So long, Kookie…

You made us laugh with Get Smart and Saturday Night Live…

Thank you for “Schoolhouse Rock” and being Merv Griffin’s sidekick…

We’ve lost more classic TV contributors this month. Our condolences to their families and our thanks for their contributions to classic TV:

• Actor René Auberjonois, known to classic TV fans for his role on Benson and guest shots on such 1970s staples as The Bob Newhart Show, Charlie’s Angels, Ellery Queen, Family, Night Gallery, The Rockford Files, Starsky & Hutch and Wonder Woman. He is also remembered for portraying Father Mulcahy in the original film version of M*A*S*H.
• Writer D.C. Fontana, best known for her work on the original Star Trek. She also penned episodes of such classic series as Bonanza, Dallas, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Streets of San Francisco, The Waltons and The Wild Wild West.
• Former ABC network programmer and long-time producer Leonard Goldberg, who helped bring us such 1970’s classics as Charlie’s Angels, Family, Fantasy Island, Hart to Hart, The Rookies and S.W.A.T. He also worked on movies for the small and big screen, including The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training, The Boy in the Plastic Bubble and WarGames. His most recent project was the long-running CBS police drama Blue Bloods.
• Actor Ron Leibman, who appeared on classic TV shows like The Edge of Night, Hawk and Police Story. He created, starred in and won an Emmy for the short-lived 1978 series Kaz. Leibman also worked in film, including such titles as Norma Rae and Slaughterhouse-Five. He was married to actress Jessica Walter and previously to Alice star Linda Lavin.
• Former child actor Philip McKeon, best known for playing the titular character’s son Tommy on the 70s/80s sitcom Alice. His sister is actress Nancy McKeon (The Facts of Life).
• Puppeteer Caroll Spinney, who brought Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch to life on Sesame Street from 1969 to 2018.
• Actor Robert Walker Jr., who guested on a host of classic series including Ben Casey, Cannon, The F.B.I., Naked City, Route 66, Quincy M.E. and Star Trek. He also worked on a number of movies, among them the cult classic Easy Rider.

We’ve lost more of our classic TV favorites recently. A sad farewell to:

• Actor-comedian-writer Bill Dana, best known for creating his José Jiménez character who appeared on such classics as The Danny Thomas Show (Make Room for Daddy) and The Ed Sullivan Show. The memorable character was also featured on the 1963-65 sitcom The Bill Dana Show
• Actor Jared Martin, who had a recurring role (Dusty) on the primetime soap Dallas. He also guested on such classics as CHiPs, Columbo and The Waltons
• Actress Dina Merrill, who appeared on numerous classic TV series dating back to the 1950s. Her credits included Batman, Bonanza, The F.B.I., Hawaii Five-O and The Love Boat
• English actor Sir Roger Moore, who played the title character Simon Templar on the British TV series The Saint from 1962-69. He’s also well-known for his starring role in 7 James Bond feature films.
• Actor-singer Michael Parks, who guested on shows like The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Gunsmoke and Perry Mason. He starred in the 1969-70 adventure series Then Came Bronson. He also had a memorable role as Jean Renault on the 1990-91 cult classic Twin Peaks
• English actor Peter Sallis, who appeared in all 295 episodes of the long-running Britcom Last of the Summer Wine (1973-2010)
• Actor-producer Roger Smith, who played private eye Jeff Spencer on the classic detective series 77 Sunset Strip. He was married to actress-singer Ann Margret for 50 years
• Actor Adam West, forever known for his title role on the iconic 1960s superhero series Batman. West also appeared on the crime drama series The Detectives and guested on countless classic shows like 77 Sunset Strip, Bonanza, Emergency!, Mannix, The Outer Limits and Perry Mason. Most recently, he voiced the character of Mayor Adam West on the animated sitcom Family Guy.

