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It's considered something of a footnote now, but Robin Williams' last TV credit before his death was for "The Crazy Ones," a David E. Kelley-created single-camera sitcom that aired from September 2013 to April 2014. "The Crazy Ones" was notable in that it was Williams' first time headlining a TV series since the broadcast of "Mork and Mindy" (with Pam Dawber) over three decades earlier. Williams had spent the bulk of his career working in standup or starring in movies, often gaining a great deal of acclaim for his performances. He was nominated for Oscars for "Good Morning, Vietnam," "Dead Poets Society," and "The Fisher King" before finally winning for his very generous turn in "Good Will Hunting." His comedy albums also won him multiple Grammys, while his standup specials netted him two Emmys. 

Williams would happily have made a joke about how he is not an Egot, but a mere Ego.

Exclusive: Emmy winners John Lithgow and Jimmy Smits are set to reprise their roles of Arthur Mitchell aka the Trinity Killer and Miguel Prado, respectively, in the Showtime original series Dexter: Resurrection. The show has been in production in New York since January.

For playing the diabolical Trinity Killer, Lithgow received an Emmy Award, Critics’ Choice Award, and a SAG Award as well as a Golden Globe nomination. Smits received an Emmy nomination for his Season 3 portrayal of Miguel, the Ada-turned-lawbreaker hellbent on revenge.

At this point, fans of the ‘Dexter’-verse aren’t surprised when news emerges that dead people are being resurrected. Especially when Lithgow is concerned, as he appeared in flashback scenes in the limited series Dexter: New Blood. The New Blood continuation series is titled Resurrection, so at this point, anything goes. This is Smits’ return to the franchise,...

When "Star Trek: The Next Generation" first began in 1987, LeVar Burton was probably the biggest star in the cast. He had already been nominated for three Emmys, once in 1977 for playing Kunta Kinte in the celebrated miniseries "Roots," and two more in 1985 and 1986 for hosting the beloved book-based kid program "Reading Rainbow." The latter show would end up netting him 12 Emmy wins between 1990 and 2007, and cement his reputation as one of his generation's preeminent TV celebrities. The fact that he would be selected to play chief engineer Geordi La Forge on "Star Trek" only more deeply entrenched Burton in the public's awareness. 

Geordi La Forge was, more than anything, a nerd. He was deeply interested in machines and engines, and Burton was given the lion's share of NextGen's nonsensical polysyllabic technobabble. He was also notoriously undersexed. Geordi was equipped with a visor that tapped directly into his brain, feeding him...

Character actors are the backbone of the entertainment industry. In a constellation of Hollywood stars, they’re the unassuming comets that add a touch of eccentricity or relatable normalcy to our favorite shows. Biff Wiff was among those familiar faces where folks don't always know the names to match, and he played each little role with pride. Born in Chicago in 1948, the beloved actor, who always preferred this stage name, sadly passed away on February 12, 2025, aged 76, following a lengthy cancer battle.

Even if brief, his moments on screen carried a lived-in, comforting quality. With his bushy beard and gentle demeanor, Wiff quickly became an actor that viewers easily recognized. He wasn't a household name as such, although his presence was felt. Wiff represented the tradition of hard-working character actors whose contributions elevate storytelling through small but essential roles.

Biff Wiff Was a Late Bloomer on Television Netflix

Wiff always led...

Season 5 was when it all came together for "Seinfeld." It was no longer a cult sitcom that couldn't crack the Nielsen ratings' top 20, but an appointment-viewing smash that finished third for the year overall. The following year, it would become the number one show on the air.

Why did it take so long for "Seinfeld" to break through to the mainstream? For starters, it truly lived up to its reputation as a show about nothing. While we now look at the season 2 episode "The Chinese Restaurant" as one of the greatest sitcom episodes ever, NBC executives sought to bury it because they thought an entire story built around the main characters waiting for a table was too slim of a narrative to appeal to viewers. When your network doesn't believe in your show, it's hard to build an audience.

"Seinfeld" needed to get traction in the popular culture, which shouldn't...

Netflix's new series based on Harlan Coben's novels about the character Myron Bolitar got a major name as producer. Mega TV producer David E. Kelley (Lincoln Lawyer) will be collaborating with Coben as co-writers and co-executive producers, per Deadline.

Coben signed a deal with Netflix several years ago which has seen several of his books adapted as shows and upon renewing in 2022, Netflix got access to the 11 Bolitar novels and a novella called Win. Having Kelley team up with the author is perfect, as he already has Lincoln Lawyer streaming on Netflix, which is also based on the series of novels by Michael Connelly.

Kelley is a prolific television producer and writer, having created some of the biggest shows of the last few decades, including L.A. Law, Ally McBeal, The Practice, Presumed Innocent, and several others. And not all of them are legal shows; the author famously wrote...

