Tuesday, December 31, 2024
In Memoriam: Remembering the Sitcom Stars We Lost in 2024
Today we remember the sitcom actors, actresses, producers, directors, writers, composers, theme song singers, and other crew members who died in 2024. We lost stars from ALF, Alice, Anything But Love, The Bob Newhart Show, Day by Day, Dharma & Greg, Good Times, The Honeymooners, Newhart, Roseanne, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and many more who are greatly missed. We thank them for the laughter and entertainment they brought us over the years.
Names are listed in alphabetical order by surname. Visit the IMDB and Wikipedia links for a full listing of their credits and other biographical information. View video interviews at The Interviews: An Oral History of Television links.
John Amos (IMDB/Wikipedia/The Interviews)
Actor John Amos starred as James Evans Sr. in Good Times. He died of congestive heart failure at Centinela Hospital Medical Center in Inglewood, California, on August 21, 2024. Mr. Amos was 84.
Amos's first major TV role was as Gordon "Gordy" Howard in 13 episodes of the CBS sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show from 1970 to 1977. Gordy is the weatherman on the nightly WJM-TV newscast. In 1973, Gordy leaves WJM, and eventually lands a job as host of a New York City talk show.
He appeared as Henry Evans, Florida's (Esther Rolle) husband in three episodes of the CBS sitcom Maude from 1973 to 1974. In the second season episode titled "Florida's Goodbye", Henry gets a promotion at his job, and Florida quits to become a full-time housewife.
Amos starred as James Evans Sr., the husband of Florida Evans, in the CBS sitcom Good Times from 1974 to 1976. Florida and James Evans and their three children live at 721 North Gilbert Avenue, apartment 17C, in a public housing project in a poor, black neighborhood in inner-city Chicago. Throughout seasons two and three, Rolle and Amos grew increasingly disillusioned with the direction of the show and especially with J.J.'s tomfoolery and stereotypically buffoonish behavior. Amos was fired after season three due to disagreements with Norman Lear and the writing staff, which, according to Amos, were often confrontational and heated. The cast for the first three seasons included Jimmie Walker, Ja'Net DuBois, Ralph Carter and Bern Nadette Stanis.
He starred as Ernie Cumberbatch in the short-lived 1994 CBS sitcom 704 Hauser, which was created by Norman Lear. The series is built around the concept of a black family, the Cumberbatch Family, moving into the former Queens home of Archie Bunker after Bunker had sold the house located at 704 Hauser Street. It also starred Lynnie Godfrey, T.E. Russell and Maura Tierney.
Amos starred as Joe Anderson in the 2003-2004 The WB sitcom All About the Andersons. Anthony Anderson is a single father and struggling actor who moves back into his parents' house only to find that his room has been rented out to a nursing student. The series also starred Damani Roberts, Roz Ryan, Aimee Garcia and Lou Meyers (2003).
He had a recurring role as Coach Sam Wilson in 12 episodes of the NBC/UPN sitcom In the House from 1995 to 1997. Some of his sitcom guest appearances included The Bill Cosby Show, Love, American Style (2 episodes), The New Dick Van Dyke Show, Sanford and Son, The Love Boat, The Cosby Show, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (3 episodes as Fred Wilkes), Martin, King of the Hill (voice), My Name Is Earl, Two and a Half Men (3 episodes as Ed), 30 Rock, The Ranch (4 episodes as Ed Bishop), Ballers (2 episodes), The Last O.G., The Righteous Gemstones. He appeared as Fred Davis in the Good Times episode of Live in Front of a Studio Audience in 2019.
Amos starred as Officer Bill Bundy in the short-lived 1976-1977 ABC crime drama science fiction series Future Cop. In 1977, he starred as the adult Kunta Kinte in the ABC miniseries Roots. He received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor for a Single Appearance in a Drama or Comedy Series for the role. He starred as Captain Dolan in the first season of Hunter. He had a recurring role as Mayor Ethan Baker in the first season (2000-2001) of police crime drama The District. He starred as Buzz Washington in the 2006-2008 ABC romantic comedy-drama Men in Trees. He had a recurring role as Admiral Percy Fitzwallace in 22 episodes of The West Wing from 1999 to 2004.
Some of his other television guest appearances included Police Story, Here's Boomer, The A-Team, Hardcastle and McCormick, Trapper John, M.D. (1984), Murder, She Wrote (1987), Beauty and the Beast (1988), Touched by an Angel, Walker, Texas Ranger (1997), The Outer Limits (2000), Psych, Royal Pains, Lie to Me and NYC 22.
He starred as Cleo McDowell in Coming to America (1988) and Coming to America 2 (2021). Some of his other film credits included The Beastmaster (1982), American Flyers (1985), Lock Up (1989), Die Hard 2 (1990) and Ricochet (1991).
Actor John Aprea starred as Joseph Montefusco in The Montefuscos and had a recurring role as Nick Katsopolis in Full House. He died of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles on August 5, 2024. Mr. Aprea was 83.
Aprea starred as Joseph Montefusco in the short-lived 1975 NBC sitcom The Montefuscos. Created by executive producers Bill Persky and Sam Denoff, the comedy centered on three generations of an Italian-American family that lived in New Canaan, Connecticut and their weekly gatherings for Sunday dinner. The series also starred Joe Sirola, Naommi Stevens, Ron Carey, Phoebe Dorin, Linda Dano, Bill Cort, Sal Viscuso, Jeffrey Palladini, Robby Paris, Dominique Pinassi and Damon Raskin.
He had a recurring role as Nick Katsopolis in seven episodes of the ABC sitcom Full House from 1988 to 1991. Nick Katsopolis is the father of Jesse (John Stamos). He reprised the role in a 2017 episode of Netflix's Fuller House.
Some of his sitcom guest appearances included That Girl, Three's a Crowd, Night Court (1989) and Saved by the Bell: The New Class.
Aprea starred as Lt. Vince Novelli in Matt Houston from 1982 to 1984. He had a recurring role as recurring role as Sheriff Jack North in Falcon Crest in 1987. He had a recurring role as Manny Vasquez in 12 episodes of Knots Landing in 1987. He played Lucas Castigliano in Another World from 1989 to 1992 and Alexander Nikos from 1997 to 1998. In 2007, he starred as Lionel Wakefield in the MyNetworkTV telenovela American Heiress.
He starred young Salvatore Tessio in The Godfather Part II (1974). Some of his other film credits included Bullitt (1968), The Stepford Wives (1975), New Jack City (1991), The Game (1997) and The Manchurian Candidate (2004).
Actress and comedian Erica Ash starred in the final season of Mad TV and played M-Chuck Calloway in Survivor's Remorse. She died from breast cancer in Los Angeles, California, on July 28, 2024. Ms. Ash was only 46.
Ash was a cast member in the first two seasons (2006-2008) of the Logo sketch comedy program The Big Gay Sketch Show. One of her characters included LaTanya, an uncouth, loudmouthed fitness instructor who teaches classes with a "Chicago-style" twist (i.e. Chicago-style yoga, Chicago-style pilates).
She joined the cast of the Fox sketch comedy series Mad TV (stylized as MADtv) in 2008 as a feature performer for the 14th and final season, along with Matt Braunger, Eric Price, and Lauren Pritchard. Her impressions included Naomi Campbell, Whoopi Goldberg, Mo'Nique, Lisa Leslie, Raven-Symoné, and Michelle Obama.
Ash had a recurring role as Bridgette Hart, Kevin Hart's ex-wife, in the 2013-2016 BET reality television parody series Real Husbands of Hollywood. The series was co-created by comedian Kevin Hart, and follows the daily lives of him and other married celebrities, each playing a fictionalized version of themselves, as they venture through their surreal life in Hollywood.
She starred as Mary Charles "M-Chuck" Calloway in the 2014-2017 Starz comedy-drama Survivor's Remorse, which was created by Mike O'Malley and produced by LeBron James. The plot centers around the lives of Cam Calloway (Jessie T. Usher) and his family after he signs a pro-basketball contract and moves his family to Atlanta. M-Chuck is Cam's half-sister. The series also starred RonReaco Lee, Teyonah Parris, Tichina Arnold, and Mike Epps (Seasons 1-2).
Ash appeared as Grace, Moz and Daniel's younger sister, in three episodes of the Netflix sitcom Family Reunion from 2019 to 2021. She guest starred as Lydia in a 2024 episode of the NBC sitcom Extended Family. She provided the voice of Julie Vous Coucher for a 2020 episode of the Fox animated sitcom Bless the Harts.
In 2018, she starred as Gwendolyn "Gwen" Sullivan, a public defender, in the BET legal drama In Contempt. Some of her other television guest appearances included Cold Case, Shades of Blue (3 episodes), Legacies (4 episodes), and Sacrifice.
Ash starred as Kendra Brooks in Scary Movie 5 (2013). Some of her other film credits included Jean of the Joneses (2016), Uncle Drew (2018), We Have a Ghost (2023), and Outlaw Johnny Black (2023).
Actor John Ashton starred as Roy in Breaking Away. He died from cancer on September 26, 2024, in Fort Collins, Colorado. Mr. Ashton was 76.
Ashton starred as Roy, Mike's older brother, in the 1979 American coming of age comedy-drama film Breaking Away. He reprised the role in the short-lived 1980-1981 ABC comedy-drama, which was based on the film. The series starred Shaun Cassidy, Vincent Gardenia, Barbara Barrie, Jackie Earle Haley, Thom Bray and Tom Wiggin.
Some of his sitcom guest appearances included Phyllis, M*A*S*H, Carter Country, Police Squad!, Brothers and King of the Hill (voice).
He had a recurring role as Willie Joe Garr in six episodes of Dallas from 1978 to 1979. He starred as Charlie "C.B." Battles in the 1989-1990 NBC crime drama Hardball.
Some of his other television guest appearances included Kojak, Emergency!, Columbo, Police Story, Barnaby Jones, Police Woman, Starsky & Hutch, The A-Team, The Twilight Zone (1985), Hardcastle and McCormick, JAG, Fantasy Island (1999), Judging Amy, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Fairly Legal and The Finder.
Ashton starred as Detective Sergeant John Taggart in the first two installments of the Beverly Hills Cop series, alongside Eddie Murphy and Judge Reinhold. He appeared as Chief John Taggart in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024). Some of his other film credits included Some Kind of Wonderful (1987), She's Having a Baby (1988), Midnight Run (1989), Little Big League (1994) and Trouble in Paradise (1984).
Jonathan Axelrod (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Television producer and screenwriter Jonathan Axelrod worked on Dave's World. He died in Los Angeles, California, on June 13, 2024. 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.
Betty A. Bridges (IMDB)
Actress, manager and acting coach Betty A. Bridges guest starred in many sitcoms during her 40-year career. She died on August 27, 2024, in Phoenix, Arizona. Ms. Bridges was 83.
Some of her sitcom guest appearances included Good Times, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (3 episodes), What's Happening!! (2 episodes), Archie Bunker's Place, The Bad News Bears, Sanford, Diff'rent Strokes (2 episodes), Out All Night, Sister, Sister (1996), Payne, Scrubs and 2 Broke Girls.
She was the mother of actors Jimmy, Verda and Todd Bridges (Diff'rent Strokes).
Mark Blankfield (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Actor and comedian Mark Blankfield starred in The Nutt House and Good & Evil. He died on March 20, 2024. Mr. Blankfield was 73.
Blankfield starred as Freddy in the short-lived 1989 NBC sitcom The Nutt House. The series also starred Harvey Korman, Cloris Leachman, Brian McNamara, Molly Hagan and Gregory Itzin.
He starred as George in the short-lived 1991 ABC sitcom Good & Evil. The series also starred Teri Garr, Margaret Whitton, Lane Davies, Mary Gillis, Seth Green, Sherman Howard, Lane Smith, Brooke Theiss, Marius Weyers and William Shockley.
Some of his sitcom guest appearances included Taxi, New Love, American Style (1985), Night Court, Sledge Hammer! (3 episodes), Charles in Charge, ALF, It's Garry Shandling's Show, What a Dummy, Saved by the Bell (2 episodes), The John Larroquette Show, Getting By, Saved by the Bell: The New Class (2 episodes), Double Rush, Coach, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper (2 episodes), The Jamie Foxx Show, Sabrina the Teenage Witch (2 episodes) and Arrested Development.
He was best known as a regular cast member of the 1980-1982 ABC late-night live comedy show Fridays.
Actor Kevin Brophy starred as the title character in the 1977-1978 ABC drama Lucan. He died on May 11, 2024, at his home in Rancho Santa Fe, California, following a 10 year battle with stage IV cancer. Mr. Brophy was 70.
Brophy starred as Lucan in the 1977-1978 ABC drama Lucan. The series follows a 20-year-old man who spent the first 10 years of his life running wild in the forests of northern Minnesota, after being raised by wolves, Lucan is taken to a research institute and taught the ways of human society. The series also starred Don Gordon and John Randolph.
He appeared as Roberts in the M*A*S*H season 8 episode "Life Time" in 1979. Some of his other sitcom guest appearances included The Love Boat, AfterMASH, New Love American Style, Growing Pains (2 episodes) and Just the Ten of Us.
He played Tony Yeager in the short-lived (2 episodes) 1980 ABC drama The Yeagers, which starred Andy Griffith. Some of his other television guest appearances included The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, (2 episodes), Strike Force, Trapper John, M.D. (3 episodes), Matt Houston (2 episodes), Partners in Crime, Finder of Lost Loves, Zorro (1992), Civil Wars and JAG.
He starred as Peter Bennett in the 1981 supernatural slasher film Hell Night. Illinois-based Ray Fulk, a man who died in July 2012 at the age of 71, bequeathed half of his $1 million estate to the actor in his will, the other half going to his former Hell Night castmate and The Young and the Restless star Peter Barton, despite never meeting them. Fulk, who had no family of his own, was a fan of both actors. The story was featured in a 2015 episode of the Fox Business Network docu-series Strange Inheritance.
