Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Remembering the Legendary Garry Marshall; Terry Crews Set for an Adventure

Garry Marshall

Actor, director, producer and writer Garry Marshall, who created Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley and Mork & Mindy, has died. He died on July 19 at a hospital in Burbank, California due to complications of pneumonia after suffering a stroke. Mr. Marshall was 81.

Marshall's career began as a writer for Tonight Starring Jack Paar in 1960. He moved to Hollywood in 1961, where he teamed up with Jerry Belson as a writer for television. He wrote episodes of The Danny Thomas Show, The Bill Dana Show, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., Hank, The Lucy Show and The Dick Van Dyke Show.

The first sitcom he created and produced was Hey, Landlord, which aired for one season on NBC in 1966-1967. The series stared Will Hutchins, Sandy Baron, Pamela Rodgers, Miko Mayama and Michael Constantine. He also directed and guest starred in an episode.

Marshall and Belson developed and adapted The Odd Couple for television in 1970. The popular series, which starred Tony Randall and Jack Klugman, ran for five seasons on ABC until 1975. Myrna Turner, Oscar's secretary, was played by Garry's sister, Penny Marshall. He directed six episodes, wrote seven episodes and appeared in several episodes in various roles.

He created and produced The Brian Keith Show (titled The Little People during its first season), which aired for two seasons on NBC from 1972-1974. The series starred Brian Keith, Shelley Fabares, Victoria Young and Nancy Kulp.

In 1972, he created with Thomas L. Miller the short-lived CBS sitcom Me and the Chimp. The series starred Ted Bessell, Anita Gillette, Scott Kolden and Kami Kolter.

He wrote an episode of Love, American Style titled "Love and the Television Set" (later retitled "Love and the Happy Days" for syndication), which featured Ron Howard, Marion Ross and Anson Williams, that served as the pilot episode of Happy Days. The episode aired on aired on ABC on February 25, 1972.

Happy Days would become a series on January 15, 1974. The popular series aired on ABC for 11 seasons from 1974-1984. The series starred Ron Howard, Henry Winkler, Tom Bosley, Marion Ross, Anson Williams, Donny Most and Erin Moran. Marshall directed the second season episode, "Haunted." He wrote two episodes of the series. He also appeared in two episodes as a drummer.

Several successful spin-offs would be launched from Happy Days. Laverne & Shirley aired on ABC for eight seasons from 1976-1983. The series starred Penny Marshall, Cindy Williams, Eddie Mekka, Phil Foster, David L. Lander, Michael McKean and Betty Garrett. Garry directed two episodes. He also appeared uncredited as a drummer in two episodes.

Marshall's son, Scott, wanted to see an alien character on Happy Days. This led to the appearance of Mork (Robin Williams) in the season five episode "My Favorite Orkan." Mork & Mindy aired for four seasons on ABC from 1978-1982. The series also starred Pam Dawber, Conrad Janis, Elizabeth Kerr, Tom Poston, Jay Thomas and Gina Hecht. Marshall directed an episode in 1980.

Other Happy Days spin-offs included Blansky's Beauties, Out of the Blue and Joanie Loves Chachi (starring Scott Baio and Erin Moran). Marshall directed an episode of the short-lived Blansky's Beauties, which starred Nancy Walker, Lynda Goodfriend, Johnny Desmond, Eddie Mekka and Scott Baio.

He created and produced the short-lived sitcom Who's Watching the Kids in 1978. The series aired for one season on NBC. It starred Caren Kaye, Lynda Goodfriend, Scott Baio, Tammy Lauren, Marcia Lewis, Larry Breeding, Lorrie Mahaffey, Jim Belushi, Shirley Kirkes and Elaine Bolton.

In 1979, he created and produced with Dale McRaven the sitcom Angie. The series aired for two seasons on ABC from 1979-1980. It starred Donna Pescow, Robert Hays, Doris Roberts, Debralee Scott, Sharon Spelman and John Randolph.

Marshall, Mark Rothman and Lowell Ganz created the short-lived 1979 ABC sitcom Makin' It, which starred David Naughton, Greg Antonacci, Denise Miller and Ellen Travolta. He served as an executive producer of the 1982-1983 sitcom The New Odd Couple.

Garry Marshall in The Odd Couple

In addition to his work as a director, producer and writer, he also appeared as an actor. He appeared in 24 episodes of Murphy Brown from 1994-1997 as Stan Lansing, the micro-managing network president. Some of his other sitcom guest appearances included The Simpsons (voice in two episodes), Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Father of the Pride (voice), According to Jim, Louie, Two and a Half Men, Liv and Maddie, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Hot in Cleveland. He played Oscar Madison's (Matthew Perry) father, Walter Madison, in an episode of The Odd Couple in April 2016. He also served as a consultant on the remake.

