Monday, April 04, 2022

Remembering Estelle Harris of Seinfeld and Barrie Youngfellow of It's a Living; Impractical Jokers Returns in June with Celebrity Guests

Estelle Harris

Actress Estelle Harris, who was best known for her role as Estelle Costanza on Seinfeld, has died. She died of natural causes on April 2 at her home in Palm Desert, California. Ms. Harris was 93.

Seinfeld - Estelle Harris, Jason Alexander and Jerry Stiller

Harris had a supporting role as Estelle Costanza on the 1989-1998 NBC sitcom Seinfeld. She was credited on 27 episodes from 1992 to 1998. Estelle Costanza is George's (Jason Alexander) highly obnoxious and melodramatic mother. She constantly squabbles with Frank (Jerry Stiller) and George about their actions but is the closest thing to reason in the Costanza household. The cast included Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Michael Richards.

Good Advice - Estelle Harris

She played Ronnie Cohen on five episodes of the first season of the 1993-1994 CBS sitcom Good Advice. Ronnie Cohen is a receptionist at an office. She is the mother of Artie Cohen (George Wyner). The cast included Shelley Long, Treat Williams, Ross Malinger, Lightfield Lewis, Teri Garr (1994) and Henriette Mantel (1994).

The Suite Life of Zack & Cody - Estelle Harris

Harris had a recurring role as Muriel on 14 episodes of the 2005-2008 Disney Channel sitcom The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. Muriel is the saucy hotel maid who conceals her goodly nature beneath a veneer of acidic sarcasm, and spends more time sneaking in naps and robbing guests of loose change than doing any actual cleaning. The cast included Cole Sprouse, Dylan Sprouse, Brenda Song, Ashley Tisdale, Phill Lewis and Kim Rhodes.

She played Nana on 12 episodes of the 2012 web comedy series Greetings from Home. The cast included Dash Mihok, Missi Pyle, Evie Thompson, Hudson Thames, Nicole Randall Johnson, Kristina Sexton, Cherilyn Wilson and Skyler Stone.

Some of her sitcom guest appearances included Night Court (3 episodes as Easy Mary), Married with Children, Brooklyn Bridge, Mad About You, In the House, Moesha, Living Single, Cybill, The Parkers, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (2001), Half & Half, Regular Joe, Phil of the Future (voice), iCarly, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Sonny with a Chance, Retired at 35, Are You There, Chelsea? (2 episodes) and The Exes.

Some of her other television guest appearances included Law & Order, Chicago Hope, Fallen Angels, Star Trek: Voyager, Sunset Beach (3 episodes), Providence and ER.

Harris was known for her exaggerated shrill, grating voice. She was the voice of Mrs. Potato Head in the Toy Story franchise in Toy Story 2 (1999), Toy Story 3 (2010) and Toy Story 4 (2019). In 2005, she lent her voice to Mama Gunda in Tarzan II. She was the voice of Lula on the 2004-2005 Disney Channel animated series Dave the Barbarian. Some of her other voice credits included Aladdin (1995), The Tick (1996), Hercules, The Wild Thornberrys, The Brothers Flub, Family Guy, House of Mouse, The Proud Family, Kim Possible, American Dad!, Futurama and Captain Jake and the Never Land Pirates.

She is survived by her three children, as well as three grandsons and a great-grandson. Her husband Sy died on January 11, 2021.

Ms. Harris was hilarious as Estelle Costanza. She was perfectly cast in the role. It's surprising that she appeared on only 27 Seinfeld episodes. Her appearances were always so funny and memorable. We thank her for the laughs and entertainment she brought us during her career. She will be deeply missed.

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

Barrie Youngfellow

Actress Barrie Youngfellow, who starred as Jan Hoffmeyer Gray on It's a Living, has died. She died on March 28. She called Woodstock, New York, her home since 1989. Ms. Youngfellow was 75.

A.E.S. Hudson Street

Youngfellow starred as Dr. Gloria Manners on the short-lived 1978 ABC sitcom A.E.S. Hudson Street. The series, which ran for five episodes, follows the antics of the staff of a run-down Ambulance Emergency Service hospital on Hudson Street, on the lower west side of Manhattan. The cast included Gregory Sierra, Rosana DeSoto, Stefan Gierasch, Susan Peretz, Ralph Manza, Ray Stewart, Bill Cort and Allan Miller.

