Stories
Square Pegs actress Sarah Jessica Parker was undecided about her future in acting
Sarah Jessica Parker was too cool for school!
Jimmie Walker didn't want people to identify him with his Good Times character
Walker wanted to be a comedian and playing J.J. Evans gave him the needed exposure.
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.
Marlo Thomas was determined to prove critics wrong about her series, That Girl
Thomas said that even if she didn't become a big star, she knew That Girl would be a big hit.
Tom Bosley shared a lot in common with his Happy Days character
Bosley built a career on being a dad.
All in the Family got rid of ''live laughs'' and the live studio audience
The show changed for its ninth season. Apparently, people in the live audience didn't enjoy the jokes.
Here's the advice Audrey Meadows would get from Honeymooners fans
Meadows received advice from women all over the country on how to handle her fictional husband!
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.
Despite earning millions, Jackie Gleason didn't care about money
Money couldn't buy happiness or The Honeymooners star.
Jackie Gleason fought to get Art Carney more money
Gleason used his pull for his pal.
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.
Audrey Meadows made bank in her role on The Honeymooners
The Honeymooners made Meadows a millionaire.
Call her Schultzy, call her Alice— Ann B. Davis had no problem being known as her characters
“Any one of those names suits me fine," said the Brady Bunch actor.
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.
Ann B. Davis said there was no competition between the children and adults on The Brady Bunch
The actor loved working with her young co-stars.
Cindy Williams and Penny Marshall had two very different reactions to fame and success
Finding success was one of the best—and most confusing—days of their lives.
Jean Stapleton was never interested in the role of the leading lady
"I knew where I belonged," said the actor.
Ja'Net DuBois had big love for her small role on Good Times
Somebody’s got to play the small parts, and DuBois was at peace with that.
Please enjoy this pep talk from Florence Henderson
Feeling down? Take a dose of Carol Brady.
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!
Jean Stapleton partially based Edith off of a ''beloved dingbat'' in her family
Stapleton was able to pull from her family tree to find inspiration for Edith Bunker.
Do you remember Jackie Gleason's music career?
Gleason broke records with his records, which he loved recording for lovers.
Redd Foxx loved his life inside and outside of Sanford and Son
Redd Foxx was both a nightclub comic and a TV star. In the '70s, succeeding in both at the same time was rare.
At first, Henry Winkler didn't know the impact The Fonz would have on TV
In the hearts of classic TV fans, he’ll always be The Fonz.
Dave Coulier was able to show his love for hockey during his time on Full House
Coulier has a successful acting career, but his greatest memory happened in an ice rink with a hockey legend.
Harry Anderson was essentially playing himself on Night Court
Harry Anderson's acting journey started with a little magic.
Vicki Lawrence got her start through Carol Burnett when she was only 17
Vicki Lawrence and Carol Burnett's friendship started in one of the most unique ways.
Fans would stop Marlo Thomas on the street just to call her ''That Girl''
She was "that girl" on TV and "that girl" on the streets.
Fred MacMurray was ''semi-retired'' while on My Three Sons
MacMurray was such a low-pressure kind of guy that he even "semi-retired" while still working.
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!
Mama's Family gave audiences an opportunity to laugh again
"The fun has gone out of television," Lawrence said.
Sally Struthers thought Gloria should have had a job on All in the Family
Sally Struthers had a few ideas for her character on All in the Family. Including one idea that came true.
Robert Reed had a very sensible reason as to why he'd never recommend acting as a career
The actor was stern, but fair.
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.
Fred MacMurray tried to keep My Three Sons as fresh as possible
MacMurray and his three sons were no strangers to change.
A real experience made Vivian Vance an advocate for mental health
Vivian Vance had a big role to play as Lucille Ball's sidekick.
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.
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.
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.
Sammy Davis Jr. gave Archie Bunker the kiss of a lifetime on All in the Family
Archie Bunker doesn't kiss and tell, but his reaction is worth a thousand words.
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.
Ron Howard used Happy Days as a chance to shed his ''Opie'' image
His role as Richie helped him grow up and grow out of his "Opie" character.
Esther Rolle said Good Times proves that you can be happy anywhere
The Evans family proved that true happiness was still possible without much money.
Ted Lange loved the perks that came along with The Love Boat
Ted Lange fell in love with The Love Boat and all the perks that came with working on a cruise ship.
Sally Field played a teenager who loved to surf, but could she really surf in real life?
She had two big waves in her life: one wave of success, and many waves on the beach.
Sally Field defended teenagers during her time on Gidget
As one of America’s favorite teens at the time, Field spoke up in defense of teenagers.
