Bidding Farewell to Classic TV Friends

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The past few months have seen the loss of numerous members of the classic TV extended “family.” We say goodbye to the following…

  • Actor Ed Asner (Lou Grant, The Mary Tyler Moore Show)
  • Executive William Clotworthy (Censor for Saturday Night Live)
  • Actor Michael Constantine (Room 222, Sirota’s Court)
  • Actor Alex Cord (Airwolf)
  • Actor Stuart Damon (General Hospital)
  • Newsman Lloyd Dobyns (NBC News Overnight)
  • Director Richard Donner (The Banana Splits Adventure Hour, The Rifleman, The Twilight Zone, Wanted: Dead or Alive)
  • Director John Erman (My Favorite Martian, The Outer Limits, That Girl)
  • Writer-producer Irma Kalish (227, F Troop, Family Affair, Good Times, My Three Sons)
  • Ray MacDonnell (All My Children, The Edge of Night)
  • Comedian Jackie Mason (The Dean Martin Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Merv Griffin Show, The Tonight Show)
  • Michael Nader (As the World Turns, Dynasty, Gidget)
  • Inventor/pitchman Ron Popeil (The Ronco Pocket Fisherman, The Veg-O-Matic)
  • Actress Markie Post (Card Sharks, The Fall Guy, Night Court)
  • Actor Charlie Robinson (Night Court)
  • Executive Herbert Schlosser (Helped create NBC’s Saturday Night Live)
  • Weatherman Willard Scott (Bozo the Clown, The Today Show)
  • Actor William M. Smith (Hawaii Five-O)
  • Actress Jane Withers (best known as Josephine the Plumber in Comet cleanser commercials)

Antenna TV and Spinoff Rewind TV Set Fall Schedules

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Nexstar-owned classic TV diginet Antenna TV and it’s new modern classic sister network Rewind TV have unveiled their Fall 2021 lineups.

Here’s the Antenna TV schedule:

Rewind TV officially launches Wednesday September 1. Most of their programming previously aired on Antenna TV and the two diginets will share Mork & Mindy this fall They are the first retro TV network to air the same schedule 7 days a week:

Rewind TV will be adding more modern sitcoms in 2022, including The Drew Carey Show, The John Larroquette Show, My Two Dads, NewsRadio and Suddenly Susan. Veteran radio deejay Rick Dees will serve as the official voice of the network.

Classic TV Newsbrief 6/26/21

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Here’s what’s happening in the world of classic television…

Classic TV diginet MeTV is making several changes to their schedule in July, most notably to their Sunday lineup. Joining the schedule is Monk, the 2002-9 comedy-drama detective series starring Tony Shalhoub. It takes over the 8-10PM slot while Columbo and other shows shift their timeslots. Here’s the complete 3rd Quarter MeTV schedule, effective July 12:

MeTV 3Q 2021

Fellow diginet Antenna TV is also tweaking their summer weekend lineup. Rejoining the schedule are Archie Bunker’s Place, Benson, Maude, The Ropers and Three’s A Crowd. Leaving the lineup are Lotsa Luck, The Paul Lynde Show and What’s Happening Now!! The full schedule effective July 1:
Antenna TV 3Q 2021

We’ve lost more classic TV friends over the past few weeks:

  • Actor Ned Beatty, best known for his big-screen roles including Deliverance and Network. He also guested on classic TV shows like Hawaii Five-O, Kojak, The Rockford Files and The Waltons.
  • Actor-director Frank Bonner, remembered for his role as sales manager Herb Tarlek on WKRP in Cincinnati.
  • Actor John Gabriel, who had a long career in daytime soaps including Ryan’s Hope. He guested on primetime shows like 77 Sunset Strip and Gilligan’s Island, later landing a recurring role on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
  • Actress Joanne Linville, who appeared on such classics as Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Barnaby Jones, Bonanza, Hawaii Five-O and Star Trek.
  • Producer Norman Powell, who worked on early classics like Richard Diamond Private Detective and Wanted: Dead or Alive, later on The Big Valley, Burke’s Law and The New Dick Van Dyke Show. His mother was actress Joan Blondell and his adoptive father was actor Dick Powell.

