All posts tagged: sitcom

Big Bang Theory: Sheldon Cooper star Jim Parsons says time on US sitcom left him ‘miserable’

Big Bang Theory: Sheldon Cooper star Jim Parsons says time on US sitcom left him ‘miserable’

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Jim Parsons was the face of The Big Bang Theory for 12 years – but it took a serious toll on him mentally, leaving him “miserable” and “stressed”. The actor, 53, played Sheldon Cooper from 2007 to 2019 in the hit CBS sitcom, which launched the actor to global fame – and while he acknowledges that he experienced “some of the best moments of my life” during that time, Parsons said he “looks back now and realises that there were many ways” he was miserable. “I was not happy,” he told YouTube podcast All Out with Jon Dean. “I was stressed. I felt that there were so many plates I was supposed to be keeping in the air and that the success and the good things of life that were happening were only due to this overworking, discipline and whatever.” Jim …

Meet ’80s sitcom star Susan Saint James’ five children — including three who followed her into showbiz

Meet ’80s sitcom star Susan Saint James’ five children — including three who followed her into showbiz

Published by Daniella Wilson

Star of forgotten ’80s hit Kate & Allie and on-screen wife to Rock Hudson in ’70s series McMillan & Wife, Susan Saint James has some serious TV star power decorating her portfolio. But her family boasts similar fame, from her marriage to a former Saturday Night Live producer to talented kids taking on their parents’ showbiz legacy. Keep reading to see how their TV talent stacks up to their legendary actress mother, and how Susan fell for her husband of 45 years. © CBS via Getty Images Susan Saint James was born in Los Angeles, getting her first role at around 20 years old Who is Susan Saint James? Born in Los Angeles on 14 August 1946, Susan Saint James is the daughter of Constance and Charles Miller. She first appeared on screen in TV feature film Fame is the Name of the Game (1966).  She’s best known for her TV roles in shows like McMillan & Wife, Kate & Allie and The Name of the Game. © Getty Images Susan’s career has spanned from TV success opposite …

Dame Penelope Keith, British sitcom star, dies at 86

Dame Penelope Keith, British sitcom star, dies at 86

Published by Sam Flores

LONDON — Penelope Keith, a comic performer who shone as flinty but lovable upper-crust characters in British sitcoms “The Good Life,” which aired on PBS in the U.S. as “Good Neighbors,” and “To the Manor Born,” has died aged 86. Keith’s family said Monday that she had been diagnosed with cancer and died at her home in Surrey, near London. Keith began her acting career onstage and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1963. But she found her greatest fame on television. She won a BAFTA Award in 1977 for “The Good Life,” playing Margo Leadbetter, a snobbish suburbanite appalled by her back-to-the-land neighbors Tom and Barbara Good, played by Richard Briers and Felicity Kendal. Kendal called Keith a “comic genius.” “She was a joy to know and work with, and she will be much missed,” Kendal said. Keith displayed a similar mix of imperiousness and deadpan wit in “To the Manor Born,” broadcast between 1979 and 1981 and brought back for a 2007 Christmas special. Keith played cash-strapped aristocratic widow Audrey fforbes-Hamilton, forced to sell her …

After 16 years, this blue-collar sitcom pulled off the rare perfect reboot

After 16 years, this blue-collar sitcom pulled off the rare perfect reboot

Published by skeptic

The history of television is littered with failed revivals of old TV shows. That ’90s Show, a revival of That ’70s Show, flamed out after a few seasons. A reboot of the iconic sitcom Frasier lasted two. One of the first beloved sitcoms to revive itself years later was Arrested Development, which aired its first three seasons on Fox in the mid-2000s, gained a passionate cult following, and then came back on Netflix in 2013 to muted applause. In all of these cases, the magic that had made the show popular in the first place just wasn’t there anymore. Somehow, Hulu’s revival of the animated sitcom King of the Hill has sidestepped all of these problems and come back just as vital and funny as it ever was. Before it returns for its second comeback season, it deserves to be celebrated a bit. King of the Hill’s success was unlikely from the start An animated live-action sitcom Credit: Fox King of the Hill debuted in 1997, when The Simpsons was the big animated show to beat. …

Penelope Keith, Star of Classic British Sitcom ‘The Good Life,’ Dies at 86

Penelope Keith, Star of Classic British Sitcom ‘The Good Life,’ Dies at 86

Published by Sam Flores

LONDON (AP) — Penelope Keith, a comic performer who shone as flinty but loveable upper-crust characters in British sitcoms “The Good Life” and “To the Manor Born,” has died aged 86. Keith’s family said Monday that she had been diagnosed with cancer and died at her home in Surrey, near London. Keith began her acting career onstage and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1963. But she found her greatest fame on television. She won a BAFTA award in 1977 for “The Good Life,” playing Margo Leadbetter, a snobbish suburbanite appalled by her back-to-the-land neighbors Tom and Barbara Good, played by Richard Briers and Felicity Kendal. Kendal called Keith a “comic genius.” “She was a joy to know and work with, and she will be much missed,” Kendal said. Keith displayed a similar mix of imperiousness and deadpan wit in “To the Manor Born,” broadcast between 1979 and 1981 and brought back for a 2007 Christmas special. Keith played cash-strapped aristocratic widow Audrey fforbes-Hamilton, forced to sell her country estate to a nouveau millionaire, played …

