Noticias

Soap opera veteran Denise Alexander, best known as Lesley Webber on “General Hospital” and Susan Hunter Martin on “Days of Our Lives,” died on March 5. Her death has only now been revealed.

“I am so very sorry to hear of Denise Alexander’s passing. She broke barriers on-screen and off, portraying Dr. Lesley Webber – one of the first female doctors on Daytime Television – for nearly five decades,” “Gh” executive producer Frank Valentini said on social media. “It meant so much to have her reprise her role in recent years and I am honored to have had the opportunity to work with her. On behalf of the entire General Hospital family, I extend my heartfelt sympathies to her family, friends, and longtime fans. May she rest in peace.”

Alexander’s acting career dates back to the early 1950s when she made her Broadway debut in “The Children’s Hour” and guest starred...

General Hospital news reveals that there has been another loss to the ABC soap family. Denise Alexander, who played Lesley Webber, passed away on March 5, 2025. The actress was 85 years old. Genie Francis (Laura Collins) remembers her TV mom.

Denise Alexander Dead

On March 5, Denise died at the age of 85. Not much has been released about her passing. However, a lot of information is available about the star’s long and interesting life.

Remembering Lesley Webber

Denise was best-known for playing Lesley Webber on General Hospital. The character was Laura Collins’ (Genie Francis) mother. Laura paid a special tribute to her on-screen mom, and remembers the actress fondly.

About the Gh Star

Denise was born in New York City on November 11, 1939. Raised on Long Island, Alexander began acting as a young child. She appeared in Perry Como’s Chesterfield Supper Club in 1949.

Then, she got other primetime TV shows in the ‘50s and ‘60s.

Daytime veteran actress and General Hospital alum Denise Alexander died on March 5 at age 85.

Born To Be An Actress And Artist

Denise Alexander was born on November 11, 1939, in New York City, New York. Her father, Alec Alexander, was an agent of such notable talent as Frank Gorshin and Sal Mineo and made the move from the East Coast to the West Coast. She knew from an early age that she wanted to be an actress and began her career at age 12 on the TV series Armstrong Circle Theatre. Steady TV and Radio work followed.

Her younger years were marked with multiple appearances on classic television shows such as The Philco Television Playhouse, Kraft Theatre, Robert Montgomery Presents, The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn, Father Knows Best, The Life of Riley, The Walter Winchell File, Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, and The Danny Thomas Show.

Alexander graduated to more mature roles close to her...

Denise Alexander, best known for playing General Hospital‘s Lesley Webber, died on March 5 at 85. Born in New York City on November 11, 1939, and raised on Long Island, Alexander began acting as a child, appearing as Perry Como‘s daughter in Perry Como’s Chesterfield Supper Club in 1949 and other primetime series in the 1950s and ’60s, including Father Knows Best, The Danny Thomas Show, and The Twilight Zone. She made her first feature film, Crime in the Streets, starring John Cassavetes, at 14, and did her fair share of radio work from the age of 6, telling We Love Soaps TV in 2010, “My dad, at one point, counted up the number I had done, and it was 2,500 radio shows. You would get out of school and go from one show to the next. They were 15-minute or half-hour shows, and you would sit around the table, read the script, rehearse a couple of times,...

Howard and Marion Cunningham, the mainstay parents on the 1970s hit comedy Happy Days, were a throwback to the moms and dads of the early days of sitcoms — well-adjusted, wise in the ways of the world and a stable force in a chaotic comedy world. Howard, owner of a hardware store, was the breadwinner; Marion kept the house and a hot meal on the dinner table. The only thing that set the Cunninghams apart from the 1950s parents on Leave It to Beaver or Father Knows Best? They occasionally got “frisky,” sprinting up the stairs for a randy roll in the hay when the kids were out of the house.

But reality doesn’t always mirror art. While Howard and Marion were hopelessly in love in their Milwaukee home, things weren’t as rosy between Tom Bosley and Marion Ross, the actors who played the Cunningham parents. In fact, Ross...

As hard as it may be to believe today, The Simpsons was considered quite edgy when it first premiered in 1989 — so much so that some schools famously banned students from wearing T-shirts that depicted Bart Simpson casually using the H-word or dropping bovine-based slang terms.

But while it may have rattled conservative viewers at the time, The Simpsons — specifically the character of Bart — was directly inspired by perhaps the squeaky-cleanest sitcom of all-time: Leave It to Beaver.

Apart from Ward and June Cleaver’s regrettably suggestive nickname for their youngest child, Leave It to Beaver was a family friendly, highly sanitized view of 1950s American life in the suburbs. The show had to battle tooth and nail with network censors just to show a toilet on screen. And it was only for a shot of an alligator in the bowl, it wasn’t like Wally dropped a deuce or anything.