Everyone has to start somewhere when they're breaking into Hollywood. These days, "starting somewhere" can mean making videos on YouTube, or serving as a production assistant on a reality TV show, or anything else. The divide between television and film is now so blurred that to work in one medium is not seen as a black mark on a person's career when they want to move to a different medium. But there was a time when those who wanted to make movies would be strongly encouraged to steer clear of TV, because those who worked primarily on the small screen would have an awfully hard time making the jump to the big screen. 

But there are always exceptions to these rules, even before the idea of new media came along to shake up the notion of transitioning from TV to film. The biggest possible exception to any such rule is Steven Spielberg.

Can Apple TV+'s Severance or HBO's The Last of Us win Best Drama Series? For most of Emmy history, the answer to that question would be no. That's because they're science-fiction shows, which have historically been under-appreciated by voters and thus underrepresented at the Emmys. Only one sci-fi show has ever won Best Drama Series: Lost in 2005. That was 20 years ago, but the TV Academy has changed drastically in the intervening years.

Some of the most beloved shows in TV history are sci-fi or fantasy, including Star Trek and Doctor Who that have been around for almost as long as TV has existed. But Emmy winners for drama series usually follow real-world professionals like doctors, lawyers, and police officers. Even as those procedural genres started falling out of fashion in the 21st century, the subjects that replaced them were still couched in reality: politics (The West Wing), organized crime,...

Cheryl Gates McFadden was a dancer before she was an actress. She studied theater in college (she has a Bachelor of Arts degree) and lived in Paris for a spell, performing with the celebrated movement coach Jacques Lecoq. In New York in the 1970s, she taught dance at various colleges, and formed her own theater troupes and comedy companies. In the 1980s, she landed a few high-profile gigs serving as a choreographer and movement coach on "The Muppets Take Manhattan" and "Labyrinth." She can be seen giving her commentary in a making-of documentary on the "Labyrinth" DVD. 

McFadden, however, exploded in popularity in 1987 when she was selected to play Dr. Beverly Crusher, the chief medical officer on board the USS Enterprise on "Star Trek: The Next Generation." McFadden (who was just going by Gates back then) didn't get to do much dancing on "Star Trek," but she was given a mature,...

In the late '70s and '80s, audiences were obsessed with the TV show "Dallas," prime time western soap opera about the Ewings. The series became so popular that the network CBS began developing a spin-off centered around one of the Ewings we saw very little of in the original series.

The new project -- titled "Knots Landing" -- followed Ted Shackelford's Gary Ewing and his wife Valene (Joan Van Ark) after they moved to a suburban neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. We recently checked back in with the cast of the 1978 series "Dallas" to see where they ended up after all these years. But that stroll down memory lane got us thinking -- what happened to the cast of "Knots Landing" after the show was over? 

Read more: 13 Times Film Or TV Actors Were Deliberately Kept Apart During Production

Teri Austin (Jill Bennett)

Jill Bennett -- the...

Bruce French, a veteran of the stage and prolific character actor who worked with David E. Kelley and appeared in NBC’s aughts soap Passions across the entirety of its nine-season run, died Feb. 7 at the age of 79.

He died in Los Angeles of complications from Alzheimer’s (with which he was diagnosed around four years ago), longtime Days of Our Lives actress and French’s wife of 34 years, Eileen Barnett, told The Hollywood Reporter.

“The world is a dimmer place today, missing this amazing light that has gone out,” French’s niece, Claire French, wrote on Facebook. “We will miss Uncle Bruce tremendously, but are confident that he is joyously reunited with his beloved mom and in the seat he told my dad to save him...

Ronnie Yeskel, the Emmy-nominated casting director who worked on the Quentin Tarantino films Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction and shows including L.A. Law and Curb Your Enthusiasm, has died. She was 76.

Yeskel died Jan. 4 at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills after a long battle with cancer. The news was announced by casting director and AMPAS governor Richard Hicks, her former business partner.

Yeskel cast Kieran Culkin in his first lead role in Igby Goes Down (2002), and her film résumé also included Renny Harlin’s The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996), Booty Call (1997), Bean (1997), Permanent Midnight (1998), Forest Whitaker’s Hope Floats (1998), Ken Loach’s Bread and Roses (2000), Dude, Where’s My Car? (2000), Waking the Dead (2000) and The Sessions (2012).

She cast seasons five, six and seven of NBC’s L.A. Law (1990-93) and the first three seasons (2000-02) of HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, among many other shows. She...

Donald Petrie has signed on to direct “The Last Resort,” a Philippines-set romantic comedy written by Karen McCullah, the scribe behind such romcom gems as “10 Things I Hate About You” and “Legally Blonde.”

Petrie, who directed the Lemmon-Mathau comedy “Grumpy Old Men” and is an Emmy nominee for his work on “L.A. Law,” is responsible for a number of classic romantic comedies himself, having directed

“Miss Congeniality,” “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,” and “Mystic Pizza.”

The veteran filmmaker’s other credits include “Richie Rich,” “The Associate,” “My Favorite Martian,” “My Life in Ruins” and the television show “The Kominski Method,” among others.

