Willie Garson, 1964 - 2021

Jessica Walter: Remembering a Legend

Tanya Roberts, 1955 - 2021

Dawn Wells: 1938 - 2020

Agnes Nixon, 1923 - 2016

Legendary daytime television icon Agnes Nixon has passed away at age 93. During Ms. Nixon's storied career, she created two daytime dramas and was a trailblazer for women in the entertainment industry.

 

Agnes began her career by writing for various soap operas, willing to touch topics that others wouldn't dare mention. In 1962, she wrote a storyline for Guiding Light in which a character had cervical cancer. She sought to shed light on the importance of Pap smears in the early detection of cancer, but was not permitted to use the words cancer, Pap smear, cervix or uterus. Despite these limitations, her work inspired millions of women to have Pap smears, doubtless saving many lives. This did not go unnoticed by ABC, which was looking to add to its daytime lineup. She submitted the idea for All My Children, which was rejected. The network was looking for something grittier, so she submitted a new proposal for One Life to Live, a soap opera that revolved around the wealthy Victoria Lord, but also showcased middle and working class families of different ethnicities, including the first African-American leads and a Polish-American working class family. The show was a huge success, inspiring ABC to pickup All My Children in 1970. Agnes had become a daytime mogul.

 

Her dramas continued to be trailblazers, taking her lead in pushing the envelope long after she retired from active production duties. Unfortunately, ABC chose to lower the quality of its daytime programming and canceled these long running dramas, choosing to air cheaper, less successful programming in their place. After a fan uprising, the shows were resurrected on Hulu, but are currently tied up in a legal fight between ABC and the new production company. Nevertheless, Ms. Nixon's contributions to daytime television remain monumental and her commitment to producing quality programming that sought to inspire positive change has undoubtedly made the world a better place.

Garry Marshall: The Happy Days

Garry Marshall would soon prove that one could strike gold more than once, but it didn't seem like it at first. In 1971, Garry was looking for a new project he could work on. He came up with an idea for a family show set in the 1950's. He guessed that the show would sell well in syndication because  since it was set in the past to begin with, it would never look dated. He produced a pilot called New Family in Town which starred Harold Gould as the father, Marion Ross as the mother and Ron Howard as their son. ABC rejected the pilot.

 

Nowadays, that's typically the end of the road. But at the time, the big three networks would repackage failed pilots in anthology series. In this case, Garry's show would air as part of Love American Style, which was essentially ABC's pilot graveyard with some other one-off scripts rotated in, often featuring hasbeens.

As the 1970's wore on, however, the pilot would prove to be ahead of its time. A 1950's craze hit the United States and young director George Lucas sought to take advantage by making a nostalgic film inspired by his teen years- American Graffiti. Ron Howard desperately wanted a role in the film and suggested that George Lucas view that pilot from 1971. He requested a copy from the network, which had forgotten aboutit When Ron was cast and the film was a huge success it became a priority project for ABC, who gave Garry the go ahead to do whatever he needed to get this project going. Ron Howard, Marion Ross and Anson Williams from the original pilot would sign on to the new show. Tom Bosley would become the new patriarch and a little known actor who Garry was certain could be a bigger star- Henry Winkler- would get the recurring role of "Fonzie" the street tough with a heart of gold.

 

The stars were aligned this time. Garry's rejected pilot had become the biggest hit of the 1970's. Happy Days indeed!

Rest in Peace, Garry Marshall

 

Hollywood legend Garry Marshall, creator of many of the biggest sitcom hits of the 1970's and 1980's has passed away at age 81. Temporary Layoffs will suspend its regular schedule this week to honor Garry Marshall and his immeasurable contributions to television. 

Rest in Peace, Noel Neill

Noel Neill, an actress from Hollywood's golden age best known for her role as Lois Lane in the 1950's television series Superman has passed away at age 95.

 

Ms. Neill had played Lois Lane in the Superman serials on the big screen but was not originally considered for the role on the television series. Fate intervened after a lengthy pre-production period precluded the original actress from taking the role as Lois. Ms. Neill was then approached and she willingly accepted the role that would come to define her- the spunky reporter Lois Lane who, along with the rest of Metropolis, couldn't seem to grasp that mild mannered Clark Kent was really Superman.

