Rose Gregorio, who received a Tony nomination for her performance as the browbeaten daughter of Geraldine Fitzgerald’s declining old woman in the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama The Shadow Box, has died. She was 97.
Gregorio died Aug. 17 of natural causes in her Greenwich Village home, her nephew Robert Grosbard told The Hollywood Reporter.
Gregorio was married to Belgium-born stage and film director Ulu Grosbard from 1965 until his death in 2012, and she appeared for him as the ex-wife of Dustin Hoffman’s character in Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me? (1971); as a local madam in True Confessions (1981); and as the mother of Treat Williams’ character in The Deep End of the Ocean (1999).
On television, she had a recurring role on NBC’s ER as Nurse Carol Hathaway’s (Julianna Margulies) mom from 1996-99.
Gregorio also landed a Drama Desk nom and a Clarence Derwent...
Gregorio died Aug. 17 of natural causes in her Greenwich Village home, her nephew Robert Grosbard told The Hollywood Reporter.
Gregorio was married to Belgium-born stage and film director Ulu Grosbard from 1965 until his death in 2012, and she appeared for him as the ex-wife of Dustin Hoffman’s character in Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me? (1971); as a local madam in True Confessions (1981); and as the mother of Treat Williams’ character in The Deep End of the Ocean (1999).
On television, she had a recurring role on NBC’s ER as Nurse Carol Hathaway’s (Julianna Margulies) mom from 1996-99.
Gregorio also landed a Drama Desk nom and a Clarence Derwent...
- 9/21/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Joan Hotchkis, veteran stage and screen actor known for ABC’s “The Odd Couple” and “Legacy,” died Sept. 27 of congestive heart failure in Los Angeles, according to her daughter Paula Chambers. She was 95.
Hotchkis starred opposite William Windom in the NBC sitcom “My World and Welcome to It,” and played the on-again/off-again girlfriend of Jack Klugman’s Oscar Madison in “The Odd Couple.” As a playwright, she wrote 1974’s “Legacy,” a one-woman play about an upper-class housewife who deteriorates mentally. The following year, she wrote and starred in the film adaptation of “Legacy,” which won the best newcomer award at the Tehran International Film Festival.
Born on Sept. 21, 1927, in Los Angeles, Hotchkis was the last surviving child of civic leaders Preston Hotchkis and Katharine Bixby, who led the Metropolitan Water District and the California Historical Society.
After earning a B.A. in psychology from Smith College and an M.
Hotchkis starred opposite William Windom in the NBC sitcom “My World and Welcome to It,” and played the on-again/off-again girlfriend of Jack Klugman’s Oscar Madison in “The Odd Couple.” As a playwright, she wrote 1974’s “Legacy,” a one-woman play about an upper-class housewife who deteriorates mentally. The following year, she wrote and starred in the film adaptation of “Legacy,” which won the best newcomer award at the Tehran International Film Festival.
Born on Sept. 21, 1927, in Los Angeles, Hotchkis was the last surviving child of civic leaders Preston Hotchkis and Katharine Bixby, who led the Metropolitan Water District and the California Historical Society.
After earning a B.A. in psychology from Smith College and an M.
- 10/4/2022
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Joan Hotchkis, who appeared as Oscar Madison’s girlfriend on ABC’s The Odd Couple and in films including Breezy and Ode to Billie Joe before becoming a playwright, screenwriter and feminist performance artist, has died. She was 95.
Hotchkis died Sept. 27 of congestive heart failure in Los Angeles, her daughter, Paula Chambers, announced.
A member of The Actors Studio, Hotchkis played the wife of William Windom’s James Thurber-like cartoonist on the high-concept NBC comedy My World and Welcome to It in 1969-70 and the lascivious Lydia on the five-days-a-week syndicated sitcom The Life and Times of Eddie Roberts in 1980.
In 1974, Hotchkis wrote her first play, Legacy, about a day when an upper-class housewife suffers a mental and emotional breakdown. She starred in the one-woman drama, directed by noted Method acting teacher Eric Morris, at Actors Studio West in Los Angeles.
Hotchkis...
Joan Hotchkis, who appeared as Oscar Madison’s girlfriend on ABC’s The Odd Couple and in films including Breezy and Ode to Billie Joe before becoming a playwright, screenwriter and feminist performance artist, has died. She was 95.
Hotchkis died Sept. 27 of congestive heart failure in Los Angeles, her daughter, Paula Chambers, announced.
A member of The Actors Studio, Hotchkis played the wife of William Windom’s James Thurber-like cartoonist on the high-concept NBC comedy My World and Welcome to It in 1969-70 and the lascivious Lydia on the five-days-a-week syndicated sitcom The Life and Times of Eddie Roberts in 1980.
In 1974, Hotchkis wrote her first play, Legacy, about a day when an upper-class housewife suffers a mental and emotional breakdown. She starred in the one-woman drama, directed by noted Method acting teacher Eric Morris, at Actors Studio West in Los Angeles.
Hotchkis...
- 10/4/2022
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It’s one of the best cop shows of the 1960s! Detective Madigan’s police .38 is stolen by a mad-dog killer, forcing him to take extra risks just as more problems personal and professional close in on him. Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda, Inger Stevens and Harry Guardino give sterling performances, and the assured direction of Don Siegel keeps us on edge throughout. Siegel’s editing is extra-kinetic, and for warped screen villainy, Steve Ihnat’s maniac has no equal.
Madigan
Region B Blu-ray
Powerhouse Indicator
1968 / Color / 2:35 widescreen (Techniscope) / 101 min. / Street Date September 12, 2022 / available through Powerhouse / £15.99
Starring: Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda, Inger Stevens, Harry Guardino, James Whitmore, Susan Clark, Michael Dunn, Steve Ihnat, Don Stroud, Sheree North, Warren Stevens, Raymond St. Jacques, Bert Freed, Harry Bellaver, Frank Marth, Lloyd Gough, Virginia Gregg, Woodrow Parfrey, Conrad Bain.
Cinematography: Russell Metty
Film Editor: Milton Shifman
Visual Effects: Albert Whitlock
Original Music: Don Costa...
Madigan
Region B Blu-ray
Powerhouse Indicator
1968 / Color / 2:35 widescreen (Techniscope) / 101 min. / Street Date September 12, 2022 / available through Powerhouse / £15.99
Starring: Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda, Inger Stevens, Harry Guardino, James Whitmore, Susan Clark, Michael Dunn, Steve Ihnat, Don Stroud, Sheree North, Warren Stevens, Raymond St. Jacques, Bert Freed, Harry Bellaver, Frank Marth, Lloyd Gough, Virginia Gregg, Woodrow Parfrey, Conrad Bain.
Cinematography: Russell Metty
Film Editor: Milton Shifman
Visual Effects: Albert Whitlock
Original Music: Don Costa...
- 8/20/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Spoiler Alert: This post contains details about Tuesday’s Live in Front of a Studio Audience, which aired live on the East Coast on ABC.
