Monday, December 07, 2020
Remembering David L. Lander of Laverne & Shirley; Maureen McCormick Headlines New Discovery+ Streaming Series
Actor, comedian, musician, and baseball scout David L. Lander, who was best known for his role as Andrew "Squiggy" Squiggman in Laverne & Shirley, has died. He died of complications from multiple sclerosis at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, on December 4. Mr. Lander was 73.
Lander's first Hollywood credit was as the voice of Jerry Lewis in the 1970-1971 ABC Filmation animated series Will the Real Jerry Lewis Please Sit Down. He was the voice of Bob in the 1972 Love, American Style episode "Love and the Old-Fashioned Father", which was the pilot episode of the animated series Wait Till Your Father Gets Home. Some of his early sitcom guest appearances included The Bob Newhart Show, Rhoda, Barney Miller and Viva Valdez.
He co-starred as Andrew "Squiggy" Squiggman in the 1976-1983 ABC sitcom Laverne & Shirley. Squiggy and his best friend and roommate Leonard "Lenny" Kosnowski (Michael McKean) were Laverne and Shirley's (Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams) screwball neighbors who lived upstairs from the girls' apartment. They worked as truck drivers at the Shotz Brewery planet. Squiggy made nearly every entrance with his trademark "Hello" said in a comically dopey voice. Lander appeared in 156 of the 178 episodes of the series. He also was one of the writers of the episodes "Hi Neighbor" and "Hi Neighbor, Book 2." The cast also included Eddie Mekka, Phil Foster, Betty Garrett (1976-1981), Carole Ita White (1976-1977), Ed Marinaro (1980-1981) and Leslie Easterbrook (1980-1983).
McKean and Lander created the characters of Lenny and Squiggy while both were theater students at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Lander also appeared as Squiggy in the 1979 Happy Days episode "Fonzie's Funeral: Part 2." In 1979, McKean and Lander released the album Lenny and the Squigtones in which they performed in character. He appeared in The Laverne & Shirley Reunion special, which aired in 1995. Lander provided the voice of Squiggy in a 2002 episode of The Simpsons.
Lander starred as Valdja Gochktch in the short-lived 1992 ABC sitcom On the Air. Valdja Gochktch was the director of the variety show called The Lester Guy Show that aired on the fictional 1950s TV network Zoblotnick Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC). The David Lynch and Mark Frost created and produced series also starred Ian Buchanan, Nancye Ferguson, Gary Grossman, Marla Jeanette Rubinoff, Mavin Kaplan, Mel Johnson Jr., Tracey Walter, Miguel Ferrer and Kim McGuire.
Some of his other sitcom guest appearances included The Love Boat, Married with Children, Knight & Daye, Head of the Class, Family Album, Getting By, Family Matters, Dream On, The Nanny, Homeboys in Outer Space, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Mad About You and Arli$$.
He had a recurring role as Elvis Kryzcewski in 14 episodes of the USA Network police drama Pacific Blue from 1996 to 1997. Some of his other television guest appearances included Highway to Heaven, Matlock, Simon & Simon, Father Dowling Mysteries, Monsters, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Freddy's Nightmares, Twin Peaks, L.A. Heat, Nash Bridges, Diagnosis: Murder, Black Scorpion and Raising the Bar.
Lander had an extensive list of voice acting credits. Some of his voice acting roles included Galaxy High, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, Midnight Patrol: Adventures in the Dream Zone, Tom & Jerry Kids, Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters from Beverly Hills, Jungle Cubs and 101 Dalmatians: The Series. Lander and McKean voiced the characters of the penguin cousins Henry and Louie in 2001-2003 animated series Oswald.
He played a baseball league radio announcer in the 1992 film A League of Their Own, which was directed by Penny Marshall. Some of his other film credits included 1941, Wholly Moses!, Used Cars, The Man with One Red Shoe, Funland, Scary Movie and Christmas with the Kranks. His voice film credits included The Big Bang, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Tom and Jerry: The Movie, A Bug's Life, Titan A.E. and Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius.
Lander was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis on May 15, 1984. He served as a Goodwill Ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and regularly spoke at related conventions. In 2002, his autobiography was published, titled Fall Down Laughing: How Squiggy Caught Multiple Sclerosis and Didn't Tell Nobody, written with Lee Montgomery.
He was an avid fan of baseball, especially the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was once a minority owner of the Portland Beavers minor league baseball team. He worked as a baseball talent scout for the Anaheim Angels starting in 1997. He later worked for the Seattle Mariners.
Survivors include his wife, Kathy, and their daughter, Natalie.
