Monday, January 15, 2024
Apple TV+ Winter Slate with Peanuts and Fraggle Rock Specials; Remembering Joyce Randolph of The Honeymooners
Apple TV+ unveiled an exciting winter programming slate for kids and families, featuring brand new Peanuts content as well as returning fan-favorite and critically acclaimed series. Launching February 16, the new Peanuts special, Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin, uncovers the origin story of one of Peanuts' most beloved characters and how he ultimately makes friends with Charlie Brown and the gang. Acclaimed series also returning this winter includes the second season of the award-winning series, Sago Mini Friends, debuting January 26, and season two of the iconic and Emmy Award-winning series from The Jim Henson Company, Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, debuting March 29, as Tony and Grammy Award winner, and Emmy Award nominee Daveed Diggs (Hamilton) returns for season two alongside Academy Award winner Ariana DeBose (Schmigadoon!), Emmy Award winner Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso) and Emmy Award winner Catherine O'Hara (Schitt's Creek) in guest star roles.
Actress Joyce Randolph, who was best known for playing Trixie Norton on The Honeymooners, has died. She died in her sleep on January 13. She had been a longtime resident of New York City and was in hospice care suffering the effects of old age. Ms. Randolph was 99.
Randolph originally portrayed Trixie Norton on The Jackie Gleason Show in 1952 on CBS. She played the character in skits from 1952 to 1957. She starred as Trixie Norton on the 1955-1956 CBS sitcom The Honeymooners. The series follows the lives of New York City bus driver Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason), his wife Alice (Audrey Meadows), Ralph's best friend Ed Norton (Art Carney) and Ed's wife Trixie as they get involved with various schemes in their day-to-day living. Randolph did not appear in every episode and had a less developed character, though she is shown to be somewhat bossy toward her husband.
In 1991, Randolph and Meadows reprised their roles in the episode "Fur Flies" of the ABC sitcom Hi Honey, I'm Home. Some of her other television guest appearances included Rocky King, Detective (1950), Buck Rogers, Famous Jury Trials, The Clock, The Plainclothesman (5 episodes) and The Doctors and the Nurses. On Broadway, she appeared in Ladies Night in a Turkish Bath (1950).
She was interviewed for The Interviews: An Oral History of Television on October 27, 1999.
Ms. Randolph did a wonderful job playing Trixie Norton. She was the last surviving cast member of The Honeymooners. We thank her for the laughs and entertainment that she brought us. She will be deeply missed.
Actor Peter Crombie, who had a recurring role as Crazy Joe Davola on Seinfeld, has died. He died after a brief illness on January 10 in Palm Springs, California. Mr. Crombie was 71.
Crombie appeared as Crazy Joe Davola in five episodes in the fourth season (1992-1993) of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. Crazy Joe Davola is a writer who suffers from mental problems. He stalks Jerry and dates Elaine. Depressed that Elaine rejected him, he dressed up as the clown from the opera Pagliacci and beats up several street toughs who antagonize him. The name was used with the consent of Fox TV executive, Joe "Lennard" Davola.
Some of his other sitcom guest appearances included Perfect Strangers, The John Larroquette Show, Get Smart (1995) and Grace Under Fire.
He appeared as Norman Minter in five episodes of the 1996 Fox drama L.A. Firefighters. Some of his other television guest appearances included Leg Work, Spenser: For Hire, Law & Order, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Diagnosis: Murder, L.A. Law, Picket Fences, Profiler, NYPD Blue and Walker, Texas Ranger.
Some of his film credits included Born on the Fourth of July (1989), The Doors (1991), Natural Born Killers (1994), Se7en (1995) and My Dog Skip (2000).
Mr. Crombie did a great job portraying one of the more memorable Seinfeld side characters. We thank him for his work on television and in films. He will be greatly missed.
We also remember German actor Christian Oliver. He starred as Brian Keller on Saved by the Bell: The Class. Oliver and his two daughters, Madita and Annik, were killed on January 4 after the four-seater private plane they were on crashed off the coast of Bequia. Everyone on board, including the American pilot, Robert Sachs, was killed on impact. Mr. Oliver was 51.
Oliver starred as Brian Keller in the second season (1994) of the NBC sitcom Saved by the Bell: The New Class. It aired as a part of the network's TNBC Saturday morning line-up. Brian Keller is is a new transfer student from Switzerland. He is interested in Rachel Meyers (Sarah Lancaster), and he is also a schemer.
