Today’s birthday list kicks off with Peter Strauss. The 67 year old guested on Hawaii Five-0, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Streets of San Francisco. He also starred in the 1970s miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man.

Sandy Duncan is 68 today. She had guest roles on Bonanza, The Six Million Dollar Man and was a frequent panelist on The Hollywood Squares. Duncan starred in an early 1970s sitcom Funny Face (reformatted as The Sandy Duncan Show) and later replaced Valerie Harper on the 1980s sitcom The Hogan Family. She is also known for her stage work (Peter Pan) and as a commercial spokeswoman for Wheat Thins crackers.

Also on the birthday list: Richard Beymer (guested on Dr. Kildare, Make Room for Daddy, Sky King…later appeared on Murder She Wrote and Twin Peaks) is 75, Marj Dusay (guested on Barnaby Jones, Mannix, The Odd Couple, The Wild Wild West…played Blair’s mom on The Facts of Life…regular on daytime dramas All My Children, Guiding Light and Santa Barbara) turns 78 and socialite-heiress Gloria Vanderbilt is 90. Vanderbilt had several acting roles in the 1950s and early 60s (Playhouse 90, The Shirley Temple Storybook, Studio One) and is the mother of CNN anchor Anderson Cooper.

Classic TV friends born February 20 but since passed include film and TV actor Edward Albert (guested on Kung Fu, The Love Boat, Police Story…later had recurring roles on primetime soaps Falcon Crest and the Yellow Rose…son of actor Eddie Albert), movie director Robert Altman (M*A*S*H, also worked on TV shows like Bonanza, Combat! and Whirlybirds) and Malcolm Atterbury. He guested on many classic TV shows from the 1950s on, including The Fugitive, Gunsmoke and Perry Mason. Atterbury was a regular on the 1974 family drama Apple’s Way.

Also born this day: Amanda Blake (Gunsmoke), Whitney Blake (Hazel, co-creator of One Day At A Time), Pierre Boulle (author of Planet of the Apes), Gale Gordon (Dennis The Menace, Here’s Lucy, Our Miss Brooks, The Lucy Show), Larry Hovis (Hogan’s Heroes), Brion James (guested on Chico and the Man, The Rockford Files, The Waltons), author-screenwriter Richard Matheson (wrote over a dozen episodes of The Twilight Zone, including Nightmare at 20,000 Feet that starred William Shatner) and actor-voice artist Henry Polic II (When Things Were Rotten, later on Webster).

A number of classic TV favorites passed away February 20, including Rosemary DeCamp (a regular on The Bob Cummings Show, The Life of Riley and That Girl…played Shirley Jones’ mom on The Partridge Family), Sandra Dee (starred in films Gidget, A Summer Place…guested on Fantasy Island and Love American Style), sportscaster Curt Gowdy (longtime voice of the Boston Red Sox, later announced baseball and football for ABC and NBC Sports, hosted The American Sportsman) and voice actor Clarence Nash (Donald Duck).

Others passing this day: actor-singer John Raitt (guested on 1950s series including Death Valley Days, Shirley Temple’s Storybook…father of singer Bonnie Raitt), film critic Gene Siskel and newspaper-radio commentator Walter Winchell (narrator of The Untouchables).

Dick York also died on February 20, He co-starred with Gene Kelly in the 1962 TV comedy Going My Way and guested on such shows as Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Playhouse 90 and Wagon Train. He is best known as the first Darrin Stephens on the long-running sitcom Bewitched.

Happy birthday to actor Michael Nader. The 69-year-old appeared on a number of 1960s beach movies and guested on the Gidget TV series. He was later a regular on primetime soap Dynasty and daytime sudser All My Children.

Lee Marvin (pictured) was born on this day. Marvin starred in late 1950s cop drama M Squad, then later guested on Bonanza, Route 66, The Twilight Zone and The Untouchables. He is also well-known for his many film roles, including The Dirty Dozen and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.

Also born February 19 was Dave Niehaus. He was a longtime baseball announcer for the California Angels and Seattle Mariners.

