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ABC Fall 2024 Premiere Dates; Remembering Doug Sheehan of Day by Day and Clueless and Benji Gregory of ALF

ABC announced premiere dates for the network's action-packed fall, featuring previously announced fan-favorite series, high-octane new dramas and The Bachelor franchise's newest iteration. This news comes on the heels of the network closing out the 2023-2024 season as No. 1 in entertainment among Adults 18-49 for the fifth consecutive season, marking the longest winning streak in over 10 years. Monday Night Football returns for select weeks beginning Sept. 9 (New York Jets at San Francisco 49ers). Then, on Monday, Oct. 7, beloved game shows join the lineup with Pat Sajak's final spin hosting Celebrity Wheel of Fortune leading into Elizabeth Banks-hosted Press Your Luck.

From Oscar®-nominated writer Drew Goddard and starring Kaitlin Olson, freshman crime procedural High Potential joins ballroom sensation Dancing with the Stars on Tuesdays, kicking off Sept. 17. The Golden Bachelorette makes its debut Wednesday, Sept. 18 with two-hour episodes for the first few weeks, with new leading lady Joan Vassos; and a new season of Emmy® and Golden Globe® Award-winning comedy Abbott Elementary joins the night Oct. 9 at 9:30pm, followed by the ABC News Studios docuseries Scamanda. Then, from executive producer Ryan Murphy and starring Joshua Jackson and Don Johnson, highly anticipated new drama Doctor Odyssey debuts Thursday, Sept. 26 at 9pm, alongside 9-1-1 and the longest-running primetime medical drama in television history, Grey's Anatomy.

A new season of ABC News' 20/20 premieres Friday, Sept. 20, and season 16 of Shark Tank dives into the night starting Oct. 18. America’s Funniest Home Videos celebrates its monumental 35th season beginning Sunday, Sept. 29, before The Wonderful World of Disney world television premiere of the live-action The Little Mermaid. Additional films to debut this season include the world television premieres of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Haunted Mansion, as well as the broadcast premiere of Hocus Pocus 2. Airdates and additional movies to be announced at a later date. As previously announced, new seasons of returning dramas The Rookie and Will Trent will debut midseason (January), along with the celebratory farewell season of legacy comedy The Conners. Also returning midseason are American Idol, The Bachelor, Celebrity Jeopardy! and What Would You Do?, while Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, from executive producer Reese Witherspoon and hosted by world-renowned organizing duo Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin of The Home Edit, is also set to debut. These premiere dates will be announced at a later date.

Actor Doug Sheehan, who starred as Brian Harper in Day by Day and as Mel Horowitz in Clueless, has died. He died at his home in Big Horn, Wyoming, on June 29. Mr. Sheehan was 75.

Sheehan starred as Brian Harper in the 1988-1989 NBC sitcom Day by Day. The show centers on Brian and Kate Harper (Linda Kelsey), a married couple with two successful careers (Brian as a stockbroker, Kate as a lawyer) and a teenage son named Ross (Christopher Daniel ("C.B.") Barnes). They open a daycare center in their home. The series also starred Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Courtney Thorne-Smith and Thora Birch.

He starred as Mel Horowitz in the UPN sitcom Clueless for seasons 2 and 3 (1997-1999). Mel Horowitz is Cher Horowitz's (Rachel Blanchard) rich, widowed lawyer. He replaced Michael Lerner, who played Mel Horowitz during the first season (1996-1997), which aired on ABC. The cast included Stacey Dash, Donald Adeosun Faison, Elisa Donovan, Sean Holland, David Lascher (season 1), Twink Caplan (season 1), Wallace Shawn (season 1), Heather Gottlieb (season 1) and Julie Brown.

Sheehan played Edward Spellman, Sabrina Spellman's (Melissa Joan Hart) father, in two episodes of Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Some of his other sitcom guest appearances included Cheers, Alice, Dear John and Style & Substance.

His first major role was as Joe Kelly in the daytime soap opera General Hospital from 1979 to 1982. He was nominated for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for the role in 1982.

He starred as journalist Ben Gibson in the CBS primetime soap opera Knots Landing from 1983 to 1987. Ben Gibson was the second husband of Valene Ewing (Joan Van Ark).

Some of his other television guest appearances Charlie's Angels (1978), Kaz, MacGyver (1990), Columbo (1993), Promised Land, Diagnosis: Murder, Passions (6 episodes as Mr. Davis) and That Was Then.

Mr. Sheehan was a talented and versatile actor. Day by Day is a funny show with a great cast, which should have had a longer run. It should be available on DVD or streaming. He will be greatly missed.

Actor Benji Gregory, who starred as Brian Tanner in ALF, has died. On June 13, Gregory and his service dog, Hans, were found dead inside a car at a Chase Bank parking lot in Peoria, Arizona. However, news of his death was not publicly disclosed until July 11, when the cause of his death was still under investigation. His sister Rebecca said he had suffered from depression, bipolar disorder and a sleep disorder and said he likely died of a heat stroke after falling asleep in his car. On September 13, 2024, the Maricopa County Medical Examiner revealed that Gregory died of both hepatic cirrhosis, with Gregory being revealed to have had a damaged liver, and heat exposure. The death was ruled accidental. Mr. Gregory was only 46.

