A glance back at notable departures from 2017
The last weekend of the year is the right time to glance back at the notable television personalities, producers and creators we lost in 2017.
The year saw the deaths of stars of iconic series, including Mary Tyler Moore (Jan. 25), whose name graced her own show and studio. To his fans in the 1960s, Mike Connors (Jan. 26) was “Mannix.” “Big Love” star Bill Paxton (Feb. 25) died just as he was headlining a CBS reboot of “Training Day.”
Robert Osborne (March 6) was the face of TCM for decades. Although he was in “North by Northwest” and won an Oscar for “Ed Wood,” Martin Landau (July 15) remains the star of “Mission Impossible” and “Space: 1999” to TV viewers. As “Bronco,” Ty Hardin (Aug. 3) was among the first batch of TV cowboys when Westerns took over the medium in the late 1950s. Hardin reportedly turned down the role of “Batman,” leaving Adam West (June 9) to don the cowl and cape.
Recording artist Glen Campbell (Aug. 8) had his own eponymous “Goodtime
Hour,” a notable variety showcase. Jerry Lewis (Aug. 20) created too many shows and movies to enumerate, but his greatest role was as host of “The MDA Labor Day Telethon.”
Publisher and libertine Hugh Hefner (Sept. 27) spent six seasons on the E! reality TV series “The Girls
Next Door.” “Benson” star Robert Guillaume died on Oct. 24, and “Touched by an Angel” star Della Reese departed Nov. 19. Fame came quickly to “Partridge Family” star David Cassidy (Nov. 21). Jim Nabors (Nov. 30) parlayed a small role on “The Andy Griffith Show” to star in “Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.”
This year saw the passing of many comics familiar to television viewers, including “Professor” Irwin Corey (Feb. 6), “C.P.O. Sharkey” star Don Rickles (April 6), Bill Dana (June 15), activist Dick Gregory (Aug. 19) and Shelley Berman (Sept. 1).
The world of sports broadcasting lost writer Frank Deford (May 28), producer Don Ohlmeyer (Sept. 10) and sportscaster Dick Enberg (Dec. 21).
As a political adviser to several presidential campaigns and the founder and chief of Fox News, few men had more influence than Roger Ailes (May 18). Alan Colmes, one of Ailes’ first Fox News stars, died on Feb. 23. Columnist and frequent TV political commentator Kate O’Beirne died on April 23.
The world of game shows lost “The Gong Show” creator (and self-described spy) Chuck Barris (March 21) as well as Monty Hall (Sept. 30), host of “Let’s Make a Deal.”
This year saw the departure of many supporting and character actors, including “Twin Peaks” and “NCIS: Los Angeles” star Miguel Ferrer (Jan. 19) and Barbara Hale (Jan. 26), who played Della Street on “Perry Mason.”
Elena Verdugo (May 30) had a long film career before she portrayed Consuelo Lopez on “Marcus Welby, M.D.” “Home Alone” star John Heard (July 21) had a notable part on “The Sopranos,” as did Frank Vincent (Sept. 13). Brad Grey, a producer behind that HBO series, died on May 14.
Best known for his recurring role on “Cheers,” Jay Thomas (Aug. 24) appeared on series ranging from “Mork & Mindy” to “Murphy Brown.” Actor John Hillerman (Nov. 9) was most recognized for his stint on “Magnum P.I.,” just as Richard Anderson (Aug. 31) is associated with “The Six Million Dollar Man” and “The Bionic Woman.”
We also lost Heather North (Nov. 29), the voice of Daphne on the long-running “Scooby-Doo” cartoon series.
To everyone we’ve watched and lost during 2017, hail and farewell!
‘BAD’ MARATHON
Didn’t have a white Christmas? Spend New Year’s with Walter White. AMC celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Emmy-winning “Breaking Bad” with a marathon (2 p.m. Sunday to 1:11 a.m. Monday, TV-14). In addition to this weekend, AMC will air marathon helpings on Saturdays and Sundays throughout January.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS
› AMC invites viewers to “Fear the Walking Dead” (noon-1:30 a.m., TV-MA).
› Chris Harrison hosts “The Bachelor: Countdown to Arie” (8 p.m., ABC, repeat, TV-14).
› Wisconsin and Miami meet in the Orange Bowl (8:10 p.m., ESPN).
› A would-be fashion designer discovers that her client is really a prince in the 2017 romance “Royal New Year’s Eve” (8 p.m., Hallmark).
› A woman hunts down a predator who kidnaps internet exhibitionists in the 2017 shocker “Web Cam Girls” (8 p.m., Lifetime).
› Lake’s disappearance reaches a turning point on “Ten Days in the Valley” (10 p.m., ABC, TV-14).
Contact Kevin McDonough at kevin. tvguy@gmail.com.