Monday, November 20, 2017

COZI TV's 4th Annual Holidozi Schedule; Remembering Ann Wedgeworth and Earle Hyman

COZI TV

It's the most wonderful time of the year for COZI TV viewers from coast to coast, with the national multicast network announcing their lineup for the 4th annual HOLIDOZI television marathon. Featuring more than 30 hours of America's most beloved television programming, viewers can tune in starting December 4 for holiday-themed episodes of Frasier, Will & Grace, The Dick Van Dyke Show and many more. The full COZI HOLIDOZI lineup includes:

December 4
8:00PM Frasier - "Miracle on Third or Fourth Street"
December 5
8:00PM Frasier - “Perspectives On Christmas”
December 6
8:00PM Frasier - “The Fight Before Christmas”
December 7
8:00PM Frasier - “We Two Kings”
December 8
8:00PM Frasier - “Frasier Grinch”
December 11
8:00PM Frasier - “Merry Christmas, Mrs. Moskowitz”
December 12
8:00PM Frasier - “Mary Christmas”
December 13
8:00PM Frasier - “High Holidays”
December 14
8:00PM Frasier - “Frasier Grinch”
December 15
8:00PM Frasier - “Miracle on Third or Fourth”
December 18
10:00PM Will & Grace - “Jingle Balls”
December 19
10:00PM Will & Grace - “All About Christmas Eve”
December 20
10:00PM Will & Grace - “Fanilow”
December 21
10:00PM Will & Grace - “Christmas Break”
December 22
10:00PM Will & Grace - “A Little Christmas Queer”
December 24
6:00 AM Make Room For Daddy – “Christmas and Clowns”
6:30 AM Make Room For Daddy – “Christmas Story”
7:00 AM The Real McCoys – “The Diamond Ring”
7:30 AM Lone Ranger – “Christmas Story”
8:00 AM Lassie – “The Christmas Story”
8:30 AM Lassie – “The Christmas Story”
9:00 AM Lassie – “Yochim’s Christmas”
9:30 AM Lassie – “The Little Christmas Tree”
1:00 PM Little House On The Prairie – “Christmas At Plum Creek”
2:00 PM Little House On The Prairie – “Blizzard”
3:00 PM Murder, She Wrote – “A Christmas Secret”
4:00 PM The Six Million Dollar Man – “A Bionic Christmas Carol”
5:00 PM Kojak – “How Cruel The Frost, How Bright The Stars”
6:00 PM Quantum Leap – “A Little Miracle”
7:00 PM Quantum Leap – “Promised Land”
8:00 PM Frasier – “Merry Christmas, Mrs. Moskowitz”
8:30 PM Frasier – “Mary Christmas”
9:00 PM Frasier – “High Holidays”
9:30 PM Will & Grace – “All About Christmas Eve”
10:00 PM Will & Grace – “Fanilow”
10:30 PM Will & Grace – “Christmas Break”
11:00 PM Baywatch – “Silent Night, Baywatch Night: Part 1”
12:00 AM Baywatch – “Silent Night, Baywatch Night: Part 2”


Ann Wedgeworth

Actress Ann Wedgeworth, who was known for her roles as Lana Shields in Three's Company and as Merleen Elldridge in Evening Shade, has died. She died on November 16 after a long illness near her home in New York City. Ms. Wedgeworth was 83.

Wedgeworth had main roles on several daytime soap operas. She starred as Angela 'Angie' Talbot on The Edge of Night from 1966-1967 and as Lahoma Vane Lucas on Another World from 1970 to 1973. She also appeared in the Another World spinoff series, Somerset.

Some of her early television guest appearances included Kraft Theatre, Startime, The Defenders, Hawk, and Bronk.

Three's Company

She had a recurring role as Lana Shields in nine episodes in the first half of the fourth season (1979-1980) of Three's Company. Lana was a promiscuous older female neighbor who pursued Jack Tripper (John Ritter) and was in turn pursued by Mr. Furley (Don Knotts). In 1998, she was interviewed for the E! True Hollywood Story on Three's Company.

Filthy Rich

Wedgeworth starred as the good-natured but ditzy Bootsie Westchester, wife of Wild Bill Westchester (Jerry Hardin), in the 1982-1983 CBS sitcom Filthy Rich. The Linda Bloodworth-Thomason created series also starred Slim Pickens, Forrest Tucker, Delta Burke, Dixie Carter, Charles Frank, Michael Lombard, Nedra Volz and Vernon Weddle.