We bid farewell to more classic TV friends that have passed in 2017…

• Singer-actress Lola Albright, who played Edie Hart, the girlfriend of private eye Peter Gunn
• Game show legend Chuck Barris, creator of The Dating Game and The Newlywed Game. He also was the creator-host of The Gong Show
• Actress-comedienne Chelsea Brown, a regular on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In
• Actor Warren Frost, who guested on early classics Death Valley Days and Perry Mason. He later had recurring roles on Matlock, Seinfeld and Twin Peaks
• Actor Dick Gautier, who played Hymie the Robot on Get Smart and Robin Hood on the 1974 cult classic sitcom When Things Were Rotten
• Actor Peter Hansen, best known for his long-time role as lawyer Lee Baldwin on the daytime drama General Hospital
• Actor Richard Hatch, who replaced Michael Douglas on The Streets of San Francisco and later starred in the original 1978 version of Battlestar Galactica
• Producer-writer-creator Howard Leeds, who worked on such classic sitcoms as The Brady Bunch, Diff’rent Strokes, The Facts of Life and My Three Sons
• Actor Lawrence Montaigne, who guested on classic series including Batman, Mission: Impossible and Star Trek
• Actress Erin Moran, who played Joanie Cunningham on Happy Days and spinoff Joanie Loves Chachi
• Film and television photographer Sol Negrin, who worked on such TV classics as Car 54 Where Are you?, Kojak, McCloud, Naked City and The Patty Duke Show
• Legendary actor-comedian Don Rickles, star of the 1970s sitcom CPO Sharkey and a frequent guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Rickles also guested on many classic series, including The Andy Griffith Show, Gilligan’s Island, The Munsters, Sanford and Son, The Twilight Zone and Wagon Train
• English scriptwriter Alan Simpson, who worked on the Britcom Steptoe and Son, later adapted in the U.S. as Sanford and Son
• Judge Joseph Wapner, the original presiding judge on The People’s Court (1981-93)
• Writer-producer Bud Wiser, whose credits include work on All in the Family, One Day At A Time, That’s My Mama and Who’s The Boss?

Classic TV fans lost a true legend last week with the passing of Mary Tyler Moore at the age of 80.

Mary is best remembered for her two iconic sitcom roles: Laura Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-66) and Mary Richards on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970-77). She also guested on such early classics as 77 Sunset Strip, Hawaiian Eye, Thriller and Wanted: Dead or Alive. Her legs and voice appeared on the 1950s David Janssen crime series Richard Diamond, Private Detective.

Mary Tyler Moore and her then-husband Grant Tinker (who passed away last November) teamed up to create the production company MTM Enterprises in 1969. In MTM’s nearly 30 years of existence, the company was an entertainment juggernaut, creating such classic series as The Bob Newhart Show, Hill Street Blues, Lou Grant, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Newhart, Phyllis, Rhoda, St. Elsewhere, The White Shadow and WKRP in Cincinnati.

We’ve lost many more classic TV friends recently, including:

• Actor William Christopher, who played Father Mulcahy on M*A*S*H
• Actor Mike Connors (Mannix)
• Veteran character actor Bernard Fox, who guested on many classic shows of the 1960s and 70s. His best known roles were on Bewitched (Dr. Bombay) and Hogan’s Heroes (Colonel Crittendon)
• Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor, who guested on such classic shows as Batman, Burke’s Law, Gilligan’s Island and Mister Ed
• Actress Barbara Hale, Della Street on Perry Mason
• Legendary film star Debbie Reynolds, who starred in several short-lived TV series (1969-70’s The Debbie Reynolds Show and 1981’s Aloha Paradise). She also guested on Alice and The Love Boat
• Actor Alan Thicke, who played Jason Seaver on the 1985-92 sitcom Growing Pains. He also produced the talk show spoof Fernwood Tonight, hosted several game and talk shows and wrote the theme songs to Diff’rent Strokes and The Facts of Life
• Actress Francine York, who guested on countless classic 60s/70s series including Death Valley Days, Gomer Pyle USMC, Love American Style, My Favorite Martian, Perry Mason, The Streets of San Francisco and The Untouchables

