SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

It's time for another edition of Fri-Yay! That means we will take a look back on some sitcom happenings in recent days or weeks or other fun sitcomy stuff. It's a sitcom lover's paradise! Happy Fri-Yay!

by Vincent

This Sunday was a big one for Apple TV+, as it received its first Emmy award victory with Ted Lasso - and then received multiple more victories with Ted Lasso over the course of the night. The sports comedy series, which has easily been the most buzzed about comedy of the year, took home all but the Lead Actress category in the comedy column last night, including the big prize, Outstanding Comedy Series. In my mind, it's a very deserving award. Ted Lasso is an excellent show with lots of humor and heart and is easily the best comedy series currently airing.

It was a big night in general for streaming services. For the first time in its history, Netflix won the most Emmys of any streaming service or channel of the night, including taking home Outstanding Drama Series for The Crown and Outstanding Limited Series for The Queen's Gambit. It continued the overall trend of streaming services winning big and traditional channels losing out. Overall, it was another Emmys that proved the media landscape is rapidly changing.

The series premiere of the new comedy Ghosts will now have a one-hour debut, Oct. 7, 9:01-10:00 PM. As a result, The second season premiere of B Positve will move one week, to Thursday, Oct. 14, 9:30-10:00 PM. One other note, CBS has announced that the second season premiere of United States of Al will address current events on Oct. 7 at 8:31-9:01 PM.

Thursday, Oct. 7
8:00-8:31 PM Young Sheldon (5th Season Premiere)
8:31-9:01 PM United States of Al (2nd Season Premiere)
9:01-10:00 PM Ghosts (1-Hour Series Premiere)
10:00-11:00 PM Bull (6th Season Premiere)

Thursday, Oct. 14
8:00-8:31 PM Young Sheldon
8:31-9:01 PM United States of Al
9:01-9:30 PM Ghosts
9:30-10:00 PM B Positive (2nd Season Premiere)
10:00-11:00 PM Bull

Actor Willie Garson, who played Stanford Blatch on Sex and the City, has died. He died at his home in Los Angeles on September 21 from pancreatic cancer. Mr. Garson was 57.

Garson had a recurring role as Carl, Kevin Owens' (Rob Stone) best friend, on seven episodes of Mr. Belvedere from 1986 to 1990. Some of his other early sitcom guest appearances include Family Ties, Cheers, You Again?, The New Gidget, My Two Dads, Newhart, It's a Living (three episodes as Phil Roman), Coach, Chicken Soup, Flying Blind, A League of Their Own, Boy Meets World (four episodes), Pig Sty, Partners, Mad About You, The Single Guy and Mad About You.

He starred as Ronnie Rendall on the short-lived 1998 Fox sitcom Ask Harriet. Ronnie Rendall was Jack Cody's (Anthony Tyler Quinn) best friend and the newspaper critic for the New York Dispatch. The cast included Patrick Y. Malone, Lisa Waltz, Julie Benz, Edward Asner, Jamie Renée Smith and Damien Leake.

Garson had a recurring role as Stanford Blatch on 27 episodes of the 1998-2004 HBO romantic comedy-drama Sex and the City. Stanford Blatch is a gay talent agent from an aristocratic family. He is Carrie Bradshaw's (Sarah Jessica Parker) best friend outside of the other three women (Kim Cattrall as Samantha Jones, Kristin Davis as Charlotte York and Cynthia Nixon as Miranda Hobbes). Garson reprised his role as Stanford Blatch in the films Sex and the City (2008) and Sex and the City (2010). He will appear in the upcoming HBO Max revival series And Just Like That....

Some of his other sitcom guest appearances included Conrad Bloom, Friends, Just Shoot Me!, Spin City, Greetings from Tucson, All About the Andersons, Yes, Dear (2004), Wizards of Waverly Place, Two and a Half Men, Wendell & Vinnie, Girl Meets World (also directed a 2015 episode) and Weird Loners. He provided various voices for three episodes of Big Mouth.

Garson had a recurring role as Henry Coffield on seven episodes of the ABC police drama NYPD Blue from 1996 to 1999. He appeared as Meyer Dickstein on the 2007 HBO drama John from Cincinnati. He starred as Mozzie on the 2009-2014 USA Network police drama White Collar. In 2013, he directed an episode of White Collar. He had a recurring role as Gerard Hirsch on nine episodes of Hawaii Five-0 from 2015 to 2020.

