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From the beginning of the history of the television medium, situational comedies have been an integral part of the popularization of the technology. Sitcoms have existed across the entire history of TV, and still continue to capture audiences through popular series like Abbott Elementary, George & Mandy's First Marriage and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Some of the best sitcoms of all time are part of the first few decades of television, series that continue to hold up to this day. Old-school sitcoms capture the comedy styles of the decades that they were produced in, but the classic format of the genre makes all of them easy for modern audiences to dive straight into.

The Bob Newhart Show Featured a Classic Comedian's Dry Style

Over the history of the sitcom, many of the most classic series have centered around a titular character played by a nationally renowned comedian, with series like...

Quick Links 'Wkrp's Great Thanksgiving Episode The Thanksgiving Marketing Stunt for the Ages

Name any popular sitcom, and theres a high probability that that series features at least one episode dedicated to Turkey Day. In 2014, ABCs Modern Family had an episode during its sixth season titled Three Turkeys. A year previous, FXs It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia honored the TV tradition with an entry during its ninth season titled The Gang Squashes Their Beef (having Thanksgiving dinner with your foes never played out so funny). If we really wanted to, we could go all the way back to 1967. There lies a special episode of Bewitched titled Samantha's Thanksgiving To Remember, in which Samantha and her relatives are whisked away to 1620, where they spend the holiday with actual pilgrims from that time. These shows (and their small Thanksgiving counterparts) will be in some sort of syndication for years, so dont worry about missing out.

There was a time when TV guest stars were pure magic, popping up like hidden gems in your favorite shows.

Long before social media spoiled every surprise, guest appearances felt like little events that brought something extra to our screens.

You’d be watching a familiar show, and out of nowhere, a face you knew and loved would walk on, adding an unexpected thrill to the episode.

Mark Harmon on The Love Boat (ABC/Screenshot)

These weren’t ratings gimmicks or social media stunts; they were genuine surprises that made TV feel alive and unpredictable.

For me, The Love Boat and Fantasy Island were cozy weekend rituals, especially when I watched with my grandma.

It wasn’t about knowing every guest star — it was about the fun of seeing who would pop up next, making each episode feel like a surprise package.

You’d sit down, and suddenly there was...

Before Burt Reynolds was doing voice roles for a quick buck later in his career, he had a true passion for the art…or maybe just acting like a dog. His first foray into voice work was as Charlie 1989’s All Dogs Go to Heaven. While the character was written with Reynolds in mind, he brought a little something extra to the part, which resulted in none other than Dom DeLuise (who voiced Itchy) being recruited to help.

In a recent social media post, All Dogs Go to Heaven director and animation legend Don Bluth remembered Burt Reynolds going full German Shepherd. “When he first came to the microphone he made up what he called, ‘My wonderful dog voice.’ He was very proud of it, but it was awful.” As such, Bluth asked DeLuise (a longtime pal of Reynolds’) to help out, which he did…for a price. “Then I...

Pete discovers his unique ghost power in Ghosts season 3, which allows him to leave Woodstone for a period, but he faces a dark twist that limits his abilities outside the mansion. Sam's experience with seeing spirits everywhere highlights the challenges of Pete constantly leaving the property, revealing morbid and overwhelming encounters with spirits. In Ghosts season 4, Pete's powers will be a game-changer, allowing him to explore new locations and confront his fears head-on.

Pete discovers his incredible ghost power near the end of Ghosts season 3, but Sam's abilities reveal a problem with his game-changing status. Pete finds his power in the penultimate episode of Ghosts season 3, which was shortened due to dual Hollywood strikes of 2023, but delivered a season packed with compelling stories. Pete's story development is one of the most shocking, as it defies all the expectations the spirits have about what their afterlife has to look like. As such,...

"Wkrp in Cincinnati" may not be easy to find on streaming these days, but it's still a highlight in sitcom history. The show about a failing radio station run by a groovy and eccentric team was a hit in the '70s, garnering 10 Emmy nominations and the coveted Humanitas Prize before signing off after four seasons. Unfortunately, the show's heavy emphasis on popular music has made it a rare quantity today: according to MTV, the show didn't make it to DVD until 2007 in part because it was tricky to secure the rights to all of the songs featured in its original run. It's currently only available digitally if you buy it on Apple TV, and versions of the show available today are still reportedly missing some songs, with stock music added in their place.

Still, the ultra-'70s show is worth seeking out for comedy fans and music fans alike,...

Is it fair that some of television's most emotionally wrenching and nightmare-inducing moments came from supposedly light entertainment?

When we tune into a sitcom, cartoon, or low-conflict drama, are we expecting to be hit over the head with unspeakable tragedy and menace?

It's almost like biting into a Klondike bar and tasting spicy tobasco sauce instead.

