Dabney Coleman, an Emmy winner whose six-decade career included a sterling run of hit movies in the ’80s such as 9 to 5, On Golden Pond and Tootsie and whose TV work included ranges from Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman to Yellowstone, has died, according to TMZ. He was 92.
Coleman’s career began with appearances on such early-’60s TV staples as Ben Casey, Dr. Kildare and The Outer Limits. Through the decade and into the ’70s he continued to be cast on episodes of some of TV’s most popular shows, with longer arcs on The Fugitive and That Girl.
His big break came with Norman Lear’s Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman in 1976, in which he recurred as Fernwood Mayor Merle Jeeter in dozens of episodes, also appearing on spinoffs Fernwood Tonight and Forever Fernwood. But it was in the early ’80s that Coleman Broke through with a series of film roles,...
Coleman’s career began with appearances on such early-’60s TV staples as Ben Casey, Dr. Kildare and The Outer Limits. Through the decade and into the ’70s he continued to be cast on episodes of some of TV’s most popular shows, with longer arcs on The Fugitive and That Girl.
His big break came with Norman Lear’s Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman in 1976, in which he recurred as Fernwood Mayor Merle Jeeter in dozens of episodes, also appearing on spinoffs Fernwood Tonight and Forever Fernwood. But it was in the early ’80s that Coleman Broke through with a series of film roles,...
- 5/17/2024
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
Mixing Comedy & Soap: A History of the Serialized Situation Comedy
By Doug Prinzivalli
As one of the producers of the hit web series Pretty - a parody hybrid of reality TV and soaps - I thought it would be a fun idea to take a brief look at the long history of the serialized situation comedy. The idea of mixing comedy with soap elements is not a new one - in fact it started over 60 years ago.
The First Hundred Years (CBS 1950-52) was a mildly humorous daily soap about newlyweds who are gifted with a bat-infested Victorian mansion. Sounds pretty wacky to me. After less than two years, it was replaced by something called The Guiding Light.
The Egg & I (CBS 1951-52) Based on a book by Betty MacDonald and the 1947 film (starring Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray) that followed, this show followed the misadventures of city folk...
By Doug Prinzivalli
As one of the producers of the hit web series Pretty - a parody hybrid of reality TV and soaps - I thought it would be a fun idea to take a brief look at the long history of the serialized situation comedy. The idea of mixing comedy with soap elements is not a new one - in fact it started over 60 years ago.
The First Hundred Years (CBS 1950-52) was a mildly humorous daily soap about newlyweds who are gifted with a bat-infested Victorian mansion. Sounds pretty wacky to me. After less than two years, it was replaced by something called The Guiding Light.
The Egg & I (CBS 1951-52) Based on a book by Betty MacDonald and the 1947 film (starring Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray) that followed, this show followed the misadventures of city folk...
- 12/2/2010
- by Guest Editorial
- We Love Soaps
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