Stories

Redd Foxx said the key to Sanford and Son's success was honesty

The actor and legendary comedian had faith in the power of humor, and along with honesty, that made the show popular.

Here's how Happy Days helped Ron Howard mature

All Ron Howard wanted was to act his age.

Marjorie Lord felt she was too critical of herself on television

Even TV stars can get insecure sometimes!

Dick Van Dyke did his best to avoid any changes on his hit series

He wanted to change everything about television, but nothing about The Dick Van Dyke Show.

Danny Thomas said he worked with ''Hollywood's finest child actor'' on The Danny Thomas Show

The fictional father-son duo kept up the act even after the cameras quit rolling.

Love, American Style was called ''Love Impossible'' on the set

Margolin wanted the American public to fall in love with Love, American Style.

The Love Boat's Lauren Tewes enjoyed getting fan mail

Lauren Tewes loved acting and the perks that came with it, including fan mail.

LaWanda Page was scared to make mistakes when she first appeared on Sanford and Son

The actress didn't want to disappoint her mom, Redd Foxx and viewers.

Here's what Lucille Ball had to say about staying successful

It's time to pull up a chair and learn a few lessons from Lucy!

Valerie Harper's real-life pregnancy depended on her television career

Valerie Harper already had so much going for her, so why not add a baby to the mix?

Dave Coulier was able to show his love for hockey during his time on Full House

Coulier has a successful acting career, but his greatest memory happened in an ice rink with a hockey legend.

One of Harvey Korman’s biggest worries was time

Time was Korman’s toughest critic!

Frank Sutton used his real military experience on Gomer Pyle: USMC

Sutton was a real Army veteran with a fictional Marine background.

Donna Douglas was a ''friendly critter'' towards all animals on The Beverly Hillbillies

She had a genuine love for pets of all shapes, sizes, and kinds.

LaWanda Page didn't allow her success on Sanford and Son to spoil her

LaWanda Page didn't care about fame, cars or money; She just wanted to play the part of Aunt Esther.

The Love Boat helped Bernie Kopell wash away his previous roles

Love Boat fans knew of Adam Bricker, but no one knew the name of the actor who played him.

Fred MacMurray was ''semi-retired'' while on My Three Sons

MacMurray was such a low-pressure kind of guy that he even "semi-retired" while still working.

Don Adams used his past roles to build upon his role in Get Smart

Don Adams was clever in his portrayal of Maxwell Smart.

Carroll O'Connor once said that All in the Family could have gone on without Archie Bunker

O'Connor was aware that the success of the series didn't rest solely on his shoulders.

The Love Boat's Ted Lange once wrote a rock musical

Who knew this bartender on The Love Boat was so rock and roll?!

Here's how Mike Nesmith handled Monkees mania and its screaming fans

It’s clear the band knew how to hit the right note!

Mary Tyler Moore only had the best things to say about Dick Van Dyke

Find someone who talks about you the way Mary Tyler Moore talked about Dick Van Dyke.

Finding new ways to relate to women was an important job for Hot in Cleveland

This one's for the girls!

Marjorie Lord from The Danny Thomas Show wanted stronger women on TV

Guess the show should’ve been called "Make Room for Mommy!" instead!

Ted Lange loved the perks that came along with The Love Boat

Ted Lange fell in love with The Love Boat and all the perks that came with working on a cruise ship.

Barry Williams chose The Brady Bunch over his social life

Barry Williams didn't need a girlfriend as a young man, he was already in love with The Brady Bunch.

Tom Bosley shared a lot in common with his Happy Days character

Bosley built a career on being a dad.

Jean Stapleton was a Hollywood star, but she lived in rural Pennsylvania

Stapleton was a real-life Hollywood Hillbilly. From Los Angeles to Pennsylvania, she liked living two different lifestyles.

LaWanda Page said Redd Foxx rehearsed with her so she wouldn't get fired

When producers wanted to replace Page, Foxx stood up for his longtime friend and rehearsed lines with her.

Despite his role in My Three Sons, William Frawley was ''undomesticated''

The character was the authority on cooking, cleaning and caretaking; the actor lacked that skill set.

Here's the advice Audrey Meadows would get from Honeymooners fans

Meadows received advice from women all over the country on how to handle her fictional husband!