Still, if you can memorably crush the audience's heart while still keeping with the show's spirit and tone, you can create television history.

Going through the list of sobs and shudders, I had to eliminate some classic TV moments because they were either "Goodbye Episodes" (and Goodbyes are just sad in general) or because they were on a show that wasn't exactly safe to begin with.

(Sorry, Roseanne, All in the Family, Scrubs, and M*A*S*H -- you were never light!)

Otherwise, here are ten of the heaviest moments from light entertainment,...

Exclusive: LA’s Nicely Entertainment has acquired campy telemovie Ladies of the ‘80s: A Divas Christmas, and is bringing its soap opera shenanigans to the Cannes Market.

The film stars Loni Anderson (Wkrp in Cincinnati), Morgan Fairchild (Falcon Crest), Linda Gray (Dallas), Donna Mills (Knots Landing) and Nicollette Sheridan (Knots Landing) as five glamorous soap opera stars who reunite to shoot the final Christmas episode of their long-running show. Producer Alex (Travis Burns) and director Nell (Taylor Ann Thompson) do their best to keep things on the rails but old rivalries resurface and threaten to tear the production apart. The divas are forced to put their differences aside and the show becomes an unexpected ratings hit, creating a new TV format for them and a romance for Alex and Nell.

The movie’s score and theme song ‘Ladies of the ‘80s’ was written by Songwriters Hall of Fame’s Steve Dorff...

It was an eventful episode for Ghosts’ Pete last week, which revealed that the former travel agent’s power lets him leave the Woodstone premises. And this Thursday’s Season 3 finale (airing at 8:30/7:30c on CBS) finds Pete taking advantage of his special ability to visit his daughter and grandson as they vacation in St. Lucia. But it’s not just a family reunion that awaits the troop leader.

“We get to see a whole new side of Pete in this finale in terms of his personal relationships. Pete has a new love interest in the finale,” his...

Kim Gwizdala and Nikka Markarian have driven four hours to be here today. They’ve dressed in Dallas-style outfits (cropped jackets and black suede cowboy boots) and are sporting Reagan-era ’dos (blown out and heavily feathered). And now, these best friends from Las Vegas, both 32, will spend several more hours in line at a hotel in Burbank, waiting to meet the 83-year-old actress who, decades ago ­— before Gwizdala and Markarian were even born — played J.R. Ewing’s long-suffering wife. The character who tried to buy a baby on the black market, spent the better part of a season locked away in a sanitarium and whose sister shot her husband.

“Linda Gray!” they chime in unison, as if reciting a holy incantation.

And those are just two of the more than 2,500 rabid fans who have converged at the Burbank Marriott on this hazy weekend in March for The Hollywood Show,...

Chicago – Arguably, the last great movie star was Burt Reynolds. His everyman attraction, his accessibility and of course his box office made Reynolds a compelling force during his peak in the 1970s. The CW Network will show the doc “I Am Burt Reynolds” on December 30th, 2023, directed by Adrian Buitenhuis.

Rating: 4.5/5.0

With a career in Hollywood dating back to the last days of the studio system, 1950s/60s TV westerns, and hanging with the Rat Pack, Burt Reynolds epitomized Hollywood superstardom while never ceasing to be a Florida “good ole boy.” From his beginnings in TV and low budget films, through to his breakout roles in “Deliverance,” and “The Longest Yard, onto the smash hit “Smokey and the Bandit” and box office dominance, “I Am Burt Reynolds” remembers an era and the man who defined it.

’I Am Burt Reynolds,’ Directed by Adrian Buitenhuis

Photo credit: CW Network

As a...

Crank up some Salt-n-Pepa, because it’s time to talk about sex, baby. Specifically, we need to break down the horny history that was just made on Lifetime, with the airing of the network’s first-ever Christmas movie sex scene on Saturday night.

The literal roll in the hay comes courtesy of A Cowboy Christmas Romance, which stars Jana Kramer (One Tree Hill) as Lexie Crenshaw, a high-powered real estate boss who must return to her Arizona hometown — the one to which she swore she’d never go back! — to secure a career-defining account. Did we mention that the deal...

Tis the season for the seasoned!

All the other Christmas movies can go ahead, pack it up, and go home.

Why? Because Ladies of the '80s: A Divas Christmas just has that magic.

No one can quite deliver like veteran actresses, and there wasn't a single moment of this film that wasn't delightful.

Lifetime can strike gold when it comes to reuniting stars of yesteryear, from series to films for productions like this, especially Christmas films.

A Christmas Spark was the perfect Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman reunion and was one of the network's best Christmas films in recent years.

They've also succeeded in bringing us little reunions every holiday season.

But reuniting and bringing together some of the most iconic women from soaps was no easy feat, and it made for a holiday film that left viewers squealing in glee whether they were soap fans or not.

