Thursday, June 27, 2019
Remembering Max Wright of ALF; The Office Reruns Move to NBCU Streaming in 2021

Actor Max Wright, who was best known for his role as Willie Tanner in ALF, has died. He died on June 26 from lymphoma at the Lillian Booth Actors Home in Englewood, New Jersey. Mr. Wright was 75.

Wright's first sitcom starring role was as Karl Shub in the 1983-1984 NBC sitcom Buffalo Bill. Karl Shub was the nervous station manager at WBFL, a small TV station in Buffalo, New York. It also starred Dabney Coleman, Joanna Cassidy, John Fielder, Geena Davis, Charles Robinson, Meschach Taylor and Claude Earl Jones. The series received 11 Emmy Award nominations, including two for Outstanding Comedy Series.

He starred as Willie Tanner in the 1986-1990 NBC sitcom ALF. Willie Tanner was a social worker. He was the husband of Kate and father of Lynn and Brian. The series also starred Paul Fusco (as the voice of ALF), Anne Schedeen, Andrea Elson and Benji Gregory. Recurring cast members included Liz Sheridan, John LaMotta, Josh Blake (seasons 2-3), and JM J. Bullock (season 4). It ran for four seasons and 99 episodes (102 syndicated episodes).
Wright appeared as Paul in the short-lived 1993 CBS sitcom Dudley. Paul was Dudley's (Dudley Moore) business manager and best friend. The series also starred Joanna Cassidy, Harley Cross, Joel Brooks and Lupe Ontiveros.

He starred as Max Denby in the 1999-2001 ABC sitcom Norm (originally called The Norm Show). Max Denby was Norm Henderson's (Norm Macdonald) second boss at the office. The series also starred Laurie Metcalf, Ian Gomez, Amy Wilson (season 1), Bruce Jarchow (season 1), Faith Ford, Artie Lange (seasons 2-3) and Nikki Cox.
Wright appeared in two episodes of Friends in 1994 and 1995 as Terry, the manager of Central Perk. Some of his other sitcom guest appearances included WKRP in Cincinnati, Open All Night, Taxi, AfterMASH, E/R (1984), Benson, Cheers, Who's the Boss?, The Powers That Be, Murphy Brown, Roc, Monty, The John Larroquette Show, Mad About You, The Drew Carey Show and A Minute with Stan Hooper.
He starred as Dick Stetmeyer in the short-lived 1985-1986 NBC superhero fantasy series Misfits of Science. Dick Stetmeyer was the uptight director of the Humanidyne Institute. The series also starred Dean Paul Martin, Kevin Peter Hall, Mark Thomas Miller, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Holmes, Diane Civita and Mickey Jones.
Some of his drama guest appearances included Hart to Hart, Code Red, Tales from the Darkside, Code Name: Foxfire, You Are the Jury, Faerie Tale Theatre, Murder, She Wrote, Ghostwriter, Quantum Leap, Early Edition and High Incident. He appeared as Dr. Herbert Denninger in the 1994 ABC mini-series The Stand.
His film credits included All That Jazz, Reds, The Sting II, Fraternity Vacation, The Shadow, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Easter.
He was also known for his stage career in theater and acted at regional theaters around the United States. He received a Tony nomination in 1998 for his role on Broadway's Ivanov. Some of his other theater credits included The Great White Hope, The Twelfth Night, No Man's Land, Winters Tale and Merchants of Venice.
Mr. Wright was a talented character actor. He was one of the better TV dads as Willie Tanner on ALF. He was also very good in the underrated Buffalo Bill and Norm. We thank him for the laughs and entertainment he brought us. He will be greatly missed.
Share your memories on our ALF message board. View photos in our galleries.