Some of his other drama guest appearances included Quantum Leap, thirtysomething, Twin Peaks, The X-Files, Touched by an Angel, The Practice, Melrose Place, Ally McBeal, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Party of Five, Star Trek: Voyager, Early Edition, Stargate SG-1 (three episodes), Special Unit 2, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami, Pushing Daisies, Medium, Franklin & Bash, The Mysteries of Laura, Scandal, Supergirl (three episodes) and Magnum, P.I. (2019).

He appeared in three films from the Farrelly brothers – Kingpin (1996), There's Something About Mary (1998) and Fever Pitch (2005). Some of his other film credits included Groundhog Day (1993), The Rock (1996), Being John Malkovich (1999), Fortress 2: Re-Entry (2000), Out Cold (2001), Freaky Friday (2003), Just Like Heaven (2005), Little Manhattan (2005) and Labor Pains (2009).

Mr. Garson was a talented and versatile actor. He appeared in more than 300 TV episodes and over 75 films. We thank him for the laughs and entertainment he brought us during his career. He will be sorely missed.

Share your memories on our Sex and the City message board. View photos in our galleries.

Emmy-winning director Jay Sandrich, who worked on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Soap and The Cosby Show, has died. He died from complications of dementia on September 22 in Los Angeles, California. Mr. Sandrich was 89.

He began his career as an assistant director on I Love Lucy from 1956 to 1957. He was assistant to the producer on The Andy Griffith Show from 1961 to 1963 and an associate producer from 1964 to 1965. He was an associate producer for the first season of Get Smart from 1965 to 1966. In 1967, he worked as a producer for Captain Nice.

Sandrich's early sitcom directing credits included The Danny Thomas Show, The Bill Dana Show, He & She, That Girl, Get Smart, The Ghost & Mrs. Muir, Here's Lucy and The Governor & J.J..

He directed 119 of the 168 episodes of the 1970-1977 CBS sitcom The Mary Tyle Moore Show. He won Emmy Awards in 1971 and 1973 for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy.

Sandrich directed 54 episodes of the ABC sitcom Soap from 1977 to 1980. Some of his other 1970s directing credits included The Bill Cosby Show, Nanny and the Professor, Arnie, The Good Life, Here We Go Again, The New Dick Van Dyke Show, Diana, We'll Get By, Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers, The Odd Couple, The Bob Newhart Show, Laverne & Shirley, Rhoda, Ball Four, Phyllis, The Tony Randall Show, Loves Me, Loves Me Not (1977), Welcome Back, Kotter (1976, 1977), The Betty White Show, WKRP in Cincinnati, Stockard Channing in Best Friends, The Stockard Channing Show and Benson.

He directed 100 episodes of the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show from 1984 to 1992. He won Emmy Awards in 1985 and 1986 for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series.

Some of his 1980s sitcom directing credits included Love, Sidney (1981), Night Court, Off the Rack, It's a Living, The Golden Girls, A Different World, Empty Nest and The Van Dyke Show. His 1990s and 2000s sitcom directing credits included Love & War, Thea, The Office (1995), Pearl, Ink, The Tony Danza Show, Built to Last, LateLine, The Secret Lives of Men, Style & Substance, Thanks, Three Sisters, Charlie Lawrence and Two and a Half Men.

Sandrich directed the 1980 film Seems Like Old Times, which starred Chevy Chase, Goldie Hawn and Charles Grodin.

He was interviewed for The Interviews: An Oral History of Television on December 4, 2001.

Mr. Sandrich was a prolific director who worked on more than 50 sitcoms. He was a four-time Emmy winner for his work on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Cosby Show. He was inducted into the Televison Hall of Fame in 2020. We thank him for work on many sitcoms during his directing career, which spanned from 1963 to 2003. He will be greatly missed.

NBC 2021-22

Fall 2021

Mondays
8:00PM The Voice
10:00PM Ordinary Joe (NEW!)

Tuesdays
8:00PM The Voice
9:00PM La Brea (NEW!)
10:00PM New Amsterdam

Wednesdays
8:00PM Chicago Med
9:00PM Chicago Fire
10:00PM Chicago P.D.

