SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Stand-up comedian and actor Don Rickles, who starred in C.P.O. Sharkey, has died. He died of kidney failure on April 6 at his home in Beverly Hills, California. Mr. Rickles was 90.

Rickles starred as Don Robinson in the short-lived 1972 CBS sitcom The Don Rickles Show. Robinson was a New York advertising-agency executive who had a wife named Barbara (Louise Sorel) and a young daughter, Janie (Erin Moran). The series also starred Robert Hogan, Judy Cassmore, Joyce Van Patten and Barry Gordon.

He starred as Chief Petty Officer (C.P.O.) Sharkey in the NBC sitcom C.P.O. Sharkey. The series ran for two seasons and 37 episodes from 1976-1978. Sharkey was an abrasive, sharp-tongued 24-year veteran who was in charge of a company of new seaman recruits at Navy Training Center in San Diego. It starred Peter Isacksen, Jeff Hollis, Tom Ruben, David Landsberg, Elizabeth Allen (1976-1977), Harrison Page, Barry Pearl (1976-1977), Philip Simms (1977-1978), Richard Beauchamp, Jonathan Daly, Beverly Sanders and Richard X. Slattery (1977-1978).

Rickles played Al Mitchell in the short-lived 1993 Fox sitcom Daddy Dearest. He was the obnoxious father of Dr. Steven Mitchell (Richard Lewis). Al was a used car salesman who was recently separated from his wife Helen (Renée Taylor). The series also starred Sydney Walsh, Alice Carter, Carey Eidel, Jeffrey Bomberger and Barney Martin.

Some of his 1960s sitcom guest appearances included Hennesey, The Addams Family, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Munsters, The Beverly Hillbillies, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., The Andy Griffith Show, F Troop, Gilligan's Island, The Lucy Show, I Dream of Jeannie, Get Smart and The Mothers-in-Law. His later guest appearances included Archie Bunker's Place, Gimme a Break! (a spin-off attempt), Newhart, The Larry Sanders Show, The Single Guy, Murphy Brown, The Bernie Mac Show and Hot in Cleveland.

He also starred in a number of films. His prominent film roles included Run Silent, Run Deep (1958) and Kelly's Heroes (1970). He appeared in the popular Beach Party film series. He was the voice of Mr. Potato Head in the Toy Story franchise.

Rickles was sarcastically known as Mr. Warmth for his poking fun at people of all ethnicities and walks of life. He won a Primetime Emmy Award for the 2007 documentary Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project.

Survivors include his wife of 52 years, Barbara; a daughter, Mindy; and two grandchildren, Ethan and Harrison Mann. His late son Larry Rickles (1970-2011) was a producer for his documentary.

Mr. Rickles was a true legend. He was always so funny to watch on the late night talk shows. We thank him for all of the laughter he brought us during his long career. He will be greatly missed.

Share your memories on our C.P.O. Sharkey message board. View photos in our galleries.

Antenna TV, Tribune Broadcasting's multicast network, will pay tribute to the legendary comedian Don Rickles. Beginning last night, April 6 through Sunday, April 9, Antenna TV will air a classic Johnny Carson episode featuring Rickles. Antenna TV, which airs in 133 TV markets across the U.S. reaching 88% of TV households, will air the following Carson episodes:

Thursday, April 6: 10/2/73 Buddy Hackett/Burt Reynolds/Rickles/Dean Martin
Friday, April 7: 9/6/73 Glen Campbell/Rickles/Dom DeLuise/Jimmy Breslin
Saturday, April 8: 11/12/76 Rickles/Sinatra/Olivia Newton-John/ David Janssen
Sunday, April 9: 11/21/84 Rickles/Angie Dickinson/The Oak Ridge Boys

Johnny Carson airs on Antenna TV every night at 10p ET / 7p PT with a rebroadcast at 2a ET / 11p PT.

getTV celebrates the life and legacy of comedy king Don Rickles with a Monday night variety block highlighting some of his most memorable Friars' Club Roasts, on Monday, April 10 starting at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. The tribute begins at 10 p.m. ET, as the infamous 'insult comic' extraordinaire gets a rare taste of his own medicine in 1970's The Friar's Club Roasts Don Rickles. The event is led by Rickles' good friend Johnny Carson, also who serves as guest roast master for the night, and features appearances by Henny Youngman, Dick Cavett, George C. Scott, and Milton Berle.