Dame Penelope Keith: ‘It’s very sad that “sitcom” has become a pejorative term’

Dame Penelope Keith: ‘It’s very sad that “sitcom” has become a pejorative term’

Published by Daniella Wilson

Actress Dame Penelope Keith, best known for her roles in sitcoms The Good Life and To the Manor Born, has died at the age of 86. An acclaimed theatrical performer as well, Keith won an Olivier Award for her role in Donkey’s Years, as well as two BAFTA TV Awards. Below, we revisit an interview with Keith which was first published in Radio Times magazine in November 2011, in which she reflects on history, the value of experience and the decline of sitcoms. Penelope Keith and the National Trust were made for each other. Striding around Wiltshire’s Avebury Manor, scattering superlatives like small change – “Marvellous! Extraordinary!” – she is a living icon of country-house manners (Home Counties, circa mid-20th century). Entering a room where eight women kneel around a table, embroidering peacocks’ “eyes” onto a flaxen bedcover, Keith turns her hand deftly to the task. “When I went to school one was taught these things,” she points out. She could with ease, one imagines, pluck a pheasant or persuade bishops to waltz at a …

80s child star reveals unexpected new career path following Who’s the Boss? sitcom

80s child star reveals unexpected new career path following Who’s the Boss? sitcom

Published by Daniella Wilson

Former child star, Danny Pintauro, is proudly embracing a new chapter in his career, as he was refreshingly honest about what life is really like for child actors in their midlife.  The 50-year-old, best known for playing Jonathan Bower on the hit sitcom Who’s the Boss?, has revealed that he is currently working as an Amazon Flex delivery driver while continuing to pursue acting opportunities.  © Getty Images(L-R) Angela (Judith Light), Jonathan (Danny Pintauro), Tony (Tony Danza) and Samantha (Alyssa Milano) in Who’s The Boss? On an episode of the Pod Meets World Podcast, Danny was candid following a post that went viral of the star delivering Amazon packages in April: “It’s one of the five different gig jobs that I’m doing right now,” he admitted. “We’re gig actors. Acting is the gig. It’s one of the six gigs.” The Timetalkers star emphasized that actors have to make a living just like the average person, revealing that he juggles multiple jobs in part because he doesn’t make money from residual checks.  © Getty ImagesDanny Pintauro …

Friends cast pay tribute to US sitcom legend James Burrows: ‘A father figure to us all’

Friends cast pay tribute to US sitcom legend James Burrows: ‘A father figure to us all’

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter James Burrows, the celebrated director whose vision shaped iconic American sitcoms including Friends and Cheers, has died at the age of 85. His passing, announced on Friday, has prompted an outpouring of tributes from stars, with many describing him as a “father figure” who profoundly influenced their careers. David Schwimmer, who played Ross Geller in Friends, shared a poignant Instagram message reflecting on Burrows’ impact. “Jimmy Burrows brought out the best in every actor he ever worked with, and elevated every show he directed, making it funnier and more moving than anyone expected,” the 59-year-old wrote. He continued: “His warmth, humility and generosity made us feel safe, like family… He became another father figure for me, and I’m sure others. Paternal in the best sense of the word, loving, wise, encouraging, challenging, instructive, patient, inspiring, playful—and on my best days, I’d …

James Burrows, legendary sitcom director, dies at 85

James Burrows, legendary sitcom director, dies at 85

Published by Sam Flores

To call James Burrows a giant of modern television is not hyperbole. If you love sitcoms, know that Burrows, who died Friday, June 19, at the age of 85, planted many seeds of that affection. The 11-time Emmy winner’s fingerprints are visible all over the genre, starting with his name in the credits of numerous half-hours we consider to be timeless, bar-setting classics – including “Cheers,” which he co-created with Glen and Les Charles. But he also lent his creativity and spirit to its spinoff “Frasier,” “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and “The Bob Newhart Show.” And “Will & Grace,” for which he directed every single episode. And both versions of the pilot for “The Big Bang Theory.” Burrows also directed 15 episodes of “Friends,” including some of its best-loved, such as “The One Where Ross and Rachel Take a Break” and “The One with the Prom Video.” If you have watched any of these — if they comforted you on your worst days and made good ones better — Burrows had a hand in …