Thursdays
8:00PM Law & Order: For the Defense (NEW!)
9:00PM Law & Order: SVU
10:00PM Law & Order: Organized Crime

Fridays
8:00PM The Blacklist
9:00PM Dateline NBC

Saturdays
8:00PM Drama Encores
9:00PM Dateline Weekend Mystery
10:00PM SNL Vintage

Sundays
7:00PM Football Night in America
8:20PM NBC Sunday Night Football

 
Unscheduled Mid-Season/Summer 2022:
New Comedy: American Auto, Grand Crew
New Drama: The Thing About Pam (Limited)
New Reality/Unscripted:: AGT Extreme, American Song Contest, That's My Jam, LA Fire and Rescue, The Wheel, Home Sweet Home
Returning Comedy: Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Kenan, Mr. Mayor, Young Rock
Returning Drama: This Is Us, Transplant
Returning Reality/Unscripted: The Wall, Weakest Link, Who Do You Think You Are?

NOTES: Returning shows for the 2021-22 schedule include The Blacklist, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, Chicago P.D, Dateline NBC, Kenan, Law & Order: Organized Crime, Law & Order: SVU, Mr. Mayor, NBC Sunday Night Football, New Amsterdam, This Is Us, The Voice, The Wall, Transplant, Weakest Link, Young Rock.

After kicking off with a special post-Olympics send-off for Brooklyn Nine Nine this summer, comedy returns to the schedule in midseason. New series American Auto and Grand Crew will join sophomore successes Kenan, Mr. Mayor and Young Rock for two big nights of funny. Hit comedies Kenan, Mr. Mayor, and Young Rock will also air special holiday episodes.

Decisions are yet to be made on Debris, Ellen's Game of Games, Good Girls, Manifest and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.

As part of NBC’s rolling pilot process this year, the following projects have been picked up to pilot with decisions yet to be made on series greenlights: Dangerous Moms, Getaway, Hungry, Night Court, Someone Out There and the Untitled Nick Wootton/Jake Coburn Project. With the NBC’s 52-week scheduling strategy,these pilots could be possibilities for later in the 2021-22 season or could roll over to the 2022-23 season.

Discuss NBC's 2021-22 lineup and view the full press release.


It's time for another edition of Fri-Yay! That means we will take a look back on some sitcom happenings in recent days or weeks or other fun sitcomy stuff. It's a sitcom lover's paradise! Happy Fri-Yay!

by Vincent

Well, it's hard to believe, but we are already at the time of year where networks are getting ready to renew and cancel the remaining shows that they still need to make decisions about for the next TV season. Given this season's truncated nature, it feels so early - although "Upfronts" (as they still exist given they are virtual again this year) are actually later this year than usual, and the network TV season is extending into June for many shows given the late start they had. Looking at the sitcom landscape, there are only a handful of sitcoms left on the bubble, with most shows having their fates sealed one way or the other.

The network with the most questions remaining is ABC. Their entire sitcom slate remains technically in limbo, although some shows are likely a lock to return, such as The Goldbergs, The Conners and black-ish. It will be interesting to see if any of those shows have announced final seasons, given the fact that all three saw significant ratings declines this year (in addition to the fact that The Goldbergs and black-ish are pretty old and probably expensive). Less certain for ABC is the next tier of sitcoms. American Housewife, Home Economics, and mixed-ish are all classic bubble shows, with disappointing-to-OK viewership numbers. It seems likely at least one, maybe two, will return, but it's hard to see room being made for all three. American Housewife is the oldest and probably priciest, but its ratings do edge out the remaining two, so it will be interesting to see which direction ABC goes with. Finally, Call Your Mother is a freshman sitcom that had mostly disappointing ratings and little buzz, and I wouldn't expect it to return. Other than ABC, the only sitcoms left on the bubble are B Positive and United States of Al on CBS - two mediocre rated shows that I'd call a true toss up. It'll be interesting to see how it all shakes out in the near future.

It's time for another edition of Fri-Yay! That means we will take a look back on some sitcom happenings in recent days or weeks or other fun sitcomy stuff. It's a sitcom lover's paradise! Happy Fri-Yay!

by Vincent

This week, it was announced that a new over the air channel will be debuting this fall called Rewind TV. The show will be tailored towards Gen X viewers, playing targeted nostalgic shows from the '80s and '90s such as Growing Pains, Who's the Boss, Wings, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Murphy Brown. It will, in essence, be the 80s/90s Gen X version of Antenna TV, which targets baby boomers and will now play mostly '50s-'70s favorites.

