Friday, December 29, 2017
In Memoriam: Remembering the Sitcom Stars We Lost in 2017
Today we remember the sitcom actors, actresses, producers, directors, writers, composers and other crew members who died in 2017. Sadly, we just lost the legendary Rose Marie from The Dick Van Dyke Show on December 28. We lost stars from The Andy Griffith Show, Benson, Cheers, Chico and the Man, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Evening Shade, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., Happy Days, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Murphy Brown, Mork & Mindy, The Partridge Family, Soap, Three's Company and many more who are greatly missed. We thank them for the laughter and entertainment they brought us over the years.
Names are listed in alphabetical order by surname. Visit the IMDB and Wikipedia links for a full listing of their credits and other biographical information. View video interviews at the Archive of American Television links.
Greg Antonacci (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Actor, director, producer and writer Greg Antonacci starred in Busting Loose and Makin It'. He died on September 20, 2017, in Massapequa, New York. Mr. Antonacci was 70.
Antonacci starred as Winnie Morabito in the 1977 CBS sitcom Busting Loose. The series starred Adam Arkin, Barbara Rhoades, Jack Kruschen, Pat Carroll, Danny Goldman, Steve Nathan, Paul Sylvan, Paul B. Price, Ralph Wilcox and Louise Williams.
He appeared as Tony Manucci in the short-lived 1979 ABC sitcom Makin' It. The series starred David Naughton, Denise Miller, Ellen Travolta, Lou Antonio, Ralph Seymour, Gary Prendergast, Rebecca Balding, Wendy Hoffman, Diane Robin and Jennifer Perito.
His sitcom guest appearances included Laverne & Shirley and Soap. He was best known for portraying Johnny Torrio in Boardwalk Empire in all of the seasons from 2010 to 2014, and as Frank Vincent's character's right hand man, Butch DeConcini in The Sopranos, from 2006 to the season finale in 2007.
His producer credits included It's a Living, It Takes Two, Brothers and The Royal Family. He directed episodes of It's a Living, Brothers (1984), The Tortellis, Normal Life, Perfect Strangers and Herman's Head. He wrote episodes of Busting Loose, It's a Living, Brothers (1984) and The Royal Family.
Peter Baldwin (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Director Peter Baldwin worked on Sanford and Son, Newhart and The Wonder Years. He died on November 19, 2017, at his home in Pebble Beach, California. Mr. Baldwin was 86.
Baldwin's sitcom directing credits included The Dick Van Dyke Show, Please Don't Eat the Daisies, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., The Andy Griffith Show, The Partridge Family, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Love American Style, The Brady Bunch, Sanford and Son, The Bob Newhart Show, Chico and the Man, C.P.O. Sharkey, Benson, Life with Lucy, Too Close for Comfort, Family Ties, Small Wonder, My Two Dads, Full House, Newhart, The Hogan Family, Murphy Brown and Blossom. He won an Emmy Award for his work on The Wonder Years in 1989.
Actor Jack Bannon guest starred in The Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction and other sitcoms. He died on October 25, 2017, in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Mr. Bannon was 77.
Bannon made guest appearances in various roles in 15 episodes of Petticoat Junction and 5 episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies. Some of his other sitcom guest appearances included Green Acres, The Andy Griffith Show, Here's Lucy, Barney Miller, The Love Boat, We Got It Made, Newhart, Designing Women, Charles in Charge, Night Court, Empty Nest and The Golden Girls.
He starred as Art Donovan in the 1977-1982 CBS newspaper drama Lou Grant. He played Buck Williams in the 1982 medical drama Trauma Center.
Writer, producer and director Chris Bearde was one of the creators of That's My Mama. He died suddenly at his home in Westlake Village, California, of a cardiac arrest on April 23, 2017. Mr. Bearde was 80.
Bearde and Allan Blye created That's My Mama, which aired from 1974 to 1975 on ABC. The series starred Clifton Davis, Theresea Merritt, Theodore Wilson, Lynne Moody, Joan Pringle, Lisle Wilson, Jester Hairston, DeForest Covan and Ted Lange.
Some of his other credits included Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, The Andy Williams Show, The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, The Gong Show and Sherman Oaks (1995-1997).
Shelley Berman (IMDB/Wikipedia/Archive of American Television)
Actor Shelley Berman played Larry David's father in Curb Your Enthusiasm. He died from Alzheimer's disease-related complications at his home in Bell Canyon, California, in the early morning of September 1, 2017. Mr. Berman was 92.
He appeared as Albert in the short-lived 1991-1992 NBC sitcom Walter and Emily. The series starred Brian Keith, Cloris Leachman, Christopher McDonald, Matthew Lawrence, Edan Gross and Sandy Baron.
Berman appeared in 13 episodes as Nat David, the father of Larry David, in Curb Your Enthusiasm from 2002 to 2009.
Some of his sitcom guest appearances included Car 54, Where Are You?, Bewitched, Mister Roberts, Get Smart, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Love, American Style, Brothers (1984), Night Court, The Munsters Today, Civil Wars, Living Single, Friends, Chicago Sons, Arli$$, Lizzie McGuire, The King of Queens, Entourage and Hannah Montana.
Jack Blessing (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Actor Jack Blessing was known for his roles in The Naked Truth and George Lopez. He died on November 14, 2017, of pancreatic cancer at his home in Chatsworth, California. Mr. Blessing was 66.
Blessing starred as Chip Frye in the short-lived 1983 CBS sitcom Small & Frye. The series starred Darren McGavin, Debbie Zipp, Bill Daily, Warren Berlinger, Victoria Carroll and Dick Wilson.
He starred as Mr. Donner in the first season (1995-1996) of The Naked Truth. The series starred Téa Leoni, Jonathan Pennter, Holland Taylor and Amy Ryan.
He had a recurring role as Jack Powers in 20 episodes of George Lopez from 2002 to 2007.
Some of his sitcom guest appearances included Goodtime Girls, M*A*S*H, Family Ties, Amen, Day by Day, Living Dolls, Empty Nest, Babes, The Golden Girls, Roseanne, Civil Wars, Dream On, The Larry Sanders Show, Cybill, Everybody Loves Raymond, Home Improvement, It's Like, You Know... and Mike & Molly.
He played MacGilicuddy in the ABC detective comedy/drama Moonlighting in 1988-1989.
Joseph Bologna (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Actor Joseph Bologna starred in the musical comedy/drama Rags to Riches and the short-lived Married with Children spin-off series Top of the Heap. He died on August 13, 2017, in Duarte, California, from pancreatic cancer. Mr. Bologna was 82.
Bologna starred as Nick Folet in the 1987-1988 NBC musical comedy/drama Rags to Riches. The series starred Douglas Seale, Kimiko Helman, Tisha Campbell, Bridget Michele, Bianca DeGarr, Heidi Zeigler and Heather McAdam.
He appeared in two 1991 episodes of the Fox sitcom Married with Children as Charlie Verducci. The spin-off series Top of the Heap aired for seven episodes in April-July 1991. It starred Matt LeBlanc, Rita Moreno, Leslie Jordan and Joey Adams.
Some of his sitcom guest appearances included Daddy Dearest, Caroline in the City, Temporarily Yours, Cosby, Jenny, The Simple Life, The Nanny, Arli$$ and According to Jim.
David Cassidy (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Actor and singer David Cassidy was best known for his role as Keith Partridge in The Partridge Family. He died on November 21, 2017, at a Fort Lauderdale, Florida, area hospital of liver failure. Mr. Cassidy was 67.
Cassidy's early television guest appearances included The Survivors, Ironside, The F.B.I., Marcus Welby, M.D., Bonanza, Medical Center and The Mod Squad.
He starred as Keith Partridge in The Partridge Family, which aired on ABC from 1970 to 1974. The popular musical sitcom aired for 4 seasons and 96 episodes. Cassidy played the oldest of the five children. His stepmother Shirley Jones played his mother, Shirley Partridge. The series also starred Susan Dey, Danny Bonaduce, Jeremy Gelbwaks (1970-1971), Brian Forster (1971-1974), Suzanne Crough and David Madden.