Susan Olsen had some interesting feelings about her Brady brothers
She tells a Florence Henderson story, too!
Despite his role in My Three Sons, William Frawley was ''undomesticated''
The character was the authority on cooking, cleaning and caretaking; the actor lacked that skill set.
Here’s what Bernie Kopell had to say about starring on The Love Boat
"I work steadily...What could be wrong with that?”
The enduring appeal of Gilligan's Island, according to its Fan Club presidents
The show, along with its characters, are iconic.
How Sally Field unexpectedly landed Gidget, and how it was much more than a career-launcher
Though her first show only lasted one season, it certainly wasn't the precedent of things to come.
Sally Field wasn't your typical ''All-American Girl'' despite what it seemed onscreen
Many might be surprised to learn that this typical "All-American Girl" was in therapy when she was 19.
Night Court's Harry Anderson had a tough start to his success
A little magic goes a long way.
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.
Marion Ross loved the similarities between her Happy Days family and her real one
Marion Ross loved her own family just as much as Marion Cunningham loved Richie and Joanie.
Jimmie Walker was a stand-up comedian before becoming a star on Good Times
Before Jimmie Walker was cracking jokes on television, he told them onstage as a struggling stand-up comedian.
Sally Field hated being called cute during her time on The Flying Nun
Many words could be used to describe Field and her career, but "cute" is not one of them.
Danny DeVito's character on Taxi was made just for him
DeVito hatched a plan in order to get the part of Louie on Taxi.
Cindy Williams had experience with two decades: Shirley's and her own
Her character resonated with audiences of all generations!
Denver Pyle used his father as inspiration for his role in The Doris Day Show
Pyle took inspiration from his own dad when portraying a father on screen.
Here’s why Carol Burnett thought rain brought good luck
It’s raining, it’s pouring—Carol Burnett’s career was soaring.
Barry Williams chose The Brady Bunch over his social life
Barry Williams didn't need a girlfriend as a young man, he was already in love with The Brady Bunch.
Carroll O'Connor said that criticism of his shows got to him
Carroll O'Connor had a candid critique of TV critics.
A Love Boat guest star snubbed Ted Lange after mistakenly assuming he was an extra. Here's how Lange got the last laugh
A lesson in kindness from The Love Boat.
Finding new ways to relate to women was an important job for Hot in Cleveland
This one's for the girls!
Rose Marie never had a flop, and she wasn’t about to start with The Doris Day Show
"I've never been associated with a flop," Rose Marie said.
Ron Howard enjoyed living in the 1950s for his Happy Days role
Ron Howard was living in two decades at the same time.
Was Lyle Waggoner too handsome to be successful on television?
The actor's good looks were both a blessing and a curse.
Norman Lear had a special message hidden inside Sanford and Son and All in the Family
Norman Lear did what he wanted and didn't care who saw — even if it was thousands of TV viewers.
Penny Marshall didn't care about what the critics had to say
And with a number one show on television, why would she?
Jean Stapleton was thankful she didn't have to choose between family and career
One could argue that her career was family.
Harvey Korman once said that being a director was too ''paternal''
“I’m still more like a child myself.”
The Love Boat bartender picked up some mixology skills for the role
Ted Lange was known for making drinks on The Love Boat, but he could make a mean martini off-screen too.
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.
A bald head helped Richard Moll get his part in Night Court
Night Court producers loved Moll's bald-headed look. Richard Moll? Maybe not so much.
Here's why Vicki Lawrence almost refused Mama's Family
Lawrence's fears almost ended the opportunity of a lifetime.
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.
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!
Sherwood Schwartz kept an upbeat attitude in the face of poor Gilligan's Island ratings
"All I want is for everybody to have a little fun," said Schwartz.
The Love Boat's Lauren Tewes enjoyed getting fan mail
Lauren Tewes loved acting and the perks that came with it, including fan mail.
Lyle Waggoner had no problem with his modest role on The Carol Burnett Show
“I keep it in perspective,” said the actor.
I Love Lucy fans would write to Desi and Lucy, hoping for marriage advice
You can add "couples counselor" to Lucille Ball's list of talents.
Bob Newhart used humor to help cope with life's hardest moments
Newhart used humor to get through life's hardships and suggested you do the same.
Mary Frann found being Newhart's TV wife challenging
Mary Frann had to follow in the footsteps of Newhart's first onscreen wife.
Bob Newhart loved to watch Newhart reruns
Newhart didn’t watch it for entertainment—he watched it for research.
Mary Frann of Newhart was inspired by Audrey Meadows of The Honeymooners
"Audrey Meadows made Jackie Gleason funnier."