Bye Bye Barnabas

[November 30, 2003]

Jim Pierson, executive of Dan Curtis Productions commented in the "Dark Shadows" newsletter, ShadowGram,  this month, "Sci-Fi is pursuing different and newer programming opportunities and will not be reconsidering its decision... Sci-Fi no longer schedules older shows. "Dark Shadows" has been fortunate to be a part of the network for as long as it has."

However, fans are assured that: "Discussions are underway to hopefully find a new TV home for "Dark Shadows" reruns."  Pierson cited cable channel SoapNet as a possible alternative broadcaster for the show.

Sci-Fi broadcasts will continue on weekdays until the end of 2003, with pre-emptions planned on December 25, 26. The last broadcast will be on December 30, ending roughly a month before the show's final episode.

Pavan Patel, who contributes to our news and schedules, speculates  that  SoapNet will fill an hour time slot that  "Ryan's Hope"  has been scheduled in, either at noon, 2:00PM, or 4:00AM. "One of those afternoon slots has to be a placeholder for something! Maybe by February "Dark Shadows" will go there?" 

Earlier this month Daily Variety reported that the WB is close to making a pilot commitment for a new incarnation of "Dark Shadows."  This deal has still not been finalized, and all parties are still declining comment.

"Dark Shadows" will live on, no matter what, and the 2004 Dark Shadows Weekend, organized by the Dark Shadows Festival, will take place on August 13-15, 2004 at the Westchester Marriott Hotel, located in Tarrytown, NY.  Complete details are available at:  Dark Shadows Festival.

Related Links:  Dark Shadows Showcase 

Merry-Thon Schedule Posted

[November 22, 2003]

TV Land will ring in the Holiday Season with the 4th Annual Merry-Thon, a 48 hour block of Holiday themed programming, on December 20 & 21.  Returning after a brief hiatus is "Bewitched," (it just doesn't seem like Christmas without a trip to the North Pole with Samantha and Mr. Mortimer).  Also, back this year is "Sanford and Son," and "Mister Ed."  Visiting for this special event is "Bob Newhart,"  "Just the Ten of Us," "Perfect Strangers,"  "The Monkees,"  and others.  There are lots of repeats, but oddly, one of my favorites is only scheduled once:  Be sure to catch "The Honeymooners"  Monday, at 4:30AM. 

The Schedule is posted, but I've been cautioned that it's very tentative.  Also posted are Boxed sets for December on the TV Land Page. 

Hogan's Heroes, Beverly Hillbillies, Gilligan, They're Coming Back!

Other changes include: "Magnum, P.I." (Sun-Fri), which is new to Hallmark, and "The Rockford Files" movies will air, in a rotation schedule,  on Sundays at midnight.  Of course there'll be some departure too.  Gone from Hallmark: "The Waltons," "The Lone Ranger," "Marshall Dillon," "Magnificent Seven," and "Banacek ."  

Click Here for New January Schedule Preview

TV Star Headlines

Robert Guillaume's Career on Track After Stroke
By Lynn Elber, AP Television Writer, 11/20/2003 LOS ANGELES -- Robert Guillaume never considered hiding the lingering effects of his 1999 stroke -- or hiding out -- from an industry unforgiving of physical imperfection.  Full Details.

CBS Drafts 'Cosby' Kid and Seinfeld Star for Comedy Friday November 21 4:41 AM ET Rueters "Cosby Show" alumnus Malcolm-Jamal Warner has been tapped to co-star opposite Jason Alexander in an untitled comedy pilot at CBS.

The project, based on the real life of Washington Post sportswriter Tony Kornheiser, centers on Tony (Alexander), a newspaper columnist, TV sports co-anchor and father of two. Warner will play Tony's co-anchor on the TV show.   Full Details

Spade Joins 'Rules' Family as Guest Thursday November 20 3:41 AM ET Ruethers  David Spade has signed on to do a multiple-episode guest shot on ABC's "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter."

