SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Freeform's 31 Nights of Halloween 2026 Schedule; Great Entertainment Television's Walker, Texas Ranger Labor Day Marathon

This October, Freeform's coven is growing! "31 Nights of Halloween" returns with the highly anticipated premiere of Coven Academy and a lineup of classics, including Hocus Pocus, Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas and Casper, guaranteed to raise the spirits.

New supernatural teen drama series Coven Academy premieres October 1 on Freeform at 8 p.m. EDT/PDT. The full season will be available the next day on Disney+, Hulu and Freeform on Demand.

Fans can spend Friday, October 16, taking a haunting trip through Tim Burton's gothic world with a marathon featuring Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Dark Shadows and Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas

. Monster mash, anyone? Freeform's October lineup is crawling with creature features, including Monsters, Inc., Monsters University, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed and Frankenweenie. From lovable beasts to mischievous misfits, these monstrously entertaining adventures prove there's nothing to fear except missing movie night.

And no October at Freeform would be complete without a spooktacular haunted house call. Beetlejuice, Casper and the Ghostbusters franchise return to keep things appropriately ghoulish all season, including a Freeform premiere of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. So dust the cobwebs off your broomstick and get ready for a frightfully fun October.

View and discuss the full schedule here.

The fans have made their voices heard again! Great Entertainment Television will be airing a fan-voted Labor Day marathon of Walker, Texas Ranger, on Monday, September 7 from 9am-6pm. Fans had the opportunity to vote for their favorite episodes via Great Entertainment Television's website, with voting ending Thursday, August 27.

The schedule can be found here.

Great Entertainment Television (GREAT) is a national TV network dedicated to your favorite TV series. GREAT, which re-launched in HD February 2026 with a new look and feel, is a top 15 diginet. GREAT is the home of some of tv’s most memorable characters and programs including Monk, Psych, The Rockford Files and Walker, Texas Ranger. It’s not just good tv – it’s Great. Great Entertainment Television is owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Group Corporation.

Great Entertainment Television Acquires House; Remembering Louise Lasser of Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman

Great Entertainment Television welcomes the acclaimed series House to its lineup, weeknights beginning Monday, July 13 from 9-11pm.

Brilliant, cynical, and brutally honest, Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) is one of the most gifted diagnosticians in medicine. As the head of diagnostic medicine at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, House leads a team of young specialists tasked with solving the hospital's most mysterious and life-threatening cases. Armed with razor-sharp instincts and an unorthodox approach to patient care, House routinely defies medical conventions—and hospital protocol—to uncover the truth behind baffling illnesses.

Actress Louise Lasser, who starred as Mary Hartman in Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and as Maggie McBurney in It's a Living, has died. She died at her home in Manhattan on July 6. Ms. Lasser was 87.

Lasser's first television series credit was as Jackie Ricardo in a 1965 episode of The Doctors. Some of her early sitcom guest appearances included Love, American Style (1971), The Bob Newhart Show, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. She hosted the penultimate episode of Saturday Night Live's first season on July 24, 1976.

She starred as Mary Hartman in the 1976-1977 first-run syndicated satirical soap opera Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, which was produced by Norman Lear. The series follows Mary Hartman, a small-town Ohio housewife attempting to cope with various bizarre and sometimes violent incidents occurring in her daily life. Lasser was nominated for an Emmy Award for her performance in 1976. The series also starred Greg Mullavey, Dody Goodman, Mary Kay Place, Graham Jarvis, Debralee Scott, Victor Kilian, Philip Bruns, and Claudia Lamb.

Lasser had a recurring role as Phyllis Bornstein Consuelos and Phyllis Reiger in three episodes of Taxi from 1980 to 1982. Phyllis is Alex Reiger's (Judd Hirsch) ex-wife, with whom he had a daughter. Phyllis became fed up with his lack of ambition and remarried, but they remain strongly attracted to each other. She once goes out on a date with Louie (Danny DeVito), just to irritate Alex.

She starred as waitress Maggie McBurney in the second season (1981-1982) of It's a Living, which aired on ABC for the first two seasons. The series was renamed Making a Living for season 2 before returning as It's a Living for season 3 when it moved to first-run syndication in 1985. The season 2 cast included Barrie Youngfellow, Gail Edwards, Marian Mercer, Paul Kreppel, Ann Jillian, and Earl Boen.

Lasser guest starred as Sister Margaret in a 1983 episode of Laverne & Shirley. She appeared as Louise Polsky in a 1992 episode of Empty Nest. She had a recurring role as Beadie, an artist for whom Jessa Johansson (Jemima Kirke) briefly works as an assistant, in three episodes of the HBO comedy-drama Girls from 2014 to 2015.

Some of her other television guest appearances included Love Story, McCloud, Medical Center, and St. Elsehwere (2 episodes).

Some of her film credits included Take the Money and Run (1969), Bananas (1971), Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) (1972), Happiness (1998), and Funny Pages (2022).

She was interviewed for The Interviews: An Oral History of Television on May 16, 2017.

Ms. Lasser became a household name and appeared on the covers of Newsweek, People and Rolling Stone during Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman's run. She did a great job portraying the unhappy, neurotic Mary Hartman. We thank her for work on television and in films. She will be deeply missed.

