News

Rick Hurst, who portrayed the good-hearted Deputy Cletus Hogg on the long-running CBS action comedy The Dukes of Hazzard, died Thursday. He was 79.

Hurst’s death was announced by the Cooter’s Place museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. He had just canceled a scheduled July 3-7 appearance there.

“To fans, he was more than a character — he was family,” reads a Dukes of Hazzard post on Instagram. “His gentle smile, impeccable comedic timing and kind-hearted spirit made every scene brighter.

“Offscreen, Rick was known for his generosity, humility and love for connecting with fans at events across the country. Whether it was a reunion special or a meet-and-greet at Cooter’s, he never stopped sharing his joy with the people who adored him.”

Before his most famous role, Hurst played a prisoner named Cleaver alongside Tom Poston and Hal Williams on the 1975-76 ABC sitcom On the Rocks, which revolved...

Creatives behind The Golden Girls shared funny and, at times, very candid behind-the-scenes stories — namely, among the long-rumored feud between stars Betty White and Bea Arthur — during a 40th-anniversary celebration of the long-running hit show on Wednesday night.

The sold-out event, held at NeueHouse Hollywood as part of the monthlong Pride Live! Hollywood festival, featured a panel of writers, producers and others who worked on the show, which ran for seven seasons on NBC, from 1985-92. The series, created by Susan Harris, starred Bea Arthur as Dorothy Zbornak, Betty White as Rose Nylund, Rue McClanahan as Blanche Devereaux and Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo. (The Hollywood Reporter is the presenting media sponsor of Pride Live! Hollywood.)

Co-producer Marsha Posner Williams brought up a topic that has been much-discussed and speculated on: whether Arthur and White got along in real life.

“When that red light was on [and the show was filming], there were no more professional people than those women,...

Patricia Arquette is really, really into the world of Severance. What she’s really, really not into is discussing fan theories. Not because she doesn’t care, rather because she cares too much to risk spoiling anything.

In another world, Arquette might be racking up karma way down your Reddit rabbit hole. But in this world, Lumon (and Apple TV+) is listening.

Here’s the thing though: with all due respect to other terrific (and eligible) dramas like The White Lotus and The Diplomat, Severance deserves all of the Emmys. But first, it needs the votes. Part of that process includes putting talent front-and-center in the press. Fear not, fellow Outties, we’ve got you.

Was season one or season two more of a challenge for you as an actor?

I don’t even know how to really parcel out the first season from the reality of the world of the first season.

Alexander Horwath’s documentary, “Henry Fonda For President,” is not your typical biographical piece. Think of it as a deep, almost forensic, dive into the cinematic soul of Henry Fonda, yes, but through him, an exploration of America itself.

This Austrian film historian crafts an expansive, truly meticulous argument proposing that Fonda’s on-screen presence became indivisible from America’s vision of its own character and history. It’s a considerable undertaking, drawing from a treasure trove of archival material and piecing it together with a very particular, almost academic, rhythm.

Many of us picture Fonda as the definitive American – upright, honest, steady. Horwath’s film, however, invites us to look closer, at the more complex, sometimes shadowy, spaces between the man on screen and the nation he came to symbolize.

The Celluloid Everyman and a Nation’s Soul

The core of Horwath’s film is this potent idea: Henry Fonda,...

A new Los Angeles-based event will celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride and pop-culture milestones next month.

The producers of L.A’s Infinity Festival, which celebrates the intersection of technology and entertainment, have teamed up with The Hollywood Partnership and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce to present Pride Live! Hollywood, a monthlong celebration of “LGBTQ+ creativity in media and entertainment.”

The lineup will feature a tribute to Norman Lear’s pioneering television work, anniversary celebrations of TV series The Golden Girls and Queer as Folk, documentary premieres, film screenings, panels, parties, interactive events and presentations of disco-era films, along with participation by stars and creatives. Events will take place at venues in and around Los Angeles, including the W Hollywood, the Montalbán Theater, LA Explained, Emerson College, Amoeba Music, the Aster and Lemon Grove, Whisky Hotel Hollywood, NeueHouse Hollywood and more.

Organizers explained that with more than 150,000 people attending the annual L.

When Garry Marshall's "Happy Days" premiered on ABC in 1974, the sitcom caught a ride on a wave of Baby Boomer nostalgia generated by George Lucas' "American Graffiti" the previous year. That film was like a time machine for this generation, and they wanted to keep going back over and over again. Alas, this being the pre-vcr and pre-cable age, if they were looking to take that nostalgia trip at home, they were going to be waiting a couple of years for its network television premiere. So Marshall's series, which looked and sounded a good deal like "American Graffiti," was a more than suitable substitute.

