We’ve lost a lot of familiar classic TV faces this year. Recently we bade farewell to…

• Screenwriter-author William Bast, who wrote episodes of classic series like Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Ben Casey, Combat!, Outer Limits and Perry Mason. Bast also penned two biographies about big screen legend James Dean
• Joanne Carson, the second wife of late night icon Johnny Carson. She also hosted her own syndicated health-focused talk show
• Actor-comedian Jack Carter, who guested on numerous classics including CHiPs, The Dick Van Dyke Show, I Dream of Jeannie, Love American Style, Mannix and The Wild Wild West. He also appeared as himself on many popular game and talk shows of the 60s, 70s and 80s
• Actor John Colenback, who portrayed Dan Stewart on the long-running CBS daytime soap As The World Turns
• Actor John Compton, who appeared on many early TV shows like The Cisco Kid, The D.A.’s Man, Fury, The Real McCoys and Surfside 6
• Television news executive Ed Fouhy, who worked at all three networks in the 70s and 80s
• TV syndicator Michael King who, alongside his brother Roger, inherited King World Productions. Their father started the company in the 60s by repackaging The Our Gang comedies as The Little Rascals. The King brothers went on to syndicate such modern classics as Jeopardy!, The Oprah Winfrey Show and Wheel of Fortune. They sold the company to CBS in 2000
• Veteran British actor Christopher Lee, well known for his big screen roles as Dracula, James Bond villain Francisco Scaramanga and the wizard Saruman in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. Lee also appeared on the small screen, including roles on The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, How the West Was Won, One Step Beyond and Space: 1999
• Singer-actress Monica Lewis, the voice of Miss Chiquita Banana in a long-running series of TV commercials (never put bananas in the refrigerator!)
• English-American actor Patrick Macnee, who played secret agent John Steed in the classic 1960s British spy-fi series The Avengers
• Actress-comedienne Anne Meara, wife of comedy partner Jerry Stiller and mother of actor Ben Stiller. Anne starred in her own short lived 1975 mystery series Kate McShane. She was later a regular on Archie Bunker’s Place and had recurring roles on ALF and The King of Queens
• British actor Ron Moody (Fagin in Oliver!), who guested on such American shows as Gunsmoke, Hart to Hart and Starsky & Hutch
• Actress Betsy Palmer, who appeared on many early television series including Climax!, Goodyear Playhouse and The United States Steel Hour. She was also a panelist on the long-running quiz show I’ve Got A Secret. Palmer is perhaps best known to modern audiences for her role as Mrs. Voorhees, Jason’s mother on the classic 1980 horror film Friday the 13th.
• Marty Paseta, longtime director of The Academy Awards
• Producer Harry R. Sherman, who worked on late 1960s sitcoms Get Smart, The Good Guys and The Governor and J.J.
• Actor John Stephenson, best known as the voice of Fred’s boss Mr. Slate on the classic stone age cartoon The Flintstones. He also guested on such shows as The Beverly Hillbillies, Gomer Pyle USMC, I Love Lucy, The Lone Ranger and Perry Mason
• Writer-producer Chris Thompson, who got his start writing an episode of the short-lived Nancy Walker sitcom Blansky’s Beauties (1977). He went on to work on 70s-80s sitcoms Bosom Buddies and Laverne & Shirley. He most recently was creator of a Disney Channel sitcom called Shake It Up!
• Actor Dick Van Patten, best known for his role as patriarch Tom Bradford on the family series Eight Is Enough (1977-81). His first big television role was on the 1949-67 comedy series Mama, later guesting on numerous classic shows of the 60s and 70s.