Ron Howard used Happy Days as a chance to shed his ''Opie'' image

His role as Richie helped him grow up and grow out of his "Opie" character.

Vivian Vance traveled over 3,000 miles to work on The Lucy Show

Vivian Vance was a Hollywood legend who lived in Connecticut. She must have had a lot of frequent flyer miles.

Buddy Ebsen believed classic TV viewers needed a father figure

Ebsen thought Jed Clampett could be the dad everyone needed and wanted in the ’60s.

1971 saw Jean Stapleton bring home the gold to an adoring Pennsylvania crowd

Edith got a warm Chambersburg, PA welcome after winning her first Emmy

Critics couldn’t shake Tom Bosley or Happy Days

These critics had seen happier days.

Here's how Vicki Lawrence really felt about Carol Burnett

"We're a lot alike," said Lawrence.

A real experience made Vivian Vance an advocate for mental health

Vivian Vance had a big role to play as Lucille Ball's sidekick.

Here's what made The Monkees a bunch of millionaires

What happens when a guy in his early 20s becomes a millionaire over night? Michael Nesmith has the answer!

Penny Marshall didn't care about what the critics had to say

And with a number one show on television, why would she?

Jean Stapleton was thankful she didn't have to choose between family and career

One could argue that her career was family.

Robert Reed lived in half of a mansion during The Brady Bunch

Robert Reed lived in a giant mansion in the early '70s! Well, he lived in half of one actually.

Alan Hale Jr. was constantly mistaken for his father in the '60s

Everyone thought Alan Hale Jr. was Alan Hale Sr. throughout his acting career. A real like father, like son moment.

Gale Gordon wasn't concerned with awards during his time on Here's Lucy

Award or no award. Gordon had everything he needed in Here’s Lucy.

Desi Arnaz Jr. revealed that his superstar parents were actually just like everybody else

"We put them on a pedestal and think of them as being different. Even I bought into that!"

Fred Grandy said he ''reached a plateau'' on The Love Boat, so he pivoted to politics

Gopher was a politician, too!

Norman Lear had a special message hidden inside Sanford and Son and All in the Family

Norman Lear did what he wanted and didn't care who saw — even if it was thousands of TV viewers.

At 20, Don Grady was an actor, a writer and composer for My Three Sons

Grady became a triple threat at the age of 20!

At first, Henry Winkler didn't know the impact The Fonz would have on TV

In the hearts of classic TV fans, he’ll always be The Fonz.

Judd Hirsch wanted Taxi fans to step up after the series was put on hold by NBC

On paper, Taxi had everything it needed to succeed, but in reality, the series had many ups and downs.

Jean Stapleton was never interested in the role of the leading lady

"I knew where I belonged," said the actor.

Lauren Tewes credited her Love Boat co-stars with helping her adjust to The Love Boat

"I'm surrounded by a wonderful professional cast," said the actor.

Norman Lear revealed All in the Family's British roots

The producer spilled the beans (and toast!)

When she wasn't filming, Vicki Lawrence was a real 'Mama' at home

Not only did Vicki Lawrence play a full-time Mama on Mama's Family, but she also played a full-time mom at home.

Marlo Thomas was a girl who just wanted her privacy

She liked to keep her guard up at all times — sometimes quite literally — as she often had issues with the press.

Vivian Vance said that ''there was no boss'' on the set of I Love Lucy

Vance also said that she and Lucille Ball balanced each other out.

Carol Burnett was afraid of being typecast in the early 1970s

Carol Burnett was known for being a queen of comedy, and that was part of her problem.

Marilu Henner helped real-life cab drivers when she wasn't acting on Taxi

Marilu Henner took her Taxi fame for a ride straight to the streets of New York!

Here's why Betty White's humor never got old

She proved that laughter really is the golden ticket!

Maureen McCormick on why she doesn't like to watch The Brady Bunch

The actor wasn't a fan of reruns.

Alan Hale Jr. was focused on becoming a ''working actor'' like his father

The actor wasn't concerned with stardom.

Anson Williams wasn't the only singer on the Happy Days cast

Think of all the musical acts we could have had!