It's a Living

She starred as sharp-tongued and sarcastic waitress Jan Hoffmeyer Gray on the 1980-1982 ABC and 1985-1989 first-run syndicated sitcom It's a Living. The show follows the lives of the waitresses at the posh restaurant Above the Top, located at the top of the Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles, California. Jan is a single mom who later marries Richie Gray (Richard Kline). The cast included Marian Mercer, Susan Sullivan (1980-1981), Gail Edwards, Wendy Schaal (1980-1981), Ann Jillian (1980-1986), Paul Kreppel, Bert Remsen (1980-1981), Louise Lasser (1981-1982), Earl Boen (1981-1982), Crystal Bernard (1985-1989), Richard Stahl (1985-1989) and Sheryl Lee Ralph (1986-1989).

Barrie Youngfellow on Blossom

She played Barbara Russo, Blossom Russo's (Mayim Bialik) mother, on the 1990 pilot episode of Blossom. She did not continue with the project when NBC picked it up as a regular series.

Three's Company

Some of her sitcom guest appearances included The New Temperatures Rising Show, Carter Country, Barney Miller (2 episodes), WKRP in Cincinnati, The Jeffersons, Three's Company, Good Time Harry and It Takes Two. She was a frequent guest on Fernwood 2 Night as Linda Barry.

Some of her other television guest appearances included The Streets of San Francisco, Police Woman, Emergency!, Trapper John, M.D. (2 episodes), Murder, She Wrote (1989) and Law & Order.

She was married to her husband of 39 years, stage and screen actor Sam Freed, who was almost as important to her as her dogs and cats. She is also survived by her sister Heide Rivchun of Cleveland and her sister Kim Rivchun of Providence, Rhode Island.

Barrie Youngfellow - It's a Living

Ms. Youngfellow had a unique appeal among actresses of the late 1970s and 1980s. She was one of only four cast members who appeared on all six seasons of It's a Living. We thank her for her work on It's a Living and her other television roles. She will be greatly missed.

Share your memories on our It's a Living message board. View photos in our galleres.


Impractical Jokers - Brian 'Q' Quinn, Sal Vulcano, Method Man, James 'Murr' Murray

The boys are back, along with a few new friends! truTV announced the long-running franchise Impractical Jokers will return with new episodes Thursday, June 16 at 10:00PM ET/PT, featuring a different celebrity guest in each episode joining Brian "Q" Quinn, James "Murr" Murray & Sal Vulcano for more laughs and mischief in the series' ninth season. Joining the spectacle and upping the antics will be a variety of heavy weight star-power including Staten Islanders Method Man (Wu-Tang Clan) and Colin Jost (Saturday Night Live), Chris Jericho (All Elite Wrestling), film star Brooke Shields (The Blue Lagoon), as well as hilarious comedians Jillian Bell (22 Jump Street), Adam Pally (Sonic, Happy Endings), Jon Gabrus (Game Over, Man!) and David Cross (Arrested Development), along with Rob Riggle (Holey Moley) and others.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Sunday, July 27

The Simpsons - "Convenience Airways" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
The Simpsons are trapped on a flight with the most unruly passengers in America.

Krapopolis - "Baby Boom" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Aphrodite's Fertility Fest is here and baby fever is at an all time high; Ty tries to relax at a bathhouse but it's proving difficult to let loose.

Animal Control - "Goats, Snakes, and Dogs" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Frank is tasked with taking a dog to "the farm," but instead jailbreaks the pup to find it a new forever home; Victoria tries to teach Shred how to break the rules; Patel has a life-changing encounter with a therapy goat.

Going Dutch - "Nazi Hunters" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
The troops of Stroopsdorf participate in their quarterly war games; when an unidentified drone hovers over the base, The Colonel recruits Captain Maggie, Major Shah and Sergeant Dana to take a trip to the owner's house to confirm he is not a spy.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of July 21)

Friday, July 25

  • Anthony Anderson (black-ish/Guys with Kids/All About the Andersons) - Anthony guest hosts Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Cedric the Entertainer (The Neighborhood/The Last O.G./The Soul Man/The Steve Harvey Show) - Watch Cedric on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Jeremy Allen White (The Bear) - Jeremy is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Timothy Olyphant (Stick/Santa Clarita Diet) - Timothy appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Emily Ratajkowski (Too Much) - Emily is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear/Girls) - Ebon talks about The Fantastic Four: First Steps on a repeat of ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
  • Leanne Morgan (Leanne) - Leanne talks about Neflix's Leanne on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Kristen Johnston (Leanne/Mom/The Exes/3rd Rock from the Sun) - Kristen talks about Netflix's Leanne on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • Tony Danza (Taxi/Who's the Boss?/Hudson Street/The Tony Danza Show) - Tony talks about his brand-new show Tony Danza: Sinatra & Stories on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Michael Jai White (Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse) - Michael is a guest on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series 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)

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)

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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