Stories

Henry Winkler didn't want his fans to only remember him as The Fonz

"When somebody calls me Fonzie, I don't let it go by. My name is Henry Winkler."

All in the Family got rid of ''live laughs'' and the live studio audience

The show changed for its ninth season. Apparently, people in the live audience didn't enjoy the jokes.

Here's why Dick Van Dyke joined Carol Burnett after Harvey Korman left

It was a long-awaited comedy collision!

The Odd Couple changed Tony Randall's outlook on life

He quickly became one of the most successful neat freaks on television!

Ann B. Davis enjoyed teaching students how to succeed in Hollywood

Ann B. Davis is everyone's favorite normal person who just happened to play a version of herself on the small screen.

Harry Truman advised The Beverly Hillbillies creator, Paul Henning, to go into politics

You know, the name Paul Henning does have a nice presidential ring to it.

Irene Ryan loved show business and credited The Beverly Hillbillies with her success

It was a long road that finally led to Clampett country.

Anson Williams responded to claims that he was a ''teen idol''

"There's a lot you have to handle besides performing," said Williams.

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.

Mama's Family gave Harvey Korman the chance to be a director

He put family first on Mama’s Family and fully embraced the shift from acting to directing.

Raymond Bailey was ''the banker's hero'' after his role on The Beverly Hillbillies

His success as The Clampetts' banker was so unexpected, he wouldn't have even put money on it.

Here's why Norman Lear was the man behind all the hits

Get an inside look into the mind behind the man!

Lucille Ball on what it was like using stilts, falling down and cracking up on her show

She used props to aid her comedy and Band-Aids to help put her back together.

Marion Ross loved the similarities between her Happy Days family and her real one

Marion Ross loved her own family just as much as Marion Cunningham loved Richie and Joanie.

Audrey Meadows on how she got the role of Alice Kramden

Meadows was rich both in wealth and in her career.

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.

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.

Rhea Perlman envied her character's personality on Cheers

Perlman envied her character's quick quips on the series.

Rusty Hamer was a child star who felt disrespected by adults during his time on The Danny Thomas Show

Most adults would have called Hamer "cute," but the child star didn't like being called anything but a professional.

Harry Anderson was essentially playing himself on Night Court

Harry Anderson's acting journey started with a little magic.

Max Wright said ALF the alien made him feel more human

It took an alien from outer space to help Max Wright find his humanity in the world.

The Love Boat gave Bernie Kopell an unexpected romantic image

He was the underdog of romance until he became the type everyone wanted.

Eddie Mekka loved doing a little song and dance as a second career

When it comes to singing and dancing, Mekka said he did it better than "The Big Ragoo."

Redd Foxx's connection to Sanford and Son went beyond acting

I love Sanford because that's me. That's just Redd Foxx fifteen years from now," he added.

Tina Louise would have picked Manhattan over Gilligan's Island

Oops! Looks like Tina Louise would have rather been stranded somewhere else.

Critics couldn’t shake Tom Bosley or Happy Days

These critics had seen happier days.

Here was Danny Thomas' advice to his daughter during her time on That Girl

"Like father, like daughter" was never truer than in Marlo's and Danny's father-daughter relationship.

Carroll O'Connor's nine-year-old son responded to a hate letter his father received

O'Connor didn't even know about the letter until he found a copy of his son's reply.

Harvey Korman once said ''there's a lot of anger in me''

The always-funny TV star wrestled with complicated emotions off-screen!

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.

Laverne & Shirley was often compared to I Love Lucy

"It's hard to find two attractive girls who will let themselves seem unattractive."

Gavin MacLeod addresses rumors that the Love Boat cast didn't get along

This is your captain speaking.

The Beverly Hillbillies was in desperate need of more writers as the series progressed

For Henning, knowing a thing or two about hillbilly history was just as important as other skills listed on a resume.

During Cheers, Rhea Perlman was speaking out about childcare needs

She was a mom who could do it all... thanks to her advocacy for childcare!

From son to father: Don Grady on growing up with My Three Sons

One of the sons from My Three Sons became a father himself—of three boys!

Buddy Ebsen was the star of Beverly Hillbillies, but Max Baer Jr. had more fan mail

Buddy Ebsen may have won the popular vote, but Max Baer Jr. still had the most fan mail.

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 a few reasons why ALF was Max Wright's hardest work

Whenever he felt on top of the world, ALF was there to help ground him.

