Classic TV Star Websites Part III

Continuing with another list of classic TV star “official” websites. Enjoy!

Feel free to contact me via Facebook, Twitter or Google+ with your comments and suggestions.

Actor Series Online Presence
Alison Arngrim Little House on the Prairie Website
Rene Auberjonois Benson Website
Catherine Bach The Dukes of Hazzard Website
Dirk Benedict Battlestar Galactica Website
Valerie Bertinelli One Day at a Time Website
David Birney Bridget Loves Bernie Website
Betty Buckley Eight Is Enough Website
Cher The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour Website
Danny DeVito Taxi Twitter
Joyce DeWitt Three's Company Website
Ja'Net Dubois Good Times Website
Patrick Duffy Dallas & The Man from Atlantis Website
Erik Estrada CHiPs Website
Greg Evigan BJ & The Bear Website
Lou Ferrigno The Incredible Hulk Website
Dick Gautier Get Smart & When Things Were Rotten Website
Melissa Gilbert Little House on the Prairie Website
Karen Grassle Little House on the Prairie Website
Robert Guillaume Benson & Soap Website
Gregory Harrison Logan's Run & Trapper John M.D. Website
Richard Hatch Battlestar Galactica Website
Marilu Henner Taxi Website
Cheryl Ladd Charlie's Angels Website
Pamela Sue Martin The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries Website
Michael McKean Laverne & Shirley Twitter
Heather Menzies-Urich Logan's Run Website
Donny Osmond Donny & Marie Website
Marie Osmond Donny & Marie Website
Bernadette Peters All's Fair Website
Tanya Roberts Charlie's Angels Website
John Schneider The Dukes of Hazzard Website
Charles Siebert Trapper John M.D. Website
Jaclyn Smith Charlie's Angels Website
Suzanne Somers Three's Company Website
Larry Wilcox CHiPs Website
Robin Williams Mork & Mindy Website
Tom Wopat The Dukes of Hazzard Website

Classic TV Birthdays: March 9

Daytime soap veteran Jaime Lyn Bauer turns 65 today. The longtime cast member of Days of Our Lives and The Young & The Restless also guested on Baretta, CHiPs and The Rookies.

Other classic TV stars celebrating birthdays: Trish Van Devere (71) was in the cast of daytime dramas One Life To Live and Search for Tomorrow. She is the widow of actor George C. Scott. Actor-voice artist Marty Ingels co-starred in the 1965 sitcom I’m Dickens He’s Fenster, and also guested on Adam-12, The Addams Family, The Dick Van Dyke Show and Family. Ingels is married to actress Shirley Jones (The Partridge Family).

joyce-van-patten
Joyce Van Patten (sister of Dick Van Patten) turns 80 today. She was a sketch actress on The Danny Kaye Show (1963-67) and co-starred in a late 1960s sitcom The Good Guys with Bob Denver. Van Patten has guested on numerous classic TV shows, including Hawaii Five-0, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, Mannix, The Odd Couple and The Twilight Zone. She started acting in the 1950s and remains active to this day.

A number of classic TV favorites were born March 9 but are no longer with us. Carl Betz starred on The Donna Reed Show and Judd for the Defense. Del Close was an actor and acting teacher who guested on 1960s sitcoms Get Smart and My Mother The Car. Will Geer is best remembered as Grandpa Walton (The Waltons). Raul Julia was a regular on the soap Love of Life and PBS kids classic Sesame Street. He also had guest roles on The Bob Newhart Show and McCloud. Many remember him as Gomez in the big screen adaption of The Addams Family.

Today was also the day some old friends said goodbye. Journalist David Broder was a columnist for The Washington Post and a longtime panelist on Meet The Press. Bing’s brother Bob Crosby had his own daytime TV show in the 1950s and guested on such classics as The Jack Benny Program and What’s My Line? Film actress Faye Emerson hosted a number of early TV talk shows and guested on others. She was also a frequent panelist on such game show classics as I’ve Got A Secret, To Tell The Truth and What’s My Line?

A comedy legend also died on March 9. George Burns starred with his wife Gracie Allen in the long-running radio and TV series Burns and Allen. He later fronted a 1964 sitcom called Wendy and Me, co-starring Connie Stevens. Burns guested on a number of classics (Alice, The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts, Here’s Lucy) and produced some classics too (Love That Bob, Mister Ed). He made a comeback in the 1970s, starring in big screen classics Oh God! and The Sunshine Boys.

Classic TV Birthdays: March 8

Hey hey he’s a Monkee, he’s celebrating a birthday to-day! We’re talking about actor-musician Micky Dolenz of the classic 1960s series The Monkees. He is now 69.

