SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Character actor John Hostetter, who starred as the stage manager John in Murphy Brown, has died. He died of cancer complications on September 2 in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Mr. Hostetter was 69.

Hostetter starred in the recurring role of the unflappable F.Y.I. stage manager John in Murphy Brown. He appeared in over 60 episodes of the series in all 10 seasons from 1988-1998. The series starred Candice Bergen, Charles Kimbrough, Joe Regalbuto, Faith Ford, Grant Shaud, Pat Corley, Robert Pastorelli and Ritch Brinkley.

Some of his sitcom guest appearances included The Golden Girls, Family Ties, Newhart, Frank's Place, Coach, Who's the Boss? and Suddenly Susan.

His many television drama guest appearances included CHiPs, Knight Rider, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Hotel, Hardcastle and McCormick, T.J. Hooker, Simon and Simon, Hill Street Blues, Moonlighting, Remington Steele, Hunter, Dallas, Cagney and Lacey, Falcon Crest, Quantum Leap, L.A. Law, Matlock, MacGyver, Knot's Landing, ER and JAG.

He also worked as a voice actor. He was the voice of Bazooka in the syndicated animated series G.I. Joe in 1985. His other voice credits included The Transformers and Spawn.

Survivors include Del, his wife of 40 years; his sister, Flora; three nephews and a grand-nephew.

Mr. Hostetter was a fine character actor. He appeared in nearly 100 films and TV shows. He will be greatly missed.

We also remember two actors who appeared in sitcoms that we recently lost.

Actor Marvin Kaplan, who starred as phone lineman Henry Beesmeyer in Alice, has died. He died of natural causes on August 25 in Burbank, California. Mr. Kaplan was 89.

Kaplan's first starring role was in the 1952-1956 CBS sitcom Meet Millie. He played Alfred Prinzmetal, an aspiring poet-composer. The series starred Elena Verdugo, Florence Halop, Earl Ross, Ross Ford, Roland Winters and Isabel Randolph.

He starred as Marvin in the short-lived 1971 CBS sitcom The Chicago Teddy Bears. The series, which was set during the late 1920s, starred Dean Jones, Art Metrano, Mickey Shaughnessy, Jamie Farr, Mike Mazurki, Huntz Hall and John Banner.

Kaplan appeared as phone lineman Henry Beesmeyer in Alice. His character was a regular customer at Mel's Diner who made jokes about Mel's cooking. He appeared in over 80 episodes in all 9 seasons from 1978-1985. The series starred Linda Lavin, Philip McKeon, Vic Tayback, Polly Holliday, Beth Howland, Diane Ladd (1980-1981) and Celia Weston (1981-1985).

In 1992, he starred in the short-lived ABC sitcom On the Air. He played Dwight McGonigle, the incompetent producer of The Lester Guy Show.

Some of his sitcom guest appearances included Make Room for Daddy, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, Valentine's Day, McHale's Navy, Hank, Gidget, Gomer Pyle, USMC, My Three Sons, Petticoat Junction, I Dream of Jeannie, My Two Dads and Becker (4 episodes as Mr. Gordon).

Kaplan was the voice of Choo-Choo in the 1961-1962 ABC animated series Top Cat. He reprised the role in 1987's Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats. His other voice credits included Garfield and Friends, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, Johnny Bravo and The Garfield Show.

Actor Gene Wilder was known for his many film roles, but he also starred in his own short-lived sitcom called Something Wilder. He died from complications of Alzheimer's disease on August 29 at his home in Stamford, Connecticut. Mr. Wilder was 83.

Wilder starred as Gene Bergman in the 1994-1995 NBC sitcom Something Wilder. He played a fifty-something husband who had a wife, Annie, in her thirties. He was the father of two 4-year-old fraternal twins, Gabe and Sam. The series starred Hillary B. Smith, Ian Bottiglieri, Carl Michael Linder, Gregory Itzin, Jake Weber, Raegan Kotz and Cleavant Derricks.

He guest starred as Mr. Stein, Will Truman's (Eric McCormack) boss, in two episodes of Will & Grace in 2002-2003. He won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for the role in 2003.

Some of his film credits included The Producers, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Silver Streak, Stir Crazy, Hanky Panky, The Woman in Red, Haunted Honeymoon, See No Evil, Hear No Evil and Another You.

We thank them for the many laughs and entertainment they brought us over the years. They will be deeply missed.

It's Friday, so it is time for "Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows" for the coming week. This is where we list what sitcom stars are appearing on talk shows for the coming week, the stars are both current and past sitcom stars, so this is for all sitcom fans of all eras!
For the week of Sep. 12-16, 2016, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! All times listed are Eastern. So get your DVRs (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!


Sunday, September 11, 2016

• Marla Gibbs (The Jeffersons/227) - Marla reflects on her work in television on Oprah: Where Are They Now? at 10pm ET/PT on OWN.
• Jennifer Esposito (Spin City/Samantha Who?) - Jennifer discusses her health scare on Oprah: Where Are They Now? at 10pm ET/PT on OWN.