Given the vast accolades that have been heaped upon Ang Lee over the course of his decades-long career, it would be difficult to classify the Taiwanese filmmaker as “underrated.” Two Academy Awards for directing; two Golden Lions from the Venice Film Festival; two Golden Bears from Berlin (the only director to do so); and historical status as an ambassador of the late-century crossover of the Taiwanese New Wave into American film culture.

And yet, in the periodic conversations arguing the best filmmakers in the business today, Lee’s name is one rarely, if ever, mentioned. Now maybe that’s because the man hasn’t made anything in a good while (capping off the previous decade with easily his worst film), but Lee’s status as a bold craftsman with a penchant for tender nuance shouldn’t be disregarded; with nearly every film, Lee is a director who pushes himself in...

“The Wedding Banquet” may not be the first—or second, or fifth—Ang Lee film that comes to mind upon mention of the Taiwanese legend’s name, but it’s certainly a significant one in his artistic journey. It was Lee’s first Oscar-nominated film, the first of two Lee films to win the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, and also the first of his films to release theatrically in the United States.

This last point is pertinent because “The Wedding Banquet,” as the middle film in Lee’s “Father Knows Best” trilogy, is fundamentally tied to the cultural friction experienced by a Taiwanese-American reckoning with familial duty in a space that feels more like home than his homeland ever did. What may then seem sacrilegious—an American remake—is perhaps the ideal platform upon which to develop Lee’s blueprint for the modern day, if such a...

After two short features, Taiwanese-born director Ang Lee made “Pushing Hands”, which not only marked the beginning of what would later be known as the “Father Knows Best”-trilogy, but also the foundation of what would define him as a filmmaker. It is also the first collaboration with esteemed actor Sihung Lung, who would revisit the role of the family father in “The Wedding Banquet” and “Eat Drink Man Woman”, as well as work with Lee on his “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”. “Pushing Hands” refers to a tai chi-routine Lung’s character goes through every morning and teaches to his students, which is supposed to be a defense against brute force, which you can see in some scenes in the movie. At the same time, we are introduced to what would be Lee’s career-defining themes, most importantly the conflict of tradition and modernity as well as the differences between cultures,...

Family stories have been a television staple for as long as there’s been TV.

They tug at our heartstrings, make us laugh, and remind us that, no matter how chaotic things get, family — whether by blood or by choice — is at the core of the human experience.

But what exactly constitutes “family” has changed dramatically over the years, and television has kept pace, reflecting those shifts in compelling, sometimes groundbreaking ways.

Let’s dive in together and explore how these shows have mirrored our evolving views on what it means to be a family.

(CBS/Screenshot) The Golden Age of the Nuclear Family

Back in the early days of TV, family dramas were practically an extension of a Hallmark card: wholesome, harmonious, and just a little too perfect.

Shows like Leave It to Beaver, Father Knows Best, and The Brady Bunch painted a picture of the ideal nuclear family.

Television has long reflected society’s evolving expectations of women.

In its early days, the medium served up characters who embodied traditional ideals — devoted homemakers, charming sidekicks, or doting love interests.

But as cultural attitudes shifted, so did the women on our screens. Today’s female characters are unapologetically powerful, navigating morally gray worlds with grit and intelligence.

This is a screenshot from Yellowstone Season 4 Episode 3 to be used with the review. (Paramount Network)

The journey from perfect housewives to complex antiheroes didn’t happen overnight.

It’s a story of gradual transformation, with each TV era breaking boundaries and paving the way for the next generation of trailblazing women.

TV offered a reassuring vision of women’s roles in the post-wwii era.

Elsbeth Season 2 Episode 8 Is All Fun And Games Until Judge Milton Makes His First Move Against The Titular Characterby Joshua Pleming You’ve Seen Them Everywhere: TV...

The American Dream has always been a cornerstone of the nation’s identity, a promise that hard work and perseverance can lead to success and prosperity.

As both a mirror and molder of culture, television has long been fascinated with this ideal.

From gleaming sitcom suburbs to gritty dramas, TV’s portrayal of the American Dream has evolved, reflecting shifting attitudes about what success means — and whether it’s even attainable.

(ABC/Screenshot)

But is the dream TV portrayed as a beacon of hope or an illusion?

By examining how television has celebrated, questioned, and even deconstructed this narrative, we can better understand its role in shaping — and challenging — our aspirations.

Early Optimism: TV’s Golden Vision of the American Dream

In the early days of television, the American Dream was portrayed as a universally achievable goal.

Idyllic pictures of suburban life, with nuclear families thriving in neatly manicured neighborhoods,...

Weeks after his passing on Sept. 29, Ron Ely’s cause of death has been revealed.

Per a death certificate obtained by TMZ, Ely, the actor best known for playing the title role in the Tarzan TV series, died from “end-stage heart disease.” He was 86.

More from TVLineTeri Garr, Star of Young Frankenstein, Tootsie and Mr. Mom, Dead at 79David Harris, The Warriors and NYPD Blue Actor, Dead at 75Jack Jones, Singer Behind The Love Boat Theme, Dead at 86

Ely was the storied man of the jungle in NBC’s Tarzan, which aired from for two seasons in the mid-1960s.