After four decades, cameras rolled once again on the classic ’70s/’80s comedies, Diff’rent Strokes and The Facts of Life, as part of ABC’s Live in Front of a Studio Audience tonight.
Airing live on the East Coast, the telecast unfolded smoothly, with no major line flubs and only a few uneven moments, which passed quickly. Soon-to-be-100-year-old TV legend Norman Lear, appearing with Jimmy Kimmel, who produced the third outing in the Live series, dropped an f-bomb that had to be bleeped. The curse word toward the top of the show seemed to be a staged, though amusing, element.
Before the main event, Deadline took a peek behind the curtain during Monday night’s rehearsal featuring an all-star cast of new players and...
After four decades, cameras rolled once again on the classic ’70s/’80s comedies, Diff’rent Strokes and The Facts of Life, as part of ABC’s Live in Front of a Studio Audience tonight.
Airing live on the East Coast, the telecast unfolded smoothly, with no major line flubs and only a few uneven moments, which passed quickly. Soon-to-be-100-year-old TV legend Norman Lear, appearing with Jimmy Kimmel, who produced the third outing in the Live series, dropped an f-bomb that had to be bleeped. The curse word toward the top of the show seemed to be a staged, though amusing, element.
Before the main event, Deadline took a peek behind the curtain during Monday night’s rehearsal featuring an all-star cast of new players and...
- 12/8/2021
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Kevin Hart went Live in Front of a Studio Audience on Tuesday night, channeling Gary Coleman as part of a reenactment of the classic NBC/ABC comedy Diff’rent Strokes.
But before the reenactment got underway, original cast member Todd Bridges (aka Willis Jackson) entered the recreated Drummond penthouse set to introduce Boyz II Men, who performed the series’ iconic theme song. He also paid tribute to his late costars.
More from TVLineJeopardy!: Mayim Bialik, Ken Jennings to Host Through End of Season 38Tv Ratings: Live in Front of a Studio Audience, FBI Top TuesdayAbbott Elementary Premiere Recap: Grade ABC's...
But before the reenactment got underway, original cast member Todd Bridges (aka Willis Jackson) entered the recreated Drummond penthouse set to introduce Boyz II Men, who performed the series’ iconic theme song. He also paid tribute to his late costars.
More from TVLineJeopardy!: Mayim Bialik, Ken Jennings to Host Through End of Season 38Tv Ratings: Live in Front of a Studio Audience, FBI Top TuesdayAbbott Elementary Premiere Recap: Grade ABC's...
- 12/8/2021
- by Ryan Schwartz
- TVLine.com
The world don’t move to the beat of just one drum — but when Boyz II Men starts singing, the studio audience rises from their seats.
ABC’s Live in Front of a Studio Audience — consisting of reenactments of Diff’rent Strokes and The Facts of Life episodes — enlisted four-time Grammy winners Shawn Stockman and Wanya Morris from Boyz II Men to perform a live rendition of the theme song that accompanied Diff’rent Strokes during its eight-year run.
More from TVLineJeopardy!: Mayim Bialik, Ken Jennings to Host Through End of Season 38Tv Ratings: Live in Front of a Studio Audience,...
ABC’s Live in Front of a Studio Audience — consisting of reenactments of Diff’rent Strokes and The Facts of Life episodes — enlisted four-time Grammy winners Shawn Stockman and Wanya Morris from Boyz II Men to perform a live rendition of the theme song that accompanied Diff’rent Strokes during its eight-year run.
More from TVLineJeopardy!: Mayim Bialik, Ken Jennings to Host Through End of Season 38Tv Ratings: Live in Front of a Studio Audience,...
- 12/8/2021
- by Ryan Schwartz
- TVLine.com
If the idea of Kevin Hart as Arnold Jackson — the 8-year-old played by Gary Coleman on “Diff’rent Strokes’ — sounds perfect on paper, wait until you see tonight’s “Live in Front of a Studio Audience.” When the 5’4” Hart stands next to the 6’4” John Lithgow — who fills Conrad Bain’s role as Arnold’s adoptive father, Mr. Drummond — the casting is about as spot-on as anything “Live” has done in the past.
And then, when Hart leaps into Lithgow’s lap at one point, expect the live studio audience to erupt. At least, they did on Monday night during a dress rehearsal of “Live in Front of a Studio Audience.” Variety was there to witness the staging of early-series episodes of “The Facts of Life,” which aired on NBC from 1979 to 1988, and “Diff’rent Strokes,” which aired from 1978-1986.
Both shows come from the stable of Norman Lear, the legendary creator...
And then, when Hart leaps into Lithgow’s lap at one point, expect the live studio audience to erupt. At least, they did on Monday night during a dress rehearsal of “Live in Front of a Studio Audience.” Variety was there to witness the staging of early-series episodes of “The Facts of Life,” which aired on NBC from 1979 to 1988, and “Diff’rent Strokes,” which aired from 1978-1986.
Both shows come from the stable of Norman Lear, the legendary creator...
- 12/7/2021
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
This Tuesday at 8/7c, ABC will revisit two more classic sitcoms, Diff’rent Strokes and its offshoot The Facts of Life, by way of its Live in Front of a Studio Audience franchise.
But whereas these live specials in the past stayed age-accurate in the casting of characters from All in the Family, The Jeffersons and Good Times, this time around Jimmy Kimmel, sitcom titan Norman Lear, Brent Miller and the other exec producers opted to have some fun refilling iconic roles with, let’s say, Actors of a Diff’rent Age.
More from TVLineJon Stewart Joins Live Facts of Life...
But whereas these live specials in the past stayed age-accurate in the casting of characters from All in the Family, The Jeffersons and Good Times, this time around Jimmy Kimmel, sitcom titan Norman Lear, Brent Miller and the other exec producers opted to have some fun refilling iconic roles with, let’s say, Actors of a Diff’rent Age.
More from TVLineJon Stewart Joins Live Facts of Life...
- 12/5/2021
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
Jon Stewart joins ABC’s Live in Front of a Studio Audience that’ll see the characters from Diff’rent Strokes and the Facts of Life back to life by a new, all-star cast of talent. The special airs Dec. 7 at 8 p.m. Et.
Stewart will appear as part of the Facts of Life cast in a surprise role. He will work opposite Jennifer Aniston, Kathryn Hahn, Gabrielle Union, and Allison Tolman who will play private school teens from the Facts of Life‘s fictional Eastland School: Blair (originally played by Lisa Whelchel), Jo (Nancy McKeon), Tootie (Kim Fields), and Natalie (Mindy Cohn), respectively.
Ann Dowd will play Mrs. Garrett (Charlotte Rae), the girls’ housemother.
Diff’rent Strokes (created by Bernie Kukoff and Jeff Harris) follows the lives of an unconventional family brought together by circumstance. Arnold (Gary Coleman) and his older brother Willis (Todd Bridges) were two Black brothers from...
Stewart will appear as part of the Facts of Life cast in a surprise role. He will work opposite Jennifer Aniston, Kathryn Hahn, Gabrielle Union, and Allison Tolman who will play private school teens from the Facts of Life‘s fictional Eastland School: Blair (originally played by Lisa Whelchel), Jo (Nancy McKeon), Tootie (Kim Fields), and Natalie (Mindy Cohn), respectively.