We also remember Canadian-born American actor and painter Joby Baker. He starred as Dave Lewis in Good Morning World. He died at a hospital in Yonkers, New York, on June 22. Mr. Lewis was 92.

Baker starred as Dave Lewis in the 1967-1968 CBS sitcom Good Morning World. The series starred Baker and Ronnie Schell as Dave Lewis and Larry Clarke, morning drive time disc jockeys and hosts of the eponymous Lewis and Clarke Show on a small AM radio station in Los Angeles. The cast included Billy De Wolfe, Julie Parrish, and Goldie Hawn in her first professional role.

He starred as Col. Harvey Mann in the short-lived 1980 NBC military sitcom The Six O'Clock Follies. The show is set in 1967 Saigon just before the Tet Offensive. It follows the offbeat, behind-the-scenes production of an evening TV and radio news show broadcast by the U.S. Army to GIs serving in Vietnam. The show also starred Larry (Laurence) Fishburne, A.C. Weary, Philip Charles MacKenzie, Randall Carver, Aarika Wells, George Kee Cheung, Dave Hubbard, and Phil Hartman.

Some of his sitcom guest appearances included Bachelor Father (3 episodes), The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, The Dick Van Dyke Show (2 episodes), F Troop, and Love, American Style (1971).

Baker had a recurring role as Bob Tepps in three episodes of Dragnet from 1957 to 1959. Some of his other television guest appearances included The Red Skelton Hour (2 episodes), Surfside 6, Cain's Hundred, Dr. Kildare, Alfred Hitchcock Presents (3 episodes), Wagon Train, Gunsmoke, Perry Mason, Combat! (3 episodes), The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Ben Casey, Death Valley Days, Mannix, The Streets of San Francisco, Barnaby Jones, Police Story (2 episodes), Medical Center, Bronk, Stone (4 episodes), Simon & Simon, Quincy, M.E. (4 episodes), and The Paper Chase.

In 1960, he co-starred with Jack Lemmon and Ricky Nelson in The Wackiest Ship in the Army. Some of his other film credits included Gidget (1959), Gidget Goes Hawaiian (1961), Gidget Goes to Rome (1963), Girl Happy (1965), When the Boys Meet the Girls (1965), The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin (1967), Blackbeard's Ghost, Superdad (1974), and Avalanche (1978).

After he stopped acting in 1984, he established himself as a painter, sculptor and jewelry artisan.

Mr. Baker was best known for his lighthearted, low-key comedy roles. He died ten days after his Good Morning World co-star Ronnie Schell. The series was released on DVD in 2006. We thank him for his work on television. He will be greatly missed.

Television producer Harris Katleman worked on The Don Rickles Show. He died in Los Angeles on July 8. Mr. Katleman was 97.

Katleman worked as a producer on the short-lived 1972 CBS sitcom The Don Rickles Show. The series focused on an advertising agency executive, and his "life and endless problems" with his job and his family. It starred Don Rickles, Louise Sorel, Erin Moran, Robert Hogan, and Joyce Van Patten.

Some of his other television producing credits included Branded, The American Girls, From Here to Eternity (miniseries), and Salvage 1, which starred Andy Griffith and Joel Higgins.

As President of MGM Television and Senior Vice President of MGM Inc., he was instrumental in developing How the West Was Won, CHiPs, Medical Center, and The Courtship of Eddie's Father. In 1980, he was named President/CEO of Twentieth Century Fox Television. He developed and sold The Simpsons, Anything but Love, Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989-1993), Hooperman, and Mr. Belvedere.

Mr. Katleman guest starred as Colonel Charles Marshall in a 1960 episode of the ABC western The Rebel. We thank him for his work on television. He will be sorely missed.

Television writer and producer Wilford Lloyd Baumes created The Love Boat. He died in Cincinnati, Ohio, on June 28. Mr. Baumes was 86.

Baumes created and developed the 1977-1986 ABC romantic sitcom The Love Boat. The series was based on the 1974 book The Love Boats by Jeraldine Saunders. In addition, three TV movies aired before the regular series premiered and four specials and a TV movie aired after the series ended.

He worked as an associate to executive producer on the 1972-1973 CBS sitcom Bridget Loves Bernie, which starred Meredith Baxter and David Birney. He was an executive producer on Wonder Woman from 1976 to 1977.

Mr. Baumes's The Love Boat was part of ABC's popular Saturday-night lineup of the time, which also included Fantasy Island until 1984. We thank him for creating The Love Boat. He will be greatly missed.

Actress and television writer Ellen Weston had a recurring role as Dr. Steele in Get Smart. She died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on May 28. Ms. Weston was 87.

Weston had a recurring role as Dr. Steele in three episodes of the third season (1967-1968) of the NBC sitcom Get Smart. Dr. Steele is a beautiful, sexy, and brilliant CONTROL scientist who develops formulas while undercover as a dancer and strip-tease artist. She remains oblivious to Maxwell Smart's (Don Adams) clearly discomfited attraction to her. The character was replaced the next season by Dr. Simon who has the same cover, played by different actresses in two episodes.

Some of her other sitcom guest appearances included The Ghost & Mrs. Muir, Bewitched, The Little People, and The Bob Newhart Show. She had a recurring role as Betty Harrelson in the police procedural action crime drama S.W.A.T., which aired on ABC from 1975 to 1976.