Aside from sharing its theme song (Bill Haley and His Comets' "Rock Around the Clock") with Lucas' film, "Happy Days" also cast one of the stars of "American Graffiti," Ron Howard, as its protagonist. Unlike most of the show's young cast, Howard wasn't some...

Amazon's streaming service, Prime Video, has canceled the legendary Norman Lear's final television series, Clean Slate. The comedy, which starred Orange is the New Black standout Laverne Cox and comedian George Wallace, was well-received by critics and audiences alike, and told a timely tale featuring a transgender actress, but that failed to sway the company into giving it a second season. The news was first reported by Deadline, in a guest column penned by Cox, Wallace, and co-creator Dan Ewen.

Though only first reported on Friday, April 18, the heartfelt and earnest piece from its creative team revealed that the series was actually canceled back at the end of March, barely a month after the show premiered (to positive reviews and an 89% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes). It's hard not to wonder if the series' subject matter — which spoke directly to the highly politicized issue of transgender people and their...

Norman Lear’s final completed project “Clean Slate” has been canceled at Prime Video after one season, the series’ stars Laverne Cox and George Wallace and co-creator Dan Ewen revealed in a Friday guest column on Deadline.

The series premiered on the Amazon-owned streaming platform on Feb. 6. But by the end of March, the eight-episode “labor of love” was canceled.

“A seven-year effort was gone in a puff of server exhaust,” Cox, Wallace and Ewen wrote.

Representatives for Prime Video declined to comment.

“Clean Slate” follows an old school and outspoken car wash owner named Henry (Wallace), who is thrilled that his estranged child is finally returning home to Alabama after 17 years. However, Henry has a lot of soul searching to do when the child he thought was a son returns as the determined, proud, trans woman, Desiree (Cox).

The series, which was initially brought by Cox and Wallace to Lear as “Sanford and Daughter,...

Amazon Prime Video has canceled Clean Slate, which was television legend Norman Lear’s final completed project, after one season. Series stars Laverne Cox and George Wallace, as well as their fellow co-creator Dan Ewen, broke the news in a guest column on Deadline.

Clean Slate premiered on Prime Video on February 6; by “the end of March” it was canceled, the trio wrote. Cox, Wallace and Ewen called the series a “labor of love,” and a “seven-year effort” that “was gone in a puff of server exhaust.”

Perhaps a little bit of a shot there on how Amazon conducts its business.

It was Cox and Wallace who brought the show to Lear. Lear, the sitcom dynamo (for decades and decades), died in December 2023 at 101 years old. Lear was the comedy genius behind All in the Family, Maude, Good Times, The Jeffersons and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.

The Hollywood Reporter reached...

Some of the most successful shows in television history forged their own legacy as spin-offs from preexisting series. In many cases, these spin-offs are more popular and enduring than the shows they originated from in the first place. Spin-offs can be continuations, side stories, or revivals of an original property, completely reinvigorating a franchise as it expands it. And virtually every genre and format has seen its fair share of thriving spin-offs, from crime procedurals and sitcoms to animated series and talk shows.

In some instances, a spin-off builds directly off its originating show while in other instances, some successful spin-offs require no prior knowledge of the previous series. No matter what form they come in or how connected they are to other shows, audiences love spin-offs, making them a staple in the industry for decades. With all that in mind, here are the 12 best television spin-offs of all time.

The Academy Awards likely aren’t that important in the grand scheme of film history, but legendary actor Henry Fonda winning his first competitive Oscar merely five months before dying is perhaps one of those things that makes you think on a cosmic scale. Henry Fonda for President, coming at a moment when it seems like the whole American project is explicitly dying in front of our very eyes, probably isn’t afraid to make you lean that way. It’s hard not to be at least a little moved by this film, even if it eventually comes to suggest a bludgeoning.

Film historian and director Alexander Horwath’s three-hour video essay throws out a grand spectrum of ideas over its perhaps-too-long runtime. But things begin when Horwath cites his own radicalized moment of cinephilia: a family trip to Paris in the summer of 1980, where, as a teen, he catches...

Norman Lear is nothing less than a legend, having made his mark on the entertainment industry with television shows that tackle some of society's most difficult topics. The name behind projects such as All in the Family, Maude, and The Jeffersons, Lear's tragic passing at the age of 101 in December 2023 was a notable loss to the world of meaningful television. However, before his passing, the director embarked on a final television project, Clean Slate, which made its debut on February 6, 2025.

Having premiered on Amazon Prime Video, Clean Slate has found positive reception and success, similar to many of Lear's previous works. Co-created by Lear, Laverne Cox, and George Wallace, with the latter duo also starring in the series, Clean Slate was first announced in 2020. Although the road to release has been long, now that it is finally here, the series has been praised for its heartfelt narrative, wit in dealing with sensitive topics,...