Ann Dowd will play Mrs. Garrett (Charlotte Rae), the girls’ housemother.
Diff’rent Strokes (created by Bernie Kukoff and Jeff Harris) follows the lives of an unconventional family brought together by circumstance. Arnold (Gary Coleman) and his older brother Willis (Todd Bridges) were two Black brothers from...
- 12/2/2021
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Jennifer Aniston, Gabrielle Union, Kathryn Hahn, and Allison Tolman have joined the cast of ABC’s Live in Front of a Studio Audience that’ll see characters from Facts of Life and Diff’rent Strokes brought back to life on Dec. 7 starting at 8 p.m.
The quad will portray private school teens from the Facts of Life‘s fictional Eastland School who at times crossed over to Diff’rent Strokes.
Aniston will play the role of Blair (originally played by Lisa Whelchel), Union will play Tootie (Kim Fields), Hahn will play Jo (Nancy McKeon), and Tolman will play Natalie (Mindy Cohn).
They join the previously announced Ann Dowd who will play Mrs. Garrett (Charlotte Rae), the girls’ housemother.
Diff’rent Strokes (created by Bernie Kukoff and Jeff Harris) follows the lives of an unconventional family brought together by circumstance. Arnold (Gary Coleman) and his older brother Willis (Todd Bridges) were two...
The quad will portray private school teens from the Facts of Life‘s fictional Eastland School who at times crossed over to Diff’rent Strokes.
Aniston will play the role of Blair (originally played by Lisa Whelchel), Union will play Tootie (Kim Fields), Hahn will play Jo (Nancy McKeon), and Tolman will play Natalie (Mindy Cohn).
They join the previously announced Ann Dowd who will play Mrs. Garrett (Charlotte Rae), the girls’ housemother.
Diff’rent Strokes (created by Bernie Kukoff and Jeff Harris) follows the lives of an unconventional family brought together by circumstance. Arnold (Gary Coleman) and his older brother Willis (Todd Bridges) were two...
- 11/30/2021
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s… Kevin Hart as Super Arnold?
ABC announced late Thursday night that Live in Front of a Studio Audience will return for a third installment on Tuesday, Dec. 7 (at 8/7c), recreating episodes of Diff’rent Strokes and its spinoff, The Facts of Life.
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The cast of Diff’rent Strokes will feature Hart as Arnold, succeeding Gary Coleman...
ABC announced late Thursday night that Live in Front of a Studio Audience will return for a third installment on Tuesday, Dec. 7 (at 8/7c), recreating episodes of Diff’rent Strokes and its spinoff, The Facts of Life.
More from TVLineTV Ratings: 20/20 Dominates With Turpin Sisters' 'House of Horror'Grey's Anatomy Recap: Thanksgiving, From Soup to... Aw, Nuts!Dancing With the Stars: Derek Hough Contracts Covid Ahead of Season 30 Finale -- Watch His Announcement
The cast of Diff’rent Strokes will feature Hart as Arnold, succeeding Gary Coleman...
- 11/19/2021
- by Ryan Schwartz
- TVLine.com
ABC has pulled back the curtain on the third installment of its Live in Front of a Studio Audience franchise. Jimmy Kimmel announced on his late-night show Thursday that the 90-minute special will re-create episodes of comedies Diff’rent Strokes and its spinoff The Facts of Life.
The live event will air at from 8-9:30 p.m. Tuesday, December 7.
The cast for the Diff’rent Strokes re-do is intriguing: John Lithgow will play Mr. Drummond, Kevin Hart is Arnold, Damon Wayans embodies Willis, and Ann Dowd portrays Mrs. Garrett. The Facts of Life cast is Tba.
Live Before a Studio Audience‘s executive producers Norman Lear, Jimmy Kimmel, Brent Miller, Kerry Washington, Will Ferrell, Justin Theroux and Jim Burrows are returning for this round.
“Other than with my family, there’s no place I’d rather be in my 100th year than on a soundstage at Sony with these glorious actors...
The live event will air at from 8-9:30 p.m. Tuesday, December 7.
The cast for the Diff’rent Strokes re-do is intriguing: John Lithgow will play Mr. Drummond, Kevin Hart is Arnold, Damon Wayans embodies Willis, and Ann Dowd portrays Mrs. Garrett. The Facts of Life cast is Tba.
Live Before a Studio Audience‘s executive producers Norman Lear, Jimmy Kimmel, Brent Miller, Kerry Washington, Will Ferrell, Justin Theroux and Jim Burrows are returning for this round.
“Other than with my family, there’s no place I’d rather be in my 100th year than on a soundstage at Sony with these glorious actors...
- 11/19/2021
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Here’s what Willis is talkin’ about. Jimmy Kimmel and Norman Lear are bringing back their “Live in Front of a Studio Audience” franchise for a third edition this December, and this time they’ll be taking on the iconic sitcom “Diff’rent Strokes’ and its spin-off, “The Facts of Life.”
Already cast in the “Diff’rent Strokes” installment are John Lithgow as Mr.Drummond, Kevin Hart playing Arnold, Damon Wayans as Willis and Ann Dowd as Mrs. Garrett. The cast of “The Facts of Life” will be revealed at a later date.
“Live in Front of a Studio Audience: ‘The Facts of Life’ and ‘Diff’rent Strokes'” will air Tuesday, Dec. 7 at 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Et, followed by the premiere of new workplace comedy “Abbott Elementary.” Lear is back to executive produce and host with Kimmel. Also executive producing: Brent Miller, Kerry Washington, Will Ferrell, Justin Theroux and Jim Burrows.
Already cast in the “Diff’rent Strokes” installment are John Lithgow as Mr.Drummond, Kevin Hart playing Arnold, Damon Wayans as Willis and Ann Dowd as Mrs. Garrett. The cast of “The Facts of Life” will be revealed at a later date.
“Live in Front of a Studio Audience: ‘The Facts of Life’ and ‘Diff’rent Strokes'” will air Tuesday, Dec. 7 at 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Et, followed by the premiere of new workplace comedy “Abbott Elementary.” Lear is back to executive produce and host with Kimmel. Also executive producing: Brent Miller, Kerry Washington, Will Ferrell, Justin Theroux and Jim Burrows.
- 11/19/2021
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Manhattan detective Richard Widmark is up the creek without his .38 special — a maniac killer has stolen it. He’s desperate to get it back, while his personal and professional problems pile up. Henry Fonda, Inger Stevens and Harry Guardino give sterling performances, but the assured direction of Don Siegel is what keeps us on edge throughout. The classic crime saga pushed the limits of the incoming Ratings System — yet provided a style template for a decade of Universal cop shows. Siegel utilizes blunt jarring cutting effects to make its violence feel extra-intense — and for warped screen villainy, Steve Ihnat’s Barney Benesch has no equal — he has less than three minutes of screen time, but you’ll never forget him.