Spike TV, Comedy Central and TV Land will celebrate the life of legendary comedian Don Rickles with a re-broadcast of Spike TV's "One Night Only: An All-Star Comedy Tribute to Don Rickles" on Sunday, April 9 on Spike at 11pm ET/PT and Comedy Central and TV Land at 1am ET/PT.

The special, which includes stand-up performances; short films; pre-taped tributes and personal stories as told by Rickles' closest friends, co-stars and comedians he has influenced, taped in May 2014 and honors one of Hollywood's most beloved icons - Don Rickles. The event features performances by Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Jerry Seinfeld, David Letterman, Jon Stewart, Tracy Morgan, Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Regis Philbin, Brian Williams, and Johnny Depp, along with toasts from Bob Newhart, Eddie Murphy, Ray Romano and Jimmy Kimmel.

It's Friday, so it is time for "Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows" for the coming week. This is where we list what sitcom stars are appearing on talk shows for the coming week, the stars are both current and past sitcom stars, so this is for all sitcom fans of all eras!
For the week of April 10-14, 2017, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! All times listed are Eastern. So get your DVRs (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!


Monday, April 10, 2017

• John Stamos (Grandfathered/Jake in Progress/Full House) and Bob Saget (How I Met Your Mother/Full House) - Watch John and Bob on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Tim Robinson (Detroiters) - Tim visits Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Josh Gad (1600 Penn/Back to You) - Josh appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Emma Roberts (Scream Queens/Unfabulous) - Emma is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Ken Jeong (Dr. Ken/Community) - Ken appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Margaret Cho (All-American Girl) - Margaret is a guest on a repeat of @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Jaleel White (Family Matters/Grown Ups) - Jaleel appears on a repeat of @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Jenna Elfman (Imaginary Mary/1600 Penn/Courting Alex/Accidentally on Purpose/Dharma & Greg) - Jenna stops by Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• David Koechner (Superior Donuts/Hank/The Office) - David is a guest on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Morris Chestnut (Out All Night) - Morris guest co-hosts LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Kevin James (Kevin Can Wait/The King of Queens) - Kevin drops by The Real, so check your local listings.
• Anna Chlumsky (Veep) - Anna can be heard on The Morning Mash Up on Sirius XM at 10:20am.
• Richard Dreyfuss (Your Family or Mine) - Richard shares stories from some of his most iconic roles, like the movie Jaws on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings. Plus, he has a touching tribute to his best friend, Carrie Fisher.
• Michael McKean (Laverne & Shirley) - Michael talks about Better Call Saul on the AOL Build Show at 1pm. He will also be on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 8:50am and New York Live on WNBC in New York at 11:30am ET.
• Matthew Lawrence (Boy Meets World/Brotherly Love/Gimme a Break!) - Matthew appears on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Reid Scott (Veep/My Boys) - Reid talks about Veep on the AOL Build Show at 2pm.