Recently, there has been an interesting trend where networks such as Antenna TV air older shows to cater to older audiences. It does make sense - these shows have largely been left out of the streaming world, but they still do have devoted audiences who would follow them. As someone who grew up on Nick at Nite and watched many of these shows, I'm happy they will be able to find a home. With older sitcoms being able to air on Antenna TV and post-2000 sitcoms being available on streaming, it felt like the late 20th century sitcoms were being forgotten. But now, they'll finally have a home.

CBS announced the season finale dates and storylines for 2020-2021, featuring intense showdowns, jaw-dropping developments, festive wedding planning and fond farewells. MacGyver has its series finale tonight at 8pm. Upcoming finales include Friday, May 7 at 9pm with the third season finale of Magnum, P.I. On Thursday, May 13, Young Sheldon has its fourth season finale at 8pm. Jumping to 9pm, its the series finale of Mom with guest star Melanie Lynskey. Freshman comedy B Positive follows at 9:30pm. On Friday, May 14, Blue Bloods has its two-hour 11th season finale from 9-11pm. Then on Monday, May 17 the Monday comedies have their finales, with the third season finale of The Neighborhood at 8pm and the second season finale of Bob ♥ Abishola at 8:30pm. Jumping to 10pm, its the fifth season finale of Bull at 10pm. CBS Sunday dramas all have their finales on Sunday, May 23, with the first season finale of The Equalizer at 8pm, followed by the 12th season finale of NCIS: Los Angeles at 9pm and the series finale of NCIS: New Orleans at 10pm. All Rise will have its second season finale at 9pm on Monday, May 24.

CBS Tuesday dramas will all have their finales on Tuesday, May 25, with the 18th season finale of NCIS at 8pm guest starring Pam Dawber, followed by the third season closer of FBI at 9pm and the spin-off FBI: Most Wanted with its second season finale at 10pm. On the very next night, on the last official day of the 2020-21 season, (Wednesday, May 26), Seal Team closes its fourth season at 9pm and fellow fourth season series S.W.A.T. at 10pm. Two freshman series will go a bit into the summer as new comedy United States of Al and new drama Clarice close their runs on Thursday, June 24 at 8:30pm and 10pm, respectively.

It's time for another edition of Fri-Yay! That means we will take a look back on some sitcom happenings in recent days or weeks or other fun sitcomy stuff. It's a sitcom lover's paradise! Happy Fri-Yay!

by Vincent

It's hard to believe, but there's yet another streaming service on the horizon, although it's not quite new as much as revamped. CBS has rebranded its streaming service CBS All Access as Paramount+. Although it's technically not a new service, CBS is clearly trying to make a more serious play at the streaming wars, rebranding their (not very successful) service as Paramount+, hoping to attract the same kind of brand interest that (wildly successful) Disney+ has done, and that NBC is clearly also hoping to emulate with Peacock. Of note for sitcom fans, though, is that the service is promising two revivals to help draw interest to its service: one of a beloved and critically acclaimed sitcom, and one of a 2000s Nickelodeon series that holds a special place in younger millennials and Generation Z's heart - Frasier and iCarly.

It's a pretty clever move given the two series are basically polar opposites, so Paramount+ is clearly trying to attract many different types of viewers to its streaming service. And the projects do sound intriguing. Frasier was a big hit on Netflix and still has a large following, and iCarly will "age up" with its viewers as a sitcom geared towards young adults. These sound like possibile ways to get a lot of people to check out your service, and at $4.99/month it'll be cheaper than many other services out there. Still, given the fading of once hyped revival projects like The Conners and Fuller House, I do wonder if the time has run out for revived sitcoms, especially ones that are being asked to help launch a streaming service. Time will tell - and Paramount+ is certainly hoping it goes as well as it can.

The series premiere of new CBS comedy United States of Al on Thursday, April 1 will now debut in its new time period, 8:30-9:00 PM, ET/PT. Thursday's freshman comedy B Positive will shift to 9:30-10:00 PM, ET/PT. United States of Al stars Adhir Kalyan and Parker Young in a comedy about the friendship between Riley (Young), a Marine combat veteran struggling to readjust to civilian life in Ohio, and Awalmir ("Al") (Kalyan), the Interpreter who served with his unit in Afghanistan and has just arrived to start a new life in America. The series also stars Elizabeth Alderfer as Lizzie, Riley's sister; Dean Norris as Art, Riley's father; Kelli Goss as Vanessa, Riley's ex-wife; and Farrah Mackenzie as Hazel, Riley and Vanessa's daughter. Chuck Lorre, David Goetsch & Maria Ferrari, Reza Aslan and Mahyad Tousi are the executive producers. The series is produced by Chuck Lorre Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.