Madigan
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1968 / Color / 2:35 widescreen (Techniscope) / 101 min. / Street Date November 12, 2019 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda, Inger Stevens, Harry Guardino, James Whitmore, Susan Clark,...
Madigan
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1968 / Color / 2:35 widescreen (Techniscope) / 101 min. / Street Date November 12, 2019 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda, Inger Stevens, Harry Guardino, James Whitmore, Susan Clark,...
- 11/16/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Bill Macy, the actor who made an indelible imprint on 1970s sitcoms with his portrayal on Norman Lear’s Maude of the loving if always up-for-an-argument Walter Findlay, died last night in Los Angeles. He was 97.
Macy’s death was announced by his producer and manager Matt Beckoff, writing on Facebook “My buddy Bill Macy passed away at 7:13pm tonight. He was a spitfire right up to the end…My condolences to his beautiful wife Samantha Harper Macy.” (See the post below.)
Macy costarred in the 1972-78 All in the Family spin-off series opposite Bea Arthur, who played the outspoken liberal Maude Findlay, a cousin of Family‘s Edith Bunker.
Macy’s post-Maude credits include 1979’s Steve Martin vehicle The Jerk, 1982’s My Favorite Year, Movers & Shakers (1985), Tales from the Darkside (1986), Me, Myself and I (1992), Analyze This (1999), Surviving Christmas (2004), The Holiday (2006), and Mr. Woodcock (2007), among many others.
Numerous TV...
Macy’s death was announced by his producer and manager Matt Beckoff, writing on Facebook “My buddy Bill Macy passed away at 7:13pm tonight. He was a spitfire right up to the end…My condolences to his beautiful wife Samantha Harper Macy.” (See the post below.)
Macy costarred in the 1972-78 All in the Family spin-off series opposite Bea Arthur, who played the outspoken liberal Maude Findlay, a cousin of Family‘s Edith Bunker.
Macy’s post-Maude credits include 1979’s Steve Martin vehicle The Jerk, 1982’s My Favorite Year, Movers & Shakers (1985), Tales from the Darkside (1986), Me, Myself and I (1992), Analyze This (1999), Surviving Christmas (2004), The Holiday (2006), and Mr. Woodcock (2007), among many others.
Numerous TV...
- 10/18/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Television has a rich history of not only entertaining viewers but also helping them feel less alone.
Since the 1970s, television shows have addressed sensitive and controversial topics like death, abortion, and prejudice.
When it's done right, viewers feel even more connected to their favorite characters and can't get enough, even when the events on screen or tragic.
Related: Get Great Selection of New & Classic Movies with the Lifetime Movie Club via Prime Video Channels!
They might even laugh at a well-timed joke on a comedy about a serious situation!
What's your favorite show that takes on serious issues without being a downer?
Check out our picks and then share yours in the comments!
1. Maude Before Dorothy Zbornak, Bea Arthur was Maude Findlay, Edith Bunker's cousin and Archie's nemesis, who faced her own share of controversy on her own show. Most memorably, Maude decided to have an abortion at age...
Since the 1970s, television shows have addressed sensitive and controversial topics like death, abortion, and prejudice.
When it's done right, viewers feel even more connected to their favorite characters and can't get enough, even when the events on screen or tragic.
Related: Get Great Selection of New & Classic Movies with the Lifetime Movie Club via Prime Video Channels!
They might even laugh at a well-timed joke on a comedy about a serious situation!
What's your favorite show that takes on serious issues without being a downer?
Check out our picks and then share yours in the comments!
1. Maude Before Dorothy Zbornak, Bea Arthur was Maude Findlay, Edith Bunker's cousin and Archie's nemesis, who faced her own share of controversy on her own show. Most memorably, Maude decided to have an abortion at age...
- 10/1/2018
- by Jack Ori
- TVfanatic
Despite a career that spanned more than 70 years, from radio acting in the 1940s to various stage, film and TV appearances over the decades, there's no denying that the late Charlotte Rae made the greatest impact on television viewers with her portrayal of Edna Garrett. It was the role she introduced on the series Diff'rent Strokes (1978-86) and, then, in its spin-off The Facts of Life (1979-88), which scored her a 1982 Emmy Award nomination in the category of Best Supporting Actress. Charlotte may have died on Aug. 5, 2018, after a battle with bone cancer, but one can imagine the incredible joy she would have gotten from the outpouring of love and memories that were devoted to her, conveying just how much of an impression her portrayal has had on the audience. When asked by the Television Academy Foundation what she hoped her legacy would be, she responded, "If I took people...
- 8/7/2018
- by Ed Gross
- Closer Weekly
Alan Thicke had quite the career in front of the camera, most recently popping up on This Is Us and Fuller House, but the beloved sitcom dad also had a hand in things behind the camera, namely writing some of TV's most beloved theme songs. In the 1980s, Thicke, who passed away from a heart attack at 69 on Tuesday, Dec. 13, helped create a number of iconic TV theme songs, most notably the opening numbers for The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes. "It Takes Diff'rent Strokes," the theme song for Diff'rent Strokes, the 1980s comedy starring Gary Coleman, Dana Plato, Todd Bridges and Conrad Bain was composed by Thicke, his then-wife Gloria Loring and Al Burton. Thicke sang on the opening...
- 12/14/2016
- E! Online
The year now ending marks another 12-month period of losing talents who have given television viewers entertainment or information ... and some of those passings, even more sadly, came as major and untimely shocks. Zap2it remembers:
Paul Walker: The actor best-known for the "Fast & Furious" movies had career roots in such TV shows as "Who's the Boss?" "Highway to Heaven" and "Touched by an Angel."
James Gandolfini: He projected so much older as mobster Tony Soprano, many were surprised to learn the three-time Emmy winner only was in his 30s and 40s when he played the part.
Cory Monteith: As Finn Hudson on "Glee," the Canadian-born performer touched fans of all ages both in life and afterward.
Jean Stapleton: Forever TV's top "dingbat," the "All in the Family" actress earned three Emmys as lovably daffy Edith Bunker.
Jonathan Winters: The improvisation genius who inspired his...
Paul Walker: The actor best-known for the "Fast & Furious" movies had career roots in such TV shows as "Who's the Boss?" "Highway to Heaven" and "Touched by an Angel."
James Gandolfini: He projected so much older as mobster Tony Soprano, many were surprised to learn the three-time Emmy winner only was in his 30s and 40s when he played the part.
Cory Monteith: As Finn Hudson on "Glee," the Canadian-born performer touched fans of all ages both in life and afterward.
Jean Stapleton: Forever TV's top "dingbat," the "All in the Family" actress earned three Emmys as lovably daffy Edith Bunker.
Jonathan Winters: The improvisation genius who inspired his...
- 12/31/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
So scary! The ‘Malcolm in the Middle’ star revealed on Nov. 25 that he had just suffered his second mini-stroke and that he was ‘miserable!’
Almost exactly a year ago, Frankie Muniz experienced a mini-stroke. Now, at 27, he’s hoping that after two, he will never have another.
