Thursday, July 28, 2022

ABC to Present Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter; Remembering Tony Dow of Leave it to Beaver and Paul Sorvino

Norman Lear

Honoring the life and legacy of the remarkable storyteller, activist and philanthropist Norman Lear, ABC will present a one-night-only celebration, Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter. The special will pay homage to the man behind some of television's greatest stories and will feature an impressive lineup of celebrity guests and musical performances to celebrate his 100th birthday, airing Thursday, September 22 from 9:00-11:00 p.m. EDT on ABC and available the next day on Hulu. Special guests and performers will be announced at a later date. Born in 1922 in New Haven, Connecticut, Lear attended Emerson College before flying 52 combat missions over Europe during World War II. Upon his return, he began a successful career writing and producing programs like The Colgate Comedy Hour and The Martha Raye Show — ultimately leading to Lear captivating 120 million viewers per week with his iconic shows of the 1970s and '80s - All in the Family, Good Times, The Jeffersons, Maude, One Day at a Time and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. He has won six Primetime Emmys and a Golden Globe®.


Tony Dow

Actor and director Tony Dow, who starred as Wally Cleaver on Leave it to Beaver, has died. He died on July 27 at his home in Topanga, California, of complications from liver cancer. Mr. Dow was 77.

Leave it to Beaver

Dow's career began when he went on a casting call and landed the role of Wally Cleaver in Leave it to Beaver. The classic family sitcom aired on CBS for one season from 1957 to 1958 before moving to ABC for five seasons from 1958 to 1963. A total of 234 episodes were produced over the six seasons. Wally is June (Barbara Billingsley) and Ward's (Hugh Beaumont) son and Beaver's (Jerry Mathers) older brother. His pals include Tooey Brown (Tiger Fafara), Chester Anderson (Buddy Hart), the awkward Clarence "Lumpy" Rutherford (Frank Bank), and smart-aleck Eddie Haskell (Ken Osmond).

The New Leave it to Beaver

He reprised his role as Wally in the 1983 CBS reunion television movie Still the Beaver, which aired on March 19, 1983. The ratings success of the movie prompted the creation of the Disney Channel revival series Still the Beaver, which aired for one season from 1984 to 1985. The series was retitled The New Leave it to Beaver when it moved to WTBS for three additional seasons from 1986 to 1989. A total of 101 episodes (plus the movie) were produced over the four seasons. Dow wrote one episode and directed five episodes of the series. The cast included Barbara Billingsley, Jerry Mathers, Kipp Marcus, John Snee, Janice Kent, Kaleena Kiff, Ken Osmond, Eric Osmond, Christian Osmond, Ellen Maxted, Troy Davidson (1987-1989) and Frank Bank.

Sarah Jessica Parker and Tony Dow - Square Pegs

Dow played Ed Greene, the father of Patty Greene (Sarah Jessica Parker), in two episodes of Square Pegs in 1982. Some of his other sitcom guest appearances included My Three Sons (1964), Love, American Style (1971), The Love Boat (2 episodes) and Charles in Charge.

Tony Dow on Adam-12

He starred as Chet on the 1965-1966 ABC daytime soap opera Never Too Young. Some of his television drama guest appearances included Dr. Kildare, The Eleventh Hour, The Greatest Show on Earth, Mr. Novak (5 episodes), Lassie (3 episodes), Adam-12, Mod Squad, Emergency!, The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, Quincy, M.E. (1983), Knight Rider, The New Mike Hammer (1987), Murder, She Wrote (1987), Jesse Hawkes, Freddy's Nightmares (2 episodes) and Diagnosis Murder.

Dow parodied his Wally role in The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977) with Jerry Zucker playing Beaver. He played Principal Pete Kinney in the 1983 NBC TV movie High School U.S.A., which starred Michael J. Fox, Nancy McKeon, Anthony Edwards, Crispin Glover, Todd Bridges, Dana Plato, Frank Bank, Ken Osmond and many other sitcom stars.