Marshall was also a very successful film director. His biggest blockbuster was 1990's Pretty Woman, which starred Richard Gere and Julia Roberts. His other credits included Young Doctors in Love, The Flamingo Kid, Nothing in Common, Overboard, Beaches, Frankie and Johnny, Exit to Eden, Dear God, The Other Sister, Runaway Bride, The Princess Diaries, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, Georgia Rule, Valentine's Day, New Year's Eve and 2016's Mother's Day.

The Archive of American Television conducted an extensive interview with him on August 28, 2000.

Survivors include his wife, Barbara, to whom he was married since 1963; son Scott, a film director; and daughters Lori, an actress and casting director, and Kathleen, an actress; a number of grandchildren; and sisters Penny Marshall, an actress and film director, and Ronny Hallin, a TV producer.

Mr. Marshall was a true legend. He created so many memorable sitcoms. He received five Emmy nominations for his work. There will likely never be another person that has four of the top five rated sitcoms on the air at the same time as he did with Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Mork & Mindy and Angie in the 1978-79 season. We thank him for all of the laughs and many hours of entertainment he brought us over the years. He will be deeply missed.

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Terry Crews - Celebrity Adventure Club

Actor and former NFL player, Terry Crews, returns to his Michigan roots to champion a revitalized Motor City in Travel Channel's Celebrity Adventure Club. The second in a series of specials, this episode premieres on Saturday, July 23, at 10:00 a.m. ET/PT. In each hour-long feature, Travel Channel hands the camera to some of the world's biggest stars as they travel around the world on an intimate adventure of discovery and exploration. In this special, Crews kicks off his journey in his hometown Flint, Mich., where he reminisces about his childhood. Next, he visits two automotive companies in Detroit that have seen a major comeback -- General Motors, where he steps onto the assembly line to fasten some bolts, and Ford, where he test drives a 2016 Mustang convertible. He also meets up with baseball legend Willie Horton at Comerica Park to discuss Detroit's resilience and rising community. Terry Crews is a former NFL player, best-selling author of the memoir "Manhood" and an actor who has appeared in a number of primetime television and box office hits including Fox's Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and the Expandables franchise. Crews is also heavily invested in philanthropic endeavors, namely as a celebrity ambassador for the Polaris Project, which is a leading organization in the global fight against human trafficking and modern-day slavery.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Sunday, December 22

Bob's Burgers - "The Nightmare 2 Days Before Christmas" (Fox, 7:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When the power goes out two days before Christmas, The Belchers must spend the holiday at Mr. Fischoeder's family's old hunting lodge.

Krapopolis - "Krapocalypse" (Fox, 7:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Tyrannis is stuck in a time loop trying to save the city.

The Simpsons - "The Man Who Flew Too Much" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT)
The new and improved Pin Pals travel to Capital City for their first ever state bowling championship.

Universal Basic Guys - "The Devil You Know" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Mark insists on teaching his son Darren how to throw a handmade boomerang that was gifted to Darren by his father; the two soon find themselves on a trek deep into the Jersey woods; David is the recipient of a sex doll that he swears he didn't order.

The Great North - "The Lies Aquatic Adventure" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
While Beef is away, the Tobin fishing boat goes missing; the Tobin siblings wildly speculate on what could have happened.

Krapopolis - "National Lampoon's The Odyssey!" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
The family takes a vacation to Storgos for Shlub's mother's birthday.

Bob Hearts Abishola - "Full-Frontal Dottie" (The CW, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Excited by her physical therapy progress, Dottie insists she is ready to return to MaxDot, much to Bob, Douglas and Christina's dismay.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 16)

