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Remembering Bob Uecker of Mr. Belvedere, Punky Brewster Creator David W. Duclon, and Others We Recently Lost

Hall of Fame broadcaster, professional baseball catcher, and actor Bob Uecker, who starred as George Owens in Mr. Belvedere, has died. He died in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, on January 16. He was diagnosed with small-cell lung cancer in 2023. Mr. Uecker was 90.

Uecker starred as sportswriter George Owens in the 1985-1990 ABC sitcom Mr. Belvedere. The series is based on the Lynn Aloysius Belvedere character created by Gwen Davenport for her 1947 novel Belvedere, which was later adapted into the 1948 film Sitting Pretty. The series follows posh English butler Lynn Belvedere (Christopher Hewett) as he struggles to adapt to the Owens household in suburban Pittsburgh. It also starred Ilene Graff, Rob Stone, Tracy Wells, and Brice Beckham.

He appeared as himself in episodes of Who's the Boss? in 1986, D.C. Follies in 1987, and LateLine in 1998. In 2002, he was the voice of the "head of Bob Uecker" in the Futurama episode "A Leela of Her Own". He voiced a parody of himself named Bob Yucker in an episode of the 2021 Disney+ series Monsters at Work.

Uecker hosted two syndicated television shows, Bob Uecker's Wacky World of Sports and Bob Uecker's War of the Stars. He hosted Saturday Night Live during its 10th season on October 13, 1984. He was a ring announcer for Wrestlemania III (1987) and the ringside announcer, commentator, and interviewer at WrestleMania IV (1988).

He became a regular fixture on late night talk shows in the 1970s and 1980s, facetiously dubbed "Mr. Baseball" by TV talk show host Johnny Carson. He made more than 60 appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.

Uecker appeared in a series of Miller Lite commercials starting in the 1980s. In one commercial from that decade, Uecker was seen preparing to watch a baseball game when an usher informs him he is in the wrong seat. Uecker pompously remarks, "I must be in the front row", which became another of his catchphrases.

He starred as play-by-play announcer Harry Doyle in the film Major League (1989) and its two sequels, Major League II (1994) and Major League: Back to the Minors (1998). He coined the popular sports catchphrase "Juuust a bit outside", to downplay an extremely wild pitch from Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn (played by Charlie Sheen).

Uecker played backup catcher for the Milwaukee Braves (1962-1963), St. Louis Cardinals (1964-1965), Philadelphia Phillies (1966-1967), and Atlanta Braves (1967) for six seasons from 1962 to 1967. He won a World Series with the Cardinals in 1964.

He served as the primary broadcaster for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB) for 54 seasons from 1971 to 2024. He called games for ABC in the 1970s and early 1980s and NBC in the 1990s. He was honored by the National Baseball Hall of Fame with its 2003 Ford C. Frick Award in recognition of his broadcasting career.

Mr. Uecker was a national treasure. He was a comedic genius with his self-deprecating wit and deadpan delivery. We thank him for the many laughs and entertainment that he brought us during his legendary career. Mr. Baseball will be greatly missed.

Share your memories on our Mr. Belvedere message board. View photos in our galleries.

Television writer and producer David W. Duclon, who created Punky Brewster, has died. He died in Franklin, Illinois, on January 15, after a long illness. Mr. Duclon was 74.

Duclon created the 1984-1986 NBC and 1987-1988 first-run syndicated sitcom Punky Brewster. The series is about a young girl (Soleil Moon Frye) being raised by a foster parent (George Gaynes) in Chicago. The cast included Cherie Johnson, Susie Garrett, Ami Foster, Casey Ellison (seasons 1-2, guest star season 3), Eddie Deezen (season 1), Dody Goodman (season 1), and T.K. Carter (season 2). He was the maternal uncle of Cherie Johnson.

He served as an executive producer for the 1984-1988 series and the 2021 Peacock revival. He directed four episodes of the original series in 1987. He provided the voice of Spirit Voice in a 1988 episode.

Duclon developed the 1979 CBS sitcom Working Stiffs, which starred James Belushi and Michael Keaton. He developed the 1982-1986 NBC and 1986-1987 first-run syndicated sitcom Silver Spoons with Ron Leavitt and Michael G. Moye. Duclon, Robert Illes, and James R. Stein created the 1984-1985 NBC sitcom Double Trouble. He and Gary Menteer creted the 1987-1988 Fox sitcom Second Chance (later retitled Boys Will Be Boys), which starred Matthew Perry. He created the 1994-1995 ABC sicom On Our Own.

Some of his other sitcom writing credits included The Odd Couple (4 episodes), Happy Days (2 episodes), Busting Loose (4 episodes), Laverne & Shirley (4 episodes), Makin' It, Working Stiffs (9 episodes), The Jeffersons (8 episodes), Diff'rent Strokes, Silver Spoons, Built to Last (2 episodes), Family Matters (27 episodes), Malcolm & Eddie (4 episodes, also 1 episode as a director), Yes, Dear (2002), and Eve (5 episodes).

Some of his sitcom producing credits included The Ted Knight Show, Makin' It, Working Stiffs, Laverne & Shirley, The Jeffersons, Silver Spoons, Second Chance/Boys Will Be Boys, On Our Own (1994-1995), Family Matters, Guys Like Us, Malcolm & Eddie, and Eve.

As an actor, he appeared in three episodes of The Odd Couple and a 1976 episode of Laverne & Shirley.

Mr. Duclon was a prolific sitcom writer and producer from the 1970s to 1990s. We thank him for his work creating, writing, directing and producing many sitcoms. He will be missed.