Weston's other television guest appearances included Run for Your Life (2 episodes), N.Y.P.D. (1967), The F.B.I. (2 episodes), Bonanza, The Young Lawyers, Mannix, Night Gallery, The Sixth Sense, The Wide World of Mystery, Hawkins, Harry O, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Barnaby Jones, Caribe, Ellery Queen, Cannon (3 episodes), Baretta, Most Wanted, Logan's Run, Lucan, and Wonder Woman.

Her first notable television role was a stint as Robin Fletcher on Guiding Light from 1963 to 1964, followed by another daytime role as Karen Gregory on Another World from 1964 to 1965. From 1979 to 1981, she appeared as Suzanne Thurston, Derek's ex-wife, on The Young and the Restless.

Weston's first television writing job was as a staff writer for the CBS soap opera Capitol. She was the head writer on Guiding Light from 2002 to 2004.

Ms. Weston was a talented and versatile actress. We thank her for her work on television as an actress and writer. She will be deeply missed.

Great Entertainment Television's Psych 20th Anniversary Marathon; Netflix Announces Cast for Myron Bolitar

Great Entertainment Television is celebrating the 20th anniversary of Psych, the beloved show about Shawn Spencer, a hyper-observant slacker who convinces the police in Santa Barbara that he's psychic and uses his sharp detective skills to solve crimes they can’t crack. With help from his best friend Burton "Gus" Guster, Shawn tackles cases with humor, clever deductions, and plenty of antics.

GREAT will air a fan-voted marathon Saturday, July 11 and Sunday July 12, from 11am – 7pm. The schedule can be found here.

Netflix announced Colin Woodell (Pulse, The Continental), KJ Apa (The Map That Leads to You, Riverdale) and Diane Guerrero (Orange Is the New Black, The Lincoln Lawyer) will star in the upcoming drama series Myron Bolitar, inspired by Harlan Coben's most iconic and longest-running series spanning 12 books.

Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning writer and producer David E. Kelley and Kyle Long will co-showrun, write and executive produce, bringing Coben's iconic character to life.

Myron Bolitar is a former college basketball star whose NBA career came to an abrupt end, Myron reinvented himself as a sports agent. He built his agency - MB Sports - on an unwavering belief in overlooked athletes, with the same heart and fierce competitive drive he once brought to the court.

Great Entertainment Television Acquires Happy Endings; Futurama Season 14 Launches August 3

Ah-Mah-Zing! Great Entertainment Television will air Happy Endings Sundays from 10am – 11am beginning Sunday, May 17. The 2011-13 ABC series starring Elisha Cuthbert, Zachary Knighton, Eliza Coupe, Adam Pally, Damon Wayans Jr. and Casey Wilson will also air weeknights from 3-4am.

As of May 11, the lineup will feature two hours each of Quantum Leap and The Rockford Files starting at 9am leading into a five-hour block of Walker, Texas Ranger from 1pm-6pm, followed by three episodes each of Monk & Psych in primetime beginning at 6pm. At 12am, Franklin & Bash will air into comedies Community from 1-3am and Happy Endings 3-4am. In the early morning, go back in time with Timeless at 4am and Quantum Leap at 5am.

Futurama Season 14 launches Monday, August 3 on Hulu. The launch date and first look stills from the upcoming season were announced.

Brace yourselves... The future is about to get a whole lot stranger! It's a non-stop onslaught of swaggering space pirates, lab-grown meats, sexy scams... plus the shocking return of Dr. Zoidberg's lost love! You didn't see that coming, prior to being told about it just now! It's a thrilling, all-new season of Futurama on Hulu!

Great Entertainment Television Acquires Community; Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Stars Reuniting

Six seasons and a movie? Great Entertainment Television (formerly known as Get TV) will air marathons of Community, weekends starting April 18 and 19. Community will air Saturdays 11am-12pm and Sundays 10am-12pm.

Great Entertainment Television (GREAT) is a national TV network dedicated to your favorite TV series.  GREAT, which re-launched in HD February 2026 with a new look and feel, is a top 15 diginet. GREAT is the home of some of tv's most memorable characters and programs including Monk, Psych, The Rockford Files and Walker, Texas Ranger. It’s not just good tv – it's Great. Great Entertainment Television is owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Group Corporation.

Paramount+ announced that the Emmy(R)-Nominated Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt stars, Tituss Burgess and Ellie Kemper, will reunite to voice Elephant Gerald" and "Piggie", respectively, in the The Elephant & Piggie Show!, while four-time Emmy-winner Neil Patrick Harris is slated to voice "The Bus Driver" in The Pigeon Show! Starring The Pigeon. Both titles are animated adaptations of Mo Willems' New York Times best-selling children's book series.

The Elephant & Piggie Show! is a warm, comedic pre-K series about the hilarious and sometimes challenging work of "best-friending." The series takes place in the small, walkable neighborhood of Willemsburg, which is full of new locations audiences will love. Elephant Gerald is careful; his best friend Piggie is not. Gerald worries so that that Piggie does not have to and together, along with young audiences, they will celebrate the messy and joyful art of friendship.

