Brady Bunch's Alice, Ann B. Davis, Dead at 88

Image from Wikipedia

You know, we've got to get used to this you guys. The remaining living stars of our childhood favorite TV shows are all getting up there. Ann B. Davis, Alice of The Brady Bunch was always seemingly a "woman of a certain age," but sort of an indeterminate one. The reality is, she was in her early 40s when the original show was on the air, just eight years older than star Florence Henderson (who is 80 herself). 

Davis apparently lived on a religious commune of some sort, though I don't recall ever hearing anything judgmental or self-righteous being attributed to her. She never married, not even Sam the butcher. But she always seemed--in any appearance Brady-related or otherwise--to be cheerful and warm. RIP, Ann.

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Emmy-Winning BRADY BUNCH Actress Ann B. Davis Dies @ 88

Ann B. Davis, famous internationally for the role of lovable maid Alice on The Brady Bunch, died today following a fall in her bathroom. She never regained consciousness after the accident. She was 88. . .
 

Read more at: Boy Culture

 

Mary Grace Canfield Dead at 89

If you are in your 40s or 50s (or if you tend to watch the kind of programs you'd find on TVLand) you know who Mary Grace Canfield was, even if you didn't ever know her name. She was Ralph Monroe, half of the construction team on Green Acres. She filled in as Harriet Kravitz on Bewitched, after the actress who played nosy neighbor Gladys, Alice Pearce, died (and before Sandra Gould was hired to replace her). And she turned up in quite a few other places, TVLand places. She had a unique look, one that no one tends to forget. And though she's passed, she has achieved a little bit of immortality, for as long as new generations continue to discover her work. RIP, Mary Grace!

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Mary Grace Canfield, who played Ralph Monroe on TV's 'Green Acres,' dies

Mary Grace Canfield, a veteran character actress who played handywoman Ralph Monroe on the television show “Green Acres,” has died. She was 89. Her daughter, Phoebe Alexiades, says Canfield died of lung cancer on Saturday at a hospice in the California coastal town of Santa Barbara. . .

Read more at: Toledo Blade

 

Portia De Rossi to be New Lily Munster

Portia and Yvonne, from D-Listed

When it comes to my nostalgia TV, I'm a Bewitched over Jeannie guy. I'm a Star Trek over Lost in Space guy. I'm a Brady Bunch over Partridge Family guy.  I'm a Mary Ann over Ginger guy (oh, who am I kidding, I liked the Professor!). And when it comes to the macabre monster-themed shows, I always liked The Addams Family over The Munsters. Personal preference.

But The Munsters had a lot going for it, not the least of which was the casting. Yvonne De Carlo and Fred Gwynne as Lily and Herman. And if The Munsters has to be re-done again (as all of the above have been, again and again), they could do a helluva lot worse than Jerry O'Connell (sure to be the hottest Frankenstein's monster since Andy Worhol's) and Portia De Rossi. And look she's even got that "De" in the middle there, even if she uses "DeGeneres!" After adoring Portia in both Arrested Development and Better Off Ted, I'm actually looking forward to it!

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Portia De Rossi Is The New Lily Munster

. . . Deadline says that Portia got the role after ABC Studios refused to let Lorena from True Blood out of her contract with that Devious Maids mess, which might be headed for Lifetime. Yeah, so Lorena from True Blood is totally farting in somebody's coffee mug today. Portia will put on a luscious skunk wig to play Lily alongside Jerry O'Connell as Herman, Eddie Izzard as Grandpa Munster, Charity Wakefield as Marilyn and Mason Cook as Eddie. . .

Read more (at the very snarky): D-Listed