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

• Bryan Cranston (Malcolm in the Middle) - Catch Bryan on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• January Jones (The Last Man on Earth) - January appears on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Chelsea Handler (Are You There, Chelsea?) - Chelsea visits Conan at 11pm on TBS. She will also be on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Rachel Dratch (Imaginary Mary) - Rachel is a guest on Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
• David Duchovny (Californication) - David chats about the book Bucky F*ing Dent on LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Joey McIntyre (Return of the Mac/The McCarthys) - Joey talks about his new series Return of the Mac on LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings. He will also be on CBS This Morning sometime between 7-9am.
• Morris Chestnut (Out All Night) - Morris guest co-hosts LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Kirstie Alley (Kirstie/Veronica's Closet/Cheers) - Kirstie drops by Harry, so check your local listings.
• Nia Long (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) - Nia is a guest on Harry, so check your local listings.
• Jenna Elfman (Imaginary Mary/1600 Penn/Courting Alex/Accidentally on Purpose/Dharma & Greg) - Jenna appears on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings. She will also be on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
• Sarah Michelle Gellar (The Crazy Ones) - Sarah is in the kitchen on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Charlie Hunnam (Undeclared) - Charlie talks about The Lost City of Z on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
• Reid Scott (Veep/My Boys) - Reid will be on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
• Mackenzie Phillips (One Day at a Time) - Mackenzie discusses addiction on The Doctors, so check your local listings.
• Mary Steenburgen (The Last Man on Earth/Ink) - Mary is a guest on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

• Anthony Anderson (black-ish/Guys with Kids/All About the Andersons) - Watch Anthony on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Andy Daly (Review/Eastbound & Down) - Andy is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Tim Robinson (Detroiters) - Tim appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Nick Kroll (The League/Cavemen) - Nick appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Rob Riggle (Golan the Insatiable) - Rob is a guest on a repeat of @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Ariel Winter (Modern Family) - Ariel visits Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Hank Azaria (Brockmire/The Simpsons/Free Agents) - Hank stops by LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Morris Chestnut (Out All Night) - Morris guest co-hosts Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Jeff Garlin (The Goldbergs/Curb Your Enthusiasm) - Jeff drops by The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Helen Hunt (Mad About You/It Takes Two) - Helen talks about Shots Fired on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
• Reid Scott (Veep/My Boys) - Reid is a guest on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 11:30am ET.
• Jenny Slate (Married/Parks and Recreation) - Jenny talks about her new movie gifted on People Now at 8:30am.
• Beverley Mitchell (Hollywood Darlings) - Beverley appears on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
• Joey McIntyre (Return of the Mac/The McCarthys) - Joey talks about Return of the Mac on the AOL Build Show at 1pm.

Thursday, April 13, 2017

• Keri Russell (Running Wilde) - Watch Keri on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC. She will also be on Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
• Bradley Whitford (Happyish/Trophy Wife) - Bradley is a guest on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Milana Vayntrub (Other Space) - Milana appears on a repeat of @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Kunal Nayyar (The Big Bang Theory) - Kunal visits Conan at 11pm on TBS. He will also be on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Anna Chlumsky (Veep) - Anna is a guest on LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Meagan Good (Cousin Skeeter/Raising Dad) - Meagan stops by Harry, so check your local listings.
• Jodie Sweetin (Fuller House/Full House), Christine Lakin (Step by Step) and Beverley Mitchell (7th Heaven) - Jodie, Christine and Beverly open up about their new TV series Hollywood Darlings on People Now at 8:30am.
• John O'Hurley (Seinfeld/The Mullets) - John is a guest on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
• Danny DeVito (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia/Taxi) - Danny talks about The Price on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
• Josh Henderson (One on One) - Josh talks about The Arrangement on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
• Hank Azaria (Brockmire/The Simpsons/Free Agents) - Hank talks about Brockmire on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
• Carlos PenaVega (Big Time Rush) and Alexa PenaVega (Ruby & the Rockets) - Carlos and Alexa are guests on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Natalie Zea (The Detour) - Natalie talks about The Detour on The Wendy Williams Show at 2am on BET or on your local stations.