Ted Knight's character on The Mary Tyler Moore Show was a lot like him

There were some days Ted Knight would look in the mirror and only see Ted Baxter.

Here's what the ''drinks'' on The Love Boat were actually made of

Ted Lange, who played Isaac Washington, revealed the truth.

Demond Wilson recalled the moment he and Redd Foxx became friends

The Sanford and Son stars' friendship began with a hilarious story about Wilson being asked to stick his head in a tire!

Ron Howard enjoyed living in the 1950s for his Happy Days role

Ron Howard was living in two decades at the same time.

Here's what everyone was doing after The Dick Van Dyke Show ended

The Dick Van Dyke Show was a hard series to leave behind, but these stars had future plans!

Lauren Tewes on the similarities between herself and her character on The Love Boat

"There's a lot of me in her, but there's really none of her in me."

Harvey Korman said that he didn't look for ''comedy'' in sketches on The Carol Burnett Show

Korman was a professional.

Cindy Williams loved playing the role of Shirley on Laverne & Shirley

Cindy Williams and Penny Marshall were surprised when Laverne & Shirley became one of the most-watched TV series in the country.

How Marlo Thomas gave Danny Thomas the worst Father’s Day gift possible

The decision to act came easily for everyone—except Marlo's parents.

Jean Stapleton was a true American revolutionary, according to Carroll O'Connor

"Edith helped work a change in America," O'Connor wrote.

Vicki Lawrence got her start through Carol Burnett when she was only 17

Vicki Lawrence and Carol Burnett's friendship started in one of the most unique ways.

Lucille Ball's minor injuries on I Love Lucy showed her dedication to performing

Lucille Ball was a bundle of bruises, sprains and scratches.

Harvey Korman on the type of chemistry it took to make The Carol Burnett Show work

Korman was proof that cast chemistry was key to comedy gold!

The Love Boat's Fred Grandy preferred to be on land

When Grandy wasn't filming for The Love Boat, he said he would avoid boats altogether.

At first, Norman Lear was against Sammy Davis Jr. appearing in All in the Family

The popular episode that almost never was.

R.I.P. Demond Wilson, Lamont on Sanford and Son

The Sanford and Son star known for playing Lamont has passed away at 79.

Penny Marshall was afraid of stardom during her time on Laverne & Shirley

Penny Marshall dealt with different degrees of pressure during her time on the show. One of those pressures came from herself.

Marlo Thomas was an inspiration to strong, independent women

Marlo Thomas stood on business.

This was Carol Burnett's favorite sketch on The Carol Burnett Show

"We were over the top. "

Gavin MacLeod went from playing villains to being considered a comedy hero

When Gavin MacLeod lost his hair, he started getting typecasted as the big, bald, bad guy.

Art Carney on the realism of The Honeymooners

"People accepted us that way," said the actor.

Vicki Lawrence called Thelma Harper ''a lonely old lady''

"She parallels many people in everybody's family," Lawrence said.

Jean Stapleton considered herself an introvert

Offstage, she was much more reserved.

Here's the advice Lucille Ball gave to aspiring actors and entertainers

What's Lucy's secret to success? Grape stomping, bear wrestling, silliness and a lot of hard work.

Here's why Family Affair's Sebastian Cabot didn't like working with dogs

No dog? No problem. Cabot didn't like working with dogs for one big reason.

There was nothing in the norm when it came to George Wendt's success on Cheers

George Wendt loved many things about playing the role of Norm, but surprisingly, drinking beer wasn't one of them.

Richard Moll was once called himself ''The Midwest Mr. T''

A bald, seemingly intimidating actor who overcame many obstacles in life — textbook Mr. T and Mr. Moll.

When Gilligan's Island ended, an exhausted Bob Denver got a boat of his own

The actor had worked a three-year tour with just one day off.

Lucille Ball helped Carol Burnett early in her career

These two ladies had a powerful bond.

Carol Burnett and Vicki Lawrence shared an unforgettable reunion during the second season of Palm Royale

Burnett said that seeing her friend was "like old times."

This was Jill Whelan's real opinion on her on-screen father, Gavin MacLeod

"It's a great show to work on," said Whelan.

The role of The Fonz almost went to a Monkee

It came down to him and Henry Winkler.