SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Decades has acquired the rights to Newhart beginning in March. Newhart was last seen on Antenna TV up until end of 2017. Decades will begin a regular weekday schedule starting Monday, March 5 with shows from sister network MeTV being added. Back-to-back sitcom episodes will air from 9am-8pm. Sitcoms airing are I Love Lucy, Our Miss Brooks, I Married Joan, The Donna Reed Show, Family Affair, Petticoat Junction, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show, Newhart, Ed Sullivan, and Laugh-In. In the overnight, after movies there will be other series such as The Loretta Young Show, Honey West, Mr. Lucky and more. Weekends will still be the Decades Weekend Binge with all-day marathons for two days, as this past weekend was The Facts of Life, next weekend will bring The Mod Squad. The weekend of March 3-4 will be The Mary Tyler Moore Show, followed by The Doris Day Show on the weekend of March 10-11. View the full Decades schedule that begins March 5. Keep it right here for continued updates on all things Decades.

Netflix unveiled some delicious casting news and a first look at the much-anticipated second season of comedy Santa Clarita Diet, launching this spring. Joel McHale and Maggie Lawson guest star as Chris and Christa, married realtors in Santa Clarita -- and a more successful, more aggressive version of Sheila and Joel. Gerald McRaney guest stars as Ed Thune, a retired army colonel who Joel finds very intimidating. Zachary Knighton guest stars as Paul, the chill descendent of Serbian ancestors who has been tasked with pursuing the truth of the undead, no matter who or what stands in his way. In Santa Clarita Diet, Joel (Timothy Olyphant) and Sheila (Drew Barrymore) are husband and wife realtors leading vaguely discontented lives in the L.A. suburb of Santa Clarita with their teenaged daughter Abby (Liv Hewson), until Sheila goes through a dramatic change sending their lives down a road of death and destruction...but in a good way.

Picking up right where we left off, Season 2 of Santa Clarita Diet finds the Hammonds trying to adapt to Sheila's now-advanced undead state -- even though she's desperately working to hold on to her suburban lifestyle and not be defined as just another monster. Unfortunately -- while the family has become markedly better at murder -- the number of missing people in Santa Clarita is starting to pile up and it's no longer going unnoticed. Meanwhile, the Hammonds are chasing the source of the virus so they can stop it from spreading and save humanity -- which seems important. Through it all, Sheila and Joel are grounded by their unconditional love for one another. Sure, being undead -- or loving someone who is -- isn't always easy, but don't all relationships have their challenges?

Celebrate the holiday season with a stocking full of TV treats as MeTV wishes everyone "A Very Merry MeTV." The family television event will feature a collection of holiday-themed TV classics that bring home the gift of timeless and festive comedies, westerns and dramas. "A Very Merry MeTV" also includes a special holiday episode of the original MacGyver, which will join MeTV's weekday schedule in December. "A Very Merry MeTV will air on MeTV Sunday afternoons from 2:00 to 5:00 pm ET/PT, beginning Sunday, November 27, and continuing through Christmas, Sunday, December 25. Everyone is invited to celebrate the holidays with these merry and memorable MeTV programs and episodes.

This special event will present series that are familiar to the MeTV audience, as well as shows not currently on their schedule. Families and fans can enjoy offerings from such current MeTV series as The Brady Bunch, The Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction, Happy Days, Gilligan's Island, Mister Ed, The Love Boat and Laverne & Shirley. Newer series specially presented in "A Very Merry MeTV" include MacGyver, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, Touched By An Angel, and Family. It's going to be four very Merry MeTV Sundays beginning Nov. 27! Tune in!

The CW has set its midseason schedule, including the series premiere of the highly-anticipated new drama Riverdale, and the returns of The 100, Reign, The Originals and iZombie. In addition, DC's Legends of Tomorrow moves to its new night on Tuesday, January 24 at 9:00pm ET/PT, paired with The CW's #1 series The Flash. On Thursday, January 26, Supernatural returns from its winter hiatus at its new time at 8:00pm ET/PT, followed by the series debut of The CW's new drama Riverdale at 9:00pm ET/PT, a surprising and subversive take based on the iconic characters from Archie Comics. The 100 is back Wednesday, February 1 at 9:00pm ET/PT, paired with Arrow at 8. Reign returns for its fourth season Friday, February 10 at 9:00pm ET/PT. With The Vampire Diaries concluding after eight seasons on Friday, March 10, The Originals will return on Friday, March 17 at 8:00pm ET/PT.