Also on today’s classic TV birthday list: Susan Clark (guested on Columbus, Marcus Welby M.D…later starred with her late husband Alex Karras on the 1980s sitcom Webster) is 74 and Sue Ann Langdon is 78. Langdon had a recurring role on Bachelor Father and co-starred in the early 1970s sitcom Arnie. She guested on Bonanza, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Perry Mason and Surfside 6. Langdon also had roles in several films, including A Guide for the Married Man and Zapped!

March 8 was also the birthday of some classic TV friends no longer with us. Actress-dancer Cyd Charisse appeared in films (Singin’ in the Rain) and guested on the small screen (Hawaii Five-0, The Love Boat, Medical Center). English stage and film star Lynn Redgrave guested on Kojak and co-starred in the 1979-82 sitcom House Calls. Claire Trevor had roles in classic films (Key Largo, Stagecoach) and later guested on classic TV (Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Dr. Kildare, The Untouchables).

alan-hale-jr
Today was also the birthday of Alan Hale Jr. He starred in a 1950s children’s western series Casey Jones but we know him best as The Skipper. He played that role on the classic 1960s sitcom Gilligan’s Island, later reprising the role in a pair of animated Gilligan series and several made-for-TV movies. His father, Alan Sr., was also an actor…he is credited with nearly 250 film roles over a 5 decade career.

We also lost some classic TV favorites on March 8. Peggy Cass was a Broadway and film actress (Auntie Mame) who was a frequent panelist on the game show To Tell The Truth. Silent film star Harold Lloyd later appeared as himself on The Ed Sullivan Show and What’s My Line? Film actress Karen Morley guested on Kojak and Kung Fu. Character actor Edward Winter is best remembered for his recurring role as Colonel Flagg on M*A*S*H.

edward-andrews
Edward Andrews (pictured) also died this day. The familiar face with white hair and horn-rimmed glasses guested on many classic TV shows, including The Bob Newhart Show, The Doris Day Show, The F.B.I., Thriller and The Twilight Zone. He starred in a 1964 sitcom (Broadside) and in the quickly derailed 1979 series Supertrain. Andrews wrapped up his career with a pair of film roles in Gremlins and Sixteen Candles.

Obit: Sheila MacRae

Veteran actress Sheila MacRae has died.

The UK born MacRae appeared in several 1950s films (Caged, Pretty Baby) and played Alice Kramden on The Jackie Gleason Show (1966-70). She guested on I Love Lucy and The Love Boat, and later starred in her own series: The Sheila MacRae Show (1971). MacRae also had roles on daytime dramas General Hospital and Search for Tomorrow.

MacRae was the mother of 4 children, including the late Meredith MacRae (Petticoat Junction).

Sheila MacRae passed away Thursday in New Jersey. There are conflicting reports on her age, as IMDB claims she was 89 and most news reports say she was 93.

Odd Couple Returns To Me

me-tv-logo
Felix and Oscar are back on Friday nights!

The classic 1970s sitcom The Odd Couple returns to the MeTV digital network lineup tonight, airing back-to-back episodes Friday nights from 10-11PM ET. The show originally aired on ABC from 1970-75, mostly on Friday nights.

The Odd Couple features Tony Randall and Jack Klugman as fussy Felix Unger and sloppy Oscar Madison. It replaces The Dick Van Dyke Show which has left the MeTV lineup.

#OddCouple #MeTV

Classic TV Birthdays: March 7

Short birthday list today. We start with actor Richard Lawson (67) who guested on All in the Family, Kojak and Shaft. He has also appeared on the big screen, including 1982’s Poltergeist.

Others celebrating a birthday include Daniel J. Travanti. The 74 year old appeared on Kojak, Lost in Space, Naked City and Perry Mason. Travanti later starred on the long-running police drama Hill Street Blues. Former Today Show weatherman Willard Scott is 80. Scott also claims to be the creator of the Ronald McDonald character back in the 1960s.

Also celebrating a birthday, although we can’t confirm he’s still with us, is an actor named John Rodney. He guested on such classics as The Fugitive, McHale’s Navy and Sea Hunt. Although IMDB shows his last credited role was 50 years ago, it appears he is still alive and kicking at 100 years!

Several classic TV faces were born March 7 but have passed on. James Broderick starred in the 1970s family drama appropriately called Family. He was also the father of actor Matthew Broderick. Tammy Faye Messner was the long-time co-host of the religious talk show The PTL Club with then-husband Jim Bakker.

We also lost some classic TV friends on this day. Canadian-born movie actor Ben Blue appeared on The Jack Benny Program and The Land of the Giants. Bob Livingston guested on many classic westerns, including The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok, The Cisco Kid and The Lone Ranger.

