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Remembering Demond Wilson of Sanford and Son, Catherine O'Hara of Schitt's Creek, Yvonne Lime of Father Knows Best, and TV Director Bruce Bilson

Actor and author Demond Wilson, who starred as Lamont Sanford in Sanford and Son, has died. He died of complications from cancer at his home in Palm Springs, California, on January 30. He had been suffering from prostate cancer. Mr. Wilson was 79.

Wilson was featured in several Broadway and off-Broadway stage productions before moving to Hollywood. His first credited role on television was as Horace, a burglar, with Cleavon Little as Coke in the 1971 episode of All in the Family titled "Edith Writes a Song". He played Simmons in a 1971 episode of Mission: Impossible.

Wilson starred as Lamont Sanford in the 1972-1977 NBC sitcom Sanford and Son. The series follows Fred G. Sanford (Redd Foxx), known for his bigotry and cantankerousness, and Lamont Sanford, his long-suffering, conscientious, peacemaker son. It was a hit through its six-season run, finishing in the Nielsen top ten five times. Recurring cast members included Slappy White (1972), Don Bexley, Noam Pitlik (1972), Hal Williams (1972-1976), Beah Richards (1972), Gregory Sierra (1972-1975), Nathaniel Taylor, LaWanda Page (1973-1977), Whitman Mayo (1973-1977), Lynn Hamilton, Howard Platt (1972-1976), Pat Morita (1974-1975), Marlene Clark (1976-1977), Raymond Allen (1976-1977), and Edward Crawford (1976-1977).

He next starred as Raymond Ellis in the short-lived 1978 CBS sitcom Baby... I'm Back!, which aired for 13 episodes. The series follows Raymond Ellis, a irresponsible gambler who returns to Washington, D.C. after seven years to win back his wife and children. He discovers he was declared legally dead and must compete with his wife's new fiancé and interfering mother-in-law. The cast included Denise Nicholas, Helen Martin, Kim Fields, Tony Holmes, and Ed Hall.

Wilson starred as Oscar Madison in short-lived 1982-1983 ABC sitcom The New Odd Couple. It was an updated version of the 1970-1975 ABC sitcom The Odd Couple. In this series, Felix Unger (Ron Glass) and Oscar Madison were both African-American college buddies who met in the 1950s. The characterizations were still the same, as Felix was a prissy neatfreak and Oscar was a fun-loving and sloppy character. The cast included John Schuck, Bart Braverman, Jo Marie Payton, Liz Torres, Sheila Anderson, Ronalda Douglas, Telma Hopkins, Christopher Joy, and Marvin Braverman.

He guest starred in two episodes of The Love Boat in 1979 and 1981. He had a recurring role as Kenneth Miles, Lynn Searcy's (Persia White) biological father, in four episodes of the UPN sitcom Girlfriends from 2004 to 2005.

Wilson guest starred in a 1981 episode of Today's F.B.I. on ABC. He starred as Agent Ed Schamper in the 1983 comedy-drama film Me and the Kid. Some of his other film credits included The Organization (1971), Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues (1972), Full Moon High (1981), and Hammerlock (2000).

He served in the United States Army from 1966 to 1968 and was in the 4th Infantry Division in Vietnam, where he was wounded. In 1984, he was ordained as a minister in the Church of God in Christ and was an active Christian evangelist for much of his adult life. His memoir Second Banana: The Bittersweet Memoirs of the Sanford & Son Years was released on August 31, 2009.

Mr. Wilson was funny and memorable as Lamont Sanford. He had great chemistry with Redd Foxx and the other cast members. We thank him for his service and for his work on television. He will be greatly missed.

Share your memories on our Sanford and Son message board. View photos in our galleries.

Antenna TV celebrates the life of Demond Wilson with a 4-hour mini tribute marathon of Sanford and Son episodes on Tuesday, February 3 starting at 7pm ET / 4pm PT. Watch Sanford and Son weekdays at 7am ET, weeknights at 10pm ET and Saturdays at 3pm ET on Antenna TV.

This Saturday (February 7), in honor of the late Demond Wilson, Catchy Comedy will do a 4-hour mini tribute marathon of Sanford and Son starting at 7pm ET. Watch Sanford and Son weeknights at 7pm ET on Catchy Comedy.