I've noticed...

Tonight, Lifetime will jump on the sentimental trend of reuniting veteran actresses for our giddy enjoyment by airing Ladies of the 80s: A Divas Christmas, a festive romp that stars Loni Anderson (Wkrp in Cincinnati), Morgan Fairchild (Falcon Crest), Linda Gray (Dallas), Donna Mills (Knots Landing) and Nicollette Sheridan (Knots Landing).

The holiday flick from longtime producer Larry A. Thompson (Liz & Dick) follows five soap opera divas as they reunite to shoot the final Christmas episode of their long-running sudser.

“I’ve known all these ladies all these years,” he told Deadline. “We’ve worked together, made movies together, and Donna Mills I’ve managed since Knot’s Landing and I still do. So between managing Donna and being friends with the ladies, I said it might be fun to have all these ladies in a movie. And there’s been a trend lately of older stars joining together to be in movies,...

This weekend, Lifetime is bringing five iconic actresses together again for a fun festive flick. “Ladies of the '80s: A Divas Christmas” is the newest original Lifetime movie, and it’s one you won’t want to miss. Catch up with Loni Anderson (“Wkrp in Cincinnati”), Morgan Fairchild (“Falcon Crest”), Linda Gray (“Dallas”), Donna Mills (“Knots Landing”), and Nicollette Sheridan (“Knots Landing”) as they add a little more glam to the holiday season. The new film premieres on Lifetime on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 8 p.m. Et. You can watch Ladies of the '80s: A Divas Christmas and Lifetime with a 7-Day Free Trial of Philo. You can also watch with Directv Stream, Sling TV, or Hulu Live TV.

How to Watch ‘Ladies of the '80s: A Divas Christmas’ When: Saturday, December 2, 2023 at 8:00 Pm Est TV: Lifetime Stream: Watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of Philo. 7-Day Free Trial$25+ / month philo.

In this hoot of a holiday flick, five 1980s bombshells play alums of a long-running soap, The Great Lakes, who reunite for a live Christmas finale. Naturally, the women have enough secrets among them to fill Santa’s sack! Let’s meet these colorful characters: Lauren Ewing “Everyone thinks I’m so damn good all the time,” confesses the junk food-loving Lauren of her second act as a lifestyle guru. “I don’t know how Gwyneth Paltrow does it!” Dana Cunningham Now a sitcom mom, she’s yet to make amends to ex-bestie Juliette after abruptly leaving the soap back in the day. Not that she hasn’t tried: “When I thought the world was going to end in Y2K,” Dana says, “I reached out to her, and she never called me back.” Lily Marlowe After replacing Dana on Great Lakes, Lily never again ...

Lifetime is spicing up its Christmas movies by including a risqué sex scene in "A Cowboy Christmas Romance," a departure from their family-friendly films. The network believes that there is an audience hungry for grown-up romance and is excited to add some smolder to their usual holiday content. The movie deviates from typical Lifetime Christmas movie clichés and focuses on real family dynamics and relationships rather than the usual festive elements.

Move over Hallmark Channel, Lifetime is looking to spice things up this Christmas by featuring the first ever sex scene in one of their wholesome holiday movies. Debuting on December 9th, A Cowboy Christmas Romance will be the first film in Lifetime’s ‘It’s a Wonderful Lifetime’ franchise to add a little sizzle to its production, and the network is secure in its decision to include something for grown-ups.

Lifetime SVP of scripted content, Tia Maggini, told Variety in...

Lifetime has always been horny for the holidays, but now the network is finally letting its festive freak flag fly.

Premiering on Saturday, Dec. 9 (8/7c), A Cowboy Christmas Romance is “the first Christmas movie that has a sex scene,” star Jana Kramer revealed during the Nov. 27 episode of her Whine Down podcast, even dropping a hint about her big scene with co-star Adam Senn: “We’re on this — spoiler alert — he lays me down on some hay, and then we, you know … obviously it’s still Lifetime, it’s still family, but it’s pushing limits there, too.”

More...

Manager/producer Larry Thompson is making another run for a Southern California congressional seat, this time in a district represented by Rep. Brad Sherman (D-ca).

Thompson has entered the race as a Republican, after seeking a seat as an independent in 2020.

In his kickoff statement, Thompson noted that he had been a talent representative for 50 years and as “either their lawyer or personal manager I have spent a career listening, caring, nurturing, planning, marketing, negotiating, and enhancing their personas and lives. I now want to be a ‘Representative’ of the people who live in our California 32nd District to do those things for them even more profoundly, give them a voice, and empower their lives.”

Thompson said that he is running as a moderate Republican seeking common ground and said that “the polarized political positions in our nation have become dangerous in many ways.” On issues, he cites the need...

