Merry Christmas from SitcomsOnline; Remembering Jack Klugman from The Odd Couple, Quincy M.E.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Merry Christmas from SitcomsOnline; Remembering Jack Klugman from The Odd Couple, Quincy M.E.

Merry Christmas everyone! We hope you are enjoying the holiday whether you celebrate it or not. Thanks for taking a bit of your time out today for visiting. And also thanks for continuing to visit everyday, as we enter our eighth year of everyday posting! As a reminder, don't forget to follow us on Twitter and like SitcomsOnline on Facebook. We welcome your thoughts, opinions and discussions! So join in on the action on both of those! We are everywhere--SitcomsOnline.com, the message board, right here on the blog, Twitter, Facebook, and more! It's certainly "all sitcoms, all the time!" Merry Christmas and god bless us everyone, as Tiny Tim would say!

Jack Klugman

Onto a bit of sad news, yesterday (December 24, 2012) we lost actor Jack Klugman. He is of course 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. The series ran 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.

The Odd Couple

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. He was married to Brett Somers (Match Game), who also guest starred as his ex-wife Blanche in The Odd Couple, from 1953 until her death in 2007 (though they separated in 1974, they never divorced). His survivors include their two sons, Adam Klugman and David Klugman, and two grandchildren. In 2008, he married his longtime girlfriend Peggy Crosby, the ex-wife of Bing Crosby's son, Phillip Crosby.

The Archive of American Television conducted an extensive two-and-a-half hour interview with Klugman in 2004 that you can watch. Mr. Klugman will be deeply missed by fans of The Odd Couple and Quincy, M.E. for sure and all of his other work. We will keep you up to date of any on-air tributes for him. The Odd Couple is coming back to MeTV Network starting December 31, weeknights at 10pm, as we previously reported. So a best bet marathon for that series will be from them. In New York City, local independent station WLNY-TV (10/55) already had planned a marathon of The Odd Couple on New Year's Eve beginning at 12 midnight lasting through New Year's Day at 9pm. Now that marathon gets bittersweet with the passing of Klugman. We'll keep you up to date of any on-air tributes (hopefully someone will air Quincy which was last on Hallmark in 2003-04), so stay with us! Mr. Klugman was 90.

Share your memories on our The Odd Couple message board. View photos in our The Odd Couple and Quincy, M.E. photo galleries.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Wednesday, August 10

The Conners - "Messy Situation, Miscommunication and Academic Probation" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Becky inadvertently outs her relationship with Professor Davis, he’s forced to reevaluate his career, but his erratic behavior sends Becky down a path to reevaluate their relationship. Meanwhile, Dan and Darlene check in on Chuck, only to learn heartbreaking news about his family.

The Goldbergs - "Hip-Shaking and Booty-Quaking" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Erica and Geoff decide to throw a party to prove to others and themselves that they can still have fun as a young, engaged couple. Meanwhile, Beverly assumes control of William Penn Academy as “acting principal” and presses the school faculty to put together a “Fame”-themed send-off for the senior class.

Abbott Elementary - "Open House" (ABC, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
It’s Open House night at Abbott Elementary, and while Janine prepares to meet her struggling student’s mother, the rest of the faculty uses the time to relax. Gregory is taken aback when he learns how Ava got the principal job, and later, Barbara’s daughter’s visit creates a commotion in more ways than one.

Home Economics - "Keg of Light Beer, $180" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
While Tom and Marina attempt to relive their youth at a college party, Connor and Denise deal with JoJo (Tetona Jackson) potentially leaving when she gets an offer to go on a reality show. Meanwhile, Sarah considers casting her niece in the school musical.

Wellington Paranormal - "A Civil War" (The CW, 9:00PM ET/PT)
In the wake of a shocking blindside, players scramble for power; a pair of underdogs must choose between creating chaos and playing it safe.

grown-ish - "Look What U Started" (Freeform, 10:00PM ET/PT)
Eager to impress Gamma Psi Delta while pledging, Junior faces a moral dilemma when he books a controversial comic to perform at a fundraiser; Aaron struggles to fit in with his colleagues, and receives advice from Zoey about how to cope.

Everything's Trash - "Family Is Trash" (Freeform, 10:30PM ET/PT)
Jayden's obsessive need to fix Phoebe creates a rift between them; Jessie, Malika and Michael attempt to mend the relationship and reunite the siblings.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of August 8)

Wednesday, August 10

Jamie Foxx (Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!/The Jamie Foxx Show) - Watch Jamie on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Abbi Jacobson (Broad City) - Abbi appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
David Alan Grier (Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!/The Cool Kids/The Carmichael Show/Bad Teacher/Life with Bonnie/DAG) - David guest hosts Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Kieran Culkin (Go Fish) - Kieran is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Jeff Foxworthy (The Jeff Foxworthy Show) - Jeff appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Vanessa Bayer (I Love That for You) - Vanessa is a guest on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Julie Andrews (Julie) - Julie chats with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Michaela Jaé Rodriguez (Loot) - Michaela discusses Loot on LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
Laura Linney (The Big C) - Laura appears on a repeat of The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
Gabriel Iglesias (Mr. Iglesias/Cristela) - Gabriel is a guest on a repeat of The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
Mariska Hargitay (Can't Hurry Love) - Mariska appears on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Jason Biggs (Outmatched/Mad Love/Drexell's Class) - Jason and his wife Jenny Mollen are guests on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
D'Arcy Carden (Barry/The Good Place) - NBC's Today catches up with D'Arcy in the 9am hour.
Sherri Shepherd (Mr. Iglesias/Trial & Error/Sherri/Less Than Perfect/Suddenly Susan) - Sherri guest hosts a repeat of The Wendy Williams Show, so check your local listings.
Sofia Vergara (Modern Family/The Knights of Prosperity/Hot Properties) - Sofia is a guest on E!'s Daily Pop at 11am.
Howie Mandel (Good Grief) - Howie will be on E!'s Daily Pop at 11am.
Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine/Are We There Yet?/Everybody Hates Chris) - Terry is a guest on E!'s Daily Pop at 11am.
Megan Suri (Never Have I Ever) - Megan appears on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:40am.