Celebrities that you only knew because of reruns

[cd637299]

This thread is totally subjective, and some folk here are older than others....so, anyway, I hope I am making sense here.

Are there any celebrities that you have only learned about, because they appeared in long-running rerun packages---despite the fact that they were only famous for maybe one or two shows?

Cases in point:

(1) "The Flintstones" went well into reruns into the 1990s, and today on Boomerang, I think. One episode, "Shinrock a Go-Go," featured "Jimmy O'Neillstone"---a caricature of Jimmy O'Neill, host of the short-lived music show "Shindig" in the mid 1960s. I am not sure if Jimmy is still with us, but I'd think that he is/was quite grateful for the Flintstones rerun, or else nobody would recognize him---not to mention the "Beau Brummelstones"!

(2) When I was a child, I saw a rerun of "Dennis the Menace," where Spring Byington of "December Bride" made an appearance. I had no clue who Spring B. was. DB was never shown in my town in reruns. Furthermore, I figured that DB was still running concurrently w/ "Dennis." I was wrong; DB ended the same year Dennis started, 1959. I do have a video of two DB episodes now.

(3) This one is a far stretch....Nickelodeon once showed B&W Looney Tunes of the 30s. One was called "Buddy's Bearcats," where a baseball announcer appeared, and to me it looked like a caricature of somebody---very detailed. A relative watched with me, and said it was Joe E. Brown.

Well, those are my examples. I am 53, so I *can* sorta relate to some shows which had topical references/short-lived fame of celebs. I am sure I could list more examples.

I welcome personal anecdotes along with any examples---if, of course, I am making sense here.

Anyway, I am sure that many celebrities have had their names kept alive this way----maybe the only way!

cd

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

Mark Goddard, who played Major Don West on "Lost In Space" actually had three other series prior to "LIS" ("Robert Taylor's Detectives", "Johnny Ringo", and "Many Happy Returns"), but is mainly known for "Lost In Space".

 

[cd637299]

One word I should have used in my OP: "cameo" or "one-episode appearance." I knew I missed something!

My examples were 1-shot episodes, with celebrities that otherwise would be unknown to later generations.

However, I'll swing the door open.....

cd

 

[LKellerIII]

My list would include anybody in the cast of Topper, I Love Lucy, The Life of Riley, The Honeymooners, Burns & Allen, and quite a few other shows from the early 50s.

Though I just turned 60, I was only 2 or 3 when these shows originally aired, and my parents didn't own a TV until I was 5 - in 1957.

 

[buster2]

It could be argued that the cast of the original Star Trek became far more famous due to the syndicated re-runs a few years after the series was cancelled by NBC. NBC moved the show around so much it never got traction in the ratings. The phenomenon only started in the early 70s.

 

[John-Summers]

(1) "The Flintstones" went well into reruns into the 1990s, and today on Boomerang, I think. One episode, "Shinrock a Go-Go," featured "Jimmy O'Neillstone"---a caricature of Jimmy O'Neill, host of the short-lived music show "Shindig" in the mid 1960s. I am not sure if Jimmy is still with us, but I'd think that he is/was quite grateful for the Flintstones rerun, or else nobody would recognize him---not to mention the "Beau Brummelstones"!

This is a little off-topic but mentioning the Flintstones brought a question to my mind. That show was always rather topical and often there were references to both real people and fictional characters. For example, an actress by the name of "Ann Margrock" was occasionally mentioned, and I remember an episode featuring a smooth talking private eye named "Perry Gunnite," a take-off on the TV show "Peter Gunn." Those were just two examples.

I've always wondered if those references were left in when the shows went into syndication, or were somehow removed or changed. Or maybe those episodes were dropped entirely. Nobody under 60 remembers Peter Gunn, so the joke is entirely lost, and Ann Margaret hasn't been around much lately either. Anyone seen the Flintstones in recent years who can answer that?

 

[cd637299]

^ Although I don't get Boomerang, I can't see why they would delete these scenes or references to celebs. I suppose that's why I started the thread.

I suppose you're right about "Perry Gunnite" - I didn't catch the reference. I liked Perry's walk---only the Hanna Barbera animator Carlo Vinci could pull that off.In "Top Cat," TC tried to hold off a criminal type by saying, "You must be Peter Pistol!" (obvious Peter Gunn ref). There was also a TC episode called "The Unscratchables" (you get that one).

In the kiddie "Dick Tracy" episodes there was "The Retouchables". We could go on and on.

cd

 

[nomadcowatbk]

It could be argued that the cast of the original Star Trek became far more famous due to the syndicated re-runs a few years after the series was cancelled by NBC. NBC moved the show around so much it never got traction in the ratings. The phenomenon only started in the early 70s.

same thing with the Brady Bunch

 

[Mario500]

In the kiddie "Dick Tracy" episodes there was "The Retouchables". We could go on and on.

cd

Why did you refer to "The Dick Tracy Show" as "kiddie"?

 

[cd637299]

In the kiddie "Dick Tracy" episodes there was "The Retouchables". We could go on and on.

cd

Why did you refer to "The Dick Tracy Show" as "kiddie"?

Better if I said "animated". Even Chester Gould, Dick Tracy's animator, admitted that the audience for the 1961 cartoon series was aimed at children, and they should have been more serious. YouTube has one w/ the Retouchables:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GgE69iuOrw

cd

 

[Tim L]

(1) "The Flintstones" went well into reruns into the 1990s, and today on Boomerang, I think. One episode, "Shinrock a Go-Go," featured "Jimmy O'Neillstone"---a caricature of Jimmy O'Neill, host of the short-lived music show "Shindig" in the mid 1960s. I am not sure if Jimmy is still with us, but I'd think that he is/was quite grateful for the Flintstones rerun, or else nobody would recognize him---not to mention the "Beau Brummelstones"!

This is a little off-topic but mentioning the Flintstones brought a question to my mind. That show was always rather topical and often there were references to both real people and fictional characters. For example, an actress by the name of "Ann Margrock" was occasionally mentioned, and I remember an episode featuring a smooth talking private eye named "Perry Gunnite," a take-off on the TV show "Peter Gunn." Those were just two examples.

I've always wondered if those references were left in when the shows went into syndication, or were somehow removed or changed. Or maybe those episodes were dropped entirely. Nobody under 60 remembers Peter Gunn, so the joke is entirely lost, and Ann Margaret hasn't been around much lately either. Anyone seen the Flintstones in recent years who can answer that?

I've never seen them changed..If you excised every Flintstones episode that had then-modern celebrities..You've have huge holes in many episodes..Wouldnt be worth it,

 

[firepoint525]

It could be argued that the cast of the original Star Trek became far more famous due to the syndicated re-runs a few years after the series was cancelled by NBC. NBC moved the show around so much it never got traction in the ratings. The phenomenon only started in the early 70s.

same thing with the Brady Bunch

Not sure if this counts, but I only watched The Brady Bunch in reruns, and like most guys, I developed a huge crush on Maureen McCormick, aka Marcia Brady. She was about the same age (in the reruns) that I was when watching about that time (12, 13, 14), but since they were reruns, she was actually a lot older than me!