Brophy later worked as a valet who parked cars at the Hotel Bel-Air between 1983 and 2009.
Susan Buckner (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Actress Susan Buckner starred as Lucy Davis in When the Whistle Blows. She died on May 2, 2024, 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.
Buckner was crowned Miss Washington in 1971 and in September went on to become a top ten finalist in the Miss America 1972 pageant.
Mexican actor Adan Canto starred as Dominic in Mixology. He died of appendiceal cancer in Los Angeles, California, January 8, 2024. Mr. Canto was only 42.
Canto starred as Dominic in the short-lived 2014 ABC sitcom Mixology. Dominic is a dark and mysterious bartender. The series also starred Adam Campbell, Alexis Carra, Andrew Santino, Blake Lee, Craig Frank, Frankie Shaw, Ginger Gonzaga, Kate Simses and Vanessa Lengies.
He starred as Paul Torres in the 2013 Fox drama The Following. He played A.J. Menendez in the 2015 ABC prime time soap opera Blood & Oil. He starred as Aaron Shore in the 2016-2019 ABC/Netflix political thriller Designated Survivor. He starred as Arman Morales on the Fox drama The Cleaning Lady for the first two seasons (2022-2024).
Actor Terry Carter starred as Pvt. Sugie Sugarman in The Phil Silvers Show. He died in New York City on April 23, 2024. Mr. Cater was 95.
His first breakthrough screen role was as the sole black regular cast member of The Phil Silvers Show (Sergeant Bilko), appearing as Pvt. Sugie Sugarman in 91 episodes between 1955 and 1959 -- becoming one of the first black actors appearing regularly on an American television program.
Some of his sitcom guest appearances included That Girl, Julia (3 episodes), The Cop and the Kid (2 episodes), The Jeffersons, Mr. Belvedere and 227.
He starred as Colonel Tigh in the original Battlestar Galactica from 1978 to 1979. He starred as Sgt. Joe Broadhurst in McCloud.
Actor Bill Cobbs starred in The Slap Maxwell Story, The Gregory Hines Show and The Michael Richards Show. He died at his home in Upland, California, on June 25, 2024. Mr. Cobbs was 90.
Cobbs starred as The Dutchman in the 1987-1988 ABC sitcom The Slap Maxwell Story. "Slap" Maxwell (Dabney Coleman) is an egocentric sportswriter for a newspaper called The Ledger, somewhere in the American Southwest. The Dutchman is the friendly bartender at the local tavern. The series also starred Megan Gallagher, Susan Anspach, Brian Smiar and Bill Calvert.
He starred as Phil Drexler in the short-lived 1989 ABC sitcom Homeroom. The series follows Darryl Harper (Darryl Sivad), a highly paid advertising copywriter who decides to quit his job to teach underprivileged kids at P.S. 391, an inner city school in New York City. Darryl's wife Virginia (Penny Johnson) supports his choice but Virginia's father, Phil Drexler does not. The cast included Claude Brooks, Trent Cameron, Jahary Bennett, Billy Dee Willis, Daphne Lyn Jones and Tritia Setoguchi.
Cobbs starred as James Stevenson in the 1997-1998 CBS sitcom The Gregory Hines Show. The series starred Gregory Hines as Ben Stevenson, a publishing agent and widower raising 12-year-old son Matty (Brandon Hammond). He receives advice from his father James. The series also starred Wendell Pierce, Mark Tymchyshyn, Robin Riker and Judith Shelton.
He starred as Jack in short-lived 2000 NBC sitcom The Michael Richards Show. The show revolved around Vic Nardozza (Michael Richards), an inept and clumsy private investigator working for McKay Investigative Services. Grumpy old pro Jack sparred with Kevin Blakely (Tim Meadows) constantly at the office. The cast included William Devane and Amy Farrington.
Cobbs had a recurring role as Tony in 9 episodes of the ABC sitcom The Drew Carey Show from 2002 to 2004. Tony the bus driver served as the smart-alecky "bartender" type to whom Drew could tell his problems.
He had a recurring role as George in 10 episodes of the 2012-2013 NBC sitcom Go On. George is a blind grief-support-group member. The cast included Matthew Perry, Laura Benanti, Julie White, Suzy Nakamura, Tyler James Williams, Brett Gelman, Sarah Baker and John Cho.
Some of his sitcom guest appearances included Good Times, Baby... I'm Back! (2 episodes), Kate & Allie (2 episodes), Designing Women, Married People, True Colors, Coach, Empty Nest, The Wayans Bros., For Your Love (2 episodes), The Fighting Fitzgeralds, My Wife and Kids (2 episodes), Yes, Dear (2 episodes), Back in the Game, The Carmichael Show and Superior Donuts.
Cobbs had a recurring role as Lewis Coleman in 13 episodes of the 1991-1993 NBC legal drama I'll Fly Away. He starred as Elmer Greentree in the 2000 NBC science fiction series The Others. In 2020, he won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Performance in a Daytime Program for his role as Mr. Hendrickson on Dino Dana.
Some of his other television guest appearances included The Equalizer (1985), Spenser: For Hire, L.A. Law, Gabriel's Fire, The Trials of Rosie O'Neill, Northern Exposure, ER (1996), NYPD Blue (2 episodes), Walker, Texas Ranger (1997), L.A. Doctors, The Outer Limits (2 episodes in 1997 and 1999), The Sopranos, The Practice, Touched by an Angel, Six Feet Under, The West Wing, The Division, JAG (4 episodes), Soul Food, Star Trek: Enterprise, One Tree Hill, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2020). He had a recurring role as Judge Rutchland on Rake in 2014. He appeared in 4 episodes of Greenleaf from 2016 to 2017.
He starred as Moses in The Hudsucker Proxy (1994). He played Coach Arthur Chaney in Air Bud (1997). Some of his other film credits included The Hitter (1979) The Brother from Another Planet (1984), The Bodguard (1992), Night at the Museum (2006), Oz the Great and Powerful (2013) and Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014).
Television writer and producer Sherry Coben was the creator of Kate & Allie. She died from cancer at her home in New Milford, New Jersey, on October 16, 2024. Ms. Coben was 71.
Coben created the 1984-1989 CBS sitcom Kate & Allie. The series stars Susan Saint James and Jane Curtin as two divorced mothers who decide to live together and raise their children in the same home. Curtin won two consecutive Emmy Awards for Best Actress in a Comedy Series, while Saint James was nominated in the same category three times. The cast included Ari Meyers, Allison Smith and Frederick Koehler.
She wrote for the ABC soap opera Ryan's Hope from 1980 to 1981. She was a writer and producer of the 1996 CBS Saturday morning children's sitcom Bailey Kipper's P.O.V.. The series starred Michael Galeota, John Achorn, Meg Wittner, Andi Eystad and Joey Zimmerman.
Dabney Coleman (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Emmy-winning actor Dabney Coleman starred as Bill Bittinger in Buffalo Bill and as Slap Maxwell in The Slap Maxwell Story. He died at his home in Santa Monica, California, on May 16, 2024, of cardiac arrest due to dysphagia and heart failure. Mr. Coleman was 92.
Coleman had a recurring role as Dr. Leon Bessemer, a neighbor of Ann Marie (Marlo Thomas) and an obstetrician, in eight episodes of the first season (1966-1967) of the ABC sitcom That Girl. He is the husband of Judy Bessemer (Bonnie Scott), the first person Ann meets as she moves into her new apartment.
He appeared as Merle Jeeter in 148 episodes of the 1976-1977 syndicated satirical soap opera Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. Merle Jeeter is Fernwood's slightly devious mayor and Jimmy Joe's (Sparky Marcus) father. He played Merle Jeeter in two episodes of Fernwood 2 Night in 1977. He appeared as Merle Jeeter in 130 episodes of Forever Fernwood from 1977-1978.
Coleman starred as "Fast Eddie" Murtaugh, a con man husband, in the short-lived 1978 ABC sitcom Apple Pie, which aired for only two episodes. Rue McClanahan starred as Ginger-Nell Hollyhock, a single and lonely hairdresser who lives in Kansas City, Missouri, during the Great Depression year of 1933. The series also starred Jack Gilford, Caitlin O'Heaney and Derrel Maury.
He starred as Bill Bittinger in the 1983-1984 NBC sitcom Buffalo Bill. The series featured the misadventures of egotistical talk show host Bill Bittinger and his staff at WBFL-TV, a small TV station in Buffalo, New York. Coleman received Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for the role in 1983 and 1984. The cast included Joanna Cassidy, Max Wright, John Fielder, Geena Davis, Charles Robinson, Meshach Taylor and Claude Earl Jones.
Coleman starred as Slap Maxwell in the 1987-1988 ABC sitcom The Slap Maxwell Story. "Slap" Maxwell is an egocentric sportswriter for a newspaper called The Ledger, somewhere in the American Southwest. The title character's nickname comes from the fact that someone else always ends up hitting him in every episode. Coleman won a Golden Globe Award in 1987 for Best Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy. The series also starred Megan Gallagher, Susan Anspach, Brian Smiar, Bill Cobbs and Bill Calvert.
He starred as Otis Drexell in the 1991-1992 Fox sitcom Drexell's Class. Otis Drexell is a fifth-grade teacher at fictional Grantwood Elementary School in Cedar Bluffs, Iowa. The cast included Randy Graff, Dakin Matthews, Jason Biggs, Heidi Zeigler, Damian Cagnolatti, Matthew Lawrence, A. J. Langer, Brittany Murphy, Edie McClurg, Cleavant Derricks, Phil Buckman, Jacqueline Donnelly and Matthew Slowik.
Coleman starred as Jack "Madman" Buckner in the 1994-1995 NBC sitcom Madman of the People. Jack "Madman" Buckner is an outspoken newspaper columnist who had written a popular column, Madman of the People, in Your Times magazine for 30 years. The series also starred Concetta Tomei, Cynthia Gibb, John Ales, Craig Bierko and Amy Aquino.
He starred as Bill Rose in the short-lived 2006 CBS sitcom Courting Alex. Jenna Elfman portrays Alex Rose, a successful, single attorney who works with her father Bill at his law firm. The series also starred Hugh Bonneville, Josh Randall, Josh Stamberg and Jillian Bach.
Some of his sitcom guest appearances included Hazel, The Donna Reed Show, Please Don't Eat the Daisies, I Dream of Jeannie (2 episodes), The Flying Nun, Nanny and the Professor, Room 222, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Love Boat, Diff'rent Strokes (2 episodes) and It's Garry Shandling's Show (2 episodes).
He starred as Tyler Cane in the 1986 CBS miniseries Fresno. In 1987, he received an Emmy Award for his role as Martin Costigan in the television film Sworn to Silence. He starred as Burton Fallin in the 2001-2004 CBS legal drama The Guardian. He starred as Commodore Louis Kaestner in seasons 1-2 of Boardwalk Empire. His final role was in 2019 as John Dutton Jr., John Dutton III's (Kevin Costner) dying father, on Yellowstone.
Coleman provided the voice of Principal Peter Prickly on the 1997-2001 animated series Recess and the 2001 animated film Recess: School's Out. Some of his other voice credits included Jumanji (2 episodes) and Pound Puppies (4 episodes).
He starred as Franklin Hart, Jr. in 9 to 5 (1980). He played Ron Carlisle in Tootsie (1982). Some of his other film credits included On Golden Pond (1981), WarGames (1983), Cloak & Dagger (1984), The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984), Short Time (1990), The Beverly Hillbillies (1993), You've Got Mail (1998), Inspector Gadget (1999), Moonlight Mile (2002) and Rules Don't Apply (2016).
Peter Crombie (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Actor Peter Crombie had a recurring role as Crazy Joe Davola in Seinfeld. He died after a brief illness on January 10, 2024, 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).
Charles Cyphers (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Actor Charles Cyphers starred as Hugo Muncy in The Betty White Show and as Al Yaroker in Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher. He died after a brief illness in Tucson, Arizona, on August 4, 2024. Mr. Cyphers was 85.
Cyphers starred as Hugo Muncy in the short-lived 1977-1978 CBS sitcom The Betty White Show. Joyce Whitman (Betty White), a middle-aged actress, lands the lead in a police series titled Undercover Woman, a parody of Police Woman. Hugo Muncy is Joyce's hunky stunt double. The series also starred John Hillerman, Georgia Engel, Caren Kaye, Barney Phillips and Alex Henteloff.
He starred as Al Yaroker in the 1996-1998 The WB sitcom Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher. Mitch Mullany starred as the title character, an aspiring actor who, while waiting for his "big break," met his expenses as a substitute teacher at Gerald R. Ford Middle School. Al Yaroker is tenured shop teacher. The series also starred Portia de Rossi, Clinton Jackson, Ross Malinger (1996-1997), Jonathan Hernandez (1996-1997), Cara DeLizia (1996-1997), Arjay Smith (1996-1997), Kyle Gibson (1996-1997), Stuart Pankin (1996-1997), Sid Newman, Jane Sibbett (1997-1998), Christina Vidal (1997-1998), Giuseppe Andrews (1997-1998), Andrew Levitas (1997-1998), Blake Heron (1997-1998), Malinda Williams (1997-1998) and Donna D'Errico (1998).
Some of his sitcom guest apperances included Phyllis, The Tony Randall Show, Alice, Benson, Night Court, Roc (2 episodes), California Dreams, The George Carlin Show (3 episodes), Seinfeld, The Geroge Wendt Show and Cousin Skeeter.
Some of his other television guest appearances included The F.B.I. (1973), Cannon (2 episodes), The Six Million Dollar Man (3 episodes), The Bionic Woman, Charlie's Angels, Wonder Woman, Barnaby Jones (4 episodes), Starsky & Hutch (3 episodes), Lou Grant, Hart to Hart, The Dukes of Hazard (2 episodes), Airwolf, Matlock, Dallas (2 episodes), Our House, Hill Street Blues (3 episodes), Simon & Simon, China Beach, 21 Jump Street, Lois & Clark: The New Adventues of Superman, seaQuest 2032, ER, JAG, Murder One (4 episodes) and Any Day Now (2 episodes).