Typecast as Lois Lane, Neill found it difficult to continue her acting career, instead taking a behind the scenes production job at United Artists and retiring from being on camera. She came out of retirement to work on various Superman projects, the last being 1996's Superman Returns.

Happy Memorial Day

 

Rest in Peace, Beth Howland

Beth Howland, best known for her iconic role as the ditzy Vera in Alice passed away at age 84 on December 31, 2015. She did not want her death immediately announced, therefore her husband- Murphy Brown star Charles Kimbrough- honored her wishes and waited until today to notify the media.

Ms. Howland started her career in the 1950's. At first, she found little success, but soon started booking major roles on Broadway. She relocated to Hollywood in the mid sixties, getting numerous guest starring roles on television. 

In 1976 she would get her biggest and best known role- that of ditzy waitress Vera in the classic sitcom Alice. Vera was absentminded and a bit ditzy at times, frustrating her boss Mel, who often called her a "dingy". Deep beneath his gruff exterior, however, he had a soft spot for her and kept her employed despite her shortcomings.

Beth would stick with the show for the entire run before entering semi-retirement, only taking guest starring roles. She is survived by a daughter and her husband Charles Kimbrough.

Rest in Peace, Alan Young

Legendary actor and Disney voice talent Alan Young has passed away at age 96. 

Mr. Young, best known for his role on the classic comedy Mr. Ed, was born in England, eventually finding his way to the United States after stints in Scotland and Canada. 

His first radio show was on Canada's CBC, but he quickly found work on American radio networks. He had his own television show The Alan Young Show which earned him an Emmy and starred in various Hollywood films.

It would be his role on Mr. Ed that would cement his place in television history. The show originally began in syndication, then made the unheard of leap to network television on CBS.

Mr. Young would earn his place in Disney history by becoming the official voice of Uncle Scrooge. His voice was heard in Mickey's Christmas Carol, Disney's DuckTales and various Disney Theme Park productions.

Rest in Peace, Morley Safer

 

Morley Safer, legendary CBS News reporter and longtime 60 Minutes anchor has passed away at age 84. Morley was born in Canada and got his start in Canadian media. CBS News hired him as a London correspondent. He quickly moved up at CBS, getting asked to open up the CBS office in Saigon. He angered President Lyndon Johnson who accused him of being a communist. Safer would join 60 Minutes in 1970, a place he would stay until just last week.

Rest in Peace, Joanie "Chyna" Laurer

WWE legend Joanie "Chyna" Laurer has passed away at age 45.

Ms. Laurer was born in Rochester, New York and became interested in body building at a young age. She quickly caught the attention of the WWE, but was originally rejected by Vince McMahon, who felt it would not be believable for a woman to beat up men. When the rival WCW became interested in her, Vince's son was finally able to convince his father to give her a shot and she became an instant superstar.

Wrestler "Chyna Doll" reigned over the WWE, attracting viewers and spectators who quickly became her fans. Her transition to a regular acting career, however, was not smooth and she ended up becoming a reality show oddity. She fully retired from wrestling in 2011 and had seemingly coasted into a graceful retirement. Many people felt that she deserved to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, though she was rejected due to her unfortunate dalliance in pornography. The WWE allegedly felt she was too controversial to receive the honor.

Ms. Laurer was a trailblazing legend who will be missed by her fans from around the world.

Rest in Peace, Doris Roberts

Doris Roberts, best known for her role as Marie Barone in Everybody Loves Raymond has passed away at age 90.

Ms. Roberts got her start on television in the 1950's, starring mainly in anthology series. She became highly demanded in the 1970's as she found herself in such shows as All in the Family, Alice and her breakout role in Angie as the title character's mother. Unfortunately, Angie flamed out pre-maturely, leaving Doris to again seek out work where she could find it. Luckily, she was still a popular choice as a guest star in Hollywood. Her highest profile role during this time was in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation as the mother of Beverly D'Angelo's character.