The actor-comedian will play a relative of the family at the center of the comedy, which has undergone a transformation this season following the death of star John Ritter in September. It's still undetermined whether Spade will do two or three episodes, a spokeswoman for producer Touchstone TV said Wednesday. It's also unclear when the episodes will air.    Full Details

Barker to Celebrate 80th Birthday on TV November 21, 8:36 AM ET, AP  Bob Barker will celebrate his 80th birthday on where else? television.  The host of the longest-running game show in television will preside over "The Price is Right Million Dollar Spectacular," a CBS special airing at 8 p.m. EST on Dec. 13, a day after Barker's actual birthday.  Full Details

Ed Bradley Tries His Luck at 'Jeopardy' Friday November 21 8:17 AM ET AP  Don't sign up Ed Bradley for "Celebrity Jeopardy!" The "60 Minutes" correspondent tried his luck at "Jeopardy!" for a story on the game show airing Sunday on the CBS newsmagazine.  Full Details

Doris Roberts Stars in TV Drama Thursday November 20 2:22 PM ET AP  Doris Roberts is so good on "Everybody Loves Raymond," and the sitcom is so good at mining laughs from the quarrelsome Barones (whose queen bee, of course, is played by Roberts) that viewers might forget she can play anyone else. Full Details

See Also: Current TV Headlines

Passings

[November 21, 2003]

Police said a friend of Brandis' called 911 from the actor's apartment just before midnight on November 11 to report that Brandis had attempted suicide by hanging. Paramedics rushed him to the hospital but he died the next day.

 Kay Kuter, character actor, died November 12 of pulmonary complications Burbank, CA at the age of 78.   Best remembered for his long-running role as farmer Newt Kiley on the CBS sitcoms "Petticoat Junction" and "Green Acres." Born to show business, Kuter was the son of pioneer motion picture art director Leo "K" Kuter and wrote a biography about him, "Picture-Perfect World." His mother was silent-screen actress Evelyn Edler, who died in July at age 103. He studied at Pomona College and UCLA, and graduated from what is now Carnegie Mellon University.

During his 55-year career, Kuter directed more than 50 plays and appeared in about 200 stage productions, 50 films and 435 TV shows. He voiced Hershey's Kisses commercials for the last 14 years.

Gene Anthony Ray, dancer and actor, died November 14 in New York City after a stroke (he was HIV positive) at age 41.  Best known for his role as Leroy in both the movie and TV show "Fame", who also appeared in the films "Out-of-Sync" and "Eddie", and who had been living in Europe for a number of years, .

Actress Kellie Waymire Dies at 35

[November 19, 2003]

The actress made her acting debut in 1994, playing Emily on ABC's "One Life to Live." Waymire became a regular television guest star and a favorite featured performer in David E. Kelley productions including "Ally McBeal," "The Practice" and "Snoops." She appeared on "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "The X-Files,"  "Wolf Lake," "The Pitts," and in the 1997 "Seinfeld" episode titled "The Blood." She spent six episodes on HBO's "Six Feet Under" playing Brenda's (Rachel Griffiths) prostitute friend Melissa. Her last screen appearance was an October part on "Friends."

Waymire had been working with Los Angeles' 24th Street Theatre. The group will pay tribute to the actress with the final two performances of their current production of Kate Crackernuts, on Friday, and Saturday,  November 21 and 22.

Actress Penny Singleton Dies at 95

[November 17, 2003]

Best remembered as Blondie, the scatterbrained yet often sensible character she played in 28 movies from 1938 to 1950, Singleton was known to later generations as the voice of Jane Jetson in the cartoon movies and TV shows about the futuristic family.

Born Dorothy McNulty on Sept. 15, 1908, in Philadelphia, Singleton was the daughter of a newspaper typesetter. She began her career at the age of 7 singing songs at movie houses. She also performed in vaudeville as a child.  Robert Sparks, who became Singleton's second husband and to whom she was married for 22 years until his death in 1963, produced some of the Blondie movies.

Besides her movie role as Blondie, Singleton played the character on a popular radio program from 1939 to 1950.  By the time Blondie came to television for the first time in 1957, Singleton was almost 50, and the role went to the younger Pamela Britton.

Aside from her voice work in "The Jestons," Singleton's last TV appearance was on "Murder, She Wrote" playing "Aunt Mildred" in 1986.

Frasier May Stick Around for A 12th Season

[November 16, 2003]

Funny how things can change.  Last year's ratings were so low, and the writing was so bad, viewers took the news the series was ending with a sigh of relief.  Then something amazing (for television) happened, they brought in talented writers.  This season has been written, for the most part, by the same writers from the first two seasons.  It seems they came in with their batteries are all charged and brought back the magic that had faded in the tenth season.

During an appearance on "The Late, Late Show,"  Kelsey Grammer said that he's willing to play Dr. Crane again. ''If someone called and said, 'We really want you back for another year,' I'd probably figure out some way to make that happen,'' Grammer told Craig Kilborn.  ''But that call hasn't come.''

But it could, NBC Entertainment president Jeff Zucker told Daily Variety: ''The door is still ajar, and you know what happened the last time I left the door ajar.'' Zucker was referring to ''Friends,'' which was supposed to have had its final season last year. ''Frasier'''s ratings are holding steady, and NBC's attempts to launch new sitcoms like ''Coupling'' have failed. So the network is probably hoping that if they call with an offer, the man who plays Dr. Crane will respond, ''I'm listening.''