Frankie Muniz Suffers Mini-Stroke
How scary! We’re so glad to hear that Frankie is okay after suffering not one, but two mini-strokes. He shared the bad news on Twitter:
Almost a year to the day, I experienced another mini stroke. Hopefully that will be the last. Miserable.
— Frankie Muniz (@frankiemuniz) November 25, 2013
Transient ischemic attack is the formal name for a “mini-stroke,” which happens when blood stops flowing to the brain, temporarily.
Frankie’s First Mini-Stroke Felt Like ‘Getting Stabbed In The Head’
“I felt like I was getting stabbed in the head – the worst headache you could ever think of. I couldn’t see anything,...
Almost exactly a year ago, Frankie Muniz experienced a mini-stroke. Now, at 27, he’s hoping that after two, he will never have another.
Frankie Muniz Suffers Mini-Stroke
How scary! We’re so glad to hear that Frankie is okay after suffering not one, but two mini-strokes. He shared the bad news on Twitter:
Almost a year to the day, I experienced another mini stroke. Hopefully that will be the last. Miserable.
— Frankie Muniz (@frankiemuniz) November 25, 2013
Transient ischemic attack is the formal name for a “mini-stroke,” which happens when blood stops flowing to the brain, temporarily.
Frankie’s First Mini-Stroke Felt Like ‘Getting Stabbed In The Head’
“I felt like I was getting stabbed in the head – the worst headache you could ever think of. I couldn’t see anything,...
- 11/26/2013
- by Emily Longeretta
- HollywoodLife
Sunday night's Emmy Awards telecast tried to do something a little different by singling out five stars who had recently passed away and independently eulogizing them with anecdotes from their respective former co-stars and friends. The choice courted controversy from the start, especially with Glee's Cory Monteith being one of the stars chosen to be remembered, since many believed that more established stars -- such as Dallas and I Dream of Jeannie favorite Larry Hagman -- were passed over. Et exclusively sat down with Hagman's son, Preston Hagman, to get his take on the matter, and he declared, "If you're going to respect and recognize them, then do it correctly."
Pics: Hit or Miss Fashions of the Emmys
The stars remembered with a special moment on last night's telecast were James Gandolfini, Jonathan Winters, Jean Stapleton, Family Ties creator Gary David Goldberg, and Monteith. Other stars fondly remembered in the In Memoriam montage included Hagman, [link...
Pics: Hit or Miss Fashions of the Emmys
The stars remembered with a special moment on last night's telecast were James Gandolfini, Jonathan Winters, Jean Stapleton, Family Ties creator Gary David Goldberg, and Monteith. Other stars fondly remembered in the In Memoriam montage included Hagman, [link...
- 9/23/2013
- Entertainment Tonight
In a year that found a lot of unexpected upsets, Breaking Bad, Modern Family and Behind the Candelabra were the big winners at The 65th Primetime Emmy Awards Sunday night, airing live from the Nokia Theater in downtown Los Angeles. Read on for the recap…
Click Here for the complete list of winners!
Pics: Hit or Miss Fashions of the Emmys
The Drama
A true victory for a series in its final season, AMC's Breaking Bad was named Outstanding Drama over Mad Men, Game of Thrones, House of Cards, Homeland and Downton Abbey. Show creator Vince Gilligan gasped, "I did not see this coming. I thought it was going to be House of Cards..." Meanwhile, HBO's Behind the Candelabra was named Outstanding Movie or Miniseries. The Liberace biopic earned its star Michael Douglas his first Emmy in the title role and also gave director Steven Soderbergh his first shiny lady. Upon winning...
Click Here for the complete list of winners!
Pics: Hit or Miss Fashions of the Emmys
The Drama
A true victory for a series in its final season, AMC's Breaking Bad was named Outstanding Drama over Mad Men, Game of Thrones, House of Cards, Homeland and Downton Abbey. Show creator Vince Gilligan gasped, "I did not see this coming. I thought it was going to be House of Cards..." Meanwhile, HBO's Behind the Candelabra was named Outstanding Movie or Miniseries. The Liberace biopic earned its star Michael Douglas his first Emmy in the title role and also gave director Steven Soderbergh his first shiny lady. Upon winning...
- 9/23/2013
- Entertainment Tonight
Todd Bridges rose to fame on the hit show "Diff'rent Strokes," but his life spiraled out of control after the show went off the air in the mid-'80s. In 2010, Bridges appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" to open up about some of his darkest days, including his battle with addiction, his numerous arrests, and the sexual abuse he suffered as a child.
"Oprah: Where Are The Now?" cameras recently caught up with Bridges, who says he's been sober for 20 years. A father of two, he says his relationship with his children is modeled after the close bond he had with his TV dad, actor Conrad Bain. "Conrad Bain was like my real father, I looked at him that way," Bridges says. "He was a great man."
Bain passed away in January 2013, which was difficult for Bridges. "I talked to him all the time," he says. "When he passed away,...
"Oprah: Where Are The Now?" cameras recently caught up with Bridges, who says he's been sober for 20 years. A father of two, he says his relationship with his children is modeled after the close bond he had with his TV dad, actor Conrad Bain. "Conrad Bain was like my real father, I looked at him that way," Bridges says. "He was a great man."
Bain passed away in January 2013, which was difficult for Bridges. "I talked to him all the time," he says. "When he passed away,...
- 8/20/2013
- by Lynn Okura
- Huffington Post
The cast of "Diff'rent Strokes" may have lived a life of luxury on screen, but many of them fell on hard times after the show.Dana Plato, who played Kimberly Drummond, struggled with sobriety in her adult life and committed suicide in 1999 at age 34. Gary Coleman, who played Arnold Jackson, faced numerous health, financial and domestic issues. He died at the age of 42 from head injuries sustained in a fall. Even Conrad Bain, who portrayed patriarch Phillip Drummond, passed away earlier this year.Of the TV family, only Todd Bridges is still alive, but his fate was almost the same as his costars. During his twenties, he battled a crack cocaine addiction which lead to legal issues when he was tried for attempted murder of a Los Angeles area drug dealer. Following multiple arrests, numerous rehab attempts, Todd confessed on the "The Oprah Winfrey Show" to pimping and drug dealing.
- 8/17/2013
- by tooFab Staff
- TooFab
Bonnie Franklin, the pert, redheaded actress whom millions came to identify with for her role as divorced mom Ann Romano on the long-running sitcom One Day at a Time, has died.
She died Friday at her home in Los Angeles due to complications from pancreatic cancer, family members said. She was 69. Her family had announced she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in September.
Franklin was a veteran stage and television performer before One Day At a Time made her a star.
Developed by Norman Lear and co-created by Whitney Blake – herself a former sitcom star and single mother raising future...
She died Friday at her home in Los Angeles due to complications from pancreatic cancer, family members said. She was 69. Her family had announced she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in September.
Franklin was a veteran stage and television performer before One Day At a Time made her a star.
Developed by Norman Lear and co-created by Whitney Blake – herself a former sitcom star and single mother raising future...