Classic TV friends passing away this day include Janet Blair, who was born here in my hometown of Altoona, PA. Altoona is located in Blair County, which is where she got her stage name. Blair was a film and TV actress who appeared on Burke’s Law, Marcus Welby M.D. and The Outer Limits. She also co-starred in the 1971 Henry Fonda comedy-drama series The Smith Family.

Others passing on February 19: Madge Blake (guested on many classic shows of the 1950s and 60s, best known for her roles as Aunt Harriet on Batman and Larry Mondello’s mom on Leave It To Beaver), singer-banjo player Grandpa Jones (Hee Haw) and veteran Looney Tunes animator and voice actor Tedd Pierce.

Hard to believe, but actor John Travolta turns 60 today. As most of us classic TV fans know, the veteran film star (Carrie, Grease, Look Who’s Talking, Pulp Fiction, Urban Cowboy) got his start on 1970s television. He first appeared on Emergency!, then later guested on Medical Center and The Rookies.

Travolta starred in the made-for-TV movie The Boy in the Plastic Bubble, but he’s best known as one of the Sweathogs on the classroom comedy Welcome Back Kotter. Side note: I actually met Travolta once on a movie set. My roommate at the time was in a movie with him called Perfect (unfortunately the movie didn’t live up to its name at the box office!).

Also celebrating a birthday: George Kennedy. The 89 year old is well-known for his roles in the Airport and Naked Gun movie franchises, but he also has an impressive classic TV resume. Kennedy guested on a number of shows, including Gunsmoke and Have Gun Will Travel. He was in the cast of Dallas and starred in two shows of his own: 1971 drama Sarge (he played a priest) and 1975 crime drama The Blue Knight.

A number of classic TV friends were born on February 18 but have since passed. Bill Cullen was a legendary game show host (including The $25,000 Pyramid, Blankety Blanks, Break The Bank, The Price Is Right) who also appeared often as a panelist. Character and voice actor Allan Melvin had roles on All in the Family, The Brady Bunch, Gomer Pyle USMC, McHale’s Navy, The Phil Silvers Show and many more classic shows of the 1960s and 70s. He was also the voice of Magilla Gorilla.

Other classic TV contributors passing this day include screenwriter Sam Rolfe (created The Delphi Bureau, Delvecchio, Have Gun Will Travel) and Jack Palance. The boxer-turned-actor guested on shows like Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Playhouse 90. He starred in the 1963 series The Greatest Show on Earth and 1975 crime drama Bronk. Personally, I always enjoyed his hosting work on the 1980s version of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Palance later won an Academy Award for his supporting role in the movie City Slickers.

February 18 also marks the day we lost some TV favorites. Actor Richard Bright was best known for his role in the Godfather films, but he also guested on classic TV series The Defenders and Studio One. Baseball broadcaster Harry Caray was the longtime voice of the Chicago Cubs, and also called games for the Athletics, Cardinals and White Sox. Andy Devine, the raspy-voiced cowboy sidekick in the movies, co-starred in The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok and guested on Flipper, The Twilight Zone and The Virginian.

Also leaving us this day were actress-model Maggie McNamara (guested on The Alfred Hitchcock Hour and Ben Casey, starred in the “Ring-a-Ding Girl” episode of The Twilight Zone) and actor-director Noam Pitlik. He acted on many shows in the 1960s and 70s, including Ben Casey, The Bob Newhart Show, The Fugitive, Hogan’s Heroes and Sanford & Son. Pitlik went on to direct such shows as Barney Miller, One Day at a Time and Taxi.

Actor turned director Don Scardino turns 65 today. Scardino guested on classic sitcoms The Ghost and Mrs. Muir and The Patty Duke Show, later appearing on daytime soaps As the World Turns and Guiding Light. He is currently a director on the CBS sitcom 2 Broke Girls.

Miss America 1959 Mary Ann Mobley is 75. Mobley guested on many classic TV shows of the 1960s and 70s, including Burke’s Law, Diff’rent Strokes, Fantasy Island and Perry Mason. She was also a panelist on Match Game and other 70s daytime game shows. Mobley is the widow of actor-TV host Gary Collins.

