Tuesday, April 16, 2019

Remembering Georgia Engel of The Mary Tyler Moore Show; BET Gets Another Comedy Series

Georgia Engel

Actress Georgia Engel, who was best known for her role as Georgette Franklin Baxter in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, has died. She died on April 12 in Princeton, New Jersey. Ms. Engel was 70.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show

Engel starred as Georgette Franklin Baxter in 57 episodes of the CBS sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show from 1972 to 1977. Georgette was the ditzy but sweet-natured girlfriend and later wife of Ted Baxter (Ted Knight). They adopted a 8-year-old son named David (Robbie Rist) and had a baby girl of their own named Mary Lou. The series also starred Mary Tyler Moore, Edward Asner, Gavin MacLeod, Valerie Harper (1970-1974), Cloris Leachman (1970-1975), John Amos (1970-1973) and Betty White (1973-1977). Engel received two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for the role in 1976 and 1977. She appeared as Georgette in the two Rhoda's Wedding episodes of Rhoda in 1974 and an episode of Hi Honey, I'm Home in 1992.

The Betty White Show - Georgia Engel, John Hillerman and Betty White

After The Mary Tyler Moore Show ended, she starred as Mitzi Maloney in the 1977-1978 CBS sitcom The Betty White Show. Mitzi Maloney was Joyce Whitman's (Betty White) naive best friend/roommate. The series also starred John Hillerman, Caren Kaye, Alex Henteloff, Barney Phillips and Charles Cyphers.

She appeared as Loretta Smoot in the short-lived 1980 ABC sitcom Goodtime Girls, which was set in Washington, D.C., during World War II (1942). Loretta shared a one-room apartment with Edith Bedelmeyer (Annie Potts) and Betty Crandall (Lorna Patterson). The series also starred Francine Tacker, Marcia Lewis, Merwin Goldsmith, Peter Scolari, Adrian Zmed and Sparky Marcus.

Engel starred as Susan Elliot in the 1983-1984 NBC sitcom Jennifer Slept Here, which starred Ann Jillian as a ghost named Jennifer Farrell. Susan Elliot was the wife of George (Brandon Maggart) and the mother of Joey (John P. Navin, Jr.) and Marilyn (Mya Akerling). Glenn Scarpelli played Marc, the next-door neighbor and friend of Joey.

Hot in Cleveland - Betty White and Georgia Engel

She had recurring roles in several sitcoms. She appeared as Shirley Burleigh in 17 episodes of Coach from 1991 to 1997. Shirley Burleigh was the cheerful wife of Minnesota State athletic director Howard Burleigh (Kenneth Kimmins). She played Pat MacDougall, Robert Barone's (Brad Garrett) mother-in-law and the wife of Hank MacDougall (Fred Willard), in 14 episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond from 2003 to 2005. Engel received three Emmy nominations for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for the role in 2003, 2004 and 2005. She reunited with Betty White once again in the TV Land sitcom Hot in Cleveland in 2012. She appeared as Mamie Sue Johnson, a naive friend of Elka's (Betty White), in 18 episodes from 2012 to 2015.

Some of her other sitcom guest appearances included Mork & Mindy, The Associates, The Love Boat, Working, The Office, Two and a Half Men and One Day at a Time (2018).

She was also known for her voice work. Her voice film credits included The Magic of Herself the Elf, The Care Bears Movie, Dr. Dolittle 2, Boog and Elliot's Midnight Bun Run, Open Season, Open Season 2 and Open Season 3. Her TV voice credits included Hercules and Hey Arnold!.

Ms. Engel was a funny actress with a sweet voice. She was perfect in her role as the lovable Georgette Franklin Baxter. It was great to see her work with Betty White so often. We thank her for the many laughs and entertainment she brought us during her career. She will be deeply missed.

Share your memories on our The Mary Tyler Moore Show message board. View photos in our galleries.


BET

On the heels of the second season pick up of critically-acclaimed Boomerang series BET Networks announces continued partnership with Lena Waithe as it green lights her single-camera comedy series Twenties. Created and written by Waithe when she was in her early 20s the eight-episode half-hour series, follows the adventures of a queer black girl, Hattie, and her two straight best friends, Marie and Nia, who spend most of their days talking 'ish' and chasing their dreams. Twenties is a scripted show about friendship, finding love, and messing everything up along the way. The project was originally developed by TBS but didn't move forward.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Wednesday, January 7

Shifting Gears - "Dog" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When Matt refuses to let Carter bring a dog into “his” house, Riley starts to wonder if it’s time for her and the kids to find their own place. Meanwhile, Gabe seeks Riley’s advice amid second thoughts about moving in with Amelie.

Abbott Elementary - "Mall" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Abbott Elementary returns from winter break at their new temporary school: an abandoned mall. The teachers deal with unique challenges that come with teaching in the new location.