McCullah, who was born in the Philippines and grew up in the U.S., has also written films including “She’s the Man,” “Ella Enchanted,” “The Ugly Truth” and “The House Bunny.”

“The Last Resort” follows a hotel executive who is sent to scout a...

As 2024 comes to a close, we here at JoBlo.com would like to take a moment to pay tribute to some of the people who sadly passed away this year. Our deepest respect goes out to everyone in the industry we have lost, and our thoughts and prayers are with the friends and family of those who died in 2024. These talented individuals will always be remembered for their impact on the world of film and television.

In Memory Of…

David Soul

David Soul died on January 4th at the age of 80. The actor was best known for playing Detective Kenneth “Hutch” Hutchinson on Starsky & Hutch alongside Paul Michael Glaser.

Although Starsky & Hutch would become one of the most iconic shows of the ’70s, Soul and Glaser had no clue it would become as successful as it did. “We didn’t have a clue it was going to be so successful.

Warning: Contains Spoilers for the mid-season finale of Elsbeth.

The fall finale of Elsbeth, titled "Toil and Trouble," offers a comedic glimpse into the workings of Hollywood. Season 2, episode 8 "throws Elsbeth into the world of television after the showrunner of a police procedural is murdered in his office." Given that the series focuses on the why more so than the who, it doesn't take long for the attorney-turned-consultant to realize that the show's lead actress, Regina Coburn, is guilty. In typical Elsbeth fashion, the investigation makes for an extremely entertaining hour of TV, even with the killer revealed before the title card.

The meta installment ends on a major cliffhanger when Judge Crawford officially declares war against Carrie Preston's character. He unseals court documents that name her as one of the lawyers involved in the controversial Van Ness case. Elsbeth comes clean to Wagner, and, in a heartfelt moment,...

Diane Delano, the busy character actor who portrayed Officer Barbara Semanski on CBS’ Northern Exposure and the mean science teacher Bobbi Glass on The WB’s Popular, has died. She was 67.

Delano died Friday of cancer in her home in Sherman Oaks, her friend Stepfanie Kramer announced.

“She was big and bold and brought her sharp wit and perfect comic timing to every role,” Kramer said. “Her earthy and raucous presence enabled her to always own the room. She was one of a kind.”

As Rhonda Vasek, Delano had a romantic liaison with Douglas Brackman Jr. (Alan Rachins) in 1987 on the second season of NBC’s L.A. Law, and she guest-starred on such other shows as Falcon Crest, Cop Rock, Step by Step, Third Rock From the Sun, ER, Monk, Six Feet Under, Cold Case, The Bridge, 2 Broke Girls and PEN15.

Delano recurred as Officer Semanski on 12 episodes over...

Warning: Contains Spoilers for Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5, episode 9, "Fissure Quest"

Academy Award-nominated actress Alfre Woodard portrayed Lily Sloane in Star Trek: First Contact. Following Star Trek Generations, First Contact was the first big screen adventure devoted completely to the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Director Jonathan Frakes' hit film follows Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the USS Enterprise-e as they travel back in time to prevent the Borg from rewriting history. Upon arriving in 2063, the Enterprise crew encounters Zefram Cochrane (James Cromwell), the creator of warp drive, on the eve of his historic flight that led to humanity's First Contact with the Vulcans.

While Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes), Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), and Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) work with Zefram Cochrane on Earth, Captain Picard and the rest of the crew fight off Borg drones aboard the Enterprise. The Borg manage to capture Lt.

Mark Withers, a television actor known for portraying Ted Dinard in the original “Dynasty” series, died Nov. 22. He was 77.

Mark Withers’ death was confirmed by his daughter, Jessie Withers. The cause was pancreatic cancer.

His daughter remembered him fondly, writing: “He confronted his illness with the same strength and dignity he brought to his craft, creating a legacy of warmth, humor, and dedication, along with his remarkable ability to make every role unforgettable. Mark’s enduring talent and commitment to the industry will be fondly remembered by colleagues, friends, and fans alike.”

In addition to his role as Steven’s boyfriend Ted in “Dynasty,” Withers had guest appearances on “Wonder Woman,” “Magnum, P.I.,” “The Dukes of Hazzard,” “Hart to Hart,” “Remington Steele,” “Dallas,” “L.A. Law,” “Days of Our Lives,” “Matlock,” “Kaz,” “The King of Queens” and “Frasier.”

In recent years, he continued his television career with roles in “True Blood,...

Days of our Lives (Dool) news shows that there is sad news to report, actor Wayne Northrop has died at the age of 77. He played Roman Brady on the Peacock sudser, appearing in over 1,036 episodes of the show from 1981 to 2006.

The actor’s publicist, Cynthia Snyder, told TMZ that Northrop Northrup died on Friday, November 29 at the Motion Picture and Television Woodland Hills Home, which is an assisted living facility for veterans of the film industry.

Days of Our Lives can be Streamed on Peacock

Northrop was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s six years ago and needed full time care which necessitated his stay at the facility.