The Partridge Family released eight studio albums during the show's run. The Partridge Family's biggest hit was the song "I Think I Love You", which was ranked #1 on US Billboard Hot 100 in December 1970. Other hits included "Doesn't Somebody Want to Be Wanted", "I'll Meet You Halfway", "I Woke Up in Love This Morning", "It's One of Those Nights (Yes Love)", "Am I Losing You", "Looking Through the Eyes of Love", "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" and "A Friend and a Lover". Cassidy also had much solo success with performances around the world. He released twelve studio albums, three live albums, six compilation albums, two soundtrack albums and twenty-four singles.
Cassidy received an Emmy nomination for his role as Officer Don Shay in a 1978 episode of Police Story titled "A Chance to Live." The episode was the pilot for the spin-off series David Cassidy: Man Undercover. The short-lived 1978-1979 NBC police drama also starred Wendy Rastatter, Elizabeth Reddin, Simon Oakland, Ray Vitte and Michael A. Salcido. He also performed the show's theme song titled "Hard Times (Hard Crimes)".
In 2009, he co-starred with his half-brother Patrick in the short-lived ABC Family sitcom Ruby & The Rockits. The series was created by his half-brother Shaun. It also starred Alexa Vega, Austin Butler, Katie A. Keane and Kurt Doss.
Some of his sitcom guest appearances included The Love Boat, Blossom, The John Larroquette Show, Malcolm in the Middle and Less Than Perfect. He also wrote and performed the theme song for The John Larroquette Show. Some of his other drama guest appearances included Fantasy Island, Matt Houston, Tales of the Unexpected, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Flash, The Agency and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
Actor, comedian and screenwriter Bill Dana starred in The Bill Dana Show, No Soap, No Radio and Zorro and Son. He died on June 15, 2017, at his home in Nashville, Tennessee. Mr. Dana was 92.
Dana starred as Jose Jimenez in the 1963-1965 NBC sitcom The Bill Dana Show. The series starred Jonathan Harris, Gary Crosby, Don Adams and Maggie Peterson. Dana had earlier appeared as Jimenez, a bumbling but endearing bellhop, in nine episodes of Make Room for Daddy from 1961-1963.
He starred as Mr. Plitzky in the short-lived 1982 ABC sitcom No Soap, No Radio. The series starred Steve Guttenberg, Hillary Bailey, Fran Ryan, Jerry Maren, Stuart Pankin, Edie McClurg and Phil Rubenstein.
He appeared as Bernardo in the short-lived 1983 CBS sitcom Zorro and Son. The series starred Henry Darrow, Paul Regina, Gregory Sierra, Richard Beauchamp, Barney Martin, John Moschitta, Catherine Parks and Pete Leal.
Some of his sitcom guest appearances included The Courtship of Eddie's Father, Get Smart, Love, American Style, Too Close for Comfort, The Facts of Life, Lenny, The Golden Girls and Empty Nest.
Actor, choreographer and dancer Paul De Rolf worked on Petticoat Junction and The Beverly Hillbillies. He died from Alzheimer's disease in Australia on June 22, 2017. Mr. De Rolf was 74.
De Rolf worked as an actor, choreographer and dancer on Petticoat Junction and The Beverly Hillbillies. He appeared in various roles in nine episodes of Petticoat Junction and six episodes of The Beverly Hillibllies. He also worked as a choreographer for 1941 and The Karate Kid Part II.
Miguel Ferrer (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Actor Miguel Ferrer starred in On the Air and LateLine. He died on January 19, 2017, at his Los Angeles, California, home of throat cancer. Mr. Ferrer was 61.
Ferrer starred as Bud Budwaller in the short-lived 1992 ABC sitcom On the Air. The series starred Ian Buchanan, David L. Lander, Nancye Ferguson, Gary Grossman, Marla Jeanette Rubinoff, Marvin Kaplan, Mel Johnson Jr., Tracey Walter, Kim McGuire, Raleigh and Raymond Friend, Buddy Douglas and Irwin Keyes.
He starred as Vic Karp in the 1998-1999 NBC sitcom LateLine. The series starred Al Franken, Megyn Price, Robert Foxworth, Catherine Lloyd Burns, Sanaa Lathan and Ajay Naidu.
Some of his sitcom guest appearances included Hooperman, Will & Grace and 3rd Rock From the Sun.
June Foray (IMDB/Wikipedia/Archive of American Television)
Voice actress June Foray was known for her work on The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show and Looney Tunes. She died on July 26, 2017, at a hospital in Los Angeles, California. Ms. Foray was 99.
Foray provided the voice of Rocky J. Squirrel and Natasha Fatale in The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. Some of her other voice credits included Mister Magoo, The Flintstones, George of the Jungle, Heathcliff, The Smurfs, Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears, DuckTales and The Looney Tunes Show.
Some of her sitcom credits included The Ray Milland Show (aka Meet Mr. McNutley), Bewitched, Green Acres, The Brady Bunch, Get Smart and The Duck Factory.
Dominic Frontiere (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Television and film composer Dominic Frontiere worked on The Flying Nun and That Girl. He died on December 21, 2017, in Tesuque, New Mexico. Mr. Frontiere was 86.
Frontiere composed the theme music and worked on some episodes of The Flying Nun. He later worked on That Girl.
His other television composing credits included The Outer Limits, Branded, 12 O'Clock High, The Invaders, The Rat Patrol, Iron Horse, The Name of the Game, The Young Rebels, The Immortal, Search, Vega$ and Matt Houston.
Stephen Furst (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Actor Stephen Furst starred in Delta House, Have Faith and Misery Loves Company. He died on June 16, 2017, from complications related to diabetes at his home in Moorpark, California. Mr. Furst was 63.
He reprised his role of Kent "Flounder" Dorfmann from the 1978 film National Lampoon's Animal House in the 1979 ABC sitcom Delta House. The series starred John Vernon, Bruce McGill, James Widdoes, Josh Mostel, Peter Fox, Gary Cookson, Richard Seer, Susanna Dalton, Wendy Gldman, Brian Patrick Clarke, Lee Wilkof, Peter Kastner and Michelle Pfeiffer.
Furst starred as Father Gabriel "Gabe" Podmaninski in the short-lived 1989 ABC sitcom Have Faith. The series starred Joel Higgins, Ron Carey, Frank Hamilton, Francesca Roberts and Todd Susman.
In 1995, he starred in the short-lived Fox sitcom Misery Loves company. The series starred Dennis Boutsikaris, Julius Carry, Christopher Meloni, Wesley Jonathan and Kathe Mazur.
Furst starred as Dr. Elliot Axelrod on St. Elsewhere from 1983-1988. He starred as Centauri diplomatic attaché Vir Cotto in the science fiction series Babylon 5 from 1994 to 1998.
Some of his sitcom guest appearances included Newhart, The Jeffersons, Throb, Doctor Doctor, Sydney, Dream On, Nurses, Davis Rules, Good Advice and Scrubs.
Actor Dick Gautier was known for his roles as Hymie the Robot in Get Smart and as Robin Hood in the short-lived TV When Things Were Rotten. He died on January 13, 2017, at an assisted living facility in Arcadia, California, following a long illness. Mr. Gautier was 85.
Gautier played Hymie, the C.O.N.T.R.O.L. robot, in Get Smart from 1966-1969. The series starred Don Adams, Barbara Feldon, Edward Platt, Dave Ketchum (1966-1967), Stacy Keach Sr. (1966-1967), Berine Kopell (1966-1969) and King Moody (1966-1969).
He starred as Hal Walters in the 1967 CBS sitcom Mr. Terrific. The series starred Stephen Strimpell, John McGiver and Paul Smith.
He appeared as Jerry Standish in the short-lived 1973 ABC sitcom Here We Go Again. The series starred Larry Hagman, Diane Baker, Nita Talbot, Chris Beaumont, Leslie Graves and Kim Richards.