- 3/1/2013
- by Associated Press
- EW - Inside TV
Where were Andy Griffith, Larry Hagman and other well-known celebrities in this year's Oscars In Memoriam montage? They were online at Oscar.com.
Every year it's one of the more reliably ridiculous award show controversies: Who didn't make the cut for In Memoriam?
When it comes to the Oscars, these "snubs" are particularly sensitive given the prestige and viewership of the show, and the fact that the montage inevitably leaves out names and faces of recognizable stars -- usually those known far more for their work in television than their work in film, which is the medium that the Academy Awards actually celebrate.
However, the Academy is hip to the annual controversy and this year produced a supplemental slideshow on their website featuring 114 names and photos of entertainers and film craftspeople who passed away in the past year.
Among the late greats included in the slideshow but not on the...
Every year it's one of the more reliably ridiculous award show controversies: Who didn't make the cut for In Memoriam?
When it comes to the Oscars, these "snubs" are particularly sensitive given the prestige and viewership of the show, and the fact that the montage inevitably leaves out names and faces of recognizable stars -- usually those known far more for their work in television than their work in film, which is the medium that the Academy Awards actually celebrate.
However, the Academy is hip to the annual controversy and this year produced a supplemental slideshow on their website featuring 114 names and photos of entertainers and film craftspeople who passed away in the past year.
Among the late greats included in the slideshow but not on the...
- 2/25/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Features, Interviews and Reviews The World's Most Manliest Man Movies by Evan Saathoff Listen: On 'The Dirties' Being the Most Accurate Portrayal of School Violence We've Ever Seen by Erik Davis Why Alex Pettyfer Could Hurt ‘Divergent’ by Perri Nemiroff Listen: 'The Dirties' Director and Star Matthew Johnson on Winning Slamdance, School Violence and More by Erik Davis 'The Dark Knight Returns' vs. 'The Dark Knight Rises': Which Has the Better Ending for Batman? by Chris Clow Remembering Conrad Bain, Michael Winner and More Reel-Important People We Lost This Month by Christopher Campbell Bad Romance: Which Monster Makes the Least-Bad Boyfriend? by Amy Nicholson Watch: The Schmoes...
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- 2/2/2013
- by Peter Hall
- Movies.com
Reel Important People is a monthly column that highlights those individuals in or related to the movies who have left us in recent weeks. Below you'll find names big and small and from all areas of the industry, though each was significant to the movies in their own way. Conrad Bain (1923-2013) - Actor best known for his TV roles as Phillip Drummond on Diff'rent Strokes and Dr. Arthur Harmon on Maude. He also appears in the films Bananas, Postcards from the Edge, Coogan's Bluff and C.H.O.M.P.S. (see him in the trailer below). He died on January 14. (Deadline) Sir Richard Rodney Bennett (1936-2012) - Composer nominated three times for the Oscar for his scores to Far from the Maddening Crowd, Nicholas and Alexandra and Murder on the Orient Express...
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- 2/1/2013
- by Christopher Campbell
- Movies.com
The ensemble casts of Argo and Downton Abbey upset the competition at the 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards Sunday night at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. In the ceremony honoring the year's best performances in film and television, other unexpected and/or well-deserved wins went to Daniel Day-Lewis, Jennifer Lawrence, Bryan Cranston, Tina Fey, Anne Hathaway and Claire Danes. Read on for the recap…
Click Here for the complete list of winners.
The Best Ensembles
The night's top award, Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, went to the 13 actors of Argo, with a stunned Ben Affleck excitedly making sure he thanked his wife Jennifer Garner and studio, Warner Bros. in the middle of lauding the many speaking roles required for his film: "They wanted to kill it to make the movie better," he said, declaring of the win, "I am really amazed and stunned." The true-life Iran hostage tale beat out Lincoln...
Click Here for the complete list of winners.
The Best Ensembles
The night's top award, Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, went to the 13 actors of Argo, with a stunned Ben Affleck excitedly making sure he thanked his wife Jennifer Garner and studio, Warner Bros. in the middle of lauding the many speaking roles required for his film: "They wanted to kill it to make the movie better," he said, declaring of the win, "I am really amazed and stunned." The true-life Iran hostage tale beat out Lincoln...
- 1/28/2013
- Entertainment Tonight
Actor Conrad Bain has died at the age of 89. According to his daughter Jennifer, he passed away from natural causes on Monday in Livermore, CA. He was three weeks shy of his 90th birthday.
Bain was born and Canada, served in the Canadian Army during World War II, and began his career on Broadway.
He appeared on many shows on television but was best known for playing Phillip Drummond on Diff'rent Strokes. A wealthy resident of Park Avenue, Mister Drummond adopts two African American boys from Harlem (Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges) after the death of their mother, Drummond's former housekeeper.
The series ran for seven seasons on NBC (1978-1985) and one season on ABC (1985-1986). In 1996, Bain and Coleman reprised their roles for the series finale of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Prior to...
Bain was born and Canada, served in the Canadian Army during World War II, and began his career on Broadway.
He appeared on many shows on television but was best known for playing Phillip Drummond on Diff'rent Strokes. A wealthy resident of Park Avenue, Mister Drummond adopts two African American boys from Harlem (Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges) after the death of their mother, Drummond's former housekeeper.
The series ran for seven seasons on NBC (1978-1985) and one season on ABC (1985-1986). In 1996, Bain and Coleman reprised their roles for the series finale of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Prior to...
- 1/18/2013
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
The original advice columnist who counseled millions of readers through her syndicated "Dear Abby" column has died. Pauline Phillips, aka Abigail Van Buren, died Wednesday at 94, according to TMZ. No cause of death was provided, but Phillips had struggled with Alzheimer's disease since 2002, the year she stopped writing the column. Her daughter Jeanne Phillips took it over and continues to write it. Story: 'Diff'rent Strokes' Dad Conrad Bain Dies at 89 Phillips founded the "Dear Abby" column in 1956 under the pen name Abigail Van Buren, a pseudonym derived from the Bible (Abigail) and the eighth president of the
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- 1/17/2013
- by Joshua Stecker
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Diff'rent Strokes star Todd Bridges has paid tribute to Conrad Bain, who passed away earlier this week at the age of 89. Bridges appeared as Willis, the adopted son of Bain's character Mr Drummond, in the legendary NBC comedy. He has now told The Hollywood Reporter that discovering Bain had passed away led to "one of the most heart-wrenching days" he had experienced. "That Conrad's not going to be around anymore to talk to," he said. "Whenever I needed advice, I'd call Conrad." (more)...
- 1/17/2013
- by By Catriona Wightman
- Digital Spy
It's been a tough ride for many of the castmembers of Diff'rent strokes over the years. Nearly all of its child stars, Gary Coleman, Todd Bridges and Dana Plato suffered various substance abuse and emotional problems, with Plato actually ending up dying young. But their father figure didn't have quite as rough of a go. [...]
Diff'rent Strokes' Conrad Bain Dies at 89...
Diff'rent Strokes' Conrad Bain Dies at 89...
