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RIP Norman Lear
December 6th, 2023 under Obits. [ Comments: none ]







Norman Lear passed away yesterday at the age of 101, it was announced in a statement on his social media.

“It is with profound sadness and love that we announce the passing of Norman Lear, our beloved husband, father, and grandfather. Norman passed away peacefully on December 5, 2023, surrounded by his family as we told stories and sang songs until the very end.

“Norman lived a life in awe of the world around him. He marveled at his cup of coffee every morning, the shape of the tree outside his window, and the sounds of beautiful music. But it was people—those he just met and those he knew for decades—who kept his mind and heart forever young.

“As we celebrate his legacy and reflect on the next chapter of life without him, we would like to thank everyone for all the love and support.”

And what a legacy he left behind. He changed television forever with All In the Family, Maude, The Jeffersons, Good Times, One Day at a Time, Diff’rent Strokes, The Facts of Life, and 227, to name a few.

Before Lear, television was innocent and didn’t reflect what was going on in society. But then came Archie Bunker, and television would never be the same.

I wish I could say we are a better society because of him. But people didn’t learn from what he was trying to teach us.

So I watch his show as though they are history books. I like to compare how far we have come in 50 years. And on some of the issues he addressed, we have progressed. But sadly, with so many of them, we have regressed.

In 1972, Maude was able to have an abortion because it was legal in New York, but it was not in the country. Fifty years later, we are almost in the same boat. Edith’s friend Beverly was a Drag Queen and wasn’t accepted because of it. It’s still a problem today. And let’s talk about racism. We are still a racist country. I could go on, but you get my point.

Norman Lear shined a light on problems in America, and we should’ve become better people because of it. Some of us did. And sadly, too many didn’t.

So I thank him for giving us laughter with a hard kick to the ass. I know his shows made me a better person because I didn’t want to grow up to be an Archie Bunker. And I am proud to say I am not.

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RIP Matthew Perry
October 28th, 2023 under Matthew Perry, Obits. [ Comments: none ]

Matthew Perry, 54, was found dead in his hot tub today, according to Variety.

Perry was best known for Friends, but he was so much better than that show. He was a comedic genius and was smarter than the scripts that were given him.

But like his character on Growing Pains, he was plagued by the bottle and drugs. He struggled with it for years, and it took its toll on him. I hope he is finding the peace in heaven he didn’t get here on Earth.

And tonight, I won’t cry over his death. I will remember the good times I had watching him in Boys Will Be Boys, Fools Rush In, The Whole Nine Yards and its sequel, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, 17 Again, Mr. Sunshine, and The Odd Couple, to name a few.

Although, I will be blubbering if I watch that Growing Pains episode.

So, I will focus on his funnier works because I want to remember him with a smile. He would make me laugh. I wish people could have seen how funny he was as I did at press events. He had a way about him that we didn’t get to see him as when he had a script in his hand.

Let’s remember him with laughs. This way, he could know that we knew he was funny.

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RIP Suzanne Somers
October 15th, 2023 under Obits, Suzanne Somers. [ Comments: none ]





Suzanne Somers passed away today, the day before her 77th birthday, from a battle with cancer.

“Suzanne Somers passed away peacefully at home in the early morning hours of October 15th. She survived an aggressive form of breast cancer for over 23 years,” Somers’ longtime publicist R. Couri Hay wrote in a statement on behalf of the actress’ family to Variety.

“Suzanne was surrounded by her loving husband Alan, her son Bruce, and her immediate family. Her family was gathered to celebrate her 77th birthday on October 16th. Instead, they will celebrate her extraordinary life, and want to thank her millions of fans and followers who loved her dearly.”

Somers literally drove onto the scene in 1973’s America Graffiti as the blonde in the Thunderbird.

Four years later, she landed the role in Three’s Company, and that made her a household name. At first, we all loved the ditzy Chrissy Snow. And then we were all shocked and respected her when she was unceremoniously fired from the show for asking to be paid what she was worth.

She might not have gotten money from the series, but she got it from Thighmaster. It was a portable exercise machine that was the hit of the ’90s. As was her show Step By Step, which was also hit on Friday nights.

Somers continued to act, but her later years were spent selling organic beauty products and clothing.

Today, let’s honor her by watching one of her television shows and laughing with the blonde who was smarter than she played!

Somers is survived by her husband, Alan Hammel, her son, Bruce Jr., from a previous marriage, three grandchildren, and Hammel’s two children.

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RIP Ron Cephas Jones
August 20th, 2023 under Obits, This Is Us. [ Comments: none ]

Ron Cephas Jones “has passed away at the age of 66 due to a long-standing pulmonary issue,” his representatives told People. “Throughout the course of his career, his warmth, beauty, generosity, kindness and heart were felt by anyone who had the good fortune of knowing him.”

Cephas Jones had been acting for over 30 years but found his biggest success in 2016 when he landed the role of Randall’s biological father on This Is Us. He earned two Emmies for his portrayal of William Hill.

Along with those statues, he was nominated for a 2022 Tony Award for his role in Lynn Nottage’s play Clyde’s.

The actor is survived by his daughter Jasmine Cephas Jones.

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RIP Treat Williams
June 12th, 2023 under Obits, Treat Williams. [ Comments: none ]







Treat Williams passed away today in Dorset, Vermont, at the age of 71, after his motorcycle was cut off by a driver making a turn.

His wife, Pam, and their two children, Gil and Ellie, released this statement to Deadline: “It is with great sadness that we report that our beloved Treat Williams has passed away tonight in Dorset, Vermont, after a fatal motorcycle accident. As you can imagine, we are shocked and greatly bereaved at this time.

“Treat was full of love for his family, for his life and for his craft, and was truly at the top of his game in all of it. It is all so shocking right now, but please know that Treat was dearly and deeply loved and respected by his family and everyone who knew him.

“We are beyond devastated and ask that you respect our privacy as we deal with our grief. To all his fans, please know that Treat appreciated all of you and please continue to keep him in your hearts and prayers.”

Treat got his start on Broadway, so it makes sense that his breakout role would be the musical Hair in 1979. He played a hippie who was the leader of his group of friends in NYC. He was fighting the man, the establishment, and the war, and it was the war that killed his character. He gave such a performance. It is one that will never be forgotten.

Just like when he played the compassionate Dr. Andy Brown on Everwood. Along with moving to a small town after his wife died, he was raising his two children, who were missing his mother. He was doing the best he could, and we were rooting for him with every step he took. He was the type of doctor you want to look over you when you were healthy and be caring with you when you were not.

In every role that he played, he brought his one-of-a-kind presence to the screen. Whether he was playing a tough guy in The Substitute franchise, the loving dad in Chesapeake Shores, the troubled father in White Collar and Chicago Fire, politicians, or law enforcement of all levels, I could go on.

But he was a man that seemed as lovable and wonderful off-camera as he was when he was in front of it. He would share photos from his beloved Vermont home. We would see the snow-covered landscape in the winter and the beautiful grass in the summer. In fact, just two hours before we got word of his passing, he shared a video of himself mowing his lawn, happy as could be, “wishing he could bottle the scent” of freshly cut grass.

And happy is what he made me ever since I saw Hair as a little girl. I had a crush on him from that movie. And then a whole new appreciation for him with Everwood. His death hit me the hardest since Robin Williams. I never met him, but I did chat with him on the phone. I don’t know if he knew how much it meant to me.

But I hope he feels my love and the love of everyone else he touched as he is on his way to heaven. My heart also goes out to his family.

Tonight, I will be sleeping with Hair on Tubi. And tomorrow, I will watch some of his other many roles on the streaming site for free.

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