The Pigeon Show! Starring The Pigeon is about the day-to-day struggles of a pigeon who just wants to be listened to. He will be your best friend if you have a bus and you let him drive it. The series features familiar characters from Willems' books, such as the adorable Duckling who always seems to get what she wants, plus new characters, like The Pigeon's 150-million-year-old pterodactyl grandmother, Nana-Dactyl, and his best wing-pals, Ima Pigeon and Doug Pigeon.

Great Entertainment Television to Honor Chuck Norris; ABC's R.J. Decker Gets Time Slot Upgrade

Great Entertainment Television will honor the late Chuck Norris with an extended marathon of Walker, Texas Ranger this Saturday and Sunday, March 28 and March 29 from 6:00pm-2:00am. Join Great Entertainment Television (getTV) to pay tribute to this action star, martial arts legend and TV icon.

Great Entertainment Television (GREAT) is a national TV network dedicated to your favorite TV series.  GREAT, which re-launched in HD February 2026 with a new look and feel, is a top 15 diginet. GREAT is the home of some of tv's most memorable characters and programs including Monk, Psych, The Rockford Files and Walker, Texas Ranger. It's not just good tv – it's Great. Great Entertainment Television is owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Group Corporation.

Following the Season 2 finale of High Potential on April 7, R.J. Decker will move to the Tuesday 9 p.m. time slot beginning April 14. Episodes stream next day on Hulu.

New schedule is as follows:

Tuesday, April 14
8:00 p.m. - Will Trent
9:00 p.m. - R.J. Decker (new time slot)
10:00 p.m. - High Potential (repeat)

ABC will re-air the first three episodes of R.J. Decker on Thursday, April 9. Written by Rob Doherty (Elementary) and starring Scott Speedman, R.J. Decker is a former newspaper photographer and ex-con who starts over as a private investigator in the colorful-if-crime-filled world of South Florida. The series follows him tackling cases that range from slightly odd to outright bizarre with the help of his journalist ex, her police detective wife and a shadowy woman from his past who could be his greatest ally ... or his one-way ticket back to prison.

R.J. Decker stars Scott Speedman as R.J. Decker, Jaina Lee Ortiz as Emilia "Emi" Ochoa, Bevin Bru as Detective Melody "Mel" Abreu, Kevin Rankin as Aloysius "Wish" Aiken and Adelaide Clemens as Catherine Delacroix.

GET Acquires Psych for January 2026; Details on Netflix's A Different World Sequel

GET ready! Psych starring James Roday Rodriguez and Dulé Hill is coming to GET this January, Tune in weeknights at 9pm & 10pm starting Monday, January 12. In the series, when the Santa Barbara police department hit a wall on a high profile kidnapping case, they reluctantly hire Shawn Spencer, the town's newest psychic detective, to help solve the crime.

As for the rest of the GET line-up, Monk moves to 6pm-9pm. Quantum Leap, The Rockford Files and Walker Texas Ranger all air during the day from 9am-6pm. In late night, The Rockford Files, Quincy ME, and Doc air from 11pm-6am. Sitcom wise, Good Times and Sanford & Son will be leaving the schedule after December. Enjoy them the last few days on GET!

Netflix announced that beloved cast members from A Different World (1987-1993) will reprise their roles in the upcoming sequel, which will explore the lives and loves of a new generation at the iconic fictional HBCU. When Deborah, Dwayne Wayne, and Whitley Gilbert's free-spirited, well-intentioned, yet rebellious youngest child, enters her freshman year at Hillman College, she finds the shadow of her parents difficult to escape as she sets out to build her own legacy, while having the time of her life, alongside a whole new generation of Hillman's best and brightest. 10 episodes have been ordered and the series will be a single-camera comedy.

· Kadeem Hardison (he/him) (A Different World, White Men Can't Jump) as Dwayne Wayne.
· Jasmine Guy (she/her) (A Different World, Harlem Nights) as Whitley Gilbert.
· Darryl M. Bell (he/him) (A Different World, School Daze) as Ron Johnson.
· Cree Summer (she/her) (A Different World, Atlantis: The Lost Empire) as Freddie Brooks


· Previously Announced Cast:
o Maleah Joi Moon (Hell's Kitchen) as Deborah
o Alijah Kai Haggins (Everybody Hates Chris) as Rashida
o Cornell Young (Doing Life) as Shaquille
o Kennedi Reece (TK) as Hazel
o Jordan Aaron Hall (The Idea of You) as Amir
o Chibuikem Uche (One Of Us Is Lying) as Kojo

Showrunner/Executive Producer/Writer: Felicia Pride (Grey's Anatomy, Queen Sugar). Director/Executive Producer: Debbie Allen (Grey's Anatomy) - who directed 83 episodes of the original series and served as primary director from 1998-1993 - returns for the sequel. She will direct three episodes including the first episode. Executive Producers: Writers from the original series Reggie Rock Bythewood and Gina Prince-Bythewood return as Executive Producers alongside Mandy Summers (That 90's Show, The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh) and Tom Werner (The Connors, Roseanne).

