Monday, October 23, 2006
Remembering 'Father Knows Best' TV Mom Jane Wyatt; 'Doris Day Show' DVD Delayed
We have lost one of the great TV moms of all-time. Jane Wyatt, the actress who for six years on Father Knows Best (starring Robert Young) was one of TV's favorite moms, has died. Wyatt died Friday in her sleep of natural causes at her Bel-Air home, according to publicist Meg McDonald. She experienced health problems since suffering a stroke at 85, but her mind was sharp until her death, her son Christopher Ward said. She was best known for her role on the family sitcom as Robert Young's TV wife, Margaret Anderson that brought the actress her lasting fame. She appeared in 207 half-hour episodes from 1954 to 1960 and won three Emmys as best actress in a dramatic series in the years 1958 to 1960. The show began as a radio sitcom in 1949; it moved to television in 1954. After its run ended, it continued in reruns on CBS and ABC for three years in primetime, a TV rarity. The show came to an end because Young, who had also played the father in the radio version, had enough. Wyatt remarked in 1965 that she was tired, too. Besides this show, she did mostly movies, but she did have some other TV works (mainly one-hour dramas) such as Star Trek, Love American Style, Here Come the Brides, Marcus Welby, Owen Marshall, Alias Smith & Jones, The Virginian, Medical Center, Quincy, St. Elsewhere, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Hotel, and even Happy Days. She will be deeply missed and here is hoping we see Father Knows Best on DVD soon. Ms. Wyatt lived a long life and was 96.
Related Links:
Internet Movie Database entry for Jane Wyatt
Father Knows Best Message Board
Father Knows Best Photo Gallery
And staying in the '50s/'60s decade, the fourth season DVD of The Doris Day Show has been delayed, MPI Home Video tells us. The set was scheduled for release on October 31, but no retailers I believe ever put it up for sale, so we asked MPI and they told us the set has been delayed until February 27, 2007. So, fans of this classic sitcom take note of this but rest assue we will get this season in the coming months. MPI is still on schedule for the Family Affair release in November.
We shall return if we have more news to share.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Thursday, November 12
Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "A Ten-Year Reunion and an Outta-the-Box Thinker" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Georgie and Ruben butt heads when Georgie crashes Ruben’s business class, and Mandy encourages Connor to attend his high school reunion.
Eternally Yours - "Eternal Sunshine of Phyllis's Mind" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Jesse contemplates whether it’s finally time to tell Phyllis his secret. Meanwhile, Max and Emma navigate their first big relationship hurdle.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of November 9)
Thursday, November 12
- Bobby Lee (And Just Like That.../Splitting Up Together/Animal Practice) - Catch Bobby on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Tracy Morgan (The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins/Crutch/The Last O.G./30 Rock/The Tracy Morgan Show) - Tracy is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- John C. Reilly (Moonbase 8) - John appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Caroline Rhea (Sydney to the Max/Sabrina the Teenage Witch/Pride & Joy) - Caroline will be on Funny You Should Ask at 12:37am on CBS.
- Ron Howard (Arrested Development/Happy Days/The Andy Griffith Show) - Ron talks about his documentary Avedon on Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
- Justine Lupe (Nobody Wants This/Cristela) - Andy Cohen interviews Justine on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 3am on Bravo.
- Owen Wilson (Stick) - Owen talks about Stick on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
- Jessica Capshaw (Odd Man Out) - Jessica talks about 9-1-1: Nashville on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
- Teri Polo (I'm with Her/Man Up!) - NBC's Today catches up with Teri in the 9am hour.
- Marc Maron (Stick/GLOW/Maron) - Marc and Sunny Anderson cover the latest news with Drew and Ross. Then, he's talking all about season two of Stick on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Harry Richardson (Not Suitable for Work) - Harry can be heard on the Morning Mash Up on SiriusXM.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
08/25/26 - Perfect Strangers - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/08/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 3 (Blu-ray)
09/22/26 - Bridget Loves Bernie - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
09/29/26 - Happy's Place - Season Two (Blu-ray) (DVD)
10/20/26 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Fifth Season (DVD)
10/20/26 - The Brady Bunch - The Complete Original Series (2026 Release) (DVD)
10/20/26 - The Quick Draw McGraw Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
10/20/26 - Shrinking - The Complete First and Second Seasons (DVD)
10/20/26 - South Park - The Complete Twenty-Seventh and Twenty-Eighth Seasons (DVD)
11/03/26 - Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete Second Season (DVD)
11/03/26 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Ninth Season (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/03/26 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Sixteenth Season (DVD)
11/03/26 - Superstore - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/24/26 - The Yogi Bear Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
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