What’s Happening Dee!!
Thursday, February 24th, 2011
As someone who has a younger, wise-cracking sister, I was certainly one to appreciate the character of Dee Thomas in the sitcom that ran for three seasons from 1976-79 called What’s Happening!! It was sort of a poor man’s version of Good Times and I can only recall it being in syndication in the 1980’s. I tuned in at times and other times I flipped it off. But in re-watching the entire run of the series (along with the first season of it’s follow-up series What’s Happening Now!!), I can tell you one thing: Danielle Spencer who played Dee basically stole every scene that she was in. Read the rest of this entry »
It was a little over two years ago that I finally watched the TV series The Addams Family, and in fact watched both seasons of it in its entirety. For the most part, I enjoyed it, but it struck me that without the subtle, optimistic character of Gomez – played by John Astin – the show wouldn’t have been even half as good as it was. From that point on, I became a fan of Astin, and recalled seeing him in other roles throughout the years in such films as National Lampoon’s European Vacation and Freaky Friday and appearances in TV shows such as Night Court and The Twilight Zone. 
As a true Seinfeld buff, I relish the opportunity to meet anyone who has ever been associated with the show, no matter how small their roles may have been. The two guys here both had memorable roles of playing bosses to two of the major characters. Richard Herd (seen at right with Jason Alexander) played George’s immediate supervisor when he worked for the New York Yankees in 11 episodes of the show, including the finale. His roles go well beyond his stint on Seinfeld though, as he appeared on many TV shows such as M*A*S*H, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and a major recurring role on T.J. Hooker. Film credits include All the Presidents Men, Private Benjamin, and Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. 
One of my favorite episodes of the classic sitcom Family Ties was the one when Alex’s friend Skippy comes to the realization that he was adopted. In an act of defiance, he inisists that everyone begin calling him by his birth name Baby Boy Doe. The actor who made numerous appearances as Skippy was Marc Price – and in essence, he stole almost every scene he was in. He didn’t do a whole lot on screen outside his role on Family Ties, but he did have the lead in the heavy metal thriller Trick or Treat starring Gene Simmons and Ozzy Osbourne. 
Continuing on with the great Twin Peaks cast reunion from the Hollywood Show on Saturday, October 9, 2010, are the final three cast members of the show. (See the other major posting