Lifetime has unwrapped it’s upcoming holiday movie schedule of new features!

The network’s annual It’s a Wonderful Lifetime programming kicks off on Saturday, November 18th and will feature 12 all new movies throughout the season.

“This year, the nostalgia is strong, and the cozy vibes are high as Lifetime reunites divas past and present for new movies every Saturday and Sunday until Christmas,” reads the official press release.

Movies this year feature some big names in the holiday movie space, including Tia Mowry, Jana Kramer, Tatyana Ali, Vivica A Fox, Jackée Harry, Teri Hatcher, Jesse Kove, and even Loni Anderson, Morgan Fairchild, Linda Gray, Donna Mills, and Nicollette Sheridan.

They’ve even got the Cake Boss himself, Buddy Valastro!

This year, the slate of movies will also include some new, original music from Tiffany, Jackée Harry, Tatyana Ali and Max Ehrich.

Find out more about all of the upcoming new Lifetime holiday movies inside…...

‘Tis the season for a nostalgic treat! Lifetime is bringing soap legends Loni Anderson, Donna Mills, Morgan Fairchild, Linda Gray, and Nicollette Sheridan together for a holiday romp that’s sure to please. And TV Insider has the exclusive first look at the gals of Ladies of the ’80s: A Divas Christmas in the photos above and below. In the flick, premiering this December as the tentpole of Lifetime’s holiday movie slate, Anderson, Mills, Fairchild, Gray, and Sheridan play former soap opera stars who have been called back to their former (fictional) series, The Great Lakes, for a special Christmas episode. Filmed earlier this year, the movie follows the five soap opera divas readying for a reunion show who take on playing cupid during Christmas to bring together their director, Emma (Taylor Ann Thompson), and producer, Logan (Travis Burns), as they all learn the meaning of true Christmas spirit.

Who’s ready to go walking in a shoulder-padded wonderland?

Actresses from some of the biggest TV dramas of the Reagan Era will join up for a new Lifetime holiday movie inspired by primetime series of the 1980s, our sister site Deadline reports.

More from TVLineLuke Macfarlane's Amish Stud Plots to Kill His Wife in Exclusive Sneak Peek at Lifetime Movie - WatchV.C. Andrews' Dawn Recap: Not Everyone Survived the Finale - Grade It!Vc Andrews' Dawn: Joey McIntyre on Rocking Dyed Hair in Lifetime Limited Series but Being a Frugal King Irl

Ladies of the 80’s: A Divas...

Lifetime is throwing it back to the '80s as part of its holiday movie slate, and we could not be more excited.

The cabler on Tuesday confirmed Ladies of the '80s: A Diva Christmas will premiere later this year.

Deadline first reported the exciting TV news while also revealing that stars from Dallas, Knots Landing, Falcon Crest, and Wkrp in Cincinnati would be on the cast.

Talk about a throwback, right?

Now, you're probably wondering which lucky stars are a part of the movie, and thankfully, that news has already been revealed.

Loni Anderson (Wkrp in Cincinnati), Morgan Fairchild (Falcon Crest), Linda Gray (Dallas), Donna Mills (Knots Landing), and Nicollette Sheridan (Knots Landing) will all appear.

The movie's synopsis will also resonate with fans of old-school primetime soaps.

"The movie follows five soap opera divas as they reunite to shoot the final Christmas episode of their long-running sudser,...

Exclusive: Holy high waisted jeans! Lifetime has a big ’80s themed surprise in store for the holidays.

As the tentpole for its holiday movie slate, Lifetime will air Ladies of the 80s: A Divas Christmas, a festive romp starring Loni Anderson (Wkrp in Cincinnati), Morgan Fairchild (Falcon Crest), Linda Gray (Dallas), Donna Mills (Knots Landing) and Nicollette Sheridan (Knots Landing).

Filmed earlier this year, the movie follows five soap opera divas as they reunite to shoot the final Christmas episode of their long-running sudser. The producer, Alex (Travis Burns) and director Nell (Taylor Ann Thompson), who happen to be old college friends, do their best to keep things on the rails but as the ladies come together, old rivalries resurface that threaten to tear the production apart. With the show nearly canceled before it even begins due to the ladies’ famous diva behavior, they reluctantly agree to set aside their...

When it comes to the road to blockbuster glory, some projects are willed, some happen instantaneously, while others go through a long development hell. That’s just what happens when you’re working toward what’s hopefully a billion-grossing title.

In the case of Mattel’s Barbie, it was a 14-year journey that began at Universal. It stands to reason that the toy company would be fiercely protective about a feature take on its 64-year-old doll that generates a reported $3 billion annually in revenue. The product first conceived as America’s Sweetheart has evolved with changing times, switching up her stereotypes and outfits from prom queen to flight attendant to Mad Men secretary to astronaut. A doll that was deemed iconic in the 1970s-era of pinups like Loni Anderson and Farrah Fawcett endured a backlash when critics deemed her an inappropriate role model for young girls. This, despite Mattel pushing...

