Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Henry Winkler and More in New NBC Comedy Event Series; Remembering Jack Riley of The Bob Newhart Show
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.
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.
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 / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Friday, July 26
The Conners - "Keep on Truckin'" (The CW, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
After a sudden turn of events, the Conners are forced to face the daily struggles of life in Lanford in a way they never have before.
The Conners - "Tangled Up in Blue" (The CW, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Darlene gets one surprise after another when David introduces his girlfriend at a parent-teacher conference and mentions that Mark & Harris will be spending the weekend with them.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of July 22)
Friday, July 26
- Nick Jonas (Jonas) - Watch Nick on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Michael Douglas (The Kominsky Method) - Michael appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Sasheer Zamata (Home Economics/Woke/Robbie), Joe Lo Truglio (Brooklyn Nine-Nine/Burning Love/Reno 911!) and Aparna Nancherla (Corporate) - Sasheer, Joe and Aparna are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Jennie Garth (Mystery Girls/What I Like About You) - Jennie chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT. NBC's Today catches up with Jennie in the 10am hour.
- Marcus Scribner (grown-ish/black-ish) - Marcus talks about his coming-of-age film How I Learned to Fly on a repeat of Sherri, so check your local listings.
- Delroy Lindo (UnPrisoned) - Delroy talks about UnPrisoned on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
- Dylan Sprouse (The Suite Life on Deck/The Suite Life of Zack & Cody/Grace Under Fire) - Dylan talks about Lionsgate's The Duel on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
New on DVD/Blu-ray
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)
04/03 - Too Close for Comfort - The Complete Series (VEI)
04/08 - Check It Out! - The Complete Series (VEI)
05/21 - Frasier (2023) - Season One
06/11 - The Jeffersons - The Complete Series (2024 Release)
06/11 - Welcome Back, Kotter - The Complete Series (2024 Release)
07/05 - Letterkenny - Season 12 (Final Season)
07/30 - Ted Lasso - The Richmond Way (The Complete Series) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/17 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
09/24 - Friends - The Complete Series (4K Ultra HD)
09/24 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Seventh Season / The Complete Series
10/08 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Twelfth Season / The Complete Series
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