Classic TV Birthdays: February 10

Happy 84th Birthday to actor Robert Wagner! He starred in classic TV favorites Hart to Hart, It Takes a Thief and Switch. Wagner also guested on The Name of the Game, The Streets of San Francisco and, more recently, NCIS. He and his actress-wife Jill St. John guest starred together on a classic episode of Seinfeld (The Yada Yada).

Classic TV stars born February 10 but since passed away include Judith Anderson (guested on Playhouse 90 and Wagon Train, last role was on daytime soap Santa Barbara), movie monster Lon Chaney Jr. (appeared on The Monkees, Route 66), actor-comedian Jimmy Durante (The Jimmy Durante Show, narrator of Frosty The Snowman) and composer Jerry Goldsmith. He composed the themes to many of our favorite classics, including Barnaby Jones, Dr. Kildare, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., then later Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek Voyager.

neva-patterson
Character actress Neva Patterson was also born on this day. The stage and film star was a regular on several series, The Governor and J.J. and Nichols. Patterson also guested on a host of shows, among them Ben Casey, Kraft Theatre, Maude, The Patty Duke Show, St. Elsewhere and Webster.

Two classic authors who impacted 1970s television passed away on February 10: Alex Haley (Roots) and Laura Ingalls Wilder (Little House on the Prairie).

Actor Roy Scheider died this day too. The boxer-turned-actor appeared on a wide range of shows including Cannon, The Edge of Night, The Love of Life, N.Y.P.D. and later Third Watch. Scheider starred in the first season of seaQuest (1993-96) but is perhaps best known for his role on the classic 1975 movie Jaws.