The Franchise Launches Sunday on HBO; Remembering John Amos of Good Times

HBO has released the official trailer for the original comedy series The Franchise. The eight-episode season debuts Sunday, October 6 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on Max, followed by one new episode weekly through Sunday, November 24. A hopeful crew finds themselves trapped inside the dysfunctional, nonsensical, joyous hellscape of franchise superhero moviemaking. Starring Himesh Patel as Daniel, Aya Cash as Anita, Jessica Hynes as Steph, Billy Magnussen as Adam, Lolly Adefope as Dag, Darren Goldstein as Pat, and Isaac Powell as Bryson. Recurring guest stars include Richard E. Grant as Peter and Daniel Brühl as Eric.

Actor John Amos, who starred as James Evans Sr. in Good Times, has died. He died of congestive heart failure at Centinela Hospital Medical Center in Inglewood, California, on August 21. Mr. Amos was 84.

Amos's first major TV role was as Gordon "Gordy" Howard in 13 episodes of the CBS sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show from 1970 to 1977. Gordy is the weatherman on the nightly WJM-TV newscast. In 1973, Gordy leaves WJM, and eventually lands a job as host of a New York City talk show.

He appeared as Henry Evans, Florida's (Esther Rolle) husband in three episodes of the CBS sitcom Maude from 1973 to 1974. In the second season episode titled "Florida's Goodbye", Henry gets a promotion at his job, and Florida quits to become a full-time housewife.

Amos starred as James Evans Sr., the husband of Florida Evans, in the CBS sitcom Good Times from 1974 to 1976. Florida and James Evans and their three children live at 721 North Gilbert Avenue, apartment 17C, in a public housing project in a poor, black neighborhood in inner-city Chicago. Throughout seasons two and three, Rolle and Amos grew increasingly disillusioned with the direction of the show and especially with J.J.'s tomfoolery and stereotypically buffoonish behavior. Amos was fired after season three due to disagreements with Norman Lear and the writing staff, which, according to Amos, were often confrontational and heated. The cast for the first three seasons included Jimmie Walker, Ja'Net DuBois, Ralph Carter and Bern Nadette Stanis.

He starred as Ernie Cumberbatch in the short-lived 1994 CBS sitcom 704 Hauser, which was created by Norman Lear. The series is built around the concept of a black family, the Cumberbatch Family, moving into the former Queens home of Archie Bunker after Bunker had sold the house located at 704 Hauser Street. It also starred Lynnie Godfrey, T.E. Russell and Maura Tierney.

Amos starred as Joe Anderson in the 2003-2004 The WB sitcom All About the Andersons. Anthony Anderson is a single father and struggling actor who moves back into his parents' house only to find that his room has been rented out to a nursing student. The series also starred Damani Roberts, Roz Ryan, Aimee Garcia and Lou Meyers (2003).

He had a recurring role as Coach Sam Wilson in 12 episodes of the NBC/UPN sitcom In the House from 1995 to 1997. Some of his sitcom guest appearances included The Bill Cosby Show, Love, American Style (2 episodes), The New Dick Van Dyke Show, Sanford and Son, The Love Boat, The Cosby Show, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (3 episodes as Fred Wilkes), Martin, King of the Hill (voice), My Name Is Earl, Two and a Half Men (3 episodes as Ed), 30 Rock, The Ranch (4 episodes as Ed Bishop), Ballers (2 episodes), The Last O.G., The Righteous Gemstones. He appeared as Fred Davis in the Good Times episode of Live in Front of a Studio Audience in 2019.

Amos starred as Officer Bill Bundy in the short-lived 1976-1977 ABC crime drama science fiction series Future Cop. In 1977, he starred as the adult Kunta Kinte in the ABC miniseries Roots. He received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor for a Single Appearance in a Drama or Comedy Series for the role. He starred as Captain Dolan in the first season of Hunter. He had a recurring role as Mayor Ethan Baker in the first season (2000-2001) of police crime drama The District. He starred as Buzz Washington in the 2006-2008 ABC romantic comedy-drama Men in Trees. He had a recurring role as Admiral Percy Fitzwallace in 22 episodes of The West Wing from 1999 to 2004.

Some of his other television guest appearances included Police Story, Here's Boomer, The A-Team, Hardcastle and McCormick, Trapper John, M.D. (1984), Murder, She Wrote (1987), Beauty and the Beast (1988), Touched by an Angel, Walker, Texas Ranger (1997), The Outer Limits (2000), Psych, Royal Pains, Lie to Me and NYC 22.

He starred as Cleo McDowell in Coming to America (1988) and Coming to America 2 (2021). Some of his other film credits included The Beastmaster (1982), American Flyers (1985), Lock Up (1989), Die Hard 2 (1990) and Ricochet (1991).

He was interviewed for The Interviews: An Oral History of Television on December 2, 2014.

Mr. Amos was a talented and versatile actor. He was very funny playing James Evans Sr., who was one of TV's most memorable dads. We thank him for the many laughs and entertainment he brought us during his career. He will be greatly missed.

Great Entertainment Television will honor the late John Amos this weekend, October 5 and 6, with marathons of Good Times from 10a-1p.

We also remember actor John Ashton. He starred as Roy in Breaking Away. He died from cancer on September 26 in Fort Collins, Colorado. Mr. Ashton was 76.

Ashton starred as Roy, Mike's older brother, in the 1979 American coming of age comedy-drama film Breaking Away. He reprised the role in the short-lived 1980-1981 ABC comedy-drama, which was based on the film. The series starred Shaun Cassidy, Vincent Gardenia, Barbara Barrie, Jackie Earle Haley, Thom Bray and Tom Wiggin.

