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)

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

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

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)

2020 is off to a sad start when it comes to classic TV performers and behind-the-scenes talent. We’ve lost even more in recent weeks:

• Composer Perry Botkin Jr. (Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, (theme to) The Young & The Restless)
• Writer-producer Allan Burns, best known as the co-creator of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Munsters and Rhoda
• Producer Cy Chernuk (CHiPs, Ironside, Kolckak: The Night Stalker)
• Actor Hal Holbrook, renowned for his portrayals of Abraham Lincoln and Mark Twain. He later appeared on Designing Women alongside his wife, the late actress Dixie Carter
• Radio and TV talk show legend Larry King
• Veteran character actor Bruce Kirby, whose lengthy credits include appearances on classic series such as Barney Miller, Bonanza, Hogan’s Heroes, Ironside, Kojak, The Patty Duke Show and The Phil Silvers Show
• Actress Cloris Leachman, whose first credited TV appearance came way back in 1948 (The Ford Theatre Hour). She starred in series ranging from Lassie to Phyllis and The Facts of Life. One of her most memorable guest roles was as Billy Mumy’s mom in the Twilight Zone episode “It’s A Good Life.”
• Actor Gregory Sierra, remembered for his roles on 1970’s comedy classics Barney Miller (Chano) and Sanford & Son (Julio).
• Actress Cicely Tyson who guested on classic shows like The F.B.I., I Spy and Naked City. Her signature small screen performance was probably the title character in the 1974 made-for-TV movie The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman

I’ll always choose Mary Ann…

The veteran character actor and TV pitchman appeared on classic shows like Kung Fu and The Waltons, later starring in the 1980s family drama Our House…