Stories

Not all actors wanted to be roasted by Dean Martin on The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast
And with a look at some of the roasters, we could understand why!
Please enjoy this pep talk from Florence Henderson
Feeling down? Take a dose of Carol Brady.
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.
Dick Van Dyke: ''I never thought I would be anything''
The multi-hyphenate talent never saw stardom ahead.
How Marlo Thomas gave Danny Thomas the worst Father’s Day gift possible
The decision to act came easily for everyone—except Marlo's parents.
That Girl's Marlo Thomas was tired of talking about her dad in interviews
Her famous father wasn’t her only acting inspiration!
Catchy Comedy celebrates Thanksgiving with a Dean Martin Celebrity Roast marathon on Nov. 28th
We're dishing out a heaping helping of the Dean Martin Celebrity Roast starting Nov. 28th at 6a ET on Catchy Comedy.
When he wasn't acting on Mama's Family, Ken Berry loved to ride motorcycles
"It's more than a hobby with me," said the actor.
Susan Olsen had a crush on her on-screen sibling during the filming of The Brady Bunch
"I had two thousand various crushes on him," said Olsen.
This was Susan Olsen's proudest moment in her acting career
No, it wasn't on the set of The Brady Bunch.
Eve Plumb had to channel her inner Jan Brady for The Brady Brides
The Brady Brides marked one of her first times seeing her on-screen sister in years.
Tom Bosley wasn't upset that he had to share the stage in Happy Days
"I don't miss front and center," said the actor.
Vicki Lawrence fought for better scripts on Mama's Family
Having worked under Burnett, she knew not to settle.
R.I.P. Quincy Jones, titan of American music
He created theme songs for classic TV and film and worked with everyone from Sinatra to Michael Jackson. He was 91 years old.
Fear was a powerful motivator for Henry Winkler
How Winkler used his anxieties to his advantage.
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.
Did you catch this horror movie easter egg in Night Court?
Horror fans may have spotted the in-joke to one of John Larroquette's early roles.
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 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.
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 the reason Paul Fusco believed everyone loved ALF
ALF took the world by storm, and he wasn’t even from this planet!
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.
ALF's Paul Fusco enjoyed creating shows for families and kids
ALF gave us an out of this world look into a planet he wasn't even from.
Anne Schedeen thanked ALF for bringing her up to star status
All she needed was a working spaceship to help her land her star status.
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.
Ron Howard on his time as a university student while playing a high schooler on Happy Days
"It would be a lack of foresight to think I had it made now and didn't have to continue to improve myself," the actor said.
Terror on the high seas: 10 Love Boat guest stars in horror movies
It's an open smile on a friendly shore. Or is it?!
Penny Marshall: ''I didn’t want to be in show business''
The story is as unexpected as it is interesting!
One weird fact connects Halloween (1978) and Mama's Family
Mama's in the house. But Michael Myers is, too!
The creator of Happy Days said that it would be difficult to write a comedy about modern teenagers
Would those days still be happy if they were happening in the 1970s?
Lucille Ball didn't mind sharing her series with farm animals
Lucille Ball took "rural humor" to a new extreme!
Vivian Vance said that success made her mean for a while
Learning to love Ethel was no easy task for Vance.
Making Lucy iconic: How writers crafted Lucille Ball's TV character
Here's what it was like, straight from the source.
The Three Stooges said children would attack them in public
A nine-year-old thwacked them with a cane on the boardwalk.
Here's why the iconic comedy duo Laurel and Hardy broke up
The comedy duo had to separate in order to team up against the studio!
Stan Laurel of Laurel and Hardy used to compare comedy to sports
A boxer studies the timing of each punch, while a comedian studies the punchline.
Anson Williams beat out 400 other actors for the role of Potsie
Williams fought hard to be called a Potsie!
Starring in Laverne & Shirley put a real damper on Cindy Williams' love life
"I wonder the real motive now when somebody wants to date me," she said.
R.I.P. John Amos, star of Good Times, Roots and The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Catchy Comedy will celebrate actor John Amos with a tribute featuring special episodes of Good Times. Tune in to remember John Amos starting Wednesday Oct. 2nd through Friday, Oct. 4th starting at 6p ET | 3p PT each day.