Gautier starred as Robin Hood in the short-lived 1975 ABC sitcom When Things Were Rotten. The Mel Brooks comedy starred Dick Van Patten, Bernie Kopell, Richard Dimitri, Henry Polic II, Misty Rowe, David Sabin, Ron Rifkin and Jane A. Johnston.
Some of his sitcom guest appearances included The Baileys of Balboa, Gidget, The Patty Duke Show, Bewitched, Love on a Rooftop, The Flying Nun, The Debbie Reynolds Show, The Doris Day Show, Love, American Style, Good Heavens, The Love Boat, Happy Days, Too Close for Comfort, Alice, Life with Lucy, She's the Sheriff and Charles in Charge.
Television and film producer Brad Grey worked on many sitcoms in the 1980s and 1990s. He died on May 14, 2017, from cancer at his Holmby Hills home in Los Angeles, California, with his family by his side. Mr. Grey was 59.
Grey was one of the executive producers for It's Garry Shandling's Show, The Jeff Foxworthy Show, The Naked Truth, Alright Already, The Larry Sanders Show, NewsRadio, The Steve Harvey Show and Just Shoot Me!. He was the the chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures from 2005 to 2017.
Robert Guillaume (IMDB/Wikipedia/Archive of American Television)
Emmy Award-winning actor Robert Guillaume was best known for his role as Benson DuBois in Soap and the spin-off Benson. He died on October 24, 2017, at his home in Los Angeles, California, from prostate cancer. Mr. Guillaume was 89.
Guillaume's early sitcom guest appearances included Julia, Sanford and Son, All in the Family, The Jeffersons and Good Times. In 1970, he appeared in an episode of Marcus Welby, M.D..
His first starring role was as Benson in the ABC sitcom Soap. Benson was the wisecracking cook/butler for the wealthy Tate family. He appeared in 50 episodes of the series from 1977-1980. The series also starred Robert Mandan, Katherine Helmond, Diana Canova, Jennifer Salt, Jimmy Baio, Arthur Peterson, Cathryn Damon, Richard Mulligan, Billy Crystal, Ted Waas, Robert Urich and Jay Johnson. Guillaume won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1979.
The Benson character was very popular, so he he got his own spin-off series in 1979. Benson worked for Jessica's (Katherine Helmond) cousin, Governor James Gatling (James Noble), as the head of household affairs. Although his last name wasn't mentioned on Soap, it was revealed to be DuBois in the spin-off. Benson aired for 7 seasons and 158 episodes on ABC from 1979-1986. The series also starred Missy Gold, Inga Swenson, René Auberjonois (1980-1986), Ethan Phillips (1980-1985), Caroline McWilliams (1979-1981), Lewis J. Stadlen (1979-1980), Didi Conn (1981-1983) and Billie Bird (1984-1986). Guillaume won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for the role in 1985.
Guillaume starred as marriage counselor Edward Sawyer in the short-lived 1989 ABC sitcom The Robert Guillaume Show. The series was about a single father with two children who begins an interracial relationship with Ann (Wendy Phillips), a white woman who has a daughter of her own. The series also starred Hank Rolike, Kelsey Scott and Marc Joseph.
He starred as Detective Bob Ballard in the 1991-1992 NBC sitcom Pacific Station. Detective Bob Ballard was a wisecracking veteran cop who had been assigned to Pacific Station in Venice, California. The series also starred Richard Libertini, Joel Murray, Ron Leibman, Megan Gallagher and John Hancock.
Guillaume played Isaac Jaffe in the 1998-2000 ABC comedy/drama Sports Night. Isaac Jaffe was the managing editor of the late-night Sports Night program for the fictional Continental Sports Channel (CSC). Guillaume suffered a mild stroke midway through the first season on January 14, 1999. This event was worked into his character and the season's story arc. The short-lived but critically acclaimed series also starred Peter Krause, Josh Charles, Felicity Huffman, Joshua Malina, Sabrina Lloyd, Greg Baker, Kayla Blake, Timothy Davis Reed, Jeff Mooring and Ron Ostrow.
Some of his other sitcom guest appearances included The Love Boat, A Different World, Saved by the Bell: The College Years, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Goode Behavior, Moesha and 8 Simple Rules.
He was also known for his voice work. He provided the voice of Detective Catfish in the short-lived 1992 CBS animated sitcom Fish Police. His other television voice credits included The Addams Family, Captain Planet and the Planeteers and The Proud Family. He was the narrator for the HBO series Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child. He was the voice of Rafiki in the movie The Lion King and its sequels and spin-offs.
Glenne Headly (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Actress Glenne Headly starred in Encore! Encore! and Future Man. She died on June 8, 2017, of complications from a pulmonary embolism in Santa Monica, California. Ms. Headly was 62.
Headly starred as Francesca Pinoni in the 1998-1999 NBC sitcom Encore! Encore!. The series starred Nathan Lane, Joan Plowright, Trevor Fehrman, Ernie Sabella and James Patrick Stuart.
She appeared as Diane Futturman in 5 episodes of the Hulu comedy Future Man in 2017. The series stars Josh Hutcherson, Eliza Coupe, Derek Wilson and Ed Begley Jr.
Some of her sitcom guest appearances included Frasier, Parks and Recreation and The League.
Actor Blake Heron starred in Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher. He died on September 8, 2017, in La Crescenta-Montrose, California. Mr. Heron was 35.
Heron starred as Jordan Wells in the second season (1997-1998) of The WB sitcom Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher. The series starred Mitch Mullany, Clinton Jackson, Charles Cyphers, Jane Sibbett, Christina Vidal, Giuseppe Andrews, Andrew Levitas, Malinda Williams and Donna D'Errico.
His television guest appearances included Picket Fences, Cybill, Good vs Evil, Early Edition, ER, Boston Public, The Practice, Justified and Criminal Minds. His film credits included Shiloh and We Were Soldiers.
John Hillerman (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Actor John Hillerman was best known for his starring role as Jonathan Quayle Higgins III in Magnum, P.I.. He died on November 9, 2017, at his Houston, Texas, home of Cardiovascular disease. Mr. Hillerman was 84.
He starred as John Elliot in the 1977-1978 CBS sitcom The Betty White Show. The series starred Betty White, Georgia Engel, Caren Kaye, Alex Henteloff, Barney Phillips and Charles Cyphers.
Hillerman's best known role was as Jonathan Quayle Higgins III in the 1980-1988 detective drama Magnum, P.I.. Hillerman won an Emmy Award for the role in 1983.
He joined the cast of The Hogan Family as Lloyd Hogan, the father of Sandy (Sandy Duncan) and Michael Hogan (Josh Taylor), in the final season which aired in 1990-1991 on CBS.
His sitcom guest appearances included Maude, The Bob Crane Show, Soap, Nobody's Perfect, One Day at a Time and The Love Boat.
Character actor Rance Howard made guest appearances in many sitcoms. He was the father of Ron and Clint Howard. He died on the morning of November 25, 2017, in Los Angeles, California, from heart failure spurred on by a West Nile virus infection. Mr. Howard was 89.
Some of his sitcom guest appearances included The Andy Griffith Show, Laverne & Shirley, Happy Days, Mork & Mindy, Coach, Seinfeld, Married with Children, Just Shoot Me! and That's So Raven.
He starred as Henry Boomhauer in the 1967-1969 CBS adventure series Gentle Ben, which starred his son Clint as Mark Wedloe.
Actor Earle Hyman was known for his role as Russell Huxtable in The Cosby Show. He died on November 17, 2017, 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.
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.
Clifton James (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Actor Clifton James starred in Lewis & Clark He died on April 15, 2017, in Gladstone, Oregon, from complications of diabetes. Mr. James was 96.
James starred as Silas Jones in the 1981-1982 NBC sticom Lewis & Clark. The series starred Gabe Kaplan, Guich Koock, Ilene Graff, Michael McManus, Wendy Holcombe, Amy Linker, David Hollander and Aaron Fletcher.
He made guest appearances on The Phil Silvers Show and Night Court. His film credits included Live and Let Die, The Man with the Golden Gun, Silver Streak and Eight Men Out.