Rest In Peace, Classic TV Friends

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Time marches on and we continue to lose members of our classic tv “family.” We recently said farewell to:

  • Programming executive Douglas S. Cramer, who worked on such classic shows as The Brady Bunch, The Odd Couple, Star Trek and Wonder Woman
  • Actress Arlene Golonka, best known for her roles as Millie Hutchins (The Andy Griffith Show) and Millie Swanson (Mayberry R.F.D.)
  • Actor Charles Grodin, who guested on such classic series as The Big Valley, The F.B.I. and The Virginian. He was probably remembered most for his movie roles and frequent appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
  • Actor Robert Hogan, who appeared on such shows as Alice, Barnaby Jones, The F.B.I., Gunsmoke, Peyton Place and The Rockford Files over his six-decade career
  • Actor Gavin MacLeod, remembered for his roles on The Love Boat, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and McHale’s Navy, along with numerous guest shots on classics like The Dick Van Dyke Show, Hawaii Five-O, The Munsters and Perry Mason
  • Actor Doug Mossman, Detective Frank Kamana on the original Hawaii Five-O
  • Actress Erin O’Brien, who guested on numerous 1950s-60s shows like 77 Sunset Strip, Bat Masterson, Maverick, Perry Mason and Sugarfoot
  • Paul Soles, remembered for voicing Spider-Man (1967-70) and Hermey the Misfit Elf (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer)
  • Actor Clarence Williams III, who portrayed Linc Hayes on The Mod Squad

Rest In Peace

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We recently bade farewell to these classic TV friends…

  • Actor-musician Johnny Crawford, best known for his role as young Mark McCain on the classic western series The Rifleman
  • Actress Billie Hayes, remembered by classic TV fans for her role as Witchiepoo on H.R. Pufnstuf
  • Veteran character actor Nathan Jung, who appeared on such classic shows as Kung Fu, Sanford & Son and Star Trek
  • Screenwriter Bernie Kahn, who penned episodes of such classics as Bewitched, The Brady Bunch, Maude, The Partridge Family and Three’s Company
  • Actor Norman Lloyd, who guested on Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Kojak and Night Gallery. Later known for his role as Dr. Daniel Auschlander on the 1980s medical drama St. Elsewhere

Antenna TV Launching Spinoff Network

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Nextar-owned classic TV diginet Antenna TV has announced a new digital broadcast network focusing on modern classic comedies from the 1980s and 90s.

Rewind TV launches September 1, 2021 and will include a number of series that currently or previously aired on Antenna TV.

Several shows actually debuted in the 1970s, among them Diff’rent Strokes, The Facts of Life and Mork & Mindy. Other shows on the lineup: 227, Becker, Caroline in the City, Dear John, Designing Women, The Drew Carey Show, Family Ties, Growing Pains, Head of the Class, The Hogan Family, The John Larroquette Show, Murphy Brown, My Two Dads, NewsRadio, Sabrina The Teenage Witch, Suddenly Susan, Who’s The Boss? and Wings.

Rewind TV will be available on the subchannels of broadcast stations around the country…stay tuned for more details. For more information, please visit RewindTV.com.

Classic TV Newsbrief 4/26/21

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Classic TV diginet MeTV is making a couple changes to their lineup next week. 1960s sitcom The Addams Family (previously seen on thisTV) joins the weekday schedule, replacing The Flintstones at 6PM. Another classic toon comes to the Saturday Morning Cartoons block: The Pink Panther.

Here’s the complete MeTV lineup effective May 3:
MeTV 2Q 2021

On a sad note, we’ve recently lost a number of classic TV friends. Thanks for the memories and rest in peace…

  • Former child actor Lee Aaker, who played Rusty on the Adventures of Rin Tin Tin
  • Actor James Hampton, best known for his role as Private Hannibal Shirley Dobbs on F Troop. Also guested on classics like Gunsmoke, Mannix and The Rockford Files
  • Actress Gloria Henry, who played Alice Mitchell, the mom on classic sitcom Dennis The Menace
  • Actor Felix Silla, remembered for his performances as Cousin Itt (Addam’s Family) and Twiki the robot (Buck Rogers in the 25th Century)

Rest in Peace

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We mourn the loss of these classic TV contributors…

  • Actor Richard Gilliland (McMillan & Wife, Operation Petticoat, The Waltons). He was married to actress Jean Smart
  • Actor Yaphet Kotto (guested on The Big Valley, Death Valley Days, Hawaii Five-O), best known for his later role as Al Giardello on Homicide: Life on the Street
  • Newsman Roger Mudd (CBS News, NBC News)
  • Actor Geoffrey Scott (Adam-12, Cannon, Dark Shadows)
  • Actor George Segal, who guested on such classic TV shows as The Alfred Hitchcock Hour and Naked City. Best known for his film roles including King Rat, Ship of Fools and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
  • Former child actor Kim Tyler (The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Please Don’t Eat the Daisies)
  • Actress Jessica Walter (guested on TV classics like The F.B.I., The Love Boat, Mannix, Naked City, Route 66, Trapper John M.D.). Starred in the short-lived series Amy Prentiss (1974-75)