The season finale of DC's Legends of Tomorrow is set for Tuesday, March 28, and iZombie will make its season three debut with back-to-back new episodes on Tuesday, April 4 at 8:00pm and 9:00pm ET/PT, before moving to its regularly scheduled time period after The Flash on April 11. The season finale of No Tomorrow will air Tuesday, January 17 at 9:00pm ET, with the season finale of Frequency set for the following week Wednesday, January 25 at 9:00pm ET/PT. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend wraps up its second season run on Friday, February 3 at 9:00pm ET/PT.

The classic sitcom Room 222 is now on ASPiRE, airing every weekday morning at 7:00am & 7:30am. The sitcom is leading into another classic late '60s comedy, Julia, from 8-9am. ASPiRE also airs The Flip Wilson Show, Soul Food and The Mod Squad. In Room 222, Pete Dixon is a dedicated and popular history teacher who fights the good fight on the side of his students. Joining him in his idealistic approach to education are guidance counselor Liz McIntyre and student teacher Alice Johnson. Experienced and slightly world-weary principal Seymour Kaufman provides a balance to the youthful idealism of the 60s cultural revolution but at the end of the day everyone is on the side of the students.

Actor Mike Minor, who starred as Steve Elliott in Petticoat Junction, has died. He died in New York City on January 28. Mr. Minor was 75.

Minor appeared as Steve Elliott in over 100 episodes of Petticoat Junction from 1966-1970. He joined the cast in the second episode of the fourth season. His character was a pilot who crashed his airplane in Hooterville when he is distracted by the sight of the Bradley sisters swimming in the Hooterville Cannonball's water tower. After being nursed back to health by the Bradley girls, he became romantically involved with Betty Jo (Linda Kaye Henning). The characters were married in in the fifth season. They had a daughter, Kathy Jo Elliott, in the sixth season. Minor was married to Linda Kaye Henning in real life from 1968-1973. He was interviewed for the "The History of Hooterville" and the "Paul Henning & The Hillbillies" DVD special features in 2005.

His sitcom guest appearances included eight episodes of My Three Sons (he was the son of executive producer Don Fedderson) and eight episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies. Some of his other television guest appearances included The Lieutenant, CHiPs, Vega$ and L.A. Law. He performed the theme song, "Primrose Lane," on the first season of Henry Fonda'a The Smith Family in 1971.

He was later known for his work on daytime television. He appeared as Brandon Kingsley on All My Children from 1980-1981 and as Dr. Royal Dunning on Another World from 1983-1984. He also had brief roles on The Edge of Night and As the World Turns.

Survivors include his wife, Marilyn Minor, and a son, John, with his first wife Monyeen Rae Martini.

Mr. Minor was a talented actor and a fine singer. His singing skills were showcased in many Petticoat Junction episodes. He will be greatly missed.

Share your memories on our Petticoat Junction message board. View photos in our galleries.

The MeTV Network will be running a tribute to Mike Minor the rest of this week, during the regular Petticoat Junction airing at 6:30am. Here's the list of episodes airing:

Tuesday: How Bugged Was My Valley
Wednesday: Love Rears Its Ugly Head
Thursday: Steve, The Apple Polisher
Friday: Steve's Ol' Buddy

Following its successful series debut on October 7, the Hulu Original Casual has already been picked up for a second season with a 13-episode order. Lionsgate Television's critically-acclaimed comedy series will return with creator and executive producer Zander Lehmann and executive producers Jason Reitman (Juno, Up in the Air), Helen Estabrook and Liz Tigelaar. Casual has drawn praise for stars Michaela Watkins, Tommy Dewey, Tara Lynne Barr and Nyasha Hatendi, who will all return as series regulars for the second season. Hulu will continue to roll out weekly episodes for its 10-episode straight-to-series order for season one of Casual, launching its fourth episode today. All episodes will be available to stream to subscribers in both Hulu's limited and no commercials plans.