Garry Marshall's "Happy Days" was one of the biggest sitcoms of the 1970s. The series premiered on ABC at the outset of 1974, arriving on the heels of George Lucas' "American Graffiti," which also exploited Baby Boomer nostalgia for hanging out with friends at the local malt shop and cruising the boulevard. Indeed, "Happy Days" and "American Graffiti" were tightly intertwined; Lucas cast Ron Howard on the strength of his performance in the pilot, while the success of the film convinced ABC to give Marshall's series a 16-episode order as a midseason replacement.

Howard's connection to "American Graffiti" made him the biggest name on the show, but he was soon overshadowed by his co-star Henry Winkler, who skyrocketed to television fame as good-hearted greaser Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli. Viewers loved Fonzie's catchphrases, and the fact that he was so cool he could inexplicably fire up the jukebox just by giving it a sharp whap.

Alice Hirson, who had long-running roles on soaps Another World and One Life To Live in the 1970s before becoming a busy and familiar presence in primetime on Dallas, Full House, 7th Heaven and the Ellen DeGeneres sitcom Ellen, died Friday, February 14, at Los Angeles’ Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital. She was 95.

General Hospital actor and friend of Hirson Chris McKenna shared the news on Instagram, writing, “Alice Hirson shone her light on this world for 95 glorious years. My family and I were so blessed to have her in our lives however briefly. Unforgettable woman. Her final words were ‘It’s nice to have an audience.’ Thank you, Alice. Good night. Legend.”

As Lois Morgan, mother of DeGeneres’ character Ellen Morgan, Hirson was part of one of the 1990s most controversial TV stories. After Ellen came out as gay in the April 1997 episode “The Puppy Episode,” the title...

General Hospital (Gh) star, Chris McKenna (Jack Brennan) recently hopped on social media to reveal some sad news. He posted about One Life to Live (Oltl) fellow alum, Alice Hirson, who passed away at the age of 95. More details on this are below.

Remembering Alice Hirson

McKenna shared a number of photos of Hirson on Instagram. In the caption he started with, “We lost a radiant soul and a daytime legend yesterday. Alice Hirson shone her light on this world for 95 glorious years.”

McKenna went on to say, “My family and I were so blessed to have her in our lives however briefly. Unforgettable woman. Her final words were ‘It’s nice to have an audience.’”

He ended the caption with, “Thank you, Alice. Good night. Legend. #Gh #Oltl #Dallas #Ellen”

Hirson’s Incredible Career

Hirson first began her soap opera career on the CBS daytime drama The Edge of Night...

The first episode of this new Prime Video comedy is preceded by a quote from its late, great executive producer, sitcom giant Norman Lear: “The laughter I’ve enjoyed most is laughter that has brought numbers of us together.”

This is both an admirable sentiment and an easy one for Lear to have had. In the 1970s, when issues-oriented Lear comedies like All in the Family, The Jeffersons, and Maude dominated both the ratings and critics’ lists, Lear was able to bring together Americans from all walks of life,...

When a popular television show becomes grist for spin-offs, showrunners and their writers are immediately faced with the challenge of expanding a beloved universe in a manner that caters to new viewers without ticking off fans of the existing series. This wasn't always a tricky proposition. When Norman Lear began spinning off shows from "All in the Family" in the 1970s (the first being "Maude"), viewers weren't wildly concerned with canon; additionally, the characters who anchored the new shows were far enough removed from the Bunkers that the writers didn't have to worry about mucking up backstories. As long as the laughs were big and plentiful, their audience would forgive just about anything.

Television in 2025 is much different. Fans fixate on every single detail, and will absolutely cry foul if a character behaves contrary to how they've been portrayed in the past -- or, worse, if a previously established detail gets fudged.

When Sam Malone showed up to visit on the original Frasier, fans got a thrill seeing old-favorite characters reunite for a one-off episode. But several sitcoms have done those types of cameos one better, casting familiar costars as entirely new characters to add a dose of barely earned nostalgia. Sometimes the ploy works and sometimes it doesn’t, as you’ll see in these five examples of classic sitcom costars who reunited on new shows.

1 Kevin James and Leah Remini

When James tried to reboot his sitcom career with Kevin Can Wait, he soon discovered he didn’t have much chemistry with his new TV wife Erinn Hayes. With little thought to public reaction, James and his producers decided “Why not have Hayes’ character die — off camera — before we start a Season Two?” That’s just what they did, enlisting James’ former TV wife, King of Queens’ Remini, to rekindle some comedy sparks.