The Golden Girls - 40 Years of Laughter and Friendship

The Golden Girls: 40 Years of Laughter and Friendship -- A Special Edition of 20/20 (ABC, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
A behind-the-scenes look at the beloved sitcom's enduring impact on TV and culture, including interviews with superfans Sheryl Lee Ralph, Kelly Ripa, Laverne Cox and former guest star Mario Lopez.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of January 5)

Wednesday, January 7

  • Alan Cumming (Schmigadoon!) - Watch Alan on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Chelsea Handler (Are You There, Chelsea?) - Chelsea appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Jodie Foster (Paper Moon/Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice/The Courtship of Eddie's Father) - Jodie is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Simu Liu (Kim's Convenience) - Simu appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Matt Braunger (Up All Night) - Matt is a guest on Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg (Two and a Half Men/Jenny) - Andy Cohen interviews Jenny on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 3:30am on Bravo.
  • Ronny Chieng (Young Rock/Ronny Chieng: International Student) - Ronny hosts Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
  • Gael GarcĂ­a Bernal (Mozart in the Jungle) - Gael talks about Magellan on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
  • Retta (Parks and Recreation) - NBC's Today catches up with Retta in the 9am hour.
  • Matt Rogers (No Good Deed/I Love That for You) - Matt co-hosts NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • John Mulaney (Mulaney) - NBC's Today catches up with John in the 10am hour.
  • Chevy Chase (Community) - Chevy talks about his documentary I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu (Emily in Paris) - Philippine chats about the exciting new season of Emily in Paris on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Billy Gardell (Bob Hearts Abishola/Mike & Molly/Yes, Dear) - Billy tells Sherri about his “The Less Is More Tour” comedy tour 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)

01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series (DVD)
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two (DVD)
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season (DVD)
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 (DVD)
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (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)
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)

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

01/06 - Emily in Paris Renewed for Season 6; Audible's New Comedy Series Starring Jenifer Lewis, Cedric the Entertainer, and Niecy Nash-Betts
01/05 - Trailer for The Muppet Show Special Event; Season 3 of Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal on Adult Swim
01/04 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of January 5, 2026)
01/03 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Premiere Date Set for Malcolm in the Middle Reboot; NBC Pulls The Paper
01/02 - Bridgerton Season 4 Details and Live Premiere Event; NBC Pulls The Paper from Mondays
01/01 - Happy New Year; Shrinking Season 3 Trailer
12/31 - In Memoriam: Remembering the Sitcom Stars We Lost in 2025
12/30 - Antenna TV and Rewind TV's New Year's Eve and Day Marathons; Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair Premieres April 10
12/29 - COZI TV Postpones The Jeff Foxworthy Show Launch; Netflix Releases Free Bert Trailer
12/28 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of December 29, 2025)
12/27 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Chevy Chase "Hurt" By Not Being Invited to SNL 50th Anniversary; New Lineups for Antenna TV and Rewind TV
12/26 - GET Acquires Psych for January 2026; Details on Netflix's A Different World Sequel
12/25 - Merry Christmas from Sitcoms Online; Interviews from 2025 Christmas Con in Edison, NJ
12/24 - 2025 Christmas Eve and Christmas Day TV Marathons
12/23 - Antenna TV January 2026 Schedule; Rewind TV January 2026 Schedule
12/22 - The Ms. Pat Show Returns January 7; According to Jim Christmas Day Marathon on Laff
12/21 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of December 22, 2025)
12/20 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Historical 19th Century Comedy in the Works at CBS; Bowen Yang Leaving Saturday Night Live After Tonight
12/19 - The Muppet Show 50th Anniversary Event in February on ABC & Disney+; Adult Swim Renews Haha, You Clowns for 2 More Seasons
12/18 - The Oscars Moving to YouTube in 2029; Celebs for Hollywood Squares Season 2
12/17 - MeTV Remembers Rob Reiner with Tribute Marathon; MGM+ to Make New The Magnificent Seven Series
12/16 - The Rob Reiner Story: A Hollywood Tragedy – ABC News Special; Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion Part 2 on CBS
12/15 - Remembering the Legendary Rob Reiner of All in the Family; Trailer for Netflix's His & Hers
12/14 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of December 15, 2025)
12/13 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Warner/Netflix Merger Gets Complicated; Steve Carell Comedy Rooster Coming to HBO Max in March
12/12 - Survival of the Thickest Final Season Guest Stars; Ted Season 2 Returns in March
12/11 - The Upshaws Final Season Premieres January 15; Mike Epps Gets 5th Netflix Special
12/10 - HBO's Rooster Premieres in March; Fox's Updated Winter 2026 Schedule
12/09 - 83rd Golden Globe Nominations; Paradise Returns on Hulu in February
12/08 - First Look at Bert Kreischer Netflix Comedy Free Bert; School Spirits Season 3
12/07 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of December 8, 2025)
12/06 - SitcomsOnline Digest: First Look at Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair; Netflix to Acquire Warner Bros. Discovery