Chicago – At 12:30pm Central Time on November 22nd, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was killed by an assassin’s bullet. The shots that echoed through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas, has resonated now for 61 years, but beyond the actual event there was a treasure trove of TV and radio coverage that was recorded, and David Von Pein has collected it on YouTube.

Von Pein’s collection be found on his comprehensive YouTube channel. Click JFK Channel to start browsing. Since our 2021 interview, Von Pein has continued his dogged research into this fascinating recorded history, as it has been said that news coverage and the media changed forever that weekend between the assassination on November 22nd and Kennedy’s burial on November 25th.

Walter Cronkite Delivers the ‘News’ on November 22nd, 1963

Photo credit: CBS-tv

Not only has Von Pein found high quality as-it-happened video from the three major networks at the time – CBS-tv,...

Steffy made a mistake by firing Hope on The Bold and the Beautiful. She didn’t give Hope time to explain herself. But Steffy was convinced that Hope was hitting on her man. She willingly gave her the pink slip and axed Hope for the future. Jacqueline MacInnes Wood spoke out about the controversial firing. She revealed whether Steffy is having any second thoughts and teased what she feels about her father’s unexpected support.

Post-Firing Regret?

In her interview with Soaps.com, MacInnes Wood weighed in on the matter. She believes that Steffy thinks the situation “totally justifies the means.” Her character won’t have any regrets, even when she eventually learns that Hope (Annika Noelle) wasn’t waiting for Finn (Tanner Novlan) in sexy lingerie.

There will be a time when Steffy learns about Hope’s relationship with Carter (Lawrence-Saint Victor). She’ll finally put the pieces together...

The longest-running sitcoms in television history come from several different decades and have different styles of humor but have all left a lasting legacy. Sitcoms have always been a staple of television, as even classic golden age TV was known for shows like Father Knows Best and Leave it to Beaver gave way to even more groundbreaking sitcoms like All in the Family and The Jeffersons. However, when it came to sitcoms, lasting for 15 or 20 seasons was never easy as humor is subjective and changes over time. Yet some have shown incredible lasting power over the years.

Though audiences tune into sitcoms for laughs, the longest-running sitcoms show the different ways the genre can connect with audiences. There are the classic easy-going sitcoms like The Love Boat, some that mix in drama, like M*A*S*H, animated classics like The Simpsons, and darker sitcoms like It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

The Young and the Restless spoilers for Tuesday, October 29 suggest the walls are closing in on Daniel, as Chance seems increasingly convinced that Daniel killed Heather, and Sharon remains determined to keep mum.

Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are

Sharon (Sharon Case) and Ghost Cameron (Linden Ashby) did such a good job framing Daniel for Heather’s (Vail Bloom) murder that Chance (Conner Floyd) thinks he knows whodunit. At the same time, Daniel admitted to Danny (Michael Damian) that he expects a knock on his door at any moment.

Daniel’s attempts to get Sharon to admit she knows more than she’s letting on have fallen on deaf ears. It seems that instead of a knock on the door, Daniel was intercepted at the Gcac just after Lucy (Lily Brooks O’Briant) departed.

More: See what happens this week on Y&r.

Familiar Faces

Nate (Sean Dominic) wasn’t sure...

Ron Ely, the hunky and handsome Texas native who portrayed the Lord of the Jungle on the first Tarzan series for television, has died, his daughter Kirsten told Fox News Digital. He was 86.

He died Sept. 29 at the home of one of his daughters near Santa Barbara, The New York Times reported.

Ely also hosted the Miss America pageant in 1980 and 1981, stepping in for longtime emcee Bert Parks, and presided over a syndicated game show called Face the Music around that time.

The 6-foot-4, blue-eyed Ely had appeared opposite Clint Walker in The Night of the Grizzly and with Ursula Andress in Once Before I Die in films released in 1966 when he was hired to don the loincloth in a new NBC series executive produced by Sy Weintraub.

Ely was offered the Tarzan gig after former NFL linebacker Mike Henry, who had played the Edgar Rice Burroughs creation in three ’60s films,...

Kathryn Crosby, who starred in such films as Operation Mad Ball, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad and Anatomy of a Murder before she curtailed her acting career as the wife of Hollywood legend Bing Crosby, has died. She was 90.

Crosby died peacefully at her home in Hillsborough, California, surrounded by her family, according to a family spokesperson.

Billed under her stage name, Kathryn Grant, the Houston native made five features for famed film noir director Phil Karlson, including Tight Spot (1955), The Phenix City Story (1955) and The Brothers Rico (1957).

She also played the younger sister of Martha Hyer’s character in another film noir, the Blake Edwards-directed Mister Cory (1957), starring Tony Curtis, and portrayed a budding trapeze artist in The Big Circus (1959), starring Victor Mature.