Clean Slate is a new comedy series on Prime, and is one of the final shows executive produced by the legendary Norman Lear. The show stars Laverne Cox (Orange is the New Black) as Desiree, a proud trans woman, who returns home to Alabama, where her estranged father, Harry (played by George Wallace), is an 'old school' owner of a local car wash.

The series will follow Desiree and Harry as they rebuild their relationship following several years of estrangement. While the show is most certainly heartfelt, there are plenty of comedic moments and a strong cast of supporting characters, including Jay Wilkison (Rabbit Hole) as Mack and Phillip Garcia (Sprung) as Miguel, along with Telma Hopkins, D.K. Uzoukwu, and others.

Here is the official synopsis of the show:

This heartfelt Norman Lear comedy follows Harry (George Wallace), an old-school car wash owner in Alabama who has a lot of...

Mike Milligan, an American TV writer and producer whose credits include “All in the Family” and “The Jeffersons,” has died. He was 77.

Milligan died of acute respiratory failure in his West Los Angeles home on Dec. 20, according to a PR representative.

Milligan was a celebrated member of the Writers Guild of America for more than 50 years. With his writing partner Jay Moriarty, Milligan wrote and produced hit TV shows such as “Good Times,” “What’s Happening Now,” “Maude,” “Dear John,” “Here and Now” and “Melba.”

Both Milligan and Moriarty received an NAACP Image Award for their writing and producing work on the Emmy-winning sitcom “The Jeffersons.” The show was among the first American sitcoms to tackle topics such as suicide, transgender identity and white supremacy.

In 1992, the pair served as co-writers and executive producers on NBC’s “Here and Now” starring Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Charles Brown, Daryl Mitchell and Rachael Crawford.

Gwen Van Dam, a veteran character actress of seven decades whose 140 credits spanned television, film and the Los Angeles stage, died Dec. 19 at her home in West LA. She was 96.

Per previous reporting attributed to her son Dirk Smillie, the cause of death was a recurrence of cancer.

Throughout her long-tenured career, Van Dam appeared in 1978’s Halloween with Jamie Lee Curtis, 1994’s Star Trek Generations with Patrick Stewart, the romantic war drama Coming Home featuring Jane Fonda and Jon Voight and the Sidney Poitier-helmed Gene Wilder pic Stir Crazy.

Among her television credits are illustrious series like Days of Our Lives, Gilmore Girls, Knots Landing, ER, Moonlighting, The Brady Bunch, Maude, Owen Marshall, New Girl, Modern Family and Criminal Minds.

On the music video side of things, she appeared in visual works for U2, Smashing Pumpkins, Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Panic! At the Disco and heavy metal band Mastodon.

Gwen Van Dam, whose 70-year career as a character actress for film, television and the stage included turns in True Confessions, Halloween, Coming Home, Stir Crazy and The Trip to Bountiful, has died. She was 96.

Van Dam, who compiled about 140 acting credits on IMDb, died Dec. 19 at her home in West Los Angeles after a recurrence of cancer, her son, Dirk Smillie, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Van Dam remained a busy actress until the end, appearing on the first five episodes of Prime Video’s Homecoming in 2018, on Netflix’s Grace and Frankie in 2019 and on two installments of Hulu’s Interior Chinatown last year. She recently finished a play, too.

Her TV résumé included The Brady Bunch, Mannix, Maude, House Calls, Days of Our Lives, Moonlighting, 227, Knots Landing, Star Trek: Generations, ER, Gilmore Girls, Charmed, New Girl, Criminal Minds, Angie Tribeca and Modern Family.

Meanwhile, she spent the...

Mike Milligan, a writer and producer on hit television shows All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Maude and Dear John, died on Dec. 20. He was 77.

Milligan died from acute respiratory failure at his home in West Hills, California, his rep told The Hollywood Reporter.

Born Bernard Michael Milligan on Jan. 28, 1947, in Los Angeles, he went on to graduate from Loyola Marymount University. He later served in the Air Force.

Milligan eventually found a passion for writing and producing, working alongside his writing partner of 18 years, Jay Moriarty. Together, they wrote and produced several award-winning TV shows, including 49 episodes of Norman Lear’s The Jeffersons (1978-81). The producing pair received an NAACP Image Award for the show, which was among the first to tackle topics such as suicide, transgender identity and white supremacy in American sitcoms.

As a member of the Writers Guild of America for more than 50 years, Milligan also...

When comedy writer Bruce Vilanch got the four-word pitch from his agent in 1978 — Star Wars Holiday Special — it seemed like a very bad idea. “But I ignored that,” he writes in his upcoming book, It Seemed Like A Bad Idea At the Time: The Worst TV Shows In History and Other Things I Wrote. “Actually, it was no worse than any other bad idea that was being floated around for a pre-Thanksgiving holiday show.”