Anne Jeffreys (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Actress Anne Jeffreys starred in Topper. She died on September 27, 2017, at her home in Los Angeles, California. Ms. Jeffreys was 94.
Jeffreys starred as Marion Kerby in the 1953-1956 CBS/ABC/NBC sitcom Topper. The series starred Robert Sterling, Leo G. Carroll, Lee Patrick, Kathleen Freeman (1953-1954), Thurston Hall and Edna Skinner (1954-1955).
She appeared as Jill Johnson in the short-lived 1958 ABC sitcom Love That Jill. The series starred Robert Stirling, James Lydon, Betty Lynn, Polly Rose, Barbara Nichols, Nancy Hadley and Kay Elhardt.
Some of her sitcom guest appearances included The Bob Cummings Show, My Three Sons, Love, American Style and Getting On. Her starring drama roles included The Delphi Bureau, Finders of Love Loves, General Hospital and Port Charles.
Television and film composer Daniel Licht was known for his work on the Showtime series Dexter and several sitcoms. He died on August 2, 2017, of sarcoma at his home in Topanga, California. Mr. Licht was 60.
Licht worked as a composer for the 2005 Fox sitcom Kitchen Confidential and the 2005-2006 ABC sitcom Jake in Progress. His other sitcom composing credits included Oliver Beene, Romantically Challenged, Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 (pilot only) and Modern Family. His drama credits included Dexter, Cashmere Mafia, Body of Proof and The Red Road.
Writer and producer Howard Leeds was one of the creators of The Facts of Life, Silver Spoons and Small Wonder. He died on February 11, 2017, at his home in Los Angeles, California, after a long-term illness. Mr. Leeds was 97.
Leeds worked as a writer for many sitcoms from the 1950s to 1980s, including Meet Millie, How to Marry a Millionaire, Bachelor Father, The Bob Cummings Show, Ensign O'Toole, Make Room for Daddy, McHale's Navy, My Three Sons, The Bill Dana Show, Bewitched, That Girl, The Doris Day Show, Julia, The Ghost & Mrs. Muir, The Brady Bunch, Barney Miller and Grady. He received an Emmy nomination in 1956 for his work on the comedy/variety series The George Gobel Show.
He created his first sitcom The Queen and I in 1969. The short-lived CBS series starred Larry Storch, Billy DeWolfe, Carl Ballantine, Pat Morita, Barbara Stuart, Dave Morick, Liam Dunn and Dave Willock.
Leeds was a producer and story consultant for the 1964-1965 CBS sitcom My Living Doll. The series was about a lifelike adult android being cared for by a psychiatrist. It starred Bob Cummings, Julie Newmar, Jack Mullaney and Doris Dowling.
In 1979, he wrote "The Girls School" episode of Diff'rent Strokes with Ben Starr, Dick Clair and Jenna McMahon. The episode was for pilot for the spinoff The Facts of Life. Leeds worked as a writer on 33 episodes of Diff'rent Strokes from 1978-1984. He also served as a producer from 1979-1984.
He helped Martin Cohan and Ben Starr create the sitcom Silver Spoons in 1982. The series aired for four seasons on NBC before moving to first-run syndication for the fifth and final season. It starred Ricky Schroder, Joel Higgins, Erin Gray, Franklyn Seales, Jason Bateman (1982-1984), Corky Pigeon (1983-1985), Alfonso Ribeiro (1984-1987) and John Houseman. Leed provided the story for one episode.
Leeds was the creator and producer for the syndicated sitcom Small Wonder. The series aired for four seasons from 1985-1989. It starred Dick Christie, Marla Pennington, Jerry Supiran, Tiffany Brisette, Paul C. Scott and Emily Schulman. Leeds wrote one episode. He was also one of the writers of the theme song lyrics.
Some of his other producing credits included The Bill Dana Show, The Ghost & Mrs. Muir, The Brady Bunch and Grady. He worked as a production executive for Reg Grundy Productions from 1976 to 1978.
Rose Marie (IMDB/Wikipedia/Archive of American Television)
Rose Marie was best known for her role as television comedy writer Sally Rogers in The Dick Van Dyke Show. She died on December 28, 2017, in Van Nuys, California. She was 94.
She starred as Bertha, a friend of Ruth and Eileen Sherwood, in the 1960-1961 CBS sitcom My Sister Eileen. The series starred Elaine Stritch, Shirley Bonne, Leon Belasco, Jack Weston, Raymond Bailey and Stubby Kaye.
Rose Marie starred as Sally Rogers in the 1961-1966 CBS sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show. Sally Rogers and Maurice "Buddy" Sorrell (Morey Amsterdam) were comedy writers with Rob Petrie (Dick Van Dyke) for The Alan Brady Show. Sally and Buddy were close friends of Rob and his wife Laura (Mar Tyler Moore). The classic series ran for five seasons and 158 episodes. Rose Marie received three Emmy nominations for the role. She reprised her Sally Rogers role with Morey Amsterdam in a October 7, 1993 episode of Herman's Head. In 2004, she reunited with the cast for The Dick Van Dyke Show Revisited.
She starred as Myrna Gibbons in The Doris Day Show from 1969-1971 (Seasons 2-3) on CBS. She joined the cast in the second season as Myrna Gibbons, a secretary at Today's World magazine and a friend of Doris. The series starred Doris Day, Denver Pyle (1968-1970), Fran Ryan (1968), James Hampton (1968-1969), Philip Brown (1968-1971), Naomi Stevens (1968-1969), McLean Stevenson (1969-1971), Paul Smith (1969-1971), Kaye Ballard (1970-1971), Bernie Kopell (1970-1971), John Dehner (1971-1973) and Jackie Joseph (1971-1973).
She appeared as Mitzi Balzer in the short-lived 1994 Fox sitcom Hardball. The series starred Bruce Greenwood, Mike Starr, Joe Rogan, Phill Lewis, Chris Browning, Dann Florek, Steve Hytner, Alexandra Wentworth, Adam Hendershott and Dave Sebastian Williams.
Some of her sitcom guest appearances included The Bob Cummings Show, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, Valentine's Day, Occasional Wife, The Monkeers, Hey, Landlord, My Three Sons, Chico and the Man, The Love Boat, Mr. Belvedere, Murphy Brown, Scorch, Caroline in the City, Wings, Suddenly Susan and The Hughleys.
She was a 14-year panelist on the game show The Hollywood Squares.
Art director and production designer Rodger Maus worked on M*A*S*H. He died on March 16, 2017, in Palm Springs, California. Mr. Maus was 84.
He was the art director for 103 episodes (1973–1978) of the 251 episode television series M*A*S*H. He worked on 15 episodes of Nanny and the Professor in 1971. He was also known for his work on Irwin Allen produced series, including Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Time Tunnel, Lost in Space and Land of the Giants.
Mary Tyler Moore (IMDB/Wikipedia/Archive of American Television)
Actress Mary Tyler Moore was best known for her roles as Laura Petrie in The Dick Van Dyke Show and as Mary Richards in The Mary Tyler Moore Show. She died from cardiopulmonary arrest complicated by pneumonia on January 25, 2017, at Greenwich Hospital in Greenwich, Connecticut. Ms. Moore was 80.
Moore's first television appearance was as "Happy Hotpoint", a tiny elf dancing on Hotpoint appliances in TV commercials during The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. She appeared in 39 Hotpoint commercials in five days. Her first regular television role was as a mysterious and glamorous telephone receptionist named Sam on Richard Diamond, Private Detective in 1959. Some of her early drama guest appearances included Steve Canyon, Bronco, Bourbon Street Beat, Johnny Staccato, Overland Trail, 77 Sunset Strip, The Millionaire, Checkmate, Wanted: Dead or Alive, Riverboat, The Deputy, Surfside 6, Lock Up, The Hawaiian and Thriller. Her early sitcom guest appearances included The George Burns Show, The Tab Hunter Show and Bachelor Father.