Carol Burnett, Buddy Hackett, Lucille Ball and other stars gave up their privacy for fame
Stars, like everyone else, just want some peace and quiet from time to time.
Audrey Meadows on how she got the role of Alice Kramden
Meadows was rich both in wealth and in her career.
Henry Winkler ensured that The Fonz was a good influence on children
The actor wanted to keep a clean reputation.
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!
Desi Arnaz explained how he and Lucille Ball created I Love Lucy
The series developed from the couple's desire to see a family on television.
Desi Arnaz Jr. revealed that his superstar parents were actually just like everybody else
"We put them on a pedestal and think of them as being different. Even I bought into that!"
Marlo Thomas was a girl who just wanted her privacy
She liked to keep her guard up at all times — sometimes quite literally — as she often had issues with the press.
The producer and Jim Nabors spent a lot of time perfecting Gomer Pyle: USMC
Jim Nabors and Gomer Pyle were both small-town boys with a lot of optimism.
Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams only appeared in Happy Days as a favor to executive producer Garry Marshall
Nobody expected the characters to be a hit, least of all the actors playing them.
In the '60s, Carol Burnett and Jim Nabors went on the road together
They were as good of friends offstage as they were comedians onstage together.
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.
A separated Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz had to share one last kiss during the final episode of I Love Lucy
Read Arnaz's recount of the experience and try not to cry, we dare you.
Frank Sutton used his real military experience on Gomer Pyle: USMC
Sutton was a real Army veteran with a fictional Marine background.
After Gomer Pyle, Jim Nabors became a nut farmer in Hawaii and needed a life-saving liver transplant
''I raise macadamia nuts in Hawaii and that's good enough for me.''
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.
Henry Winkler on the act of ''un-Fonzing'' himself
The de-Fonzification process is an age-old art.
Carroll O'Connor would ask All in the Family writers to rewrite jokes
"They often balked and more than once threatened to quit, but I too more than once threatened to quit."
Cindy Williams had a hard time adjusting to the fame that came with Laverne & Shirley
"One minute, you know, you're living from hand to mouth and the next minute you're this person with this incredible salary," she said.
In 1992, Cheers star John Ratzenberger saluted the Cliff Clavins of the world
Ratzenberger said everyone needed a friend like Cliff Clavin in their life.
Rob Reiner and the struggles of standing in someone else's shadow
"I went through a painful struggle," said Reiner.
No, Desi Arnaz Jr. did not play Little Ricky on I Love Lucy
How Arnaz felt about losing out on the role.
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.
Rhea Perlman envied her character's personality on Cheers
Perlman envied her character's quick quips on the series.
Al Molinaro from Happy Days would've been happy leaving it all behind
"If there was aggravation, I'd get out of the business today."
12 frothy facts about Cheers
Learn how Lucille Ball, Prince, pregnancy and "Hilary" relate to the beloved bar sitcom.
There was nothing in the norm when it came to George Wendt's success on Cheers
George Wendt loved many things about playing the role of Norm, but surprisingly, drinking beer wasn't one of them.
It took Betty Garrett longer than expected to figure out her character on Laverne & Shirley
"I came into the show without any real idea of what they wanted," she wrote.
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.
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."
Judd Hirsch wanted Taxi fans to step up after the series was put on hold by NBC
On paper, Taxi had everything it needed to succeed, but in reality, the series had many ups and downs.
It turns out that the character of Fonzie was partially based off of Garry Marshall's childhood friends
The character who was just too cool actually has some roots in reality.
Series creator Garry Marshall on the evolution of Happy Days
The characters quickly proved more important than the retro setting.
Laverne & Shirley was often compared to I Love Lucy
"It's hard to find two attractive girls who will let themselves seem unattractive."
Penny Marshall wanted Laverne & Shirley to be a more risqué show
Marshall wanted Laverne & Shirley to be a very different show.
Cindy Williams initially refused to do Laverne & Shirley
Shirley Feeney was almost played by a different Williams!
Henry Winkler shaped The Fonz, and insisted on showing what was there ''underneath the cool''
Here's how Winkler broadened his characterization to make The Fonz a whole person.
Here's the real reason why Laura Petrie wore pants on The Dick Van Dyke Show
Moore put on her pants just like everybody else: One leg at a time...
