school student Arnold Dingfelder Horshack in Welcome Back, Kotter. He died on August 14, 2012, of a heart attack in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Mr. Palillo was 63.

Palillo's first television role was as Arnold Horshack, the class clown of the Sweathogs, in Welcome Back, Kotter. The popular sitcom ran for 4 seasons and 95 episodes on ABC from 1975-1979. It was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1976 after its first season. Palillo also appeared as Arnold Horshack in the pilot episode of the short-lived Mr. T and Tina, which starred Pat Morita, in 1976. Some of his other television guest appearances included The Love Boat, Alice, The A-Team, CHiPs, Matt Houston, Murder, She Wrote, Trapper John, M.D., and Cagney & Lacey. Palillo provided his voice in several animated series, including Laverne & Shirley in the Army in 1981, the Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour in 1982, and Rubik, the Amazing Cube in 1983.

He played the role of Gary Warren in the ABC daytime soap opera One Life to Live for one year in 1994. In 1996, he appeared as himself in three episodes of Ellen, where he was the love interest of Ellen's friend Audrey. He reprised his Horshack role in a 1997 episode of the NBC sitcom Mr. Rhodes that also featured Robert Hegyes and Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs. Other Welcome Back, Kotter related appearances included Family Feud, the MTV Movie Awards, Ames Department Store commercials, the E! True Hollywood Story, ABC's 50th Anniversary Celebration, and the TV Land Awards. Palillo was unable to attend the 35th Anniversary Welcome Back, Kotter reunion at the 9th Annual TV Land Awards in 2011 due to emergency surgery.

Don Rhymer (IMDB/Wikipedia) - Don Rhymer was a television writer and producer. His sitcom writing credits included Coach, The Hogan Family, Evening Shade, Hearts Afire, Fired Up, Chicago Sons and Caroline in the City. He died of cancer on November 28, 2012, in Los Angeles, California. Mr. Rhymer was 51.

John Rich (IMDB/Wikipedia/Archive of American Television) - John Rich was an award-winning television director of The Dick Van Dyke Show and All in the Family. He died on January 29, 2012, at his Los Angeles home after a brief illness. Mr. Rich was 86.

His nearly 50-year career in Hollywood included directing and producing episodes of many different television series. Rich directed over 40 episodes of The Dick Van Dyke Show and won his first Emmy in 1963. He directed over 80 episodes of All in the Family and won two Emmys and two Golden Globes for his work on the series. The memorable scene of Sammy Davis, Jr. kissing Archie Bunker in the episode Sammy's Visit was directed by him. His many other directing credits included episodes of I Married Joan, Where's Raymond?, Our Miss Brooks, Gilligan's Island, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., The Brady Bunch, That Girl, Good Times, Barney Miller, Newhart, Benson and Dear John. In the 1980s Rich and Henry Winkler formed a production company called Henry Winkler/John Rich Productions and together they produced MacGyver for Paramount Television from 1985-92.


Lee Rich (IMDB/Wikipedia/Archive of American Television) - Lee Rich was a television and film producer. He was the co-founder of Lorimar Productions who produced series including The Waltons, Eight is Enough and Dallas. Rich died on May 24, 2012, at his home in Los Angeles, California from lung cancer. Mr. Rich was 93.

Rich's career began in advertising for Benton & Bowles as ad agency middleman between product company sponsors and television producers. He was involved with The Andy Griffith Show, Make Room for Daddy, The Edge of Night, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. and The Dick Van Dyke Show. In 1965, he formed his own production company, Mirisch-Rich Productions. They produced The Rat Patrol and the short-lived sitcom Hey, Landlord. In 1969, he co-founded Lormiar Productions with Merv Adelson and Irwin Molasky. Rich served as an executive producer for The Waltons, Eight is Enough, Dallas and Flamingo Road. During his time at Lorimar, he received five Emmy nominations and won the 1973 Outstanding Drama Series for The Waltons. He also brought us TV movies including The Homecoming, The Homecoming: A Christmas Story (which served as the pilot for The Waltons), Sybil and Helter Skelter. After leaving Lorimar in 1986, Rich joined MGM/UA Communications as Chairman/CEO for two years. He later helped produce films including Passenger 57, Just Cause, Gloria and The Score.