The Star Wars Holiday Special, however, was a notoriously bad idea. Vilanch takes his fair share of the blame. After all, "it was 1978. There were a lot of chemical additives circulating.” But he also points to George Lucas as a reason the special turned out to be outrageously terrible. Lucas had written outlines for several Star Wars tales, most of which he’d planned to make into movies. A few stories were committed to other media,...

To mark the 10th anniversary of the “Mad Men” series finale, Jon Hamm will join the Atx TV Festival for the first time for a retrospective panel, Variety can exclusively announce. He will discuss his Emmy-winning performance of Don Draper, the series’ legacy and influence. Hamm portrayed the iconic protagonist for 92 episodes of the AMC series, which ran from 2007 to 2015. He reprised the role earlier this year for a cameo in “Unfrosted.”

The festival, set for May 29-June 1, will also feature the return of Patrick J. Adams and Sarah Rafferty, who will tape a live episode of SiriusXM’s “Sidebar: A Suits Watch Podcast.” The SiriusXM podcast chronicles the former co-stars as they watch “Suits” for the first time ever, looking back and interviewing fellow cast members. The series has had a big presence at Atx through the years and the pair reunited with other members of the cast at the 2024 festival.

While most TV spin-offs are doomed to live in the shadows of their original series, some have proven themselves worthy successors that even manage to outdo the program they were based on. Making a truly great spin-off will always be a daunting task, as creators are required to maintain the legacy of the original while carving out something new that can stand on its own. For a spin-off series to capture viewers' imaginations, it needs to be more than simply returning to familiar worlds with known characters; it must find a way to tell new stories in a fresh and interesting way.

While there have been some truly awful TV spin-offs over the years, some acclaimed examples have proven it's possible for lightning to strike twice and for a follow-up show to become equally beloved. This can be done in the form of a prequel series that answers questions about...

Netflix's 2024 biopic Maria features a strong cast led by Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie. Jolie, best known for her roles in films such as Maleficent, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and Girl, Interrupted, returns in her first feature film since Marvel's 2021 action blockbuster Eternals. Jolie has also directed several films, such as First They Killed My Fathers (2017) and Unbroken (2014). Jolie took a break from acting from 2021's Eternals until 2024's Maria to focus on spending more time with her six kids, Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, and twins Knox and Vivienne.

Maria depicts the final days in the life of Maria Callas, who was once considered the greatest opera singer in the world. The film takes place in 1970s Paris as Maria's health declines. Maria sees the world through a near-hallucinogenic and fading lens with her butler, Ferruccio, and her maid, Bruna, who care deeply for her. Maria is directed by...

Marvin Laird, who composed music for Broadway and the big screen and served as Bernadette Peters’ musical director for many years, has died. He was 85.

Laird died Monday of natural causes in Redding, Connecticut, a family spokesperson announced.

Marvin conducted for such hit Broadway revivals as 1999-2001’s Annie Get Your Gun, 2003-04’s Gypsy and 2011-12’s Follies, all starring Peters. He also worked with the famed performer in 2009 for a concert benefiting her charity, Broadway Barks.

“My beloved Marvin had impeccable style and a delicious sense of humor, and his generous spirit has made everyone he worked with fall in love with him,” the two-time Tony winner said in a statement. “I was a major beneficiary of Marvin’s genius and generosity of support and love.”

He conducted concerts for her as well as for Joel Grey, Diana Ross, Cass Elliot, Dusty Springfield and Goldie Hawn.

Laird wrote...

Paramount’s free streaming service, Pluto TV, has revealed its December highlights. The Pluto TV December 2024 lineup includes the “Season’s Greetings” category, which features festive TV and movies all month long on channels like Pluto TV Christmas, Hallmark Movies and More Holiday Favorites.

Special programming, like a Hanukah Menorah and Kwanzaa Kinara on the service’s Crackling Fireplace channel, will also be available. Be sure to check out new channels such as Dinos 24/7 and The Twilight Zone as well.

Pluto TV is the leading free streaming television service, delivering hundreds of live, linear channels and thousands of titles on-demand to a global audience. The Emmy Award-winning service curates a diverse lineup of channels in partnership with hundreds of international media companies.

The Most Streamable Time Of The Year

This December, Pluto TV is serving up a sleigh-load of Christmas classics, holiday episodes, movies and more. Don’t miss their “Season’s Greetings” category,...

In the world of television, the best shows don’t just entertain — they spark conversations and push boundaries. It’s not a new thing.

Classics like All in the Family, Maude, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show paved the way by daring to address social issues head-on, tackling topics like sexism, race, and class with unflinching honesty.

Long before today’s open discussions on race, mental health, and LGBTQ+ issues, these series, and others that followed, quietly laid the groundwork for progressive storytelling.