It would be Everybody Loves Raymond that would bring her the most fame. Allegedly beating out 100 actresses for the role of the snooping, judgmental Marie Barone, she became a legendary television mom who may have been a bit too nosy but who loved her family dearly. The cast instantly gelled and it was obvious that they genuinely liked each other. Doris once stated that she would play Marie forever if she could.

Ms. Roberts kept busy right up until the end. Her work will live on forever.

Rest in Peace, Patty Duke

Academy Award winning actress Patty Duke, who was best known for her dual role as cousins who looked the same on the classic television program The Patty Duke Show has passed away at age 69.

Ms. Duke's early years in Hollywood were not pleasant due to the stress put on her to take up an acting career as a child. She soldiered on, highlighting her struggles in a book and TV movie later in her career. While her career as a child star might have been nightmarish, she avoided being typecast as just a child actress, transitioning to adult roles while raising two sons who became actors themselves.

She continued to take on roles even recently and proved that even those child actors with terrible experiences could conquer their hardships.

Rest in Peace, James Noble

Actor James Noble, best known for his role as the bumbling Governor Eugene Gatling on Benson has passed away at age 94.

Mr. Noble was born in Dallas, Texas and served in the Navy during World War II. After the war, he headed to New York City and found work on Broadway. He soon arrived in Hollywood, booking jobs on soap operas and television shows. He wouldn't receive wide attention until 1979 when he won the role of the bumbling governor on Benson. That role would lead to other parts as judges, politicians and various authority figures. He retired from acting in 2011.

Rest in Peace, Garry Shandling

Comedian, actor and talk show personality Garry Shandling has passed away at age 66.

Garry got his start in Hollywood by writing for such classic shows as Sanford & Son and Welcome Back Kotter. He transitioned to the front of the camera, guest hosting on The Tonight Show and performing standup, eventually creating It's Garry Shandling's Show for Showtime and Fox. His biggest success, however, was undoubtedly HBO's The Larry Sanders Show.

In recent years, Garry Shandling has concentrated on his standup act and made occasional appearances in movies and television.

Rest in Peace, Ken Howard

Ken Howard, best known for roles on The White Shadow and Crossing Jordan has passed away at age 71.

Mr. Howard was born in El Centro, California though he grew up in Manhasset, New York where he played on his high school's basketball team. He attended the Yale School of Drama, but left before graduating to pursue a career on Broadway, where he won a Tony Award. His height and previous basketball experience served him well on the classic drama The White Shadow where he played an inner city basketball coach.

Mr. Howard would appear in numerous films and guest starring roles on television before getting another leading role as Max Cavanaugh in NBC's Crossing Jordan.

In 2009, Ken was elected President of the Screen Actors Guild, a position he still held at the time of his death.

Rest in Peace, Big Ang

Angela "Big Ang" Raiola, the larger than life reality star of Mob Wives has passed away at age 55.

Ms. Raiola was not originally part of the regular cast of Mob Wives but her one of a kind personality made her a fan favorite. She soon became a regular cast member, often providing the voice of reason when her fellow Mob Wives went off the deep end.

Her outlandish wardrobe and unapologetic love of plastic surgery were only part of her appeal; she was easily the most likable and relatable of all the Mob Wives. Her vibrant personality will certainly be missed.

Rest in Peace, George Gaynes

George Gaynes, who was best known for his roles in the Police Academy franchise and television's Punky Brewster has passed away at age 98.

Mr. Gaynes was born in Helsinki in 1917, though his family immigrated to the United States when he was quite young. Mr. Gaynes got his start on Broadway, acting mostly in musical comedies. He didn't make the transition to film until 1963 when he starred in PT109. Alternating between stage, screen and television, he didn't become a recognized name in show business until 1984's Police Academy, where he played the addled Commander Lassard who often found himself the butt of the cadets' jokes. That same year he found even greater success as the old codger Henry Warnimont who adopts the troublesome orphan Punky Brewster.

His other roles were in such critically acclaimed films as Tootsie and lesser efforts such as the unreleased original version of Fantastic Four.

Mr. Gaynes leaves behind his wife of over fifty years and two children. His work- and the laughs it provided- will live on in the hearts of his millions of fans around the world.