Stories
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.
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.
Mike Farrell helped M*A*S*H mature as a series
Mike Farrell was the new guy for a while, but quickly went up in the ranks as M*A*S*H progressed.
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.
Allan Kayser (Bubba on Mama's Family) on auditioning for Vicki Lawrence
The show had already aired for two seasons, plus Lawrence was already a legend from her time on The Carol Burnett Show. That's some serious pressure!
Mel Brooks was aiming for a ''dangerous comedy'' with When Things Were Rotten
Things were never rotten for Mel Brooks or his incredible career.
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.
Mary Tyler Moore only had the best things to say about Dick Van Dyke
Find someone who talks about you the way Mary Tyler Moore talked about Dick Van Dyke.
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!
Jackie Gleason fought to get Art Carney more money
Gleason used his pull for his pal.
Despite earning millions, Jackie Gleason didn't care about money
Money couldn't buy happiness or The Honeymooners star.
Valerie Harper's real-life pregnancy depended on her television career
Valerie Harper already had so much going for her, so why not add a baby to the mix?
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.
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.
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.
Penny Marshall enjoyed drinking milk and Pepsi as a child, long before she starred on Laverne & Shirley
Laverne and Penny shared a drink of choice.
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!
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.
Alan Alda wanted a very private life for him and his family during his time on M*A*S*H
He was a ladies' man who only cared about one woman.
Barry Williams on how he made peace with The Brady Bunch
Williams went on a journey with the show.
How Vivian Vance became a big Hollywood star by accident
Vivian Vance had the audition of a lifetime in front of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz – and she had no idea.
Vivian Vance's acting career had a parallel in mental health
She was much more than just Ethel Mertz.
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.
Harvey Korman loved The Carol Burnett Show, but hated some of the costumes
After all, fake mustaches, feathers, tutus, and tiaras can only take you so far.
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. Ruth Buzzi, comedy legend known from ''Laugh-In'' fame
She had hundreds of credits and five Emmy nominations, but perhaps will always be remembered for her bag-swinging character on Laugh-In. The actress was 88 years old.
Here's why Dick Van Dyke joined Carol Burnett after Harvey Korman left
It was a long-awaited comedy collision!
McLean Stevenson wanted M*A*S*H to go by the book
M*A*S*H pulled more inspiration from the book than it did the 1970 movie.
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.
Marlo Thomas was an inspiration to strong, independent women
Marlo Thomas stood on business.
8 of the best questions, answers and interactions from the Q+A sessions on The Carol Burnett Show
Burnett's quick-wit and situational comedy abilities made the Q+A sessions a must-watch for any fan of her variety show.
Don Adams used his past roles to build upon his role in Get Smart
Don Adams was clever in his portrayal of Maxwell Smart.
Before landing her role on Good Times Bern Nadette Stanis wanted to be a dancer
Her role on Good Times was so sudden that it took her out of her classes at Juilliard!
Jean Stapleton reflected on what it was like when Norman Lear left All in the Family
No Norman Lear? No problem. Jean Stapleton knew how to be head of the household on All in the Family.
Here's why Norman Lear was the man behind all the hits
Get an inside look into the mind behind the man!
Harvey Korman loved being in the background on The Carol Burnett Show
Korman didn't need to shine bright to be considered a star.
All in the Family changed Sally Struthers over the course of nine seasons
Sally Struthers changed her attitude because of her role in All in the Family. It also brought her closer to her real-life family.
Jean Stapleton was a Hollywood star, but she lived in rural Pennsylvania
Stapleton was a real-life Hollywood Hillbilly. From Los Angeles to Pennsylvania, she liked living two different lifestyles.
Here's the advice Lucille Ball gave to aspiring actors and entertainers
What's Lucy's secret to success? Grape stomping, bear wrestling, silliness and a lot of hard work.
New York City ''sewer rats'' became an important part of Art Carney's career
Carney loved the New York City sewer system just as much as the real "rats" in the city did.
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.
Adam West didn't have a super life before his superhero role in Batman
This story goes to show that every hero needs an origin story.
When Larry Linville wasn't filming M*A*S*H, he was pursuing a high-flying hobby
Linville had two kinds of highs during his time on M*A*S*H: Working as an actor on a successful TV series and building aircraft.
