Thursday, February 20, 2014

PASSAGES 2013 - TV

Hello, and welcome to my annual list of our TV friends who passed away in the previous year.  It's a big list, but it's not comprehensive, as it only includes folks from shows I remember watching.  So, I'm sorry if I left out someone important to you.  A lot of the big stars of the 70s/80s died last year.  As Grandpa would say, "Time marcheth on."





1/2 - Jim Boyd, 79
  • Andy/J. Arthur Krank/Paul the Gorilla/Steve Awesome & others on "Electric Company" (1971-77)



1/2 - Ned Wertimer, 89
  • Ralph the Doorman on "The Jeffersons" (1975-84)





1/14 - Conrad Bain, 89
  • Dr. Arthur Harmon on "Maude" (1972-78)
  • Philip Drummond on "Diff'rent Strokes" (1978-86)
  • Charlie Ross on "Mr. President" (1987-88)



1/17 - Robert F. Chew, 52
  • Proposition Joe on "The Wire" (2002-08)



1/18 - Jeff Cahill, 44
  • Garrity Harman on "Dangerous Minds" (1996-97)
  • J.B. Murphy on "NYPD Blue" (1999-2000)






3/1 - Bonnie Franklin, 69
  • Ann Romano on "One Day at a Time" (1975-84)






3/16 - Frank Thornton, 92
  • Captain Peacock on "Are You Being Served?"



3/18 - Henry Bromell, 65
  • Writer/Producer on "Homicide: Life on the Street" (1994-96)



3/19 - Lester Lewis, 46
  • Consulting producer/writer on "The Office" (2005-09)



3/26 - Don Payne, 48
  • Producer/writer on "The Simpsons" (1999-2013)






4/4 - Roger Ebert, 70
  • "Sneak Previews" (1975-82)
  • "At The Movies" (1982-86)
  • "Siskel & Ebert" (1986-2000)
  • "Ebert & Roeper" (2000-08)
  • "Ebert Presents: At the Movies" (2010-11)





4/11 - Jonathan Winters, 87
  • Mearth on "Mork & Mindy" (1981-82)






4/13 - Frank Bank, 71
  • Clarence "Lumpy" Rutherford on "Leave it to Beaver" (1958-63)









4/14 - Mike Road, 95

  • Race Bannon on "Jonny Quest" (1964-65)
  • Ugh on "Space Ghost" (1966)
  • Zandor on "The Herculoids" (1967)
  • Mike Butler on "Valley of the Dinosaurs" (1974-76)
  • Reed Richards on "Fantastic Four" (1978)




4/19 - Allan Arbus, 95
  • Maj. Sidney Freedman on "M*A*S*H" (1973-83)






4/28 - Jack Shea, 84
  • Director - "The Jeffersons" (1975-79)[110 episodes]
  • "The Ropers" (1979-80)[all episodes]
  • "Silver Spoons" (1982-87)[90 episodes]
  • "The Charmings" (1987-88)[all episodes]






5/4 - Dean Jeffries, 80
  • Car customizer who made the Monkeemobile for "The Monkees" and Black Beauty for "The Green Hornet"





5/24 - Ed Shaughnessy, 84
  • Drummer for the "Tonight Show" band (1963-92)






5/31 - Jean Stapleton, 90
  • Edith Bunker on "All in the Family" (1971-79)
  • 3-time Emmy winner for Best Actress




6/14 - Elroy Schwartz, 89
  • Writer, "Gilligan's Island" (13 episodes)
  • "The Brady Bunch" (9 episodes)
  • the 3 Gilligan reunion movies (1978-81)
  • brother of producer Sherwood Schwartz





6/22 - Gary David Goldberg, 69
  • Creator of "Family Ties", "The Bronx Zoo" and "Spin City"
  • Founder of Ubu Productions ("Sit, Ubu.  Sit."