CBS announced that new comedy United States of Al, from award-winning executive producer Chuck Lorre and creators/writers David Goetsch and Maria Ferrari, will premiere Thursday, April 1 at 9:30 PM, ET/PT, after The Unicorn completes its second season. United States of Al stars Adhir Kalyan and Parker Young in a comedy about the friendship between Riley (Young), a Marine combat veteran struggling to readjust to civilian life in Ohio, and Awalmir ("Al") (Kalyan), the interpreter who served with his unit in Afghanistan and has just arrived to start a new life in America. Elizabeth Alderfer, Dean Norris, Kelli Goss and Farrah Mackenzie also star. David Goetsch & Maria Ferrari, Chuck Lorre, Reza Aslan, Mahyad Tousi and director Mark Cendrowski (pilot only) are executive producers for Warner Bros. Television and Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. United States of Al will join the CBS Thursday comedy line-up which has Young Sheldon, B Positive and Mom leading in.

Emmy and Oscar-winning actress Cloris Leachman, who starred as Phyllis Lindstrom in The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Phyllis and as Beverly Ann Stickle in The Facts of Life, has died. She died on January 27 at her home in Encinitas, California. The cause of death was a stroke with reports that COVID-19 was a contributing factor. Ms. Leachman was 94.

Leachman's early television credits included Actor's Studio, Kraft Theatre, Bob and Ray, Suspense, Danger and The Philco Television Playhouse. She starred as Effie Perrine in the detective drama Charlie Wild, Private Detective from 1950 to 1952. She played Ruth Martin, Timmy's (Jon Provost) adoptive mother, in 28 episodes of the fourth season of Lassie from 1957 to 1958. Some of her other guest appearances from the 1950s and 1960s included Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Gunsmoke, Rawhide, Thriller, Wanted: Dead or Alive, The Twilight Zone, The Untouchables, 77 Sunset Strip, Dr. Kildare, Perry Mason, The Virginian, Adam-12 and Mannix.

She played Phyllis Lindstrom, the downstairs landlady and snobbish friend of Mary Richards (Mary Tyler Moore), in 35 episodes of the CBS sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show from 1970 to 1975 (and the final episode in 1977). Phyllis was a recurring character in the first two seasons. She was the mother of Bess (Lisa Gerritsen). Leachman won Emmy Awards for Best Supporting Actress in Comedy in 1974 and for Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Drama Series in 1975. She also appeared as Phyllis in the one-hour episode Rhoda titled "Rhoda's Wedding" in 1974. The Mary Tyler Moore Show also starred Edward Asner, Ted Knight, Gavin MacLeod, Valerie Harper (1970-1974), Georgia Engel (1973-1977) and Betty White (1973-1977).

Leachman continued the role of Phyllis Lindstrom in the spin-off series Phyllis. The CBS sitcom ran for two seasons from 1975 to 1977. Phyllis and her daughter Bess Lindstrom moved from Minneapolis to San Francisco, after the death of her husband, Dr. Lars Lindstrom. Leachman won a Golden Globe Award for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1976, and was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1976. The series also starred Liz Torres (1975-1976), Richard Schaal (1975-1976), Jane Rose, Henry Jones, Judith Lowry, John Lawlor (1976-1977), Garn Stephens (1976-1977), Carmine Caridi (1976-1977), Burt Mustin (1976) and Craig Watson (1977).

She starred as Beverly Ann Stickle, Edna Garrett's (Charlotte Rae) sister, in the final two seasons of the NBC sitcom The Facts of Life from 1986 to 1988. The character of Beverly Ann had a similar personality to Leachman's previous Emmy-winning role as Phyllis Lindstrom. Beverly Ann later legally adopted Over Our Heads worker Andy Moffett (Mackenzie Astin). The cast in the final seasons included Lisa Whelchel, Kim Fields, Mindy Cohn, Nancy McKeon, George Clooney (Seasons 7-8) and Sherrie Krenn (Season 9).