Casual follows the story of a dysfunctional family with a bachelor brother and his newly divorced sister. Together, they coach each other through the crazy world of dating (on-line and off), while living under one roof again and raising a teenager. New episodes are available every Wednesday. In episode four streaming today, Alex (Tommy Dewey) goes back to work for the first time in weeks. Valerie (Michaela Watkins) slips up and breaks one of his cardinal rules of casual sex, while Laura (Tara Lynne Barr) begins to bond with her photography teacher after class.

The second season of Casual will join 11/22/63, an event series based upon the best-selling Stephen King novel from J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot Productions; The Path, a drama series from Jason Katims' True Jack Productions starring Aaron Paul, Michelle Monaghan and Hugh Dancy; The Mindy Project, a comedy series from Mindy Kaling; and comedy series Difficult People produced by Amy Poehler with stars Julie Klausner and Billy Eichner.

Actress and singer Pat Woodell, who was best known for her role as Bobbie Jo Bradley in the first two seasons of Petticoat Junction, has died. She died on September 29 at her home in Fallbrook, California, after a long battle with cancer. Ms. Woodell was 71.

Woodell starred as the first Bobbie Jo Bradley in seasons one and two of Petticoat Junction from 1963-1965. Her book-loving character appeared in 64 out of 74 episodes. She performed musical numbers in several episodes, including "The Ladybugs." The Ladybugs, a Beatles parody group, consisted of her TV sisters Linda Kaye, Jeannine Riley, together with Sheila James. The Ladybugs also appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. Woodell was replaced by Lori Saunders after she left to promote her singing career. She was interviewed and provided episode introductions for the season one and two DVD releases of the series in 2008-2009.

She guest starred as Miss Thompson in one of the last episodes ("A Visit from the Teacher") of The Munsters in 1966. Some of her other television guest appearances included Cheyenne, Hawaiian Eye, The Gallant Man, GE True, 77 Sunset Strip, Bright Promise and The New Perry Mason. She retired from acting in 1973.

We remember another 1960s sitcom actress. Melody Patterson was best known for her role Wrangler Jane in F Troop. She died on August 20 at a nursing home in Hollister, Missouri, of multiple organ failure. Ms. Patterson was 66.

Patterson starred as Jane Angelica Thrift/Wrangler Jane in the ABC sitcom F Troop from 1965-1967. Her hard-riding, fast-shooting cowgirl character owned Wrangler Jane's Trading Post and ran the U.S. post office in town. She was Captain Wilton Parmenter's (Ken Berry) beautiful but tomboyish, feisty, romantically aggressive girlfriend. Patterson was only 16 years old when she first appeared on the show.

Some of her sitcom guest appearances included Wendy and Me, The Monkees and Green Acres. Her drama guest appearances included Adam-12 and three episodes of Hawaii Five-O. She was married to Hawaii Five-O star James MacArthur from 1970-1975. She is survived by her husband, Vern Miller.

We thank these talented and beautiful actresses for the entertainment they brought us in their classic 1960s sitcoms. They will be deeply missed.

• CBS will be releasing Petticoat Junction - Family Favorites on March 10, and while we don't know the exact content of this eight episode disc, it will likely consist of episodes from the seasons of the series that have been released so far.
• Enlisted didn't last long on Fox, but it can last a lot longer on your DVD shelf, as Fox has released Enlisted - The Complete Series as a MOD release.
• Another short-lived series is also available as a MOD release from Fox: 2013's Back in the Game, with Back in the Game - The Complete Series.

• Batman - The Complete Series (Blu-ray, $239.99): If this release sounds familiar, that is because technically it is already out on Blu-ray, but now Warner Home Video is bringing fans a lower priced version without the extras.
• The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis - The Final Season (DVD, $29.93): While the complete series was released long ago, Shout! now finishes up the individual season releases.

• We don't quite have Newhart - The Complete Second Season yet (at least not until February 11), but according to TVShowsOnDVD.com, it seems that Shout! Factory already has plans in place for Newhart - The Complete Third Season. It is scheduled for release on April 22.
• Walmart has had an exclusive on these releases since October, but now it appears that a general release date for other retailers has been set for The Beverly Hillbillies - The Official Fourth Season and Petticoat Junction - The Official Third Season. Both should be available from general retailers on April 15.

• Barney Miller - The Complete Fourth Season (DVD, $24.97): The season has already been released as part of Shout! Factory's complete series release, but now for those who didn't get that release, the season is available by itself.