Some of his sitcom guest appearances included Phyllis, M*A*S*H, Carter Country, Police Squad!, Brothers and King of the Hill (voice).

He had a recurring role as Willie Joe Garr in six episodes of Dallas from 1978 to 1979. He starred as Charlie "C.B." Battles in the 1989-1990 NBC crime drama Hardball.

Some of his other television guest appearances included Kojak, Emergency!, Columbo, Police Story, Barnaby Jones, Police Woman, Starsky & Hutch, The A-Team, The Twilight Zone (1985), Hardcastle and McCormick, JAG, Fantasy Island (1999), Judging Amy, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Fairly Legal and The Finder.

Ashton starred as Detective Sergeant John Taggart in the first two installments of the Beverly Hills Cop series, alongside Eddie Murphy and Judge Reinhold. He appeared as Chief John Taggart in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024). Some of his other film credits included Some Kind of Wonderful (1987), She's Having a Baby (1988), Midnight Run (1989), Little Big League (1994) and Trouble in Paradise (1984).

Actor James Earl Jones was known for his voice role as Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise and as Mufasa in The Lion King. He died at his home in Pawling, New York, on September 9. Mr. Jones was 93.

During season one of 3rd Rock from the Sun, he provided a voice introduction describing the crew. He guest starred as Norman Royster in a 1997 episode of Frasier. He voiced various characters for three episodes of The Simpsons in 1990, 1994 and 1998. He appeared as himself in a 2003 episode of Will & Grace. He provided the voice of Royal Flush XP Toilet for a 2004 episode of According to Jim. He appeared as himself in Two and a Half Men in 2008 and The Big Bang Theory in 2014.

Jones starred as Detective Capt. Woodrow "Woody" Paris in the 1979-1980 CBS police drama Paris. He starred as Lou Garfield in the short-lived 1985 ABC detective comedy/drama Me and Mom. He starred as Gabriel Bird in the 1990-1991 ABC crime drama Gabriel's Fire. He won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1991 for the role. He played Gabriel Bird in the 1991-1992 ABC crime drama Pros and Cons. He starred as Neb Langston in the short-lived 1995 CBS drama Under One Roof.

Some of his other notable films included The Man (1972), Conan the Barbarian (1982), Matewan (1987), Coming to America (1988), Field of Dreams (1989), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Sneakers (1992), The Sandlot (1993), and Cry, the Beloved Country (1995).

Actor, director and singer James Darren starred as Officer James Corrigan in T.J. Hooker. He died from congestive heart failure in his sleep, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, on September 2. Mr. Darren was 88.

Darren starred as Dr. Tony Newman in the 1966-1967 ABC science fiction series The Time Tunnel. He starred as Officer James Corrigan in the 1982-1986 ABC/CBS police drama T.J. Hooker. In 1999, he had a recurring role as Tony Martin in five episodes of Melrose Place. He had a recurring role as holographic crooner and adviser Vic Fontaine in eight episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine from 1998 to 1999.

Some of his sitcom credits included The Donna Reed Show (2 episodes), The Flintstones (voice of Jimmy Darrock), Love, American Style (1971), The Love Boat (2 episodes) and One Day at a Time.

Some of his televison directing credits included T.J. Hooker, The A-Team, Werewolf (7 episodes), Hunter (7 episodes), Raven (4 episodes), Silk Stalkings (3 episodes), Beverly Hills, 90210 (2 episodes), Savannah (4 episodes) and Melrose Place (2 episodes).

During the late 1950s and early 1960s, he had notable starring and supporting roles in films including the youth and beach-culture film Gidget (1959) and its sequels. As a teen pop singer, he sang hit singles including "Goodbye Cruel World" in 1961.

Televison producer and writer Eric Gilliland worked on Roseanne, That '70s Show and My Boys. He died from colon cancer on September 1. Mr. Gilliland was 62.

Gilliand was a writer and producer on Roseanne from 1992 to 1996. He earned Writers Guild of America Award nomination for the show's 1992 episode, “The Dark Ages.”

He was the creator of the short-lived 1998 ABC sitcom That's Life. Some of his other sitcom writing credits included Women in Prison (2 episodes), Live-In, Who's the Boss? (4 episodes), Living Dolls (3 episodes), Married People (2 episodes), The Wonder Years (3 episodes), Doogie Howser, M.D., That '70s Show, My Boys (4 episodes) and Mr. Sunshine (2 episodes).

Some of his other sitcom producing credits included Nurses, That '70s Show (12 episodes), Welcome to New York, My Boys (27 episodes), Mr. Sunshine (4 episodes) and The Conners (2 episodes).

Actress, manager and acting coach Betty A. Bridges guest starred in many sitcoms during her 40-year career. She died on August 27 in Phoenix, Arizona. Ms. Bridges was 83.

Some of her sitcom guest appearances included Good Times, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (3 episodes), What's Happening!! (2 episodes), Archie Bunker's Place, The Bad News Bears, Sanford, Diff'rent Strokes (2 episodes), Out All Night, Sister, Sister (1996), Payne, Scrubs and 2 Broke Girls.

