Wednesday, October 12, 2022
Remembering the Legendary Angela Lansbury, COZI TV Airing Tribute Marathon; Disney Channel Orders Season 7 of Bunk'd

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Tuesday, April 1
St. Denis Medical - "Anything to Push Zaluva" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Ron's teasing makes Joyce question whether her friendship with a pharmaceutical rep is genuine; Alex has trouble letting Serena take on a new task; Matt finds a mentor in Bruce.
Night Court - "Hot to Trot" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Abby's friendship with her ex-boyfriend's mother leads to romantic complications; when Julianne's wealthy aunt passes away, the gang vies for a piece of her inheritance.
Tyler Perry's House of Payne - "Love At First Swipe" (BET, 9:00PM ET/PT)
C.J. and Janine receive marital advice from an unlikely source; Peanut seeks help with his newfound online lover.
Tyler Perry's Assisted Living - "Failure 2 Launch" (BET, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Assisted Living is the new situation comedy by Tyler Perry about three generations who must make a new start in the rural backwoods of Georgia.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 31)
Tuesday, April 1
- Adam Scott (Ghosted/Veep/Parks and Recreation/Party Down) - Catch Adam on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Kevin Bacon (I Love Dick) - Kevin is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Amanda Peet (Brockmire/Togetherness/Bent) - Amanda appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Paul Rudd (The Shrink Next Door/Living with Yourself/Wild Oats) - Paul stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Ike Barinholtz (The Studio/The Afterparty/Bless the Harts/The Mindy Project/Eastbound & Down) - Ike appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He will also be on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9:30pm on Bravo.
- Vinny Thomas (Platonic), Paul F. Tompkins (The Great North/BoJack Horseman/DAG) and Aparna Nancherla (The Great North/Lopez vs Lopez/Corporate) - Vinny, Paul and Aparna are guests on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Chase Sui Wonders (The Studio/Bupkis) and Kathryn Hahn (The Studio/Tiny Beautiful Things/Central Park/Happyish/Transparent/Free Agents) - Chase and Kathryn are guests on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9:30pm on Bravo.
- Will Ferrell (The Office) and Jennifer Coolidge (2 Broke Girls/Joey) - E! News has interviews with Will and Jennifer at 11pm on E!.
- Román Zaragoza (Ghosts) - Román talks about Ghosts on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
- Jenny Slate (The Great North/Big Mouth/Married/Bob's Burgers) - Jenny talks about Dying for Sex on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
- Michael Angarano (Laid/I'm Dying Up Here/Will & Grace) and Michael Cera (Life & Beth/Arrested Development/I Was a Sixth Grade Alien) - Michael and Michael talk about Sacramento with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Olivia Munn (Perfect Couples) - Olivia guest co-hosts NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Hannah Einbinder (Hacks) - Hannah talks about Hacks on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Tasha Smith (Survival of the Thickest/Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse/The Tom Show/Boston Common) and Tone Bell (Survival of the Thickest/Fam/Disjointed/Truth Be Told/Bad Judge/Whitney) - Tasha and Tone talk about the new season of Netflix’s Survival of the Thickest on Sherri, so check your local listings.
- Kathryn Hahn (The Studio/Tiny Beautiful Things/Central Park/Happyish/Transparent/Free Agents) - Kathryn is dishing on her new comedy series The Studio on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Wilmer Valderrama (That '70s Show) - Wilmer and Freddy Rodriguez chat about their podcast Dos Amigos on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
- Brenda Song (Running Point/Dollface/Dads/The Suite Life on Deck/The Suite Life of Zack & Cody) - Brenda talks about Netflix's Running Point on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
- Paul Walter Hauser (The Afterparty) - Paul is a guest on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:40am.
New on DVD and 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
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