SitcomsOnline: After Grady was over, the following TV season (1976-77) you were cast as Dwayne on ABC's new sitcom What's Happening!! How did you get the role and how did this change your life? I think females were going crazy over you, for sure! Despite the series only lasting three seasons, it was very popular and was huge in syndication after the network run was over in 1980. The show was as popular in syndication as some other series that lasted three seasons or less like Gilligan's Island, Batman and The Munsters. I certainly think What's Happening!! belongs on that list!
Haywood Nelson: When Grady was canceled Whitman Mayo came to my mother and I and said there was a show he wanted me to audition for. That it was very special and I was perfect for it. They required that we depart for New York ASAP. The audition was packed with hopefuls. The show was the TV series of the movie Cooley High which is an all-time favorite film of mine. That and The Big Chill were two at the top of my list. Auditioning was a breeze since I knew the film characters so well. It was only a matter of weeks and I was back on a stage in Los Angeles. The show was quickly being retitled. They asked for names that were hip. Everyone at the table was shouting out ideas. They wanted something popular and hip, I was from New York and a teenager. The answer was easy for me, "What's Happenin." They loved it and named the show What's Happening!!
My personal life for the most part remained the same. Unless in public. There, all anonymity was gone. That took some adjusting to. I also had a lot less time to play drums, draw, or ride motocross. All that are sacrifices temporarily acceptable to me with that type of career path. Also acting in What's Happening!! I saw as an opportunity to make a difference with break out influence. Hence the "Hay HAY Hay." While the girls went wild I was less interested in driving popularity with them as I was interested in seeing more black faces on television.

SitcomsOnline: It seemed the cast, particularly you, Ernest Thomas, Fred Berry, Shirley Hemphill and Danielle Spencer, had great chemistry on this show. It was definitely an appealing show for all ages, particularly younger audiences. Can you share some memorable moments you had with them during this era? Also, what did you love about the character of Dwayne Nelson (how cool that they named Dwayne's last name the same as yours!)? 
Haywood Nelson: The chemistry on the show was magical. We instantly became family. The best memories are the blooper worthy show stopping laughing fits. What I loved about the character Dwayne was his honesty. He felt his own sense of style and was committed to getting it out. Yet nothing took a backseat to his innocent common sense, unless he got excited where he was prone to cluelessness. Fun to play!

SitcomsOnline: The series was canceled after its third season despite still decent ratings and ratings even going up overall from the previous season. I know there was some behind-the-scenes issues that were going on this season and probably had more of a say ultimately in the cancelation. I don't want to point any fingers at anyone or anything, but how was it like during this time and did you think the show would be actually canceled? I'm sure fans, and the cast as well, were disappointed that there was no fourth season.
Haywood Nelson: I did not think the series would be cancelled. Behind-the-scenes chicanery aside, the show was very popular. I thought at most there would be some measure of conduct regulation imposed. I never thought it would be cancelled with the strong ratings and statistics it maintained.

SitcomsOnline: So after What's Happening!! was finished in 1979, you focused on technology and were quite successful. I know you told me before when we first met that you always were interested in technology. Can you talk about how this interest came about and how you got into that area after What's Happening!! finished its three-season run?
Haywood Nelson: I've always had an interest in technology. Starting with motorcycle, aerospace, and architecture. The architecture drove me into Electronics Engineering which led to Telecommunications, Satellite Broadcasting, and the first Dotcom. By the time the internet bubble burst I had been prominent in several tech start-ups. Over the course of many years struggling to get rebounded I've partnered with others whose journey mirrors my own and we've built two very strong efforts. One in traditional media and the other in 3D gaming and service entertainment commerce.

SitcomsOnline: Then six years after What's Happening!! finished its run, a new follow-up series in 1985 was born titled What's Happening Now!! Everyone came back basically, except Mabel King, and I thought the show was very funny! It was so great to see Raj, Dwayne and Rerun as young adults. How did this show come about and were you reluctant in doing it since you had moved on to the tech side? I think the ratings were so good in syndication, the series deserved coming back. And I really liked that they made Dwayne interested in computers...was that something you suggested since you yourself are interested?
Haywood Nelson: What's Happening Now!! was developed from an effort that Ernest Thomas put out. I was in engineering school when I was contacted. I was very hesitant to leave my junior year of school, yet was not comfortable with anyone else reprising my role. So I decided to make a go of it against my better judgment. It was the producer's idea to make Dwayne a computer technician. Mostly I believe because they didn't know what else to write for the character. So they emulated my life. Not the most creative thing to do but it made for easy moving through the season.