(CBS/Screenshot)

Shows like these shattered stereotypes, broke taboos, and brought real-world issues into America’s living rooms, igniting conversations that continue to shape TV today.

Here’s a look at the trailblazing shows that, in their own way, were ahead of their time.

These shows tackled themes and topics that mainstream TV had long avoided, proving that television could be both thought-provoking and entertaining.

Designing Women...

There’s something uniquely fun about a TV spin-off – it’s like revisiting old friends in a new place or meeting side characters – ones that you thought you would never meet again but hadn’t realized you wanted to know better.

A poster for Better Call Saul | Credits: AMC, Netflix

What’s also oddly thrilling about spin-offs is how they surprise us. Some go in directions we never expected. And in certain instances, these shows even outshine their original outings, taking on lives of their own. Here’s a ranking of 30 of the best TV spin-offs ever, considering their popularity, quality, and if they indeed, lived up to or superseded the original.

30. Joey (NBC)

Spun From: Friends

Original Airdates: 2004–2006

Matt LeBlanc is Joey | Credits: NBC

When Friends ended, NBC wasn’t ready to say goodbye entirely, so they took the next logical step: give Joey Tribbiani, the lovable goofball played by Matt LeBlanc,...

While Norman Lear produced many of the most successful sitcoms of the 1970s and 1980s, including All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Good Times and Sanford and Son, the behind-the-scenes squabbling rivaled the fights between Archie Bunker and his meathead son-in-law. Tripp Whetsall, author of the new biography Norman Lear: His Life and Times, recently talked to me about the comedy stars who got into it with Lear.

Comedy stars such as…

Carroll O’Connor

The All in the Family lead and Lear “had a very difficult, contemptuous relationship,” says Whetsell. “It was much more Carroll than Norman. Carroll was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders with Archie Bunker.”

Lear’s “idea of comedy, I think, is at variance with mine,” O’Connor once said. “We’ve disagreed over material from the very beginning of the show over what made naturalistic comedy. I had one idea, and he had another.

Even if you've never seen "All in the Family," there's a high probability that you're at least somewhat familiar with the character of Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor), his well-meaning albeit shrill wife Edith (Jean Stapleton), and his constant conflict as a conservative patriarch against a progressively evolving world. If that sounds like the set-up for every family sitcom ever made, it's because, well, it is. "All in the Family" is one of the most influential TV shows in history, and that's not even factoring in the web of spin-offs it inspired like "The Jeffersons," "Maude," "Gloria, "704 Hauser,' "Good Times," and "Archie Bunker's Place."

The latter was a direct continuation of "All in the Family," set primarily in the neighborhood tavern purchased by Archie in the eighth season of the flagship sitcom. "Archie Bunker's Place" starts when he takes in a Jewish business partner named Murray Klein after co-owner...

American comedy museum and archive the National Comedy Center has opened a new exhibit celebrating the legacy of legendary TV producer Norman Lear in civic engagement and comedy.

Lear’s life work is being honored with an online exhibit and a physical installation at the Comedy Center’s galleries in Jamestown, N.Y., both of which feature rare archival material and select excerpts from Lear’s sitcoms. Original artwork by Shepard Fairey courtesy of People for The American Way’s Artists for Democracy campaign, founded by Lear in 1981, will also be on display.

“My husband, Norman would be thrilled to know the National Comedy Center is using humor to shine a light on the importance of voting and defending democracy,” said Lyn Davis Lear. “From flying combat missions during World War II, to sharing the Declaration of Independence with our country, Norman fought his entire life to ensure all Americans...

Tootsie Oscar nominee, Teri Garr has sadly passed away at the age of 79. While the famous actress has more than 140 credits to her name, she faced a horrible battle at the end.

Tootsie Oscar Nominee, Teri Garr Dead At 79

Before Teri Garr’s passing, she made big strides in the entertainment industry. One of her biggest splashes was with her performance in the 1982 movie Tootsie alongside Dustin Hoffman which landed her an Oscar nomination. Additionally, she is also well known for her part in the 1974 Mel Brooks horror comedy Young Frankenstein. Both movies received Academy Award nominations. Many people recognize her in her later career as the estranged mother to Phoebe Buffay in Friends. Likewise, some of her works include Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind in 1977 and Martin Scorsese’s After Hours in 1985. Furthermore, she starred in Mr. Mom with Michael Keaton.

Teri Garr as Inga...

Teri Garr, known in part for her unforgettable role in the Mel Brooks classic Young Frankenstein, has passed away. Per Variety, Garr died on Tuesday in Los Angeles due to complications from multiple sclerosis at 79 years old. She had been living with multiple sclerosis for over two decades, having first revealed her diagnosis in 2002.

