Monday, March 07, 2022

Remembering Tim Considine of My Three Sons, Johnny Brown of Good Times and Mitchell Ryan of Dharma & Greg

Tim Considine

Actor Tim Considine, who starred as Mike Douglas on My Three Sons, has died. He died at his home in Mar Vista, California on March 3. Mr. Considine was 81.

Spin and Marty - David Stollery and Tim Considine

Considine's first television starring role was as Spin Evans on The Adventures of Spin and Marty in 1955. Spin and Marty was a series of television shorts that aired as part of The Mickey Mouse Club show on ABC from 1955 to 1957. The first series of 25 eleven-minute episodes, The Adventures of Spin and Marty, was filmed in 1955. The serialized Disney television adaptation of the novel starred David Stollery as the rich, orphaned Martin "Marty" Markham and Considine as the poorer Spin Evans, the most athletic and popular boy at the Triple R Ranch. The sequels The Further Adventures of Spin and Marty aired in 1956 and The New Adventures of Spin and Marty in 1957.

The Hardy Boys

Considine and Tommy Kirk starred as Frank and Joe Hardy on The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Applegate Treasure, which was aired on The Mickey Mouse Club on ABC in 1956 during the show's second season. A second serial, The Mystery of Ghost Farm, followed in 1957. Considine starred as Steven Abernathy on Walt Disney Presents: Annette, which was a serial that starred Annette Funicello that ran on The Mickey Mouse Club on ABC in 1958 during the show's third season.

My Three Sons

He starred as Mike Douglas on the first five seasons of My Three Sons, which aired on ABC from 1960 to 1965 before moving to CBS for seasons six to twelve. My Three Sons chronicles the life of widower and aeronautical engineer Steven Douglas (Fred MacMurray) as he raises his three sons. Mike Douglas is the eldest son who later marries his fiancée Sally Ann Morrison (Meredith MacRae). Considine left the series when it moved to CBS because he wanted to direct but not co-star in the series. He wrote two episodes in 1963 and 1964 and directed one of the last black-and-white episodes in 1965. The cast included William Frawley (1960-1965), William Demarest (1965-1972), Don Grady (1960-1971), Stanley Livingston, Barry Livingston (1963-1972), Tina Cole (1967-1972), Beverly Garland (1969-1972), Dawn Lyn (1969-1972) and Ronnie Troup (1970-1972).

Considine starred as Young Gabe Marion in The Swamp Fox in 1959, which aired as part of Walt Disney Presents. Some of his other television guest appearances included I'm the Law, The Ford Television Theatre, Your Jeweler's Showcase, Chevron Theatre, The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, The Great Gildersleeve, Treasury Men in Action, Zane Grey Theatre, Cheyenne, Johnny Ringo, The Untouchables, Bonanza, The Fugitive, Medical Center, Ironside, Gunsmoke, The Smith Family, Simon & Simon and Legend.

He starred as Dink with Red Skelton in The Clown (1953). He starred as Buzz Miller with Fred MacMurray in the Disney film The Shaggy Dog (1959). In 1970, he portrayed the shell-shocked soldier slapped by General George S. Patton, Jr. (George C. Scott) in Patton.

Survivors include his wife, Willette, whom he married in 1979; his son, Christopher; his brother, John; his sister, Erin; and his grandchildren, Ethan and Tyler. He was married to actress Charlotte Stewart (teacher Miss Beadle on Little House on the Prairie) from 1965 until their 1969 divorce.

Tim Considine

Mr. Considine was a Disney legend. He was later an automobile historian, photographer, and writer who specialized in motor sports. We thank him for his work on My Three Sons and his many other television and film roles. He will be greatly missed.

Share your memories on our My Three Sons message board. View photos in our galleries.

Johnny Brown

Actor and singer Johnny Brown, who starred as building superintendent Nathan Bookman on Good Times, has died. He died in Los Angeles on March 2. He collapsed shortly after leaving a doctor's appointment for his pacemaker and was pronounced dead when brought to the hospital. Mr. Brown was 84.

Johnny Brown

Brown was a regular performer on NBC's Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In from 1970 to 1972. He lent his impersonations of Ed Sullivan, Alfred Hitchcock, Ralph Kramden and the Kingfish from Amos 'n' Andy.

Good Times

He starred as building superintendent Nathan Bookman on the CBS sitcom Good Times from 1975 to 1979. Brown was a recurring cast member during seasons two to four before he became a series regular and was included in the opening credits in the fifth season. He appeared in a total of 58 episodes. James, Willona and later J.J. refer to him as "Buffalo Butt" or, even more derisively, "Booger." The cast included Esther Rolle (1974-1977, 1978-1979), John Amos (1974-1976), Jimmie Walker, Ja'Net DuBois, Ralph Carter, BernNadette Stanis, Janet Jackson (1977-1979) and Ben Powers (1978-1979).