She landed the role of Laura Petrie, a former dancer turned New Rochelle homemaker, wife and mother, in The Dick Van Dyke Show in 1961. The classic sitcom aired for five seasons on CBS from 1961-1966. The series starred Dick Van Dyke, Rose Marie, Morey Amsterdam and Larry Matthews. The supporting cast included Richard Deacon, Ann Morgan Guilbert, Jerry Paris and Carl Reiner. Moore won a Golden Globe Award for Best TV Star - Female in 1965. She won an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series" in 1966. She received Emmy nominations in 1963 and 1964. The series won a total of 15 Emmy Awards. Van Dyke and Moore reunited for a one-hour variety special called Dick Van Dyke and the Other Woman in 1969. They reunited again for a 1979 episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Hour. In 2004, the surviving cast members reunited for the CBS TV movie The Dick Van Dyke Show Revisited.
Moore starred as Mary Richards, a thirtyish single woman who worked as a local news producer at WJM-TV in Minneapolis, in The Mary Tyler Moore Show. The popular sitcom aired on CBS for seven seasons from 1970-1977. The series starred Edward Asner, Ted Knight, Gavin MacLeod, Valerie Harper (1970-1974), Cloris Leachman (1970-1975), Georgia Engel (1973-1977) and Betty White (1973-1977). Moore won three Emmy Awards for "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series" in 1973, 1974 and 1976. The show won "Outstanding Comedy Series" three years in a row from 1975-1977.
She appeared as Mary Richards in six episodes of the spin-off series Rhoda from 1974-1977. She made two guest appearances in the spin-off Phyllis in 1975-1976. Moore and Harper reunited for the ABC TV movie Mary and Rhoda in 2000. CBS aired two retrospective specials: Mary Tyler Moore: The 20th Anniversary Show in 1991 and The Mary Tyler Moore Reunion in 2002.
Moore later starred in several short-lived sitcoms. She played Mary Brenner in the 1985-1986 CBS sitcom Mary. Her character was a 40-ish divorcée working at a second rate tabloid, The Chicago Eagle. The series starred James Farentino, Katey Sagal, John Astin, Carlene Watkins, James Tolkan, David Byrd, Harold Sylvester and Derek McGrath.
In 1988, she starred as Annie McGuire in the CBS sitcom Annie McGuire. She played a newlywed with Nick (Denis Arndt). Both had kids from previous marriages and were trying to balance their jobs. The series also starred Eileen Heckart, John Randolph, Adrien Brody, Cynthia Marie King and Bradley Warren.
Some of her sitcom guest appearances included Frasier (voice), The Naked Truth, King of the Hill (voice), The Ellen Show, That '70s Show and Hot in Cleveland.
She had her own comedy/variety series with Mary in 1978 and The Mary Tyler Moore Hour in 1979. In 1995, she starred as Louise "the Dragon" Felcott in the 1995 CBS newspaper drama New York News.
Moore also had many film credits. She played Miss Dorothy Brown in 1967's Thoroughly Modern Millie. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as Beth Jarrett in 1980's Ordinary People. Some of her other film credits included What's So Bad About Feeling Good?, Don't Just Stand There!, Change of Habit, Six Weeks, Just Between Friends and Flirting with Disaster. Her TV movies included Like Mother, Like Son, Run a Crooked Mile, Heartsounds, The Gin Game (reuniting her with Dick Van Dyke), Finnegan Begin Again and Stolen Babies. She won an Emmy Award for her role in Stolen Babies in 1993.
Actress Erin Moran was best known as Joanie Cunningham in Happy Days and its spin-off Joanie Loves Chachi. She died on April 22, 2017, in New Salisbury, Indiana, from complications of stage four squamous cell carcinoma of the throat. Ms. Moran was 56.
Moran's first television starring role was as Jenny Jones in the final season (1968-1969) of the CBS adventure series Daktari. She was a seven-year-old orphan who became part of the Tracy household. The series starred Marshall Thompson, Cheryl Miller, Yale Summers (1966-1968), Hedley Mattingly, Hari Rhodes and Ross Hagen (1968-1969).
Some of her early sitcom guest appearances included The Courtship of Eddie's Father, My Three Sons and Family Affair. Her early drama guest appearances included Death Valley Days, O'Hara, U.S. Treasury, The Smith Family, Bearcats!, Gunsmoke, The F.B.I. and The Waltons.
Her first sitcom starring role was as Janie Robinson in the short-lived 1972 CBS sitcom The Don Rickles Show. She played the daughter of Don Robinson (Don Rickles) and Barbara Robinson (Louise Sorel). The series also starred Robert Hogan, Judy Cassmore, Joyce Van Patten and Barry Gordon.
She was cast at the age of 13 in 1974 to play Joanie Cunningham in Happy Days. Joanie was the daughter of Howard (Tom Bosley) and Marion Cunningham (Marion Ross), and the younger sister of Chuck (Gavan O'Herlihy and Randolph Roberts) and Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard). Fonzie (Henry Winkler) affectionately called her "Shortcake." She was the girlfriend and eventual wife of Charles "Chachi" Arcola (Scott Baio). The popular series ran for 11 seasons and 255 episodes from 1974-1984. It also starred Anson Williams (1974-1983), Donny Most (1974-1980), Pat Morita (1975-1976, 1982-1983), Al Molinaro (1976-1982), Lynda Goodfriend (1977-1982), Cathy Silvers (1980-1983) and Ted McGinley (1980-1984). Moran returned for the Happy Days: 30th Anniversary Reunion in 2005 on ABC.
ABC decided to spin-off Joanie and Chachi into their own series in 1982. Joanie Loves Chachi aired for two seasons (1982, 1982-1983) and 17 episodes before Moran and Baio returned to Happy Days. It starred Al Molinaro, Ellen Travolta, Art Metrano, Robert Pierce, Derrel Maury and Winifred Freedman.
Some of her later television guest appearances included Hotel, Glitter, The Love Boat, Murder, She Wrote, and The Bold and the Beautiful. In 2008, she appeared as a contestant on the VH1 reality series Celebrity Fit Club. She appeared on many game shows, including The Hollywood Squares, Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour, Weakest Link, Hollywood Squares, Pyramid and The Singing Bee.
She made her feature-film debut in 1968 in How Sweet It Is! with Debbie Reynolds. Some of her other film credits included 80 Steps to Jonah, Watermelon Man, Galaxy of Terror, Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, Broken Promise and Not Another B Movie. Her TV movie credits included Stanley vs. The System, Lisa, Bright and Dark and 1981's Twirl with Lisa Whelchel.
Robert Michael Morris (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Actor Robert Michael Morris starred in The Comeback and Running Wilde. He died on May 30, 2017, in Downey, California. Mr. Morris was 77.
Morris starred as Mickey Deane, Valerie Cherish's hairdresser since the late 1980s and her closest friend, in the reality television spoof The Comeback. The 2005 and 2014 HBO series starred Lisa Kudrow, Malin Åkerman, Robert Bagnell, Lance Barber, Laura Silverman and Damian Young.
He starred as Mr. Lunt, the nanny, in 2010-2011 Fox sitcom Running Wilde. The series starred Will Arnett, Keri Russell, Stefania LaVie Owen, Mel Rodriguez and Peter Serafinowicz.
Some of his sitcom guest appearances included Will & Grace, Arrested Development, The Class, How I Met Your Mother, 2 Broke Girls, Happily Divorced, The Middle and Better Things.
Actor, singer and comedian Jim Nabors was best known for his role as Gomer Pyle in The Andy Griffith Show and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.. He died at his Honolulu, Hawaii, home on November 30, 2017. He was suffering from health issues regarding his immune system as a result of contracting hepatitis B in India. Mr. Nabors was 87.
Nabors first appeared as Gomer Pyle in the December 24, 1962, episode of The Andy Griffith Show titled "The Bank Job". Gomer Pyle was a simple-minded and gentle gas station attendant at Wally's filling station. He was known for the catchphrases "Shazam!", "Gawwww-leeeee", "Sur-prise, sur-prise, sur-prise!" and "shame, shame, shame!" He would appear in 23 episodes until 1964. The classic series starred Andy Griffith, Ronny Howard, Don Knotts and Frances Bavier. In 1986, Nabors reunited with the cast for the NBC TV movie Return to Mayberry.