She was the mother of actors Jimmy, Verda and Todd Bridges (Diff'rent Strokes).

Talk show host Phil Donahue was the creator and host of The Phil Donahue Show. He died following a long illness at his home on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City, on August 18. Mr. Donahue was 88.

The Phil Donahue Show, later known simply as Donahue, was the first popular talk show to feature a format that included audience participation. The show had a 29-year run on national television that began in Dayton, Ohio, in 1967 and ended in New York City in 1996. In 1996, Donahue was ranked No. 42 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time.

Some of his sitcom credits included Blossom, Who's the Boss?, Ellen and Frasier (3 episodes as the voice of Larry). His other television credits included L.A. Law and The Bold and the Beautiful.

Donahue married actress Marlo Thomas (That Girl) on May 21, 1980. He and Thomas did not have any children together.

He was interviewed for The Interviews: An Oral History of Television on May 9, 2001.

Actor Alan Haufrect had a recurring role as Brian in Alice. He died at his home in Century City, California, on August 17. Mr. Haufrect was 83.

Haufrect had a recurring role as Brian, Vera's (Beth Howland) boyfriend and a Mel's Diner regular, in five episodes of the CBS sitcom Alice from 1978 to 1980.

Some of his other sitcom guest appearances included Doc, Barney Miller, The Bob Newhart Show, I'm a Big Girl Now, Ladies' Man (1981), Bosom Buddies, Open All Night, Family Ties, Brothers (1984), The New Gidget, It's Garry Shandling's Show, Perfect Strangers, Night Court (1987), The New Leave it to Beaver, It's a Living, Punky Brewster, Live-In, Who's the Boss?, Head of the Class (2 episodes), Singer & Sons, Growing Pains and Roc.

Game show host, television and radio personality, singer and actor Peter Marshall was the original host of The Hollywood Squares. He died of kidney failure at his home in Encino, Los Angeles, California, on August 15. Mr. Marshall was 98.

Marshall hosted the original version of Hollywood Squares that aired on NBC from 1966 to 1980, as well as a nighttime syndicated version that ran from 1971 to 1981. He won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host four times. He hosted Storybook Squares, a children's version of Hollywood Squares, on NBC in 1969 and the 1976-1977 season.

Some of his sitcom guest appearances included The Lucy Show, The Good Life, Love, American Style (3 episodes), WKRP in Cincinnati, The Love Boat (2 episodes), Sledge Hammer!, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and The Parent 'Hood.

Some of his other television guest appearances included The Millionaire, 77 Sunset Strip, Banacek, Lou Grant, Fantasy Island, CHiPs (3 episodes), Hotel, Automan and Jessie (1984). He was the host of his own short-lived syndicated music and comedy series, The Peter Marshall Variety Show, which aired during the 1976–1977 season in syndication.

He was interviewed for The Interviews: An Oral History of Television on August 3, 2010.

Actress and comedian Mitzi McCall starred as Miriam Lerner in Alright Already. She died at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, on August 8. Ms. Mcall was 93.

McCall starred as Miriam Lerner in the 1997-1998 The WB sitcom Alright Already, which was created by and starred Carol Leifer. Miriam and Alvin Lerner (Jerry Adler) are Carol Lerner's (Carol Leifer) parents. The series also starred Amy Yasbeck, Stacy Galina and Maury Sterling.

Some of her sitcom guest apperarances included The Dennis O'Keefe Show, The Jim Backus Show, Love, American Style (2 episodes), The Girl with Something Extra, Maude, Roseanne, Seinfeld, Madman of the People, Ellen, Almost Perfect, Caroline in the City, Becker, Dharma & Greg, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and Hannah Montana.

She appeared as Midge in four episodes of Life Goes On from 1991 to 1992. She had a recurring role as Fran Lipschitz in Silk Stalkings from 1993 to 1999.

Some of her voice credits included The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show, The Flintstone Comedy Hour, Snorks, Darkwing Duck, Mother Goose and Grimm, Free for All and American Dad!. She was the voice of Glyptodont in Ice Age (2002).

Actor John Aprea starred as Joseph Montefusco in The Montefuscos and had a recurring role as Nick Katsopolis in Full House. He died of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles on August 5. Mr. Aprea was 83.

Aprea starred as Joseph Montefusco in the short-lived 1975 NBC sitcom The Montefuscos. Created by executive producers Bill Persky and Sam Denoff, the comedy centered on three generations of an Italian-American family that lived in New Canaan, Connecticut and their weekly gatherings for Sunday dinner. The series also starred Joe Sirola, Naommi Stevens, Ron Carey, Phoebe Dorin, Linda Dano, Bill Cort, Sal Viscuso, Jeffrey Palladini, Robby Paris, Dominique Pinassi and Damon Raskin.

He had a recurring role as Nick Katsopolis in seven episodes of the ABC sitcom Full House from 1988 to 1991. Nick Katsopolis is the father of Jesse (John Stamos). He reprised the role in a 2017 episode of Netflix's Fuller House.

Some of his sitcom guest appearances included That Girl, Three's a Crowd, Night Court (1989) and Saved by the Bell: The New Class.