He was known for his role as Sheriff Leigh Brackett in John Carpenter's 1978 film Halloween. He reprised the role in the 1981 sequel Halloween II and the 2021 sequel Halloween Kills. Some of his other film credits included Assault on Precinct 13 (1976), The Fog (1980), Escape from New York (1981) and Major League (1989).
Actor, director and singer James Darren starred as Officer James Corrigan in T.J. Hooker. He died from congestive heart failure in his sleep, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, on September 2. Mr. Darren was 88.
Darren starred as Dr. Tony Newman in the 1966-1967 ABC science fiction series The Time Tunnel. He starred as Officer James Corrigan in the 1982-1986 ABC/CBS police drama T.J. Hooker. In 1999, he had a recurring role as Tony Martin in five episodes of Melrose Place. He had a recurring role as holographic crooner and adviser Vic Fontaine in eight episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine from 1998 to 1999.
Some of his sitcom credits included The Donna Reed Show (2 episodes), The Flintstones (voice of Jimmy Darrock), Love, American Style (1971), The Love Boat (2 episodes) and One Day at a Time.
Some of his televison directing credits included T.J. Hooker, The A-Team, Werewolf (7 episodes), Hunter (7 episodes), Raven (4 episodes), Silk Stalkings (3 episodes), Beverly Hills, 90210 (2 episodes), Savannah (4 episodes) and Melrose Place (2 episodes).
During the late 1950s and early 1960s, he had notable starring and supporting roles in films including the youth and beach-culture film Gidget (1959) and its sequels. As a teen pop singer, he sang hit singles including "Goodbye Cruel World" in 1961.
Actress Diane Delano had a recurring role as Bunny Hopstetter in The Ellen Show. She died from cancer at home in Los Angeles, California, on December 13. Ms. Delano was 67.
Delano had a recurring role as Bunny Hopstetter in six episodes of the short-lived 2001-2002 CBS sitcom The Ellen Show. The series starred Ellen DeGeneres, Jim Gaffigan, Emily Rutherfurd, Martin Mull, Kerri Kenney and Cloris Leachman.
Some of her sitcom guest appearances included Growing Pains, Perfect Strangers, Just the Ten of Us, Major Dad, Who's the Boss?, Married with Children, Hearts Afire, Coach, Platypus Man, Pig Sty, Unhappily Ever After, Step by Step (2 episodes), Goode Behavior, The Single Guy, Meego, Dharma & Greg, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Saved by the Bell: The New Class, Zoey 101 (2 episodes), According to Jim, 100 Things to Do Before High School (7 episodes), 2 Broke Girls, Mom and The Upshaws (3 episodes).
She had a recurring role as Sergeant Barbara Semanski in 12 episodes of Northern Exposure from 1991 to 1995. She starred as Roberta "Bobbi" Glass on the 1999-2001 teen comedy-drama Popular.
Shannen Doherty (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Actress Shannen Doherty starred as Brenda Walsh in Beverly Hills, 90210 and as Prue Halliwell in Charmed. She died from cancer at her home in Malibu, California, on July 13, 2024. Ms. Doherty was 53.
Doherty had a recurring role as Jenny Wilder in 18 episodes of the ninth and final season (1982-1983) of the NBC Western historical drama Little House on the Prairie. Almanzo (Dean Butler) and Laura (Melissa Gilbert) take in their niece, Jenny Wilder, when Almanzo's brother dies and raise her alongside their daughter, Rose. She returned in the three post-series movies in 1983 and 1984.
She starred as Kris Witherspoon in the 1986-1988 NBC drama Our House. The series centers on the Witherspoon family and the challenges they face adjusting to life with three generations living in the same house. 15-year-old Kris aimed to become an Air Force test pilot someday. The cast included Wilford Brimley, Deidre Hall, Chad Allen, Keri Houlihan and Gerald S. O'Loughlin.
Doherty starred as Brenda Walsh in the Fox teen drama from 1990 to 1994. The initial premise of the show was based on the adjustment and culture shock that twins Brandon (Jason Priestley) and Brenda Walsh experienced when they and their parents, Jim (James Eckhouse) and Cindy (Carol Potter), moved from Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Beverly Hills, California. Doherty was fired from the series at the end of the fourth season in 1994.
She starred as Prue Halliwell in The WB's fantasy drama Charmed from 1998 to 2001. The series initially focuses on the three Halliwell sisters, Prue, Piper (Holly Marie Combs), and Phoebe (Alyssa Milano) who are witches. Prue is the eldest sister who initially receives the power to move objects with her mind by channelling telekinesis through her eyes. Doherty also directed three episodes during the second and third seasons. She was was allegedly fired by producer Aaron Spelling after the third season after he received an ultimatum from Milano because of their on-set and off-set tensions between them.
Doherty had a recurring role Alexandra Hudson in 11 episodes of the 2004-2005 Fox drama North Shore. Alexandra Hudson is Walter Booth's (Christopher McDonald) supposed illegitimate child by a secretary – thus making her Nicole's (Brooke Burns) half-sister.
She reprised her role as Brenda Walsh in seven episodes of the first season (2008-2009) of The CW's teen drama 90210. She played herself in the short-lived 2009 Fox comedy-drama BH90210. The series focuses on the original cast members of Beverly Hills, 90210 — Jason Priestley, Jennie Garth, Ian Ziering, Gabrielle Carteris, Brian Austin Green, Tori Spelling, and Shannen Doherty — playing heightened, fictionalized versions of themselves. The cast also served as executive producers.
Doherty guest starred with Christina Applegate and Robyn Lively in a 1985 episode of The New Leave it to Beaver. She appeared with other Beverly Hills, 90210 stars in a 1992 episode of Parker Lewis Can't Lose.
She had several attempts at starring in a sitcom. In 1984, she starred with Richard Kline, Shelley Fabares and Dana Kimmell in the CBS pilot episode of His and Hers. In 1997, she was cast with Orlando Jones and William Ragsdale as hip young private investigators in Los Angeles in the Fox sitcom pilot Faster Baby, Kill! It wasn't picked up as a series. In 2005, she starred as Denise Johnson in the unaired pilot of the UPN sitcom Love, Inc.. The series was originally developed as a vehicle and sitcom debut for Doherty under the working title Wingwoman. Though picked up by UPN, Doherty was removed from the project at the request of the network due to her poor reception by preview audiences. She was replaced by Busy Philipps.
Some of her other television guest apperances included Father Murphy (2 episodes), The Phoenix, Voyagers!, Magnum, P.I. (1983), Airwolf, Highway to Heaven, 21 Jump Street, Life Goes On and Heathers (3 episodes). She appeared as a stranded motorist on Riverdale as part of a tribute to Luke Perry, who died in 2019.
She starred as Maggie Malene in the 1985 teen movie comedy Girls Just Want to Have Fun alongside Helen Hunt and Sarah Jessica Parker. She played Heather Duke in the 1988 teen black comedy film Heathers. In 1995, she starred as Rene Mosier in Kevin Smith's buddy comedy film Mallrats. She had a cameo as herself in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001).
Phil Donahue (IMDB/Wikipedia/The Interviews)
Talk show host Phil Donahue was the creator and host of The Phil Donahue Show. He died following a long illness at his home on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City, on August 18, 2024. Mr. Donahue was 88.
The Phil Donahue Show, later known simply as Donahue, was the first popular talk show to feature a format that included audience participation. The show had a 29-year run on national television that began in Dayton, Ohio, in 1967 and ended in New York City in 1996. In 1996, Donahue was ranked No. 42 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time.
Some of his sitcom credits included Blossom, Who's the Boss?, Ellen and Frasier (3 episodes as the voice of Larry). His other television credits included L.A. Law and The Bold and the Beautiful.
Donahue married actress Marlo Thomas (That Girl) on May 21, 1980. He and Thomas did not have any children together.
Emmy-winning writer, producer and consultant Bob Ellison worked on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Wings and Becker. He died at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, on April 8, 2024. Mr. Ellison was 91.
Ellison worked as an executive story editor for 48 episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show from 1975 to 1977. He shared an Emmy Award in 1977 for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series. In 1971, he won his first Emmy Award with Marty Farrell for Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy, Variety or Music for his work on Singer Presents Burt Bacharach.
He worked as an executive or creative consultant on Angie, Amen, Bob, Pearl, Wings, Caroline in the City, The Trouble with Normal, Kristin, Andy Richter Controls the Universe, In-Laws, Becker and It's All Relative.
Some of his sitcom producing credits included The Betty White Show, Rhoda, Angie, Dear John and Thanks. He developed Dear John with Peter Noah.
He was known as an expert joke fixer.
Actor Ron Ely starred as Tarzan in the 1966-1968 NBC series Tarzan. He died at the home of one of his daughters in Los Alamos, California, on September 29, 2024. Mr. Ely was 86.
Ely starred as Mike Madison in the CBS adventure/drama series The Aquanauts in 1961. He was best known for portraying Tarzan in the 1966-1968 NBC adventure series Tarzan. He also directed an episode of the series in 1967. He starred as Mike Nelson in the 1987-1988 syndicated revival of Sea Hunt.
Some of his sitcom guest appearances included Father Knows Best, How to Marry a Millionaire, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (as Dobie's older brother in the Pilot), The Courtship of Eddie's Father and The Love Boat (3 episodes).
He guest starred in five episodes of Fantasy Island from 1979 to 1984. Some of his other television credits included Steve Canyon, The Millionaire, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, Thriller, Ironside, Marcus Welby, M.D. (1974), Wonder Woman, Matt Houston, Hotel, Blacke's Magic, Superboy, Tarzán, The Hat Squad, L.A. Law, Hawkeye, Renegade (2 episodes) and Sheena.
Ely starred as Clark "Doc" Savage Jr. in the 1975 action film Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze.
Actor Art Evans starred as Morgan in 9 to 5. He died of complications from diabetes in Los Angeles, California, on December 21, 2024. Mr. Evans was 82.
Evans starred as Morgan in the first-run syndicated sitcom 9 to 5 from 1986 to 1988. Morgan is the Jamaican-accented mailroom clerk who added to the office camaraderie.
Some of his sitcom guest apperances included Chico and the Man, M*A*S*H, 227, Doogie Howser, M.D. (1990), A Different World (2 episodes), Mad About You (2 episodes), Roc, Family Matters, Dream On, So Little Time, Everybody Hates Chris, The Sarah Silverman Program, Last Man Standing, and Love That Girl! (2014).
He is probably best known for his role as Leslie Barnes in the action film Die Hard 2 (1990) in which he played the chief engineer at Dulles International Airport that helps LAPD detective John McClane, played by Bruce Willis, stop terrorists from crashing planes.
Actor, writer and comedian Joe Flaherty starred in Maniac Mansion, Police Academy: The Series and Freaks and Geeks. He died on April 1, 2024, after a short illness in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Mr. Flaherty was 82.
Flaherty was best known for his work on the Canadian sketch comedy show SCTV from 1976 to 1984. It aired in the U.S. on NBC from 1981 to 1983. He played characters such as Big Jim McBob (of Farm Film Report fame), Count Floyd/Floyd Robertson, and station owner/manager Guy Caballero, SCTV's cheap, tyrannical owner and president who, despite being perfectly ambulatory, uses a wheelchair to earn "respect" (i.e., sympathy) from employees and viewers. Flaherty also served as a writer. The series won two Emmy Awards in 1982 and 1983 for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program.
He starred as Fred Edison in the 1990-1993 The Family Channel sitcom Maniac Mansion. Maniac Mansion centers around the lives of the Edisons, an American family living in a large mansion in the upscale suburban neighborhood of Cedar Springs. The Edisons consist of patriarch Fred, an eccentric scientist and inventor, his level-headed wife Casey (Deborah Theaker), and their children, teenage genius Tina (Kathleen Robertson), prepubescent Ike (Avi Phillips) and precocious toddler Turner (George Buza). Also living in the Edison mansion are Casey's brother Harry Orca (John Hemphill) and his wife Idella Muckle-Orca (Mary Charlotte-Wilcox). Flaherty also wrote six episodes of the series.
Flaherty starred as Commandant Stuart Hefilfinger in the 1997-1998 CTV and first-run syndicated sitcom Police Academy: The Series, which was a spin-off from the Police Academy series of films. Commandant Hefilfinger is similar to Eric Lassard (George Gaynes) and the head of the academy. The cast included Matt Borlenghi, Rod Crawford, Toby Proctor, Jeremiah Birkett, Heather Campbell, Christine Gonzales, Tony Longo, P. J. Ochlan, Michael Winslow and Larke Miller.
He starred as Harold Weir in the 1999-2000 NBC comedy-drama Freaks and Geeks. Harold is the head of the Weir household. He is married to Jean (Becky Ann Baker) and is the father of Lindsay (Linda Cardellini) and Sam (John Francis Daley). He owns and works at A1 Sporting Goods.
Flaherty starred as Dr. Frank Troutner in the short-lived 2001 NBC sitcom Go Fish. Frank Troutner is married to Annie (Molly Cheek) and is the father of Andy "Fish" (Kieran Culkin) and Pete (Will Friedle).
Some of his sitcom guest appearances included King of Kensington, Married... with Children, Morton & Hayes (also a writer), Dinosaurs (voice for 2 episodes), Nurses, Phenom, Hardball (1994), Dream On, The Louie Show, Ellen, Even Stevens, That '70s Show, Maybe It's Me, Frasier, The King of Queens, American Dad! (voice), Family Guy (voice for 3 episodes) and Call Me Fitz.
He appeared as a Western Union postal worker who delivers Doc Brown's 70-year-old letter to Marty McFly in Back to the Future Part II (1989). He starred as Donald the heckler in Happy Gilmore (1996).
Actress Teri Garr starred in Good & Evil, Good Advice and Women of the House. She died from complications of multiple sclerosis at her home in Los Angeles, California, on October 29, 2024. Ms. Garr was 79.
