Monday, July 01, 2024
Remembering Martin Mull of Roseanne, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and More; Will Forte Joins Netflix's Upcoming Comedy The Four Seasons
Actor and musician Martin Mull, who starred on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (1976-1977), Fernwood 2 Night, Roseanne and Sabrina the Teenage Witch, has died. He died at his Los Angeles home on June 27 after a valiant fight against a long illness. Mr. Mull was 80.
Mull's first well-known acting role was as Garth Gimble on the 1976-1977 absurdist soap opera Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. The syndicated series follows the eponymous Mary Hartman, a small-town Ohio housewife attempting to cope with various bizarre and sometimes violent incidents occurring in her daily life. Garth Kimble is a wife-beater, who died by being impaled by a star on an aluminum Christmas tree.
He later played Garth's twin brother, talk show host Barth Gimble, on Fernwood 2 Night in 1977 and America 2-Night in 1978. The program was created by Norman Lear and produced by Alan Thicke as a spin-off and summer replacement for Lear's satirical soap opera Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. The show was hosted by Barth Gimble and sidekick–announcer Jerry Hubbard (Fred Willard). Dour bandleader Happy Kyne (Frank De Vol) and the Mirth Makers were the show's stage band and featured Tommy Tedesco as a guitarist.
Mulll starred as Martin Crane on the short-lived 1984 CBS sitcom Domestic Life, which he created with Steve Martin, Howard Gerwirtz and Ian Praiser. Martin served as the executive producer. Martin Crane moved to Seattle to take a commentator job at KMRT-TV. His spot on the station's evening news was called "Domestic Life". Mull performed the opening theme song "God Bless the Domestic Life". The cast included Judith-Marie Bergan, Christian Brackett-Zika, Megan Follows, Robert Ridgely, Mie Hunt, Hoyt Axton and J. Alan Thomas.
In 1990, he starred as Dr. Doug Lambert on the short-lived CBS sitcom His & Hers. Doug and Dr. Regina "Reggie" Hewitt (Stephanie Faracy) were newly married marriage counselors who often seemed better at giving good advice to their clients than of taking it themselves. The cast included Blake Soper, Lisa Picotte, Richard Kline, Blair Tefkin, Jim Doughan and Jane Morris.
He had a long-running role as Leon Carp in 46 episodes of the ABC sitcom Roseanne from 1991 to 1997. Leon Carp is originally Roseanne Conner's (Roseanne Barr) gay boss at Rodbell's Luncheonette and later her business partner in The Lanford Lunchbox. Mull also served as executive consultant for season four. He co-wrote the season four episode "Tolerate Thy Neighbor" in 1991.
Mull starred as Doug Talbot on the 1992-1993 ABC sitcom The Jackie Thomas Show. As Jackie Thomas, Tom Arnold played a former nightclub comic and slaughterhouse worker now starring in his own sitcom (a show-within-a-show), also called "The Jackie Thomas Show". Doug Talbot is a network executive. The cast included Dennis Boutsikaris, Alison La Placa, Breckin Meyer, Michael Boatman, Paul Feig, Maryedith Burrell, Jeannetta Arnette and Ann Cusack.
Mull played Willard Kraft in 39 episodes of the ABC sitcom Sabrina the Teenage Witch from 1997 to 2000. Willard Kraft is Sabrina Spellman's (Melissa Joan Hart) vice principal at Westbridge High school in seasons two and three and then becoming her high school's principal in season four. He left the series after Sabrina graduated from high school at the end of season four.
He starred as Mr. Munn on the 2001-2002 CBS sitcom The Ellen Show. Mr. Munn is Ellen Richmond's (Ellen DeGeneres) former befuddled high school teacher and now the principal of Clark High School who gives her a job a school guidance counselor. It also starred Cloris Leachman, Jim Gaffigan, Emily Rutherford, Kerri Kenney and Diane Delano (recurring).
Mull starred as Crawford Whittemore on the 2013-2014 Fox sitcom Dads. The series follows Warner Whittemore (Giovanni Ribisi) and Eli Sachs (Seth Green), two successful video game developers whose lives are unexpectedly changed when their respective fathers move in with them. Crawford Whittemore is portrayed as a failed businessman, but continues to try to launch his career. The cast included Peter Riegert, Brenda Song, Vanessa Lachey and Tonita Castro.
He starred as Charlie on the 2018-2019 Fox sitcom The Cool Kids. The series follows three male residents of a retirement community who are forced to adapt to the arrival of a new, rebellious female occupant. It also starred David Alan Grier, Leslie Jordan and Vicki Lawrence. Recurring cast members included Jamie Farr, Artemis Pebdani, Lesley Ann Warren, Jere Burns, Rod McCrary and Punam Patel.
Mull portrayed Gene Parmesan, a private investigator, in six episodes of Arrested Development from 2004 to 2019. He had a recurring role as Mr. White / Whitey in 12 episodes of 'Til Death in 2000. He appeared as Russell, Charlie's self-medicating pharmacist, in six episodes of Two and a Half Men from 2008 to 2013. In 2016, he appeared as Bob Bradley in 4 episodes of Veep. He received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for the role. He played Martin in 7 episodes of I'm Sorry from 2017 to 2019. He appeared as Jerry, Maggie's (Debra Winger) sometimes acid-tripping attorney, in 13 episodes of The Ranch from 2016 to 2020.