Soon after wrapping production in Spain with her turn as the damsel in distress Princess Parisa in the Ray Harryhausen fantasy The 7th Voyage of Sinbad...

August 9

Q: On this day exactly 50 years ago, August 9 1974, Richard Nixon became the first and only President to resign his office. Nixon also significantly brought Best Actor nominations to two actors who played him on screen. Who are they?

A: Anthony Hopkins was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for 1995’s Nixon. Frank Langella was nominated in the same category for 2008’s Frost/Nixon. Langella had previously won a Tony Award for the play on which that movie was based. Only one actor has ever won a Best Actor Oscar for playing a real life U.S. President. Daniel Day Lewis took his third Lead Actor Academy Award in 2012’s Lincoln. Raymond Massey was also previously nominated as Lincoln for Best Actor in 1940’s Abe Lincoln In Illinois. Nixon and Lincoln are the only real life U.S. Presidents to be responsible for multiple Oscar nominations for those who played them.

They can be goofy. They can be cool. They can be stern. They can be wise. In the 60 years since programs like “Father Knows Best” and “Leave It to Beaver” dominated the airwaves, television dads have changed some, but continue to bring us some of television’s funniest and most poignant moments.

Over the years, dads like Ward Cleaver (“Leave it to Beaver”), Mike Brady (“The Brady Bunch”) and Howard Cunningham (“Happy Days”) have dispensed sound advice and doled out stern but gentle discipline when needed. New dads such as Ricky Ricardo (“I Love Lucy”) and Jack Pearson (“This Is Us”) have shown the joy and wonderment of being a new parent, and the various dilemmas all parents face when raising young children. Andy Taylor (“The Andy Griffith Show”), Steve Douglas (“My Three Sons”) and Danny Tanner (“Full House’) are widowers trying to be both mother and father to their broods,...

Six decades or so ago, television was dominated by "wholesome" American family sitcoms, with shows like "Leave It to Beaver," "The Andy Griffith Show," and "Father Knows Best" serving as not only entertainment but as a model guide for viewers to emulate their own "perfect family." Assimilation was the key to an idyllic existence, but that doesn't make for an exciting TV lineup. Each network had its standard American family show, but in an attempt to motivate viewers not to touch that dial, they started diversifying what a family looked like.

No, that diversity did not come in the form of families of non-white races ("Good Times" wouldn't launch until 1974), but it did come with magical beings like "I Dream of Jeannie" and "Bewitched," or monstrously weird like "The Addams Family" and "The Munsters." Both "The Addams Family" and "The Munsters" are so beloved that the shows have been reimagined...

In the "Star Trek" episode "Metamorphosis", guest character Commissioner Nancy Hedford (Elinor Donahue) is taking a break from a vital diplomatic mission to be treated for a rare and potentially fatal condition on board the Enterprise. Her shuttle is attacked, however, by a mysterious energy blob, causing it to crash on a nearby — and presumably uninhabited — planet. Inexplicably, Hedford, Captain Kirk (William Shatner), Spock (Leonard Nimoy), and Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) are greeted by a man named Zefram Cochrane (Glenn Corbett), the inventor of warp engines who had disappeared a century earlier. By "Star Trek" lore, Zefram Cochrane flew out into space as a very old man and never returned.

This Cochran, however, is young and vibrant here. It seems that the blob of energy — a blob Cochrane calls the Companion — is alive and lives on this world. The being is powerful enough to keep Cochrane young, and has kind...

"What state is Springfield in?" is a question almost every "The Simpsons" fan has asked, desperate to bring the characters a bit closer to reality. It's also a question with no answer (unlike the recently-answered question of how Homer Simpson keeps his job).

The book "The Springfield Confidential" -- an inside look at "The Simpsons" by former showrunner Mike Reiss (with help from Mathew Klickstein) -- explains the origin of Springfield's name. Creator Matt Groening chose it because it was such a common and generic name for American towns. Springfield was also the name of the town in the 1950s sitcom "Father Knows Best," which likewise treated its setting as "Anytown, USA." 

"I was thrilled because I imagined that [Springfield in 'Father Knows Best'] was the town next to Portland, [Oregon], my hometown. When I grew up, I realized it was just a fictitious name," Groening recounted. 

Aside from Oregon, here are some other notable Springfields in the United States.

Distinguished by a golden-tipped cane and a black derby hat, Bat Masterson was a distinctive, sophisticated figure in the Wild West scene. Despite being canceled due to competition, Bat Masterson's unique visual appeal could captivate a modern, diverse audience. With a revival possible, Bat Masterson's concealed sword and stylish flair could bring a fresh spin to the Western genre today.

With the medium of television becoming a new and prominent feature in the household during the Golden Age of America, many different genres would suddenly have a turn in a more visual type of spotlight. For science fiction fans, there was Space Patrol, The Invisible Man, and, of course, The Twilight Zone. For those more inclined toward fantasy sitcoms, Adventures of Superman, starring George Reeves, and the lesser-known series Topper are some great picks. While similar in nature, family sitcoms quickly amassed audiences with titles like Father Knows Best, Leave It to Beaver,...

