Wednesday, October 12, 2022

Remembering the Legendary Angela Lansbury, COZI TV Airing Tribute Marathon; Disney Channel Orders Season 7 of Bunk'd

Angela Lansbury

Actress and singer Angela Lansbury, who starred as fictional writer and sleuth Jessica Fletcher on Murder, She Wrote, has died. She died in her sleep at her home in Los Angeles, California, on the morning of October 11. Ms. Lansbury was 96.

Lansbury's early television guest appearances included Robert Montgomery Presents, The Revlon Mirror Theater, The Ford Television Theatre, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, Lux Video Theatre, The George Gobel Show, Four Star Playhouse, The Star and the Story, Celebrity Playhouse, Studio 57, Climax!, Playhouse 90, The Eleventh Hour, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and The Trials of O'Brien.

Angela Lansbury

Lansbury starred as Jessica Fletcher on the 1984-1996 CBS detective drama Murder, She Wrote. Jessica Fletcher is a retired school teacher from the fictional town of Cabot Cove, Maine, who became a successful detective novelist after her husband's death, also solving murders encountered during her travels. Murder, She Wrote became one of the longest-running and most popular detective drama series in television history. The series ran for twelve seasons and 264 episodes. She appeared in a crossover episode with Magnum, P.I. in 1986. CBS aired four television movies from 1997 to 2003.

Angela Lansbury and Tom Bosley

She holds the record for the most Emmy nominations for outstanding lead actress in a drama series with twelve, one for each season. She never won, which is also a record. She won four Golden Globe Awards for Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series – Drama 1984, 1986, 1989 in 1991. Lansbury worked as executive producer for the final four seasons. Recurring and occasional cast members included Tom Bosley (1984-1988), Michael Horton (1985-1990), William Windom (1985-1996), Richard Paul (1986-1991), Ron Masak (1989-1996), Keith Mitchell (1990-1991), James Sloyan (1990-1991), Ken Swofford (1990-1991), Hallie Todd (1990-1991) and Louis Herthum (1991-1996).

Lansbury made an appearance as a mother named Eleanor Duvall in a season six episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, for which she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series in 2005. She also appeared as Eleanor Duvall in Law & Order: Trial by Jury in 2005. She played Lady Berrington in a 2002 episode of Touched by an Angel. In December 2017, she performed in her final television role as Aunt March in the BBC miniseries Little Women.

She received three Academy Awards nominations for her work in Gaslight (1944), The Picture of Dorian Gray (1955) and The Manchurian Candidate (1962). Some of her other film credits included The Harvey Girls (1946), State of the Union (1948), The Court Jester (1956), The Long, Hot Summer (1958), Blue Hawaii (1961) and Death on the Nile (1978).

Lansbury was in classic children's films such as Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971), The Last Unicorn (1982), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Anastasia (1997), Fantasia 2000 (2000), Nanny McPhee (2005), The Grinch (2018) and Mary Poppins Returns (2018).

She was known for her work on stage in musicals. She was a five-time Tony winner for her work in Mame (1966), Dear World (1969), Gypsy (1975), Sweeney Todd (1979) and Blithe Spirit (2009). She received the award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre at the 75th Tony Awards in 2022.

Lansbury was interviewed for The Interviews: An Oral History of Television on September 15, 1998.

She is survived by her children, Anthony, Deirdre, and David, as well as three grandchildren, five great grandchildren, and her brother, producer Edgar Lansbury.

Angela Lansbury

Ms. Lansbury was a legendary actress in films, on stage and on television. Jessica Fletcher was a loved character. She played her to perfection. Interestingly enough, Jean Stapleton was originally offered the role, but she declined it. In 1983, Lansbury had to choose between a Norman Lear sitcom opposite Charles Durning or Murder, She Wrote. Her agents had advised her to accept the sitcom role, but she clearly made the right choice with the detective drama. We thank her for the entertainment that she brought us during her long career, which spanned eight decades. She will be deeply missed.

Share your memories on our Murder, She Wrote message board. View photos in our galleries.

Angela Lansbury Tribute Marathon

COZI TV announced that beginning today (Wednesday, Oct. 12), it will preempt its regular programming for a four-day "Angela Lansbury Tribute Marathon" to honor the beloved television, film, and stage star, who died on Tuesday at the age of 96. The special programming, which will be presented daily from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET through Saturday, Oct. 15, will feature every episode from the first two seasons of Lansbury’s iconic series Murder, She Wrote. The marathon will also include select episodes from the hit drama's third season and will conclude with Season 12 series finale.


