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Beef Returns April 16 on Netflix; Remembering Jennifer Runyon of Charles in Charge

Every couple meets their match. Beef returns with a new cast and a new "beef," as a Gen-Z couple witnesses an alarming fight between their Millennial boss and his wife. Starring Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Cailee Spaeny, Charles Melton and guest starring Youn Yuh-jung and Song Kang-ho. Beef Season 2 premieres April 16, only on Netflix with 8 episodes.

In the comedy, newly-engaged Ashley Miller (Cailee Spaeny) and Austin Davis (Charles Melton), both lower-level staff at a country club, become entangled in the unraveling marriage of their General Manager, Joshua Martín (Oscar Isaac), and his wife, Lindsay Crane-Martín (Carey Mulligan). Through favors and coercion, both couples vie for the approval of the elitist club's billionaire owner, Chairwoman Park (Youn Yuh-jung), who struggles to manage her own scandal involving her second husband, Doctor Kim (Song Kang-ho).

Actress Jennifer Runyon, who starred as Gwendolyn Pierce in Charles in Charge, has died. She died of cancer on March 6. Ms. Runyon was 65.

Runyon starred as Gwendolyn Pierce in the first season (1984-1985) of the CBS sitcom Charles in Charge. The first season stars Scott Baio as Charles, a 19-year-old college student working as a live-in "nanny" for the Pembroke family in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Charles has a crush on fellow Copeland student Gwendolyn Pierce and spends quite a bit of his free time trying to court her, which never seems to work. The cast of the first season included Julie Cobb, James Widdoes, April Lerman, Jonathan Ward, Michael Pearlman, and Willie Aames.

Charles in Charge moved to first-run syndication in 1987. She returned in the second season in the episodes "Twice Upon a Time: Part 1" and "Twice Upon a Time: Part 2".

Some of her sitcom guest appearances included Who's the Boss?, Dear John, The Hogan Family, and Vinnie & Bobby.

She had a supporting role as Sally Frame in the NBC soap opera Another World from 1981 to 1983. She appeared as Marcia Grant in three episodes of the 1985 NBC miniseries Space. Some of other television guest appearances included Boone, The Fall Guy, The Master, Magnum, P.I. (1987), The Highwayman, Quantum Leap (2 episodes in 1989), Booker, Murder, She Wrote (2 episodes), and Beverly Hills, 90210.

Runyon portrayed Cindy Brady in the 1988 CBS made-for-television Christmas comedy-drama film A Very Brady Christmas. Susan Olsen, the original Cindy Brady, was not in this production due to a combination of salary negotiations and timing conflicting with her honeymoon. It was the second highest-rated television film of 1988.

She had a small part as a student being given an ESP test by Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) in Ghostbusters (1984). Some of her other film credits included To All a Goodnight (1980), Up the Creek (1984), The In Crowd (1988), 18 Again! (1988), and Carnosaur (1993).

Ms. Runyon was a talented and lovely actress. She was funny and memorable as Gwendolyn Pierce in Charles in Charge and as Fake/Christmas Cindy in A Very Brady Christmas. We thank her for her work on television and in films. She will be deeply missed.

We also remember actor Corey Parker. He starred in Flying Blind and Love Boat: The Next Wave. He had a recurring role as Josh in Will & Gace. He died from cancer in Memphis, Tennessee, on March 5. Mr. Parker was 60.

Parker starred as Neil Barash in the 1992-1993 Fox sitcom Flying Blind. The series revolves around an awkward recent college grad, Neil Barash, who meets and starts dating a beautiful libertine woman, Alicia (Téa Leoni), with a wild past. It also starred Cristine Rose (1992), Robert Bauer, Clea Lewis, Marcus Giamatti, Michael Tucci, and Charles Rocket (1993).

He starred as Joel Goodman in the short-lived 1994 ABC sitcom Blue Skies. Russell Evans (Matt Roth) and Joel Goodman operate the Blue Skies Trading Company, a mail-order business in Boston. The series also starred Julia Campbell, Stephen Tobolowsky, Richard Kind, and Adilah Barnes.

Parker starred as John Morgan in 1998-1999 UPN comedy series Love Boat: The Next Wave. It was a revival of the original run of the ABC series The Love Boat from 1977–1986. Set aboard the cruise ship Sun Princess, the series starred Robert Urich as Captain Jim Kennedy, a retired and divorced U.S. Navy officer with a teen-aged son, Danny (Kyle Howard). John Morgan is the ship's doctor. The series also starred Phil Morris, Stacey Travis (season 1), Randy Vasquez, Joan Severance, and Heidi Mark (season 2).

He had a recurring role as Josh, Grace Adler's (Debra Messing) boyfriend, in five episodes of the NBC sitcom Will & Grace in 2000. He guest starred on The New Leave it to Beaver in 1985.

Parker had a recurring role as Lee Owens in six episodes of the ABC drama Thirtysomething from 1989 to 1990. Some of his other television credits included The Best Times, The Bronx Zoo, Eddie Dodd (6 episodes), Touched by an Angel, Nashville, and Sun Records.

Some of his film credits included Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning (1985), Willy/Milly (aka Something Special) (1986), Biloxi Blues (1988), Big Man on Campus (1989), How I Got into College (1989), and White Palace (1990).

Mr. Parker was a talented and versatile actor. He later became a respected on-set acting coach for major productions. We thank him for work on television and in films. He will be greatly missed.

Television writer and producer Bob Rosenfarb worked on Who's the Boss?, Head of the Class, and Step by Step. He died on March 3. Mr. Rosenfarb was 74.

Rosenfarb's sitcom writing credits included Archie Bunker's Place, All Is Forgiven, The Ellen Burstyn Show, The Golden Girls, Head of the Class (19 episodes), Free Spirit (2 episodes), Who's the Boss? (11 episodes), Step by Step (16 episodes), and 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd.

He worked as a producer on the last two seasons of Who's the Boss? from 1990 to 1992. He was an executive producer on six seasons of Step by Step from 1992 to 1998. He worked as a consulting producer on 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd from 2001 to 2002.

Mr. Rosenfarb wrote over 50 episodes of sitcoms during his career. We thank him for work on television. He will be sorely missed.

Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 12:15 PM

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Labels: Beef, Charles in Charge, Netflix, Obits, Will & Grace