Anne Whitfield, who appeared in the beloved holiday classic White Christmas and on dozens of TV shows, from Father Knows Best, 77 Sunset Strip and Perry Mason to That Girl, Ironside and Emergency!, has died. She was 85.

Whitfield died Feb. 7 at a hospital in Yakima, Washington, after suffering an “unexpected accident” while on a walk in her neighborhood, family members announced.

“She was a powerhouse in life, and we hope her immense positive energy flows out to those who had the pleasure of knowing her,” they wrote.

Whitfield was 15 and had done lots of acting on the radio when she was cast as Susan Waverly, the granddaughter of Dean Jagger’s Major Gen. Thomas F. Waverly — “The Old Man” — in the Michael Curtiz-directed Paramount musical White Christmas (1954). The film starred Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen.

She got to watch White Christmas with her family on the...

Before he started filling up the nation's drug store book racks with tawdry tales of romance and suspense, Sidney Sheldon was one of Hollywood and Broadway's most prolific writers. He could write comedies, musicals, musical-comedies, mysteries, dramas, thrillers ... just about everything short of slasher flicks (though he probably would've knocked out one of those had they been a thing during his 1940s - '60s heyday). Clearly, he had an ear for what worked, and he wasn't just knocking out quickie programmers. He won a Best Original Screenplay Oscar for the Cary Grant-Myrna Loy-Shirley Temple screwball hit "The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer," and earned a Best Musical Tony for the Gwen Verdon-led Broadway smash "Redhead."

And when television came calling, rather than turn up his nose as many of his established film and theater colleagues did during the medium's early days, he enthusiastically picked up the phone.

Sheldon...

In “Pushing Hands”, the first entry into his what would later be known as “Father Knows Best”-Trilogy, director Ang Lee had already explored the clash of Western and Eastern ideals. In this case, the main character, played by Lung Sihung (who plays the part of a father in every entry of the trilogy) has been living for quite some time in the US, without making any effort in trying to fit in, while at the same time attempting to preserve his Confucian views on life, character and the world in general. Since he had already finished the script for “The Wedding Banquet”, the second feature within the trilogy, this would be Lee's next project and the first one to be also released theatrically in the United States. This time, however, he would show a main character convinced he had evaded the traditions of his parents, until he can no longer hide from them.

After two short features, Taiwanese-born director Ang Lee made “Pushing Hands”, which not only marked the beginning of what would later be known as the “Father Knows Best”-trilogy, but also the foundation of what would define him as a filmmaker. It is also the first collaboration with esteemed actor Sihung Lung, who would revisit the role of the family father in “The Wedding Banquet” and “Eat Drink Man Woman”, as well as work with Lee on his “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”. “Pushing Hands” refers to a tai chi-routine Lung's character goes through every morning and teaches to his students, which is supposed to be a defense against brute force, which you can see in some scenes in the movie. At the same time, we are introduced to what would be Lee's career-defining themes, most importantly the conflict of tradition and modernity as well as the differences between cultures, in...

Chicago – At 12:30pm Central Time on November 22nd, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was killed by an assassin’s bullet. The shots that echoed through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas, has resonated now for 60 years, but beyond the actual event there was a treasure trove of TV and radio coverage that was recorded.

David Von Pein (Dvp) has collected this coverage and it can be found on his comprehensive YouTube channel. Click JFK Channel to start browsing. November 2023 Update: Since our 2021 interview, Dvp has uncovered some 11/23 & 11/24/63 radio coverage from (click link) Fort Wayne, Indiana and 11/22/63 TV coverage from ITV United Kingdom.

Walter Cronkite Delivers the ‘News’ on November 22nd, 1963

Photo credit: CBS-tv

Not only has David Von Pein found high quality as-it-happened video from the three major networks at the time – CBS-tv, NBC-tv and ABC-tv – but the channel also contains the local Dallas coverage (TV and radio) and a collection...

Although it took five seasons for it to garner any Emmys attention at all, Pop TV’s “Schitt’s Creek” ended up earning enough TV academy support in its sixth and final year to merit wins in all seven of their major comedy series categories at once. Prior to its accomplishment of this feat in 2020, eight other sitcoms had endeavored to concurrently win the series, directing, writing, actor, actress, supporting actor, and supporting actress awards but were each hindered by at least one loss. Scroll through our photo gallery to learn more about all 17 attempted sweeps of the major comedy Emmy categories.

The first series of any kind to simultaneously receive nominations for all seven main Primetime Emmys was “Father Knows Best” in 1959. One year earlier, it had an unprecedented chance to sweep just the top five comedy categories (minus the supporting acting ones) but only finished with a pair of lead performance wins.