The role of retired CIA operative Luke Brunner in Netflix’s Fubar is Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “first TV role ever” in the same way that this is my first McVitie’s Milk Chocolate Hobnob of the day – it absolutely isn’t but if it makes us all happier to lie to ourselves then why not?

Early press for action-comedy series Fubar has made much of the coup of Netflix bagging Schwarzenegger for television. At last! The Governator is “set to make his TV series debut” says The Hollywood Reporter. This marks the action icon’s “first ever television series”, says Collider. Science has finally figured out how to make TV screens wide enough to accommodate the Hollywood star’s mighty girth, and now we’ve got him. Never mind that Arnie’s been muscling around on television since 1974.

Granted, Fubar marks Schwarzenegger’s first lead role in a scripted and...

Click here to read the full article.

Leslie Jordan, the goofy comic actor perhaps best known for his Emmy-winning turn as Beverley Leslie, the cynical foil to Megan Mullally’s Karen Walker, on Will & Grace, has died. He was 67.

Jordan was at the wheel of a BMW when he crashed into the side of a building at Cahuenga Boulevard and Romaine Street in Hollywood on Monday morning. He was declared dead at the scene and could have suffered a medical emergency beforehand.

Jordan recurs as Phil, the gay baker at the café owned by Mayim Bialik’s character, on the Fox sitcom Call Me Kat, which returned for its third season last month. He appeared in all five of the new season’s episodes so far.

His other recent work includes turns on FX’s American Horror Story — playing different characters over three seasons — and the 2018-19 Fox sitcom The Cool Kids.

There's nothing like a Don Bluth animated film. From the wide-eyed whimsy of his characters to his confusing, dreamlike sequences, the work of this animation icon has delighted (and terrified) audiences since the release of "The Secret of Nimh." Some 40 years later, Bluth's filmography has grown to contain some of the most fascinating hand-drawn animated projects Hollywood has ever seen. From nostalgic classics like "An American Tail" and "The Land Before Time" to truly odd flops like "A Troll in Central Park" and "Rock-a-Doodle," the list goes on and on. That begs the question, which films rank as the best examples of Bluth's talents?

From the not-so-great to the ones that continue to make us smile, we'll dive deep into Don Bluth's theatrically released feature films. Sure, there are projects he worked on outside of that specific medium (including direct-to-video projects and video games) To correctly examine this filmmaker, it's...

After two highly successful years of drive-in events due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Race to Erase Ms gala makes its long-awaited return to the foundation’s original home at the newly renovated Fairmont Century Plaza on May 20th, 2022.

This year’s guests will be treated to a celebration featuring a performance from Rock & Roll Hall of Fame legend, Nile Rodgers & Chic to help raise funds and awareness for multiple sclerosis. The event will also boast a fashion show featuring Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive’s latest collection. Launched in 2017, the line features innovatively designed clothing that makes dressing easier for adults and children with disabilities.

Expected to attend are Race to Erase Ms founder Nancy Davis, Headliners Nile Rodgers & Chic, and additional special guests including Alan Bersten, Amanda Kloots, Angela Lewis, Anna Fiamora, Anna Trebunskaya, Anne Heche, Big Boy, Brandee Evans, Brian Austin Green, Camerone Parker, Candace Nicholas-Lippman, Carmen Electra, Christine Devine,...

Howard Hesseman, the veteran actor known for starring in sitcoms “Wkrp in Cincinnati” and “Head of the Class,” died Jan. 29 at the age of 81. The actor is remembered here by his friend and fellow “Wkrp” star, actor-director Tim Reid.

I first met Howard Hesseman at a cast meeting before we shot the pilot for “Wkrp in Cincinnati.” The first thing I had to do was admit that I’d lifted something from him years back.

Back in the early 1970s, I was one-half of a Black and white comedy duo with Tom Dreesen. The concept for our signature routine was borrowed — Ok, lifted — from a very funny sketch that Hesseman had been a part of years before with his improv troupe, The Committee. It was a bit about teaching one of their white members how to be Black. Today it would be politically incorrect for sure. Tom and I took...

Frank Bonner, the actor who played the plaid-suited sales manager Herb Tarlek on the CBS comedy Wkrp in Cincinnati, died Wednesday of complications from Lewy body dementia at his home in Laguna Niguel, CA. He was 79.

His death was announced on Facebook by daughter Desiree Boers-Kort. “I’m deeply saddened to let you know that our beloved Frank Bonner passed away today at age 79,” she wrote on the Wkrp in Cincinnati home page. “He loved his fans and was still signing autograph requests up until the last few weeks of his illness. Thank you to all who followed his career. He will be forever missed.”