Breaking news this Black Friday: Brady mom Florence Henderson has passed away at age 82. Sadly, we have lost a long list of classic TV friends since our last posting…

• Director Norman Abbott, who worked on shows like Get Smart, The Jack Benny Program, Leave It To Beaver, The Munsters and Sanford and Son
• Actor Eddie Applegate, Patty’s boyfriend Richard on The Patty Duke Show
• Actress Patricia Barry, who guested on such classics as Gunsmoke, Perry Mason and The Twilight Zone. She was a regular on daytime dramas All My Children, Days of Our Lives and Guiding Light
• Longtime CBS executive Mike Dann, who was VP of programming from 1963-70
• Actress Gloria DeHaven, who guested on classics including Flipper, Mannix, The Rifleman and Wagon Train. She was a regular on daytime soaps As The World Turns and Ryan’s Hope
• Actress Ronnie Claire Edwards, best known for her role as Corabeth Walton Godsey on The Waltons
• Actress Tammy Grimes, who guested on Burke’s Law, Route 66 and The Virginian. She starred in her own self-titled sitcom in 1966
• Actress Ann Morgan Guilbert, Millie Helper on The Dick Van Dyke Show
• Actress Florence Henderson, who played mother Carol Brady on the iconic sitcom The Brady Bunch and it’s numerous sequels
• Actor Steven Hill, Dan Briggs on Mission: Impossible and D.A. Adam Schiff on Law & Order
• Actress Beth Howland, Vera on the 1970s-80s sitcom Alice
• Character actor David Huddleston, who guested on such classics as Adam-12, Bewitched, Cannon and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. He later played Kevin Arnold’s grandfather on The Wonder Years
• Actor Barry Jenner, who appeared on 1970s daytime dramas Another World and Somerset. He guested on shows like Barnaby Jones and Hart to Hart
• Writer Austin Kalish, who teamed with his wife Irma to write episodes of such classic series as All in the Family, Family Affair, The Facts of Life, F Troop, Gilligan’s Island, Good Times, Maude and My Three Sons
• Local news executive Melvin Kampmann, creator of Action News
• Actor Marvin Kaplan, best known as the voice of Choo-Choo on the classic cartoon Top Cat and Henry the telephone lineman on Alice
• Musician Julius La Rosa, best remembered for being fired on-air by Arthur Godfrey
• Actor Dan Marshall, Dan Erickson on Irwin Allen’s Land of the Giants
• Veteran producer-actor Garry Marshall, creator of Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley. He was also the brother of actress Penny Marshall
• Director Leslie Martinson, who worked on such classics as Batman, CHiPs, Mannix and Mission: Impossible
• Actor John McMartin, who guested on such shows as Cannon, Hawaii Five-0, Marcus Welby M.D. and The Partridge Family
• Longtime Philadelphia children’s TV host W. Carter Merbreier, who played Captain Noah on WFIL/WPVI from 1967-1994
• 2’9″ tall actor Michu Meszaros, who worked on H.R. Pufnstuf and later ALF
• Writer-producer Agnes Nixon, best known for creating the ABC daytime dramas All My Children, Loving and One Life to Live
• Actress Noel Neill, Lois Lane on Seasons 2-6 of the classic 1950s series Adventures of Superman
• Actor Hugh O’Brian, best known for playing the title role on the early western series The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
• Veteran character actor Jack Riley, who guested on such shows as Barney Miller, Gomer Pyle USMC and Hogan’s Heroes. His best-known role was neurotic patient Elliot Carlin on The Bob Newhart Show
• Actress Doris Roberts, who guested on classic series like Alice, Barney Miller, Ben Casey and The Naked City. She was a regular on the ABC sitcom Angie but achieved her greatest success as Marie Barone on the long-running sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond
• Veteran newsman Morley Safer, who worked on the CBS newsmagazine 60 Minutes from 1970-2016
• Legendary character actor William Schallert, who appeared on countless classics like The Dick Van Dyke Show, Hawaii Five-0, Leave It To Beaver and Perry Mason. In his later years, his work included My Name Is Earl and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. His best known role was as Martin Lane, Patty’s dad on The Patty Duke Show. Three of that show’s cast members have passed away in 2016, including Duke, Schallert and Eddie Applegate (see above)
• Broadway and film actress Madeleine Sherwood, known to classic TV fans as Reverend Mother Placido on The Flying Nun
• Production executive Robert E. Short, who worked on numerous classic series including Another World, Car 54 Where Are You?, The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Rifleman
• Actor James Stacy, who guested on shows like Combat!, Gunsmoke and Perry Mason. He starred in the late 60s western series Lancer. Sadly, he lost his left arm and leg in a 1973 motorcycle accident.
• Actor Robert Vaughn, best known as suave spy Napoleon Solo in the 1960s series The Man from U.N.C.L.E
• Voice actress Janet Waldo, the voice of classic cartoon characters Judy Jetson and Josie of Josie & The Pussycats
• Actor Alan Young, Wilbur on the talking horse comedy Mister Ed
• Local horror movie host John Zacherle, who appeared on Shock Theater and Chiller Theatre in Philadelphia and New York