Garr had a recurring role as Amber in four episodes of the 1973-1974 NBC sitcom The Girl with Something Extra. Some of her early sitcom guest appearances included That Girl (2 episodes), The Andy Griffith Show, Mayberry R.F.D., The Mothers-in-Law, Room 222, M*A*S*H, The New Dick Van Dyke Show, The Odd Couple, The Bob Newhart Show (2 episodes as Miss Brennan), Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers and Maude.
She starred as Denise Sandler in the short-lived 1991 ABC sitcom Good & Evil, which was created by Susan Harris. Good & Evil was the saga of two sisters – one "good", the other "evil" – and the backstabbing, jealously and power struggles that occurred between them. Denise Sandler, the evil sister, was heir to her mother Charlotte (Marian Seldes)'s cosmetics empire Sandler Cosmetics. The series also starred Margaret Whitton, Mark Blankfield, Lane Davies, Mary Gillis, Seth Green, Sherman Howard, Lane Smith, Brooke Theiss, Marius Weyers and William Shockley.
Garr starred as Paige Turner in the second season of the 1993-1994 CBS sitcom Good Advice. Dr. Susan DeRuzza (Shelley Long) is a successful marriage therapist and the author of a best-selling book on the subject, Giving and Forgiving. Paige Turner is Susan's flighty, self-centered older sister, who had just moved to Los Angeles and became the new inept receptionist. The cast included Treat Williams, George Wyner, Christopher McDonald (season 1), Peter Onorati (season 2), Ross Malinger, Estelle Harris (season 1), Lightfield Lewis and Henriette Mantel (season 2).
She starred as Sissy Emerson in the short-lived 1995 CBS sitcom Women of the House. The spin-off of Designing Women starred Delta Burke, reprising her role of Suzanne Sugarbaker. Sissy Emerson is Suzanne's press secretary, a washed up reporter who had turned to the bottle a few years earlier, but was starting to clean up her act. The cast included Patricia Heaton, Valerie Mahaffey (episodes 1-4, 7), Julie Hagery (episodes 5-6), Lisa Rieffel (episodes 8-12), Jonathan Banks, Brittany Parkyn and William Newman.
Garr had a recurring role as Phoebe Abbott, the estranged birth mother of Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow), in three episodes of the NBC sitcom Friends from 1997 to 1998. Some of her other sitcom credits included Dream On (2 episodes), Murphy Brown, The Larry Sanders Show, Frasier (voice), Men Behaving Badly, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Life with Bonnie, Greetings from Tucson and Crumbs. She stared as Talon Kensington in the 1986 CBS comedy miniseries Fresno.
She had her breakthrough appearing as secretary Roberta Lincoln in the Star Trek episode "Assignment: Earth" in 1968. Some of her other televison guest appearances included Mr. Novak, Dr. Kildare, Batman, It Takes a Thief (2 episodes), Banyon, Barnaby Jones, McCloud (6 episodes), Tales from the Crypt, ER, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Felicity, Strong Medicine and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Garr was a regular cast member on The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour from 1971 to 1974, dancing and acting in comedy sketches. In 1972, she landed a regular role on The Ken Berry "WOW" Show, a summer replacement variety series. She hosted Saturday Night Live three times in 1980, 1983, and 1985. She was a frequent guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and Late Night with David Letterman.
She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her comedic role as Sandy Lester, an acting student, in Sydney Pollack's romantic comedy Tootsie (1982). Some of her other film credits included The Conversation (1974), Young Frankenstein (1974), Oh, God! (1977), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), The Black Stallion (1979), One from the Heart (1982), Mr. Mom (1983), Firstborn (1984), After Hours (1985), Let It Ride (1989), Mom and Dad Save the World (1992), Dumb and Dumber (1994), Prêt-à-Porter (1994), Michael (1996) and Ghost World (2001).
Eric Gilliland (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Televison producer and writer Eric Gilliland worked on Roseanne, That '70s Show and My Boys. He died from colon cancer on September 1, 2024. Mr. Gilliland was 62.
Gilliand was a writer and producer on Roseanne from 1992 to 1996. He earned Writers Guild of America Award nomination for the show's 1992 episode, “The Dark Ages.”
He was the creator of the short-lived 1998 ABC sitcom That's Life. Some of his other sitcom writing credits included Women in Prison (2 episodes), Live-In, Who's the Boss? (4 episodes), Living Dolls (3 episodes), Married People (2 episodes), The Wonder Years (3 episodes), Doogie Howser, M.D., That '70s Show, My Boys (4 episodes) and Mr. Sunshine (2 episodes).
Some of his other sitcom producing credits included Nurses, That '70s Show (12 episodes), Welcome to New York, My Boys (27 episodes), Mr. Sunshine (4 episodes) and The Conners (2 episodes).
Carol Goldwasser (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Casting director Carol Goldwasser was known for her work on Hannah Montana, Austin & Ally and American Dad!. She died from complications following surgery on December 5, 2024. Ms. Goldwasser was 67.
Some of her other sitcom casting director credits included The Hughleys, Inside Schwartz, Dog with a Blog and Cousins for Life.
Benji Gregory (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Actor Benji Gregory starred as Brian Tanner in ALF. On June 13, 2024, 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, 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.
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.
Actor Ron Harper starred in the sitcoms Wendy and Me and The Jean Arthur Show. He died at his home in West Hills, Los Angeles on March 21, 2024. Mr. Harper was 91.
Harper starred as Jeff Conway in the 1964-1965 ABC sitcom Wendy and Me. Episodes typically revolved around Wendy Conway (Connie Stevens) pulling George Burns (as a somewhat fictionalized version of himself) into comedic situations mostly involving her husband, played by Ron Harper, and other people in the apartment building owned by Burns. The series also starred James T. Callahan, J. Pat O'Malley and Bartlett Robinson.
He starred as Paul Marshall in the short-lived 1966 CBS sitcom The Jean Arthur Show. Paul Marshall is a lawyer who works alongside his mother Patricia Marshall (Jean Arthur). The series also starred Leonard Stone and Richard Conte.
Some of his sitcom guest appearances included Love, American Style (2 episodes), Night Stand with Dick Dietrick (2 episodes), Boy Meets World, Malibu, CA (1999) and Two Guys and a Girl.
Harper starred as Det. Bert Kling in the 1961-1962 police drama 87th Precinct. He starred as Lt. Craig "Warden" Garrison in the 1967-1968 ABC World War II drama Garrison's Gorillas. He starred as Colonel Alan Virdon, the human commander of the crash-landed spaceship from 20th Century Earth, in the 1974 CBS science fiction series Planet of the Apes. In 1976, he starred as Uncle Jack Marshall in the third season (1976) of the NBC children's adventure television series Land of the Lost. Some of his soap opera credits included Another World as Taylor Halloway/Halliway, Loving as Charles Hartman, Capitol as Jarrett Morgan/Baxter McCandless and Generations as Peter Whitmore.
His movie credits included roles in Below Utopia (1997), The Odd Couple II (1998), Freedom Strike (1998), Glass Trap (2005) and The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007).
Reid Harrison (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Television writer and producer Reid Harrison worked on The Simpsons and Men Behaving Badly. He died on January 15, 2024. Mr. Harrison was 65.
Harrison was story editor for The Simpsons and wrote the season eight episode "The Springfield Files" and the season nineteen episode "Papa Don't Leech". He was a supervising producer on the Netflix series Disenchantment.
Some of his sitcom writing credits included Men Behaving Badly, George & Leo (4 episodes), Brother's Keeper (2 episodes), The PJs, Son of the Beach, The Mullets and Rodney.
Some of his sitcom producing credits included George & Leo, Brother's Keeper, The PJs, Daddio and The Mullets.
Alan Haufrect (IMDB)
Actor Alan Haufrect had a recurring role as Brian in Alice. He died at his home in Century City, California, on August 17, 2024. Mr. Haufrect was 83.
Haufrect had a recurring role as Brian, Vera's (Beth Howland) boyfriend and a Mel's Diner regular, in five episodes of the CBS sitcom Alice from 1978 to 1980.
Some of his other sitcom guest appearances included Doc, Barney Miller, The Bob Newhart Show, I'm a Big Girl Now, Ladies' Man (1981), Bosom Buddies, Open All Night, Family Ties, Brothers (1984), The New Gidget, It's Garry Shandling's Show, Perfect Strangers, Night Court (1987), The New Leave it to Beaver, It's a Living, Punky Brewster, Live-In, Who's the Boss?, Head of the Class (2 episodes), Singer & Sons, Growing Pains and Roc.
Darryl Hickman (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Actor, screenwriter, television executive, and acting coach Darryl Hickman appeared in The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, The Nanny and other sitcoms. He died on May 22, 2024, in Montecito, California. Mr. Hickman was 92.
Hickman played Davey Gillis in three episodes of the first season (1959-1960) of the CBS sitcom The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. Davey Gillis is Dobie's (Dwayne Hickman) older brother, a college student no more responsible and no less girl-crazy than Dobie. Davey was written out of the series after season one and Dobie is regarded as an only child thereafter.
Some of his other sitcom guest appearances included Love, American Style (1970), Maude and All in the Family. He appeared as various characters in four episodes of The Nanny from 1997 to 1999.
Hickman starred as Ben Canfield in the short-lived 1961 NBC Civil War drama The Americans. Some of his other television guest appearances included The Lone Ranger (2 episodes), The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, Perry Mason, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Wanted: Dead or Alive, Gunsmoke (2 episodes), Rawhide (2 episodes), The Untouchables (2 episodes), Dr. Kildare and Baywatch. He wrote three episodes of The Loretta Young Show in 1961 and an episode of Hawaiian Eye in 1961.
Some of his voice credits included Space Stars, Pac-Man, The Biskitts, Pole Position, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo and The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible.
He appeared in films such as The Grapes of Wrath (1940), Leave Her to Heaven (1945) and Fighting Father Dunne (1948).
Hickman started his career as a child actor in the Golden Age of Hollywood and appeared in numerous television series as an adult. He was the older brother of Dwayne Hickman who died in 2022.
Earl Holliman (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Actor Earl Holliman starred as Sergeant Bill Crowley in the 1974-1978 NBC police drama Police Woman. He died in hospice care at his home in Studio City, California, on November 25, 2024. Mr. Holliman was 96.
Holliman starred as Darden Towe in the 1992-1993 ABC sitcom Delta. Darden Towe runs the The Green Lantern bar. The series also starred Delta Burke, Gigi Rice, Bill Engvall, Beth Grant and Nancy Giles.
He had a recurring role as Fred Duffy in three episodes of Caroline in the City from 1996 to 1999. Some of his other sitcom guest appearances included Empty Nest and The Larry Sanders Show.
Holliman starred as the Sundance Kid in the 1959-1960 western Hotel de Paree. He played Mitch Guthrie in the 1962-1963 western Wide Country. He starred as Matthew Durning in the 1991-1992 CBS crime drama P.S. I Luv U. He played Frank Dominus in the 1997-1999 first-run syndicated superhero series Night Man.
Jill Jacobson (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Actress Jill Jacobson had a recurring role as Larue Wilson in The New Gidget. She died after a long illness at a hospital in Culver City, California, on December 8, 2024. Ms. Jacobson was 70.
Jacobson had a recurring role as Larue Wilson in eight episodes of the first-run syndicated sitcom The New Gidget from 1987 to 1988. Larue Wilson is the long-time best friend of Francine "Gidget" Lawrence Griffin (Caryn Richman).
Some of her other sitcom guest appearances included Harper Valley, P.T.A., Sledge Hammer!, My Sister Sam, Newhart (2 episode), Who's the Boss?, Murphy Brown and Arli$$.
She had a recurring role as Erin Jones in 20 episodes of Falcon Crest from 1985 to 1987.
British actress Glynis Johns starred as Glynis Granville in Glynis and as Trudie Pepper in Coming of Age. She died in Los Angeles, California, at an assisted living home, on January 4, 2024, from natural causes. Ms. Johns was 100.
Johns starred as Glynis Granville, a mystery writer, in the short-lived 1963 CBS sitcom Glynis. Keith Andes appeared as Keith Granville, Glynis' husband who works as a successful criminal defense attorney. Together, the couple would attempt to solve various crimes. George Mathews co-stars as Glynis' friend, Chick Rogers, a retired police officer, who offers advice and solace in her writing. The series was produced by Desilu and created and executive produced by Jess Oppenheimer, who originated I Love Lucy with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.
She starred as Trudie Pepper in the 1988-1989 CBS sitcom Coming of Age. Trudie Pepper is a a senior citizen living in an Arizona retirement community called The Dunes. She is married to Ed Pepper (Alan Young). The cast included Paul Dooley, Phyllis Newman, Kevin Pollak, Ruta Lee and Lenore Woodward.
Johns guest starred as Helen Chambers, Diane Chambers' (Shelley Long) mother, in a first season episode of Cheers in 1983. In "Someone Single, Someone Blue," Helen Chambers is an eccentric dowager who, due to a stipulation in Diane's late father's will, will lose all her money unless Diane is married by the next day.
She played Edna Miles in a 1984 episode of The Love Boat. She guest starred as Maureen in a 1987 episode of The Cavanaughs.
Johns appeared in four episodes of Batman in 1967 as villainess Lady Penelope Peasoup, one half of the evil duo with Rudy Vallée as her brother Lord Marmaduke Ffogg. Some of her other television guest appearances included Studio One, Lux Video Theatre, Adventures in Paradise, Naked City, Dr. Kildare, The Lloyd Bridges Show, Burke's Law, The Defenders (1964) and Murder, She Wrote.
She starred as Winifred Banks in Mary Poppins (1964). She received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Mrs. Firth in The Sundowners (1967). Her last film appearance was as the grandmother of Molly Shannon's Mary Gallagher in the 1999 film Superstar.
Johns won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical and Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical in 1973 for her role as Desiree Armfeldt in A Little Night Music.