Born Frank Boers Jr. in Little Rock, Arkansas, Bonner made his acting debut in 1967’s horror film The Equinox … A Journey Into the Unknown (retitled Equinox in a largely re-shot 1970 version). Subsequent episodic TV appearances followed, including roles in the late ’60s-early ’70s series such as Mannix,...

Frank Bonner, the veteran actor who became famous for portraying Herb Tarlek on the TV sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati,” died Wednesday. He was 79.

Bonner’s family confirmed to TMZ that the actor died as a result of complications from Lewy body dementia.

Desiree Boers-Kort, Bonner’s daughter, posted in a “WKRP In Cincinnati” Facebook group, saying that the actor “loved his fans and was still signing autograph requests up until the last few weeks of his illness. Thank you to all who followed his career. He will be forever missed."

Bonner appeared in 88 of the 90 episodes of “WKRP in Cincinnati,” which aired for four seasons from 1978-82. He also directed six episodes of the sitcom, which followed the misadventures of the staff of a struggling rock radio station in Cincinnati. Bonner’s character was a tasteless sales manager at the station who often failed to secure deals with major advertising agencies.

Frank Bonner, the actor who played radio-station sales manager Herb Tarlek on “Wkrp in Cincinnati” died on Wednesday, his friend and former co-star Gary Sandy has confirmed. He was 79.

“It Is True!” Sandy posted to Facebook. “Rip My Great Friend!!!”

TMZ first reported on Thursday that Bonner died “a result of complications from Lewy body dementia.” His family told the outlet that Bonner died “peacefully” with loved ones present.

“Wkrp in Cincinnati” aired from 1978 to 1982, with Bonner starring on all four seasons as the brash and ineffectual sales manager Herb Tarlek. The rest of the cast on the ensemble sitcom included Sandy, Howard Hesseman, Gordon Jump, Loni Anderson, Tim Reid, Jan Smithers and Richard Sanders.

The show returned as “The New Wkrp in Cincinnati” in the early ’90s, and Bonner returned to reprise his role. Between the two iterations, Bonner played Father Robert Hargis in the “Growing Pains” spinoff series “Just the Ten of Us.

Walter Olkewicz, who played the bartender Jacques Renault on “Twin Peaks,” died Tuesday in Reseda. He was 72.

His son, screenwriter Zak Olkewicz, confirmed his death. He had been struggling with health issues for the past 20 years.

The character actor also played oil refinery worker Dougie Boudreau on the first four seasons of “Grace Under Fire” and a mafia lawyer in Joel Schumacher’s “The Client.”

On David Lynch’s groundbreaking “Twin Peaks” series, he played Jacques the French-Canadian card dealer at One Eyed Jacks and bartender on the first season of the ABC series. A drug runner who is arrested for the murder of Laura Palmer, Jacques is suffocated in the hospital by Laura Palmer’s father after he is shot during the arrest.

He returned for “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me,” “Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces” and again for the Showtime reboot as Jean-Michel, although by then he...

Late Hollywood legend Burt Reynolds has finally been laid to rest over two years after his death. The Associated Press reports that a small, private memorial ceremony was held Thursday morning at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery with relatives participating via Zoom. On the day that would have been his 85th birthday, Reynolds's cremated ashes were placed in a grave next to a lake that now serves as his final resting place.

At this time, Burt's gravesite is marked with a simple headstone brandishing his name. Mourners have also adorned the grave with flowers, a wreath, and even a model of the Trans Am from Smokey and the Bandit. The grave marker is temporary, as Hollywood Forever president and co-owner Tyler Cassity says that a bronze or stone bust of the iconic actor is being commissioned with the hopes of unveiling it to the public in September on the third anniversary of his death.

A look back at how “SNL” sent up the legendary TV host, who died Saturday at 87

In 1992, Kevin Nealon donned suspenders to play Larry King in a sketch focused on the marital troubles of Burt Reynolds (Phil Hartman) and Loni Anderson (Julia Sweeney). To get the estranged pair to open up on camera, Nealon’s King at one point confesses, “On my left foot I have six toes.”

One year later, “SNL” sent up King’s legendary interview with the reclusive Marlon Brando — with Kevin Nealon channeling King and a fat-suited John Travolta playing up Brando’s eccentricity. Though the sketch somehow skips King and Brando’s real-life kiss on the mouth.

In a 1996 cold open, Nealon’s King tried to take the reins of an interview with a rambling Ross Perot (who was in the midst of his second long-shot bid for the presidency): “Larry, I see you’re glazing over,...

Sonjia Warren Brandon, who founded and ran the Commercials Unlimited talent agency and handled advertising bookings for hundreds of film and TV stars for decades, has died.

