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, July 3

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "A Sportsbook and a Breakup" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Mandy finds out Meemaw runs an illegal sportsbook and decides she wants in on the action. Meanwhile, Georgie struggles to keep Mandy’s new job a secret.

Ghosts - "His Girl Shiki" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Pete makes good on his promise to find someone for Sasappis by bringing in a wisecracking 1940s screenwriter who also has the ability to roam.

Bob's Burgers - "The Shell Game" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Bob competes in a competition to inherit Mr. Fischoeder's 100-year-old tortoise.

Grimsburg - "Molly" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Flute forgets to buy Stan a gift for his birthday, he steals an AI doll from the evidence locker; Wynona is forced to confront her ex-boyfriend.

Family Guy - "Row v. Wade" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Brian wins a boat on "The Price is Right" and decides to sail to Texas to help women seeking legal abortions.

The Great North - "Silence of the Dams Adventure" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Honeybee accidentally revives an old Lone Moose curse, sending a terrifying creature after her and the Tobins.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of June 30)

Thursday, July 3

  • Steve Martin (Only Murders in the Building) - Catch Steve on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Zach Cherry (Duncanville/I Feel Bad/Crashing) - Zach is a guest on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Joel McHale (Animal Control/The Great Indoors/Community) - Joel appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Sandy Honig (Three Busy Debras), Mitra Jouhari (Clone High/Three Busy Debras) and Alyssa Stonoha (Three Busy Debras) - Sandy, Mitra and Alyssa are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Rob Lowe (Unstable/The Grinder/Parks and Recreation/A New Kind of Family) - Rob discusses cancer research and how it changed his life with GMA lifestyle contributor Lori Bergamotto on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
  • Laurence Fishburne (black-ish) - Laurence chats with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Justin Bartha (The New Normal/Teachers) - Justin talks about Nuked on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am and on CBS Mornings Plus in the 9am hour.
  • Brooke Shields (Suddenly Susan) - Brooke guest co-hosts NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • Adam Scott (Ghosted/Veep/Parks and Recreation/Party Down), Britt Lower (Ghosted/Man Seeking Woman/Big Lake) and Ben Stiller (Arrested Development) - Adam, Britt and Ben talk about Severance on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, 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)
07/08 - 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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