The Gomer Pyle character became very popular during the year and a half he appeared on the show. After Howard McNear returned to the series in 1964, Andy Griffith proposed a spin-off series. Gomer leaves Mayberry to join the United States Marine Corps, which stationed him at Camp Henderson, California. Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. ran for five seasons and 150 episodes on CBS from 1964 to 1969. The series also starred Frank Sutton and Ronnie Schell. Nabors appeared as Gomer Pyle in a cameo role in a 1966 episode of The Lucy Show. He appeared as Gomer Pyle for the final time in a 1991 episode of the ABC sitcom Hi Honey, I'm Home!.
Nabors' rich baritone voice made him a popular guest on variety shows such as The Carol Burnett Show. He was considered Carol Burnett's good luck charm and appeared in the season premiere of every season of the series. Some of his other variety show appearances included The Steve Allen Show, The Danny Kaye Show, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, The Dean Martin Show, The Leslie Uggams Show, The Johnny Cash Show, The Flip Wilson Show, The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour and The Sonny & Cher Show.
He hosted and starred in the variety series The Jim Nabors Hour on CBS from 1969-1971. The series featured his Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. co-stars Frank Sutton and Ronnie Schell. He hosted another variety series in 1978 called The Jim Nabors Show. He received a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Host or Hostess in a Talk, Service or Variety Series.
Some of his sitcom guest appearances included I'm Dickens, He's Fenster, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Valentine's Day, Aloha Paradise and The Love Boat.
He was a friend of Burt Reynolds. He starred in three of his movies: The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Stroker Ace and Cannonball Run II.
Nabors also had much success as a singer. He recorded 28 albums and numerous singles. His certified gold albums were Jim Nabors Sings Love Me With All Your Heart (1966), Jim Nabors Sings the Lord's Prayer (1968) and Jim Nabors Christmas Album (1990). He was known for performing Back Home Again in Indiana prior to the start of the Indianapolis 500 from 1972 to 2014, except for occasional absences due to illnesses or scheduling conflicts.
Martin Ransohoff (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Producer Martin Ransohoff worked on The Beverly Hillbillies and Mister Ed. He died on December 13, 2017, at his Bel Air home in Los Angeles, California. Mr. Ransohoff was 90.
Ransohoff worked an executive producer on The Beverly Hillibllies. He co-founded the film production company Filmways, Inc. with Edwin Kasper (Kasper left the firm in 1957) in 1952. He made the short-lived sitcom Co-Ed Fever in 1979.
Della Reese (IMDB/Wikipedia/Archive of American Television)
Actress and singer Della Reese starred as Tess in Touched by an Angel and as Della Rogers in Chico and the Man. She died peacefully at her Los Angeles, California, home on November 19, 2017. Ms. Reese was 86.
Reese hosted her own talk show early in her career called Della. It aired for 197 episodes from June 9, 1969 to March 13, 1970. She became the first black woman to guest host The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1970.
Some of her early television appearances included The Mod Squad, The Bold Ones: The New Doctors, Police Woman, McCloud, Petrocelli, The Rookies and Sanford and Son.
She joined the cast of Chico and the Man in the fall of 1976. She played Della Rogers, the owner of the diner across from Ed's Garage and Ed's landlady. The ABC sitcom ran for four seasons and 88 episodes from 1974-1978. It starred Jack Albertson, Freddie Prinze (1974-1977), Scatman Crothers, Bonnie Boland (1974-1975), Isaac Ruiz (1974-1977), Ronny Graham (1975-1976), Gabriel Melgar (1977-1978) and Charo (1977-1978). Reese first guest starred as The Judge in the 1975 episode "The Juror."
Reese appeared as Judge Caroline Phillips in six episodes of the 1982-1983 ABC sitcom It Takes Two. The series starred Richard Crenna, Patty Duke Astin, Helen Hunt, Anthony Edwards, Billie Bird, Richard McKenzie and Randy Dreyfuss.
She joined the cast of Charlie & Co. for four episodes in early 1986 as Charlie's (Flip Wilson) sister-in-law, Aunt Rachel. The 1985-1986 CBS sitcom also starred Gladys Knight, Fran Robinson, Kristoff St. John, Jaleel White, Ray Girardin, Richard Karron, Kip King, Terry McGovern and Eddie Velez.
Reese starred with Redd Foxx in the 1991-1992 CBS sitcom The Royal Family. Al Royal and his wife Victoria were an Atlanta couple looking forward to retirement until his daughter and her family move back home. The series also starred Mariann Aaida, Sylver Gregory, Larenz Tate, Naya Rivera, Jackée Harry and Barry Shabaka Henley.
Her best known role was as the supervisor Tess in the religious supernatural drama Touched by an Angel, which aired on CBS from 1994-2003. It ran for nine seasons and 212 episodes. It also starred Roma Downey, John Dye and Valerie Bertinelli (2001-2003). Reese performed the show's theme song titled "Walk with You." She received two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 1997 and 1998 and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television in 1998. She also appeared in six episodes of the spin-off series Promised Land in 1996-1998.
Some of her other sitcom guest appearances included Welcome Back, Kotter, The Love Boat, 227, Night Court, Married People, Dream On, Designing Women and That's So Raven.
She played the mother of B. A. Baracus (Mr. T) in a 1985 episode of The A-Team. Some of other drama guest appearances included Medical Center, Insight, Crazy Like a Fox, The Young Riders, MacGyver, L.A. Law, Picket Fences, Detroit 1-8-7 and Signed, Sealed, Delivered.
Her film credits included Psychic Killer, Harlem Nights (with Redd Foxx), A Thin Line Between Love and Hate, Beauty Shop, If I Had Known I Was a Genius and Expecting Mary.
Stand-up comedian and actor Don Rickles starred in C.P.O. Sharkey. He died of kidney failure on April 6, 2017, at his home in Beverly Hills, California. Mr. Rickles was 90.
Rickles starred as Don Robinson in the short-lived 1972 CBS sitcom The Don Rickles Show. Robinson was a New York advertising-agency executive who had a wife named Barbara (Louise Sorel) and a young daughter, Janie (Erin Moran). The series also starred Robert Hogan, Judy Cassmore, Joyce Van Patten and Barry Gordon.
He starred as Chief Petty Officer (C.P.O.) Sharkey in the NBC sitcom C.P.O. Sharkey. The series ran for two seasons and 37 episodes from 1976-1978. Sharkey was an abrasive, sharp-tongued 24-year veteran who was in charge of a company of new seaman recruits at Navy Training Center in San Diego. It starred Peter Isacksen, Jeff Hollis, Tom Ruben, David Landsberg, Elizabeth Allen (1976-1977), Harrison Page, Barry Pearl (1976-1977), Philip Simms (1977-1978), Richard Beauchamp, Jonathan Daly, Beverly Sanders and Richard X. Slattery (1977-1978).
Rickles played Al Mitchell in the short-lived 1993 Fox sitcom Daddy Dearest. He was the obnoxious father of Dr. Steven Mitchell (Richard Lewis). Al was a used car salesman who was recently separated from his wife Helen (Renée Taylor). The series also starred Sydney Walsh, Alice Carter, Carey Eidel, Jeffrey Bomberger and Barney Martin.
Some of his 1960s sitcom guest appearances included Hennesey, The Addams Family, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Munsters, The Beverly Hillbillies, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., The Andy Griffith Show, F Troop, Gilligan's Island, The Lucy Show, I Dream of Jeannie, Get Smart and The Mothers-in-Law. His later guest appearances included Archie Bunker's Place, Gimme a Break! (a spin-off attempt), Newhart, The Larry Sanders Show, The Single Guy, Murphy Brown, The Bernie Mac Show and Hot in Cleveland.
He also starred in a number of films. His prominent film roles included Run Silent, Run Deep (1958) and Kelly's Heroes (1970). He appeared in the popular Beach Party film series. He was the voice of Mr. Potato Head in the Toy Story franchise.