Brown was considered for the role of Lamont on Sanford and Son, but he was unavailable to do so because of his prior commitment to Laugh-In. Some of his sitcom guest appearances included Julia, Love, American Style (2 episodes), Maude, Lotsa Luck!, The Ghost Busters (1975), Chico and the Man, Gimme a Break!, Archie Bunker's Place, The Jeffersons, Punky Brewster, 227, Out All Night, Martin, Family Matters, On Our Own, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, Sister, Sister (2 episodes), The Jamie Foxx Show, The Wayans Bros. (2 episodes - 1 as Bookman), Cousin Skeeter, The Parent 'Hood (2 episodes), Kenan & Kel (2 episodes), The Parkers, Baby Bob and Everybody Hates Chris.

His drama guest appearances included Night Gallery, The Rookies, Fantasy Island, Moonlighting and Touched by an Angel. He provided the voice of Splashdown on Rickety Rocket, which aired as a segment on The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show on ABC from 1979 to 1980. He appeared in the 1970 film The Out-of-Towners as a waiter on a railroad dining car.

Survivors include his wife of 61 years, June; his daughter, actress Sharon Catherine Brown; and his son, John Jr.

Johnny Brown

Mr. Brown was a talented actor and singer. He was very funny and memorable as Bookman. We thank him for the laughs and entertainment he brought us on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, Good Times and his many other television roles. He will be sorely missed.

Share your memories on our Good Times message board. View photos in our galleries.

Mitchell Ryan

Actor Mitchell Ryan, who starred as Edward Montgomery on Dharma & Greg, has died. He died of heart failure at his home in Los Angeles on March 4. Mr. Ryan was 88.

Mitchell Ryan - Dark Shadows

Ryan starred as Burke Devlin on the ABC gothic soap opera Dark Shadows from 1966 to 1967. He starred as Capt. Chase Reddick on the 1973-1974 NBC police drama Chase. He portrayed Cooper Hawkins on the CBS western The Chisholms in 1980. He starred as Don Walling on the 1976-1977 drama Executive Suite. From 1978 to 1979, he starred as Dr. Blake Simmons on the short-lived 1978-1979 ABC medical drama Having Babies. He starred as Brennan Flannery on the short-lived 1983 ABC adventure series High Performance. In 1992, he played Porter Tremont on the CBS drama 2000 Malibu Road.

Dharma & Greg

He starred as Edward Montgomery on the 1997-2002 ABC sitcom Dharma & Greg. Edward Montgomery is Greg Montgomery's (Thomas Gibson) eccentric father. He is married to Kitty Montgomery (Susan Sullivan), Greg's extravagant mother. The series also starred Jenna Elfman, Alan Rachins, Mimi Kennedy, Joel Murray and Shae D'lyn (1997-2001).

Some of his sitcom guest appearances included Who's the Boss?, The Golden Girls, The Single Guy (2 episodes), Champs, Wings (3 episodes) and The Drew Carey Show.

He played the key villain General Peter McAllister in the 1987 film Lethal Weapon, which starred Mel Gibson and Danny Glover.

Mr. Ryan was a talented and versatile actor. He had over 130 television and film credits. We thank him for his work on Dharma & Greg and his many other roles. He will be greatly missed.

Share your memories on our Dharma & Greg message board. View photos in our galleries.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Monday, April 28

The Neighborhood - "Welcome to the Yippedy-Dip" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
The Butlers visit a nostalgic, rundown restaurant from Calvin’s childhood and encounter its owner, Jasper (Garrett Morris). Meanwhile, Dave, Gemma, and Dave’s mother, Paula (Marilu Henner), pay a visit to Lamar (Kevin Pollack) in prison.

Poppa's House - "Magic Shine Again" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Poppa prepares to reveal a big secret to Ivy. Meanwhile, Nina takes over Junior’s short film project.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of April 28)

Monday, April 28

  • Anna Kendrick (Love Life) - Watch Anna on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC. She also talks about Another Simple Favor on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
  • Wanda Sykes (The Upshaws/The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - Wanda is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Cole Escola (Human Resources/Search Party/Mozart in the Jungle/Difficult People) - Cole appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Jason Ritter (Another Period/The Class) and Joel Kim Booster (Loot/Shrill) - Jason and Joel are guests on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Eva Longoria (Only Murders in the Building/Telenovela) and Sandra Bernhard (Roseanne) - Eva and Sandra are guests on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9pm on Bravo.
  • Luke Kirby (Étoile) - Luke talks about Étoile on CBS Mornings Plus in the 9am hour.
  • Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs (Welcome Back, Kotter) - Lawrence shares details about his new role in Jason’s Lyric at the King’s Theatre in Brooklyn on Sherri, so check your local listings.
  • Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Café Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - In this a little bit extra episode Drew shares more of her conversation about beauty and aging with makeup free Gillian Anderson, Gayle King and Valerie on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Pamela Anderson (Stacked/Home Improvement) - Drew shares more of her conversation with Pamela on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray) The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series Frasier (2023) - Season Two

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)
01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third 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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