- 1/17/2013
- by Paul
- TVovermind.com
TV Line has visited the set of Glee, and has news about our favorite couples. As for Britianna, well, there are going to be a lot of angry lesbians out there. And when it comes to Klaine, Darren Criss says that he and Kurt do "suss out" their relationship, but there's a new love interest for Kurt, and Blaine "strikes [up] a new relationship, not a romantic relationship – or maybe it is – with somebody who’s already been around, who is now more involved in Blaine’s life. They’ve kind of taken a new step in their relationship.” Clear as mud?
John Mulholland, editor of the British Observer, has released a statement about that horrible transphobic article over the weekend. "We have decided to withdraw from publication the Julie Burchill comment piece 'Transsexuals should cut it out'. The piece was an attempt to explore contentious issues within what had become a highly-charged debate.
John Mulholland, editor of the British Observer, has released a statement about that horrible transphobic article over the weekend. "We have decided to withdraw from publication the Julie Burchill comment piece 'Transsexuals should cut it out'. The piece was an attempt to explore contentious issues within what had become a highly-charged debate.
- 1/17/2013
- by lostinmiami
- The Backlot
Archer returns tonight and in my house
so does the question, "They've got cell phones and Soviets? What year is this?"
News
Vampire Diaries producer Julie Plec tells EW that spin-off series The Originals has been discussed for about two years, which I guess explains why the Originals stuck around long past their expiration date. Plec also says that Daniel Gillies would always be welcome on the spin-off, but that's up to Gillies.
This is turning out to be a week of the axe falling on cable shows. Yesterday it was bad news for Drop Dead Diva now, Syfy has cancelled Alphas.
Taking a cue from The Killing, TNT has ordered a pilot from Steven Bochco that will follow a murder investigation over a season. This isn't the first time Bochco has tried to tell a season-long story, in 1995 critics tried to convince viewers to pick up Murder One, which...
so does the question, "They've got cell phones and Soviets? What year is this?"
News
Vampire Diaries producer Julie Plec tells EW that spin-off series The Originals has been discussed for about two years, which I guess explains why the Originals stuck around long past their expiration date. Plec also says that Daniel Gillies would always be welcome on the spin-off, but that's up to Gillies.
This is turning out to be a week of the axe falling on cable shows. Yesterday it was bad news for Drop Dead Diva now, Syfy has cancelled Alphas.
Taking a cue from The Killing, TNT has ordered a pilot from Steven Bochco that will follow a murder investigation over a season. This isn't the first time Bochco has tried to tell a season-long story, in 1995 critics tried to convince viewers to pick up Murder One, which...
- 1/17/2013
- by LyleMasaki
- The Backlot
Conrad Bain, who starred as Phil Drummond, the rich white businessman who adopts Harlem kids Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges on the popular sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes," has died. He was 89. He starred in many movies during his career and made TV appearances on such shows as "The Facts of Life," "The Love Boat," "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." In other news, John McTiernan (Die Hard, Predator, The Hunt for Red October, The Thomas Crown Affair) has been sentenced to serve one year in prison for his role in the Anthony Pellicano wiretapping scandal. He actually filed a guilty plea two years ago, but has spent the last two years attempting to reverse it. On Monday, the Supreme Court decided not to hear his appeal, which means that his prison sentence will remain. McTiernan was charged with two counts of making false statements to the FBI in 2006 and one count of...
- 1/17/2013
- WorstPreviews.com
The death of Conrad Bain at age 89 has hit no one harder than Todd Bridges, who for eight seasons played adopted son to Bain's millionaire character Mr. Drummond on the hit NBC sitcom Diff'rent Strokes. Now the sole survivor of the show's core cast -- Dana Plato committed suicide in 1999, and Gary Coleman died after falling down a flight of stairs in 2010 -- Bridges says he'll miss the man who was his surrogate father both on and off the screen. "This is probably one of the most heart-wrenching days I’ve had in a long time," Bridges, now 47, tells
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- 1/17/2013
- by Seth Abramovitch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Conrad Bain, who died Monday at age 89, was the "glue" of Diff'rent Strokes, according to his former costar Todd Bridges. But was Diff'rent Strokes a show that ever really had it together? In its day, the Gary Coleman-led show was a critically unloved broadcast-network sitcom that took the "broad" part of its definition seriously—there was nothing subtle about Drummond humor. After its run, it became the symbol for all that could go wrong with child stardom—the excesses, the arrests, the failed comebacks, the too-soon deaths that, in the case of Dana Plato and her son Tyler Lambert, bled into a second generation. Where's the glue there? Where's...
- 1/16/2013
- E! Online
Conrad Bain, who served for years as the eternally understanding adopting father to the American melting pot on Diff’rent Strokes, has died. Reports say that Bain died of natural causes at the age of 89. Bain was an actor who spent time doing Shakespeare and classic dramas on Broadway like The Iceman Cometh, Candide, and Uncle Vanya before breaking into film and TV in the late ’50s and early ’60s. Among his most notable early roles was on Dark Shadows as the town innkeeper—a two-season run that ignobly ended with his being killed by a werewolf. From there ...
- 1/16/2013
- avclub.com
Conrad Bain, who played wealthy widower and adoptive father Phillip Drummond on the TV comedy Diff’rent Strokes, died Monday. He was 89. Bain passed away of natural causes at his home in Livermore, CA, his daughter Jennifer Bain tells The Associated Press. Bain made his New York theater debut in 1956 as Larry Slade in The Iceman Cometh at the Circle in the Square. He eventually ventured into TV, including the role of Dr. Arthur Harmon in the comedy Maude starring Bea Arthur which aired on CBS from 1972-1978. From Maude he went on to play his most famous role on Diff’rent Strokes, as the adoptive father of two young brothers played by Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges. The series aired for seven seasons on NBC (1978-1985) and one season on ABC (1985-1986). Before his roles on Maude and Diff’rent Strokes, Bain had appeared occasionally in films, including A Lovely Way To Die,...
- 1/16/2013
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
Conrad Bain, who played Philip Drummond, the wealthy white widower who adopted two young African-American brothers in the hit sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes," died Monday, the Associated Press reports. He was 89. Bain died in Livermore, Calif., on Monday, his daughter told the AP. She said he died of natural causes. Also read: Hollywood Says Goodbye: Notable Celebrity Deaths of 2012 Born in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada in 1923, Bain studied at the Banff School of Fine Arts before serving in the Canadian Army during World War II. He later picked up his studies in...
- 1/16/2013
- by Tim Kenneally
- The Wrap
Conrad Bain has died. The actor, who played single dad Mr. Drummond on Diff'rent Strokes, passed away Monday at his home in Livermore, Calif., of natural causes, according to his daughter, Jennifer Bain. He was 89. Todd Bridges, ones of Bain's troubled young costars on the 1978-89 sitcom that was equal parts beloved and notorious, once recalled that the elder actor was more of a father to him than his own biological father was. On Tuesday, Bridges said he was "deeply saddened" by Bain's death, and noted that he'd been looking forward to celebrating the actor's 90th birthday next month. "In addition to being a positive and supportive father figure both on and...