SitcomsOnline: Basically after What's Happening Now!! was over in 1988 you went back into the technology side and are continuing doing great stuff in this area on shows like Dr. Oz Show. Do you keep in touch with the cast these days like Ernest Thomas and Danielle Spencer? It's truly a shame that we lost Fred Berry (next year will be ten years already), Shirley Hemphill and Mabel King all within a few years (1999-2003) of each other. Did you keep in touch with them and can you describe some recent moments you had with them? And finally, would you ever consider doing a sitcom again and do you have some favorite sitcoms that are airing today?
Haywood Nelson: When What's Happening Now!! completed its syndication run I jumped fast into film production camera assisting. That led to screenwriting, and Film Distribution International. Today it's the same, I am a lighting tech, stagehand in general For Late Night With Jimmy Fallon and The Dr. Oz Show. Additionally I am a founding partner in two companies. One as an Executive Producer/Writer for television show creation, and the other as a Creative Executive for a start-up gaming company with a mobile consumer services application.
I'd describe my relationship with the cast of What's Happening!! as a family. I miss Mabel, Shirley, and Fred regularly, and speak with Ernest and Danielle frequently. The three of us were at an autograph signing not so long ago and the fun never stops with us. It was antics and jokes as always. It's nice too to be enterprising together at these signings.
My experience on What's Happening!! was such a good experience that I would most certainly consider doing another show in the future. Perhaps appear on one of the shows we are executive producing at our company. Unfortunately my schedule doesn't allow for much television viewing beyond my research for a project.

We definitely appreciate Mr. Nelson for taking the time to give us an interview! He is a very nice man and we hope nothing but success for his future projects! Follow him on Twitter! That'll do it for this installment of "Seven Questions," stay tuned next time for another brand new interview!

It's time to get "cozi" just in time for the holidays as COZI TV is set to have a soft launch on Thursday, December 20 through Monday, December 31, before it officially launches on January 1 with a regular schedule! COZI TV, as we reported, is replacing digital subchannel Nonstop on the NBC Owned Television Stations. So if you're in NBC's ten owned markets and have Nonstop, you'll have COZI TV! The network will be airing some Universal-owned series, Charlie's Angels from Sony Pictures and a lot of public domain series. The soft launch will include six days of Christmas episodes from Dec. 20-25 and will start at 6am on Thursday, Dec. 20 with five Christmas episodes of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet from 6am-8:30am. The holiday fun continues on Dec. 20 with The Lone Ranger at 8:30am, back-to-back Lassie & The Beverly Hillbillies, then The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, The Ruggles, another The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet Christmas episode, and Liberace Christmas at 12:30pm. At 1pm & 2pm, we have two holiday episodes of Highway to Heaven, then catch Betty White in Date with the Angels, followed by another The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet Christmas episode. The 4pm hour will have the animated special A Snow White Christmas, followed by Casper's Haunted Christmas from 5-6:30pm. At 6:30pm, catch the COZI TV Preview Show where we will see wacky slow-mo stunts to memorable catchphrases, their all-star panel of hilarious commentators count down the top ten funniest moments from iconic shows. The 7pm hour will feature holiday episodes of Sherlock Holmes and Petticoat Junction.

In primetime on Dec. 20, encores of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet air in the 8pm hour followed by another Christmas episode at 9pm. At 9:30pm, Racket Squad will air its Christmas episode. Another holiday episode of The Lone Ranger followed at 10pm, followed by Roy Rogers Show and Four Star Playhouse. At 11:30pm, the COZI TV Preview Show will get an encore airing. In late night on this night we will have Captain Gallant of the Foreign Legion, The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Lone Ranger movie, Sherlock Holmes, Petticoat Junction, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet and another airing of COZI TV Preview Show at 4:30am. We won't detail the rest of the holiday episodes until Dec. 25, but you'll see shows like The Red Skelton Show, Meet Corliss Archer, He-Man and She-Ra: A Christmas Special, and many movies. From Dec. 26-31, you'll get a preview of what is to come on COZI TV with various episodes of series such as The Lucy Show, The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, Lassie, Roy Rogers Show, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, The Red Skelton Show and more. New Year's Eve will see the premieres of The Virginian, Alias Smith & Jones and Marcus Welby in the morning and as part of their New Year's Eve marathon of classics, with Banacek, McMillan & Wife and McCloud in primetime.