Evening Shade

Her longest running role was on Evening Shade, which aired on CBS from 1990-1994. She starred as Merleen Elldridge, the lusty wife of Dr. Harlan Elldridge (Charles Durning). The Linda Bloodworth-Thomason created series also starred Burt Reynolds, Marilu Henner, Hal Holbrook, Ossie Davis, Elizabeth Ashley, Michael Jeter, Jay R. Ferguson, Charlie Dell, Candace Hutson and Jacob Parker.

Some of her later televison guest appearances included One Life to Live, The Twilight Zone, The Equalizer and Roseanne. Her film credits included Scarecrow, Bang the Drum Slowly, Law and Disorder, One Summer Love, Thieves, Handle with Care, No Small Affair, My Science Project, Sweet Dreams, The Men's Club, A Tiger's Tale, Made in Heaven, Far North, Steel Magnolias, Hard Promises, Love and a .45 and The Whole Wide World.

Wedgeworth was also known for her work on Broadway and off-Broadway productions. She won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play for Chapter Two in 1978. Some of her other credits included Make a Million, Period of Adjustment, Blues for Mister Charlie, The Last Analysis, Thieves and A Lie of the Mind.

Survivors include her husband, George Martin; her two daughters, Danae Torn and Dianna Martin; and stepsons Michael Martin and Greg Martin.

Ms. Wedgeworth was a talented character actress. She appeared in only nine episodes of Three's Company, but it seemed like more because they were always funny and memorable. It was a bit outrageous to believe that Jack would reject Lana's advances. Evening Shade was an underrated show, which should be available complete on DVD. She will be deeply missed.

Earle Hyman

Actor Earle Hyman, who was known for his role as Russell Huxtable in The Cosby Show, has died. He died on November 17 at the Lillian Booth Actors Home in Englewood, New Jersey. Mr. Hyman was 91.

Hyman's early television guest appearances included The United States Steel Hour, Espionage, East Side/West Side, The Nurses, Playdate, The Defenders, Seaway and Madigan.

Earle Hyman

He appeared in 40 episodes of The Cosby Show as Dr. Heathcliff (Cliff) Huxtable's (Bill Cosby) father, Russell Huxtable. He was married to Anna Huxtable (Clarice Taylor). The 1984-1992 NBC sitcom also starred Phylica Rashad, Sabrina Le Beauf, Lisa Bonet, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Tempestt Bledsoe, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Geoffrey Owens (1986-1992) and Raven-Symoné (1989-1992). Hyman received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Comedy Series in 1986. He also appeared in an episode of the spinoff series, A Different World.

Hyman was also known for his voice work on the animated series ThunderCats. He provided the voices of the hero Panthro and the villains Red-Eye and Ancient Spirits of Evil in the series which aired in syndication from 1985 to 1989.

Some of his film credits included The Bamboo Prison, Afrikaneren, The Possession of Joel Delaney, The Super Cops, Coriolanus, Julius Caesar and Fighting Back.

He had a long and distinguished career on Broadway. He was nominated for Broadway's 1980 Tony Award as Best Featured Actor in a Play for Edward Albee's The Lady from Dubuque. Some of his other stage credits included Run, Little Chillun, Anna Lucasta, Moon on a Rainbow Shawl, Othello and A Raisin in the Sun.

Survivors include his nephews Rick Ferguson and Derryl Ferguson and nieces Yvette Ferguson and Monica Ferguson.

Mr. Hyman was a fine actor with a great baritone voice. The episodes where the Huxtable grandparents stopped by were always good ones. Hyman was only 11 years older than Cosby, but somehow they made it work. He will be greatly missed.

We thank them both for the laughter and entertainment they brought us over the years.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Saturday, July 12

Mind Your Business - "Love Child" (Bounce TV, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Alfonso and Aaliyah's world is flipped upside down when their mother's secret love child comes into town, while Mia tries to figure out who is sending her gifts every hour on the hour.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of July 7)

