Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Henry Winkler and More in New NBC Comedy Event Series; Remembering Jack Riley of The Bob Newhart Show

Better Late Than Never

Well, it's premiering tonight and we're better later than never, but NBC is launching its new comedy event series Better Late Than Never tonight at 10|9c. Based on a popular Korean format, Better Late Than Never is a fish-out-of-water show that follows cultural icons Henry Winkler (Happy Days), William Shatner (Star Trek), Terry Bradshaw (NFL legend) and George Foreman (boxing legend) on their greatest adventure yet. Deciding it's better late than never, these four national treasures embark on the journey of a lifetime, traveling across Asia on their own with no schedule and no itinerary. The only help will come from Jeff Dye, a young tech-savvy comedian with an agenda of his own and who isn't above leading the men off track. Each stop is packed with hilarious cultural experiences, heartwarming spectacles and unexpected twists as our legends take on this unforgettable adventure. The 4 week comedy event starts tonight and will air for the next four Tuesdays at 10|9c through Sept. 13.

Jack Riley

Actor and comedian Jack Riley, who played Elliot Carlin in The Bob Newhart Show, has died. He died on August 19 in Los Angeles due to pneumonia. Mr. Riley was 80.

Riley's television career began with a semi-regular role in the short-lived 1966-1967 NBC sitcom Occasional Wife. He appeared as Wally Frick in seven episodes of the series, which starred Michael Callan and Patricia Harty.

Some of his television guest appearances in the 1960s and 1970s included Gomer Pyle, USMC, The Flying Nun, I Dream of Jeannie, Love, American Style, The Partridge Family, Hogan's Heroes, The Good Life, Getting Together, M*A*S*H, Mary Tyler Moore, The Girl with Something Extra, Happy Days, Alice and Barney Miller.

Bob Newhart and Jack Riley - The Bob Newhart Show

Riley was best known for his role as Elliot Carlin, the neurotic, sour and selfish patient in The Bob Newhart Show. He appeared in 49 episodes of the series from 1972-1978. Carlin was ranked 49th in TV Guide's List of the 50 Greatest TV Characters of All Time. He reprised the role in a 1985 episode of St. Elsewhere, a 1987 episode of ALF and a 1988 episode of Newhart. In 1991, the cast reunited for The Bob Newhart Show 19th Anniversary.

His later sitcom guest appearances included Too Close for Comfort, Family Ties, One Day at a Time, The Love Boat, Diff'rent Strokes (4 episodes), Silver Spoons, Gimme a Break, Punky Brewster, Charles in Charge, My Two Dads, Night Court (7 episodes), Family Matters, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, Married with Children, The Drew Carey Show, Seinfeld, That '70s Show and Yes, Dear. He played Leon Buachanan in the short-lived 1987 CBS sitcom Roxie. He had a recurring role as Chappy in the 2000-2002 FX comedy Son of the Beach.

He was also known for his voice work in animated series and commercials. He voiced Stu Pickles, the father of the main protagonist Tommy, in Rugrats and the spin-off All Grown Up!. He did commercial spots for Country Crock margarine and CompUSA.

Survivors include his wife, Ginger Lawrence, and two children.

Mr. Riley was a fine character actor. His Elliot Carlin character was very funny and memorable. He played him to perfection. We thank him for all the laughs and entertainment he brought us over the years. He will be greatly missed.

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



Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Wednesday, December 6

none scheduled

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 4)

Wednesday, December 6

  • Greta Lee (HouseBroken/Russian Doll) - Watch Greta on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Sara Bareilles (Girls5eva) - Sara appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Tony Shalhoub (We Are Men/Stark Raving Mad/Wings) - Tony is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Deon Cole (grown-ish/black-is/Angie Tribeca) - Deon is a guest on a repeat of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen on CBS between 12:37-1:37am.
  • Sebastian Maniscalco (Bookie) - Sebastian is telling Drew about some of his odd jobs like telemarketer and ham glazer, turning fifty and working on his new show on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Eric Stonestreet (The Santa Clauses/Modern Family) - Eric stops by to chat about season two of the Disney+ holiday series The Santa Clauses on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Allison Williams (Girls) - Allison talks about Fellow Travelers on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
  • Cythia Nixon (And Just Like That.../Sex and the City) - Cynthia chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Peri Gilpin (Frasier/Mr. Robinson/Flesh 'n' Blood) - Peri talks about Paramount+'s Frasier on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
  • Pauly Shore (Pauly/The Pauly Shore Show) - Pauly talks about his new YouTube series, Jam in the Van: The Podcast hosted by Pauly Shore, on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
  • Elizabeth Banks (30 Rock/Scrubs) - Elizabeth talks about Migration on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
  • Kelsey Grammer (Frasier/Partners/Hank/Back to You/Cheers) - Kelsey talks about Paramount+'s Frasier on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
  • Anders Holm (The Muppets Mayhem/Champions/The Mindy Project) - Anders is a guest on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:40am.


New on DVD/Blu-ray (September-December)

Family Matters - The Complete Series Step by Step - The Complete Series ALF - The Complete Series (Deluxe Edition) Leave it to Beaver - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) The Odd Couple - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

09/05 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Sixth Season
09/12 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Second Season
09/12 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-6 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/26 - Family Matters - The Complete Series
09/26 - Step by Step - The Complete Series
10/10 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season Thirteen / The Complete Season Fourteen
10/17 - ALF - The Complete Series (Deluxe Edition) (Shout! Factory Special Offers)
10/17 - Night Court (2023) - The Complete First Season
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
12/19 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Official Restored Complete Series

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

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