Singer and actor Jack Jones sang the opening theme song for The Love Boat from 1977 to 1985. He died from leukemia at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, California, on October 23, 2024. Mr. Jones was 86.
The Love Boat theme song was composed by Charles Fox with lyrics by Paul Williams. It was sung by Jack Jones in the opening sequence of the first eight seasons (1977-1985) and, in a different arrangement, by Dionne Warwick in the last season (1985-1986) and the four specials that followed it. Jones lip-syncs the song in Airplane II: The Sequel (1982), appearing in a cameo as a lounge singer as Ted (Robert Hays) escapes from the hospital.
He provided the vocals to the theme song ("The Kind of Girl She Is") of the short-lived 1971 CBS sitcom Funny Face, which starred Sandy Duncan.
Jones played himself in the episode "The Vegas Show" of It's a Living in 1980. Some of his other sitcom credits included Hey, Jeannie! (pilot), The Love Boat, Get a Life and Night Court (1990). Some of his other television credits included Code 3, General Electric Theater, The Rat Patrol, McMillan & Wife, Police Woman, The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, Sweepstakes and Buddy Faro.
He won two Grammy Awards and received five nominations for Grammys. His recordings included "Lollipops and Roses", "Wives and Lovers", "The Race Is On", "The Impossible Dream" and "Call Me Irresponsible".
James Earl Jones (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Actor James Earl Jones was known for his voice role as Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise and as Mufasa in The Lion King. He died at his home in Pawling, New York, on September 9, 2024. Mr. Jones was 93.
During season one of 3rd Rock from the Sun, he provided a voice introduction describing the crew. He guest starred as Norman Royster in a 1997 episode of Frasier. He voiced various characters for three episodes of The Simpsons in 1990, 1994 and 1998. He appeared as himself in a 2003 episode of Will & Grace. He provided the voice of Royal Flush XP Toilet for a 2004 episode of According to Jim. He appeared as himself in Two and a Half Men in 2008 and The Big Bang Theory in 2014.
Jones starred as Detective Capt. Woodrow "Woody" Paris in the 1979-1980 CBS police drama Paris. He starred as Lou Garfield in the short-lived 1985 ABC detective comedy/drama Me and Mom. He starred as Gabriel Bird in the 1990-1991 ABC crime drama Gabriel's Fire. He won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1991 for the role. He played Gabriel Bird in the 1991-1992 ABC crime drama Pros and Cons. He starred as Neb Langston in the short-lived 1995 CBS drama Under One Roof.
Some of his other notable films included The Man (1972), Conan the Barbarian (1982), Matewan (1987), Coming to America (1988), Field of Dreams (1989), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Sneakers (1992), The Sandlot (1993), and Cry, the Beloved Country (1995).
Record producer, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer Quincy Jones wrote the Sanford and Son theme. He died from pancreatic cancer on November 3, 2024, at his home in the Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Mr. Jones was 91.
Jones composed "The Streetbeater", which became the theme music for the 1972-1977 NBC sitcom Sanford and Son, starring his close friend Redd Foxx. Although the piece did not reach Billboard status, it has maintained mainstream popularity, ranking 9th in a Rolling Stone Reader Poll of Television Theme Songs.
He composed the theme song for the 1966-1967 NBC sitcom Hey, Landlord. He also worked as a composer for seven episodes. He was the composer for the 1969-1971 NBC sitcom The Bill Cosby Show. He composed the theme music for the 1980-1981 NBC sitcom Sanford. Some of his other television composer credits included Ironside and Banacek. He guest starred as Les Appleton in a 1967 episode of Ironside. He won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series for the ABC miniseries Roots (1977).
In 1990, Quincy Jones Productions joined with Time Warner to create Quincy Jones Entertainment (QJE). He was an executive producer for the 1990-1996 NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. He appeared as himself in two episodes in 1990 and 1993. He was an executive producer for the 1995-1999 NBC/UPN sitcom In the House. In 1997, he produced the short-lived USA Network sitcom Lost on Earth. Jones also produced Fox's sketch comedy series Mad TV, which ran for 14 seasons.
Jones composed numerous films scores including for The Pawnbroker (1965), In the Heat of the Night (1967), In Cold Blood (1967), The Italian Job (1969), The Wiz (1978) and The Color Purple (1985).
He received many accolades including 28 Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Tony Award as well as nominations for seven Academy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards.
Jamie Kellner (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Television executive Jamie Kellner was a founding president of Fox Broadcasting and founded The WB network. He died from cancer on June 21, 2024, 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.
Ben Lanzarone (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Composer Ben Lanzarone worked on Happy Days and The Love Boat. He died from lung cancer on February 16, 2024, in Los Angeles, California. Mr. Lanzarone was 85.
Lanzarone composed the incidental music for 24 episodes of Happy Days from 1978 to 1980. He composed 44 episodes of The Love Boat from 1979 to 1986. Some of his other sitcom credits included Mork & Mindy, Laverne & Shirley, Out of the Blue and Goodtime Girls.
He was married to actress Ilene Graff (Mr. Belvedere) from 1978 until his death.
Waymond Lee (IMDB)
Actor Waymond Lee starred as Waymond (Old Way Way) in Workaholics. He died on December 18, 2014, of complications from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Mr. Lee was 72.
Lee appeared as Waymond (Old Way Way) in 44 episodes of the 2011-2017 Comedy Central sitcom Workaholics. The cast included Blake Anderson, Adam DeVine, Anders Holm, Jillian Bell, Maribeth Monroe and Erik Griffin.
Some of his sitcom appearances included My Name Is Earl, 100 Questions, $h*! My Dad Says, How I Met Your Mother, Parks and Recreation (2 episodes), The Thundermans, The Muppets, Veep and Superstore.
Tony-winning actress Linda Lavin starred as Alice Hyatt in Alice. She died in Los Angeles, California, of complications from lung cancer on December 29, 2024. Ms. Lavin was 87.
Lavin moved to Hollywood in 1973 and began to work on television. She made her first sitcom guest appearance as Linda Monroe in a 1974 episode of Rhoda. She had a recurring role as Detective Janice Wentworth in five episodes of Barney Miller during the first and second seasons (1975-1976). In 1976, she guest starred as Margaret Gates in an episode of Phyllis.
She starred as Alice Hyatt in the 1976-1985 CBS sitcom Alice. The series is based on the 1974 film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. Alice Hyatt is a widow who moves with her young son to start life over again, and finds a job as a waitress working at the roadside Mel's Diner in Phoenix, Arizona. Lavin performed the series' theme song, "There's a New Girl in Town," which was written by David Shire and Alan and Marilyn Bergman and was updated for each of the first six seasons. During the series' nine-season run, Lavin earned two Golden Globe Awards in 1978 and 1979 and a Primetime Emmy Award nomination in 1979.
Lavin directed 10 episodes of the series from 1980 to 1984. In a handful of episodes, Alice put on a double-breasted suit and fedora to assume the character of husky-voiced "Sam Butler", a mobster she made up as a ruse to fool her intended target. She also played a dual role as Debbie Walden, the wizened and former landlady of the character Vera Louise Gorman-Novak. The cast of Alice included Vic Tayback, Beth Howland, Polly Holliday (1976-1980), Philip McKeon, Diane Ladd (1980-1981), Celia Weston (1981-1985), and Charles Levin (1983-1985). Recurring cast members included Marvin Kaplan (1977-1985), Dave Madden (1978-1985), Martha Raye (1978-1984), Duane R. Campbell (1978-1985), Tony Longo (1981-1984), and Alan Haufrect (1978-1980).
She starred as Edie Kurland in the 1992-1993 ABC sitcom Room for Two. Edie Kurland is the mother of Jill Kurland (Patricia Heaton), an executive producer of a New York City television show called Wake Up, New York. Edie has her own segment called "Just a Thought" at the end of the program. The series also starred Peter Michael Goetz, Paula Kelly, Bess Meyer, Andrew Prine, John Putch, and Jeff Yagher.
Lavin starred as Florie Bloom in the short-lived 1998 NBC sitcom Conrad Bloom. The show is centered around Conrad Bloom (Mark Feuerstein), a copywriter in New York City, looking for love whilst trying to pursue his career. Florie Bloom is Conrad's guilt-inducing mom. The series also starred Lauren Graham, Jessica Stone, Ever Carradine, Paula Newsome, and Steve Landesberg.
She starred as Lorna Harrison in the short-lived 2013-2014 NBC sitcom Sean Saves the World. Sean Harrison (Sean Hayes) is a divorced gay father with a successful, yet demanding, career. Lorna Harrison is Sean's pushy, meddling mother. The series also starred Megan Hilty, Echo Kellum, Samantha Isler, and Thomas Lennon.
Lavin reunited with Mark Feuerstein in the short-lived 2017-2018 CBS sitcom 9JKL. She starred as Judy Roberts, the mother of Josh Roberts. Josh Roberts (Mark Feuerstein), a divorced actor whose TV series was recently cancelled, moves back to New York City and lives in apartment 9K. His family lives in adjacent apartments: his parents live in 9J, while his brother, sister-in-law, and their newborn baby live in 9L. The cast included Elliott Gould, Liza Lapira, David Walton, Albert Tsai, and Matt Murray.
She starred as Norma Goldman in the 2020-2022 CBS sitcom B Positive. Norma Goldman is one of the senior citizens at Valley Hills assisted living facility. She has a maternal, nurturing relationship with Gina (Annaleigh Ashford), but she can be fairly randy, irresponsible, and demanding. The cast included Kether Donohue, Sara Rue, Izzy G, David Anthony Higgins, and Darryl Stephens.
Lavin guest starred as Phyllis in two episodes of Mom in 2016. Some of her other comedy credits included Bob's Burgers (voice, 2 episodes), Santa Clarita Diet (4 episodes as Jean), Brockmire, and No Good Deed (3 episodes as Phyllis Adelman). She was filming the upcoming Hulu multi-camera comedy series Mid-Century Modern. She was starring as Sybil Schneiderman, Bunny Schneiderman's (Nathan Lane) mother.
Some of her other television guest appearnaces included Harry O, Family, Kaz, Touched by an Angel, The Sopranos, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, The O.C. (3 episodes), The Good Wife (3 episodes), Bones, Madam Secretary, and Elsbeth.
She won a Tony Award in 1987 for Best Actress in a Play and her second Drama Desk Award for her role as Kate in Neil Simon's play Broadway Bound. She received Tony Award nominations for her work in Last of the Red Hot Lovers (1970), The Diary of Anne Frank (1998), The Tale of the Allergist's Wife (2001), Collected Stories (2010), and The Lyons (2012).
Richard Lewis (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Stand-up comedian and actor Richard Lewis starred as Marty Gold in Anything But Love and as a semi-fictionalized version of himself in Curb Your Enthusiasm. He died of a heart attack at his home in Los Angeles, California, on February 27, 2024. Mr. Lewis was 76.
Lewis starred as Richard Breskin in the short-lived 1987 ABC sitcom Harry. The series stars Alan Arkin as Harry Porschak, a wheeler-dealer supply clerk at County General Hospital. The cast also included Holland Taylor, Thom Bray, Matt Craven, Barbara Dana and Kurt Knudson.
He starred as Marty Gold in the 1989-1992 ABC sitcom Anything But Love, which spanned four seasons and 56 episodes. The show stars Lewis as Marty Gold and Jamie Lee Curtis as Hannah Miller, coworkers at a Chicago magazine with a mutual romantic attraction who struggle to keep their relationship strictly professional. The cast also included Richard Frank, Louis Giambalvo (Season 1), Bruce Kirby (Season 1), Sandy Faison (Season 1), Ann Magnuson (Seasons 2-4), Holly Fulger (Seasons 2-4), Joseph Maher (Season 2), Billy Van Zandt (Season 2), Jane Milmore (Season 2) and Bruce Weitz (Seasons 3-4).
Lewis starred as Dr. Steven Mitchell in the short-lived 1993 Fox sitcom Daddy Dearest. The series revolves around Dr. Steven Mitchell, a psychologist who lived in Manhattan with his young son and, despite his constant insults and put downs, his father Al (Don Rickles), an obnoxious used car salesman who was recently separated from his wife Helen (Renée Taylor). The cast also included Sydney Walsh, Alice Carter, Carey Eidel, Jonathan Gibby (pilot only), Jeffrey Bomberger and Barney Martin.
He starred as Neil Diller in the 1997-1998 ABC sitcom Hiller and Diller. Ted Hiller (Kevin Nealon) and Neil Diller are two comedy writers with very different lives. Ted has an overachieving daughter among his three children, while Neil has two troublesome teenagers. The series also starred Jordan Baker, Allison Mack, Kyle Sabihy, Jill Bernard, Faryn Einhorn, Jonathan Osser and Eugene Levy.
Lewis had a recurring role as a semi-fictionalized version of himself in 41 episodes of the 2000-2024 HBO sitcom Curb Your Enthusiasm. Richard is a neurotic stand-up comedian who has recently recovered from alcohol and drug problems. He is one of Larry David's oldest and closest friends, both having moved from New York City to Los Angeles to pursue careers in comedy. The series also stars Jeff Garlin, Cheryl Hines, Susie Essman and J. B. Smoove.
Some of his sitcom guest appearances included House Calls (also 2 episodes as a writer), The Larry Sanders Show, Rude Awakening (6 episodes as Harve Schwartz), Two and a Half Men, George Lopez, Everybody Hates Chris, 'Til Death (3 episodes) and Blunt Talk (6 episodes as Dr. Weiss). Some of his voice credits included episodes of Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist (1997), The Simpsons and BoJack Horseman.
Lewis had a recurring role as Rabbi Richard Glass in 9 episodes of 7th Heaven from 2002 to 2004. Some of his other television guest apperarances included Riptide, CBS Summer Playhouse, Tattingers, Tribeca, Tales from the Crypt, V.I.P., Presidio Med, Alias, The Dead Zone, Las Vegas, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (voice), The Cleaner (2009) and Code Black.