Although it took five seasons for it to garner any Emmys attention at all, Pop TV’s “Schitt’s Creek” ended up earning enough TV academy support in its sixth and final year to merit wins in all seven of the major comedy series categories at once. Prior to its accomplishment of this feat in 2020, eight other sitcoms had endeavored to concurrently win the series, directing, writing, actor, actress, supporting actor, and supporting actress awards but were each hindered by at least one loss. Scroll through our photo gallery to learn more about all 17 attempted sweeps of the major comedy Emmy categories.

The first series of any kind to simultaneously receive nominations for all seven main Primetime Emmys was “Father Knows Best” in 1959. One year earlier, it had an unprecedented chance to sweep just the top five comedy categories (minus the supporting acting ones) but only finished with a pair of lead performance wins.

It’s no secret that Christina Applegate is suffering these days. Her multiple sclerosis symptoms make everything difficult. As she told Vanity Fair in May, “With the disease of Ms, it’s never a good day. You just have little shitty days. People are like, ‘Well, why don’t you take more showers?’ Well, because getting in the shower is frightening. You can fall, you can slip, your legs can buckle. Especially because I have a glass shower. It’s frightening to me to get in there. There are just certain things that people take for granted in their lives that I took for granted. Going down the stairs, carrying things—you can’t do that anymore. It f-ing sucks. I can still drive my car short distances. I can bring up food to my kid. Up, never down.”

She continued, “Yeah, and gravity can just pull you down and take everything down with you.

Many modern TV shows feature terrible fathers, showcasing a more edgy and poignant storytelling style. Shows like The Simpsons, Shameless, and Arrested Development highlight some of the worst TV dads in history. These fathers range from ignorant and lazy to neglectful and abusive, ultimately causing harm and trauma to their children.

While most golden age TV sitcoms like Leave It to Beaver and Father Knows Best portrayed an idyllic family unit with a wise and caring patriarchal figure, many modern TV shows go the other way, showing us some truly terrible fathers. Sitcoms have gotten edgier and dramas have become more poignant, leading to much more engaging TV. With this variety of storytelling also comes a wide variety of television fathers.

There are still plenty of shows that paint the father figure in a positive light. Shows like This is Us and Modern Family take a very modern yet positive...

History repeated itself last week when actors went on strike at the same time as writers, who have been picketing for more than two months. This is only the second time in the history of the industry that both guilds have halted work simultaneously, with advancements in technology at the root of their cause, and it’s been 63 year since that event shook Hollywood. Today, writers and performers are fighting for their fair share of residuals in a world that has now largely turned to streaming services, and to protect their work from being taken over by AI, whereas in 1960, they were fighting for residuals from reruns and theatrical films being shown on a relatively new medium — television. Let’s turn back time and flashback to life during that history-making time of the 1960 strikes.

The WGA began their strike on January 16, 1960, followed by the actors strike on March 7. Future United...

In 1960, the crumbling infrastructure of the Hollywood studio system was shaken by a one-two strike launched by two essential branches of its workforce — the writers and the actors. Since neither job was yet considered on the cusp of obsolescence, management was forced to negotiate with labor and reach an accommodation. Both sides had incentives to make a deal that shared the wealth and kept the shop floor running. In the end — and this might be the sad difference between 1960 and 2023 — they saw each other as collaborators rather than mortal enemies.

The reason for the “double strike” by the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild was, of course, television, the technological menace that had transformed the business but not the fine print in the employment contracts. Both sets of artists wanted a bigger cut of the post-1948 feature films that had been sold to TV and a solid...

Spock (Leonard Nimoy) has long been one of the most popular characters of the Star Trek universe, and just like Spock himself, his parents have been played by several actors across the Star Trek franchise. Spock's Vulcan father, Sarek, and his human mother, Amanda Grayson, were both introduced in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Journey to Babel." Sarek served as a Vulcan Ambassador for the United Federation of Planets and as a representative on the Federation Council, while Amanda worked as a teacher and assisted Sarek with his diplomatic duties.

As established in Star Trek: Discovery, Sarek and Amanda adopted the young human Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) after her parents were killed by Klingons. Sarek had also had a son named Sybok with a Vulcan princess before he met and married Amanda. Sarek and Amanda raised Spock, Sybok, and Michael on Vulcan. After Spock decided to attend...

The fifth and final season of Amazon Prime Video’s “The Marvelous Mrs Maisel” is upon us. The hit comedy series follows Rachel Brosnahan as Miriam “Midge” Maisel in 1950s/60s New York who, after her husband leaves her, embarks on a career in stand-up comedy. Along the way, she meets an array of supporting players including Alex Borstein‘s Susie Myerson, who runs The Gaslight Café, where Midge first starts her stand-up career. She also contends with her ex-husband (Michael Zegen), who has dreams of his own, and her parents, played by Marin Hinkle and Tony Shalhoub.