Emmy-winning Canadian-American actress Catherine O'Hara, who starred as Moira Rose in Schitt's Creek, has died. She died in Los Angeles on January 30. Ms. O'Hara was 71.

O'Hara starred as answering service operator Myrna Wallbacker in the second season (1976-1977) of the CBC children's sitcom Coming Up Rosie. The show focuses on a group of tenants in an office building located at 99 Sumach Street, Toronto. It aired for two seasons, in the fall of 1975 and 1976, and in repeats through 1978 and again for the summer of 1984.

She starred in the Canadian sketch comedy show SCTV, which aired from 1976 to 1984. She was a main cast member for seasons 1, 2 and 4 and made guest appearances in seasons 5 and 6. She became known for her versatility in playing both original characters and celebrity impersonations. Some of her original characters included singers Lola Heatherton and Dusty Towne, Sue Ellen Alison and Violet McKay. She was also a writer for seasons 1, 2, 4 and 6. O'Hara's work as a writer on the show earned her an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program in 1982 and three Emmy Award nominations.

O'Hara starred as Moira Rose in the 2015-2020 CBC sitcom Schitt's Creek. The series follows the formerly wealthy Rose family who, after their business manager embezzles the family business, Rose Video, lose their fortune and relocate to a motel in the small (fictional) town of Schitt's Creek, where they must adjust to their new life circumstances. Moira Rose is an eccentric former soap opera star, with a firm commitment to glamour and a fierce belief in her own celebrity. She uses an extensive vocabulary and speaks with an unplaceable, faux-upper class accent.

O'Hara's role earned her a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2019 and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy in 2021. Her performance earned her six Canadian Screen Awards for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. The cast included Eugene Levy, Daniel Levy, Annie Murphy, Emily Hampshire, Chris Elliott, Jennifer Robertson, Noah Reid (seasons 3-6), Tim Rozon (seasons 1–2; guest seasons 3–4), and Dustin Milligan.

In 2025, she starred as Patty Leigh in the Apple TV+ satirical cringe comedy The Studio. It stars Seth Rogen as Matt Remick, an embattled Hollywood studio head struggling to balance corporate demands with his own film production desires. Patty Leigh is the former studio head and Matt's mentor. O'Hara received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2025.

Some of her sitcom/comedy guest appearances included Trying Times (1987), Dream On, Morton & Hayes, The Larry Sanders Show, Oh Baby, Bram and Alice, Curb Your Enthusiasm, 30 Rock, and Modern Family. She appeared in four episodes of the 1984 NBC sketch comedy series The New Show. She provided the voice of Liz Larsen for the 2001 CTV animated sitcom Committed.

Some of her other television credits included the HBO drama series Six Feet Under (2003–2005), the Netflix series A Series of Unfortunate Events (2017–2018) and the HBO post-apocalyptic drama series The Last of Us (2025). She received an Emmy nomination in 2025 for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Gail Lynden on The Last of Us.

She starred as Delia Deetz in the horror-comedy film Beetlejuice (1988).She starred as Kate McCallister in the blockbuster comedy film Home Alone (1990) and its sequel Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992). She frequently collaborated with Christopher Guest, acting in his mockumentary films Waiting for Guffman (1996), Best in Show (2000), A Mighty Wind (2003), and For Your Consideration (2006). Some of her other film credits included After Hours (1985), Heartburn (1986), Dick Tracy (1990), Betsy's Wedding (1990), The Paper (1994), and Wyatt Earp (1994). Her portrayal of Temple Grandin's aunt in the HBO film Temple Grandin (2010) earned an Emmy nomination.

Ms. O'Hara was a talented and funny actress. Her television and film collaborations with Eugene Levy were always entertaining. We thank her for the many laughs and entertainment that she brought us during her legendary career, which spanned over 50 years. She will be deeply missed.

Share your memories on our Schitt's Creek message board. View photos in our galleries.

Actress Yvonne Lime, who had a recurring role as Dotty Snow in Father Knows Best and starred as Sally Day in Happy, has died. She died at her home in Paradise Valley, Arizona, on January 23. Ms. Lime was 90.

Lime had a recurring role as Dotty/Dottie Snow in more than a dozen episodes of the CBS/NBC sitcom Father Knows Best from 1954 to 1960. Father Knows Best follows the lives of the Andersons, a middle-class family living in the town of Springfield. Dotty/Dottie Snow is a friend of Betty Anderson (Elinor Donahue). The cast included Robert Young, Jane Wyatt, Billy Gray, and Lauren Chapin.