Here's the reason Paul Fusco believed everyone loved ALF

ALF took the world by storm, and he wasn’t even from this planet!

These nine photos of The Monkees show just how cool the band was

Let's hang around with the Monkees! These behind-the-scenes photos are filled with nostalgia.

Robert Reed struggled to make his character ''believable'' on The Brady Bunch

"For me, the biggest fight was to make the character seem real," Reed said.

John Larroquette said there was ''nothing quite like Night Court''

Order in the court! Here’s why Night Court ruled TV.

Cindy Williams and Penny Marshall thought stardom was strange at first

Even though the duo became highly successful, they weren't too excited about stardom at first.

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.

Don Grady said his My Three Sons fan mail was a work of ''modern art''

His character was so dreamy, it had girls dreaming about him.

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.

Sally Struthers broke her arm on the set of All in the Family

The cast had to be removed before filming.

Before playing the role of a waitress on Cheers, Rhea Perlman was a real waitress in NYC

She worked as a waitress in New York and spilled spaghetti all over David Rockefeller and his friends. No, we aren't talking about an episode of Cheers.

Henry Winkler put an end to a common rumor about Happy Days in 1976

Remember when we all thought Henry Winkler was leaving Happy Days? He addressed the rumor in a 1976 interview.

Irene Ryan was worried she would have tomatoes thrown at her during live performances

Stage fright? No way. Fears of being famous? Nope. Flying tomatoes? Irene Ryan was always looking out for them.

The Monkees found success to be a little bit frightening

With thousands of screaming and adoring women in their faces per night, we'd be a little afraid too.

About that time Max Baer Jr. played Jethro's twin sister on The Beverly Hillbillies

Max Baer Jr. was a man who looked like a lady, or a man who looked like his twin sister.

Lucille Ball didn't mind sharing her series with farm animals

Lucille Ball took "rural humor" to a new extreme!

The Love Boat's Lauren Tewes enjoyed getting fan mail

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

Vicki Lawrence is proof that you don't have to act your age to be successful

In real life Vicki Lawrence was only in her 30s when Mama's Family premiered, but her character on the show was in her 60s.

Jean Stapleton said that the cast of All in the Family were invited to add their own ideas to the script

During the episode read-through, the actors were encouraged to share their thoughts on the script.

How syndication saved Vicki Lawrence and Mama's Family

Syndication saved Mama's Family.

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!

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.

Cindy Williams had experience with two decades: Shirley's and her own

Her character resonated with audiences of all generations!

Harvey Korman saved Mama's Family from a dark place

Korman really brought the family together — and lead them to success.

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.

Vicki Lawrence fought for better scripts on Mama's Family

Having worked under Burnett, she knew not to settle.

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

She proved that laughter really is the golden ticket!

Redd Foxx loved his life inside and outside of Sanford and Son

Redd Foxx was both a nightclub comic and a TV star. In the '70s, succeeding in both at the same time was rare.

Here's how Happy Days helped Ron Howard mature

All Ron Howard wanted was to act his age.

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.

Jill Whelan on the realities of growing up on television

"In every situation, in everything I do, each decision must be the right one," said the actor.

In 1992, Cheers star John Ratzenberger saluted the Cliff Clavins of the world

Ratzenberger said everyone needed a friend like Cliff Clavin in their life.

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.

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.

10 behind-the-scenes photos of Christmas on classic TV to get you in the holiday spirit

Get into the holiday spirit with your favorite classic TV stars!

Why Mary Tyler Moore's pants were such a big deal in the 1960s

Laura Petrie's capris paved the way for Mary Richards.

Here's the real inside scoop on what Art Carney thought about Jackie Gleason

Happy actors, happy show. That was the motto of The Honeymooners.

Marion Ross on balancing family and career: ''I'm about 50/50''

It was all happy days for the Happy Days star.

Bob Saget used to compare Full House to Happy Days

"We kid that I'm Richie Cunningham and we're doing Happy Days," Saget said.

Producer Garry Marshall was surprised by Laverne & Shirley's success

The producer said Laverne & Shirley was "all about timing."

Marlo Thomas was determined to prove critics wrong about her series, That Girl

Thomas said that even if she didn't become a big star, she knew That Girl would be a big hit.

Rob Reiner was a funny kid, according to Norman Lear

"Sixteen years later, watching him rehearse with Carroll O’Connor, I would be reminded daily of Rob on the floor with Ellen, teaching her jacks that summer on Fire Island.”