Her death on May 8 in La was from natural causes. The information was confirmed by Brandon’s daughter, Treva Brandon Scharf, who said her mother declined to reveal her age.

Brandon was born the youngest of six sisters in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, and raised in Scotland.

After arriving in the U.S., she caught on at CBS Television City, working for Rod Serling, John Frankenheimer and Playhouse 90. During a writers strike, she met and married talent agent Paul Brandon, who helped her open Commercials Unlimited in 1970.

Operating in a male-dominated field, Brandon built up a client list of hundreds of actors. Her roster included Robert Duvall, Dennis Miller, Rita Wilson, Dennis Quaid, Loni Anderson, Bo Derek, Burt Reynolds, Charlie Sheen and Bernie Casey.

“I’ll never let you go,” Gene Tierney’s Ellen Berent coos to her husband/victim in the 1945 melodrama film-noir Leave Her to Heaven. It’s a sentiment first uttered at an intimate juncture where such words still seem somewhat innocent from her increasingly toxic personality. Indeed, at least in cinematic terms, she’s a character who hasn’t let go, an exotically charged Technicolor femme fatale whose deadly beauty is merely one part of a dangerous trifecta, as equally bad as her bark and her bite.

Directed by John M. Stahl, who would pass away only five years later at the age of 63, with several of his previous titles (such as ‘women’s pictures’ Magnificent Obsession and Imitation of Life) remade in the 1950s by Douglas Sirk, it remains both Stahl and Tierney’s vibrant stranglehold on iconicity, the power of which can never be usurped.…

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1935: Backstage Wife premiered.

1985: Days of our Lives' Tony and Anna were married.

1994: All My Children's Erica found her mother, Mona, dead.

2002: Passions' Timmy died."History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into different and unexpected images."

― Anselm Kiefer

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1935: Radio soap opera Backstage Wife premiered on the Mutual Broadcasting System (Mbs). The show moved to NBC Blue in 1936, NBC in 1938 and CBS in 1955, where it ran until January 2, 1959. Created by Frank and Anne Hummert, each episode opened with the announcer explaining:

Now, we present once again, Backstage Wife, the story of Mary Noble,...

On Friday, May 10, Multiple Sclerosis (Ms) advocate and Center Without Walls founder, Nancy Davis, welcomed guests to the Beverly Hilton for its 26th Annual Race to Erase Ms Gala.

Selma Blair and Robin Roberts

Credit/Copyright: Getty Images

The event raised over $1.8 million to benefit the Race to Erase Ms and its Center Without Walls program, a collaboration of top Ms research centers working together as a team on ground-breaking research with the goal of treating and, ultimately, finding a cure for Ms. The event honored actress Selma Blair for her bravery and strength demonstrated during her personal battle with Ms, as well as the Hausman Family Foundation, for its incredible and most generous support of Race to Erase Ms.

Guests at this year’s event included Race to Erase Ms Founder Nancy Davis, honoree Selma Blair, honorees The Hausman Family, performers Aloe Blacc and Flo Rida, musical producer David Foster,...

If you miss the 1980's, then you're going to love NostalgiaCon 2019, an exciting showcasing of the stars, music, fashion, fun and excitement that made the '80's the decade to remember. Kicking off with an opening celebration on July 4, the full event will be open on July 5 and 6 at the Anaheim Convention Center.

NostalgiaCon 2019 is an All-'80s-all-the-time destination for hit TV show cast reunions, box office mega stars, unforgettable live concerts, exclusive panel sessions, cosplay competitions, memorabilia and collectibles and so much more.

Among the NostagiaCon 2019 highlights include Back to the Future star Christopher Lloyd makes a special stop in our timeline for meet and greets. Even more exciting are the cast reunions galore.

Corey Feldman, Ke Huy Quan and Sean Astin join for a very special The Goonies get-together. Loni Anderson and Howard Hesseman team-up for a look back at Wkrp in Cincinnati. Steve Guttenberg and Michael Winslow...

It’s a Christmas tradition for almost every great television series to end the calendar year with a Christmas episode. When done right, this segment can become a classic that brings joy to the holiday season. Whether they are completely original or variations on themes involving Santa Claus, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” Ebenezer Scrooge or some other staple, fans of these shows can hold such episodes in their hearts forever. Our photo gallery looks back on the 20 greatest Christmas episodes, ranked best to worst, from such shows as “Happy Days,” “The Brady Bunch,” “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” “Seinfeld,” “Saturday Night Live,” “The Office,” “Late Night with David Letterman” and more.

SEE15 Greatest Christmas Movies of All Time

20. Little House on the Prairie – “Christmas at Plum Creek” (1974)

Christmas is all about secrets. Laura (Melissa Gilbert) wants to buy an expensive present for her mother. Mary (Melissa Sue Anderson) wants...