Barbara Billingsley in New TV Movie

[November 16, 2003]

The original movie stars Jennie Garth ("What I Like About You," "Beverly Hills, 90210") as a young journalist, Rebecca Chandler, whose cynical take on Christmas lands her in a small town on assignment to uncover the identity of a mysterious philanthropist – or "Secret Santa." In the process, she learns the true meaning of Christmas. Steven Eckholdt ("Providence"), who joins the cast of "The West Wing" this season as President Bartlet's son-in-law, stars as John Carter, the town's generous and handsome millionaire, who quickly becomes Rebecca's prime "suspect."  Charlie Robinson ("Night Court") also stars. Robert Tate Miller is the writer. Ian Barry ("The Christmas Wish") is the director. Beth Polson ("The Christmas Wish," "The Last Dance") is executive producer of the presentation from The Polson Company.

"Secret Santa" will air Sunday, December 14th at 9:00PM. 

TV Land Honeymooners Time Change

Game Show Network Tributes for Ritter and Carney

4:30AM 3/27/66 -- Art Carney adds to the hilarity of the show by talking in comedic dialects as the mystery guest. John Daly is the host.

Classic TV Stars in the Headlines

Full Details. 

Dolenz of Monkees to Perform in 'Aida' [Associated Press/ABC News] Micky Dolenz, who played drums in the 1960s television pop group, joins the long-running Disney musical Jan. 6 as Zoser, the villainous father of the show's young hero. The 58-year-old Dolenz has played the role in the musical's national tour.    Full Details. 

Lisa Kudrow: 'I Don't Want to Know'  [By Don Kaplan The NY Post] At least one "Friends" cast member wants to be left in the dark about how the series will end. "I'm not asking for too much input because I trust them and I know that we all want the characters to be happy hopefully," said Lisa Kudrow.    Full Details. 

CBS PR: Cheech joins "Judging Amy" [TV Barn] Cheech Marin joins the cast of "Judging Amy" in the recurring role of Ignacio Messina, a landscape architect who is doing work on the Gray's home. He becomes a potential love interest for Maxine. Full Details. 

TV Land to Honor the Memory of Art Carney

Art Carney 's lovable character, Ed Norton, will live forever in the minds and hearts of generations of television viewers past, present and yet to come," stated Larry W. Jones, Executive Vice President and General Manager, TV Land and Nick at Nite. "We are deeply saddened by the passing of Mr. Carney, but cherish the legacy he left behind."

Sally Struthers Joins Still Standing Cast

Struthers' been busy as of late, performing both on the WB's "The Gilmore Girls"  as Babette Dell, and in stage productions of "Hello Dolly."   "The Gilmore Girls"  recently featured ex-Skid Row rocker Sebastian Bach as an aging guitarist who auditions for Lane's band.   Sally Struthers, whose character thinks Bach's hot, caused the rocker to quip, "Wow, Meat Head would be jealous!"

On Monday, November 17th, Struthers will be in Palm Springs with Richard Thomas, Eric Martsolf, Natalie Cole, and American Idol Ruben Studdard, for the grand opening celebration to launch the new  Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Spa Resort & Casino. The new $95 million dollar Spa Resort Casino occupies a city block downtown across the street from the 230-room Spa Resort Hotel and replaces the tented gaming environment at the hotel.

TV Land Schedule Shuffle

TV Legend Art  Carney Dies at 85

Carney as Ed Norton

Art Carney Circa 1983

William Matthew "Art" Carney

[November 11, 2003] Actor Art Carney died Sunday at his Connecticut home after a long illness, the Hartford Courant reports. According to a statement from a Clinton, Conn., funeral home, his family wanted news of his death kept private until after today's memorial service.

Art Carney played Jackie Gleason's sewer worker pal Ed Norton in the TV classic "The Honeymooners" and went on to win the 1974 Oscar for best actor in "Harry and Tonto."    The comic actor would be forever identified as Ed Norton, Ralph Kramden's bowling buddy, Brother Raccoon Lodge member,  and neighbor on "The Honeymooners,"  he won three Emmys for the role.

Carney was also an acclaimed Broadway actor who created the role of Felix Unger in Neil Simon's 1965 comedy ''The Odd Couple.'' (The role would go to Jack Lemmon in the movie version and Tony Randall on the TV sitcom.)  Carney battled a drinking problem for several years. During the run of the play his behavior became erratic while co-starring with Walter Matthau.   He dropped out of the show and spent nearly half a year in a sanitarium.