Northrup was married to Lynn Herring Northrop who plays Lucy Coe on ABC’s General Hospital. She issued a statement noting that the daytime star “was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s 6 years ago” and “took his final breath in the arms of family.

Wayne Northrop has sadly passed away.

The actor, known for roles in shows like Days of Our Lives and Dynasty, died at the age of 77 on Friday (November 29), his publicist confirmed to Deadline.

“Wayne was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s 6 years ago,” Lynn Herring Northrop, his wife and General Hospital actor, said in a statement provided to the outlet.

Keep reading to find out more…

“He took his last breath in the arms of his family. We wish to thank the most caring and amazing place, The Motion Picture and Television Home for taking such great care of him. Wayne touched so many people with his sense of humor and wit. A husband for 43 years, the best dad ever to his two boys, Hank and Grady, and a rancher who loved his cows and was a friend to many.”

Wayne is perhaps best known as Roman Brady, Deidre Hall’s on-screen husband,...

Wayne Northrop, the actor known for roles on Days of Our Lives and Dynasty, has died. He was 77.

Northrop died Friday at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, publicist Cynthia Snyder told The Hollywood Reporter. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s six years ago.

“He took his last breath in the arms of his family,” Northrop’s wife and fellow soap star, Lynn Herring Northrop, said in a statement. “We wish to thank the most caring and amazing place, the Motion Picture and Television Home, for taking such great care of him. Wayne touched so many people with his sense of humor and wit. A husband for 43 years, the best dad ever to his two boys, Hank and Grady, and a rancher who loved his cows and was a friend to many.”

Northrop appeared on more than 1,000 episodes of Days of Our Lives, first as...

William Sutter may not have been the biggest villain on Suits, but his random death in the show's final season still came as a shock. Airing from 2011-2019, Suits saw a massive surge in popularity when it began streaming on Netflix in 2023. A big reason for that is because in an age of short streaming shows, audiences are craving a high-quality yet traditional TV experience. Suits offers a digestible series full of clearcut protagonists and antagonists, as Harvey Specter and Mike Ross regularly face off against rival law firms and attorneys from their past with an axe to grind.

While he's not one of Suits' most famous celebrity cameos, veteran actor Alan Rosenberg certainly added to the series' gripping drama as William Sutter. Rosenberg notably played Thomas the Apostle in Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), though he is perhaps best known for lawyer Eli Levinson on both Civil Wars and L.A. Law.

It was the “love of the book” that brought the powerhouse duo of producer J.J. Abrams and showrunner David E. Kelley together for Apple TV+’s reimagining of Scott Turow’s bestselling legal thriller “Presumed Innocent.”

They’d vowed to team up for years, but it took Covid for the stars — and their schedules — to finally align to allow them to put their shared creative talents together. Given health restrictions, studios were looking for projects that could be produced in contained circumstances, so courtroom dramas were a natural place to hunt for ideas. Abrams asked Kelley if there was any book that he’d be interested in adapting, “and the first one that came to mind was ‘Presumed Innocent’,” Kelley tells Gold Derby in our exclusive video interview. As luck would have it. Abrams’ production company had secured the rights years earlier. Watch the video interview above.

See‘Presumed Innocent...

It’s ironic that a show about a woman trying to get revenge for her daughter’s opioid overdose death is so addicting, but here we are.

Kathy Bates’ Matlock is one of the 2024 season’s most popular new shows, and with good reason. People love her undercover mission, raw talent, and the twists in every episode.

If you love this show, there are a number of other legal series you have to check out, going all the way back to the late 1980s.

The Original Matlock (1986 – 1995) (NBC/Screenshot)

The original Matlock is very different from Kathy Bates’ version, but if you haven’t seen the ’80s version in a while, you’ll probably enjoy it more now that you can compare it with our Matlock.

Andy Griffith’s Matlock could arguably be seen as a reboot of Perry Mason, or at least based on it. Like the legendary Raymond Burr character,...

Alan Rachins has sadly died.

The actor, best known for his work on L.A. Law and Dharma & Greg, died Saturday (November 2), his wife Joanna Frank confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.

Keep reading to find out more…

The actor passed away at the age of 82 in his sleep of heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Alan was known for playing attorney Douglas Brackman Jr. for all eight of the L.A. Law seasons from 1986 to 1994, then reprised the role in 2002’s made-for-tv L.A. Law: The Movie. He earned a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series at the 1988 Primetime Emmy Awards, as well as a Golden Globe nomination.

He also famously portrayed Larry, the father of Jenna Elfman’s Dharma, on the ABC sitcom Dharma & Greg, which ran for five seasons from 1997 to 2002.

He also appeared on Dallas, The Golden Girls, Diagnosis Murder, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman...

Alan Rachins, an actor known for his work on the series “L.A. Law” and “Dharma & Greg,” died early Saturday morning. He was 82.

Rachins died in his sleep of heart failure, his manager Mark Teitelbaum confirmed to Variety.