Paul Winfield also died March 7. He guested on numerous classic TV shows like Daktari, Ironside, Julia and Mannix, then starred in the 1978 miniseries King (as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.). Winfield was also in the movies (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, The Terminator) and later had a recurring role on the TV series Touched by An Angel.

Classic TV Birthdays: March 6

If I had a tambourine, I would play Happy Birthday to Suzanne Crough! The former child star played Tracy on the classic 1970s sitcom The Partridge Family…she turns 51 today.

Other classic TV friends celebrating a birthday: actor-turned-director Rob Reiner (All in the Family) is 67, Martin Cove (guested on McMillan and Wife, Rhoda…later a regular on Cagney and Lacey) turns 68, Ben Murphy (Alias Smith and Jones, Gemini Man) is 72 and Joanna Miles is 74. Miles guested on Kojak, Mannix and Medical Center. She also won a pair of Emmys for her role in a 1973 TV adaption of The Glass Menagerie.

Old favorites born March 6 but since passed: William J. Bell (creator of Another World, The Young & The Restless), Lou Costello (The Abbott & Costello Show), Ed McMahon (The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson) and stuntman-actor-director Hal Needham. Needham acted and did stunts on such classics as Gunsmoke and Have Gun Will Travel. He also directed a number of movies, including Smokey and the Bandit.

Today was also the day we lost some classic TV friends. Singer-actor Nelson Eddy guested on numerous talk and variety shows of the 1950s and 60s. William Hopper played Paul Drake on the long-running courtroom drama Perry Mason. Boxer Max Rosenbloom guested on such favorites as I Dream of Jeannie and The Munsters. Teresa Wright appeared on Bonanza, Playhouse 90 and The United States Steel Hour.

Movie actor and director Henry Wilcoxon also died March 6. He guested on classic TV shows including The F.B.I., Gunsmoke and The Wild Wild West. Wilcoxon appeared in a wide range of movies, from Marc Antony in 1934’s Cleopatra to a golf-crazed bishop in Caddyshack.

Obit: Geoff Edwards

Another classic TV game show host has passed away.

Geoff Edwards, a longtime radio deejay in Los Angeles, hosted a number of 1970s and 80s game shows. Those shows included Chain Reaction, Jackpot!, Play The Percentages and The New Treasure Hunt. Edwards was also an actor, guesting on classics like I Dream Of Jeannie, Petticoat Junction and Police Woman.

Edwards died Wednesday in California. He was 83. Former Dating Game host Jim Lange passed away last week.

Here’s a clip from a 1974 episode of The New Treasure Hunt. RIP Geoff Edwards:

Classic TV Birthdays: March 5

First up on today’s birthday list: Michael Warren. The 68 year old actor guested on Adam-12, Mod Squad and The White Shadow. Warren co-starred on two short-lived 1970s series (Paris, Sierra), later landing his biggest role as Officer Bobby Hill on Hill Street Blues.

Also celebrating birthdays: UK actress Samantha Eggar (guested on Baretta, The Love Boat) is 75, Paul Sand (appeared on Bewitched and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, starred in 1974’s Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers) turns 79, James Sikking (guested on Combat!, The FBI, Hogan’s Heroes…later a regular on Doogie Howser M.D. and Hill Street Blues) is 80 and James Noble (Benson) turns 92.

dean-stockwell
Former child actor Dean Stockwell is 78 today. Stockwell had guest roles on a number of classic TV series, including Dr. Kildare, Police Story, The Streets of San Francisco and Wagon Train. He may be best known for his role on the time travel series Quantum Leap.

March 5 was also the birthday of some classic TV stars no longer with us. Jack Cassidy guested on shows like Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Columbo and Love American Style. He was the father of David Cassidy and once married to Shirley Jones, who played the younger Cassidy’s mom on The Partridge Family. Rex Harrison, known for his film roles (Doctor Doolittle, My Fair Lady), also had several small screen appearances (The Ed Sullivan Show, The United States Steel Hour).

Also born this day: character actress Virginia Christine. She guested on many classic shows of the 1950s and 60s, among them Daniel Boone, Kojak and Perry Mason. Many of us remember her for her role in a long-running TV commercial campaign:

We also lost some classic TV friends on March 5. Whit Bissell guested on TV shows from the 1950s to the 80s and was a regular on The Time Tunnel. John Belushi was in the original cast of Saturday Night Live. Billy De Wolfe appeared on such programs as The Doris Day Show and That Girl.

Others passing this day: stage and film star Richard Kiley (guested on The Defenders, Gunsmoke), Gary Merrill (Branded, Cannon, The Twilight Zone) and Jay Silverheels (he played The Lone Ranger’s sidekick, Tonto).