Brosnahan has earned rave reviews for her bravura performance in the final episodes of the series. Such critical acclaim, combined with affection for the show, could boost her chances with the TV academy. Among those critics singing her praises:

Peter Travers (“Good Morning America”): “In the closing episode, entitled ‘Four Minutes’ in reference to the brief,...

The wrecking ball is set to fall on several historic TV homes, including the one used in both ’60s sitcom “Bewitched” and ’70s musical series “The Partridge Family,” and the retro location for Marvel’s “WandaVision,” TheWrap has confirmed.

According to a Warner Bros. Ranch source who spoke with TheWrap, the demolition is slated for an unspecified point this summer.

Warner Bros. took over the property from Columbia Pictures in 1990. Among the many movies shows that have filmed on the street are “American Beauty,” “Lethal Weapon,” “Christmas “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” “Pleasantville,” while TV shows include”Father Knows Best,” “I Dream of Jeannie,” “Eight is Enough,” “The Middle,” “Young Sheldon” and “Animal Kingdom,” according to IMDb.

The homes on the tree-lined, time-capsule street, along with the neighboring park, swimming pool and brownstone facades, will be leveled and paved to make way for 16 new soundstages, offices and parking. Warner Bros. sold the...

For many decades, the “Big Three” networks dominated American television, bringing laughter, drama, breaking news and real-life events into our homes. NBC, CBS and ABC have broadcast thousands of fictional programs, sporting events, talk shows and news programs for nearly a century, with roots in radio. Television programming began in the 1940s, with the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) leading the way, establishing several firsts for the medium, and becoming home to some of the longest-running programs in the history of the small screen.

But which 30 primetime and late night scripted series are the absolute best? We rank our favorites in the photo gallery above based on quality, quantity (number of seasons/episodes), impact on society and other shows, plus Emmy Awards nominations/wins. Each show on our list has some combo of at least a few of those traits (some have all four!).

In 1948, Milton Berle began hosting “Texaco Star Theatre,...

For many decades, the “Big Three” networks dominated American television, bringing laughter, drama, breaking news and real-life events into our homes. NBC, CBS and ABC have broadcast thousands of fictional programs, sporting events, talk shows and news programs for nearly a century, with roots in radio. Television programming began in the 1940s, with the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) leading the way, establishing several firsts for the medium, and becoming home to some of the longest-running programs in the history of the small screen.

But which 30 primetime and late night scripted series are the absolute best? We rank our favorites based on quality, quantity (number of seasons/episodes), impact on society and other shows, plus Emmy Awards nominations/wins. Each show on our list has some combo of at least a few of those traits (some have all four!).

In 1948, Milton Berle began hosting “Texaco Star Theatre,” and ruled Tuesday night television for several years,...

Welcome To Our Weekly rundown of the best new music — featuring big new singles, key tracks from our favorite albums, and more. This week Miley Cyrus returns with her highly anticipated eighth album, Becky G joins forces with Omega, Lil Keed’s posthumous release, and Tame Impala soundtrack an upcoming Dungeons and Dragons adaptation.

Miley Cyrus, “Jaded” (YouTube)

McKinley Dixon, “Run, Run, Run” (YouTube)

Myke Towers, “Aguardiente” (YouTube)

Twice, “Set Me Free” (YouTube)

Roísín Murphy & DJ Koze, “CooCool” (YouTube)

Lil Keed, “Self Employed” (YouTube)

Lola Brooke, “So Disrespectful” (YouTube)

Spencer Sutherland,...

Ted Donaldson, who starred as Bud Anderson on the original radio version of Father Knows Best and as Neely Nolan in the beloved family drama A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, the first feature directed by Elia Kazan, has died. He was 89.

Donaldson died Wednesday of complications from a fall in his Echo Park apartment in January, his friend Thomas Bruno told The Hollywood Reporter.

In his big-screen debut, Donaldson portrayed a boy who gets his pet caterpillar Curly to dance when he plays “Yes Sir, That’s My Baby” on the harmonica in the comedy fantasy Once Upon a Time (1944), starring Cary Grant and Janet Blair.

He also starred as Danny Mitchell in eight B-movies from Columbia Pictures that revolved around a German shepherd named Rusty. The first one, Adventures of Rusty (1945), featured Ace the Wonder Dog.

An only child, Donaldson was born in Brooklyn on Aug. 20, 1933. His father was...

Image Source: Courtesy of Maarten de Boer and Peacock

In our Q&a series Last Call, we get down to the bottom of every last thing with some of our favorite celebs - from the last time they were starstruck to the last song they listened to. This week, "Bel-Air" star Akira Akbar takes our call.

Like the rest of her "Bel-Air" costars, Akira Akbar is basking in the astronomical success of her hit Peacock series. The 16-year-old stars as the new age Ashley Banks in the nostalgic, dramatized reimagining of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," which kicked off its highly anticipated second season on Feb. 23. Being a part of "Bel-Air" has been a whirlwind experience for Akbar, and though she notes it hasn't completely changed her life, she tells Popsugar it has "opened up a lot more opportunities for me."