Rachins played lawyer Douglas Brackman Jr. on NBC’s “L.A. Law” for its entire eight-season run from 1986 to 1984, as well as in the 2002 made-for-tv film, “L.A. Law: The Movie.” He received nominations for a Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe in 1988 for his performance as Douglas.

“In the pilot episode, there was nothing of the more flamboyant or bizarre side of Douglas; he was going to be the hard-line office manager, the penny pincher,” Rachins said in a 1990 interview with The New York Times. “It was kind of limited, and I didn’t know where it was going. But quickly it developed a lot more color and flamboyance.”

After “L.A. Law,” Rachins portrayed Larry Finkelstein,...

Alan Rachins, who played lawyer Douglas Brackman for 13 seasons on “L.A. Law” and Jenna Elfman’s father Larry Finklestein on “Dharma & Greg,” died Saturday of heart failure. He was 82 years old.

Rachins’ manager, Mark Teitelbaum, shared the news of his death with TheWrap.

The actor’s additional credits include “Stargate Sg-1,” “Showgirls,” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” While he was well known for his television and film roles, Rachins began his career on Broadway in 1967 in “After the Rain.” He worked in theatrical productions for years until the 1970s and returned to the stage in a two-person play after five seasons on “Dharma & Greg.”

In a 2003 interview with New Jersey Stage he admitted the shift was a big step for him. “Well, this is big in the sense that this is the other extreme because we are on the stage at all times. We’ve got a lot to do.

Alan Rachins was born on October 3, 1942 in Cambridge, Massachusetts and passed away on November 2, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. The American actor is dead at age 82 from heart failure, according to our sister site The Hollywood Reporter. May his memory be a blessing.

Rachins had over 75 acting credits to his name, including on the TV shows “L.A. Law” (1986-94) as Douglas Brackman, “Dharma and Greg” (1997-2002) as Larry Finkelstein, and “Stargate Sg-1” (1997) as Colonel Kennedy, and in the movie “Showgirls” (1995) as Tony Moss.

SEECelebrity Deaths 2024: In Memoriam Gallery

The actor received awards nominations at the Emmys and Golden Globes for his role on “L.A. Law,” losing to Larry Drake (“L.A. Law”) and Rutger Hauer (“Escape from Sobibor”), respectively. He took on the character of managing partner Douglas Brackman Jr. for all eight seasons between 1986 and 1994, plus in the 2002 TV movie reunion, for a total of 172 episodes.

Younger audiences may...

Alan Rachins, the actor known for his roles on L.A. Law and Dharma & Greg, has died. He was 82.

The Golden Globe and Emmy nominee died early Saturday morning after experiencing heart failure in his sleep at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, his wife Joanna Frank told The Hollywood Reporter.

In addition to his performance as Douglas Brackman on the NBC series L.A. Law, which ran from 1986 to 1994 and earned him Golden Globe and Emmy nominations, Rachins was known for playing Dharma’s (Jenna Elfman) hippy father Larry on the ABC sitcom Dharma & Greg, which ran for five seasons from 1997 to 2002.

Rachins also appeared in such films as Thunder Run (1986), North (1994) and Showgirls (1995), as well as shows like The Golden Girls, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Stargate Sg-1 and Rizzoli & Isles.

Born Oct. 3, 1942 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Rachins moved to New York to study acting, where he...

Ron Ely, best known for his starring role as Tarzan in the 1960s NBC television series Tarzan, has died, his daughter Kirsten confirmed to TMZ, telling the outlet her father passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by family on September 29. He was 86.

His daughter shared an emotional tribute to her father on Instagram.

“The world has lost one of the greatest men it has ever known – and I have lost my dad,” Kirsten wrote.

“My father was someone that people called a hero. He was an actor, writer, coach, mentor, family man and leader. He created a powerful wave of positive influence wherever he went. The impact he had on others is something that I have never witnessed in any other person – there was something truly magical about him. This is how the world knew him.

“I knew him as my dad – and what a heaven sent honor that has been.

Ron Ely, the hunky and handsome Texas native who portrayed the Lord of the Jungle on the first Tarzan series for television, has died, his daughter Kirsten told Fox News Digital. He was 86.

He died Sept. 29 at the home of one of his daughters near Santa Barbara, The New York Times reported.

Ely also hosted the Miss America pageant in 1980 and 1981, stepping in for longtime emcee Bert Parks, and presided over a syndicated game show called Face the Music around that time.

The 6-foot-4, blue-eyed Ely had appeared opposite Clint Walker in The Night of the Grizzly and with Ursula Andress in Once Before I Die in films released in 1966 when he was hired to don the loincloth in a new NBC series executive produced by Sy Weintraub.

Ely was offered the Tarzan gig after former NFL linebacker Mike Henry, who had played the Edgar Rice Burroughs creation in three ’60s films,...

Nicholas Pryor, whose nearly seven-decade acting career included hundreds of episodes of soap operas, playing Tom Cruise’s dad in Risky Business and Kathleen Robertson’s dad on Beverly Hills, 90210, died October 7. He was 89.

