SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Last week Lifetime had a week-long marathon for Rizzoli & Isles, now it will join the regular schedule that begins today (Monday, Jan. 4, 2021)! Lifetime is also adding The Closer and Major Crimes to the lineup. All three series are former long-running TNT original series lead by female stars (Angie Harmon, Sasha Alexander, Kyra Sedgwick and Mary McDonnell). The weekday schedule starts with back-to-back airings of Grey's Anatomy from 8-10am. The Closer follows with back-to-back airings from 10am-12pm. The Closer spin-off series Major Crimes follows from 12-3pm. Then Rizzoli & Isles follows with its block starting at 3pm and ending at various times during the week (Mondays & Tuesdays it ends at 4am, Wednesdays it ends at 7pm (original series follows) and Thursdays & Fridays at 8pm (movies follows). On Saturdays and Sunday, it is all wall-to-wall Lifetime movies.

Actress Tanya Roberts, who starred as Julie Rogers in Charlie's Angels and as Midge Pinciotti in That '70s Show, has died. She died on January 4 at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. On December 24, she collapsed suddenly after returning home from walking her dogs. Her exact cause of death has yet to be determined or disclosed. Ms. Roberts was 65.

Roberts' first television lead role was as Julie Rogers in the fifth and final season of the ABC detective drama Charlie's Angels from 1980 to 1981. Julie Rogers was a streetwise fighter and model from New York who used her fists more than her gun. Roberts was chosen in the summer of 1980 from some 2,000 candidates to replace Shelley Hack (1979-1980). The final season cast included Jacklyn Smith, Cheryl Ladd, David Doyle and John Forsythe as the voice of Charles "Charlie" Townsend.

She played the supporting role of Midge Pinciotti in the Fox sitcom That '70s Show. She was a regular from seasons 1 to 3 (1998-2001) before making special guest appearances in seasons 6 and 7 (2004). Midge Pinciotti was Bob's (Don Stark) wife, Donna's (Laura Prepon) mother, and Kitty's (Debra Jo Rupp) best friend. Midge was the sexy mom whom Eric Forman (Topher Grace) and his male friends fantasize when coming of age. Her character was written out of the series after the third season after divorcing Bob and moving to California. She returned for five episodes as special guest appearances in seasons 6 and 7.

Some of her sitcom guest appearances included The Love Boat, Off Centre, Eve and Barbershop. Her voice credits included The Blues Brothers Animated Series, The Angry Beavers and Fillmore!.

She starred as Rebecca in the Cinemax erotic anthology series Hot Line from 1995 to 1996. Some of her drama guest appearances included Vega$, Fantasy Island, Burke's Law, Silk Stalkings and High Tide. She portrayed Velda, the secretary to private detective Mike Hammer, in the television movie Murder Me, Murder You in 1983, based on crime novelist Mickey Spillane’s iconic Mike Hammer private detective series. The two-part pilot spawned the syndicated television series Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer.

Roberts starred as Bond girl Stacey Sutton in the 1983 film A View to a Kill. She played Kiri in the 1982 adventure fantasy film The Beastmaster. She starred as Sheena in the 1984 fantasy-adventure film Sheena. Some of her other film credits included Forced Entry (1975), Fingers (1978), Tourist Trap (1979), California Dreaming (1979), Racquet (1979), Hearts and Armour (1983), Body Slam (1986), Night Eyes (1990) and Inner Sanctum (1991).

Survivors include her long-time partner Lance O'Brien, and her sister Barbara Chase.

Ms. Roberts was a talented and beautiful actress. She was funny and memorable in her role as Midge in That '70s Show. She will be deeply missed.

Share your memories on our That '70s Show and Charlie's Angels message boards. View photos in our galleries.