Wednesday, October 14, 2020

TBS Brings Out Halloween Sitcom Episodes on Halloween; Remembering Conchata Ferrell of Two and a Half Men

The Big Bang Theory

Halloween isn't cancelled this year! Get in the spooky season spirit with some fan favorite Halloween themed episodes on TBS. On Friday, October 30, catch Halloween episodes of American Dad!, Family Guy and Bob's Burgers from 3pm-8pm. Then on Halloween itself on Saturday, October 31, it's sitcom Halloween episodes beginning at 6am. First up is Family Matters from 6am-8am, which includes when Urkel's dummy "Stevil" comes to life on Halloween. Then from 8am-10am catch George Lopez Halloween episodes from 8am-10am, which includes "Leave it to Lopez" where George has nightmares that hark back to his childhood television fixation. Moving on, it's Seinfeld Halloween episodes from 10am-12pm, which includes "The Opera." And the sitcom spooky episodes conclude in daytime with Brooklyn Nine-Nine from 12pm-2:30pm, where you will see all Halloween Heists! After some movies, you can catch Halloween episodes of The Big Bang Theory in primetime from 9pm-11pm, which includes when Sheldon tries to spook his friends on Halloween.


Conchata Ferrell

Actress Conchata Ferrell, who was best known for her role as Berta the housekeeper in Two and a Half Men, has died. She died on October 12 from complications following cardiac arrest at the Sherman Oaks Hospital in Sherman Oaks, California. Ms. Ferrell was 77.

Hot l Baltimore

Ferrell's first starring role was as April Green in the short-lived 1975 ABC sitcom Hot l Baltimore, which was produced by Norman Lear. April was the love of Bill Lewis (James Cromwell), the desk clerk at the dilapidated Hotel Baltimore. The show's title came from the cheap establishment's neon marquee which had a burned-out letter "e". The series also starred Richard Masur, Al Freeman Jr., Jeannie Linero, Gloria LeRoy, Robin Wilson, Stan Gottlieb, Lee Bergere, Henry Calvert and Charlotte Rae.

Some of her early sitcom guest appearances included Maude, One Day at Time (1977), Blansky's Beauties, Good Times and The Love Boat. Her early drama guest appearances included The Rockford Files, The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo, Knot's Landing, B.J. and the Bear (five episodes as Wilhelmina "The Fox" Johnson), McClain's Law, Lou Grant, Quincy M.E., Cagney & Lacey and St. Elsewhere.

E/R

She starred as Nurse Joan Thor in the short-lived 1984-1985 CBS sitcom E/R. She was the head nurse in the emergency room (E/R) at a fictional Clark Street Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. The cast included Elliott Gould, Marcia Strassman, Mary McDonnell, Lynne Moody, Shuko Akune, Corinne Bohrer, Bruce A. Young, Luis Ávalos, Jason Alexander, George Clooney, William G. Schilling and Jeff Doucette.

Hearts Afire

Ferrell appeared as Dr. Madeline Stoessinger in the CBS sitcom Hearts Afire from 1993 to 1995. Madeline was a friend and progressive soul mate of Georgie Anne Lahti Hartman (Markie Post). Ferrell had first made guest appearances as Dr. Ruth Colquist in two episodes in 1992. The cast included John Ritter, Justin Burnette (1992-1994), J. Skylar Testa, Clark Duke, Billy Bob Thornton, Wendie Jo Sperber (1992-1993), Doren Fein and Leslie Jordan (1993-1995).

Townies

She played Marge, the raspy owner of the diner, in the short-lived 1996 ABC sitcom Townies. The series starred Molly Ringwald, Jenna Elfman, Lauren Graham, Billy Burr, Ron Livingston, Lee Garlington, Dion Anderson and Joseph Reitman.

Ferrell appeared as Aunt Pam, a disgrunted postal worker, in the 1997-1998 ABC sitcom Teen Angel. The series starred Mike Damus, Corbin Allred, Maureen McCormick, Katie Volding, Jordan Brower and Ron Glass.