Fellow actor Jon Lindstrom announced the news on social media, saying in part: “Nick was an Actor’s actor, and an exceptional friend. … He was a mentor, a sounding board, a trusted confidant, and even a father-figure beyond, yes, playing my own father on #Gh and #PortCharles.” See his full post below.

Pryor racked up nearly 175 screen credits and half-dozen more on Broadway. After getting his screen start guesting on such 1950s and early ’60s TV series as Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Doctors, he played Tom Baxter in more than 75 episodes of the NBC daytime drama Another World. That led to a starring role on The Nurses, a 1965-67 continuation of CBS’ The Nurses, which...

Nicholas Pryor, the busy character actor who portrayed Tom Cruise’s father in Risky Business and Kathleen Robertson’s dad on Beverly Hills, 90210 during a career that spanned seven decades, has died. He was 89.

Pryor died Monday of cancer at his home in Wilmington, North Carolina, his wife, actress Christine Belford, told The Hollywood Reporter.

In a note to be delivered to THR after his death, he wrote: “Nicholas Pryor was enormously grateful to have been, for nearly 70 years, a working actor.”

From 1997-2002, Pryor played the former spy Victor Collins on the General Hospital spinoff Port Charles, culminating a long career in daytime soap operas that included stints on The Secret Storm, The Edge of Night, Love Is a Many Splendored Thing, All My Children and Another World.

Pryor recurred on Fox’s Beverly Hills, 90210 as A. Milton Arnold, the chancellor of California University and father of Robertson’s Claire Arnold,...

Once again, it was a Body & Soul kind of day on the Tuesday, October 8 episode of Days of Our Lives. Kate, Abe, and Leo prepared to send Hattie’s character, Charlemagne Delacroix, down the elevator shaft while Alex and Stephanie got hot and heavy in a hospital room. These scenes channeled classic and current TV juggernauts to help further the Bs drama.

TV Channeling L.A. Law

Hattie (Deidre Hall) diva’d herself into a corner. All of her maneuverings to get Bonnie (Judi Evans) kicked to the curb backfired against her. Ultimately, she ended up being the one to diva herself out of a job.

And so there they were at the hospital, ready to film Hattie’s death scene, which involved a blatant nod to classic TV history. Leo (Greg Rikaart) even said as much. Apparently, the show had to explain itself right before Hattie was supposed to...

After a few acclaimed TV shows have ended their run, their stories have continued in the form of a TV movie. Considering the popularity of some TV shows, a sequel series or film makes sense as audiences are eager for more content regarding their favorite characters. Most of the time, sequel films aren't entirely necessary and are put out with the simple purpose of fulfilling fans' needs. In the case of Mr. Monk's Last Case, the character returned to TV screens, streaming on Peacock, as current events inspired an exploration as to how the detective with multiple phobias would live during the Covid-19 pandemic.

On the other hand, some sequel films were made to wrap up open-ended storylines. Films inspired by Breaking Bad and Alf answered some lingering questions regarding Jesse Pinkman and Alf's fate. Though they're not always needed, these TV films based on TV shows are still largely...

The very first Emmy Award for Best Drama Series was presented to ABC’s “Pulitzer Prize Playhouse” in 1951. It is one of 40-plus programs that have been honored as television’s top dramatic series. Scroll through our photo gallery below of every winner for Best Drama Series in Emmy history.

Five shows — “Hill Street Blues,” “L.A. Law,” “The West Wing,” “Mad Men” and “Game of Thrones” — hold the record for most wins in this category with four each. “Hill Street Blues,” “The West Wing” and “Mad Men” all accomplished that feat in consecutive years. HBO’s “Game of Thrones” is also the most-winningest scripted primetime series in Emmy history at 59 trophies. Originally published August 2018.

Did you know that Chris Pine's dad, actor Robert Pine, played a super-tiny role on "The Office" as the father of John Krasinski's Jim Halpert? You probably didn't — but on a recent podcast, stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey discussed the elder Pine's time on their set.

In the 109th episode of "Office Ladies" — a recap podcast about the hit NBC mockumentary sitcom — Fischer and Kinsey tackled the first half of season 6's "Niagara," which centers around the wedding of Jim and Pam (Fischer). "This is where we are going to meet Jim's parents for the first time," Fischer says as the two discuss the scene featuring the couple's rehearsal dinner. "We have Betsy Halpert, played by Perry Smith, and Gerald Halpert, played by Robert Pine, who is the father of actor Chris Pine."

"People were so excited," Kinsey said, and Fischer agreed: "We were a little bit excited.

TV dramas have come a long way since the days of Playhouse 90, Hallmark Hall of Fame and Net Playhouse – all of which won Emmys for best drama in the 1960s. Even the category’s name has evolved since then, from Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Drama to Outstanding Dramatic Series or Outstanding Series-Drama and the current Outstanding Drama Series.

