Stories
This was Carol Burnett's favorite sketch on The Carol Burnett Show
"We were over the top. "
Vicki Lawrence wanted Mama to mellow out by season two
Originally, critics slammed the series by saying that Mama was too harsh.
Ja'Net DuBois sometimes felt insecure in her role on Good Times
Anyone can feel insecure standing next to a seasoned actress like Esther Rolle.
Night Court's Harry Anderson had a tough start to his success
A little magic goes a long way.
Vicki Lawrence put the meaning of family in Mama's Family
Burnett helped inspire the family members of Mama's Family, and Lawrence wasn't sure she was ready to be head of the household.
Tina Louise would have picked Manhattan over Gilligan's Island
Oops! Looks like Tina Louise would have rather been stranded somewhere else.
The Love Boat's Lauren Tewes was said to be the next Mary Tyler Moore
Lauren Tewes had a few things in common with Mary Tyler Moore, including her love for acting.
Wives saved The Dick Van Dyke Show from cancellation
The Dick Van Dyke Show received assistance from an unlikely source.
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.
Gavin MacLeod believed that The Love Boat was an escape for viewers
It wasn't just a cruise ship and show; it was happiness for many.
Lucille Ball's minor injuries on I Love Lucy showed her dedication to performing
Lucille Ball was a bundle of bruises, sprains and scratches.
Suzanne Pleshette on her TV marriage with Bob Newhart
Pleshette loved her onscreen marriage with Bob Newhart just as much as we loved watching it unfold on our TV screens.
Kathy Garver wanted her character on Family Affair to grow up
Garver was all grown up and just wanted her character to catch up.
Finding new ways to relate to women was an important job for Hot in Cleveland
This one's for the girls!
Success was the only thing keeping Rob Reiner and Penny Marshall apart
The timeless couple just wanted to have a little more time with each other.
Dan Rowan got deeply personal about his health issues while on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Here’s how the comedian took a serious issue and handled it with humor and heart.
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.
Lucille Ball explained why the Ricardo family lived an average life
“I...didn’t want us to be a typical Hollywood couple, whatever that is,” said Ball.
There was a time when no one knew Rowan & Martin
"There was a time when people thought Rowan and Martin was a detergent."
At the height of success, Rowan and Martin said ''every hero can become a bum''
Despite feeling the success, Martin said they didn't feel secure.
Yes, that was actually Henry Winkler water skiing in Happy Days
Winkler was a talented actor and an adept skier!
Here's why Dick Martin got real serious about silly comedy
This funny guy got real serious about comedy in a 1968 interview!
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.
Fans loved Sarah Jessica Parker in Square Pegs, but the ratings didn’t
Sarah Jessica Parker wanted the series to be as popular as her character hoped to be at school.
Penny Marshall didn't care about what the critics had to say
And with a number one show on television, why would she?
A bald head helped Richard Moll get his part in Night Court
Night Court producers loved Moll's bald-headed look. Richard Moll? Maybe not so much.
One of Harvey Korman’s biggest worries was time
Time was Korman’s toughest critic!
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.
The Love Boat bartender picked up some mixology skills for the role
Ted Lange was known for making drinks on The Love Boat, but he could make a mean martini off-screen too.
Here's why Betty White's humor never got old
She proved that laughter really is the golden ticket!
One of Florence Henderson’s real-life children had a small role on The Brady Bunch
She took her role as a mother seriously, both on and off screen!
Harvey Korman saved Mama's Family from a dark place
Korman really brought the family together — and lead them to success.
Valerie Bertinelli said the best advice she ever received was from co-star Betty White
Some of the hottest chemistry wasn’t just in Cleveland.
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.
Vicki Lawrence called Thelma Harper ''a lonely old lady''
"She parallels many people in everybody's family," Lawrence said.
Harvey Korman didn't think acting was fun, but felt he was destined for it
For an actor who didn't like acting, Harvey Korman sure did it well.
Sally Field hated being called cute during her time on The Flying Nun
Many words could be used to describe Field and her career, but "cute" is not one of them.
Sally Field said high schoolers were the world's hardest audience
Teens loved Sister Bertrille!
The Flying Nun had to convince real nuns that it was worth watching
What was the problem with the series? There was nun.