Barry Williams on how he made peace with The Brady Bunch
Williams went on a journey with the show.
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.
Carroll O'Connor said that criticism of his shows got to him
Carroll O'Connor had a candid critique of TV critics.
The Odd Couple changed Tony Randall's outlook on life
He quickly became one of the most successful neat freaks on television!
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.
Before starring in Car 54, Where Are You?, Joe E. Ross was afraid of cops
For someone who spent his youth avoiding cops, he never imagined he’d become one.
R.I.P. Phil Donahue, pioneer of TV talk and husband of Marlo Thomas
He changed the future of TV talk shows, and met his wife when she first appeared on his show.
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis star Dwayne Hickman believed television needed more comedians
Hickman's comedic style helped the cast connect with teens across the country.
Bob Denver felt ''trapped'' in his role as Maynard G. Krebs
Although the character helped him become famous, he could never completely escape the beard.
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.
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.
Dick Van Dyke nearly left show business to speak to youth full time
He never quite stepped away, but he meant to!
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.
Danny Thomas said he worked with ''Hollywood's finest child actor'' on The Danny Thomas Show
The fictional father-son duo kept up the act even after the cameras quit rolling.
Much like his character on The Brady Bunch Robert Reed also had a passion for architecture
We think that Mike Brady and Robert Reed would have been great friends.
Jackie Gleason preferred his actors to have less rehearsal time on The Honeymooners
Gleason's rehearsal method might have seemed unconventional, but it definitely worked well.
This actor was deemed too hot to play Mike Brady in The Brady Bunch
It's the age-old question: How hot can a dad be?
How My Three Sons star Fred MacMurray became one of the wealthiest actors in the biz
The film noir and sitcom star was a true business mogul.
Carl Reiner once surprised Morey Amsterdam by including his gags in The Dick Van Dyke Show
Even before he was on The Dick Van Dyke Show, Amsterdam was an accomplished comedian.
A pre-Brady interview with Florence Henderson reveals who she really was as a person
Before she was Carol Brady, she had her priorities straight.
Bob Saget used to compare Full House to Happy Days
"We kid that I'm Richie Cunningham and we're doing Happy Days," Saget said.
Harvey Korman loved being in the background on The Carol Burnett Show
Korman didn't need to shine bright to be considered a star.
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.
Tim Conway didn't take a technical approach to comedy
Conway was an off-the-cuff comedian.
Mary Tyler Moore said that working with Dick Van Dyke ''spoiled'' her
The two actors loved working with each other.
Art Carney hated ''the second banana business''
Gleason and Carney were decidedly not on equal footing.
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.
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.
R.I.P. Bob Newhart, considered one of the greatest comedians in history
Catchy Comedy celebrates the comedian with a binge of The Bob Newhart Show, Newhart, and Bob all weekend long starting at 12P | 11C on Saturday, July 20
Norman Lear revealed how Edith was able to tune Archie out
Edith loved Archie but didn't agree with him.
Carl Reiner said that this aspect of The Dick Van Dyke Show dated the series
Reiner said this aspect of the show was "sort of embarrassing."
What happened to Ann B. Davis— Alice from The Brady Bunch— when the show ended?
Here's the story of why she slowed down her career considerably.
Jean Stapleton was a true American revolutionary, according to Carroll O'Connor
"Edith helped work a change in America," O'Connor wrote.
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 what Ken Berry had to say to people who thought Mayberry R.F.D. was ''unrelatable''
He defended his fictional hometown until the series ended in 1971.
Mayberry R.F.D. was a twist and turn in Ken Berry's life
Although acting wasn't Berry's original dream, he did it well and replaced an acting legend with ease.
How Band-Aids changed Mike Lookinland's life forever
An advertisement led to other advertisements, and eventually, The Brady Bunch!
Ken Berry reveals what it was like to replace Andy Griffith
Being the big cheese in Mayberry was a tall order.
Mayberry's Ken Berry couldn't believe he would replace Andy Griffith
Those are some pretty big shoes to fill, but luckily, Ken Berry was quick on his feet.
9 things you never knew about Ken Berry of Mayberry R.F.D.
Learn about his connections to Star Trek, The Brady Bunch, and I Love Lucy.