He starred as Prince John in the 1993 adventure comedy film Robin Hood: Men in Tights. Some of his other film credits included Wagons East (1994), Leaving Las Vegas (1995) and Hugo Pool (1997).
Elizabeth MacRae (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Actress Elizabeth MacRae had a recurring role as Lou-Ann Poovie on Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.. She died on May 27, 2024, in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Ms. MacRae was 88.
MacRae had a recurring role as Lou-Ann Poovie in 15 episodes of the CBS sitcom Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. from 1966 to 1969. Lou-Ann Poovie is Gomer's (Jim Nabors) girlfriend. She debuts in the third season episode "Love's Old Sweet Song" as a singer for a nightclub, but leaves the job at Gomer's urging to return home to Turtle Creek, North Carolina, and marry her beau Monroe Efford. She was hired to play a very lousy singer for just one episode, cast because she was indeed a bad singer, and because of her true bred southern accent. The characters – and MacRae and Nabors – got along so well onscreen, they decided to make her more or less his permanent girlfriend.
Some of her sitcom guest appearances included Harrigan and Son, I Dream of Jeannie, The Andy Griffith Show and Rhoda.
She was cast multiple times on the long-running Gunsmoke, appearing once in the role of Fanny in the 1962 episode "Half-Straight" and then, between 1962 and 1965, appearing four times as April, the girlfriend of Festus Haggen (Ken Curtis), one of the series' main characters.
Some of her other television guest appearances included Naked City, Maverick, The Asphalt Jungle, Surfside 6 (3 episodes), 77 Sunset Strip, Dr. Kildare, The Untouchables, Sam Benedict, Stoney Burke, Death Valley Days, Burke's Law, Route 66 (4 episodes), Rawhide, The Fugitive, The Virginian, Bonanza, Judd for the Defense, Mannix, Petrocelli, Kojak (2 episodes) and Barnaby Jones.
MacRae's soap opera credits included General Hospital, Another World, Days of Our Lives, Guiding Light and Search for Tomorrow.
She starred as Meredith in Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation (1974). Her other film credits included Love in a Goldfish Bowl (1961), Everything's Ducky (1961), The Wild Westerners (1962), Wild Is My Love (1963), For Love or Money (1963), The Incredible Mr. Lumpet (1964) (as the voice of Ladyfish) and Alien Zone (1978). Her final credit was as a news reporter in Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives! (1989).
Peter Marshall (IMDB/Wikipedia/The Interviews)
Game show host, television and radio personality, singer and actor Peter Marshall was the original host of The Hollywood Squares. He died of kidney failure at his home in Encino, Los Angeles, California, on August 15, 2024. Mr. Marshall was 98.
Marshall hosted the original version of Hollywood Squares that aired on NBC from 1966 to 1980, as well as a nighttime syndicated version that ran from 1971 to 1981. He won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host four times. He hosted Storybook Squares, a children's version of Hollywood Squares, on NBC in 1969 and the 1976-1977 season.
Some of his sitcom guest appearances included The Lucy Show, The Good Life, Love, American Style (3 episodes), WKRP in Cincinnati, The Love Boat (2 episodes), Sledge Hammer!, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and The Parent 'Hood.
Some of his other television guest appearances included The Millionaire, 77 Sunset Strip, Banacek, Lou Grant, Fantasy Island, CHiPs (3 episodes), Hotel, Automan and Jessie (1984). He was the host of his own short-lived syndicated music and comedy series, The Peter Marshall Variety Show, which aired during the 1976–1977 season in syndication.
Actress Lynne Marta was a regular on Love, American Style. She died from cancer in Los Angeles, California, on January 11, 2024. Ms. Marta was 78.
Marta was part of the repertory company for the first season (1969-1970) of the ABC comedy anthology series Love, American Style.
Some of her sitcom guest appearances included Gidget, The Monkees, Goodnight, Beantown, Designing Women (2 episoodes) and Caroline in the City.
Actress and comedian Mitzi McCall starred as Miriam Lerner in Alright Already. She died at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, on August 8, 2024. Ms. Mcall was 93.
McCall starred as Miriam Lerner in the 1997-1998 The WB sitcom Alright Already, which was created by and starred Carol Leifer. Miriam and Alvin Lerner (Jerry Adler) are Carol Lerner's (Carol Leifer) parents. The series also starred Amy Yasbeck, Stacy Galina and Maury Sterling.
Some of her sitcom guest apperarances included The Dennis O'Keefe Show, The Jim Backus Show, Love, American Style (2 episodes), The Girl with Something Extra, Maude, Roseanne, Seinfeld, Madman of the People, Ellen, Almost Perfect, Caroline in the City, Becker, Dharma & Greg, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and Hannah Montana.
She appeared as Midge in four episodes of Life Goes On from 1991 to 1992. She had a recurring role as Fran Lipschitz in Silk Stalkings from 1993 to 1999.
Some of her voice credits included The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show, The Flintstone Comedy Hour, Snorks, Darkwing Duck, Mother Goose and Grimm, Free for All and American Dad!. She was the voice of Glyptodont in Ice Age (2002).
Tony Mordente (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Actor, dancer, choreographer, and television director Tony Mordente worked on many sitcoms. He died following a brief illness on June 11, 2024. Mr. Mordente was 88.
Mordente's sitcom directing credits included Phyllis, The Practice (3 episodes), Busting Loose (5 episodes), We've Got Each Other, The Tony Randall (5 episodes), Rhoda (42 episodes), M*A*S*H (2 episodes), Angie (3 episodes), Benson (5 episodes), The Associates (6 episodes), Love, Sidney (8 episodes), Family Ties (6 episodes), and Easy Street (10 episodes).
Actor and musician Martin Mull starred in Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (1976-1977), Fernwood 2 Night, Roseanne and Sabrina the Teenage Witch. He died from a long illness at his Los Angeles, California, home on June 27, 2024. Mr. Mull was 80.
Mull's first well-known acting role was as Garth Gimble in 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, in 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 in 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 in 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 in 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 in 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 in 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 in 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).
Bob Newhart (IMDB/Wikipedia/The Interviews)
Emmy-winning actor and comedian Bob Newhart starred as Bob Hartley in The Bob Newhart Show and as Dick Loudon in Newhart. He died from complications of several short illnesses at his home in Los Angeles, California, on July 18, 2024. Mr. Newhart was 94.
Newhart starred on the 1961-1962 NBC comedy variety show The Bob Newhart Show. The show was awarded the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Humor (now known as the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series) in 1962. It also won a Peabody Award in 1961. Regulars included Mickey Manners (1961), Joe Flynn, Jackie Joseph, Andy Albin, Dan Sorkin, Ken Westfall (1961), Jack Grinnage (1961), Ken Berry (1962) and Paul Weston and His Orchestra.
He starred as Dr. Robert "Bob" Hartley in the 1972-1978 CBS sitcom The Bob Newhart Show. The show centers on Robert "Bob" Hartley, a Chicago psychologist, his work and home life, with his supportive, though occasionally sarcastic, wife Emily (Suzanne Pleshette), and their friendly but mildly pesky neighbor, airline navigator Howard Borden (Bill Daily). The series also starred Peter Bonerz as Dr. Jerry Robinson, Bob's friend, an orthodontist, and Marcia Wallace as Carol Kester, Bob and Jerry's receptionist. In 1977, the show received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series. The entire cast assembled for the one-hour clip show The Bob Newhart Show: The 19th Anniversary Special in 1991, which finds the show's characters in the present day. Newhart and Wallace reprised their roles in a 1994 episode of Murphy Brown. Newhart reprised Hartley twice in the February 11, 1995, episode of Saturday Night Live.
Newhart starred as Dick Loudon in the 1982-1990 CBS sitcom Newhart. The series stars Newhart and Mary Frann as an author and his wife who own and operate the Stratford Inn in rural Vermont. Dick Loudon is also the host of a local television show, Vermont Today, where he interviews an assortment of bizarre and colorful guests. The show was nominated for 25 Emmy Awards but never won. The cast included Tom Poston, Jennifer Holmes (1982-1983), Steven Kampmann (1982-1984), Julia Duffy (1983-1990), Peter Scolari (1984-1990), William Sanderson, Tony Papenfuss and John Voldstad. Recurring cast members included Thomas Hill, William Lanteau, Rebecca York (1983-1984), Jeff Doucette (1983-1988), Fred Applegate (1984-1987), Ralph Manza (1984-1990), Linda Carlson (1984-1987), Todd Susman (1984-1990), José Ferrer (1985-1987), Priscilla Morrill (1985-1989), Melanie Chartoff (1987-1990), Kathy Kinney (1989-1990) and David Pressman (1989-1990).
He starred as Bob McKay in the 1992-1993 CBS sitcom Bob. Bob McKay is a greeting card artist who discovers a comic book he created is getting revived. He is the creator of the 1950s comic book superhero Mad-Dog. The series, which aired for two seasons, also starred Carlene Watkins, Cynthia Stevenson, John Cygan (season 1), Andrew Bilgore (season 1), Timothy Fall (season 1), Ruth Kobart (season 1), Betty White (season 2), Jere Burns (season 2), Eric Allan Kramer (season 2) and Megan Cavanagh. Recurring cast members included Lisa Kudrow, Tom Poston (season 1), Dorothy Lyman, Dick Martin and Christine Dunford (season 1).
Newhart starred as George Stoody in the 1997-1998 CBS sitcom George & Leo. Newhart and Hirsch starred as the respective title characters, widely divergent men who become in-laws when their children get married. The cast inclued Jason Bateman, Bess Meyer (episodes 1-7), Robyn Lively (episodes 9-22) and Darryl Theirse.
He played Professor Proton (Arthur Jeffries) in six episodes of the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory from 2013 to 2018. Professor Proton (Arthur Jeffries) is the star of a fictional in-universe science show that Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and Leonard (Johnny Galecki) watched as children. Newhart won his first Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series in 2013. He appeared as the character in three episodes of Young Sheldon from 2017 to 2020.
Newhart appeared as Bob Sr., Bob's (David Foley) father and the father-in-law of Joy Scroggs (Jane Leeves), in the series finale of Hot in Cleveland in 2015. Some of his other sitcom guest appearances included Captain Nice, The Don Rickles Show, It's Garry Shandling's Show, Everybody Loves Raymond and Committed. He voiced himself in a 1996 episode of The Simpsons.
In 2003, he guest starred as Ben Hollander in three episodes of ER in a rare dramatic role that earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, his first in nearly 20 years. He had a recurring role as Morty Flickman, the on-again/off-again boyfriend of Sophie (Lesley Ann Warren), Susan Mayer's (Teri Hatcher) mother, in three episodes of Desperate Housewives in 2005. Some of his other television drama credits included The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, NCIS and The Librarians (3 episodes).
He appeared on The Dean Martin Show 21 times and on The Ed Sullivan Show seven times. He was one of the initial three co-hosts of the variety show The Entertainers in 1964, with Carol Burnett and Caterina Valente. He guest-hosted The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson 87 times. He hosted Saturday Night Live in 1980 and 1995.
Newhart's 1960 comedy album The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart was the first comedy album to make number one on the Billboard charts and peaked at number two in the UK Albums Chart. It won two Grammy Awards in 1961 for Album of the Year and Best New Artist. The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart remains the 20th-best-selling album in history. A follow-up album, The Button-Down Mind Strikes Back!, was released six months later and won a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Performance – Spoken Word that year.
He starred as Papa Elf in Elf (2003). Some of his other film credits included Catch-22 (1970), Cold Turkey (1971), First Family (1980) and In & Out (1997). He also voiced Bernard in the Disney animated films The Rescuers (1977) and The Rescuers Down Under (1990).
Christian Oliver (IMDB/Wikipedia)
German actor Christian Oliver starred as Brian Keller in Saved by the Bell: The Class. Oliver and his two daughters, Madita and Annik, were killed on January 4, 2024, after the four-seater private plane they were on crashed off the coast of Bequia, a Caribbean island in the Grenadines. 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).
He 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.
Actor and singer Ken Page had a recurring role as Dr. Raymond McHenry in South Central. He died in his sleep on September 30, 2024, at his home in St. Louis, Missouri. Mr. Page was 70.
Page had a recurring role as Dr. Raymond McHenry, Andre's (Larenz Tate) mentor, in the short-lived 1994 Fox comedy-drama South Central.
Some of his sitcom guest appearances included Gimme a Break!, Family Matters, Rhythm & BluesThe Sinbad Show and Welcome to New York. He starred as Joe "Cheesecake" Tyson in the short-lived 1987-1988 ABC mystery crime drama Sable.
Janis Paige starred as Janis Stewart in It's Always Jan. She died at her Los Angeles, California, home on June 2, 2024. Ms. Paige was 101.
Paige starred as Janis Stewart in the 1955-1956 CBS sitcom It's Always Jan. Janis Sweart is a widowed nightclub singer struggling to make ends meet. It also starred Patricia Bright, Merry Anders, Jeri Lou James, Arte Johnson and Sid Melton.
She starred as Nettie McCoy in the short-lived 1983 CBS sitcom Gun Shy. The series also starred Barry Van Dyke, Tim Thomerson, Geoffrey Lewis, Keith Mitchell (episodes 1-4), Adam Rich (episodes 5-6), Bridgette Andersen, Henry Jones and Pat McCormick.
Paige starred as Blanche Riddle in the short-lived 1983 ABC sitcom Baby Makes Five. The series also starred Peter Scolari, Louise Williams, Andre Gower, Jenny Lewis, Brandy Gold and Priscilla Morrill.
Some of her sitcom guest appearances included The Ann Sothern Show, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Nancy Walker Show, The Betty White Show, The Love Boat, Alice, All in the Family (3 episodes), Happy Days, Lewis & Clark, Too Close for Comfort, Night Court, Room for Two and Caroline in the City.
Television writer and producer John Peaslee worked on Coach, According to Jim and Liv and Maddie. He died at his home in Sherman Oaks, California, on November 11, 2024. Mr. Peaslee was 73.
