Tuesday, February 06, 2018

Remembering John Mahoney of Frasier; The Rock Gets NBC Series

John Mahoney

English-American actor John Mahoney, who was best known for his role as Martin Crane in Frasier, has died. He died on February 4 in Chicago of complications from throat cancer. Mr. Mahoney was 77.

Mahoney's television career began with his role as Lt. Roselli in the 1982 NBC drama Chicago Story. The series followed the work and personal lives of several Chicago doctors, lawyers and police officers. It starred Maud Adams, Vincent Baggetta, Molly Cheek, Dennis Franz, Connie Foster, Daniel Hugh Kelly, Richard Lawson, Craig T. Nelson, Kristoffer Tabori and Jill Shellabrger.

He played Chief Patrick Meacham in the short-lived 1990 ABC adventure series H.E.L.P.. Battalion Chief Meacham led the Harlem Eastside Life-saving Program (H.E.L.P.) in New York City that co-located the resources of the Fire Department, Police Department and Emergency Medical Services. The series starred Wesley Snipes, Joe Urla, Lance Edwards, Kim Flowers, Tom Bresnahan, Marjorie Monaghan, Fionnula Flanagan and David Caruso.

Mahoney appeared as Dr. Alec McMurtry in the short-lived 1992 CBS medical drama The Human Factor. The series was about a physician at U.C.I., an inner-city teaching hospital. It starred Jan Lucas, Kurt Deutsch, Eriq La Salle, Melinda McGraw, Matthew Ryan, Robert McNeill and Allan Miller.

Frasier

He starred as the blue-collar patriarch Martin Crane in the NBC sitcom Frasier, which aired for 11 seasons from 1993 through 2004. Martin Crane was an Army veteran and a retired Seattle Police Department detective. He was the father of Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) and Dr. Niles Crane (David Hyde Pierce). It also starred Jane Leeves, Peri Gilpin and Dan Butler. The series won a total of 37 Primetime Emmy Awards during its 11-year run. Mahoney received two Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for the role in 1999 and 2003 and two Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film in 1993 and 2000.

Betty White and John Mahoney - Hot in Cleveland

Mahoney had a recurring role as Roy, a waiter and a love interest for Elka (Betty White), in six episodes of Hot in Cleveland in 2011 and 2014. Some of his other sitcom guest appearances included Cheers, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Becker and $#*! My Dad Says. His drama guest appearances included ER, In Treatment and Burn Notice.

He was also known for his voice work. His television voice credits included Teacher's Pet, Gary the Rat and The Simpsons. Some of his film voice credits included Antz, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Atlantis: Milo's Return, The Iron Giant and Kronk's New Groove.

Some of his film credits included Tin Men, Moonstruck, Eight Men Out, Say Anything..., Barton Fink, In the Line of Fire, Reality Bites, The Hudsucker Proxy and The American President.

Mahoney was passionate about his stage work on Broadway and in Chicago theatre. He won Broadway's Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play in 1986 for his performance in John Guare's The House of Blue Leaves.

John Mahoney as Martin Crane - Frasier

Mr. Mahoney was wonderful as Martin Crane. His character was grumpy and cranky, but he made him likable. We thank him for the many laughs and entertainment he brought us during his career. He will be greatly missed.

Share your memories on our Frasier message board. View photos in our galleries.



The Titan Games

NBC has partnered with Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia to produce a new large-scale physical competition series The Titan Games, which will feature Johnson. The 10-episode series from Universal Television Alternative Studio (World of Dance), A. Smith & Co. Productions (American Ninja Warrior) and Seven Bucks Productions (Rock the Troops) will offer everyday people the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete in epic head-to-head challenges designed to test mind, body and heart.

Inspired by Johnson's desire to motivate global audiences to reach their potential for greatness, the competition welcomes men and women who are strong enough to believe in themselves and simultaneously confident enough to test their own abilities by taking on physical challenges of epic proportions. The Titan Games will not only test the competitors' physical strength, but also their mental and emotional endurance. Taking place in a thrilling arena, determination will be rewarded as a new breed of heroes will emerge.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Monday, March 16

The Neighorhood - "Welcome to Murder at Sea" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Gemma throws Dave an unforgettable murder mystery birthday party. Meanwhile, Malcolm uses the celebration to introduce Mercedes to his family.

DMV - "Test Drive" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
During Teen Outreach Day at the DMV, Colette pushes Gregg to mentor a disengaged teen. Meanwhile, Vic suspects one of the students may be his biological son, and Barb’s attempt to film a promo with Ceci spirals into chaos.

St. Denis Medical - "Everyone Loves Portland General" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Bruce considers a new chapter in his career; Serena uses a baby to get out of work; Matt helps Ron log onto his computer.