Doris Singleton (IMDB/Wikipedia/Archive of American Television) - Doris Singleton was an actress, perhaps best remembered as Lucy Ricardo's near-sighted neighbor and frenemy Carolyn Appleby in I Love Lucy. She died on June 26, 2012, in Los Angeles, California from unknown causes. Ms. Singleton was 92.

Singleton first met and worked with Lucille Ball when she appeared on the radio show My Favorite Husband in 1948. Her early television guest appearances included The Adventures of Superman, The Loretta Young Show, The Bob Cummings Show, The Great Gildersleeve, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. In 1953, she first appeared in I Love Lucy as a character named Lillian Appleby. Her name was changed to Carolyn in later episodes. She appeared in a total of 10 episodes of the series. Some of her many other sitcom guest appearances included The People's Choice, Blondie, The Danny Thomas Show, Peck's Bad Girl, The Ann Sothern Show, Pete and Gladys, McKeever & the Colonel, Hazel, The Munsters, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Lucy Show, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., Family Affair, Hogan's Heroes, All in the Family, and Here's Lucy. In 1960-61, she had a regular role as Susie in the CBS sitcom Angel. She had two recurring roles in My Three Sons. She first played Helen Morrison, the mother of Meredith MacRae's Sally character who married Mike Douglas in the 1964-65 season. In 1970-71, she played Margaret Williams, the mother of Polly (played by Ronne Troup) who married Chip Douglas.

Leonard Termo (IMDB/Wikipedia) - Leonard Termo was a character actor who appeared in the memorable Seinfeld episode "The Mango." He died peacefully in his sleep on October 30, 2012, at his home in Santa Clarita, California. Mr. Termo was 77.

Termo played Joe, the owner of Joe's Fruits, in the fifth season premiere episode of Seinfeld titled "The Mango." Kramer takes a bite out of a bad peach, and attempts to return the fruit to the store where he got it. After he insults Joe, he is banned from the store. Jerry is also banned from the store when he attempts to buy fruits for Kramer. George is later able to buy the fruits for both Kramer and Jerry. After he eats one of Joe's mangoes, he exclaims "I think it moved!"

His other television guest appearances included Wiseguy, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and The Huntress. Termo appeared in five movies with his friend Mickey Rourke: The Pope of Greenwich Village, Year of the Dragon, Barfly, A Prayer for the Dying and Homeboy. His other film credits included Heart Like a Wheel, The Cotton Club, Johnny Dangerously, Turk 182!, Ruby, Ed Wood, Lost Highway, Fight Club and Ali.

Garry Walberg (IMDB/Wikipedia) - Garry Walberg was a character actor primarily known for his work on television. He died on March 27, 2012, in Northridge, California of chronic pulmonary obstructive disease and congestive heart failure. Mr. Walberg was 90.

Walberg played the recurring role of Speed, Oscar's poker crony, in The Odd Couple from 1970-1974. He reprised the role in the 1993 TV movie The Odd Couple: Together Again. His best known role was as Lt. Frank Monahan in all seven seasons of Quincy, M.E. from 1976-1983. Some of his other television guest appearances included Johnny Staccato, Rawhide, Ben Casey, The Fugitive, Peyton Place, Lassie, The High Chaparral, Gunsmoke, The Waltons, Mannix and Murder, She Wrote.

Sullivan Walker (IMDB/Wikipedia) - Sullivan Walker was a Trinidadian actor who played numerous small and recurring roles on television shows from the early 1980s onwards. He died of a heart attack on February 20, 2012, at his home in Los Angeles, California. Mr. Walker was 68.

He had a recurring role on The Cosby Show from 1988-91 as Bill Cosby's physician friend, Dr. James Harmon. His most regular television roles were as James St. Martin on the 1993 ABC TGIF sitcom Where I Live and as Yale on Earth 2 in 1994-95. Walker's other television credits included The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Lush Life, Living Single, The Sentinel, The Jamie Foxx Show and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Reinhold Weege (IMDB/Wikipedia) - Reinhold Weege was a television writer and producer. He died December 1, 2012, in La Jolla, California of natural causes. Mr. Weege was 62.

