Stories
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.
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.
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.
Why Mary Tyler Moore's pants were such a big deal in the 1960s
Laura Petrie's capris paved the way for Mary Richards.
George Lindsey used his country roots to his benefit in Mayberry R.F.D.
Turns out, Lindsey didn't have to do that much acting in order to play the part of a small-town country bumpkin.
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.
Jean Stapleton vetoed this plot point and changed an All in the Family script
The actress worked hard to shape her character.
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.
Here’s why Happy Days actress Erin Moran enjoyed growing up on television
"It feels great growing up on television," Moran said.
Linda Henning had big plans for her future after Petticoat Junction
That sweet country sound! Here's how Petticoat Junction inspired Linda Henning to go into the music business.
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.
Ron Howard enjoyed living in the 1950s for his Happy Days role
Ron Howard was living in two decades at the same time.
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 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.
Here's why Betty White's humor never got old
She proved that laughter really is the golden ticket!
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!
Tim Conway said that this was one of the most important element of good comedy
The comedy legend shared this secret tip.
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.
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.
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.
Susan Olsen used to get bullied at school because of Cindy Brady
Cindy Brady killed Susan Olsen's playground popularity.
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.
This was Jill Whelan's real opinion on her on-screen father, Gavin MacLeod
"It's a great show to work on," said Whelan.
Lucille Ball enjoyed The Lucy Show because her fictional husband wasn't involved
No husband? No problem. Everyone already loved Lucy.
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.
Cindy Williams explained the secret to a good television series was a bit of stupidity
"We take television to its dumbest," said the actor.
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.
Mary Frann of Newhart was inspired by Audrey Meadows of The Honeymooners
"Audrey Meadows made Jackie Gleason funnier."
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 Norman Lear was the man behind all the hits
Get an inside look into the mind behind the man!
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.
Carol Burnett loved a good spoof on The Carol Burnett Show
Carol Burnett was the queen at spoofing, but not everyone wanted to be part of the joke.
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!
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!
Tim Conway thought more comedy was needed in TV and film
This funny guy on TV wanted to be a funny guy in the movies, too!
Sally Struthers broke her arm on the set of All in the Family
The cast had to be removed before filming.
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."
Anson Williams responded to claims that he was a ''teen idol''
"There's a lot you have to handle besides performing," said Williams.
How syndication saved Vicki Lawrence and Mama's Family
Syndication saved Mama's Family.
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!
The Odd Couple changed Tony Randall's outlook on life
He quickly became one of the most successful neat freaks on television!
Producer Garry Marshall was surprised by Laverne & Shirley's success
The producer said Laverne & Shirley was "all about timing."
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!
Carol Burnett loved the variety format because it gave her a place to be silly
Carol Burnett could make just about anyone laugh; she just needed the right format to become a star.
Harry Anderson was essentially playing himself on Night Court
Harry Anderson's acting journey started with a little magic.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Gavin MacLeod addresses rumors that the Love Boat cast didn't get along
This is your captain speaking.
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.
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.
Here's how Mayberry and Andy Griffith shaped George Lindsey
He treated each day in Mayberry like it was his last.
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.
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.
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.
Laverne & Shirley was often compared to I Love Lucy
"It's hard to find two attractive girls who will let themselves seem unattractive."
Vicki Lawrence called Thelma Harper ''a lonely old lady''
"She parallels many people in everybody's family," Lawrence said.
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.
John Larroquette said there was ''nothing quite like Night Court''
Order in the court! Here’s why Night Court ruled TV.
Tina Louise would have picked Manhattan over Gilligan's Island
Oops! Looks like Tina Louise would have rather been stranded somewhere else.
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.
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!
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.
Just like The Beverly Hillbillies, Max Baer Jr. went from rags to riches
Max Baer Jr. was the definition of a starving artist. Before The Beverly Hillbillies, he was eating beans out of a can.
Audrey Meadows made bank in her role on The Honeymooners
The Honeymooners made Meadows a millionaire.
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.
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."
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.
Irene Ryan loved show business and credited The Beverly Hillbillies with her success
It was a long road that finally led to Clampett country.
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.
Bob Newhart was the expert of playing himself onscreen
If you ever noticed a similar theme across all of Newhart's series, there's a reason: He put himself into everything he did.
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.
Lucille Ball didn't mind sharing her series with farm animals
Lucille Ball took "rural humor" to a new extreme!
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.
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."
Despite their differences, Norman Lear said that having Carroll O'Connor as Archie Bunker was ''so worth it''
"My entire body felt, 'Oh my god. This is Archie.'"
Henry Winkler: ''I still need much too much public approval''
An important life lesson, courtesy of The Fonz.
Don Adams on the secret formula to Get Smart's success
Although he wasn't conducting James Bond-level spy work, his dedication to the job paid off.
Maureen McCormick actually hurt her nose the day that ''The Subject Was Noses'' aired
Sometimes Brady life imitates Brady art.
Here's how Ozzie Nelson used his family's age to help his show
Fun and family first, fame and fortune second.
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.
Mama's Family wasn't interested in bringing social issues into its episodes
The series was in the business of entertainment, not teaching.
Success caught Get Smart's Barbara Feldon by surprise
Forget money and fame; being Agent 99 was enough of a ''status symbol'' for Barbara Feldon.
Lucille Ball missed I Love Lucy as much as viewers did when it went off the air
Ball never lost any love for her iconic character.
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.
Henry Winkler ensured that The Fonz was a good influence on children
The actor wanted to keep a clean reputation.
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!
Sally Struthers spent $40,000 trying to leave All in the Family
We almost lost Gloria!
Dick Van Dyke had to be reminded frequently that he was a star
The actor kept humble.