He appeared in a 2005 episode of The Comeback. Some of his television guest appearances included Sliders, V.I.P., Crossing Lines, Timeless and Hunters (5 episodes).
Some of his film credits included The Good German (2006), Speed Racer (2008) and Valkyrie (2008).
Mr. Oliver was known to German audiences for his role as Jan Richter in the action series Alarm für Cobra 11 – Die Autobahnpolizei from 2002 until 2004. We thank him for his work on television and in films. He will be missed.
Actress Cindy Morgan was best known for playing Lacey Underall in Caddyshack and Lora/Yori in Tron. She was found dead of natural causes at her home in Lake Worth Beach, Florida, on December 30, 2023. Ms. Morgan was 69.
Morgan's sitcom guest appearances included The Love Boat, Tough Cookies, Beverly Hills Buntz, She's the Sheriff, Harry and the Hendersons and The Larry Sanders Show.
She starred as Gloria Marlowe on the 1982-1983 CBS adventure series Bring 'Em Back Alive, which also starred Bruce Boxleitner. She had a recurring role as Gabrielle Short in 15 episodes in seasons six and seven of the CBS prime time soap opera Falcon Crest from 1987 to 1988.
Some of her other television guest appearances included Vega$, CHiPs (3 episodes), Hawaiian Heat, Masquerade, The Fall Guy, Crazy Like a Fox, Amazing Stories, The Highwayman, Matlock (3 episodes), Mancuso, FBI (1990), Hunter (2 episodes) and Under Suspicion.
Ms. Morgan was a talented and lovely actress in the 1980s. We thank her for work on television and in films. She will be sorely missed.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Monday, May 20
none scheduled
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of May 20)
Monday, May 20
- Jennifer Lopez (South Central) - Watch Jennifer on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Paul Reiser (Mad About You/Red Oaks/Married/My Two Dads) - Paul and Michael McDonald are guests on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC. They also talk about What a Fool Believes: A Memoir on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
- Sarah Paulson (Leap of Faith) - Sarah stops by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Paul Scheer (Black Monday/Fresh Off the Boat/The League) - Paul is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Daniel Radcliffe (Miracle Workers) - Daniel appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Rory Scovel (Physical/Ground Floor) and Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows/The Thundermans) - Rory and Harvey are guests on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Shay Mitchell (Dollface) - Shay appears on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 10pm on Bravo. NBC's Today catches up with Shay in the 10am hour.
- Will Smith (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) and Martin Lawrence (Partners/Martin/What's Happening Now!!) - E! News has interviews with Will and Martin at 11pm on E!.
- Drake Bell (Drake & Josh) - Drake shares his story on NBC's Today some time between 7-9am.
- Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso) - Hannah is joining Drew and answering a round of questions in balloon pop quiz on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.. She's also telling Drew about voicing her animated character in The Garfield Movie.
- Kadeem Hardison (K.C. Undercover/Abby/Between Brothers/A Different World) - Kadeem stops by to tell Sherri about his role on The Chi on Sherri, so check your local listings.
- Tony Danza (Taxi/Who's the Boss?/Hudson Street/The Tony Danza Show) - Tony discusses his Standards & Stories tour on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
- Dylan McDermott (LA to Vegas) - Dylan is a guest on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Mindy Kaling (The Mindy Project/The Office) - Mindy can be heard on The Morning Mash Up on SiriusXM.
- Bailee Madison (Trophy Wife) - Bailee appears on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:30am.
- Jeremy Sisto (Suburgatory) - Jeremy is a guest on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 10:05am.
New on DVD/Blu-ray
12/05 - Father Knows Best - The Complete Series
12/05 - The Odd Couple - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/12 - The Dick Van Dyke Show - The Complete Series
12/12 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
12/12 - That Girl - The Complete Series
12/15 - Letterkenny - Season 11
12/19 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Official Restored Complete Series
12/22 - Three's Company - The Official 40th Anniversary Collection (includes The Ropers and Three's a Crowd)
01/09 - South Park - Seasons 11-15 (Blu-ray)
01/16 - Ghosts (UK) - Season Five
02/13 - Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/27 - The Really Loud House - Season One
03/12 - Ghosts (UK) - The Complete Series
03/12 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 3 (Blu-ray)
03/12 - Rick and Morty - Season 7 (Blu-ray Steelbook) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
04/03 - Too Close for Comfort - The Complete Series (VEI)
04/08 - Check It Out! - The Complete Series (VEI)
05/21 - Frasier (2023) - Season One
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