Prior to "Bel-Air," Akbar had small roles in a...

Fans of The Simpsons have always wondered where the family’s town of Springfield is actually located. According to the series, Springfield was founded by settlers from Maryland on their way to the fictional destination of New Sodom. It’s canonically accepted that the Simpson family lives at 742 Evergreen Terrace in the town of Springfield, but in various episodes, their address has been given as 59, 94, 430, 723, 1024, 1092, and 1094 Evergreen Terrace. In The Simpsons season 4, episode 1, “Kamp Krusty,” their address is given as 430 Spalding Way.

The Simpsons’ changing address is indicative of how difficult it is to pin down where they live. The writers have had a lot of fun teasing the location of Springfield. In season 10, episode 12, “Sunday, Cruddy Sunday,” when Marge is about to give away the name of the state that houses the Simpsons, she begins to say, “Ohio,” and then says, “Oh, hi, Maude!” The Simpsons’ writers will probably...

Since “NBC News Daily” launched three months ago, it has earned the title of the highest-rated new show in weekday daytime in terms of total viewers across broadcast, cable, and syndicated – a success co-hosts Morgan Radford and Vicky Nguyen attribute to telling stories that become dinnertime conversations.

“As a working journalist, odds are the people who are watching this also have similar questions, and we can help them,” Nguyen told TheWrap. “We can help them manage their money, we can help them with parenting techniques, we can help them talk about mental health issues in their family. I love the fact that our show brings complex topics to the table, and helps people break them down and make sense of their world.”

Launched in September, “NBC News Daily” balances consumer stories, politics coverage and breaking news as it appears on NBC broadcast stations as well as streams on NBC News Now,...

Two decades into his prolific film acting career, Robert Young took on the role of insurance salesman and married father of three Jim Anderson on the NBC radio program “Father Knows Best.” The show transitioned to television five years later and, despite two cancellations along the way, lasted for half a dozen seasons and won as many Primetime Emmy awards. One-third of the victories were Young’s and gave him the distinction of being the first man to win multiple lead acting trophies.

Nine years after the end of his run as a sitcom patriarch, Young began his seven-season tenure as the titular family practitioner on “Marcus Welby, M.D.” His dramatic performance brought him a third Emmy win in 1970 and two subsequent nominations, the last of which made the 65-year-old the oldest competitor for the Best Drama Actor prize up to that point. Half a century later, he has...

Two decades into his prolific film acting career, Robert Young took on the role of insurance salesman and married father of three Jim Anderson on the NBC radio program “Father Knows Best.” The show transitioned to television five years later and, despite two cancellations along the way, lasted for half a dozen seasons and won as many Primetime Emmy awards. One-third of the victories were Young’s and gave him the distinction of being the first man to win multiple lead acting trophies.

Nine years after the end of his run as a sitcom patriarch, Young began his seven-season tenure as the titular family practitioner on “Marcus Welby, M.D.” His dramatic performance brought him a third Emmy win in 1970 and two subsequent nominations, the last of which made the 65-year-old the oldest competitor for the Best Drama Actor prize up to that point. Half a century later, he has...

Here are a few bits of trivia about the beloved family sitcom “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.” It ran 14 seasons from 1952-66, a record until Fxx’s “It Always Sunny in Philadelphia” kicked off its 15th season last year. But “Philadelphia” has only aired 162 episodes compared to a whopping 435 for “Ozzie and Harriet.”

Despite the fact it aired 14 years, the series only cracked the top 30 in its 11th season where it came in 29th place. The exterior shots were actually of the Nelsons’ real home at 1822 Camino Palmero Street in L.A. (it recently sold for 5.9 million) and the interiors were recreations of their own home. Though the TV Ozzie didn’t seem to have a job, the real-life Ozzie starred, produced, co-wrote and directed “Ozzie and Harriet.”

Topics were far from controversial. There was a whole episode revolving around the fact that a local store delivered new chairs that they hadn’t ordered.

They can be goofy. They can be cool. They can be stern. They can be wise. In the 60 years since programs like “Father Knows Best” and “Leave It to Beaver” dominated the airwaves, television dads have changed some, but continue to bring us some of television’s funniest and most poignant moments.

See‘The Brady Bunch’: 25 greatest episodes ranked worst to best

Over the years, dads like Ward Cleaver (“Leave it to Beaver”), Mike Brady (“The Brady Bunch”) and Howard Cunningham (“Happy Days”) have dispensed sound advice and doled out stern but gentle discipline when needed. New dads such as Ricky Ricardo (“I Love Lucy”) and Jack Pearson (“This Is Us”) have shown the joy and wonderment of being a new parent, and the various dilemmas all parents face when raising young children. Andy Taylor (“The Andy Griffith Show”), Steve Douglas (“My Three Sons”) and Danny Tanner (“Full House...