He starred as Brian Tanner in the 1986-1990 NBC sitcom ALF. The title character, called ALF (an acronym for "Alien Life Form") but whose real name is Gordon Shumway, crash-lands in the garage of the suburban middle-class Tanner family. Brian Tanner is the middlest son of the Tanner family. He is nicknamed 'B' by the rest of the cast. The cast included Paul Fusco (performed and voiced ALF), Max Wright, Anne Scheeden, Liz Sheridan, John LaMotta, Josh Blake, Anne Meara (1987) and Jim J. Bullock (1989-1990).

Gregory appeared as an orphan named Dash in two episodes of Punky Brewster. The final episode in Season 1, titled "Fenster Hall" (aired March 31, 1985), was a failed attempt to create a spin-off of Punky Brewster.

He played Brian in a 1991 episode of Murphy Brown. Some of his other television guest appearances included The A-Team, T.J. Hooker, Amazing Stories and The Twilight Zone (1985). Some of his voice credits included Pound Puppies, Fantastic Max and Back to the Future: The Animated Series (as Biff Tannen Jr.).

He played Harry Carlson, Jr. in Jumpin' Jack Flash (1986). He supplied the voice of Edgar the Mole in the animated feature Once Upon a Forest (1993), which would be his final acting role.

Mr. Gregory was a good child actor. After leaving the acting industry, he served a stint in the U.S. Navy after graduating from school. He enlisted in 2003 and became an aerographer's mate. During his naval career he was assigned to the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70). In 2005, he received an honorable medical discharge from the Navy. We thank him for his work on television and in films and for his service in the Navy. He will be sorely missed.

We also remember television executive Jamie Kellner. He was a founding president of Fox Broadcasting and founded The WB network. He died from cancer on June 21 in Montecito, California. Mr. Kellner was 74.

Kellner was present at the establishment of the Fox Broadcasting Company and held the position as chairman of 20th Century Fox Television from 1986 to 1993. Among the shows that emerged during his seven years at Fox were The Simpsons, Married... with Children, Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990-2000), Melrose Place and In Living Color.

He then spent seven years at the helm of The WB Television Network. He helped launch the new broadcast network in 1994. During his tenure, he began by championing urban sitcoms such as The Wayans Bros., The Parent 'Hood and Sister, Sister, but eventually steered the network in the direction of teen and family-oriented dramas. 7th Heaven, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gilmore Girls, Dawson's Creek, Felicity and Charmed all premiered during his presidency.

Kellner was made head of Turner Broadcasting System in 2000, officially succeeding Ted Turner in March 2001. He was chairman and CEO of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a division of Time Warner which includes TBS, TNT, and Cartoon Network from 2001 to 2003. He was the chairman of station ownership group ACME Communications, a post held from the company's founding until its folding in 2016.

We thank him for the television shows be brought us at Fox, The WB and Turner. He will be missed.

Television producer and screenwriter Jonathan Axelrod worked on Dave's World. He died in Los Angeles on June 13. Mr. Axelrod was 74.

He was executive producer on the 1993-1997 CBS sitcom Dave's World. The series is based on the writing of Miami Herald columnist Dave Barry. The show focuses on the daily trials and tribulations of columnist Dave Barry (Harry Anderson) and his wife, Beth (DeLane Matthews), along with their sons, Tommy (Zane Carney) and Willie (Andrew Ducote).

Some of his other sitcom producing credits included Can't Hurry Love, Brother's Keeper, Movie Stars and Some of My Best Friends. He was one of the writers of the 1972 comedy film Every Little Crook and Nanny.

We thank him for his work on Dave's World and other sitcoms. He will be missed.

Actress Susan Buckner starred as Lucy Davis in When the Whistle Blows. She died on May 2 in Miami, Florida. Ms. Buckner was 72.

Buckner starred as Lucy Davis in the short-lived 1980 ABC sitcom When the Whistle Blows. The series revolves around a group of construction workers – four males (Norm, Buzz, Randy and Hunk) and one female (Lucy) – for the "Tri-State Construction Company" in Los Angeles and their search for fun both on and off the job. It was filmed single-camera style and without a laugh track. The cast included Doug Brown, Philip Brown, Tim Rossovich, Dolph Sweet, Alice Hirson, Gary Allen, Noble Willingham and Sue Ane Langdon.

She appeared as one of The Krofftettes who performed synchronised swimming routines on the 1976-1997 ABC variety show The Brady Bunch Hour.

Buckner played Kim Patterson in a 1979 episode of The Love Boat. Some of her other television guest appearances included Police Woman, Switch, Starsky & Hutch, The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries (3 episodes) and B.J. and the Bear.

She portrayed high school cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 summer blockbuster Grease, starring Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta. She starred as Vicky Anderson in the 1981 slasher film Deadly Blessing.

Ms. Buckner was crowned Miss Washington in 1971 and in September went on to become a top ten finalist in the Miss America 1972 pageant. We thank her for her work on television and in films. She will be deeply missed.

Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 12:00 PM

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Labels: 9-1-1, Abbott Elementary, ABC, ALF, Clueless, Dancing with the Stars, Day by Day, Grey's Anatomy, Jeopardy, Knots Landing, Obits, Press Your Luck, The Bachelor, The Conners, The Rookie, Wheel of Fortune, Will Trent