Rickles was sarcastically known as Mr. Warmth for his poking fun at people of all ethnicities and walks of life. He won a Primetime Emmy Award for the 2007 documentary Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project.
Rita Riggs (IMDB/Wikipedia/Archive of American Television)
Costume designer Rita Riggs was known for her work for Norman Lear sitcoms. She died on June 5, 2017, in Los Angeles, California. Ms. Riggs was 86.
Riggs worked as the costume designer for Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Maude, The Jeffersons, All in the Family and Good Times.
Bob Schiller (IMDB/Wikipedia/Archive of American Television)
Emmy-winning writer Bob Schiller worked on I Love Lucy and All in the Family. He died on October 10, 2017, in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, California. Mr. Schiller was 98.
Schiller's television writing career began in 1950 with The Garry Show Show. Some of his early sitcom writing credits included That's My Boy, The Jimmy Durante Show, December Bride, Professional Father and It's Always Jan.
He worked extensively with fellow writer and producer Bob Weiskopf on many television series beginning in 1953. Their credits in the 1950s included The Bob Cummings Show, I Love Lucy, The Ann Sothern Show (which they also created), The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour and Pete and Gladys. They were writers for 53 episodes of I Love Lucy for the fifth and sixth seasons from 1955-1957. In 1956, they received an Emmy nomination for the episode L.A. at Last.
Their credits in the 1960s and 1970s included The Lucy Show, The Good Guys, Love, American Style, All's Fair (which they also created) and All in the Family. They worked on variety series such as The Red Skelton Show, The Carol Burnett Show and The Flip Wilson Show. In 1970, they won an Emmy Award for their work on The Flip Wilson Show.
They worked together on 17 episodes of All in the Family from 1977-1979. They won an Emmy Award in 1978 for their work on the episode Cousin Liz, which dealt with Edith Bunker's inheritance of a valuable tea service from her deceased cousin Liz and her decision, upon learning that Liz's "roommate" Veronica is really Liz's surviving longtime companion, to give Veronica the service.
Schiller and Weiskopf later worked on the All in the Family spin-off series Archie Bunker's Place from 1979-1980. They also worked on Checking In, Sanford and He's the Mayor. Their producing credits included The Good Guys, All's Fair and Maude.
Actor Roger Smith starred in Mister Roberts. He died on June 4, 2017, at the Sherman Oaks Hospital in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California, from complications from Parkinson's disease. Mr. Smith was 84.
Smith starred as Lieutenant Douglas Roberts in the 1965-1966 NBC sitcom Mister Roberts. The series starred Steve Harmon, Richard X. Slattery, George Ives, Richard Sinatra, Ronald Starr and Roy Reese.
He appeared as Doyle Hobbs in Father Knows Best from 1957-1958. He starred starred as Jeff Spencer in the television detective series 77 Sunset Strip from 1958-1963. He guest starred in a 1964 episode of The Farmer's Daughter.
Writer Tam Spiva was known for his work on The Brady Bunch. He died on April 30, 2017, at his home in Pacific Palisades, California. Mr. Spiva was 84.
Spiva wrote nine episodes of The Brady Bunch from 1970-1973: "The Big Sprain," "The Slumber Caper," "A Fistful of Reasons," "Grand Canyon or Bust," "The Brady Braves," "Hawaii Bound," "Pass the Tabu," "The Tiki Caves," and "Peter and the Wolf." He was the script editor for 50 episodes from 1971-1973. His other television credits included six episodes of Gentle Ben in 1967-1968, The FBI and Dan August.
Emmy award-winning actor Jay Thomas was known for his roles in Mork & Mindy, Cheers, Love & War and Murphy Brown. He died of throat cancer on August 24, 2017, at his Santa Barbara, California home. Mr. Thomas was 69.
Thomas' television career began with his role as Remo DaVinci in Mork & Mindy. He appeared in the second and third seasons from 1979-1981. Reno and his sister, Jeanie (Gina Hecht), owned the The New York Delicatessen in season 2 and DaVinci's Restaurant in season 3, where Mork (Robin Williams) and Mindy (Pam Dawber) spent a lot of their time.
He had a recurring role as Eddie LeBec in 9 episodes of Cheers from 1987-1989. Eddie LeBec was a Boston Bruins goalie who began dating Carla Tortelli (Rhea Perlman). They later married, and had twin boys named Elvis and Jesse. In 1989, Eddie was killed by a Zamboni when he saved the life of another member of the ice show.
Thomas appeared as Jerry Gold in 9 episodes of Murphy Brown from 1989-1998. Jerry Gold was a tabloid talk show host, who became a friend of Murphy's and an occasional love interest, despite their significantly different journalistic values. Thomas won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series in 1990 and 1991 for the role.
He starred as Russell Meyers in the 1990-1991 ABC sitcom Married People. Russell was a freelance writer and house-husband who was married to Elizabeth (Bess Armstrong), who worked as an attorney. The series also starred Ray Aranha, Barbara Montgomery, Chris Young and Megan Gallivan.
Thomas starred as Jack Stein in the 1992-1995 CBS sitcom Love & War. Jack Stein was a columnist for the New York Post. He had an on-again, off-again romance with Wallis "Wally" Porter (Susan Dey), a Chicago restaurateur. Dey was dropped from the show after the first season. Annie Potts joined the cast as Dana Palladino, who bought Porter's restaurant and also became a love interest for Jack. The series also starred John Hancock (1992), Charlie Robinson, Joel Murray, Michael Nouri, Suzie Plakson and Joanna Gleason.
In 1999, Thomas starred in the short-lived WB sitcom Katie Joplin. He played Glen Shotz, a radio station general manager. The series also starred Park Overall, Jim Rash, Jesse Head, Ana Reeder, Simon Rex and Majandra Delfino.
Some of his sitcom guest appearances included The Love Boat, Family Ties, The Golden Girls, Open House, Cybill, Bless This House, Ink, Working, The Simple Life, Run of the House, Retired at 35 and Shake It Up.
He had a recurring role as Marty Grossman in Ray Donovan. Some of his other drama credits included Spenser: For Hire, Almost Grown, Freddy's Nightmares, Hercules, Fantasy Island (1999), The Education of Max Bickford, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Joan of Arcadia, Boston Legal and Cold Case.
Thomas starred as Bill Meister in Mr. Holland's Opus. He played the Easter Bunny in The Santa Clause 2 and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause. Some of his other film credits included C.H.U.D., Straight Talk, A Smile Like Yours, Labor Pains and Underdogs.
Thomas also worked as a radio talk show host. He was heard in New York in the mid-1970s on Top 40 station 99X, and in Los Angeles beginning in 1989 on KPWR "Power 106". He began hosting The Jay Thomas Show on SiriusXM Satellite Radio in 1999.
Elena Verdugo (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Actress Elena Verdugo was best known for her role as Consuelo Lopez in Marcus Welby, M.D.. She died on May 30, 2017, in Los Angeles, California. Ms. Verdugo was 92.
Verdugo starred as Millie Bronson in the 1952-1956 CBS sitcom Meet Millie. The series, which began on radio, was about a wisecracking Manhattan secretary from Brooklyn. It also starred Florence Halop, Earl Ross, Ross Ford, Marvin Kaplan, Roland Winters, Isabel Randolph and Virginia Vincent.
She appeared in the recurring role of Audrey, the widowed sister of Harry Grafton (Phil Silvers), in 8 episodes of the CBS sitcom The New Phil Silvers Show in 1964. Harry Grafton was a plant foreman at the Osborne Corporation. The series also starred Stafford Repp, Sandy Descher, Herbie Faye, Ronnie Dapo and Buddy Lester.
Verdugo starred as Lynn Hall in the short-lived 1964-1965 CBS sitcom Many Happy Returns. Lynn Hall was a complaint department employee at the fictitious Krockmeyer's Department Store in Los Angeles. The series starred John McGiver, Richard Collier, Eliinor Donahue, Jesslyn Fax, Mark Goddard, Mickey Manners and Andrea Sacino.