Also celebrating February 17 birthdays: Christina Pickles (Another World, Guiding Light, Lou Grant, The White Shadow) is 79, UK actress Patricia Routledge (guested on CBS Children’s Film Festival, best known for 1990s Britcom Keeping Up Appearances) turns 85 and Hal Holbrook is 89. Holbrook appeared on The Bold Ones and The FBI, along with such movies as the Dirty Harry sequel Magnum Force. He is also well-known for his portrayal of Abraham Lincoln in several miniseries (Lincoln, North and South). Holbrook was married to the late actress Dixie Carter.

Today was also the birthday of some classic TV favorites, including Red Barber (longtime baseball and football announcer), silent film star Ruth Clifford (later appeared on Hazel, Highway Patrol, Police Story), Arthur Hunnicutt (guested on Bonanza, My Three Sons, The Virginian) and Arthur Kennedy (guested on The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, co-star of the 1974 crime drama Nakia).

Character actress Kathleen Freeman was also born on this day. Her familiar face appeared on many classic TV shows from the 1950s on, including 77 Sunset Strip, The Beverly Hillbillies, Hogan’s Heroes, Kojak and Wagon Train. She played a hotel maid in a memorable episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show (“Never Bathe on Saturday”), and later co-starred with Dom DeLuise on the 1973 sitcom Lotsa Luck. Freeman was also the voice of Al Bundy’s mother-in-law on Married with Children.

February 17 was also the day we lost some old classic TV friends. Radio, TV and voice actor Joseph Kearns guested on shows like Gunsmoke, The Jack Benny Program and Our Miss Brooks. He’s best known for his final role: neighbor Mr. Wilson on Dennis the Menace. Character actor Sunshine Parker had guest shots on BJ and the Bear, Bonanza and Little House on the Prairie.

Also passing this day: Dan O’Herlihy. The veteran Irish actor guested on The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and The Untouchables. He co-starred with Kurt Russell in the 1960s western The Travels of Jamie McPheeters, then the short-lived 1979 drama A Man Called Sloane (with Robert Conrad). O’Herlihy later appeared in the quirky 1990s series Twin Peaks.

Today’s birthday list begins with Lisa Loring (56). As a child, she portrayed Wednesday on the classic 1960s comedy The Addams Family. Loring was later a regular on the daytime soap As The World Turns.

Also celebrating birthdays: LeVar Burton (Reading Rainbow, Roots, Star Trek: The Next Generation) is 57 and William Katt is 63. Katt, son of Perry Mason co-star Barbara Hale, guested on Emergency!, Ironside and M*A*S*H. He also starred in the early 1980s comedy-drama series The Greatest American Hero.

February 16 was also the birthday of some classic TV favorites since passed, including Edgar Bergen (longtime radio star, played Grandpa in the Waltons movie pilot, father of actress Candice Bergen), Sonny Bono (The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, later had a career in politics), Chester Morris (played Boston Blackie in the movies, on radio and the first season of the TV series) and Gretchen Wyler (guested on Charlie’s Angels and Naked City, co-starred in 1978 sitcom On Our Own).

Today was also the birthday of Hugh Beaumont. The film, radio and TV actor was the narrator of the early 1950s series Racket Squad. He later guested on classics like Mannix, Petticoat Junction and The Virginian. We all remember him as the kind and wise father Ward Cleaver on the long-running sitcom Leave it to Beaver.

Today was also the day we lost some classic TV friends. Roger Bowen was a co-founder of The Second City comedy troupe and played Lt. Colonel Henry Blake in the M*A*S*H movie. He was a regular on The Brian Keith Show and guested on such shows as All in the Family, House Calls and I Spy. Smiley Burnette was a singer-actor who played the same memorable role on two 1960s sitcoms. He was railroad engineer Charley Pratt on Green Acres and Petticoat Junction.

Len Lesser also passed away on February 16. The veteran character actor appeared on TV shows across six decades, from the 1950s to the 2000s. Among the shows on Lesser’s resume: The Bob Newhart Show, Bonanza, Get Smart, Kojak, The Munsters and Switch. He had a recurring role on Everybody Loves Raymond, but we all know him best as Uncle Leo on Seinfeld (Jerry! Hello!)

