Stories
How syndication saved Vicki Lawrence and Mama's Family
Syndication saved Mama's Family.
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.
Sally Struthers broke her arm on the set of All in the Family
The cast had to be removed before filming.
Here's why Norman Lear was the man behind all the hits
Get an inside look into the mind behind the man!
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.
This episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show is Dick Van Dyke's favorite
"We just looked forward to coming to work every day," said the actor of the hit series.
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.
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."
Lucille Ball enjoyed The Lucy Show because her fictional husband wasn't involved
No husband? No problem. Everyone already loved Lucy.
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.
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!
Here's why Ted Bessell of That Girl wanted to leave the series
There was a lot of pressure being the guy to That Girl on the hit 1966 series.
Marines loved Frank Sutton and he loved the Marines
Sutton's popularity in the role of Sgt. Carter had people running to sign up for the Marine Corps.
Lucy and Desi credited each other when asked who was responsible for their success
"We both believe you have to give a little and take a little to make a go of it."
The Odd Couple changed Tony Randall's outlook on life
He quickly became one of the most successful neat freaks on television!
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.
Bob Saget loved working with kids for his role on Full House
He had a daughter in real life and three on the series – that's one busy dad!
Producer Garry Marshall was surprised by Laverne & Shirley's success
The producer said Laverne & Shirley was "all about timing."
Anson Williams responded to claims that he was a ''teen idol''
"There's a lot you have to handle besides performing," said Williams.
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!
Buddy Ebsen predicted a ''good future'' for The Beverly Hillbillies
Buddy Ebsen wasn't just the star of the series; he was its biggest fan, too!
Gavin MacLeod addresses rumors that the Love Boat cast didn't get along
This is your captain speaking.
Mike Lookinland loved talking about The Brady Bunch with fans
"People call up all the time and ask if I'm Bobby Brady," said the actor.
Laverne & Shirley was often compared to I Love Lucy
"It's hard to find two attractive girls who will let themselves seem unattractive."
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.
Harvey Korman was Tim Conway's biggest fan on The Carol Burnett Show
No matter the sketch, Tim Conway knew he already had his biggest fan right up there onstage with him.
Desi Arnaz said there were no ''phony'' laughs on I Love Lucy
"We filmed our shows honestly, in front of an audience."
Jean Stapleton pushed All in the Family writers to develop stories about equal rights
Stapleton thought it was important to focus on issues of the time.
Why Gavin MacLeod believed Captain Stuber was the ''antithesis'' of Murray Slaughter
"Some reviewers call me ‘the Handsome Gavin MacLeod,'" said the actor. "Imagine! Nobody described me like that on Mary’s show."
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.
The cast of The Love Boat reunited for this surprising reason
A Love Boat look-alike contest took place across the United States in 1997.
Here's an inside look at the rehearsal process of I Love Lucy
"I Love Lucy completely changed my methods of memorizing," said the actor.
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.
Audrey Meadows made bank in her role on The Honeymooners
The Honeymooners made Meadows a millionaire.
Irene Ryan loved show business and credited The Beverly Hillbillies with her success
It was a long road that finally led to Clampett country.
8 of the best questions, answers and interactions from the Q+A sessions on The Carol Burnett Show
Burnett's quick-wit and situational comedy abilities made the Q+A sessions a must-watch for any fan of her variety show.
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.
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!
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.
Tina Louise would have picked Manhattan over Gilligan's Island
Oops! Looks like Tina Louise would have rather been stranded somewhere else.
Florence Henderson provided a calming effect on Robert Reed during tense moments on the set of The Brady Bunch
The two were close, on and off the screen.
Carl Reiner said that this aspect of The Dick Van Dyke Show dated the series
Reiner said this aspect of the show was "sort of embarrassing."
Here's what Robert Reed loved about working on The Brady Bunch
The Brady kids made working on the series a little bit better for Reed.
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.
Playing Grady on Sanford and Son was a temporary gig for Whitman Mayo
Mayo went to Los Angeles to find work for his clients but snagged a recurring role on Sanford and Son. There was one problem, he didn't want to be an actor.
John Larroquette said there was ''nothing quite like Night Court''
Order in the court! Here’s why Night Court ruled TV.
Henry Winkler shaped The Fonz, and insisted on showing what was there ''underneath the cool''
Here’s how Winkler expanded The Fonz’s character!
Florence Henderson loved children as much as Carol Brady
Henderson was America's mother.
Fans would greet William Frawley and ask ''Where's Ethel?''
What would Fred be without Ethel?
Dick Van Dyke would take real naps in those twin beds on the set of The Dick Van Dyke Show
The actor would use lunch breaks to get some well-earned rest.
Here's why Morey Amsterdam was one of the happiest actors on The Dick Van Dyke Show
He had plenty to smile about on The Dick Van Dyke Show.
In its ninth season, so-called ''boring storylines'' caused The Love Boat's ratings to decline
After several successful seasons, viewers got tired of being told to "come aboard."
Sally Struthers stated that she ''gained a father'' in Carroll O'Connor during All in the Family
Those heartfelt family moments weren't just great acting.
Florence Henderson's children once asked why she wasn't as nice as Carol Brady
Carol Brady was the mom that everyone loved, even Florence Henderson's children.
The Beverly Hillbillies creator didn't care about critics
Critics hated it, Henning created it, and the fans kept it rated among the top.