Bunk'd

Disney Branded Television announced that a seventh season of the beloved hit comedy series Bunk'd has been given a greenlight. The seventh season renewal makes the hit series the longest-running live-action Disney Channel series. Bunk'd continues to perform for the channel as one of the top 10 live-action series among kids 6-11 years old. Series regulars Miranda May (Lou), Trevor Tordjman (Parker), Mallory James Mahoney (Destiny), Israel Johnson (Noah), Shiloh Verrico (Winnie), Luke Busey (Jake) and Alfred Lewis (Bill) are all set to return. Erin Dunlap will remain as executive producer and showrunner of the series in addition to May, who will continue her season six appointed role as executive producer while also directing select episodes.

Season six of Bunk'd: Learning the Ropes will air a holiday-themed episode on Friday, Dec. 2, with new weekly episodes returning in January 2023. Set in Dusty Tush, Wyoming, Lou, Parker, Destiny and Noah have been working double time to get the new Kikiwaka Ranch up and running, learning new ranch skills, acquainting themselves to the townsfolk and welcoming their new campers. It's been a bumpy start, but campers Bill, Winnie and Jake have loved their time at summer camp. In addition to perfecting his cowboy skills, Bill is discovering his fellow campers may be just as fun to hang out with as herding cattle. Winnie is learning to reign in her thrill-seeking needs, and Jake is realizing how exciting real-life can be away from video games. Meanwhile, counselors and campers band together to hunt for a mysterious treasure that is said to be hidden somewhere on the ranch.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Thursday, January 23

Shifting Gears - "Accommodations" (ABC, 9:02PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Matt joins Riley at Carter’s high school open house, where he’s unsettled to learn about the “accommodations” made for his grandson’s anxiety. Meanwhile, Riley reconnects with Caitlin, a former classmate, and sets her up with Gabriel.

Only Murders in the Building - "Sparring Partners" (ABC, 9:33PM ET/PT)
Closing in on the killer, Mabel takes her investigative talents into the ring; Oliver and Charles duke it out over a birdcage only to end up confronting their deepest paternal struggles.

Only Murders in the Building - "I Know Who Did It" (ABC, 10:12PM ET/PT)
The question of who did it remains, along with a few more questions that have been raised.

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "An Old Mustang" (CBS, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Georgie worries that he’s leaving Connor out of his new project with Jim. Meanwhile, Mandy and Audrey struggle to decorate CeeCee’s nursery without fighting.

Ghosts - "The Primary Source" (CBS, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Sam’s book publisher requires source material for her biography on Isaac, she and Jay take a field trip to find a diary he claims he hid when he was alive.

Animal Control - "Baby Kangaroos and Chickens" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Frank and Victoria compete to win Fiona's affections at the new kennels' fundraiser; Emily gets some very bad advice from Bettany on her speech; Patel and Shred find themselves facing the world's most charming squatter.

Going Dutch - "Korfball" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Everyone in town is talking about the upcoming Korfball match between the Americans and the Dutch; the colonel refuses to lose to the Dutch and Quinn brings out her high school alter ego "The Rocket" to make her dad proud.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of January 20)

Thursday, January 23

  • James Marsden (30 Rock) - Catch James on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Fortune Feimster (FUBAR/Kenan/Bless the Harts/Champions) - Fortune appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Denis Leary (Going Dutch/No Good Deed/Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll/The Job) - Denis stops by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Morris Chestnut (Out All Night) - Morris is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Nick Kroll (Big Mouth/The League/Cavemen) - Nick appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Britt Lower (Ghosted/Man Seeking Woman/Big Lake) - Britt is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Thomas Lennon (The Odd Couple/Sean Saves the World/Reno 911!), Paul F. Tompkins (The Great North/BoJack Horseman/DAG) and Joe Manganiello (How I Met Your Mother) - Thomas, Paul and Joe are guests on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Al Madrigal (Lopez vs Lopez/About a Boy/Gary Unmarried/Welcome to The Captain) - Al appears on Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
  • Ronny Chieng (Young Rock/Ronny Chieng: International Student) - Ronny hosts Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
  • Jason Biggs (Outmatched/Mad Love/Drexell's Class) - Jason and his wife Jenny Mollen are telling Drew about their new show Dinner and a Movie that features an episode focusing on 50 First Dates on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Veep - The Complete Series (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

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)
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

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