Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Decades Network Launches; Remembering Anne Meara

Decades

Decades, a new network where entertainment and history come together, launched yesterday and features original series Through the Decades, a daily time capsule showing how television captured historically significant events on that day throughout history. With the day's historical events covered in Through the Decades, a series of films and television programs relating to those events is shown next with commentary on the historical and cultural significance of each. So, there is no set schedule during weekdays as each day will focus on different types of programming. Each weekday starting at 7 AM | 6 C their six-hour daily programming block kicks off with Through the Decades, repeating four times per day. Saturdays and Sundays feature "binge" programming from their library of iconic television series. The first weekend (May 30-31) will have marathons of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, followed by The Beverly Hillbillies (June 6-7) and That Girl (June 13-14). Further binge programming is to be determined.

Back to weekdays, among the shows you'll see pop-up during the first few weeks are some episodes of Hogan's Heroes, The Rat Patrol, I Love Lucy, The Lucy Show, The Doris Day Show, Family Affair, The Guns of Will Sonnett, Daniel Boone, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Petticoat Junction, Bonanza, The Mod Squad, Batman, Naked City, Combat!, Gunsmoke, Car 54 Where Are You?, Love American Style, Hawaii Five-0, The Fugitive, The Saint, Route 66, and Have Gun Will Travel. Keep it right here for continued updates on Decades. In the meantime, find out if you receive the network.


Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller

Actress and comedian Anne Meara, who starred as Veronica Rooney in Archie Bunker's Place, has died. She died on May 23 in Manhattan, New York. No cause of death has been announced. Ms. Meara was 85.

Meara met actor-comedian Jerry Stiller in 1953. They were married in 1954. After leaving the improvisational company The Compass Players (which later became The Second City), they formed the comedy team of Stiller and Meara. They were regulars on The Ed Sullivan Show, with over 30 appearances from 1963-1971. They also appeared together on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.

Meara's first starring television role was as Harriet in the 1954 soap opera The Greatest Gift. Her early sitcom guest appearances included The Courtship of Eddie's Father (2 episodes with Jerry), Love, American Style and The Paul Lynde Show. She had a starring role as Mae in the second season of The Corner Bar in 1973. She played Rhoda's friend Sally Gallagher, a divorced airline stewardess, in 7 episodes of the third season of Rhoda in 1976-1977. Meara received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress in 1977. Stiller appeared as her ex-husband, Lloyd Zimmer. Meara made 3 guest appearances in The Love Boat from 1979-1983.

Anne Meara - Archie Bunker's Place

She starred as Veronica Rooney, the bar's wisecracking cook, in the first three seasons of Archie Bunker's Place from 1979-1982. She received Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 1981 and 1982. Stiller appeared in 2 episodes as her ex-husband, Carmine.

Stiller and Meara had their own short-lived sitcom The Stiller and Meara Show in 1986. Meara had a recurring role as Kate Tanner's (Anne Scheeden) mother in 7 episodes of ALF from 1987-1989. She also wrote the episode "Break Up to Make Up" in 1989. Some of her later sitcom guest appearances included Murphy Brown (2 episodes), Will & Grace, Good Morning, Miami, Charlie Lawrence, Sex and the City (4 episodes) and Four Kings. She made her first guest appearance as Mary Finnegan in a 1999 episode of The King of Queens, which reunited her with Jerry. She had a recurring role as Veronica Olchin, Spence's mother and Arthur's wife in the final season, in 9 episodes from 2003-2007.

Meara was also known for her work in dramas. She starred as Kate McShane in the 1975 CBS legal drama Kate McShane. It was the first network series to feature a female lawyer in the lead role. She received an Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for the role in 1975.

She had a recurring role as Erica Kane's maid Peggy Moody in All My Children from 1992-1999. Some of her other television drama guest appearances included Medical Center, Murder, She Wrote (2 episodes), In the Heat of the Night, Homicide: Life on the Street (Emmy-nominated for her role as Donna DiGrazi in 2 episodes), Oz, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2 episodes) and Mercy. She starred in the 1983 TV movie The Other Woman. She won a Writers Guild Award as a co-writer of the romantic comedy, which also starred Hal Linden.

Survivors include her husband, Jerry; two children, actress Amy and actor and director Ben; and two grandchildren.

The Archive of American Television conducted an extensive interview with her on December 12, 2005.

Stiller and Meara were a great team on and off the screen. They were married for 61 years. That's very rare to see in Hollywood. We thank her for the many laughs she brought us over the years. She will be greatly missed.

Share your memories on our message board. View photos in our galleries.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Friday, March 29

none scheduled

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 25)

Friday, March 29

  • Michael Keaton (Report to Murphy/Working Stiffs/All's Fair) - Watch Michael on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Ramy Youssef (Ramy/See Dad Run) - Ramy appears on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Sarah Paulson (Leap of Faith) - Sarah is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Bowen Yang (Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens) - Bowen appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Lauren Lapkus (Crashing/Clipped/Are You There, Chelsea?) - Lauren is a guest on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Jim Parsons (Young Sheldon/The Big Bang Theory) - Jim talks about Mother Play on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
  • Frank Grillo (Battery Park) - Frank talks about his new film Lights Out on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local lisitngs.
  • Eugene Levy (Schitt's Creek/Greg the Bunny/Hiller and Diller) - Eugene is telling Drew about working with his two children on Schitt's Creek, joining season four of Only Murders in the Building and traveling around the world for his new show on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.


New on DVD/Blu-ray (November-March)

Leave it to Beaver - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Father Knows Best - The Complete Series The Odd Couple - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Three's Company - The Official 40th Anniversary Collection Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

11/07 - South Park - The Complete Twenty-Sixth Season (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/14 - Leave it to Beaver - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/05 - Father Knows Best - The Complete Series
12/05 - The Odd Couple - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/12 - The Dick Van Dyke Show - The Complete Series
12/12 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
12/12 - That Girl - The Complete Series
12/15 - Letterkenny - Season 11
12/19 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Official Restored Complete Series
12/22 - Three's Company - The Official 40th Anniversary Collection (includes The Ropers and Three's a Crowd)
01/09 - South Park - Seasons 11-15 (Blu-ray)
01/16 - Ghosts (UK) - Season Five
02/13 - Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/27 - The Really Loud House - Season One
03/12 - Ghosts (UK) - The Complete Series
03/12 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 3 (Blu-ray)
03/12 - Rick and Morty - Season 7 (Blu-ray Steelbook) (Blu-ray) (DVD)

That Girl - The Complete Series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Official Restored Complete Series

More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD Releases / DVD Reviews Archive / SitcomsOnline Digest


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