Leachman starred as Ms. Frick and Mrs. Edwina Nutt (in the pilot episode) in the short-lived 1989 NBC sitcom The Nutt House. Ms. Frick was the head of housekeeping at Nutt House, a once-prestigious New York City hotel. The Mel Brooks and Alan Spencer produced series also starred Harvey Korman, Mark Blankfield, Brian McNamara, Molly Hagan and Gregory Itzin.

She starred as Emily Collins, the wife of Walter Collins (Brian Keith), in the short-lived 1991-1992 NBC sitcom Walter and Emily. They were the parents of Matt Collins (Christopher McDonald) and grandparents of 11-year-old Zach (Matthew Lawrence). The cast included Edna Gross, Sandy Baron and Shelley Berman.

Leachman played Grammy Winthrop in the short-lived 1999 CBS sitcom Thanks. The program explores the trials and tribulations of the Winthrops, a 17th-century Puritan family, in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The series also starred Tim Dalton, Kirsten Nelson, Erika Christensen, Amy Centner, Andrew Ducote, Jim Rash, Keith Szarabajka and Robert Machray.

She played the recurring role of Grandma Ida in 11 episodes of the Fox sitcom Malcolm in the Middle from 2001 to 2006. Ida was Lois Wilkerson's (Jane Kaczmarek) tyrannical mother. Leachman won Emmy Awards for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series in 2002 and 2006.

Leachman starred as Dot Richmond in the 2001-2002 CBS sitcom The Ellen Show. Dot Richmond was the eccentric mother of Ellen Richmond (Ellen DeGeneres). The series also starred Martin Mull, Jim Gaffigan, Emily Rutherford, Diane Delano and Kerri Kenney.

She starred as Barbara June "Maw Maw" Thompson in 2010 to 2014 Fox sitcom Raising Hope. She was Virginia's (Martha Plimpton) 84-year-old grandmother, Jimmy's (Lucas Neff) great-grandmother, and Hope's (Baylie and Rylie Cregut) great-great-grandmother. The series also starred Garret Dillahunt, Shannon Woodward and Gregg Binkley.

Leachman reunited with her The Mary Tyler Moore Show cast members Betty White, Mary Tyler Moore, Valerie Harper and Georgia Engel in a 2013 episode of the TV Land sitcom Hot in Cleveland. Some of her other sitcom guest appearances included The Donna Reed Show, That Girl, The Love Boat, The Associates, Ferris Bueller, The Powers That Be, The Nanny, Maybe This Time, Norm, Love & Money, Happy Family, Two and a Half Men, The Office, Blue Mountain State, Kirstie, The Millers, Girl Meets World and Teachers. Some of her voice credits included The Simpsons, Phineas and Ferb, Bob's Burgers, Creative Galaxy, Justice League Action and Elena of Avalor.

She won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Ruth Popper, the jaded wife of a closeted schoolteacher in the 1950s, in the 1971 film The Last Picture Show. She appeared in the Mel Brooks' films Young Frankenstein (1974) as Frau Blücher, High Anxiety (1977) as Charlotte Diesel and History of the World, Part I (1981) as Madame Defarge. Some of her other film credits included Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), WUSA (1970), Yesterday (1981), The Beverly Hillbillies (1993), Now and Then (1995), Bad Santa (2003), Spanglish (2004), Mrs. Harris (2005) and New York, I Love You (2008).

Survivors include sons Adam, George Jr., Morgan, an actor; and a daughter, Dinah.

Ms. Leachman was a wonderful actress and a true comedy legend. During her career which spanned more than seven decades, she won eight Primetime Emmy Awards, an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Daytime Emmy Award. She made everything she appeared in much better. We thank her for the many laughs and hours of entertainment she brought us. She will be sorely missed.

Share your memories on our The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Phyllis and The Facts of Life message boards. View photos in our galleries.

This Saturday, Antenna TV will air a marathon of The Facts of Life episodes featuring actress and comedian Cloris Leachman. Leachman starred in the final two seasons of the sitcom as Beverly Ann Stickle, the sister of Mrs. Garrett.

"Remembering Cloris Leachman: The Facts of Life Marathon" airs Saturday, January 30 from Noon ET to 6 pm ET on Antenna TV. Visit www.antennatv.com for the channel finder.

We also remember veteran character actor Bruce Kirby. He appeared as Officer Kissel in Car 54, Where Are You?, starred in several short-lived sitcoms and made many sitcom guest appearances. He died in Los Angeles on January 24. Mr. Kirby was 95.