Weege's television career began in 1976 as a writer for Barney Miller. He wrote 34 episodes of the series from 1976-1979. He also worked as the story editor for 22 episodes. In 1978-1979, he was the co-producer of the series. He received an Emmy nomination in 1979 for Outstanding Comedy Series. Weege's other sitcom writing credits included M*A*S*H, Fish and Semi-Tough. He created, executive produced and wrote Park Place in 1981. The short-lived CBS sitcom, which starred Harold Gould and Alice Drummond, ran for only four episodes.

In 1984, he created the popular NBC sitcom Night Court. The successful series ran for nine seasons from 1984-1992. He owned Starry Night Productions, which produced the series until he left in 1989 after six seasons. In addition to writing and producing the series, he directed two episodes in 1985. Weege received three Emmy nominations for Night Court as Outstanding Comedy Series in 1985, 1987 and 1988. He did an audio commentary for the "Pilot" episode and an interview for the 2005 DVD release of Night Court - The Complete First Season.

Sol Weinstein (IMDB) - Sol Weinstein was a comedy writer. His writing credits included Barney Miller, Maude, CPO Sharkey, The Jeffersons, Hello, Larry, Three's Company, The Love Boat and Small Wonder. He died of pancreatic cancer on November 25, 2012, in Wellington, New Zealand. Mr. Weinstein was 84.

Yvette Wilson (IMDB/Wikipedia) - Yvette Wilson was an actress and comedian best known for her role as Andell Wilkerson in the UPN sitcom Moesha and its spinoff The Parkers. She died of cervical cancer on June 14, 2012, in Los Angeles, California. Ms. Wilson was 48.

Wilson began her career as a stand-up comedian. She made a couple of appearances on In Living Color in 1992-1993 before she got her big break in the 1993-1994 ABC sitcom Thea. She played the character of Lynette, Thea's sister, in all 19 episodes. The short-lived show featured Brandy Norwood in her first regular television series role. Brandy and Yvette would later appear together again in Moesha. She played the supporting character of Andell Wilkerson in Moesha in 105 episodes over 4 seasons from 1996-2000. Her character owned The Den, a popular restaurant where Moesha and her friends hung out after school. After four seasons on the show, she left to appear in the spinoff series The Parkers. She played the same Andell Wilkerson character. This time she was the best friend of Mo'Nique's character Nikki Parker and owned a restaurant and bar named Andell's. She appeared in 101 episodes from 1999 until the show was cancelled in 2004. In 1997, she guest starred in an episode of The Jamie Foxx Show. She also appeared on HBO's Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam. Wilson's film credits included Poetic Justice, House Party 3, Friday, and Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood.

William Windom (IMDB/Wikipedia) - Actor William Windom starred in The Farmer's Daughter and won an Emmy for his role in My World and Welcome to It. He died from congestive heart failure on August 16, 2012, at his home in Woodacre, California. Mr. Windom was 88.

Windom's early television work included episodes of Robert Montgomery Presents, Guestward Ho!, Surfside 6, The Gertrude Berg Show, The Donna Reed Show, The Lucy Show, The Twilight Zone, Gunsmoke and 77 Sunset Strip. His first starring role was in The Farmer's Daughter. The 1963-1966 ABC sitcom, which co-starred Inger Stevens, was about a young Minnesota woman who becomes the housekeeper for a widowed Congressman. In 1967, he appeared as Commodore Matt Decker in the Star Trek episode The Doomsday Machine. He would later reprise the role in a 2004 episode of Star Trek New Voyages: Phase II.

Windom's next starring role was in My World and Welcome to It, which aired on NBC for a single season in 1969-1970. He played John Monroe, a James Thurber-like writer and cartoonist who works for a magazine that closely resembles The New Yorker, called The Manhattanite. Windom won an Emmy Award in 1970 for Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series. He continued to make appearances on many television series, including The Name of the Game, The Virginian, Night Gallery, The F.B.I., Mission: Impossible, Mannix and The Streets of San Francisco. In 1979, he starred in the short-lived Brothers and Sisters, a frat-house comedy series that aired on NBC. He had a recurring role on Murder, She Wrote for more than a decade and over 50 episodes as Dr. Seth Hazlitt. His film roles included To Kill a Mockingbird, The Detective and Brewster McCloud.