View the COZI TV "soft launch" schedule (Dec. 20-31). We will detail the COZI TV actual launch schedule very soon. A hint: Charlie's Angels will air in primetime on Tuesdays, rotating with series like Bionic Woman and Six Million Dollar Man. Stay with us for that! Get cozi!

Start spreading the news! The hilarious live evening of comedy Worst Audition Ever is headed to the Big Apple for a night of big laughs! After a successful year-long run in Hollywood (six versions and about a dozen shows), Worst Ever Productions is proud to present its first installment of the cult-hit evening of comedy Worst Audition Ever in New York City at Joe's Pub - produced by the talented creator Christine Lakin (Step by Step), the equally talented Alec Ledd (aka Alaa Khaled), along with Daniel A. Miles and Corri English. The ticket proceeds from this performance of Worst Audition Ever will be donated to The Actors Fund. Christine Lakin tells us, "New York was something we always wanted to do to represent actors from the other coast. I couldn't think of a better cause to conjoin with it than The Actors Fund. I'm also a board member of the Hollywood SAG-AFTRA so it seemed fitting." The night of laughs in New York is this Monday (June 18, 2012) at 9:30PM. More info is below but Christine tells us "doing it in New York is a totally different beast because the way people audition in New York is so different than the way people audition in Los Angeles. New York is primarily theater based and LA is very much a film and television world. The things people are asked to do in a musical theater audition can feel so outlandish to somebody who makes their living in film and television and I think that is what a lot of this crowd in NY is going to really impart with their stories."

So what is this show about? Forget the terrible auditions on reality competition shows like American Idol, this show has stories of true auditions from known artists and they are funnier without bashing anyone. Worst Audition Ever is an evening of comedy about a group of artists (actors, directors, dancers, etc.) telling their real stories about the all too familiar audition process. The format is simple - a blank stage with one microphone - making the shared stories truly intimate and personal. For anyone who has ever had an embarrassing moment "putting themselves out there" in the name of art, Worst Audition Ever presents a wry and candid evening of some of the most awkward moments in artistic vulnerability – because pain is best served funny and with cocktails. The show was conceived around a circle of friends drinking beer and telling war stories about their artistic lives. The darkly funny, off-the-wall material that ensued is what conceptualized the show. Some of LA's funniest comedians have graced the stage revealing their awful, hysterical tales. Painfully true, mutually hilarious and completely cathartic, Worst Audition Ever has built an underground following playing small clubs in Los Angeles and building a viral fan base since April 2011.

Many celebrities have done the show in Hollywood over the past year including Danielle Fishell (Boy Meets World), James Denton (Desperate Housewives), Kelly Stables (The Exes), Matt Moy (2 Broke Girls), Autumn Reeser (ABC's upcoming Last Resort), Jeff Garlin (Curb Your Enthusiasm), and director Andy Fickman (You Again). The stories they share are hilarious and at the same time easy to listen to! Danielle Fishell shared her audition stories for the horror movie Cabin Fever and the soap The Bold and the Beautiful--on the same day and two genres she requested never to do! Kelly Stables shared a comical story about an audition on the short-lived sitcom Cavemen where she had to play... a cave boy! And director Andy Fickman shared stories of auditions he witnessed including a mom filling in for a sick eight year-old for the part of an eight year-old...gotta love stage moms. Priceless fun!