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.
Here’s how Batman executive producer William Dozier prepared for the series
"Batman is a Gotham City boy. If you got him as far as Philadelphia, he’d be a freak," Dozier said.
Lucille Ball's minor injuries on I Love Lucy showed her dedication to performing
Lucille Ball was a bundle of bruises, sprains and scratches.
Harvey Korman on the type of chemistry it took to make The Carol Burnett Show work
Korman was proof that cast chemistry was key to comedy gold!
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.
Robert Reed wasn't afraid to speak up about his Brady Bunch criticisms
Reed had a few opinions about the writing on The Brady Bunch.
Gavin MacLeod went from playing villains to being considered a comedy hero
When Gavin MacLeod lost his hair, he started getting typecasted as the big, bald, bad guy.
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.
Batman creator William Dozier on what makes a good Batman villain
What made these actors so good at being bad?
According to Adam West, everyone on the set of Batman was a big happy Bat-Family
Maybe they were...Super Friends?
David Rasche said Sledge Hammer reminded him of improv classes
This funny guy took the Sledge Hammer! series very seriously.
Adam West reveals Batman's biggest flaws
Time, it seems, was the greatest villain of all.
The Love Boat's Ted Lange once wrote a rock musical
Who knew this bartender on The Love Boat was so rock and roll?!
Cindy Williams had experience with two decades: Shirley's and her own
Williams embraced the nostalgic setting and her goofy kitty-carrying character resonated with audiences of all generations.
Jackie Gleason once hosted a show so bad that it only ran one episode, followed by an on-air apology
Ironically, the apology got better reviews than the show itself.
Night Court's Harry Anderson had a tough start to his success
A little magic goes a long way.
Lucille Ball didn't mind sharing her series with farm animals
Lucille Ball took "rural humor" to a new extreme!
Vivian Vance traveled over 3,000 miles to work on The Lucy Show
Vivian Vance was a Hollywood legend who lived in Connecticut. She must have had a lot of frequent flyer miles.
These nine photos of The Monkees show just how cool the band was
Let's hang around with the Monkees! These behind-the-scenes photos are filled with nostalgia.
Success was the only thing keeping Rob Reiner and Penny Marshall apart
The timeless couple just wanted to have a little more time with each other.
Mary Frann of Newhart was inspired by Audrey Meadows of The Honeymooners
"Audrey Meadows made Jackie Gleason funnier."
Loretta Swit said her role on M*A*S*H was one of the hardest to play
"She's human and humane, and I try to justify her outrageous behavior by being the best nurse in Korea," Loretta Swit said about her M*A*S*H character.
Jimmie Walker said he was nothing like J.J. on Good Times
He was more of a loner in real life than his "Dy-no-mite!" character!
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.
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'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!
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.
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.
Producer Garry Marshall was surprised by Laverne & Shirley's success
The producer said Laverne & Shirley was "all about timing."
William Christopher avoided jokes about religion as much as he could
In real life, the 4077th's Catholic priest actually came from a devoted family of Methodists.
Audrey Meadows made bank in her role on The Honeymooners
The Honeymooners made Meadows a millionaire.
Marilu Henner helped real-life cab drivers when she wasn't acting on Taxi
Marilu Henner took her Taxi fame for a ride straight to the streets of New York!
The cast of Taxi had mixed reactions when the series moved to NBC
When Taxi switched networks, its stars were hoping it would drive higher ratings home.
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.
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.
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.
Taxi's Marilu Henner hailed a cab and rode it all the way to success
Henner would receive high praise, gifts and even a special license from Taxi drivers all over the country.
Jamie Farr felt like M*A*S*H gave him a new life
Although he had been a character since the beginning, Farr's real breakthrough came later in the series.
Here's what the ''drinks'' on The Love Boat were actually made of
Ted Lange, who played Isaac Washington, revealed the truth.
George Wendt enjoyed being ''large'' for a living
Wendt was living large and liked it that way.
Mary Tyler Moore had this to say on whether the success of The Dick Van Dyke Show had changed her
The series kickstarted Moore's comedy career.