Two and a Half Men

Her best known role was as Berta in all twelve seasons of the 2003-2015 CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men. Berta was Charlie's (Charlie Sheen) housekeeper, a sharp-tongued woman who initially resists the change to the household, but grudgingly accepts it. Ferrell had a recurring role in the first season before becoming a regular for the remaining seasons. She received Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2005 and 2007 for the role. The cast included Jon Cryer, Angus T. Jones, Holland Taylor, Marin Hinkle, Melanie Lyskey, April Bowlby (seasons 3-4), Jennifer Taylor (seasons 6-7), Amber Tamblyn (seasons 11-12) and Ashton Kutcher (seasons 9-12).

Some of her other sitcom guest appearances included Night Court, Sledge Hammer!, Hooperman, Who's the Boss?, Dinosaurs (voice), The Naked Truth, Minor Adjustments, Friends, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Becker and Grace and Frankie. She appeared as Shirley in five episodes of the Netflix sitcom The Ranch in 2017.

She had a recurring role as Attorney Susan Bloom in the sixth season of NBC's L.A. Law from 1991 to 1992. Ferrell received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 1992 for her role. She first appeared as Lorna Landsberg in a 1988 episode. She played Kate Galindo, a secretary, in the short-lived 1989 CBS drama Peaceable Kingdom. She played Martha, the owner and operator of Martha's Boarding House, in the short-lived 2002 ABC drama Push, Nevada. Some of her other drama guest appearances included Murder, She Wrote, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, JAG, ER and Judging Amy.

Some of her film roles included Deadly Hero (1976), Network (1976), Heartland (1979), Mystic Pizza (1988), Edward Scissorhands (1990), True Romance (1993), Crime and Punishment in Suburbia (2000), Erin Brockovich (2000), K-Pax (2001) and Mr. Deeds (2002).

Ms. Ferrell was a talented and funny character actress. She made everything she appeared in much better. Berta wasn't one of TV's best housekeepers as far as cleaning, but she was one of the funniest. We thank her for the many laughs and entertainment she brought us during her long career. She will be deeply missed.

Share your memories on our Two and a Half Men message board. View photos in our galleries.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Thursday, October 16

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "A Tie Breaker and a Huge Mistake" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Tensions rise in the tire store when new co-owners Georgie and Ruben realize they can’t agree on anything, and Jim struggles to find his purpose now that he’s retired.

Ghosts - "Soul Custody" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Sam, Jay and the ghosts attempt to extricate Jay from his deal with Elias Woodstone (Matt Walsh), the devil. Also, Isaac helps Patience (Mary Holland) through a crisis of confidence and Pete and Alberta navigate the fallout from their kiss.

English Teacher - "Lock In" (FX, 9:00PM ET/PT)
The teachers oversee the school's overnight lock-in.

English Teacher - "Graduation" (FX, 9:30PM ET/PT)
The teachers try to prevent a student prank from ruining graduation.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of October 13)

Thursday, October 16

  • Maya Rudolph (Loot/Bless the Harts/Forever/Up All Night) - Catch Maya on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Roy Wood Jr. (Sullivan & Son) - Roy is a guest Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) - Nick appers on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. NBC's Today catches up with Nick in the 9am hour. He also talks about Little Woodchucks with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Billy Gardell (Bob Hearts Abishola/Mike & Molly/Yes, Dear) - Billy is a guest on Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Bette Midler (Bette) - Andy Cohen interviews Bette on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 10pm on Bravo.
  • Laurence Fishburne (black-ish) - Laurence talks about The Witcher with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Jeremy Allen White (The Bear) - Co-host Gayle King sits down with Jeremy on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
  • Janet Hubert (Demascus/The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) - Janet discusses her new Tubi series Demascus on Sherri, so check your local listings.
  • Lil Rel Howery (Rel/The Carmichael Show) - Lil Rel and Tabitha Brown discuss their film Unexpected Christmas on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
  • Aziz Ansari (Master of None/Parks and Recreation) - Aziz tells Drew about his new movie Good Fortune on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Frasier (2023) - Season Two Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered) Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray) Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season

01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
05/13 - The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered)
06/06 - Shoresy - Season 2
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (Blu-ray)
07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
08/26 - The Huckleberry Hound Show - The Complete Original Series (Blu-ray)
10/07 - Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season

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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