His career resumed, and in 1974 he was cast in Paul Mazurksy's "Harry and Tonto" as a 72-year-old widower who travels from New York to Chicago with his pet cat. Carney was just 55 when he played the senior.  He stopped drinking during the making of the film. When it won him his Oscar, Carney cracked to reporters: "You're looking at an actor whose price has just doubled." 

A veteran of the D-Day invasion of Normandy, Carney was born into an Irish-Catholic family in Mount Vernon, N.Y., on November 4, 1918, and baptized Arthur William Matthew Carney. His father was a newspaperman and publicist. After appearing in amateur theatricals and imitating radio personalities, Carney won a job in 1937 traveling with Horace Heidt's dance band, doing his impressions and singing novelty songs. His next job paid more, $225 a week,  imitating Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and other world leaders on a radio show, "Report to the Nation."

He was drafted into the Army in 1944.   A piece of shrapnel shattered his right leg. He was left with a leg three-quarters of an inch shorter than the other and a lifelong limp. Carney returned to radio as second banana on comedy shows, then ventured into television on "The Morey Amsterdam Show" in 1947.  That brought him to the attention of Gleason. 

Among his movie credits: 1965: "The Yellow Rolls-Royce" 1967: "A Guide for the Married Man" 1979: "Sunburn, Roadie" 1981: "Take This Job and Shove It" 1984: "Firestarter," "The Muppets Take Manhattan" 1985: "The Naked Face" 1993: "Last Action Hero."

Carney married his high school sweetheart, Jean Myers, in 1940. After the marriage broke up, Carney married Barbara Isaac in 1966. They divorced 10 years later, and in 1980 he and his first wife remarried. "We always kept in touch because of our three children," he said in a 1980 AP interview. "After our second divorces, it was sort of like the puppy coming home: `Oh, it's you, come on in.' We decided to give it a go again."

Film critic Leonard Maltin wrote of Carney, "It may not seem like much of an achievement to be the world's most famous sewer worker, but Ed Norton occupies a very special place in American hearts."

ALF's Hit Talk Show

[November 11, 2003]

The project was announced on the Jimmy Kimmel Show in July and, is being produced by Get Real Entertainment.  Get Real Entertainment's other credits include "Trivia Unwrapped,"  the Food Network  game show, hosted by Marc Summers.  There is no airdate yet for "ALF's Hit Talk Show." 

WB to Resurrect 'Dark Shadows'

[November 11, 2003]

The original series aired on ABC from 1966-71 and focused on the wealthy and mysterious Collins family of Collinsport, Maine. It spawned two feature films.  During it's peak 20 million people tuned in daily to watch "Dark Shadows."

The project would not be the first time Curtis has resurrected Dark Shadows. In 1991 the series returned to TV on NBC with Ben Cross playing vampire Collins. Poor ratings were attributed to war coverage of "Desert Storm."

The new "Dark Shadows" is being developed by Warner Bros. TV and John Wells Productions for the 2004-05 season as a primetime drama.

Visit Dark Shadows on the Mall.

Can Tony Danza Fill Rosie's Shoes?

Full Details. 

Meanwhile, for all of you that asked, Caroline Rhea is doing stand-up and is in talks to return TV next year in a new  network TV project.  In September, she hosted "The Great Lifetime Makeover"  which aired on Lifetime and was produced by Geena Davis.  Caroline Rhea Develops 'Plan B' for ABC Primetime   Full Details. 

Actor Hal England Died

Among shows he made guest appearances on were "Dragnet," "My Favorite Martian" and "Here's Lucy" in the 1960s; "Sanford and Son," "Barnaby Jones," "Eight Is Enough" and "Lou Grant" in the 1970s; the series "Beauty and the Beast," "Quantum Leap," and "Murder She Wrote" in the 1980s; and "Any Day Now" in 1998. His last credit was playing "Earl" in "Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue" (2000).

Born in and educated in North Carolina, England began his acting career on stage. On Broadway, he understudied Robert Morse in "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" and starred in "Love Me Little" and "Say Darling."   He was also a  member of Joseph Papp's first season of Shakespeare in the Park in New York, appearing in "Romeo and Juliet," "Two Gentlemen of Verona" and "Macbeth."

Ted Danson to Tend Bar for Arizona Museum

Andy Griffith Has TV Special, New Album

Andy Griffith cast on courthouse set Click for larger view

[November 7, 2003] [Reuters/Hollywood Reporter]  At 77, Andy Griffith remains a fine actor, a much-beloved star, even a folk hero. But at heart, he is a storyteller.