NBCUniversal announced that it has secured the exclusive domestic streaming rights to The Office (away from Netflix). All nine seasons of this beloved NBC sitcom will be available on the company's soon-to-be-launched streaming service for five years, beginning 2021. The Office is the number one series on SVOD. In 2018, it was streamed for over 52 billion minutes, and in April 2019, it was viewed nearly twice as much as the next most-viewed program on SVOD.
Produced by Universal Television in association with Deedle-Dee Productions and Reveille Productions, The Office takes a hilarious documentary-style look at the humorous, and sometimes poignant, foolishness that plagues the 9-to-5 world. Based on the award-winning BBC hit, The Office is a fly-on-the-wall "docu-reality" parody of modern American office life that delves into the lives of the workers at Dunder Mifflin, a paper supply company in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The show, which premiered on NBC in 2005, created indelible characters like Michael Scott, Dwight Schrute and Pam & Jim, and launched the careers of some of comedy's most celebrated actors, writers and producers, including Steve Carell, Ed Helms, John Krasinski, Mindy Kaling, Ellie Kemper, B.J. Novak, Craig Robinson, and Mike Schur.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Monday, December 22

Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion Pt. 2 (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
CBS is gifting viewers an extra special holiday present this season, the brand-new EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND: 30TH ANNIVERSARY REUNION PT. 2,” airing Monday, Dec. 22, (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network and streaming on Paramount+.*
This one-hour show gives viewers who loved the first special another opportunity to reminisce and revisit the laughter and joy from the original CBS series. The brand-new broadcast follows the success of EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND: 30TH ANNIVERSARY REUNION, which originally aired Monday, Nov. 24, with an encore presentation Friday, Nov. 28, garnering 10.08 million live plus 7-day multiplatform viewers across both broadcasts and streaming.
Hosted by Emmy Award-winning actor Ray Romano and series creator Phil Rosenthal, this fresh hour brings fans closer than ever to the original series, with exclusive stories and heartfelt memories shared by beloved cast members gathered together to honor one of TV’s most iconic sitcoms. Ray Romano and Phil Rosenthal share their thoughts on the magic of being back on set and reuniting with the cast. Additionally, viewers can enjoy never-before-seen content, outtakes and behind-the-scenes footage. Plus, guest stars, writers and producers will provide unique insights into the creation and legacy of this beloved series.
St. Denis Medical - "Get Me in the Pod, Brother" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Alex and Ron spar over the wisdom of open communication; Joyce brings in a body scanner that proves overly distracting.
The Paper - "I Love You" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
With Marv camped out in the newsroom while his office is painted, Ned and the staff find their unresolved attitudes toward authority bubbling up; Esmeralda and Ken plot a betrayal that leaks.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 22)
Monday, December 22
- Kenan Thompson (Kenan/Kenan & Kel) - Watch Kenan on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Tony Shalhoub (We Are Men/Stark Raving Mad/Wings) - Tony appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Ron Funches (Loot/Powerless/Undateable) and Jeff Garcia (Mr. Box Office) - Ron and Jeff are guests on a repeat of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 12:37am on CBS.
- Kate Hudson (Running Point) - Andy Cohen interviews Kate on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9pm on Bravo. She also talks about Song Sung Blue on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Jamie Lee Curtis (The Sticky/Anything But Love/Operation Petticoat) - Jamie Lee talks about Ella McCay with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Simu Liu (Kim's Convenience) - Simu talks about The Copenhagen Test on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
- Hugh Jackman (Human Resources) - Hugh talks about Song Sung Blue on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Kyle Richards (Down to Earth) - Kyle gives Sherri a sneak peek at the 15th season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills on a repeat of Sherri, so check your local listings.
- Paul Rudd (The Shrink Next Door/Living with Yourself/Wild Oats) - Paul and Jack Black are telling Drew all about their hilarious adaptation of Anaconda on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Odessa A'zion (I Love LA/Fam) - Odessa tells Drew about her role in new movie Marty Supreme and hit series I Love LA on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Melissa Gilbert (Stand by Your Man) - Melissa is guest on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:10am.
New on DVD and 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
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