Some of his sitcom writing credits included Duet, Anything But Love, Coach, Blue Skies, A Whole New Ballgame, Something So Right, Payne, Some of My Best Friends, Just Shoot Me!, A Minute with Stan Hooper, 8 Simple Rules, Courting Alex, According to Jim, Sherri, Working Class, Dog with a Blog, and Liv and Maddie.
Some of his sitcom producing credits included Coach, Something So Right, Payne, Some of My Best Friends, Just Shoot Me!, A Minute with Stan Hooper, 8 Simple Rules, Courting Alex, According to Jim, Sherri, Working Class, Dog with a Blog, and Liv and Maddie.
Actor and comedian Don Penny starred as Pharmacist Mate Charles Tyler in The Wackiest Ship in the Army. He died on May 6, 2024, in Palmetto, Florida. Mr. Penny was 91.
Penny starred as Pharmacist Mate Third Class Charles Tyler, the ship's cook, in the 1965-1966 comedy drama The Wackiest Ship in the Army. The series also starred Jack Warden, Gary Collins, Mike Kellin, Rudy Solari, Mark Slade, Fred Smoot, William Zuckert and Charles Irving.
Some of his sitcom guest appearances included Hennesey (2 episodes), The Danny Thomas Show, The Bing Crosby Show, Gomer Pyle, USMC, Please Don't Eat the Daisies, The Monkees, Bewitched, Occasional Wife and That Girl (2 episodes).
He starred as Lieutenant Stanley Harris in the 1963-1964 NBC drama The Lieutenant.
Actor Alan Rachins starred as Larry Finkelstein in Dharma & Greg. He died from heart failure at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, on November 2, 2024. Mr. Rachins was 82.
Rachins starred as Douglas Brackman Jr. in the 1986-1994 NBC legal drama L.A. Law. Created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher, it centers on the partners, associates and staff of the fictional Los Angeles–based law firm McKenzie, Brackman, Chaney and Kuzak (later McKenzie, Brackman, Chaney, Kuzak, and Becker). Douglas Brackman Jr. is a managing partner and interim senior partner. Rachins received Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for the role in 1988.
He starred as Myron Lawrence "Larry" Finkelstein, Dharma's (Jenna Elfman) hippie father, in the 1997-2002 ABC sitcom Dharma & Greg. Larry Finkelstein is a stereotypical 1960s radical who frequently rants about various conspiracies, a lot of which revolve around Richard Nixon. The series also starred Thomas Gibson, Mimi Kennedy, Mitchell Ryan, Susan Sullivan, Joel Murray and Shae D'lyn.
Some of his sitcom guest appearances included Brothers (1984), D.C. Follies, Ferris Bueller, The Golden Girls, Love Boat: The Next Wave, In-Laws, Just Shoot Me!, Surviving Suburbia, Happy Endings, Good Luck Charlie, The Crazy Ones, Mom, The Middle and Young Sheldon. He provided the voice of Norman Osborn in the 2008-2009 animated series The Spectacular Spider-Man. Some of his other voice credits included Batman: The Animated Series (2 episodes), Rugrats, Justice League Unlimited and American Dad!.
Rachins had a recurring role as Stanley in six episodes of the TNT crime drama Rizzoli & Isles from 2011 to 2013. Some of his other television credits included The White Shadow, Barnaby Jones, Dallas, Paris, J.J. Starbuck, Tales from the Crypt, Poltergeist: The Legacy, Diagnosis: Murder, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (2 episodes), Stargate SG-1, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Close to Home, Eli Stone, General Hospital (5 episodes), Grey's Anatomy and NCIS. He directed an episode of Paris in 1980. He wrote episodes of Hill Street Blues, Hart to Hart and The Fall Guy.
He starred as Tony Moss in Showgirls (1995). He played Fred Rutherford in Leave it to Beaver (1997).
Joyce Randolph (IMDB/Wikipedia/The Interviews)
Actress Joyce Randolph was best known for playing Trixie Norton on The Honeymooners. She died in her sleep of natural causes at home in Manhattan's Upper West Side on January 13, 2024. 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 in 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 the last surviving cast member of The Honeymooners.
Actress, singer, and dancer Chita Rivera played Connie Richardson in The New Dick Van Dyke Show. She died in New York following a brief illness on January 30, 2024. Ms. Rivera was 91.
Rivera appeared as Connie Richardson in seven episodes of the third season (1973-1974) of the CBS sitcom The New Dick Van Dyke Show. Connie and Richard Richardson (Richard Dawson) are the neighbors of Dick (Dick Van Dyke) and Jenny Preston (Hope Lange). The cast in the third season included Dick Van Patten, Barry Gordon, Henry Darrow and Barbara Rush.
She guest starred as Lenore Portillo in the Will & Grace episode titled "Dance Cards and Greeting Cards", which aired on February 10, 2005. Lenore Portillo and Lucille (Michele Lee) are the lesbians who ended up dancing with Will and Jack.
Rivera had a recurring role as Melody Rambo in the ABC soap opera One Life to Live in 1982. Some of her other television guest appearances included The Maurice Chevalier Show, The Gary Moore Show, The Judy Garland Show, The Outer Limits (1964), The Carol Burnett Show and Johnny and the Sprites. In 2011, she guest starred as Gladys Franklin in the comedy web series Submissions Only. She provided the voice of The Witch for two episodes of Dora the Explorer in 2004 and 2019.
After making her Broadway debut as a dancer in Guys and Dolls (1950), she went on to originate roles in Broadway musicals such as Anita in West Side Story (1957), Velma Kelly in Chicago (1975), and the title role in Kiss of the Spider Woman (1993). She was a ten-time Tony Award nominee, winning the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical twice for her roles in The Rink (1984) and Kiss of the Spider Woman (1993).
She received numerous accolades including two Tony Awards, two Drama Desk Awards, and a Drama League Award. She won the Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2018.
Albert S. Ruddy (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Film and television producer Albert S. Ruddy co-created Hogan's Heroes. He died after a brief illness at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, on May 25, 2024. Mr. Ruddy was 94.
Ruddy and Bernard Fein created the 1965-1971 CBS sitcom Hogan's Heroes. The series is set in a prisoner-of-war (POW) camp in Nazi Germany during World War II, which concerns a group of Allied prisoners who use the POW camp as an operations base for sabotage and espionage purposes directed against Nazi Germany. It was a critical and commercial success and ran for six seasons and 168 episodes.
In 1976, he produced a western made-for-TV movie called The Macahans, which was subsequently developed into the 1976-1979 ABC western series How the West Was Won. Ruddy, Leslie Greif, Paul Haggis and Christopher Canaan created the 1993-2001 CBS action crime series Walker, Texas Ranger. He was the executive producer for three episodes in 1993. He was also credited on the 2021-2024 The CW prequel series Walker.
He produced The Godfather (1972) and Million Dollar Baby (2004), both of which won him the Academy Award for Best Picture. In the 2022 Paramount+ biographical drama miniseries The Offer, which dramatizes the making of The Godfather and is executive produced by Ruddy, he is played by Miles Teller.
Ruddy was developing a Hogan's Heroes sequel series in 2019.
Actress Barbara Rush had a recuring role as Margot Brighton in The New Dick Van Dyke Show. She died at a care home in Westlake Village, California, on March 31, 2024, due to complications from dementia. Ms. Rush was 97.
Rush played the devious Nora Clavicle in two episodes of Batman. Some of her sitcom guest appearances included Love, American Style (1970), Maude, The Love Boat (2 episodes), and Hooperman (2 episodes).
She starred as Marsha Russell in 75 episodes of the ABC prime time soap opera Peyton Place from 1968 to 1969.
Television writer and producer Alan Sacks was the co-creator of Welcome Back, Kotter. He died from lymphoma in New York on October 22, 2024. Mr. Sacks was 81.
Sacks helped develop and co-create the ABC sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter with Gabe Kaplan in 1975, based on Kaplan's stand-up routine about his high school buddies in Brooklyn. He was also a producer for first season (1975-1976).
He worked as a production executive and producer on Chico and the Man from 1974 to 1975, a show created by Welcome Back, Kotter executive producer James Komack.
In 1986, he wrote and produced the skateboarding film Thrashin', which starred Josh Brolin, Robert Rusler and Pamela Gidley.
Writer Patt Shea worked on All in the Family and Archie Bunker's Place. She died on April 12, 2024, in Sherman Oaks, California. Ms. Shea was 93.
Shea was one of the writers of "Too Good Edith", which was the final episode of All in the Family. It aired on April 8, 1979. She co-created Archie Bunker's Place with Harriet Weiss. She worked as a story editor and/or writer for 25 episodes of the series. Shea, Weiss and Joe Gannon created the 1982-1983 CBS sitcom Gloria.
Some of her other sitcom writing credits included Sanford, Mama Malone, Valerie, Nothing Is Easy, The Golden Girls, I Married Dora, Marblehead Manor (2 episodes) and Bagdad Cafe.
She was a three-time Humanitas Award-nominated screenwriter. She was married to director Jack Shea from 1954 until his death in 2013.
Actor Doug Sheehan starred as Brian Harper in Day by Day and as Mel Horowitz in Clueless. 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.
James B. Sikking (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Actor James B. Sikking starred as Lt. Howard Hunter in Hill Street Blues and as Dr. David Howser in Doogie Howser, M.D.. He died of complications from dementia at his home in Los Angeles, California, on July 13, 2024. Mr. Sikking was 90.
Sikking starred as Geoffrey St. James in the short-lived 1979 NBC sitcom Turnabout, which was based on a 1931 novel of the same title by Thorne Smith. The plot was about a husband and wife who found themselves inhabiting each other's bodies. The series also starred John Schuck, Sharon Gless, Richard Stahl, Bobbi Jordan and Bruce Kirby.
He starred as Lt. Howard Hunter in the 1981-1987 NBC police drama Hill Street Blues. Initially a Sergeant, he is promoted to (or perhaps merely re-written as) Lieutenant early in season 1 without mention. Hunter is the commander of the Emergency Action Team (EAT, or "EATers"), who loves to postulate and theorize about the degeneration of society. In 1984, Sikking's performance earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.
Sikking starred as Dr. David Howser in the 1989-1993 ABC medical comedy/drama Doogie Howser, M.D.. Dr. David Howser is Doogie Howser's (Neil Patrick Harris) father. He's a Vietnam War MASH veteran with a family practice. The cast included Max Casella, Belinda Montgomery, Lawrence Pressman, Mitchell Anderson (1989-1991), Kathryn Layng, Lisa Dean Ryan (1989-1992), Lucy Boryer (1989-1992), Markus Redmond (1990-1993), Rif Hutton (recurring from 1990-1993) and Robyn Lively (recurring from 1991-1993).
He starred as Capt. Stan Jonas in the 1997-1998 CBS police drama Brooklyn South. The focus for Brooklyn South was the 74th Precinct in Brooklyn. The series won a People's Choice Award for Favorite Television New Dramatic Series in 1998.
Some of his sitcom guest appearances included O.K. Crackerby!, My Favorite Martian, My Mother the Car (2 episodes), Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., Here Come the Brides (2 episodes), The Bob Newhart Show, The Doris Day Show (3 episodes), M*A*S*H, Room 222 (2 episodes), Who's the Boss? and Curb Your Enthusiasm (2 episodes).
Sikking played Jim Hobart, an alcoholic surgeon, in the ABC soap opera General Hospital from 1971 to 1976. Some of his other television guest appearances included Perry Mason, Combat! (2 episodes), Rawhide, The Outer Limits (2 episodes), The Fugitive (3 episodes), Run for Your Life (2 episodes), The Invaders, Bonanza (2 episodes), Adam-12, Night Gallery (2 episodes), Mission: Impossible (2 episodes), Mod Squad (3 episodes), The Rookies (2 episodes), Mannix (2 episodes), Cannon (2 episodes), Delvecchio (3 episodes), The Feather & Father Gang (2 episodes), The Rockford Files (2 episodes), Hawaii Five-0 (2 episodes), Charlie's Angels (2 episodes), Hunter (3 episodes) and The Guardian (2 episodes)
He voiced General Gordon on the The WB's 1998 animated science fiction series Invasion America. Some of his other voice credits included Batman Beyond (2 episodes) and Rocket Power (2 episodes).
Sikking starred as FBI Director Denton Voyles in the 1993 American legal thriller film The Pelican Brief. Some of his other film credits included Ordinary People (1980), The Competition (1980), Outland (1981), The Star Chamber (1983), Up the Creek (1984), Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), Narrow Margin (1990), Fever Pitch (2005) and Made of Honor (2008).
Pro Football Hall of Famer and actor O.J. Simpson starred as T.D. Parker in the HBO sitcom 1st & Ten. He died of prostate cancer on April 10, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mr. Simpson was 76.
Simpson played college football for the USC Trojans, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a senior in 1968, and was selected first overall by the Buffalo Bills in the 1969 NFL/AFL draft. During his nine seasons with the Bills, he received five consecutive Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro selections from 1972 to 1976. He also led the league in rushing yards four times, in rushing touchdowns twice, and in points scored in 1975. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985, his first year of eligibility.
He began acting while at USC in 1968 and appeared on Dragnet in an uncredited role as a potential recruit to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). He appeared as Bru Riley in the first episode of Medical Center in 1969. Some of his other early television appearances included It Takes a Thief, Ironside, The Name of the Game, Cade's County and Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law. He played Kadi Touray in the 1977 ABC miniseries Roots.
Simpson appeared as himself in a 1973 Here's Lucy episode. In "The Big Game," he gives Lucy and Harry 50-yard-line stadium tickets to a big football game.
He starred as T.D. Parker in the HBO sitcom 1st & Ten, which aired from 1984 to 1991. He joined the cast in the second season. T.D. Parker is a veteran running back who is forced to make the transition from player to coach. The cast included Delta Burke (seasons 1-3), Cliff Frazier, Prince Hughes, Donald Gibb, Reid Shelton, John Kassir, Tony Longo, Michael Toland, Rick Moser, Shannon Tweed, Paul Tuerpe, Tom Lister Jr., Stan Kamber and Jason Beghe.