- 1/16/2013
- E! Online
As square white dads go, Conrad Bain was one of the best. While he had roles in everything from Dark Shadows to The Love Boat to Maude, his most famous part was that of Phillip Drummond, a millionaire widower who adopts African-American brothers Arnold and Willis after their mother passes away on Diff’rent Strokes. Bain himself passed away Monday night at a retirement home in Livermore, California. No further details about the actor’s death have been given. He was 89.
Starring opposite Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges for eight seasons of the wildly successful sitcom, Bain was America’s favorite uncool old dad from 1978 to 1986. “He was an amazing person. He was a lot like Mr. Drummond, but much more interesting in real life. He was an amazing father,” his daughter Jennifer told TMZ. Nice, nerdy and constantly wearing a cozy sweater, Bain always knew what Willis was talking about.
Starring opposite Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges for eight seasons of the wildly successful sitcom, Bain was America’s favorite uncool old dad from 1978 to 1986. “He was an amazing person. He was a lot like Mr. Drummond, but much more interesting in real life. He was an amazing father,” his daughter Jennifer told TMZ. Nice, nerdy and constantly wearing a cozy sweater, Bain always knew what Willis was talking about.
- 1/16/2013
- by Halle Kiefer
- TheFabLife - Movies
Conrad Bain, the easygoing TV star who played the Park Avenue father on the 1978-85 sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, died in his hometown of Livermore, Calif., on Monday. He was 89. His daughter, Jennifer Bain, confirmed his death to People, and said her father died of natural causes. "He'd been unconscious for a couple of days, but he was comfortable and it was very peaceful," she said of her dad, who also played the argumentative neighbor on the 1972-78 hit show Maude. "I was able to be with him very close to the end [and] able to put my ear to his heart and sing him songs.
- 1/16/2013
- by Champ Clark and Stephen M. Silverman
- PEOPLE.com
So sad. Conrad Bain, who played the father on ‘Diff’rent Strokes,’ died on Jan. 14 surrounded by his family in Livermore, CA.
Diff’rent Strokes and Maude star Conrad Bain died on Jan. 14. Further details about Conrad’s death have reportedly not yet been determined.
“He was an amazing person. He was a lot like Mr. Drummond, but much more interesting in real life. He was an amazing father,” Conrad’s daughter Jennifer told TMZ, comparing her father to his Diff’rent Strokes character Philip Drummond.
Conrad starred opposite Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges on the iconic 80s series, which made ”What’chu talkin‘ ‘bout, Willis?” a household phrase.
The actor, who would have turned 90 on Feb. 4, last made his mark in television on the series Unforgettable — he starred in one episode in 2011. Before that, it was an appearance on an episode of The French Prince of Bel-Air in 1996.
Conrad...
Diff’rent Strokes and Maude star Conrad Bain died on Jan. 14. Further details about Conrad’s death have reportedly not yet been determined.
“He was an amazing person. He was a lot like Mr. Drummond, but much more interesting in real life. He was an amazing father,” Conrad’s daughter Jennifer told TMZ, comparing her father to his Diff’rent Strokes character Philip Drummond.
Conrad starred opposite Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges on the iconic 80s series, which made ”What’chu talkin‘ ‘bout, Willis?” a household phrase.
The actor, who would have turned 90 on Feb. 4, last made his mark in television on the series Unforgettable — he starred in one episode in 2011. Before that, it was an appearance on an episode of The French Prince of Bel-Air in 1996.
Conrad...
- 1/16/2013
- by Christopher Rogers
- HollywoodLife
Conrad Bain, best known for playing Philip Drummond on Diff'rent Strokes, has passed away. He was 89 years old.
Bain died Monday night in his hometown of Livermore, CA, of natural causes, The Washington Post reports.
Related: Gary Coleman's 'Diff'rent Strokes' Co-Stars React to His Death
Bain's television credits include the 1972 series Maude, and guest star appearances on The Facts of Life and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, in which he reprose his iconic Mr. Drummond role. The show that made him famous -- Diff'rent Strokes -- debuted in 1978 and lasted eight seasons.
Related: 'Diff'rent Strokes' Star Todd Bridges & Wife Split
He has three sons and one daughter with wife Monica Sloan, who passed away in 2009. He is also survived by his twin brother Bonar Bain.
Bain died Monday night in his hometown of Livermore, CA, of natural causes, The Washington Post reports.
Related: Gary Coleman's 'Diff'rent Strokes' Co-Stars React to His Death
Bain's television credits include the 1972 series Maude, and guest star appearances on The Facts of Life and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, in which he reprose his iconic Mr. Drummond role. The show that made him famous -- Diff'rent Strokes -- debuted in 1978 and lasted eight seasons.
Related: 'Diff'rent Strokes' Star Todd Bridges & Wife Split
He has three sons and one daughter with wife Monica Sloan, who passed away in 2009. He is also survived by his twin brother Bonar Bain.
- 1/16/2013
- Entertainment Tonight
Livermore, Calif. (AP) — Conrad Bain, who starred as the kindly white adoptive father of two young African-American brothers in the TV sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes," has died. His daughter says Bain died Monday of natural causes in his hometown of Livermore, Calif. He was 89. The show that debuted on NBC in 1978 was most noticed for its child actors, especially Gary Coleman, who played the younger brother. Bain often was straight man to Coleman's comic. Before "Diff'rent Strokes," Bain played conservative neighbor Dr. Arthur Harmon on the feminist sitcom "Maude." He also was a journeyman actor on...
- 1/16/2013
- by AP Staff
- Hitfix
"Diff'rent Strokes" star Todd Bridges is inconsolable in the wake of Conrad Bain's death -- telling TMZ, he just spoke to Bain last week and everything seemed fine.Bridges tells us, "I am deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Conrad as we were looking forward to celebrating his 90th birthday next month."He added, "In addition to being a positive and supportive father figure both on and off-screen, Conrad was well-loved and made...
- 1/16/2013
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
Conrad Bain, best known for playing Diff’rent Strokes patriarch Philip Drummond, died Monday in Livermore, CA, The Associated Press confirms. He was 89.
Bain’s passing leaves Todd Bridges as the only surviving member of Diff’rent Strokes core four: Costars Dana Plato and Gary Coleman died respectively in 1999 and 2010.
From 1978 to 1986, Bain starred on Diff’rent Strokes as a wealthy New York businessman who adopted the two sons of his late African-American maid. The show first aired for seven seasons on NBC, and later jumped to ABC for its eighth and final year.
Bain rose to fame playing Arthur Harmon,...
Bain’s passing leaves Todd Bridges as the only surviving member of Diff’rent Strokes core four: Costars Dana Plato and Gary Coleman died respectively in 1999 and 2010.
From 1978 to 1986, Bain starred on Diff’rent Strokes as a wealthy New York businessman who adopted the two sons of his late African-American maid. The show first aired for seven seasons on NBC, and later jumped to ABC for its eighth and final year.
Bain rose to fame playing Arthur Harmon,...
- 1/16/2013
- by Michael Slezak
- TVLine.com
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