Aprea starred as Lt. Vince Novelli in Matt Houston from 1982 to 1984. He had a recurring role as recurring role as Sheriff Jack North in Falcon Crest in 1987. He had a recurring role as Manny Vasquez in 12 episodes of Knots Landing in 1987. He played Lucas Castigliano in Another World from 1989 to 1992 and Alexander Nikos from 1997 to 1998. In 2007, he starred as Lionel Wakefield in the MyNetworkTV telenovela American Heiress.

He starred young Salvatore Tessio in The Godfather Part II (1974). Some of his other film credits included Bullitt (1968), The Stepford Wives (1975), New Jack City (1991), The Game (1997) and The Manchurian Candidate (2004).

Actress Patti Yasutake starred as Umeki Kazuhiro in Gung Ho and as Fumi Nakai in Beef. She died of a rare form of T-cell lymphoma at the UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center, on August 5. Ms. Yasutake was 70.

Yasutake starred as Umeki Kazuhiro in the 1986 comedy film Gung Ho, which was directed by Ron Howard and starred Michael Keaton. She reprised the role in the short-lived 1986-1987 ABC sitcom Gung Ho. The series also starred Scott Bakula, Gedde Watanabe, Stephen Lee, Sab Shimono, Clint Howard, Rodney Kageyama, Heidi Banks, Emily Kurodo and Scott Atari.

Some of her sitcom guest appearances included Hail to the Chief, Take Five, Duet, Mr. Belvedere (2 episodes), Murphy Brown, Rhythm & Blues and Living Single. She was best known for her portrayal of Nurse Alyssa Ogawa in the Star Trek franchise. She appeared in 16 episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation. She starred as Fumi Nakai, George's (Joseph Lee) mother, in the 2022-2023 Netflix comedy-drama minseries.

Actor Charles Cyphers starred as Hugo Muncy in The Betty White Show and as Al Yaroker in Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher. He died after a brief illness in Tucson, Arizona, on August 4. Mr. Cyphers was 85.

Cyphers starred as Hugo Muncy in the short-lived 1977-1978 CBS sitcom The Betty White Show. Joyce Whitman (Betty White), a middle-aged actress, lands the lead in a police series titled Undercover Woman, a parody of Police Woman. Hugo Muncy is Joyce's hunky stunt double. The series also starred John Hillerman, Georgia Engel, Caren Kaye, Barney Phillips and Alex Henteloff.

He starred as Al Yaroker in the 1996-1998 The WB sitcom Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher. Mitch Mullany starred as the title character, an aspiring actor who, while waiting for his "big break," met his expenses as a substitute teacher at Gerald R. Ford Middle School. Al Yaroker is tenured shop teacher. The series also starred Portia de Rossi, Clinton Jackson, Ross Malinger (1996-1997), Jonathan Hernandez (1996-1997), Cara DeLizia (1996-1997), Arjay Smith (1996-1997), Kyle Gibson (1996-1997), Stuart Pankin (1996-1997), Sid Newman, Jane Sibbett (1997-1998), Christina Vidal (1997-1998), Giuseppe Andrews (1997-1998), Andrew Levitas (1997-1998), Blake Heron (1997-1998), Malinda Williams (1997-1998) and Donna D'Errico (1998).

Some of his sitcom guest apperances included Phyllis, The Tony Randall Show, Alice, Benson, Night Court, Roc (2 episodes), California Dreams, The George Carlin Show (3 episodes), Seinfeld, The Geroge Wendt Show and Cousin Skeeter.

Some of his other television guest appearances included The F.B.I. (1973), Cannon (2 episodes), The Six Million Dollar Man (3 episodes), The Bionic Woman, Charlie's Angels, Wonder Woman, Barnaby Jones (4 episodes), Starsky & Hutch (3 episodes), Lou Grant, Hart to Hart, The Dukes of Hazard (2 episodes), Airwolf, Matlock, Dallas (2 episodes), Our House, Hill Street Blues (3 episodes), Simon & Simon, China Beach, 21 Jump Street, Lois & Clark: The New Adventues of Superman, seaQuest 2032, ER, JAG, Murder One (4 episodes) and Any Day Now (2 episodes).

He was known for his role as Sheriff Leigh Brackett in John Carpenter's 1978 film Halloween. He reprised the role in the 1981 sequel Halloween II and the 2021 sequel Halloween Kills. Some of his other film credits included Assault on Precinct 13 (1976), The Fog (1980), Escape from New York (1981) and Major League (1989).

Writer Patt Shea worked on All in the Family and Archie Bunker's Place. She died on April 12 in Sherman Oaks, California. Ms. Shea was 93.

Shea was one of the writers of "Too Good Edith", which was the final episode of All in the Family. It aired on April 8, 1979. She co-created Archie Bunker's Place with Harriet Weiss. She worked as a story editor and/or writer for 25 episodes of the series. Shea, Weiss and Joe Gannon created the 1982-1983 CBS sitcom Gloria.

Some of her other sitcom writing credits included Sanford, Mama Malone, Valerie, Nothing Is Easy, The Golden Girls, I Married Dora, Marblehead Manor (2 episodes) and Bagdad Cafe.

She was a three-time Humanitas Award-nominated screenwriter. She was married to director Jack Shea from 1954 until his death in 2013.

We thank them all for their work on television and in films. They will be greatly missed.