She starred as Alice Henderson in the 1965-1966 NBC sitcom Mona McCluskey. The series was about Mona (Juliet Prowse) trying to balance her acting career with her marriage to Mike (Denny Scott Miller), who preferred that they live on his smaller Air Force salary. The series also starred Herb Rudley, Bartlett Robinson and Robert Strauss.
Some of her sitcom guest appearances included The Gale Storm Show: Oh! Susanna, The Bob Cummings Show, Petticoat Junction and Love, American Style.
Verdugo was best known for her role as Consuelo Lopez in the 1969-1976 ABC medical drama Marcus Welby, M.D.. Consuelo Lopez was Dr. Marcus Welby's (Robert Young) and Dr. Steven Kiley's (James Brolin) dedicated and loving nurse and office manager. Vergudo received two Emmy nominations for "Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in Drama" in 1971 and 1972 and a Golden Globe nomination for "Best Supporting Actress - Television" in 1973. Verdugo reunited with Young in the 1984 TV movie The Return of Marcus Welby, M.D..
She earlier starred as Gerry in the short-lived 1963 western Redigo. Gerry was the manager of the Gran Quivera Hotel in Mesa, New Mexico. The series starred Richard Egan, Roger Davis, Rudy Solari and Mina Martinez.
Trish Vradenburg (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Writer Trish Vradenburg worked on several sitcoms in the 1980s. She died on April 17, 2017, in Washington, Disctrict of Columbia, from a heart attack. Ms. Vradenburg was 70.
Her sitcom writing credits included a 1985 episode of Kate & Allie, three episodes of Everything's Relative in 1987, two episodes of Designing Women in 1987 and a 1988 episode of Family Ties. Her episodes dealt with topics including abortion, homosexuality, race relations and high school reunions.
Ann Wedgeworth (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Actress Ann Wedgeworth was known for her roles as Lana Shields in Three's Company and as Merleen Elldridge in Evening Shade. She died on November 16, 2017, after a long illness at a nursing home in North Bergen, New Jersey. 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.
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.
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.
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.
Adam West (IMDB/Wikipedia/Archive of American Television)
Actor Adam West was best known for his role as Batman in the 1960s series Batman. He died on June 9, 2017, in Los Angeles, California, following a brief battle with leukemia. Mr. West was 88.
West's early television guest appearances included The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse, Grand Jury, Lawman, Sugarfoot, Cheyenne, Bronco, Colt .45, 77 Sunset Strip, Maverick, Hawaiian Eye, Bourbon Street Beat, Johnny Midnight, Overland Trail, Bonanza, Michael Shayne and The Rifleman.
His first television starring role was as Sgt. Steve Nelson in the police drama Robert Taylor's Detectives. He appeared in the final season of the series, which aired in 1961-1962 on NBC. The series starred Robert Taylor as Capt. Matt Holbrook and Tige Andrews as Lt. John Russo.
West's 1960s television drama guest appearances included Perry Mason, Laramie, Gunsmoke, The Outer Limits, The Virginian and The Big Valley.
He starred as Bruce Wayne and his alter ego, Batman, in the 1966-1968 ABC action/adventure/comedy series Batman. The popular campy show ran for three seasons and 120 episodes. The series starred Burt Ward, Alan Napier, Madge Blake, Neil Hamilton, Stafford Repp and Yvonne Craig (1967-1968). A theatrical film titled Batman (also known as Batman: The Movie) was released in 1966.
In 2003, West and Ward reunited for the CBS television movie Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt. West voiced an animated version of Batman on The New Adventures of Batman, Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show and The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians.
West starred as Captain Rick Wright in the short-lived 1986 NBC sitcom The Last Precint. Captain Rick Wright led a group of misfit police academy rejects at Los Angeles' 56th precinct. The series starred Jonathan Perpich, Rick Ducommun, Ernie Hudson, Randi Brooks, Vijay Amritraj, Pete Willcox, Keenan Wynn, Hank Rolike, Lucy Lee Flippin, Wings Hauser, Yana Nirvana, Geoffrey Elliott and James Cromwell.
He made guest appearances in many sitcoms. His credits included Guestward Ho!, The Real McCoys, Petticoat Junction, Bewitched, Love, American Style, Alice, Operation Petticoat, Laverne & Shirley, The Love Boat, Nurses, The Adventures of Pete & Pete, Hope & Gloria, Pauly, The Wayans Bros., Murphy Brown, Jenny, NewsRadio, The Drew Carey Show, Yes, Dear, The King of Queens, George Lopez, 30 Rock, The Big Bang Theory (200th episode) and Powerless.
West was also known for his voice work. He voiced Mayor Adam West, the lunatic mayor of Quahog, Rhode Island, on Family Guy beginning in 2000 (season 2). He voiced a cat-obsessed version of himself, who is famous for playing a superhero called Catman, and who actually believes he is Catman, in the Nickelodeon animated series The Fairly OddParents. He provided his voice in two episodes of The Simpsons. Some of his other voice credits included The Rugrats, The Critic, Animaniacs, The Batman and Futurama.
Bernard 'Bud' Wiser (IMDB)
Writer and producer Bernard 'Bud' Wiser worked on All in the Family, One Day at a Time and Who's the Boss?. He died April 16, 2017, surrounded by his family at his home in Studio City, California. Mr. Wiser was 87.
Wiser served as a producer of One Day at a Time for six seasons of the long-running CBS sitcom. He also wrote 25 episodes of the series from 1976-1983. He was a script consultant for an additional 30 episodes.
He worked as a producer and supervising producer for Who's the Boss? for the first two seasons from 1984-1986. He wrote eight episodes of the series from 1984-1989.
Wiser's other sitcom writing credits included Chico and the Man, Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers, All in the Family (2 episodes - "Gloria's Boyfriend" and "Prisoner in the House"), That's My Mama (2 episodes), Rhoda, The Practice (1976), All's Fair (4 episodes), A Different World, Charles in Charge (3 episodes), Growing Pains, Dear John, Brooklyn Bridge and Coach.
He served as a supervising producer for The New Lassie syndicated series in 1989-1990. He also wrote four episodes.
Francine York (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Actress Francine York made guest appearances in many sitcoms. She died on January 6, 2017, in Van Nuys, California, from cancer. Ms. York was 80.
Some of her sitcom guest appearances included Bringing Up Buddy, I'm Dickens, He's Fenster, My Favorite Martian, Hazel, My Brother the Angel, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., Green Acres, The Courtship of Eddie's Father, The Odd Couple, Bewitched, Love, American Style, Mama's Family, Mr. Belvedere, Even Stevens, The King of Queens, Hot in Cleveland and The Mindy Project.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Thursday, November 21
Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "The 6:10 to Lubbock" (CBS, 10:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Georgie and Mandy get fed up staying with her parents and reconsider their living situation after a fight with Mandy’s mom, Audrey.
Ghosts - "Man of Your Dreams" (CBS, 10:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Sam learns that one of the ghosts’ powers is to enter the dreams of the livings and influence their decisions. Also, two of the ghosts think they’ve learned the secret to moving on.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of November 18)
Thursday, November 21
- Jim Gaffigan (The Jim Gaffigan Show/My Boys/The Ellen Show/Welcome to New York) - Catch Jim on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Rita Moreno (One Day at a Time/Happily Divorced/9 to 5) - Rita appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Justine Lupe (Nobody Wants This/Cristela), Jackie Tohn (Nobody Wants This/GLOW) and Timothy Simons (HouseBroken/Veep) - Justine, Jackie and Timothy are guests on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Kristin Chenoweth (Trial & Error/Kristin) - Kristin appears on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 10pm on Bravo.
- Maura Tierney (NewsRadio/The Van Dyke Show) - Maura is in the studio to discuss the neww season of Law and Order on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your listings.
- Paul Reiser (Mad About You/Red Oaks/Married/My Two Dads) - Paul is telling Drew about his huge return to comedy after thirty years with his standup special, Life, Death and Rice Pudding, and his new movie The Gutter on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- John O'Hurley (Seinfeld/Over the Top/The Mullets) - John will be on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:40am.
New on DVD and 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)
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