UK actress Jane Seymour is first on today’s birthday list. The 63 year old Seymour appeared on a number of TV movies and miniseries, plus guested on 1970s classics Battlestar Galactica and McCloud. She is best known for her long-running role as Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.

Sherry Jackson is 72 today. She played Danny Thomas’ daughter on Make Room for Daddy and later appeared on 77 Sunset Strip, Barnaby Jones and Batman. Also celebrating a birthday is TV personality Geoff Edwards (83). As an actor, he guested on I Dream of Jeannie and That Girl. Edwards went on to emcee game shows Jackpot! and The New Treasure Hunt, and later co-hosted a local Los Angeles daytime talk show with the late Meredith MacRae (Petticoat Junction).

There are a number of classic TV stars born on February 15 but since passed. The list includes Allan Arbus (M*A*S*H, Quincy M.E.), Mary Jane Croft (The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, I Love Lucy, The Lucy Show, Here’s Lucy), Rusty Hamer (Make Room for Daddy), Harvey Korman (The Carol Burnett Show, The Harvey Korman Show) and Kevin McCarthy. The stage and film star guested on such TV classics as Burke’s Law, Flamingo Road, Hawaii Five-0 and The Rifleman. McCarthy may be best remembered for his role in the 1956 movie Invasion of The Body Snatchers.

Also born this day was film and TV star Cesar Romero. He starred in the mid-1950s adventure series Passport to Danger, later guesting on such shows as Daniel Boone, Fantasy Island and The Love Boat. Romero later had a recurring role on the primetime soap Falcon Crest, but most classic TV fans will always remember him as The Joker on the campy 1960s series Batman.

February 15 also marks the day we lost many classic TV friends, including singer Nat King Cole (The Nat King Cole Show), Walker Edmiston (best known as the voice of Ernie the Keebler Elf), composer Ray Evans (Bonanza, The Bugs Bunny Show), Tim Holt (Chevron Theatre, The Virginian), actress-singer Ethel Merman (Batman, The Lucy Show), stage-film-radio actress Jan Miner (played Palmolive spokeswoman Madge for nearly 3 decades), Tommy Rettig (Lassie), newsman Howard K. Smith (CBS News, ABC News) and McClean Stevenson. Stevenson starred on The Doris Day Show, Hello Larry and the short-lived McClean Stevenson Show. His biggest role was as Lt. Colonel Henry Blake on M*A*S*H.

Wally Cox also died on this day. He starred in the 1950s comedy series Mr. Peepers, later guesting on Here’s Lucy and The Twilight Zone. He was also a frequent guest on the game show Hollywood Squares. His most enduring role? Cox was the voice of canine superhero Underdog!

Although those born today have the Aquarius sign, we’ll start off our birthday list with a Scorpio. Actor Andrew Robinson turns 72 today and is best-known for his role as serial killer Scorpio in the classic Clint Eastwood movie Dirty Harry. Robinson also guested on TV classics Bonanza, Kung Fu and The Rookies. He later had roles on the daytime drama Ryan’s Hope and Star Trek: Deep Space 9.

Others celebrating Valentine’s Day birthdays: film and TV star Andrew Prine (appeared on Baretta, Dr. Kildare, Gunsmoke, The Virginian) is 78, Brady Bunch mom and former Wesson Oil spokeswoman Florence Henderson turns 80 and TV personality Hugh Downs is 93. Downs was the announcer for Jack Paar’s Tonight Show, longtime host of The Today Show and later the primetime newsmagazine 20/20. He also hosted the daytime game show Concentration, syndicated talk show Not for Women Only and the PBS senior series Over Easy. Quite an impressive career!

Today was also the birthday of many classic TV friends who are no longer with us, including Mel Allen (longtime New York Yankees announcer, host of This Week in Baseball), Stuart Erwin (star of 1950s comedy The Stu Erwin Show, guested on Big Valley and Perry Mason), Brian Kelly (Flipper), Vic Morrow (Combat!, father of actress Jennifer Jason Leigh), Edward Platt (Get Smart) and Thelma Ritter. A veteran stage and film actress, Ritter appeared on Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Wagon Train. She also had a memorable role in the classic Christmas movie Miracle on 34th Street.