Some of his other sitcom guest appearances in the 1980s and 1990s included Taxi, Square Pegs, Fast Times, D.C. Follies, It's Garry Shandling's Show (4 episodes), The Golden Girls, Get a Life, Dream On, Parker Lewis Can't Lose, The Larry Sanders Show (2 episodes), Life... and Stuff, Over the Top and The Nanny.
Some of his later sitcom guest appearances included Just Shoot Me!, The Geena Davis Show, Kristin, Less Than Perfect, Greetings from Tucson, Reba, Life with Bonnie (3 episodes), Half & Half, Reno 911!, Crumbs, The War at Home (3 episodes), Gary Unmarried (2 episodes), My Boys (2 episodes), Working Class, Mad Love, Community (2 episodes), Life in Pieces (4 episodes), Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Bless This Mess, Grace and Frankie, Maggie (2022), Not Dead Yet (3 episodes) and The Afterparty (2 episodes).
Mull provided the voice of Skip Binsford in the short-lived 1993 CBS animated sitcom Family Dog, which was executive produced by Steven Spielberg and Tim Burton. The series was based on a 1987 episode of Amazing Stories. It was about an average suburban family, the Binsfords, as told through the eyes of their Bull Terrier dog named Jonah. The voice cast included Molly Cheek, Danny Mann, Zak Huxtable Epstein and Cassie Cole.
He provided the voice of Vlad Masters / Vlad Plasmius, the main villain, in Danny Phantom from 2004 to 2007. Some of his other voice credits included The Simpsons, Family Guy, Teamo Supremo, American Dad! (10 episodes as Father Donovan) and Bob's Burgers. He starred in a series of commercials for Michelob and Pizza Hut, and in a series of television and radio commercials for Red Roof Inn with Fred Willard.
Mull starred as Colonel Mustard, an army officer guilty of war profiteering, in the 1985 black comedy mystery film Clue. Some of his other film credits included FM (1978), Serial (1980), My Bodyguard (1980), Take This Job and Shove It (1981) and Mr. Mom (1983).
Mr. Mull was a man of many talents as an actor, musician and painter. He was just naturally funny. He and his frequent collaborator Fred Willard were a great comedy duo. We thank him for the many laughs and entertainment that he brought us during his legendary career. He will be greatly missed.
Netflix announced that Will Forte is the latest addition to check into The Four Seasons, an all-new comedy series adaptation from Tina Fey, Lang Fisher and Tracey Wigfield. Forte (Bodkin, Last Man on Earth, Sweet Tooth) joins previously announced cast members Fey, Steve Carell, Colman Domingo, Kerri Kenney-Silver and Erika Henningsen. The series, produced by Universal Television, is based on the 1981 feature film of the same name from Universal Pictures that was written and directed by Alan Alda, produced by Martin Bregman, and starred Alda and Carol Burnett. The Four Seasons is slated to begin production later this year. The comedy is executive produced by Tina Fey, Lang Fisher, Tracey Wigfield, David Miner, Eric Gurian and Jeff Richmond. Alan Alda and Marissa Bregman will produce. The series is written by Fey, Fisher and Wigfield. Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, is the producing studio. Little Stranger, Inc. is the production company.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Saturday, December 21
none scheduled
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 16)
Friday, December 20
- Jason Bateman (Arrested Development/George and Leo/Chicago Sons/Simon/The Hogan Family/It's Your Move/Silver Spoons) - Watch Jason on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Sharon Horgan (Bad Sisters/HouseBroken/Catastrophe) - Sharon is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Dwayne Johnson (Young Rock) - Dwayne appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Colton Dunn (Superstore) and Diona Reasonover (Clipped) - Colton and Diona are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Zachary Quinto (Big Mouth/So Notorious) - NBC's Today catches up with Zachary in the 9am hour.
- Billy Eichner (Friends from College/Difficult People/Parks and Recreation) - Billy talks about Mufasa: The Lion King on NBC's Today in the 10am hour. He can also be heard on The Morning Mash Up on SiriusXM.
- Kerry Washington (UnPrisoned) - Kerry talks about The Six Triple Eight on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am and on Sherri, so check your local listings.
- James Marsden (30 Rock) and Ben Schwartz (The Afterparty/Space Force/Parks and Recreation) - James and Ben talk about Sonic the Hedgehog 3 on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Jamie Lee Curtis (The Sticky/Anything But Love/Operation Petticoat) - Jamie Lee chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Whitney Cummings (Whitney) - Whitney talks about Max's Fast Friends on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
- Henry Winkler (Barry/Arrested Development/Out of Practice/Monty/Happy Days) - Access Daily with Mario & Kit has the best of Henry and Kit Hoover, so check your local listings.
- Howie Mandel (Good Grief) - The Talk celebrates 15 seasons with a special finale episode; friend of the show Howie Mandel makes his 21st appearance on the show when he stops by one last time with a surprise for the hosts on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
09/10 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-7
09/10 - The Ropers - The Complete Series (VEI)
09/10 - Ted - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/17 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - Video Scrapbook
09/17 - Top Cat - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
09/24 - Friends - The Complete Series (4K UHD)
09/24 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Seventh Season (DVD) / The Complete Series (DVD) (Blu-ray)
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)
02/04 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
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