Susan Olsen used to get bullied at school because of Cindy Brady
Cindy Brady killed Susan Olsen's playground popularity.
Harvey Korman loved The Carol Burnett Show, but hated some of the costumes
After all, fake mustaches, feathers, tutus, and tiaras can only take you so far.
How some advice from Paul McCartney helped Ron Howard reconcile his past with his present
Howard got by with a little help from his friend.
Taxi's Tony Danza traded in his boxing gloves for a yellow cab
Like in boxing, he went with the punches and worked hard on his acting career.
Bernie Kopell said that he and his Love Boat character shared more than a few qualities
Kopell called his character "jaded."
How syndication saved Vicki Lawrence and Mama's Family
Syndication saved Mama's Family.
Here's why Norman Lear was the man behind all the hits
Get an inside look into the mind behind the man!
Here's Marlo Thomas' reaction to ending her hit series That Girl
She carried parts of Ann Marie with her long after the cameras stopped rolling.
Jimmie Walker said he was nothing like J.J. on Good Times
He was more of a loner in real life than his "Dy-no-mite!" character!
Lucille Ball enjoyed The Lucy Show because her fictional husband wasn't involved
No husband? No problem. Everyone already loved Lucy.
Audrey Meadows on how she got the role of Alice Kramden
Meadows was rich both in wealth and in her career.
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.
Here's why Dick Van Dyke joined Carol Burnett after Harvey Korman left
It was a long-awaited comedy collision!
Lauren Tewes: ''My focus has always been on acting, not looks.''
“I’ve never been a glamour girl,” said Tewes.
Sally Struthers broke her arm on the set of All in the Family
The cast had to be removed before filming.
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!
Lauren Tewes said she looked up to Dawn Wells of Gilligan's Island as a young girl
The actor frequently received fan letters from young girls asking for advice.
Morey Amsterdam said that this was what always surprised him about The Dick Van Dyke Show
“People everywhere identify with it because the people in it were real human beings,” said Amsterdam.
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.
Carroll O'Connor gave the best advice for aspiring actors
The Emmy award-winning actor was all for following your dreams but said it would not come easy.
The cast of Taxi had mixed reactions when the series moved to NBC
When Taxi switched networks, its stars were hoping it would drive higher ratings home.
David Birney had faith in Bridget Loves Bernie even before fans did
Birney always had faith in Bernie.
David Birney wanted television to be less controlled during the 1970s
He wanted the freedom of daytime TV on Bridget Loves Bernie!
Love, American Style was called ''Love Impossible'' on the set
Margolin wanted the American public to fall in love with Love, American Style.
Harvey Korman loved being in the background on The Carol Burnett Show
Korman didn't need to shine bright to be considered a star.
Jean Stapleton was a true American revolutionary, according to Carroll O'Connor
"Edith helped work a change in America," O'Connor wrote.
Bob Denver and Dawn Wells said Gilligan's Island wasn't just for kids
It didn't matter if you were a kid or an adult, getting stranded on Gilligan's Island was an easy thing to do.
How Lynda Goodfriend won the role of Lori Beth on Happy Days
The actor got her start working odd jobs in New York.
Mary Tyler Moore said she started becoming a ''carbon copy'' of Dick Van Dyke
Life imitates art, and in this case, art imitated Dick Van Dyke
Vincent Gardenia shared a love for cooking with his All in the Family character
Gardenia was more than an actor - he was also a chef!
Sebastian Cabot said he developed a ''motherly image'' while on Family Affair
For a character who was all about family, the series became highly rated among families at home.
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.
Here's what Lucille Ball had to say about staying young and beautiful
The Lucille Ball method: Castor oil, humor and perfume.
Anson Williams responded to claims that he was a ''teen idol''
"There's a lot you have to handle besides performing," said Williams.
The Odd Couple helped Jack Klugman overcome his ''gangster'' image
Before he was the lovable odd guy from The Odd Couple, he struggled with being the odd man out.
The Odd Couple changed Tony Randall's outlook on life
He quickly became one of the most successful neat freaks on television!
Here's why the 1972 season was crucial for The Odd Couple's success
The Odd Couple's second and third seasons were titled "the most crucial seasons" for the hit-series.