Some of his other sitcom directing credits included Get a Life, Harry and the Hendersons (6 episodes), Coach (13 episodes), Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show (3 episodes) and Manhattan, AZ (3 episodes). His drama directing credits included The New Lassie (2 episodes), Swamp Thing (5 episodes), Babylon 5 (5 episodes), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Crusade (2 episodes) and Cover Me: Based on the True Life of an FBI Family (3 episodes).

Dow served as the visual effects supervisor for Babylon 5. In 1996, he provided visual effects for the Fox television movie Doctor Who. He was a producer for The Adventures of Captain Zoom in Outer Space (1995) and It Came from Outer Space II (1996).

In addition to his wife Lauren Shulkind, survivors include a son from his first marriage, Christopher; a brother; and a granddaughter.

Tony Dow

Mr. Dow was wonderful as Wally Cleaver. He was one of TV's best older brothers. In addition to acting, directing, producing and writing, he was also a sculptor, creating abstract bronze sculptures. We thank him for his work as an actor and director. He will be greatly missed.

Share your memories on our Leave it to Beaver message board. View photos in our galleries.

MeTV Remembers Tony Dow

The MeTV Network will celebrate legendary actor Tony Dow with a special extended presentation of Leave it to Beaver episodes, airing Sunday, July 31 from 12:00pm to 5:00pm on MeTV. Featuring 10 episodes showcasing Tony Dow’s beloved character Wally Cleaver, MeTV's tribute will include the episodes "Wally's Job," "Wally's Car" and "Wally's Weekend Job." Leave it to Beaver currently airs on MeTV weekdays from 8:00 to 9:00am ET/PT.

Paul Sorvino

Actor Paul Sorvino, who starred as NYPD Sergeant Phil Cerreta on Law & Order, has died. His first TV series starring role was on the short-lived 1975 sitcom We'll Get By. He died of natural causes at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, on July 25. Mr. Sorvino was 83.

We'll Get By

Sorvino's first weekly television series starring role was as George Platt on the short-lived 1975 CBS sitcom We'll Get By. The series, which was created by Alan Alda, featured a typical middle-class New Jersey family, the Platts. George Platt worked as a lawyer. He and his wife, Liz (Mitzi Hoag), had three teenage children: Muff (Jerry Houser), Kenny (Willie Aames) and Andrea (Devon Scott).

Law & Order

He starred as Sergeant Bert D'Angelo on the short-lived 1976 ABC police drama Bert D'Angelo/Superstar. He played Detective Ike Porter on the 1987-1988 CBS police drama The Oldest Rookie. He starred as Sergeant Phil Cerreta in 31 episodes of the second and third seasons of the NBC police procedural and legal drama Law & Order from 1991 to 1992. From 2000 to 2002, he starred as Frank DeLucca on the CBS comedy-drama That's Life. He also directed two episodes of That's Life in 2001 and 2002. In 2017, he appeared as Nicolo Rizzuto Sr. on the Canadian crime drama Bad Blood. He played Frank Costello in the Epix crime drama Godfather of Harlem from 2019 to 2021.

Paul Sorvino and Mark Addy - Still Standing

Sorvino had a recurring role as Al Miller, the father of Bill Miller (Mark Addy), in four episodes of the CBS sitcom Still Standing from 2004 to 2006. He played Ben "Pop-Pop" Goldberg, the father of Murray Goldberg (Jeff Garlin), in a season two episode of The Goldbergs in 2014. The character was later played by Judd Hirsch. He guest starred as Jack Martino, the father of James "Jimmy" Martino (John Stamos), in a 2016 episode of Grandfathered.

He guest starred as David Addison Sr., the father of David Addison Jr. (Bruce Willis), in a 1986 episode of Moonlighting. Some of his other television drama guest appearances included The Streets of San Francisco, Murder, She Wrote (1989), Star Trek: The Next Generation, Jack & Bobby, Elementary and Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders.