Friday, December 20

  • Jason Bateman (Arrested Development/George and Leo/Chicago Sons/Simon/The Hogan Family/It's Your Move/Silver Spoons) - Watch Jason on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Sharon Horgan (Bad Sisters/HouseBroken/Catastrophe) - Sharon is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Dwayne Johnson (Young Rock) - Dwayne appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Colton Dunn (Superstore) and Diona Reasonover (Clipped) - Colton and Diona are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Zachary Quinto (Big Mouth/So Notorious) - NBC's Today catches up with Zachary in the 9am hour.
  • Billy Eichner (Friends from College/Difficult People/Parks and Recreation) - Billy talks about Mufasa: The Lion King on NBC's Today in the 10am hour. He can also be heard on The Morning Mash Up on SiriusXM.
  • Kerry Washington (UnPrisoned) - Kerry talks about The Six Triple Eight on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am and on Sherri, so check your local listings.
  • James Marsden (30 Rock) and Ben Schwartz (The Afterparty/Space Force/Parks and Recreation) - James and Ben talk about Sonic the Hedgehog 3 on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Jamie Lee Curtis (The Sticky/Anything But Love/Operation Petticoat) - Jamie Lee chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Whitney Cummings (Whitney) - Whitney talks about Max's Fast Friends on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
  • Henry Winkler (Barry/Arrested Development/Out of Practice/Monty/Happy Days) - Access Daily with Mario & Kit has the best of Henry and Kit Hoover, so check your local listings.
  • Howie Mandel (Good Grief) - The Talk celebrates 15 seasons with a special finale episode; friend of the show Howie Mandel makes his 21st appearance on the show when he stops by one last time with a surprise for the hosts on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Friends - The Complete Series (4K UHD) Young Sheldon - The Complete Series Veep - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

09/10 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-7
09/10 - The Ropers - The Complete Series (VEI)
09/10 - Ted - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/17 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - Video Scrapbook
09/17 - Top Cat - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
09/24 - Friends - The Complete Series (4K UHD)
09/24 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Seventh Season (DVD) / The Complete Series (DVD) (Blu-ray)
10/08 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Twelfth Season / The Complete Series
10/22 - Veep - The Complete Series (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)
02/04 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)

More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

12/21 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Creative Team Put in Place for Big Bang Theory Spinoff; Girls5eva Canceled at Netflix
12/20 - Netflix Announces You and Sweet Magnolias Details; Tell Me Lies Renewed for Season 3 on Hulu
12/19 - Apple TV+ Bad Monkey Renewed for Season 2; Norman Lear's Clean Slate Comedy to Premiere on Prime Video in February
12/18 - Netflix Renews A Man on the Inside; Silo Gets 2 Season Renewal for Apple TV+
12/17 - Paramount Adds The Big Bang Theory to Nick at Nite and MTV Lineups; The White Lotus Season 3 in February
12/16 - Malcolm in the Middle to Return for 25th Anniversary; Game Show Network Holiday Schedule
12/15 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of December 16, 2024)
12/14 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Malcolm in the Middle Limited Reboot Headed to Disney+; King of the Hill Reboot Episode Titles Released
12/13 - Antenna TV's Christmas and New Year's Holiday Schedule; Apple TV+ and Peanuts Holiday Specials
12/12 - Harley Quinn Returns in January; Night Court Holiday Episode on NBC
12/11 - Valerie Bertinelli Hosting Game Show; Whitney Cummings Finding Ultimate Friends Fans
12/10 - 82nd Golden Globe Nominations; Michelle Buteau: A Buteau-ful Mind at Radio City Music Hall
12/09 - Jamie Foxx Returns on Tuesday on Netflix; Ilana Glazer Hulu Comedy Special
12/08 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of December 9, 2024)
12/07 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Scrubs Reboot in the Works; Family Guy Returning to Adult Swim
12/06 - Apple TV+ New Comedy Government Cheese; Prime Video Sets Half-Hour Police Drama
12/05 - Marlon Wayans to Guest Star on Poppa's House on CBS; Mo Returning to Netflix
12/04 - STARZ Comedy Thriller Sweetpea Renewed for Season 2; Bel-Air to End After Next Season
12/03 - Pluto TV Holiday Schedule; SNL December Hosts and Musical Performers
12/02 - Scripps Networks (Laff, Bounce, ION) Holiday Schedule; First Look at Watson on CBS
12/01 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of December 2, 2024)
11/30 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Desperate Housewives Creator Has Prequel Idea; Finale Date Set for The Talk
11/29 - Abbott Elementary Aces the Test on Multi-Platform; Dancing with the Stars' Resurgence
11/28 - 2024 Thanksgiving TV Marathons
11/27 - Henry Danger The Movie Premieres in January; Dexter: Original Sin Trailer
11/26 - The Way Home Returns for Season 3; Matthew Broderick and Son to Guest Star on Elsbeth
11/25 - Peacock's Laid Premieres December 19; Jon Hamm Drama Gets Season 2 Before Series Premiere
11/24 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of November 25, 2024)
11/23 - SitcomsOnline Digest: HBO Renews It's Florida, Man; Simpsons Voice Actor Announces Retirement
11/22 - NBC's Happy's Place Gets Full Season; HBO Renews It's Florida, Man for Another Zany Season
11/21 - The CW Midseason 2025 Schedule; Voice of Milhouse Leaving The Simpsons