Monday, September 12, 2016

• Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory/8 Simple Rules) - Watch Kaley on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Jussie Smollett (On Our Own) - Jussie is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Meg Ryan (One of the Boys) - Meg stops by The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation/Party Down) - Adam visits The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• William Shatner ($#*! My Dad Says) and Henry Winkler (Happy Days/Out of Practice) - William and Henry are guests on Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Jim Jefferies (Legit) - Jim appears on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Kate Walsh (Bad Judge/The Drew Carey Show) - Kate is a guest on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Kristen Bell (The Good Place), Zooey Deschanel (New Girl), Anthony Anderson (black-ish/Guys with Kids/All About the Andersons) and John Stamos (Grandfathered/Full House) - Kristen, Zooey, Anthony and John make cameos on the premiere of Harry, so check your local listings.
• Kristen Bell (The Good Place) and Ted Danson (The Good Place/Becker/Cheers) - Kristen and Ted talk about The Good Place on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
• Alan Thicke (Growing Pains) - Alan talks about Unusually Thicke on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
• Pooch Hall (The Game) - Pooch talks about the season finale of Ray Donovan on the AOL Build Show at 10am.

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

• Joseph Gordon-Levitt (3rd Rock from the Sun) - Catch Joseph on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. He also talks about Snowden on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am and on LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Donald Glover (Atlanta/Community) - Donald drops by The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Chris D'Elia (Undateable/Whitney) - Chris is a guest on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Billy Gardell (Mike & Molly) - Billy appears on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Danica McKellar (The Wonder Years) - Danica is a guest on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Hal Linden (Barney Miller) - Hal appears on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Regina Hall (Grandfathered/Second Genereation Wayans) - Regina talks about When the Bough Breaks on Steve Harvey, so check your local listings.
• Meg Ryan (One of the Boys) - Meg discusses her new film Ithaca on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT. She opens up about how motherhood has fundamentally changed her, how her son Jack Quaid calmed her fears that she isn’t Martin Scorsese, and her favorite quirky thing about her frequent co-star Tom Hanks on People Now at 8:30am.
• Pooch Hall (The Game) - Pooch can be heard on The Morning Mash Up on SiriusXM Hits 1 on SiriusXM at 10am.
• Tim Meadows (Son of Zorn/Marry Me/The Michael Richards Show) - Tim will be on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
• Naya Rivera (The Royal Family/The Bernie Mac Show) - Naya is a guest on The Real, so check your local listings.
• Alan Thicke (Growing Pains) - Alan and his wife Tanya will appear on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 12:30pm ET.

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

• Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies) - Watch Tom on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Kevin James (Kevin Can Wait/The King of Queens) - Kevin is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Emma Roberts (Scream Queens/Unfabulous) - Emma appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. She also talks about Scream Queens on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt (3rd Rock from the Sun) - Joseph visits Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He also chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) - Andy is a guest on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Casey Wilson (Marry Me/Happy Endings) - Casey stops by Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Pamela Adlon (Better Things/King of the Hill/The Facts of Life) - Pamela appears on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother/Stark Raving Mad/Doogie Howser, M.D.) - Neil guest co-hosts LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family/The Class) - Jesse appears on a repeat of The Wendy Williams Show at 2am on BET or on your local stations.
• Naya Rivera (The Royal Family/The Bernie Mac Show) - Naya discusses her memoir on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Michael Ian Black (The Jim Gaffigan Show/Ed) - Michael is a guest on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 12:30pm ET.
• Meg Ryan (One of the Boys) - Meg appears on Tavis Smiley on PBS, so check your local listings.
• Ariana Grande (Sam & Cat) - Ariana is a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.

Thursday, September 15, 2016

• Norm Macdonald (Norm) - Catch Norm on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Tracee Ellis Ross (black-ish/Girlfriends) - Tracee appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. She will also be on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
• Andrew Rannells (Girls/The New Normal) - Andrew is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Billie Lourd (Scream Queens) - Billie stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Erinn Hayes (Kevin Can Wait/Guys with Kids/Worst Week/The Winner) - Erinn appears on Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Danny McBride (Vice Principals/Eastbound & Down) - Danny visits Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Sarah Silverman (The Sarah Silverman Program) - Sarah is a guest on Chelsea on Netflix.
• Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother/Stark Raving Mad/Doogie Howser, M.D.) - Neil guest co-hosts LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Anthony Anderson (black-ish/Guys with Kids/All About the Andersons) - Anthony is a guest on Harry, so check your local listings.
• D'Arcy Carden (The Good Place) - D'Arcy appears on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory/8 Simple Rules) - Kaley discusses the tenth season of The Big Bang Theory on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Naya Rivera (The Royal Family/The Bernie Mac Show) - Naya talks about her new book Sorry Not Sorry on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
• Billie Lourd (Scream Queens) - Billie talks about Scream Queens on the AOL Build Show at 11am.
• Debra Messing (Will & Grace) - Debra is a guest on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 12:30pm ET and on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 8:50am.

Friday, September 16, 2016

• Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) - Watch Andy on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana) - Miley appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC. She also talks about The Voice on NBC's Today sometime betweeen 7-9am and in the 10am hour.
• John Slattery (Maggie) - John visits The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Jeffrey Tambor (Transparent/Arrested Development/The Larry Sanders Show) - Jeffrey is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Keke Palmer (Scream Queens/True Jackson, VP) - Keke chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother/Stark Raving Mad/Doogie Howser, M.D.) - Neil guest co-hosts LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Billie Lourd (Scream Queens) - Billie stops by LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Jake Smollett (On Our Own) - Jake prepares taco lasagna on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
• Marcus Scribner (black-ish) - Marcus opens up about attending his first Emmys and how the cast will celebrate if they win on People Now at 8:30am.
• Ted Danson (The Good Place/Becker/Cheers) - Ted talks about The Good Place on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
• Craig Ferguson (The Drew Carey Show) - Craig is a guest on Chelsea on Netflix.

All listings are subject to change. Visit our blog and main site for daily updated listings. Leave us comments on our message board or Tweet/Facebook us to let us know what you think of this Friday feature! We do listen!