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
Tuesday, April 1
St. Denis Medical - "Anything to Push Zaluva" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Ron's teasing makes Joyce question whether her friendship with a pharmaceutical rep is genuine; Alex has trouble letting Serena take on a new task; Matt finds a mentor in Bruce.
Night Court - "Hot to Trot" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Abby's friendship with her ex-boyfriend's mother leads to romantic complications; when Julianne's wealthy aunt passes away, the gang vies for a piece of her inheritance.
Tyler Perry's House of Payne - "Love At First Swipe" (BET, 9:00PM ET/PT)
C.J. and Janine receive marital advice from an unlikely source; Peanut seeks help with his newfound online lover.
Tyler Perry's Assisted Living - "Failure 2 Launch" (BET, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Assisted Living is the new situation comedy by Tyler Perry about three generations who must make a new start in the rural backwoods of Georgia.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 31)
Tuesday, April 1
- Adam Scott (Ghosted/Veep/Parks and Recreation/Party Down) - Catch Adam on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Kevin Bacon (I Love Dick) - Kevin is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Amanda Peet (Brockmire/Togetherness/Bent) - Amanda appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Paul Rudd (The Shrink Next Door/Living with Yourself/Wild Oats) - Paul stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Ike Barinholtz (The Studio/The Afterparty/Bless the Harts/The Mindy Project/Eastbound & Down) - Ike appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He will also be on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9:30pm on Bravo.
- Vinny Thomas (Platonic), Paul F. Tompkins (The Great North/BoJack Horseman/DAG) and Aparna Nancherla (The Great North/Lopez vs Lopez/Corporate) - Vinny, Paul and Aparna are guests on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Chase Sui Wonders (The Studio/Bupkis) and Kathryn Hahn (The Studio/Tiny Beautiful Things/Central Park/Happyish/Transparent/Free Agents) - Chase and Kathryn are guests on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9:30pm on Bravo.
- Will Ferrell (The Office) and Jennifer Coolidge (2 Broke Girls/Joey) - E! News has interviews with Will and Jennifer at 11pm on E!.
- Román Zaragoza (Ghosts) - Román talks about Ghosts on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
- Jenny Slate (The Great North/Big Mouth/Married/Bob's Burgers) - Jenny talks about Dying for Sex on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
- Michael Angarano (Laid/I'm Dying Up Here/Will & Grace) and Michael Cera (Life & Beth/Arrested Development/I Was a Sixth Grade Alien) - Michael and Michael talk about Sacramento with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Olivia Munn (Perfect Couples) - Olivia guest co-hosts NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Hannah Einbinder (Hacks) - Hannah talks about Hacks on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Tasha Smith (Survival of the Thickest/Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse/The Tom Show/Boston Common) and Tone Bell (Survival of the Thickest/Fam/Disjointed/Truth Be Told/Bad Judge/Whitney) - Tasha and Tone talk about the new season of Netflix’s Survival of the Thickest on Sherri, so check your local listings.
- Kathryn Hahn (The Studio/Tiny Beautiful Things/Central Park/Happyish/Transparent/Free Agents) - Kathryn is dishing on her new comedy series The Studio on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Wilmer Valderrama (That '70s Show) - Wilmer and Freddy Rodriguez chat about their podcast Dos Amigos on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
- Brenda Song (Running Point/Dollface/Dads/The Suite Life on Deck/The Suite Life of Zack & Cody) - Brenda talks about Netflix's Running Point on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
- Paul Walter Hauser (The Afterparty) - Paul is a guest on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:40am.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
11/05 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/12 - The King of Queens - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (2024 Release)
11/19 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fourteenth Season
11/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 4 (Blu-ray)
12/03 - Angel (1960-1961) - The Complete Series, Volume 1
12/17 - Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (4K UHD)
01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
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