6/25 - George Burditt, 89
  • writer, The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour" (58 episodes)
  • "Three's Company" (36 episodes)(1977-84)
  • "The Ropers" (8 episodes)
  • Executive producer, "Three's Company" (1981-84)
  • "Three's a Crowd" (1984-85)




7/14 - Dennis Burkley, 67
  • Cal Pettie on "Sanford" (1980-81)
  • Principal Moss on "King of the Hill" (1997-2010)

7/22 - Dennis Farina, 69
  • Det. Joe Fontana on "Law & Order" (2004-06)
  • Gus Demitriou on "Luck" (2012)

7/28 - Eileen Brennan, 80
  • Capt. Doreen Lewis on "Private Benjamin" (1981-83)



8/11 - Henry Polic II, 68
  • Jerry Silver on "Webster" (1983-89)
  • Scarecrow on "Batman: The Animated Series" (1992-94)

8/14 - Lisa Robin Kelly, 43
  • Laurie Forman on "That '70s Show" (1998-2003)

8/19 - Lee Thompson Young, 29
  • Victor Stone on "Smallville" (3 episodes, 2006-10)
  • Det. Barry Frost on "Rizzoli & Isles" (2010-13)

9/16 - Patricia Blair, 80
  • Janice Taft on the "Operation Firebee" episode of "Steve Canyon" (1959)
  • Lou Mallory on "The Rifleman" (1962-63)


9/16 - Kim Hamilton
  • the original Helen Willis on "All in the Family" before "The Jeffersons" was spun off (1 episode, 1975)



9/18 - Richard Sarafian, 83
  • Director, "I Spy" (8 episodes)


10/19 - Jon Locke, 86
  • Sleestack Leader on "Land of the Lost" (1976)




10/25 - Marcia Wallace, 70
  • Carol Kester on "The Bob Newhart Show" (1972-78)
  • Edna Krabappel on "The Simpsons" (1990-2013)
  • Maggie Hawley on "That's My Bush" (2001)



10/31 - Toby Bluth, 64
  • Layout artist
    • "Scooby's Laff-a-Lympics" (1977)
    • "Challenge of the SuperFriends" (1978)
    • "Godzilla" (1978-79)
  • Background stylist
    • "Smurfs" (1981)

11/7 - Paul Mantee, 82
  • Sgt. Taliman on the "Operation Firebee" episode of "Steve Canyon" (1959)
  • Health Inspector on "The Pie" episode of "Seinfeld" (1994)

11/12 - Al Ruscio, 89
  • Five different episodes of "Barney Miller"
  • Coffee shop manager in "The Pilot" episode of "Seinfeld" (1993)

12/22 - Marco Zappia, 76
  • TV editor
    • "All in the Family" (95 episodes)
    • "Archie Bunker's Place" (97 episodes)
    • "Who's the Boss?" (187 episodes)

12/31 - James Avery, 68
  • Judge Conover on "L.A. Law" (9 episodes)(1988-92)
  • Philip Banks on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" (1990-96)


STAR TREK




3/13 - Malachi Throne, 84
  • False Face on "Batman" (1966)
  • Commodore Mendez on "The Menagerie" 2-part episode of "Star Trek" (1966)





3/24 - Peter Duryea, 73
  • Lt. Jose Tyler on "The Cage" pilot episode of "Star Trek" (1965)






3/29 - Jim Mees, 57
  • Emmy-award winning set designer for the "Star Trek" TV franchise (1988-2002)




7/31 - Michael Ansara, 85
  • Sam Buckhart in "Law of the Plainsman" (1959-60), a spinoff of "The Rifleman"
  • Kang in "Day of the Dove" episode of "Star Trek", reprising the role twice on later Trek shows


9/27 - Jay Robinson, 83
  • Lord Petri in the "Elaan of Troyus" episode of "Star Trek" (1968)






10/17 - Lou Scheimer, 74
  • co-founder of Filmation
  • Voice Actor for
    • Dumb Donald/Stinger on "Fat Albert" (1972-85)
    • Orko/Stratos/King Randor/Trap Jaw/Kobra Khan on "He-Man" (1983-85)
  • Producer or Executive Producer for
    • "The New Adventures of Superman"
    • "Aquaman"
    • "The Archie Show"
    • "Fat Albert & the Cosby Kids"
    • "The Brady Kids"
    • "Star Trek"
    • "The Ghost Busters" (live action)
    • "Gilligan's Planet"
    • "Blackstar"
    • "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe"


12/28 - Joseph Ruskin, 89
  • Galt on "The Gamesters of Triskelion" episode of "Star Trek" (1968)