Sorvino starred as Lucchese crime family caporegime Paulie Cicero (based on real life gangster Paul Vario) in Martin Scorsese's 1990 gangster film Goodfellas. Some of his other film credits included A Touch of Class (1973), Oh, God! (1977), Bloodbrothers (1978), Reds (1981), That Championship Season (1982), The Stuff (1985), Dick Tracy (1990), The Rocketeer (1991), Nixon (1995), Romeo + Juliet (1996) and The Cooler (2003).

Survivors include his wife, Dee Dee Benkie; three children from his first marriage, Mira, Amanda and Michael Sorvino; a brother; and five grandchildren.

Mr. Sorvino was a gifted actor. He often portrayed authority figures on both the criminal and the law enforcement sides of the law. We thank him for the entertainment that he brought us during his long career. He will be sorely missed.

Share your memories on our We'll Get By message board. View photos in our galleries.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Tuesday, April 29

St. Denis Medical - "This Place Is Our Everything" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
A storm causes chaos in the Emergency Department; Alex is torn between an obligation to her husband and her co-workers' needs; Joyce goes on a spending spree with found money.

Night Court - "Blood Moonstruck" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
On the night of the blood moon, Abby and Gurgs help Julianne with a surprising romantic prospect; Wyatt finds himself in hot water when he fills in as Dan's replacement.

Tyler Perry's House of Payne - "Adjust Your Crown, Sis" (BET, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Ella sponsors the membership of the new wife of a longtime dea-con into her social club, Incomparable Crowns, she begins to suspect something may be going on behind closed doors in the new marriage.

Tyler Perry's Assisted Living - "Ay-Bay-Bay" (BET, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Leah wants to try for another baby, but when Jeremy plays hard to get, Leah hatches a plan to seduce him; Mr. Brown has to babysit Kimberly's grandson who appears to be the perfect angel, until he reveals himself to be a mischievous handful.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of April 28)

Tuesday, April 29

  • Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep/The New Adventures of Old Christine/Watching Ellie/Seinfeld/Day by Day) - Catch Julia on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Mo Amer (Mo/Ramy) - Mo is a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Mary Lynn Rajskub (Rob Riggle's Ski Master Academy/How to Be a Gentleman/Veronica's Closet/The Larry Sanders Show) - Mary appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Tina Fey (The Four Seasons/Only Murders in the Building/30 Rock) - Tina stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. She also talks about The Four Seasons on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
  • Tim Bagley (The Great North/Teachers/Grace and Frankie/Web Therapy/Stril Mall) and Andy Richter (Andy Barker, P.I./Quintuplets/Andy Richter Controls the Universe) - Tim and Andy are guests on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Paul Feig (Sabrina, the Teenage Witch/The Louie Show/The Jackie Thomas Show/Dirty Dancing) - Paul talks about Another Simple Favor on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
  • Wanda Sykes (The Upshaws/The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - Wanda talks about the Wanda Sykes: Please & Thank You Tour on The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Ed Helms (Rutherford Falls/The Office) - Ed talks about SNAFU: The Definitive Guide to History’s Greatest Screwups on The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT. He will also be on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Essence Atkins (Poppa's House/Marlon/Mr. Box Office/Are We There Yet?/Half & Half/Smart Guy/Under One Roof) - Essence joins Tamron Hall for a candid conversation on everything from her recent abstinence journey to her career longevity as a working mom, so check your local listings.
  • Bill Bellamy (Mr. Box Office/Men, Women & Dogs/Cousin Skeeter) - Bill will be on CBS Mornings Plus in the 9am hour.
  • Stanley Tucci (Central Park) - Stanley drops by Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Jaleel White (Family Matters/Grown Ups) - Jaleel talks about his CBS game show, Flip Side, and shares stories from his memoir, Growing Up Urkel, on Sherri, so check your local listings.
  • Erika Alexander (Run the World/Living Single/The Cosby Show) and Kim Coles (Living Single/The Geena Davis Show) - Erika and Kim join Sherri to discuss their latest projects, so check your local listings.
  • Joe Manganiello (How I Met Your Mother) - NBC's Today catches up with Joe in the 9am hour.
  • Will Forte (The Four Seasons/HouseBroken/MacGruber/The Last Man on Earth/The Cleveland Show) and Erika Henningsen (The Four Seasons) - Will and Erika talk about The Four Seasons on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • Keegan-Michael Key (Schmigadoon!/Friends from College/Playing House/Gary Unmarried) - Keegan-Michael is a guest on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
  • Harry Hamlin (Movie Stars) - Harry appears on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, 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