Benjamin Kubelsky was also born this day. The multi-talented comedian appeared on vaudeville, radio, film and television and was also an accomplished violinist. His radio and TV programs ran for more than three decades and continue to air in reruns to this day. We know Benjamin better by his stage name, Jack Benny. He would have been 39 years old today 🙂

February 14 is also the day we lost several classic TV contributors. Richard J. Collins was a producer of Bonanza, The Family Holvak and later, Matlock. Playwright-actor Michael V. Gazzo appeared in The Godfather Part II movie and also guested on TV classics The Defenders, Fantasy Island, Vega$ and Welcome Back Kotter.

Actor David Naughton kicks off today’s long list of classic TV birthdays. The 63 year old first appeared on TV as co-star of the 1974 TV series Planet of the Apes (I loved this show as a kid, had the Apes treehouse and action figures!). Naughton later had roles on sitcoms At Ease, Makin’ It and My Sister Sam. Many of us remember his guest role on Seinfeld: he played Elaine’s recovering alcoholic boyfriend in “The Red Dot” episode.

Also celebrating birthdays: Ellen Bry (guested on CHiPs, Kojak and The Love Boat…best known for her role as Nurse Shirley Daniels on St. Elsewhere) is 63, Stockard Channing (starred in two-short lived sitcoms in 1979-80, later appeared on The West Wing and The Good Wife) turns 70, Peter Tork (The Monkees) is 72, Carol Lynley (guested on Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Fantasy Island) is 72 and Swedish-born Bo Svenson (Here Come the Brides, Walking Tall) turns 73.

Still a few more classic TV birthdays. George Segal (guested on The Alfred Hitchcock Hour and Naked City, currently on ABC sitcom The Goldbergs) is 80, film star Kim Novak (guested on The Ed Sullivan Show, later had a recurring role on Falcon Crest) turns 81 and UK horror movie queen Barbara Shelley is 88. Shelley starred in such movies as Dracula Prince of Darkness and Village of the Damned, also guesting on TV classics 12 O’Clock High, The Donna Reed Show and Hazel.

February 13 was also the birthday of a number of classic TV favorites no longer with us, including Lyle Bettger (starred in several 1950s series, guested on Daniel Boone, Hawaii Five-0, Laramie), singer Tennessee Ernie Ford (sang Sixteen Tons, hosted his own variety show) and Jean Muir (guested on Naked City and Route 66).

Actress, director and pilot Susan Oliver (pictured) appeared on many classic TV shows from the 1950s through the 1980s. Her resume included The F.B.I., Love American Style, Peyton Place and Wagon Train. Perhaps her most memorable role was as alien Vina in the pilot episode of Star Trek.

A pair of classic TV stars died on this day. Martin Balsam had a long career in film (A Thousand Clowns, Psycho, Tora! Tora! Tora!) and TV (Kojak, Naked City and The Twilight Zone). He also played Archie’s bar-owner partner on Archie Bunker’s Place. David Janssen starred in The Fugitive as well as Harry O, O’Hara U.S. Treasury and Richard Diamond Private Detective.

Joanna Kerns is the first name on today’s birthday list. The 61-year-old actress guested on classic 1970s shows Charlie’s Angels, Emergency!, Quincy M.E. and Starsky & Hutch. She is best known for her role as Maggie Seaver on the long-running sitcom Growing Pains. Her sister is Olympic gold medal swimmer Donna de Varona.

Also celebrating birthdays today: Swedish actress and 2-time Bond Girl Maud Adams (Hawaii Five-0, Kojak, Love American Style) is 69, singer-turned-actor Cliff DeYoung (guested on Family, Marcus Welby M.D.) is 69, Joe Don Baker (starred in Walking Tall movie, 1979 TV series Eischied) turns 78, Charles Van Doren (famed contestant on Twenty One, led to quiz show scandal) is 88, and former baseball player turned TV personality Joe Garagiola (NBC MLB Game of the Week, Today, To Tell The Truth) is 88.