That's how he broke into show business a half-century ago, tickling audiences with comedic monologues like "What It Was Was Football."   Full Details. 

VH1 to Make a New Partridge Family

ABC to Bring Back Little House

Little House On The Prairie: Season 1  (1974) DVD All 23 episodes from the debut season.

Little House On The Prairie: Season 2 (1975) DVD All 21 episodes from the second season.

Click Here For More Little House DVDs

[November 6, 2003] Daily Variety reported Monday that "Little House On The Prairie" is making a return to television as a six-hour mini-series.

The project will reportedly be a more faithful adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder's classic tales of growing up on the American frontier than the long-running television drama which focused more on the father figure, who was played by Michael Landon.

If the mini-series performs well it is likely to from the basis for a new series based on Wilder’s nine books, according to producer Ed Friendly, who owns the book rights and who produced the pilot for the original series but left because of creative differences. “I walked away because it became too much of a Michael Landon vehicle,” he told Daily Variety.

“I don’t mean to knock Michael; he had his own vision, but my vision was that Laura was the star. I am proud of the series but now I’d like to go back and do it the way Laura Ingalls Wilder would have wanted.” 

Writer Katie Ford, who wrote feature films such as "Miss Congeniality," and CBS' Lucille Ball biopic "Lucy," is on board to pen the script; David Cunningham will direct, sources said.

Sources say that the mini-series will be produced under The Wonderful World of Disney banner and will probably air during a sweeps period.

NBC had a successful run with the "Little House" series, which ran from 1974-83 and starred Melissa Gilbert as Laura. More recently, CBS drew solid ratings with two biopic movies, "Beyond the Prairie: The True Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder," which aired in 2000 and 2002.  The Hallmark Channel, which currently airs the original "Little House on the Prairie," considers the addition to it's early evening schedule a ratings success, with episodes delivering as high as 1.4 household ratings. 

Related Links: Little House Showcard Page

Wheel of Fortune Turns 20

[November 6, 2003]

"Wheel of Fortune" was Merv Griffin’s consolation prize from NBC for letting them drop "Jeopardy!" with a year left on its contract. Originally called "The Shoppers’ Bazaar" Chuck Woolery  and Susan Stafford hosted. In late 1981, Merv Griffin and Chuck Woolery had a salary dispute – Woolery reportedly wanted his $200,000 salary increase to $500,000 a year; Merv offered a $75,000 increase. When they reached an impasse, Chuck was dropped after the December 25, 1981 episode.

Former Los Angeles weatherman Pat Sajak took Woolery’s place.  In 1982 Susan Stafford left the show to marry NBC executive Dick Ebersol (originally the network’s executive overseeing "Saturday Night Live."  Several hostess candidates were auditioned on the air, including future "Sale of the Century" hostess Summer Bartholomew and September 1979 Playboy Playmate Vicki McCarty. Vanna White took over full time December 13, 1982.

[Wednesday November 5 2:43 PM ET Associated Press]  TV's top-rated syndicated series, "Wheel" is marking its 4,000th show with a special half-hour of highlights from two decades on the air. (Check local listings for time and station.)   Full Details. 

Related Links: Game Shows '75: Wheel of Fortune   •   Mike's "Wheel Of Fortune" Page!   •  Becoming a Contestant.

Reviews Rave Over Ritter-less 'Rules'

The cast of 8 Simple Rules poses with new addition James Garner, who plays the kids' grandfather. The cast and creator, Tracey Gamble, talk about continuing without Ritter. [4 minutes]

[November 5, 2003] Critics are raving over the writing and performances turned in for last night's "8 Simple Rules..."  In addition to critical acclaim, last night's first episode without John Ritter garnered an amazing 20.6 million viewers. It was the biggest audience ever for the year-old series, which drew 17.7 million viewers on October 7 for the last episode Ritter made, and the biggest sitcom audience for ABC since the 32.8 million who watched Michael J. Fox's farewell from ''Spin City'' in May 2000.

ABC NEWS NEW YORK Nov. 5 — When John Ritter died a few weeks ago, his ABC sitcom seemed doomed as well. But pausing only long enough for a drastic but delicate makeover, "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter" was back Tuesday night to confront Ritter's tragic absence and the death of the character he played. 
Full Details. 

Related Links:  8 Simple Rules Fan Site  •   Official ABC Site  •
W. Bruce Cameron's Official Website  •  Avril's John Ritter Appreciation Site  •   Carla's John Ritter Fan Page  •  John Ritter Fan Listing