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

04/29 - Lifetime Adds New Ripped from the Headlines Movie; BET+ Orders Season 2 of Series
04/28 - Fox Summer 2025 Schedule; Final Guest Hosts for Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Season
04/27 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of April 28, 2025)
04/26 - SitcomsOnline Digest: CBS Cancels Poppa's House; Final Season 50 Hosts for Saturday Night Live Set
04/25 - Classic TV's Biggest Auction; Remembering Will Hutchins and Wink Martindale
04/24 - Jerrod Carmichael's 4th HBO Comedy Special; HBO's Pee-wee as Himself Premieres May 23
04/23 - Apple TV+ Announces Comedy Series Prodigies; ABC Renews Unscripted Series Slate
04/22 - Hallmark Channel's May For Moms Month; Prime Video Gets Korean Comedy Action Series
04/21 - Peacock's Twisted Metal Returns July 31; Poker Face Lines Up Big Guests for Season 2
04/20 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of April 21, 2025)
04/19 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Clueless Reboot in the Works at Peacock; King of the Hill Cast Reunion and Revival Preview at ATX TV Festival Next Month
04/18 - 2025 TIME100 on ABC; Atsuko Okatsuka: Father Premieres June 13 on Hulu
04/17 - BET+ Orders Martin Spinoff Varnell Hill; It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Returns in July
04/16 - And Just Like That... Season 3 on Max This May; MGM+ Comedy Series Adds Big Stars
04/15 - HBO's Harry Potter Series; Classic TV Comes to Life in NYC
04/14 - TV Stars Lineup for Summer of 69 Hulu Film; Jessica Kirson Comedy Special
04/13 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of April 14, 2025)
04/12 - SitcomsOnline Digest: FX Sets Premiere Date for Adults; Netflix Picks Up Monopoly Themed Reality Competition Series
04/11 - Bounce TV Renews Mind Your Business; AMC Networks 2025 Upfront Highlights
04/10 - David Spade's Prime Video Comedy Special; Brett Goldstein's HBO Comedy Special Filmed in New Jersey
04/09 - Paramount+ Orders Season 3 of Colin from Accounts; FX's Adults Premieres May 28
04/08 - Prime Video's New Comedy Overcompensating; Nine Perfect Strangers Returns on Hulu in May
04/07 - NBC Celebrates Joan Rivers with Special; Remembering Jay North of Dennis the Menace
04/06 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of April 7, 2025)
04/05 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Fox Renews Three Animated Series and Brings Back a Fourth for Four More Seasons; ABC Renews Shifting Gears
04/04 - ABC 2025-26 Season Renewals for Scripted Series; New Season of Phineas and Ferb Returns June 5
04/03 - Fox Renews Animated Hits for 4 Additional Seasons and American Dad! Returns; South Park Season 27 Premieres July 9
04/02 - Rick and Morty Season 8 Premieres May 25; Netflix's Tires Returns June 5
04/01 - Disney Renews Wizards Beyond Waverly Place for Season 2; Prime Video Details Final Season of The Summer I Turned Pretty
03/31 - Prime Video's Dance-World Comedy Étoile; Netflix's Tom Segura Dark Comedy Bad Thoughts
03/30 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 31, 2025)
03/29 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Netflix Gives Pilot Order to A Different World Sequel; Malcolm in the Middle Reboot Recasts Role of Dewey