Click through a gallery of the shows that have taken home to marquee Emmy Award since 1960 – from the elegance of The Defenders and the period tech of Mission: Impossible through cop shows including Police Story, Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue; medical shows Marcus Welby, M.D. and ER, the legal offices of L.A. Law and The Practice; such quirky fare as Picket Fences, Northern Exposure and Ally McBeal; and into the antihero tales of The Sopranos and Breaking Bad – and many more.

Along the way you’ll...

Hollywood is in mourning today as the iconic actor, James Earl Jones has passed away at the age of 93.

The actor with the most recognisable baritone rumbling voice had a career that spanned over 60 years. Making his debut on Broadway in 1958 at the Cort Theatre — renamed the James Earl Jones Theatre in 2022, Jones went on to become best known for his role as Darth Vader in the ‘Star Wars’ franchise. He also reprised his voice role of King Mufasa in Disney’s animated feature ‘The Lion King.’ Most recently, he revisited his role 2021’s ‘Coming 2 America.’ Reprising his role as King Jaffe Joffer from the 1988 Eddie Murphy comedy ‘Coming to America.’

Also in news – Pinch of salt time – ‘The Goonies’ sequel finally greenlit?

Throughout his long list of 80 film credits, Jones’ notable movies include as a B-52 bombardier in Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 Cold War satire ‘Dr. Strangelove’ in which...

Beloved Hollywood legend James Earl Jones has passed away. He was 93 years old.

Per Deadline, James Earl Jones died on the morning of Monday, Sept. 9, at his home in Duchess County, New York. His passing was confirmed by his agency, though no additional details were shared about the circumstances. Fans are already mourning the loss on social media, given how Jones has been one of Hollywood's most beloved legends for decades.

Jones was known in part for providing the voice of the iconic antagonist Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise, starting with the original film released in 1977. He'd later reprise the role for 2006's Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith and 2016's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, along with other Star Wars projects. One of the most iconic aspects of the Darth Vader character is his unique voice, and the popularity of the franchise contributed to Jones' international fame.

James Earl Jones, the prolific film, TV and theater actor whose resonant, unmistakable baritone was most widely known as the voice of “Star Wars” villain Darth Vader, died Monday morning at his home in Dutchess County, N.Y., his rep confirmed to Variety. He was 93.

After overcoming a profound stutter as a child, Jones established himself as one of the pioneering Black actors of his generation, amassing a bountiful and versatile career spanning over 60 years, from his debut on Broadway in 1958 at the Cort Theatre — renamed the James Earl Jones Theatre in 2022 — to his most recent performance in 2021’s “Coming 2 America.” For that film, Jones reprised his role as King Jaffe Joffer from the 1988 Eddie Murphy comedy “Coming to America” — one of several roles, along with Darth Vader, that Jones revisited, including the voice of King Mufasa in Disney’s animated feature “The Lion King” in 1994, the 1998 direct-to-video sequel and the 2019 remake,...

David E. Kelley, the acclaimed writer and producer behind such hits as “The Practice,” “Big Little Lies” and “Ally McBeal,” will be awarded the 2024 International Emmy Founders Award. The black tie gala will take place on Nov. 25 in New York City.

Kelly’s first major hit happened in 1986 when he served as a writer on “L.A. Law.” Since then he’s created beloved series such as “Picket Fences,” “Chicago Hope,” “Ally McBeal,” “The Practice,” “Boston Public,” “Boston Legal,” “Big Little Lies,” “The Undoing,” “Nine Perfect Strangers,” “Big Sky,” “The Lincoln Lawyer” and “Doogie Howser, M.D.”

“Every generation has a favorite David E. Kelley show and that’s because David Kelley has been turning out television hits since ‘L.A. Law’ 40 years ago. He crafts memorable television for viewers across the globe,” International Academy President and CEO Bruce L. Paisner said in a statement. “We look forward to recognizing his tremendous talent with the Founders Award.

Warner Bros. Television’s ER revival look-alike has sparked a lawsuit from the estate of Michael Crichton, holder of the rights to the medical drama created by the prolific writer of technological thrillers who spawned various Hollywood blockbusters.

Crichton’s estate, in a lawsuit filed on Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, accuses Warners and a trio ER alums of repackaging plans for a series reboot as The Pitt after they couldn’t secure the rights due to a dispute over a credit acknowledging the writer as the creator of the show. It alleges a “pattern of conduct” by the studio designed to circumvent Crichton’s rights to franchises he spawned, including Westworld.

Earlier this year, Max issued a 15-episode, straight-to-series order for The Pitt, which stars Noah Wyle and comes from ER duo John Wells and R. Scott Gemmill — all of whom are named in the complaint. It described...

The first-ever “Star Wars” movie, “A New Hope,” won six Academy Awards in 1978 including Best Editing and Best Original Score while George Lucas was nominated for Best Director. The biggest accomplishment, however, is arguably that Alec Guinness reaped a Best Supporting Actor citation for his turn as Obi-Wan Kenobi. That is the sole acting nomination “Star Wars” movies have earned at the Oscars.