Kirby had a recurring role as Office Kissel in the 1961-1963 NBC sitcom Car 54, Where Are You?. The cast included Joe E. Ross, Fred Gwynne, Bea Pons, Paul Reed, Albert Henderson, Nipsey Russell, Joe Warren, Al Lewis, Hank Garrett and Charlotte Rae.

He starred as Capt. Harry Sedford in the short-lived 1976 ABC sitcom Holmes and Yoyo. The series follows Detective Alexander Holmes (Richard B. Schull) and his new android partner Yoyo (John Schuck), on their adventures and misadventures, as Holmes teaches Yoyo what it is like to be human, while trying to keep his quirky partner's true nature a secret from criminals and fellow cops.

Kirby starred as Al Brennan in the short-lived 1979 NBC sitcom Turnabout. Al Brennan was the boss of sportswriter Sam Alston (John Schuck). The series also starred Sharon Gless, Richard Stahl, Bobbi Jordan and James Sikking.

Some of his other sitcom guest appearances in the 1960s and 1970s included The Phil Silvers Show, The Patty Duke Show, I Dream of Jeannie, The Mothers-in-Law, Hogan's Heroes, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Coursthip of Eddie's Father, Room 222, The Doris Day Show, Me and the Chimp, The Bob Newhart Show, Chico and the Man, Operation Petticoat, Alice and Barney Miller.

Some of his 1980s and 1990s sitcom guest appearances included Park Place, Three's a Crowd, Night Court, Punky Brewster, Anything But Love (4 episodes as Leo Miller), Have Faith, It's Garry Shandling's Show, The Fanelli Boys, The Golden Girls, Madman of the People, Bless This House, The Single Guy, Murphy Brown and Caroline in the City. He appeared in a 2007 episode of Scrubs.

Kirby had several roles in the long-running series Columbo from 1973 to 1995, most notably as the gullible Sergeant George Kramer in six episodes. He starred as Inspector Schmidt in the 1981-1982 CBS police drama Shannon. He played District Attorney Bruce Rogoff in 13 episodes of L.A. Law from 1986 until 1991.

He was the father of actor Bruno Kirby (1949-2006). His other son, John Kirby, is an acting coach.

Mr. Kirby was a talented character actor. He was a familiar face in many sitcoms from the 1960s to the 1990s. He will be greatly missed.

CBS has ordered United States of Al to series, a new multi-camera comedy from award-winning executive producer Chuck Lorre and creators/writers David Goetsch and Maria Ferrari, for the 2020-2021 broadcast season. United States of Al stars Adhir Kalyan (Rules of Engagement) and Parker Young (Suburgatory) in a comedy about the friendship between Riley (Young), a Marine combat veteran struggling to readjust to civilian life in Ohio, and Awalmir ("Al") (Kalyan), the interpreter who served with his unit in Afghanistan and has just arrived to start a new life in America. Kelli Goss, Dean Norris and Elizabeth Alderfer also star. David Goetsch & Maria Ferrari, Chuck Lorre, Reza Aslan, Mahyad Tousi and director Mark Cendrowski (pilot only) are executive producers for Warner Bros. Television and Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc.

The new comedy joins four additional series from Chuck Lorre that are already on the Network's schedule, including Young Sheldon, Mom, Bob ♥ Abishola and new comedy B Positive. All of which have premiered this November, but Bob ♥ Abishola which premieres Monday, Nov. 16. Stay tuned for a premiere date for United States of Al.

Honoring the memory and legendary career of Alex Trebek, Game Show Network is scheduled to air a six-hour Jeopardy! marathon on Saturday, November 14 at 9am-3pm ET. Game Show Network talent will share words of tribute throughout the marathon. Meanwhile, the MeTV Network will air some sitcoms! This Friday, November 13, at 9PM | 8C, MeTV pays tribute to legendary game show host Alex Trebek with a special presentation of two sitcom classics. Watch as two cherished characters of television comedy play as contestants on Jeopardy! First, at 9PM | 8C, Vicki Lawrence's Thelma "Mama" Harper heads to Jeopardy! in the 1987 Mama's Family episode "Mama on Jeopardy!" Then, at 9:30PM | 8:30C, tune in for a special airing of Cheers, when know-it-all mailman Cliff Clavin plays Jeopardy! in the unforgetable "What Is... Cliff Clavin?" from 1990. Trebek plays himself, the host of Jeopardy!, in both episodes, which rank as favorites amongst fans.