The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins - "You May Hug Your Hero" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Reggie and Monica restart their youth football camp and face off against their old rivals, Jerry and Tisha Basmati.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 16)

Monday, March 16

  • Zendaya (K.C. Undercover/Shake It Up) - Watch Zendaya on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Demi Lovato (Sonny with a Chance) - Demi is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Sarah Michelle Gellar (The Crazy Ones) - Sarah appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Trey Parker and Matt Stone (Creators of South Park) - Trey and Matt are guests on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Andrew Rannells (Girls/The New Normal) and Josh Gad (Wolf Like Me/Avenue 5/The Comedians/1600 Penn/Back to You) - Andrew and Josh are guests on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Daniel Radcliffe (The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins/Miracle Workers) - Daniel stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Arden Myrin (Free Bert/Working/Still the King) - Andy Cohen interviews Arden on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 3am on Bravo.
  • Leanne Morgan (Leanne) - Leanne swings by for a chat on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family/The Class) - Jesse talks about Tru on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Cafe Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - Nate Berkus joins Drew and Valerie to hit the news on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings. Chris Appleton gives Drew and Valerie a gray hair makeover.
  • Judy Reyes (Scrubs) - Judy tells Sherri about the hit Scrubs reboot and her new film Freestyle: A Love Story on Sherri, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray) Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season (DVD) St. Denis Medical - Season One (Blu-ray) Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
08/26 - The Huckleberry Hound Show - The Complete Original Series (Blu-ray)
09/30 - Touché Turtle and Dum Dum - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
10/07 - Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season (DVD)
10/14 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
10/28 - St. Denis Medical - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/04 - Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - Rick and Morty - Season 8 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fifteenth Season (DVD)
11/11 - Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/02 - Tom and Jerry - The Golden Era Anthology (1940-1958) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
12/16 - Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/16 - Wally Gator - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
01/20 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (Blu-ray)
03/24 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 2 (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

03/15 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 16, 2026)
03/14 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Family Guy's Stewie Griffin Getting Spinoff; NBCUniversal Cancels Several Daytime Shows, Including Last of the Daytime "Trash Talk"
03/13 - NBC Summer 2026 Schedule; Malcolm in the Middle Revival Series Trailer
03/12 - Season 9 of Rick and Morty This May; Fox Entertainment Studios Lines Up Frankie Quiñones for Comedy Series
03/11 - Antenna TV's Hazel 65th Anniversary Marathon; Kountry Wayne Prime Video Comedy Special
03/10 - XO, Kitty Season 3 Trailer Released for April 2 Launch; The Drew Barrymore Show Talker Gets 2 Season Renewal
03/09 - Beef Returns April 16 on Netflix; Remembering Jennifer Runyon of Charles in Charge
03/08 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 9, 2026)
03/07 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Scrubs Returns to Big Ratings; New Garfield Series Coming to Paramount+
03/06 - The Four Seasons Returns on May 28; More Details on I Suck at Girls
03/05 - COZI TV Pairs Up Al Bundy and Hondo at Last; ABC Renews Abbott Elementary for Season 6
03/04 - ABC's Scrubs Returns Big; Netflix's Little House on the Prairie Renewed for Season 2
03/03 - Prime Video's Kevin Premieres April 20; Fox Renews Best Medicine
03/02 - Running Point Returns April 23 on Netflix; A Different World Sequel Starts Production
03/01 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 2, 2026)
02/28 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Warner Now Set to Merge with Paramount, Not Netflix; X-Files Reboot Given Greenlight
02/27 - The Comeback Returns for Final Season on March 22; Animal Control Renewed for Season 5; Remembering Lauren Chapin of Father Knows Best and Robert Carradine of Lizzie McGuire
02/26 - AspireTV Gets First Ever Original Sitcom; Sullivan's Crossing Returns for Season 4 in April on The CW
02/25 - Scrubs Returns Tonight, Sneak Peek at Title Sequence; Stranger Things: Tales From '85 Reveals Odessa A'zion as Nikki Baxter
02/24 - Netflix's Wednesday Season 3 Adds to Cast; Wonder Pets: In the City Returns March 20
02/23 - Celebrities for ABC's Celebrity Jeopardy! All-Stars; Hallmark's Mistletoe Murders Renewed for Season 3
02/22 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of February 23, 2026)
02/21 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Hulu Orders New Adult Animated Comedy From Creator of Bluey; Casting News for Upcoming CBS Comedy Regency
02/20 - ABC Wednesday Comedies Find Valentine's Magic; Netflix Announces Dang!
02/19 - The Golden Girls Coming to MeTV in March; Adult Swim Announces My Two Cars
02/18 - Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special Coming to Disney+; Fox Spring 2026 Schedule and Finale Dates
02/17 - New Animated Comedy from Big Mouth Creators Coming May 22; Scottish Comedy Returns to Hulu February 25
02/16 - Saturday Night Live Returns Following the Olympics on February 28; Fox Pays Tribute to James Van Der Beek on Wednesday
02/15 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of February 16, 2026)