Friday, April 14, 2017

• Chelsea Handler (Are You There, Chelsea?) - Watch Chelsea on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Jake Johnson (New Girl) - Jake appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Will Arnett (Arrested Development/The Millers/Up All Night/Running Wilde) - Will stops by The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Rob Lowe (The Grinder/Parks and Recreation) - Rob visits The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Betty Buckley (Eight Is Enough) - Betty appears on the AOL Build Show at 2pm. She will also be on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 11:30am ET.
• Leah Remini (The King of Queens/Family Tools/The Exes) - Leah is a guest on a repeat of The Dr. Oz Show, so check your local listings.
• Jenna Elfman (Imaginary Mary/1600 Penn/Courting Alex/Accidentally on Purpose/Dharma & Greg) - Jenna celebrates Flashback Friday by talking about her upcoming 20 year anniversary of the sitcom Dharma & Greg on People Now at 8:30am.
• Rita Moreno (One Day at a Time/Happily Divorced) - Rita shows off her dance and culinary moves with the C&C Food Factory on a repeat of ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
• Jonathan Lipnicki (Meego/The Jeff Foxworthy Show) - Jonathan is a guest on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
• Ariel Winter (Modern Family) - Ariel appears on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.

All listings are subject to change. Visit our blog and main site for daily updated listings. Leave us comments on our message board or Tweet/Facebook us to let us know what you think of this Friday feature! We do listen!

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! We're still in the summer slowdown as the broadcast networks prepare for their fall season in just a few short weeks, but we're here with news about The Grinder, new seasons of American Dad! for TBS, and some news on DVD releases for CPO Sharkey and Grace Under Fire. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

• Time-Life will be wrapping up CPO Sharkey with CPO Sharkey - Season Two on September 22.
• TVShowsOnDVD.com reports that Grace Under Fire - The Complete Series will arrive on DVD in September, though an exact date is not yet known. The set is up for pre-order at Amazon's Canadian site, amazon.ca, which is showing a release date of October 6 (though there has been a lot of misleading info for VEI releases on Amazon's various sites in the past).

Who to Follow: David Alan Grier (Twitter), "Gentleman of leisure, raconteur, liar, con man, teller of tall tales."

Claim to Fame: David Alan Grier's true intention was to be a dramatic stage actor, and he did just that at first. In fact, he was so dedicated to that goal that he actually received a Master of Fine Arts from the Yale School of Drama in 1981. But a few comedy guest appearances, along with some comedy movie appearances, eventually steered him into a different direction, and he took a hard turn to comedy with In Living Color. His work is almost solely in comedy these days, and he is currently starring in the NBC series, The Carmichael Show.

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we've got an update on who is hosting the Emmy Awards, news at CBS that should make Chuck Lorre feel like he's "winning," and news about Seinfeld rights being shopped around (but not at traditional TV networks). Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

• TVShowsOnDVD.com revealed a very surprising release this week from StarVista (one that will be available at retailers), with a May 19 release of CPO Sharkey - The Complete First Season.

MARCH 17 HOME MEDIA RELEASES

• Bewitched - Seasons 5 and 6 (DVD, $14.98): Mill Creek brings more value-priced re-releases of the classic series to DVD. Also available individually as season 5 and season 6.
• Maude - The Complete Series (DVD, $159.99): Shout! Factory moves one step closer to wrapping up all of the major sitcoms in the All in the Family realm with this release, which will also include unaired versions of episodes.
• WKRP in Cincinnati - The Complete First Season (DVD, $24.97) and WKRP in Cincinnati - The Complete Second Season (DVD, $24.97): Shout! Factory brings the first two seasons of the series to DVD, along with a majority of the original music.

Who to Follow: Jim Gaffigan (Twitter), "Male Model."

Claim to Fame: There has been talk about TV Land's new Jim Gaffigan comedy (appropriately titled The Jim Gaffigan Show) for the past few months, and this week, we learned more about the debut of the series. In the early 2000s, he was in two sitcoms... both of which lasted for less than a season. The first one was Welcome to New York (which few people remember) and the second was Ellen DeGeneres' second sitcom, The Ellen Show. He was also on the TBS series My Boys. Additionally, he has had many guest appearances elsewhere.