The movies, in total, have won seven Oscars from a total of 37 nominations, but it is only Guinness who has been recognized for his acting across a total of 11 live-action “Star Wars” flicks, which includes all nine films in the main Skywalker Saga plus the spin-off films “Rogue One” and “Solo: A Star Wars Story.” However, plenty of the franchise’s cast have landed nominations for other projects at other major awards groups.

Given that it’s Emmys season, we’re going to focus on the Emmys.

Based on the merits of its first two seasons, Apple TV+’s “The Morning Show” was nominated for three of the four regular drama series acting Emmys, with its lone elusive category having been the supporting female one. Now, following its submission of seven featured ladies on the initial 2024 Emmy ballot, it has simultaneously scored a whopping four Best Drama Supporting Actress mentions, joining only three other series that have done the same or better.

The supporting actresses representing “The Morning Show” on this year’s final Emmy ballot are Nicole Beharie, Greta Lee, Karen Pittman, and Holland Taylor. Only Pittman has been part of the cast since the show’s inception, as Lee and Taylor first appeared in season two and Beharie was just added ahead of season three. All are Emmy newcomers except Taylor, whose eight earlier nominations led to a single win in this category for “The Practice...

By the time 1999 rolled around, David E. Kelley had already more than proven his bonafides as a megaproducer and an Emmy dynamo nearly without peer. He had already won five statuettes as a producer for Best Drama Series – three for “L.A. Law” and two more for “Picket Fences” (1993 and ’94) – as well as another pair for writing Emmys for “L.A. Law” (’90 and ’91). Oh, and there was also a 1998 Best Drama win for “The Practice,” giving him six trophies for top series and eight Emmys overall. Not too shabby. In fact, his run of winning Best Drama five times in six years had never happened. The closest anyone came was Kelley’s mentor Steven Bochco’s run of four straight for “Hill Street Blues” in the early 1980s.

And still, even with all of that, the best was yet to come for Kelley.

In ’99, the producer was coming off his “Practice” win...

Veteran actor James B. Sikking, known for Hill Street Blues and several other roles, has passed away. He was 90 years old.

Per Deadline, Sikking died on Saturday at his home in Los Angeles, California. His passing was attributed to dementia. According to his publicist, Cynthia Snyder, the actor was surrounded by loving family members when he passed.

A statement shared by Snyder reads, In a remarkable career, Sikkings wonderfully exciting face gave us drama, comedy, tragedy and hilarious farse. His career spanned over six decades in television, film and on stage. His talent, integrity and imagination intrigued and delighted audiences.

An L.A. native, Sikking was born on March 5, 1934. He was named after author James Barrie, which Snyder said, "It seemed a perfect choice. There is a bit of Peter Pan in James his sense of imagination appeared whether playing roles on stage or screen. After studying theater at UCLA and serving in the military,...

In 2022, Marcia Gay Harden received her third career Emmy nomination for appearing in a second season episode of “The Morning Show.” Since her first bid had come 15 years earlier for her work on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” she qualified for entry into the club of Best Drama Guest Actress nominees for multiple series. Scroll through our photo gallery to learn who else is in this exclusive group.

Of the 28 women on this list, nine took the gold for at least one of their nominated performances. The one who triumphed most recently was Cherry Jones, whose consecutive victories for “The Handmaid’s Tale” (2019) and “Succession” (2020) made her the category’s fourth two-show winner, after Shirley Knight (“Thirtysomething”; “NYPD Blue”), Alfre Woodard (“L.A. Law”; “The Practice”), and Amanda Plummer (“The Outer Limits”; “Law & Order: Svu”).

Although the Best Drama Guest Actress award has only been bestowed on an annual basis...

Actress Shelley Duvall, best remembered for her work in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, has died. She was 75.

As Duvall’s life partner, Dan Gilroy, told The Hollywood Reporter, she passed away in her sleep of complications from diabetes.

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“My dear, sweet, wonderful life partner and friend left us. Too much suffering lately, now she’s free,” Gilroy said in a statement to THR. “Fly away, beautiful Shelley.”

Throughout her career, Duvall...

If the 1950s and '60s were the golden age of the television sitcom, the 1970s were its in-the-pocket prime. And when risk-averse TV execs saw the astronomical ratings of hit sitcoms like "All in the Family," "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," and "M*A*S*H," they exploited this ratings-rich phenomenon by diving into the same-but-different world of spinoffs.

Norman Lear's "All in the Family" was the '70s spinoff king with seven total offshoots, but James L. Brooks and Allan Burns' "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" proved plenty durable by spawning "Rhoda," "Phyllis," and "Lou Grant." Of these, "Rhoda" was by far the biggest hit. Valerie Harper's four seasons as Mary Richards' lovably vivacious neighbor more than confirmed she could carry a series of her own. So, Brooks and Allan sent Rhoda back to her hometown of New York City, where she immediately found love (her...