Actress Patty Duke passed away this week, joining a long list of classic TV contributors who have died recently.

As a teen, Duke won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker. Duke is best known for her work on the small screen, playing identical cousins Patty and Cathy Lane on The Patty Duke Show (1963-66).

Duke later married actor John Astin (The Addams Family) and two of their sons (Sean, Mackenzie) became actors as well. She passed away Tuesday at age 69.

We also bid farewell to:

• Producer-voice actress Sylvia Anderson, who teamed up with her husband Gerry to create Supermarionation series like Thunderbirds, Supercar and Fireball XL5
• Writer Howard Berk, who penned episodes of Columbo, Mission: Impossible and The Rockford Files
• Actor Peter Brown, best known for his roles on classic westerns Lawman and Laredo
• Veteran tennis commentator Bud Collins (CBS, NBC, ESPN)
• Actor James Douglas, who appeared in the primetime soap Peyton Place and daytime dramas Another World, As The World Turns, The Edge of Night and One Life To Live
• Longtime CBS News correspondent Eric Engberg
• Baseball player turned TV personality Joe Garagiola
• Actor George Gaynes, who guested on such classics as Bonanza, Hawaiian Eye, Hawaii Five-0 and Mannix. He may be best remembered for his roles on sitcom Punky Brewster and the Police Academy movies
• Writer-producer Earl Hamner Jr., creator and voice of The Waltons
• Actor Robert Horton (Wagon Train)
• Actor Ken Howard, best remembered for playing basketball coach Ken Reeves on The White Shadow
• Film actor George Kennedy (Airport, Cool Hand Luke, The Naked Gun), who also worked on the small screen (Dallas, Gunsmoke, McHale’s Navy, The Phil Silvers Show). He starred in two series of his own: Sarge (1971) and The Blue Knight (1975)
• Actor James Noble, remembered for his role as the governor on the Robert Guillaume sitcom Benson
• Veteran character actor Joe Santos, who played Lieutenant (Sergeant) Dennis Becker on The Rockford Files
• Writer-comedian-actor Garry Shandling, who wrote for classic 70s sitcoms Sanford and Son and Welcome Back Kotter. He later guest hosted The Tonight Show and starred in two groundbreaking cable series: It’s Garry Shandling’s Show and The Larry Sanders Show
• Radio personality Charlie Tuna, who was the announcer for a number of classic 70s-80s game and talk shows (The $25,000 Pyramid, The Mike Douglas Show, The Quiz Kids Challenge, Scrabble)
• Casting executive Renee Valente, who worked on such 1970s classics as The Partridge Family, Police Story, Police Woman and That’s My Mama