Burt Reynolds was honored on Wednesday morning at a memorial service in West Palm Beach, Florida, People confirms. The actor died earlier this month at the age of 82.

Friends and family of the late actor were in attendance to pay their respects including Judge Reinhold, Vanilla Ice and Broadway actress Avery Sommers.

The service was an hour long, with a private funeral scheduled for Thursday for close family members of Reynolds.

A source tells People that after the small service, attendees went to the tavern, E.R. Bradley’s Saloon, nearby.

“Burt was a real person and he loved these kinds of casual watering holes,...

The details of Burt Reynolds' will have been released to the public — and the court documents allegedly reveal the late actor's surprising move to "intentionally" prevent his only child, son Quinton Anderson Reynolds, from inheriting money through his estate. According to reports, Burt — who died at age 82 on Sept. 6 — named his niece Nancy Lee Brown Hess as the executor of his will and purposefully made only one mention of his 30-year-old son in the legal paperwork, which was allegedly signed in October 2011. Though Burt didn't leave Quinton any money in his will, the late star made it clear he was not disinheriting his child. "I intentionally omit him from this, my Last Will and Testament, as I have provided for him during my lifetime in my Declaration of Trust," he reportedly stated in the docs. (Photo Credit: Getty Images) According to the Daily Mail, Burt may have created a...

Screen legend Burt Reynolds left his only son out of his will — but did not cut him out.

The will, which was obtained by TMZ, says of Quinton, “I intentionally omit him from this, my Last Will and Testament, as I have provided for him during my lifetime in my Declaration of Trust.”

The will, which was signed in 2011, appoints Reynolds’ niece Nancy Lee Brown Hess as the personal representative of Reynolds’ estate. Reynolds lists his great nephew Brian Ritchey Brown and then his great niece Tracy Erin Rogers as the next personal representative were anything to happen to the previous one.

Three years before his death, Burt Reynolds expressed his regret at marrying actress Loni Anderson.

The actor, who died at Jupiter Medical in Florida on Thursday morning at the age of 82, told People in a revealing 2015 interview that marrying Anderson in 1988 “was a really dumb move on my part.”

“I should have known that you don’t marry an actress,” the star said at the time. “It wasn’t lollipops and roses.”

Expanding on what tore the two apart in his memoir But Enough About Me, Reynolds wrote of Anderson, “She bought everything in triplicate, from every day dresses to jewelry to china and linens.

When Princess Diana was having marital problems with Prince Charles, she received a lot of negative backlash from the media. But luckily for her, the late Burt Reynolds took the attention off of Diana by announcing his separation from his wife of five years, Loni Anderson, in 1993. In Burt's 2015 memoir, But Enough About Me, the late actor recalled receiving a special thank you note from Princess Diana for diverting the media's attention away from her. Burt wrote that after "we announced the separation, the press went into high gear." He continued, "Princess Diana sent me a thank you note for keeping her off the cover of People magazine." Burt and Loni. (Photo Credit: Getty Images) Although Burt was once in love with Loni, 73, he previously told People that after the divorce, he regretted marrying her. "I should have known that you don't marry an actress," he said at the time.

So heartbreaking. Burt Reynolds tragically died after going into cardiac arrest at age 82 on Thursday, Sept. 6, and now, his ex-girlfriend Sally Field has shared her reaction to his untimely death. "There are times in your life that are so indelible, they never fade away," Sally said in a statement to People. "They stay alive, even forty years later. My years with Burt never leave my mind. He will be in my history and my heart, for as long as I live. Rest, Buddy." (Photo Credit: Getty Images) Sally and Burt previously started dating in the late 1970s after co-starring in several movies, including Smokey and the Bandit, The End, Hooper, and Smokey and the Bandit II. However, they split after five years together and went on to marry other people. Burt was married to actress Loni Anderson from 1988 to 1994 and Sally was hitched to Alan Greisman from 1984 until 1993. So, why did they split?...

Burt Reynolds was able to live out his final years at his longtime Florida estate thanks to a loving landlord who helped him out of a financial crisis. Here's the backstory -- Burt sold his home in 2015 to his friend and neighbor Charles Modica after years of money woes and a decade-long struggle to unload it, but Charles allowed him to stay there for the rest of his life ... similar to Hugh Hefner at the Playboy Mansion.

Burt Reynolds passed away this week at the age of 82, with fans of Smokey and the Bandit mourning the loss of one of their favorite actors. At the time of his death, Reynolds was living in Florida, far away from the fame and fortune of Los Angeles where he made his name. After his death from cardiac arrest, ex-wife Loni Anderson and son Quinton both paid tribute to the acting legend, with Anderson telling Fox News they would miss him and “his great laugh”. Burt Reynolds lived a relatively private life, but was not married at the time of his death. […]

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