She starred as Sally Day in the 1960-1961 NBC sitcom Happy. The series depicts the events at a motel in Palm Springs, California, run by a young married couple with commentary provided by the voiced thoughts of their infant son Happy. The series also starred Ronnie Burns, Lloyd Corrigan, Doris Packer, David Born, and Steven Born.

Some of her other sitcom guest appearances included December Bride, The People's Choice, The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (11 episodes), The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (4 episodes), The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (2 episodes), Bringing Up Buddy (4 episodes), The Joey Bishop Show, The Bill Dana Show, The Andy Griffith Show, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (4 episodes), and My Three Sons.

She made her first television guest appearance on The Millionaire in 1956. Some of her other television credits included Studio 57, The Adventures of Jim Bowie, Crossroads (2 episodes), The Thin Man, Wichita Town, Bat Masterson, The Third Man, and Dragnet (1967).

Lime's first film appearance was as Snookie Maguire in The Rainmaker (1956). Some of her other film credits included I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957) and High School Hellcats (1958).

She was married to producer Don Fedderson (The Millionaire, My Three Sons and Family Affair) from 1969 until his death in 1994.

Ms. Lime devoted much of her time to philanthropy after retiring from acting. She was best known as the co-founder of Childhelp, a non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention and treatment of child abuse. She garnered five consecutive Nobel Peace Prize nominatons (2000-2005) for her humanitarian work. We thank her for work on television and her humanitarian work. She will be sorely missed.

Emmy-winning television director Bruce Bilson, who was best known for his work on the spy spoof Get Smart, has died. He died at his home in Los Angeles on January 16. Mr. Bilson was 97.

Bilson directed 22 episodes of the NBC sitcom Get Smart from 1965 to 1968. He directed the second-most episodes of the series behind Gary Nelson who directed 23 episodes. He won the 1967–1968 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for the third season episode "Maxwell Smart, Private Eye".

He directed 22 episodes of Hogan's Heroes from 1967-1971. He worked as an assistant director on The Andy Griffith Show from 1960 to 1963. Some of his other 1960s sitcom directing credits included Karen (1964), The Baileys of Balboa (2 episodes), The Patty Duke Show (11 episodes), Gidget (3 episodes), Camp Runamuck, Run Buddy Run, Please Don't Eat the Daisies (10 episodes), That Girl, Bewitched, Blondie (1968), and The Ghost & Mrs. Muir (2 episodes).

Some of his 1970s sitcom directing credits included The Tim Conway Show (1970), Barefoot in the Park, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Green Acres, Arnie (4 episodes), The Good Life (2 episodes in 1971), The Odd Couple (6 episodes), Nanny and the Professor (8 episodes), Love, American Style (21 episodes), The Doris Day Show (12 episodes), Sanford and Son, The New Temperatures Rising Show, M*A*S*H, The Paul Lynde Show (2 episodes), The Partridge Family (2 episodes), Roll Out, Dusty's Trail (5 episodes), The Brady Bunch (4 episodes), When Things Were Rotten, Barney Miller (10 episodes), Alice (2 episodes), Tabitha, Quark, Delta House, and The Bad News Bears.

Bilson directed 17 episodes of Dinosaurs from 1991 to 1993. Some of his other 1980s and 1990s sitcom directing credits included Harper Valley P.T.A. (3 episodes), House Calls (6 episodes), Private Benjamin (4 episodes), Too Close for Comfort, Just Our Luck, The Love Boat (5 episodes), Life with Lucy (2 episodes), Sledge Hammer! (2 episodes), The Munsters Today, The Nutt House (4 episodes), and The Love Boat: The Next Wave.

He was interviewed for The Interviews: An Oral History of Television on August 19, 2008.

Mr. Bilson directed over 400 episodes of television throughout his five-decade career. He was the father of Danny Bilson, a film and video game writer/producer, and the grandfather of actress Rachel Bilson. We thank him for his work on television. He will be greatly missed.

Posted by Todd -- SitcomsOnline.com at 1:00 PM

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Labels: Father Knows Best, Get Smart, Obits, Sanford and Son, Schitt's Creek, SCTV