Friday, July 11

  • Aparna Nancherla (The Great North/Fairview/Corporate) and Whitney Cummings (Whitney) - Aparna and Whitney are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Malachi Barton (Stuck in the Middle) and Meg Donnelly (American Housewife) - Malachi and Meg discuss Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires and perform on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am. They will also be on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
  • Jean Smart (Hacks/Samantha Who?/Center of the Universe/In-Laws/Style & Substance/Designing Women) - Jean chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Patton Oswalt (A.P. Bio/The Goldbergs/The King of Queens) - Patton talks about Black Coffee and Ice Water on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
  • Margaret Cho (All-American Girl) and Joel Kim Booster (Loot/Shrill) - CBS News contributor Lisa Ling talks with Margaret and Joel on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
  • Krysten Ritter (Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23) - Tamron Hall (repeat) has a DAYTIME EXCLUSIVE sitdown with actress/director/author Krysten Ritter who recently released her new thriller/mystery novel Retreat, so check your local listings.
  • Maggie Q (Pivoting) - Maggie Q talks about Prime's Ballard on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
  • Tisha Campbell (Act Your Age/Uncoupled/Outmatched/Dr. Ken/Rita Rocks/My Wife and Kids/Martin) and Wendy Raquel Robinson (Poppa's House/The Game/Here We Go Again/The Steve Harvey Show/Minor Adjustments) - Tisha and Wendy chat about their film Operation: Aunties on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings. They will also be on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:30am.
  • David Zayas (The Bear/Saint George) - David appears on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:40am.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series Frasier (2023) - Season Two Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered) Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)

01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
05/13 - The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered)
06/06 - Shoresy - Season 2
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (Blu-ray)
07/22 - 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

07/11 - The Office Spinoff The Paper Premieres September 4; Upload Season 4 Returns August 25
07/10 - The Big Bang Theory's Stuart Spinoff Ordered by HBO Max; Long Story Short Premieres August 22 on Netflix
07/09 - New Girl Summer on Hulu; Vir Das Gets Brand New Netflix Special
07/08 - Tubi Comedy Series Demascus Premieres in August; LEGO Masters Jr. Lines Up Celebs for 4-Week Event
07/07 - Digman! Season Premiere Moved to July 23; Hulu's Reasonable Doubt Returns September 18
07/06 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of July 7, 2025)
07/05 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Comedy Central Delays South Park and Digman! Season Premieres; Jackée to Appear in Guest Role in Netflix Series
07/04 - Happy 4th of July; Antenna TV's McHale's Navy Red, White and Navy Independence Day Marathon
07/03 - The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder Season 3 Premieres August 6; South Park New Season Moves by Two Weeks
07/02 - FETV Acquires The Rookies; Hulu Renews The Bear for Season 5
07/01 - Bert Kreischer Gets Netflix Sitcom; NBC Gets Into Survival Mode This Summer
06/30 - The Comeback Makes Another...Comeback; First Look at Black Rabbit at Netflix
06/29 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 30, 2025)
06/28 - SitcomsOnline Digest: The Comeback Returning for a Third and Final Season; South Park to Remain on HBO Max
06/27 - The White Lotus Star Teams Up with Netflix; Remembering Bobby Sherman, Lynn Hamilton, and Rick Hurst
06/26 - The CW's Fall Movie of the Week; First Look at New York Comic Con 2025
06/25 - Netflix Renews Ransom Canyon for Season 2; My Life with the Walter Boys First Look for Season 2
06/24 - Marc Maron Gets Second HBO Comedy Special; Outlander Prequel Renewed for Season 2 Ahead of Series Premiere
06/23 - MeTV Summer Changes, Adds Adventures of Superman; Jimmy Kimmel Live! Summer Guest Hosts
06/22 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 23, 2025)
06/21 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Night Court Officially Dead After Not Finding New Home; Weigel Announces New WEST Network
06/20 - Great American Media Announces New Danica McKellar Movie; Jennifer Love Hewitt ID True Crime Series
06/19 - Bad Thoughts Renewed for Season 2 at Netflix; Zarna Garg Gets Hulu Special This July
06/18 - Weigel Broadcasting Announces WEST Network with Classic TV Westerns; Hulu's Season 2 of Such Brave Girls
06/17 - Gary Coleman's Ex-Wife on A&E Series; Digman! Returns July 9 on Comedy Central
06/16 - Hulu's Chad Powers Teaser; Prime Video's Jesse Williams Series
06/15 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 16, 2025)
06/14 - SitcomsOnline Digest: NBC Mulls Airing The Paper on Primetime Lineup; Fox Revives Baywatch Reboot Talk
06/13 - My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman Renewed for 2 More Seasons; Hanna-Barbera Developing Adult Animated Series
06/12 - Comedy Superstar Jack Black Is the King of Comedy at Nickelodeon; Doc Adds Felicity Huffman
06/11 - Celebrities for Celebrity Family Feud Season 11; Netflix's Little House on the Prairie Starts Production