The Love Boat gave Bernie Kopell an unexpected romantic image
He was the underdog of romance until he became the type everyone wanted.
Carol Burnett shrugged off bad ratings on The Carol Burnett Show
When life gets you down, simply just shrug it all off. It worked for Burnett.
There was a time when no one knew what Ozzie's career was on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
He was family first and questions later. Can anyone recall what Ozzie did for a living in his series?
Edgar Buchanan almost became a dentist instead of an actor
What do acting and dentistry have in common? Not much except Edgar Buchanan.
Vicki Lawrence's lost residuals from Mama's Family
A story of death, cryogenesis, and money.
Vivian Vance begged The Lucy Show writers to keep her character feminine
"I wanted to get away from those tough, hard-bitten, masculine sounding jokes."
When Art Carney wasn't making people laugh, he was sharing recipes
Hilarious? Yes. A chef? No, but his salads were party favorites.
Lauren Tewes had the nicest response to critics of The Love Boat
Critics were not in love with the boat. So, the cruise director addressed it.
Maureen McCormick thought of Florence Henderson almost as a second mother during the filming of The Brady Bunch
Henderson and McCormick weren't just close on screen.
In the '60s, Carol Burnett and Jim Nabors went on the road together
They were as good of friends offstage as they were comedians onstage together.
Dick Van Dyke on new love in old age: ''It's not too late!''
He also says you should exercise!
Jean Stapleton thought about leaving All in the Family to pursue musical comedy
The actress valued her contract but knew musical comedy was something she'd like to take seriously.
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 the reason Paul Fusco believed everyone loved ALF
ALF took the world by storm, and he wasn’t even from this planet!
Robert Reed wasn't afraid to speak up about his Brady Bunch criticisms
Reed had a few opinions about the writing on The Brady Bunch.
Penny Marshall enjoyed drinking milk and Pepsi as a child, long before she starred on Laverne & Shirley
Laverne and Penny shared a drink of choice.
Barry Williams really did wipe out while surfing in Hawaii on The Brady Bunch
A memorable scene in The Brady Bunch was actually one of Barry Williams's most embarrassing moments.
Harvey Korman wanted to stay relevant for as long as he could
Comedy may not have been easy, but Korman made it look that way.
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.
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.
Yes, that was actually Henry Winkler water skiing in Happy Days
Winkler was a talented actor and an adept skier!
Early in his television career, Norman Lear admitted he wasn't being honest with himself
"If we couldn't make a story entertaining, we would not do the story. But I didn't feel the obligation was to make an audience laugh only.
Carroll O'Connor was a teacher to his costars on the set of All in the Family
O'Connor wasn't just an actor.
New York City ''sewer rats'' became an important part of Art Carney's career
Carney loved the New York City sewer system just as much as the real "rats" in the city did.
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."
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.
Thanks to the Fonz, Henry Winkler had the freedom to pick and choose his roles
Many people avoid commercials, and back in the 1970s, Winkler felt the same way about appearing in them.
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.
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.
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.
Frank Sutton didn't like talking about politics during his time on Gomer Pyle: U.S.M.C.
Frank Sutton was only an actor, and he wanted both interviewers and his fans to know that.
Night Court's Harry Anderson had a tough start to his success
A little magic goes a long way.
Barry Williams on the disastrous Brady Kids concert costumes
Polyester! Bellbottoms! Fringe! Oh my!
Henry Winkler used some of his popularity as The Fonz to teach kids about Shakespeare
What a duo: The Bard and The Fonz!
These candid photos show the messy aftermath of I Love Lucy’s famous grape stomping scene
The iconic moment looks hilarious on camera but was perilous to film.
Vicki Lawrence called Thelma Harper ''a lonely old lady''
"She parallels many people in everybody's family," Lawrence said.
Harvey Korman had a ton of ideas but said no format fit his style
"I have a million ideas, but am still looking for a good format," Korman said.
Jean Stapleton knew that Edith Bunker wasn't stupid
"Edith is the power."
The Beverly Hillbillies' Nancy Kulp found her humor through the series
Kulp found a way to turn a laugh into a legacy.
Norman Lear based Archie Bunker off of his own father
The writer borrowed from his life.
Henry Winkler locked himself in his apartment for 24 hours after The Fonz became popular
Winkler dealt with his success in an unusual way.
Florence Henderson on why the Bradys couldn't have babies
Should Carol Brady have had more children? Here’s what Florence Henderson had to say!
Here's the real reason why Lucille Ball dyed her hair that iconic red color
The look is legendary, but the steps taken to get there are shrouded in rumors.
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.
Compared to My Three Sons, Fred MacMurray said being a father was harder at home
Fatherhood was so much easier for MacMurray when it was written out in My Three Sons.
Fashion designer Bob Mackie made over 16,000 outfits for The Carol Burnett Show
Bob Mackie designed around 65 to 70 costumes per week, and that was just for The Carol Burnett Show.
Gomer Pyle's Frank Sutton said he was a ''killer turned to comic''
From drama to comedy: Here's how Sutton made the switch to the funny side.
Vicki Lawrence was busy bouncing between game show and sitcom sets in the '80s
Vicki Lawrence was a big fan of Mama's Family and game shows. She was even a contestant on a game show in the sitcom.
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.
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.
This was the trait that Lucille Ball said that actors would be better without
"Even in my early days in movies, I resented roles where looks were all-important," said the actor.
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.
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.
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.