During the decade of the 1970s one of the busiest and most-watched actors on television was John Amos. Not a bad trick considering the New Jersey native did not start out in television as an actor. He was writing for a local news show when singer-actress Leslie Uggams started working on her variety show. She
Every year I plan on taking a short cut by posting this list with the idea of simply cutting and pasting something I wrote from a previous year. Every year, however, a few shows jump to the top of the list that were overlooked in the past. This year is no exception, starting with the
Some of the people who make the TV we love pass away so soon we can’t believe it. Then there are those legends who live so long, we’re surprised that they pass away at all. Norman Lear died Tuesday, Dec. 5 in Los Angeles at 101. His face, under that trademark floppy off-white hat, would
The CW is at a crossroads. Launched in 2006 by both CBS and Warner Bros, Nexstar Media Group is now the majority owner of America’s fifth broadcast network. A lot of The CW’s legacy shows — Supernatural, Batwoman, Charmed, Legends of Tomorrow — have been canceled. Longtime network head Mark Pedowitz has retired. The search was on
Many of the TV icons I grew up with are dropping like flies. Poor Tony Dow, for example. The Leave it to Beaver brother clings to life after already being declared dead in many premature on-line reports. It’s wonderful, then, to celebrate the impressive and productive longevity of Norman Lear. The producers of such shows
Again, thank you, Canadian networks, for once again not importing and simulcasting Live From in Front of a Studio Audience: Diff’rent Strokes and The Facts of Life. This allows those of us living north of the border to enjoy an added bonus ABC will add to Tuesday night’s special. Once again, the Disney-owned ABC network
How into TV from the ’80s is Jimmy Kimmel? He’s this into it as he told reporters last week in a conference call for Live From in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff’rent Strokes (airing Tuesday on ABC). “Many years ago, Gary Coleman was selling a pair of his pants
The situation with situation comedies today is no laughing matter. When the news shows for fall were announced this spring, there were few comedies on the list – and one was a reboot of The Wonder Years. The best new comedies that are made today, many for streaming services, could compete for awards as dramas,