We have a long list of classic TV stars born February 12 but since passed away. Wallace Ford appeared on the first season of Henry Fonda’s TV western The Deputy, and also guested on The Andy Griffith Show and Lassie. Joseph Kearns is best-known as harried neighbor Mr. Wilson on Dennis the Menace. Richard Lynch guested on Baretta, Barnaby Jones and Starsky & Hutch. Ted Mack hosted the long-running radio and TV talent search The Original Amateur Hour. Forrest Tucker is remembered for his starring role on F Troop.

Classic TV favorite Lorne Greene was also born this day. Greene started out as a news anchor for the CBC in his native Canada, later moving to Hollywood. He appeared on numerous films and classic TV shows, but is best known for his role as family patriarch Ben Cartwright on the classic western Bonanza. Greene later starred in Battlestar Galactica, Code Red, Griff and hosted a syndicated nature series: Lorne Greene’s New Wilderness.

Many classic TV favorites died on February 12, including director-turned-actor Nicholas Colasanto. He was behind the camera for such shows as Hawaii Five-0 and Run For Your Life, later gaining fame as Coach Ernie Pantusso on Cheers. Betty Garrett had recurring roles on All in the Family and Laverne & Shirley. Character actor Victor Jury appeared on Nakia, The Rockford Files and The Virginian. Kenneth Mars appeared in several Mel Brooks movies and guested on shows like Fernwood Tonight, Love American Style and Mannix.

Also passing this day: Charles Schultz (creator of the Peanuts comic strip franchise) and Sal Mineo. The stage and film star guested on a number of classic TV series, including Combat!, Hawaii Five-0, The Patty Duke Show and S.W.A.T. Mineo’s life ended tragically when he was murdered at age 37.

Burt Reynolds leads off today’s birthday list. The 78-year-old actor was a regular on the vintage Darren McGavin western Riverboat, then played Quint on the classic western Gunsmoke. Reynolds also guested on a number of classic TV series, including Perry Mason and The Twilight Zone. He later starred in B.L. Stryker, Dan August, Evening Shade and Hawk.

One of the last two surviving cast members of Gilligan’s Island is celebrating her 80th birthday this day. Tina Louise (Ginger) also had guest appearances on Cannon, Love American Style and Route 66. She and Dawn Wells (Mary Ann) are the last of the castaways, following the death of Russell Johnson (The Professor) last month.

A number of classic TV favorites were born February 11 but are no longer with us. Boxer-turned-actor Max Baer Sr. guested on Make Room for Daddy and Playhouse 90. His son, Max Baer Jr., played Jethro on The Beverly Hillbillies. Eva Gabor is best remembered as Lisa Douglas on Green Acres.

Billy Hallop was one of The Dead End Kids in the movies, as an adult he guested on Adam-12, Gomer Pyle USMC, Gunsmoke and Perry Mason. He also played Bert Munson on All in the Family. Stage and film actress Kim Stanley appeared on Ben Casey, Night Gallery and Quincy M.E. She was also the uncredited narrator on the classic movie To Kill A Mockingbird.

Recognize the face in the above photo? It’s veteran Canadian actor Leslie Nielsen, who was also born this day. The photo is from one his “serious” roles in the sci-fi classic Forbidden Planet. Nielsen guested on many classic TV series, often playing a heavy. He had roles on Hawaii Five-O, Kung Fu, Naked City and Studio One. He starred in several 1960s series including The New Breed and The Bold Ones: The Protectors.

Nielsen’s career changed in a big way after his appearance on the satirical 1980 comedy film Airplane! He starred in the cult classic TV series Police Squad!, which led to the hugely-popular Naked Gun movie series. Nielsen’s acting career spanned 6 decades, ending with his passing in 2010.

February 11 is also a day we lost some classic TV friends, including Sorrell Booke (The Dukes of Hazzard), William Conrad (starred on Cannon, Jake & The Fatman, Nero Wolfe…narrated The Fugitive and The Rocky & Bullwinkle Show), Lee J. Cobb (The Virginian) and Don Porter (The Ann Sothern Show, Gidget, Private Secretary).

George O’Hanlon also died on this day. O’Hanlon (Sr. actually, his son is also an actor) appeared in shows like The Life of Riley, Maverick, Mister Ed and Sanford and Son. He even had a role in the classic 1976 movie Rocky. We best know O’Hanlon for his voice: he was George Jetson.