Simpson played Det. Nordberg in all three entries of The Naked Gun film trilogy (1988, 1991, 1994) alongside Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, and George Kennedy. Some of his other film credits included The Towering Inferno (1974), The Cassandra Crossing (1976) and Capricorn One (1978).
His professional success was overshadowed by his trial and controversial acquittal for the murders of his former wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman in 1994. Three years later, he was found liable for the murders in a civil suit from the victims' families, but paid little of the $33.5 million judgment.
American-British actor and singer David Soul starred as Joshua Bolt in Here Come the Brides and as Detective Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson in Starsky & Hutch. He died on January 4, 2024, in London, England. Mr. Soul was 80.
Soul starred as Joshua Bolt in the 1968-1970 ABC comedy western Here Come the Brides. The series was loosely based on Asa Mercer's efforts in the 1860s to import marriageable women (the Mercer Girls) from the East Coast cities of the United States to Seattle, where there was a shortage. The cast included Robert Brown, Bobby Sherman, Bridget Hanley, Mark Lenard, Bo Svenson, Joan Blondell, Henry Beckham, Mitzi Hoag and Susan Tolsky.
He starred as Detective Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson in the 1975-1979 ABC action/police drama Starsky & Hutch. The series' protagonists were two Southern California police detectives: David Michael Starsky (Paul Michael Glaser) and Kenneth Richard "Hutch" Hutchinson. Hutch is the divorced, blond, Duluth, Minnesota, native with a more reserved and intellectual approach. Soul directed three episodes of the series. He had a brief cameo in the 2004 movie version of Starsky & Hutch, alongside Paul Michael Glaser.
Soul starred as Ted Warrick in Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law in 1974. In 1979, he starred as Ben Mears in the CBS miniseries Salem's Lot. He played nightclub owner Rick Blain in the 1983 NBC drama Casablanca. He starred as Roy Champion in the 1983-1984 NBC primetime soap opera The Yellow Rose. He starred as John Westley "Westy" Grayson in the 1989 NBC police drama Unsub.
He guest starred on I Dream of Jeannie in 1967 and All in the Family in 1971. Some of his other television guest appearances included Flipper (1967), Star Trek, The Young Rebels, Dan August, Ironside, The F.B.I., The Streets of San Francisco, Circle of Fear, Cannon, The Rookies, McMillan & Wife, Medical Center, Gunsmoke, Crime Story, The Young Riders (2 episodes), Jake and the Fatman (2 episodes) and Murder, She Wrote (2 episodes).
Some of his other television directing credits included Miami Vice, Hunter, Heart of the City, Crime Story (2 episodes), China Beach and In the Heat of the Night.
As a singer, he scored one US hit and five UK hits with songs such as "Don't Give Up on Us" (US, CAN, & UK No. 1) in 1976 and "Silver Lady" (UK No. 1) in 1977.
Gloria Stroock (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Actress Gloria Stroock starred in The Girls. She died at her son's home in Tucson, Arizona, on May 5, 2024. Ms. Stroock was 99.
Stroock starred as Cornelia Otis Skinner in the short-lived 1950 CBS sitcom The Girls. Bethel Leslie originally portrayed Skinner. When she left to be in a play, Gloria Stroock replaced her in that role. Mary Malone played Emily Kimbrough. Kenneth Forbes played Todhunter Smith II.
Some of her sitcom guest appearances included Holmes and Yoyo, Operation Petticoat (3 episodes) and Archie Bunker's Place.
She had a supporting role in six episodes of McMillan & Wife as Maggie, the secretary of Stewart McMillan (Rock Hudson).
Television writer and producer Bob Tischler worked on Empty Nest and Boy Meets World. He died from pancreatic cancer at his home in Bodega Bay, California, on July 13, 2024. Mr. Tischler was 78.
He was the head writer of Saturday Night Live from 1981 to 1985. Some of his sitcom writing credits included The People Next Door, Empty Nest, The Pursuit of Happiness, Something So Right and Boy Meets World.
Some of his sitcom producing credits included The People Next Door, Empty Nest, The Pursuit of Happiness, Something So Right and Boy Meets World.
M. Emmet Walsh (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Actor M. Emmet Walsh starred in The Sandy Duncan Show and made many sitcom guest appearances. He died of cardiac arrest at Northwestern Medical Center in St. Albans, Vermont, on March 19, 2024. Mr. Walsh was 88.
Walsh starred as Alex Lembeck in the short-lived 1972 CBS sitcom The Sandy Duncan Show. Alex Lembeck is a motorcycle cop who appointed himself as Sandy Stockton's (Sandy Duncan) chaperone and protector. The series also starred Tom Bosley, Marian Mercer, Pam Zarit, Alfie Wise and Eric Christmas.
He appeared as Colonel Fred Patterson, Jill Taylor's (Patricia Richardson) father, in two episodes of Home Improvement in 1994. Some of his other sitcom guest appearances included Arnie, Julia (2 episodes), All in the Family, The Jimmy Stewart Show, The Don Rickles Show, The Bob Newhart Show, AfterMASH, The Jackie Thomas Show, Frasier, Charlie Lawrence, 'Til Death and The Righteous Gemstones (2 episodes).
Walsh starred as Ned Platt in the 1989 NBC police drama Unsub. Some of his other television appearances included Ironside, Bonanza, Nichols (5 episodes), McMillan & Wife, The Rockford Files, The Waltons, Baretta (2 episodes), Starsky & Hutch (2 episodes), Little House on the Prairie, Amazing Stories, Tales from the Crypt, The Flash (2 episodes in 1990), Early Edition, The X-Files, NYPD Blue, Ed, The Guardian, Damages (3 episodes), Sneaky Pete (7 episodes as Tex Hopkins) and American Gigolo.
He starred as Captain Bryant in Blade Runner (1982), as private detective Loren Visser in Blood Simple (1984) and as Dr. Joseph Dolan in Fletch (1985).
Walsh was a familiar face in over 200 films and television series in his career, which spanned seven decades.
Carl Weathers (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Actor, director and football player Carl Weathers portrayed a fictionalized version of himself in Arrested Development and who starred as Coach Trainor in Brothers. He died of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease at his home in Los Angeles, California, on February 2, 2024. Mr. Weathers was 76.
Weathers made his television acting debut as Calvin Brooks in the Good Times episode titled "The Nude", which aired on January 14, 1975. A woman, known in the projects as the "Wiggler" (Betty Bridges, the mother of Todd Bridges), asks J.J. (Jimmie Walker) to paint a nude portrait of her as a birthday gift for her husband Calvin. Calvin suspects his wife of cheating on him with J.J.
Some of his other early television guest appearances included Kung Fu (1975), S.W.A.T. (1975), The Six Million Dollar Man, Cannon, Switch, Bronk, McCloud, Most Wanted, Starsky & Hutch, Barnaby Jones, Serpico, Delvecchio, The Streets of San Francisco and Tales of the Unexpected.
Weathers starred as Fortune Dane in the short-lived 1986 ABC police drama Fortune Dane. He had a recurring role as Col. Brewster in nine episodes of the third season (1989-1990) of the CBS military drama Tour of Duty. He portrayed Sgt. Adam Beaudreaux in the 1991-1993 syndicated action crime drama Street Justice. He starred as Police Chief Hampton Forbes Police Chief Hampton Forbes in the sixth and seventh seasons (1993-1995) of In the Heat of the Night.
He portayed a fictionalized version of himself in four episodes of the Fox sitcom Arrested Development from 2004 through 2013. He serves as Tobias Fünke's (David Cross) acting coach.
He starred as Coach Trainor in the short-lived 2009 Fox sitcom Brothers. The series stars former NFL star Michael Strahan and Daryl "Chill" Mitchell as estranged brothers who are pressured to get along by their parents (played by Carl Weathers and C. C. H. Pounder) after Strahan's character moves back to his home town of Houston.
Weathers had a recurring role as Bolton "Beau" Miller in the first season of the science fiction drama Colony in 2016. He starred as State's Attorney Mark Jefferies in the 2017 NBC legal drama Chicago Justice. Some of his other television guest appearances included The Shield (2 episodes), Psych, Chicago Fire (2 episodes), Chicago P.D. (4 episodes) and Magnum, P.I. (2018).
He had a recurring role as Greef Karga in the Star Wars series The Mandalorian from 2019 through 2023. In 2021, he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.
Weathers directed two episodes of The Mandalorian. Some of his other directing credits included Renegade, Silk Stalkings (8 episodes), Pensacola: Wings of Gold (2 episodes), Strong Medicine, 18 Wheels of Jusice (3 episodes), Sheena (5 episodes), For the People, Hawaii Five-0 (2019), The Last O.G. (2 episodes), Law & Order, FBI and Chicago Med (2 episodes).
His film roles included boxer Apollo Creed in the first four Rocky films (1976–1985), Colonel Al Dillon in Predator (1987), Sgt. Jericho "Action" Jackson in Action Jackson (1988), Derick "Chubbs" Peterson in Happy Gilmore (1996), and Combat Carl in the Toy Story franchise.
Emmy-winning television producer and screenwriter Dan Wilcox worked on M*A*S*H. He died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, on February 14, 2024. Mr. Wilcox was 82.
Wilcox worked on the last four seasons (1979-1983) of the CBS sitcom M*A*S*H. He was a writer and/or executive story editor on 36 episodes of M*A*S*H from 1979 to 1983. He wrote the series finale "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" along with Alan Alda, Burt Metcalfe, John Rappaport, Thad Mumford, Elias Davis, David Pollock and Karen Hall. It was the most-watched finale and single episode of any television series in U.S. history with 106 million viewers. He was a producer for the last two seasons from 1981 to 1983.
Some of his other sitcom writing credits included That's My Mama, The Practice (1976), America 2-Night (65 episodes), Good Times, The Waverly Wonders (4 episodes), Angie (2 episodes), Open All Night, The Duck Factory (2 episodes), Newhart (2 episodes), Eisenhower & Lutz, FM (3 episodes), Growing Pains, The New WKRP in Cincinnati, The Jeff Foxworthy Show, Police Academy: The Series, Cosby and Becker.
Some of his other sitcom producing credits included The Duck Factory, Newhart, Eisenhower & Lutz, FM and Growing Pains.
He received an Emmy Award for his work on Sesame Street in 1970. He was nominated for four more Primetime Emmy Awards.
Samm-Art Williams (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Playwright, screenwriter, television producer and actor Samm-Art Williams worked as a writer and producer on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Martin and Good News. He died on May 13, 2024, in Burgaw, North Carolina. Mr. Williams was 78.
Williams was a co-producer and writer/story editor for four episodes of Frank's Place in 1987 and 1988. He worked as a producer on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air from 1990 to 1993. Some of his other sitcom producing credits included Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, Martin and Good News.
His other sitcom writing credits included The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (9 episodes), Martin (5 episodes) and Good News (2 episodes).
Some of his sitcom guest appearances included 227, Frank's Place, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Hangin' with Mr. Cooper. He played Meurice in Blood Simple (1984).
He was nominated for a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award for his play Home (1979), which moved from the Negro Ensemble Company to a Broadway production in 1980.
Williams was a 6' 8" lefty who was once a sparring partner of boxer Muhammad Ali.
Chuck Woolery (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Television host, actor, and musician Chuck Woolery was the original host of the original daytime Wheel of Fortune from 1975 until 1981, when he was replaced by Pat Sajak. He died at home in Horseshoe Bay, Texas, on November 23, 2024. Mr. Woolery was 83.
Woolery hosted a number of other game shows including Love Connection (1983–1994), Scrabble (1984–1990, 1993), Greed (1999-2000), and Lingo (2002–2007).
Some of his sitcom credits included Love, American Style (1973), 227, and Scrubs
Patti Yasutake (IMDB/Wikipedia)
Actress Patti Yasutake starred as Umeki Kazuhiro in Gung Ho and as Fumi Nakai in Beef. She died of a rare form of T-cell lymphoma at the UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center, on August 5, 2024. Ms. Yasutake was 70.
Yasutake starred as Umeki Kazuhiro in the 1986 comedy film Gung Ho, which was directed by Ron Howard and starred Michael Keaton. She reprised the role in the short-lived 1986-1987 ABC sitcom Gung Ho. The series also starred Scott Bakula, Gedde Watanabe, Stephen Lee, Sab Shimono, Clint Howard, Rodney Kageyama, Heidi Banks, Emily Kurodo and Scott Atari.
Some of her sitcom guest appearances included Hail to the Chief, Take Five, Duet, Mr. Belvedere (2 episodes), Murphy Brown, Rhythm & Blues and Living Single. She was best known for her portrayal of Nurse Alyssa Ogawa in the Star Trek franchise. She appeared in 16 episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation. She starred as Fumi Nakai, George's (Joseph Lee) mother, in the 2022-2023 Netflix comedy-drama minseries.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Friday, January 3
Happy's Place - "Emceee Squared" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When Bobbie tries to claim her rightful role as emcee for the Tavern's anniversary party, she ignites a fierce showdown with Gabby, who's determined to steal the spotlight; Isabella and Steve bet on who will come out on top, adding fuel to the fire.
Lopez vs Lopez - "Lopez vs Escándalo" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
George has a big secret to keep when he starts spending time with Rosie's ex-fiancé behind her back; Mayan tries to manage a customer's move herself; Quinten tries to tackle a plumbing problem at home without George's help.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 30)
Friday, January 3
- Bowen Yang (Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens) - Watch Bowen on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Kerry Washington (UnPrisoned) - Kerry appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Langston Kerman (English Teacher/Bust Down/South Side/Bless This Mess) - Langston is a guest on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Keke Palmer (Scream Queens/True Jackson, VP) - Keke talks about her new book Master of Me: The Secret to Controlling Your Narrative on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Andrew Rannells (Girls/The New Normal) - Drew is joined by the hilarious Andrew to celebrate all things Thanksgiving on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
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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