Mr. Lander was very funny and memorable in his role as Squiggy. McKean and Lander made a great comedic duo as Lenny and Squiggy. We thank him for the many laughs and hours of entertainment he brought us during his career. He fought a brave battle with multiple sclerosis. He will be greatly missed.
Share your memories on our Laverne & Shirley message board. View photos in our galleries.
Fans nostalgic for decades past can travel back in time with the new home renovation series Frozen in Time, streaming on discovery+, Discovery Inc.'s new subscription streaming service, beginning Monday, Jan. 4. Starring Maureen McCormick of The Brady Bunch fame, a collector and nostalgia enthusiast, along with interior designer Dan Vickery, the series will follow the duo as they overhaul Southern California homes that are stuck in a design time warp. Dan will bring the structures up-to-date, while Maureen will source beautiful decade-specific pieces that give the tired homes a refreshed look. Each stunning design will preserve the best of the past with a wink to the original era, providing families with the stylish, functional spaces they need.
During the series, Dan and Maureen will take on a 1961 property in Laguna Beach that acts as a time capsule with its period furnishings, decades old appliances and original shag carpet. Inspired by the home's hilltop location, the duo will rearrange the main floor's layout to capitalize on the gorgeous ocean views. Modern elements with vintage flair, including retro-look appliances, a funky tile backsplash and iconic period light fixtures, round out the breathtaking design. Throughout the season, Maureen and Dan will tackle pastel tiled bathrooms, wood paneled walls and laminate countertops to help families bring their homes into this century.
Fans are invited to connect with the series across the discovery+ digital platforms at discoveryplus.com and via @discoveryplus and #FrozeninTime on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Fans also can connect with Dan and Maureen on Instagram at @dan_vickery and @momccormick7.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Tuesday, November 19
St. Denis Medical - "Weird Stuff You Can't Explain" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When Ron hexes the day to prove superstitions aren't real, things at the hospital start getting weird; Joyce and Matt discover an employee's secret.
Night Court - "The Judge's Boyfriend's Dad" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Suspecting Dan might be her boyfriend's father, Abby does some investigating; a blast from Dan's past resurfaces as the court's new prosecutor.
Tyler Perry's House of Payne - "All Hands on Deck" (BET, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Curtis calls on his family to help work the food truck.
Tyler Perry's Assisted Living "Cancel Culture" - (BET, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Sandra wants to switch her college major, but she's afraid to tell her parents; Anastasia enlists Philip to help her build her social media presence.
Churchy - "The Fall" (BET, 10:00PM ET/PT)
After a viral video scandal at his father's church, Corey returns home and finds himself facing difficult personal and professional decisions; Rodney explores a new romance.
Churchy - "Easter" (BET, 10:26PM ET/PT)
Rodney contemplates his need to grow independently; after introspection and a heartfelt conversation with his father, Corey makes a big decision about his future as a pastor.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of November 18)
Tuesday, November 19
- Keke Palmer (Scream Queens/True Jackson, VP) - Catch Keke on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC. She also talks about Master of Me: The Secret to Controlling Your Narrative on CBS Mornings some time between 7-9am.
- Ted Danson (A Man on the Inside/Mr. Mayor/The Good Place/Bored to Death/Help Me Help You/Becker/Ink/Cheers) - Ted appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He sits down with Kelly and Mark to talk aabout his series A Man on the Inside on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your listings.
- Oscar Montoya (Minx) - Oscar is a guest on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Jennifer Lawrence (The Bill Engvall Show) - Gayle King sits down with Jennifer on CBS Mornings some time between 7-9am.
- Melissa Rauch (Night Court/The Big Bang Theory) - NBC's Today catches up with Melissa in the 9am hour.
- Billy Bob Thornton (Hearts Afire) - Billy Bob opens up about being married six times and is sharing all about his new show Landman on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Justine Lupe (Nobody Wants This/Cristela) - Justine is telling Drew about her viral wardrobe moment with Kathy Bates and shares behind the scenes moments of filming Succession, revealing the cast member she had a crush on, on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Yara Shahidi (grown-ish/black-ish) - Yara tells Sherri about her new Sirius XM podcast, The Optimist Project, on Sherri, so check your local listings.
- Jeremy Sisto (Suburgatory) - Jeremy talks about the new season of FBI on CBS on Sherri, so check your local listings.
- Rita Moreno (One Day at a Time/Happily Divorced/9 to 5) - Rita talks her new Barbie doll and upcoming 93rd birthday on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Jasmine Guy (Harlem/Dead Like Me/A Different World) and Dorien Wilson (In the Cut/The Parkers/Goode Behavior/Dream On) - Jasmine and Dorien are guests on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:10am.
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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