We also remember filmmaker, visual artist, musician, and actor David Lynch. He co-created Twin Peaks and the short-lived 1992 ABC sitcom On the Air. He died at his daughter's home on January 15, of complications from emphysema. Mr. Lynch was 78.

Lynch and Mark Frost created the 1990-91 ABC surrealist mystery-horror drama Twin Peaks. He was nominated for five Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series and Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series. He co-wrote and directed its film prequel, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992), and a third season on Showtime in 2017. He directed six episodes of the original series and all 18 episodes the reivival series. He also portrayed FBI agent Gordon Cole in both series.

Lynch and Frost created the short-lived 1992 ABC sitcom On the Air. The series follows the staff of a fictional 1950s television network, Zoblotnick Broadcasting Company (ZBC), as they produce a live variety program called The Lester Guy Show—often with disastrous results. Lynch directed the pilot episode. ABC aired only three of the seven episodes filmed, but the first and only season was broadcast in its entirety in the United Kingdom and several other European countries. The series starred Ian Buchanan, Nancye Ferguson, Miguel Ferrer, Gary Grossman, Mel Johnson Jr., Marvin Kaplan, David L. Lander, Kim McGuire, Marla Rubinoff, and Tracey Walter.

He provided the voice of Gus the Bartender in 23 episodes of the Fox animated sitcom The Cleveland Show from 2010 to 2013. He voiced Gus in a 2010 episode of Family Guy and himself in a 2016 episode. In 2012, he appeared as Jack Dahl in the three-part "Late Show" arc on FX's comedy-drama Louie.

Some of his film directing credits included Eraserhead (1977), The Elephant Man (1980), Dune (1984), Blue Velvet (1986), Wild at Heart (1990), Lost Highway (1997), The Straight Story (1999), Mulholland Drive (2001), and Inland Empire (2006).

Mr. Lynch was awarded numerous accolades, including the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Film Festival in 2006 and an Honorary Academy Award in 2019. We thank him for his work on television and in films. He will be sorely missed.

Actress Leslie Charleson was best known for her role as Monica Quartermaine in the ABC daytime soap opera General Hospital. She died in Los Angeles on January 12. She had experienced several falls, which caused problems with her mobility, and had been hospitalized from one of them the week before her death. Ms. Charleson was 79.

Charleson's career began on the short-lived ABC daytime soap opera A Flame in the Wind in 1964. In 1966, she joined the cast of As the World Turns as Alice Whipple. She starred as Iris Donnelly Garrison in the CBS daytime soap opera Love Is a Many Splendored Thing from 1967 to 1970.

She joined the ABC daytime soap opera General Hospital in 1977. She was a series regular from 1977 to 2010 before becoming a recurring cast member from 2010 to 2023. For her role, she received four Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series nominations: in 1980, 1982, 1983 and 1995. She appeared as Monica Quartermaine in 27 episodes of Port Charles from 1997 to 2001.

Charleson guest starred as Mrs. Dorothy Kimber in the 1975 episode of Happy Days titled "Get a Job". She played Katherine in a 2001 episode of Dharma & Greg. She appeared as herself in a 2004 episode of Friends.

Some of her other television guest appearances included N.Y.P.D., The Wild Wild West, Mannix, Adam-12, O'Hara, U.S. Treasury (1972), Search, The Rookies, Emergency!, Medical Center, Ironside, The F.B.I., Marcus Welby, M.D. (2 episodes), Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law (2 episodes), Kung Fu, Medical Story, Cannon (3 episodes), Barnaby Jones, The Streets of San Francisco (2 episodes), McMillan & Wife, The Rockford Files (2 episodes), and Diagnosis: Murder.

Ms. Charleson was the longest-serving cast member of General Hospital. We thank her for her work on television. She will be deeply missed.

Actor Robert Machray had a recurring role as Captain Dobbins in Cheers. He died of complications from dementia and two strokes at his home in North Hollywood, California, on January 12. Mr. Machray was 79.

Machray appeared as Captain Dobbins in four episodes of the NBC sitcom Cheers from 1990 to 1993. Captain Dobbins is a fire marshal who is often the victim of pranks at Cheers. He appeared in several "Bar Wars" episodes, in which the Cheers gang thought he was an agent of Gary's Olde Town Tavern, only to be proved wrong.

He had a recurring role as Magistrate in three episodes of the short-lived 1999 CBS sitcom Thanks. Some of his other sitcom credits included Operation Petticoat, Three's Company, Down Home, Roseanne, Love & War, Sister, Sister (1995), Maybe This Time, Suddenly Susan, Townies, The Drew Carey Show, Titus, That's My Bush!, Girlfriends, Kitchen Confidenial, and Parks and Recreation.

Mr. Machray was a familiar face in many sitcoms. We thank for his work on television. He will be missed.

Character actress Gwen Van Dam guest starred in many sitcoms. She died in West Los Angeles on December 19, 2024. Ms. Van Dam was 96.

She played Mrs. Watson in the 1971 episode of The Brady Bunch titled "Her Sister's Shadow". Some of her other sitcom credits included Maude, House Calls, Who's the Boss?, 227, Doogie Howser, M.D. (1991), 227, Bakersfield P.D., Malibu, CA (1999), Joey, Wilfred, The League, New Girl, Angie Tribeca, Modern Family, Workaholics, Insecure, and Grace and Frankie. Her final appearances were two episodes as Hazel Carrey in the 2024 Hulu action comedy Interior Chinatown.

Ms. Van Dam was a veteran character actress for 70 years. She had 140 television and film credits during her career. We thank her for work on television. She will be deeply missed.

Posted by Todd -- SitcomsOnline.com at 12:45 PM

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Labels: Cheers, Family Matters, Mr. Belvedere, Obits, Punky Brewster, Silver Spoons