Bob Mackie was so good at creating costumes for The Carol Burnett Show, he didn't need to ask for approval
"He came in and was just adorable, and we hit it off and we hired him right on the spot."
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.
Get Smart's Don Adams was a real-life Maxwell Smart
Before Get Smart he was lying about his age and performing stand-up comedy in dive bars.
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.
Before becoming an actor, Don Adams was a stand-up comedian
Before Adams was on Get Smart, he was witty as a stand-up comedian onstage.
Barbara Feldon was famous for commercials before she was on Get Smart
From selling men's pomade and purring at the audience to playing Agent 99 in a spy spoof, Feldon was a queen of TV.
Rose Marie helped Morey Amsterdam get cast on The Dick Van Dyke Show
The two actors were more than costars; they were friends.
11 acclaimed actors who played minor villains and henchmen on Batman
They may have been minor sidekicks, but the performers had Oscar-worthy chops.
Wives saved The Dick Van Dyke Show from cancellation
The Dick Van Dyke Show received assistance from an unlikely source.
Ja'Net DuBois admitted that John Amos' departure from Good Times ''left such a big hole''
Fans weren't the only ones who felt the pain of James Evans' scripted passing.
8 villains from Batman 1966 you probably won't see in the next Batman movie
The Joker, The Riddler, and Catwoman made the leap from the small screen to theaters. Egghead, Bookworm, and Ma Parker? Not so much.
Adam West reveals Batman's biggest flaws
Time, it seems, was the greatest villain of all.
Here's the pilot moment that convinced Adam West to star in Batman
The scene that persuaded West to don the cowl.
Adam West remembered his first screen test with Burt Ward for Batman
The dynamic duo knew they were destined to be together.
Here's what made The Monkees a bunch of millionaires
What happens when a guy in his early 20s becomes a millionaire over night? Michael Nesmith has the answer!
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.
11 things you might not know about Mama's Family
Revisit Raytown and learn about the sitcom's house changes, family changes, secret theme song lyrics, presidential candidates and more!
Carol Burnett once used her ''Tarzan'' yell to prove her identity. After, she vowed to never do it in public again
''I looked around... there was nobody else on that floor but me and these two salespeople. And I did it.''
At 19, Eve Plumb was determined to get rid of the Brady image
Jan Brady was just a fictional character, and Plumb wanted everyone to see a new side of her.
Jean Stapleton considered herself an introvert
Offstage, she was much more reserved.
10 things you might not know about Vicki Lawrence
With a disco album, a game show and a tie to a bit of Oscar history, she's far more than "Mama."
10 groundbreaking things you didn't know about Norman Lear
The living legend has an unusual passion for the First Amendment.
13 hail-worthy facts about Taxi
The series would have been far different with Mandy Patinkin, Sheriff Bart and Tony Clifton.
Sally Struthers broke her arm on the set of All in the Family
The cast had to be removed before filming.
At the height of success, Rowan and Martin said ''every hero can become a bum''
Despite feeling the success, Martin said they didn't feel secure.
There was a time when no one knew Rowan & Martin
"There was a time when people thought Rowan and Martin was a detergent."
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.
Dick Van Dyke did his best to avoid any changes on his hit series
He wanted to change everything about television, but nothing about The Dick Van Dyke Show.
Vicki Lawrence's lost residuals from Mama's Family
A story of death, cryogenesis, and money.
Tim Conway on the artistic freedom of The Carol Burnett Show
Conway relished the liberty afforded by Burnett herself
Here's what Lucille Ball had to say about staying young and beautiful
The Lucille Ball method: Castor oil, humor and perfume.
This was Eve Arden's advice for actors trying to get their start on TV
Eve Arden had the same successful show on two different mediums: Radio and TV.
Demond Wilson almost declined the offer to play Lamont Sanford
"I thought it was a step down. I wanted to be a movie actor."
Here's why Family Affair's Sebastian Cabot didn't like working with dogs
No dog? No problem. Cabot didn't like working with dogs for one big reason.
Kathy Garver wanted her character on Family Affair to grow up
Garver was all grown up and just wanted her character to catch up.
At first, Eve Arden didn't want to play the role of Miss Brooks
Arden almost wasn't America's favorite teacher!
Norman Lear revealed All in the Family's British roots
The producer spilled the beans (and toast!)
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