Born in Ohio, Garr was raised in North Hollywood before relocating to New York to study acting. After appearing in several Elvis Presley films in the 1960s, her breakthrough role was as Roberta Lincoln in the 1968 Star Trek episode "Assignment: Earth." She'd also had minor roles in other 60s shows like Batman and The Andy Griffith Show. She'd also become a regular performer on The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour and The Ken Berry 'Wow' Show.

In 1974, Garr starred in Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein as Inga, an assistant to Gene Wilder's Dr. Frederick Frankenstein; Wilder...

Legendary comedic actress Teri Garr, known for her memorable supporting turns in films such as Young Frankenstein, Tootsie and Mr. Mom, died Tuesday following a long battle with multiple sclerosis. She was 79.

Garr died “surrounded by family and friends,” her spokesperson told People.

More from TVLineDavid Harris, The Warriors and NYPD Blue Actor, Dead at 75Jack Jones, Singer Behind The Love Boat Theme, Dead at 86Ron Ely, Star of TV's Tarzan, Dead at 86

Garr’s work in 1982’s Tootsie, which starred Dustin Hoffman, earned her an Oscar Nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She lost to co-star Jessica Lange.

Other notable...

Dick Van Dyke is a national treasure. For the better part of a century, the comedic actor has been entertaining audiences with his endlessly flexible physical comedy, his sunny personality, and his big heart. He makes everything he's in better, which means there's really no such thing as a bad Dick Van Dyke movie. Plenty of Van Dyke's films are crowd-pleasers, but only one was ever a certified, unanimously loved critic-pleaser -- at least according to Rotten Tomatoes.

The movie in question is "Divorce American Style," a comedy from sitcom producing powerhouse Bud Yorkin. Yorkin is best-known today as the producing partner of Norman Lear and one half of the team behind groundbreaking shows like "All in the Family," "Sanford and Son," and "Maude." Four years before "All in the Family" hit the airwaves, though, Yorkin was seated in the director's chair for "Divorce American Style," a breakup comedy penned...

With all due respect to Coming to America’s Cleo McDowell — owner of an off-brand McDonald’s featuring a logo with golden arcs, not arches, and a Big Mick burger, not a Big Mac — John Amos’ two most iconic roles came more than a decade prior, in the Seventies. In 1974, CBS debuted Good Times, where Amos and Esther Rolle played James and Florida Evans, parents struggling to keep their kids’ heads above water in a Chicago housing project. After he was fired from the show for complaining that James and Florida...

In the early 1970s, a miracle discovery forever shifted the momentum of the entertainment industry. The discovery pertained to the script of Good Times, the sitcom based on an African-American family living in a public housing project in a poor black neighborhood in Chicago.

Good Times [Credit: CBS]

But before John Amos, Jimmy Walker, and Esther Rolle could lift the series into the upper echelons of legacy television, the world already rushed to bestow that honor on Good Times. The sitcom soon became a revolutionary symbol of Black television, helping break the racial barrier and the stereotypical assignment of Black actors in mere supporting character roles.

As the world now mourns John Amos’s tragic passing, the fans look back at the historic presence of the actor in one of his most impressive works in TV.

All in the Family Spin-off Leaves a Mark in Hollywood Good Times feat. John Amos...

John Amos has passed away. Born in 1939, Amos began his career in the early 70s, acting in various TV episodes. His first role was in The Bill Cosby Show in 1970, where he played a salesman in one episode of the series. He went on to have a number of roles throughout the 1970s, including in films such as Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song and The World's Greatest Athlete, and TV series such as Sanford and Son and Maude.

As per TheWrap, Amos has unfortunately passed away. He was 84.

More to come...

Source: TheWrap...

Actor John Amos, the star of movies such as ‘Coming to America,’ ‘Roots’ and many more has passed away at the age of 84.

The actor’s son, Kelly Christopher Amos announced the sad news in a statement:

“It is with heartfelt sadness that I share with you that my father has transitioned,” said his son Kelly Christopher Amos in a statement. “He was a man with the kindest heart and a heart of gold… and he was loved the world over. Many fans consider him their TV father. He lived a good life. His legacy will live on in his outstanding works in television and film as an actor. My father loved working as an actor throughout his entire life…. most recently in ‘Suits LA’ playing himself and our documentary about his life journey as an actor, ‘America’s Dad.’ He was my dad, my best friend, and my hero.

Sad news out of Hollywood today, as one of TV’s most beloved father figures has passed away.

John Amos, the actor best known for his work on the iconic ’70s sitcom Good Times has died at the age of 84.

News of Amos’ death came courtesy of an announcement from his son, K.C. Amos.

(Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

“It is with heartfelt sadness that I share with you that my father has transitioned,” he said in a statement.

“He was a man with the kindest heart and a heart of gold… and he was loved the world over. Many fans consider him their TV father. He lived a good life. His legacy will live on in his outstanding works in television and film as an actor.”

John Amos and the Era of the Challenging Sitcom

Amos and Good Times were both representative of a bygone era in the world of television.

Emmy-nominated actor John Amos, best known for his role as family patriarch James Evans on CBS’ Good Times, has died. He was 84 years old.

Amos’ son, Kelly Christopher Amos, tells The Hollywood Reporter that his father passed on Aug. 21 of natural causes. (TMZ on Oct. 2 reported that Amos died of congestive heart failure.)

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You can read Kelly...

John Amos, the beloved Emmy-nominated actor who rose to fame by playing the family patriarch on Good Times, has passed away. He was 84 years old.

Per TMZ, Amos died of natural causes in Los Angeles on Aug. 21, but his passing has just been announced by his son, Kelly Christopher Amos. No additional details were shared related to the nature of Amos' passing, though the actor's son shared a statement to confirm the news while expressing how he knows his father's legacy "will live on" in his absence.

It is with heartfelt sadness that I share with you that my father has transitioned, the statement reads in part. He was a man with the kindest heart and a heart of gold and he was loved the world over. Many fans consider him their TV father. He lived a good life. His legacy will live on in his outstanding works in television and film as an actor.

John Amos, the star of “Good Times,” “Roots” and more, died on Aug. 21 in Los Angeles of natural causes, his representative confirmed to Variety on Tuesday. He was 84.

“It is with heartfelt sadness that I share with you that my father has transitioned,” said his son Kelly Christopher Amos in a statement. “He was a man with the kindest heart and a heart of gold… and he was loved the world over. Many fans consider him their TV father. He lived a good life. His legacy will live on in his outstanding works in television and film as an actor. My father loved working as an actor throughout his entire life…. most recently in ‘Suits LA’ playing himself and our documentary about his life journey as an actor, ‘America’s Dad.’ He was my dad, my best friend, and my hero. Thank you for your prayers and support at this time.

John Amos, the beloved TV dad best known for his roles on Good Times and Roots, died in his home in Los Angeles on August 21 of natural causes. His son, Kelly Christopher Amos confirmed the news in a statement shared with Variety. "He was a man with the kindest heart and a heart of gold…...

Exclusive: Is systemic racism still a thing?

The short answer is yes. And for the long answer, well, that’s something that Jason George and Todd Grinnell are unpacking in a video from Hollywood, Health & Society and USC Annenberg’s Norman Lear Center, which Deadline is debuting exclusively.

“[Racism is] still baked into our society, certainly on a personal level, but on a systemic level, these laws that were created after slavery was abolished to keep former slaves from being able to advance in society, were baked in to our systems, and still are there,” Kate Folb, director of Hollywood, Health & Society, told Deadline.

She revealed it took nearly a year to get the script right for the 9-minute video in which the two actors take viewers from the Civil War to modern day, illustrating how racism and the desire to protect slavery influenced the laws and systems that still control the United States today.

Jon Bernthal and Pablo Schreiber have joined the limited series adaptation of the Alice Feeney novel “His & Hers” at Netflix, Variety has learned.

The series was first announced in July with Tessa Thompson set for a lead role. Netflix has ordered six episodes. Production is set to begin this fall.

The official description for the series states, “Set in the sweltering heat of Atlanta, Anna (Thompson) lives in haunting reclusivity, fading away from her friends and career as a news anchor. But when she overhears about a murder in Dahlonega – the sleepy town where she grew up – Anna is snapped back to life, pouncing on the case and searching for answers. Detective Jack Harper (Bernthal) is strangely suspicious of her involvement, chasing her into the crosshairs of his own investigation. There are two sides to every story: his & hers, which means someone is always lying.”

Bernthal’s character is...

50 years after its original run, the Norman Lear-produced sitcom "Good Times" is more than just "Dy-no-mite!" It's a spinoff within a spinoff and a classic Black family sitcom that inspired controversy as well as laughter. Like many beloved shows from the '70s, "Good Times" made headlines for behind-the-scenes drama and cast disagreements, but it also captivated audiences.

Originally formulated as a spinoff of "Maude" (which was itself a spinoff of unlikely hit "All in the Family"), "Good Times" retconned its central characters and setting in favor of a new premise. Henry (John Amos) became James, the family got poorer, and the setting switched from New York to Chicago, where it took inspiration from the Cabrini-Green housing projects. Audiences still dug the new show, though by the time it signed off five years later, it had changed entirely: Amos and original star Esther Rolle had left, and the show's most one-dimensional character,...