Future plans are already underway for the show, as Christine tells us, "we are currently developing a TV pilot around the idea. And I would ultimately like to do two big shows a year in LA and two in NY. If people want us to come somewhere and put on a show, we're very open to that." The possibilities and laughter are endless for Worst Ever Productions! But for now, don't miss out seeing the show in person. As mentioned earlier, if you're in the New York metro area, your chance to see this entertaining and comical show is this coming Monday (June 18) at 9:30PM (doors open at 9) at Joe's Pub at 425 Lafayette Street near Astor Place. The New York show will have a New York/theater feel to it with the show being hosted by Daniel Reichard (Jersey Boys original cast, The Midtown Men). Christine says, "theater, as any actors knows is probably one of the most brutal industry in some way--it's physically demanding, it's over and over every night, it's relentless, but people do it because they really really love it." And reciting their worst auditions ever for the NY themed show will be: Tyler Maynard (Altar Boyz, Little Mermaid), Kevin Duda (The Book of Mormon, Les Liaisons Dangereuses), Jena Friedman (writer for Late Night With David Letterman), Jenna Leigh Green (Wicked, For the Record: Baz Luhrman), John West (The Drowsy Chaperone, Newsical the Musical), Cheryl Stern (La Cage Aux Folles, Candide). Directing for the evening will be Kristin Hanggi (Rock of Ages, Surf the Musical). As a preview to this evening in NY, Christine says, "there is a story this time around for an actress who did a part for over a year and then was asked to re-audition...for her part! This was a part she did for many many performances on Broadway, and then was asked to re-audition and then didn't get it. It's so unfathomable that you can't even believe people go through that kind of pain, which is why we have to laugh at it." It's certainly going to be a night of New York style fun, so come out and watch! I think for those who have seen the show in LA, know it is really cool and they wouldn't want to miss any show!

Finally, the new Worst Audition Ever website is now up and running and is very well designed. It has all the information you need on this comedic show, with videos of past performances, pictures, and of course a schedule of upcoming shows. There's even a theme song! For a preview of what this show is like, check out a video montage of past performances below.

Tickets for the June 18 show in NY are $20 with a two drink minimum and can be purchased at the Worst Audition Ever website's Tickets section.

Related links:

Worst Audition Ever Official Website
Joe's Pub Official Website
Worst Audition on Facebook
Worst Audition on Twitter
Worst Audition on YouTube
Our Seven Questions Interview with Christine Lakin from August, 2011

Moving on, Todd has a look back at the career of Frank Cady.

Frank Cady, a character actor best known for his role as storekeeper Sam Drucker on Petticoat Junction, Green Acres and The Beverly Hillbillies, has died. Cady died on June 8 at his home in Wilsonville, OR. No information on cause of death has been provided. Mr. Cady was 96.

Cady's acting career in Hollywood began with appearances in plays in Los Angeles. This led to movie roles in D.O.A., Father of the Bride, The Ashphalt Jungle, When Worlds Collide, Ace in the Hole (aka The Big Carnival), Rear Window, The Bad Seed and 7 Faces of Dr. Lao. Some of his early sitcom appearances included Life with Luigi, December Bride, Private Secretary and The Gale Storm Show. In 1960, he played the town drunk in an episode of Make Room for Daddy that served as the pilot episode of The Andy Griffith Show. Cady played the role of neighbor Doc Williams on The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet in 60 episodes over 12 years.

His best known role was as general-store owner Sam Drucker on Petticoat Junction, Green Acres and The Beverly Hillbillies. He became the only actor to play a recurring character on three television sitcoms at the same time when he did it in 1968-69. Cady first appeared as Sam Drucker on Petticoat Junction in 1963. He was on the show for the entire 7 season run and appeared in approximately 166 of the sitcom's 222 episodes. In 1965, he began appearing on Green Acres. During the 6 season run of the show, he appeared in 142 or more episodes. His final acting appearance was in the 1990 television movie Return to Green Acres. Cady made 10 appearances on The Beverly Hillbillies in 1968-70. His character operated a bank in the later episodes of the series. Visit his IMDB page for a complete listing of his film and television credits.

Cady's wife, Shirley, died on August 22, 2008, at age 91. They had been married 68 years. He is survived by two children — daughter, Catherine Turk; son, Steven Cady; three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. His Sam Drucker character was so friendly and beloved. He has said that he was playing himself, so it seemed like he was a wonderful and genuinely nice man. In addition to his lengthy acting career, he earned a degree from Stanford University and served in the military in World War II. Mr. Cady lived a long and productive life. He will be deeply missed.

As we reported last week, Green Acres is coming to MeTV starting next week. They will air it Wednesdays at 9:00pm & 9:30pm as part of Hillbillies & Hooterville Wednesdays and on Saturdays at 6:00pm & 6:30pm. MeTV already airs The Beverly Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction, so they have all three of his series covered. They have been paying tribute this week with episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction featuring his Sam Drucker character.

What are your favorite Frank Cady memories? Discuss them on our message board.