Monday, June 02, 2014
Remembering Ann B. Davis from The Brady Bunch; NBC Schedules Final 2 Growing Up Fisher Episodes
Emmy-winning actress Ann B. Davis, who played beloved housekeeper Alice Nelson in The Brady Bunch, has died. She died on June 1 at University Hospital in San Antonio, Texas. She suffered a head injury from a fall at her home on May 31 and never recovered. Ms. Davis was 88.
Davis first appeared on television as a musical judge in the 1953-54 season on ABC's Jukebox Jury. Her early television appearances included Matinee Theater and Lux Video Theatre. Davis's first starring role was as Charmaine "Schultzy" Schultz in the sitcom The Bob Cummings Show (also known as Love That Bob). The series ran for five seasons on NBC and CBS from 1955-1959. It also starred Bob Cummings, Rosemary DeCamp and Dwayne Hickman. Davis played the razor-tongued secretary, who had a crush on her boss. She was nominated four times for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for the role. She won Emmys in 1958 and 1959. On February 9, 1960, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Her second starring role was in the NBC sitcom The John Forsythe Show in 1965-66. She played Miss Wilson, a physical education teacher at a private girls' academy. Her television guest appearances in the 1960s included Wagon Train, The New Breed, McKeever and Colonel, Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, The Pruitts of Southampton and Insight. She also appeared in commercials for the Ford Motor Company. Her other commercials over the years included Minute Rice, Shake 'n Bake and Swiffer.
Davis's best known role was as the devoted housekeeper Alice Nelson in The Brady Bunch, which aired on ABC from 1969-1974. Alice was known for her blue and white maid's uniform. She did it all for the Brady family. She was always there to clean the house, tell jokes and give advice to anybody who needed it. Davis reprised the role of Alice Nelson many times over the years. She appeared in The Brady Bunch Hour in 1976-1977. In 1981, she appeared in the TV movie The Brady Girls Get Married and the spin-off series The Brady Brides. She returned in the 1988 CBS TV movie A Very Brady Christmas. In 1989, she guest starred in a very funny episode of the NBC sitcom Day by Day, titled A Very Brady Episode. She appeared in four episodes of the 1990 CBS dramedy The Bradys. In 1991, she guest starred as Alice Nelson in an episode of Hi Honey, I'm Home. Her final appearance as Alice was in the 1994 film Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult. She appeared as a trucker named Schultzy in the 1995 film A Very Brady Movie. One of her final television appearances via tape was a Brady Bunch reunion on The Talk in February to celebrate Florence Henderson's 80th birthday.
The Archive of American Television conducted an interview with her on March 13, 2004. She is survived by her identical twin sister Harriet Norton. Ms. Davis was one of the best ever. She was a very talented and funny woman. Alice was very much the glue that held the Brady family together. There was no better housekeeper on television. Ann B. Davis seemed like an even nicer person with all her church and charity work. We thank her for the many laughs and memories she brought us over the years. Ms. Davis will be deeply missed.
Share your favorite memories on our Brady Bunch message board. View photos in our photo galleries.
INSP will air The Brady Bunch: A Tribute to Ann B. Davis on Thursday, June 5. They will show six Alice-themed episodes ("Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore," "The Big Sprain," "Alice's September Song," "Sergeant Emma," "Goodbye, Alice, Hello," and "The Elopement") beginning at 5pm ET.
MeTV Adds Ann B. Davis Tribute for Sunday, June 8
NBC's canceled comedy Growing Up Fisher still has two episodes left to air and now NBC has announced when they will air. Originally the final episodes were scheduled for May 28, but that never happened. Instead, NBC opted to re-air the Last Comic Standing season premiere. Now Growing Up Fisher will air its final two episodes on Wednesday, June 11 from 8-9pm. On the first episode, when Joyce's (Jenna Elfman) free-spirited sister, Madi (guest star Erinn Hayes) comes to visit, Mel (J.K. Simmons) couldn't be happier since his separation from Joyce means Madi is no longer his problem. And on the series finale at 8:30pm, when the divorce papers arrive in the mail, Mel (J.K. Simmons) is determined to preserve for Henry (Eli Baker) and Katie (Ava Deluca-Verley) a sense of normalcy, and keeps their annual family trip on the books. NBC will follow the two episodes with an NBC News Special from 9-11pm titled The People Vs. O.J. Simpson: What The Jury Never Heard. Back to Growing Up Fisher, the series was not picked-up for a second season, so it is 13 episodes and done for Jenna Elfman.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Thursday, May 22
Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "Diet Crap" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Tensions rise when Georgie intrudes on Mandy’s new sales gig. Meanwhile, Audrey’s conflicted when Jim makes it a point not to coddle Connor.
Ghosts - "Sad Farnsby" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Sam accidentally creates a rift between Sam and Jay’s neighbors, the Farnsbys, Henry Farnsby moves into Woodstone B&B. Also, Isaac and Nigel battle over a belated wedding present.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of May 19)
Thursday, May 22
- Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana) - Catch Miley on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Chloe Fineman (Big Mouth/Search Party) - Chloe appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Ronny Chieng (Young Rock/Ronny Chieng: International Student) - Ronny hosts Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm. Featured host Vlad Duthiers sits down with Ronny on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
- Elizabeth Banks (30 Rock/Scrubs) and Amanda Peet (Brockmire/Togetherness/Bent) - Elizabeth and Amanda are guests on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 10:15pm on Bravo.
- Cynthia Nixon (And Just Like That.../Sex and the City) - Cynthia talks about ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
- Hugh Jackman (Human Resources) - Hugh chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Bill Bellamy (Mr. Box Office/Men, Women & Dogs/Cousin Skeeter) - Bill brings the laughs to the third annual cookout on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
- Finola Hughes (Blossom) - Finola dishes on General Hospital on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
- Jason Schwartzman (Blunt Talk/Mozart in the Jungle/Bored to Death) - Jason talks about Mountainhead on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Sterling K. Brown (Starved) - Sterling is telling Drew all about playing a secret service agent in the thrilling new show Paradise on a repaet of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Midori Francis (The Sex Lives of College Girls) - Midori is a guest on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:05am.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
05/13 - The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered)
06/06 - Shoresy - Season 2
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (Blu-ray)
07/08 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
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