TV ACTORS WHO DIED DURING PRODUCTION

[cwf1701]

Jerry Orbach- Law & Order

He was going into the Spinoff "Law and Order: Trial By Jury" at the time of his death. He died after the Law and Order:Trial By Jury Episode "41 Shots" was made.

 

[Ultimajock]

I needed to double-check before I posted it, but "What's My Line?" did apparently lose two other regular panelists while it was in production: Fred Allen may have officially been a regular in the mid-'50s (succeeding Steve Allen), while Bennett Cerf still appeared on a semi-regular basis on the syndicated revival. Supposedly, like with Hal March, some of his Mr. Cerf's last appearances may have been run in some areas after his death.

...although What's My Line? had ended production, it was still in first-run syndication when its final host, Larry Blyden, was killed in a car crash in Morrocco...

...oh, and while considering the elements of the dramatic arts that are involved in professional wrestling, I'll toss in Hercules Cortez with AWA All-Star Wrestling and David Von Erich and Gino Hernandez with World Class Championship Wrestling, each of whom were top active stars with their respective promotions at the time of their deaths...

 

[WMC2006]

Allen Ludden died from cancer in 1981 during the run of Password Plus (1979-1982).

 

[Ultimajock]

Expanding on that, it's possible that the Bobby Van-hosted version of "Make Me Laugh" was still in syndication when he died.

...indeed, that show ran in the 1979-80 season, and Bobby Van (who'd been diagnosed with the brain cancer that killed him before production started) died on 31 July 1980. I distinctly recall WVTV/18 Milwaukee running Make Me Laugh for at least another month after Van's death, replacing the show at 10:00 weeknights with Dave Allen at Large in September...

 

[bpatrick]

In his book on "What's My Line?" Gil Fates remarked on the
number of complaints lodged by viewers who were seeing
Bennett Cerf on the syndicated version after his death. Fates
eventually composed a form letter saying, in effect, we thought
Bennett's fans might want to enjoy seeing him for what might be
the last few times. But, he added, Bennett would have been the
first to understand the loss of money that would have been involved
in scrapping the tapes on which he appeared. Each individual station
manager was left to decide whether or not to run those episodes; I
don't know of any who decided not to, on grounds that they had paid
for the shows and were not going to throw that money down the drain.

 

[onairb]

Not sure if it qualifies as 'during' production, but, tied in with the Bobby Van post, Bert Convy was supposed to host the 1990 ABC version of 'The Match Game', and at the very least taped the pilot episode before he was diagnosed with a brain tumor, which eventually killed him. (Ross Shafer was ultimately hired to host the show).

 

[rbjones]

Not sure if it qualifies as 'during' production, but, tied in with the Bobby Van post, Bert Convy was supposed to host the 1990 ABC version of 'The Match Game', and at the very least taped the pilot episode before he was diagnosed with a brain tumor, which eventually killed him. (Ross Shafer was ultimately hired to host the show).

Qualifies...he was actually still hosting "Win, Lose, Or Draw" at the time as well. If I remember correctly, Burt Reynolds took over the hosting duties after Bert's death.

 

[WMC2006]

I think I read that Bert left WLD after the second season to host another show. Robb Weller took over as host for the 3rd season.

 

[cd637299]

I think I read that Bert left WLD after the second season to host another show. Robb Weller took over as host for the 3rd season.

That other show had to have been "3rd Degree!", a sort of "What's My Line?/I've Got a Secret" hybrid, also with Burt Reynolds' help in creation or production.

cd

 

[jwk1979]

Joe Flynn appeared in several Disney movies, that is some cases, weren't released in theaters for almost a year or two after his death.

 

[spencerkarter85]

As The World Turns (1956-2010)
Benjamin Hendrickson

Wheel of Fortune (since 1975)
Charlie O'Donnell (announcer from 1975-80, and 1989-2010)

Newsradio (1995-1999)
Phil Hartman (he was murdered by his wife, then killed herself)

ABC News
Frank Reynolds
Peter Jennings

On British TV.

Are You Being Served? (1972-1985)
Arthur Brough
Harold Bennett

Last of The Summer Wine (1973-2010)
John Comer
Bill Owen
Thora Hird

 

[anotherguyTN]

From Hee Haw:
Stringbean
Junior Samples
Grady Nutt
Possibly Archie Campbell?

 

[bpatrick]

Lawrence Welk lost at least two while he was on ABC: Dick Kesner,
the violinist who could have passed for Richard Boone's brother, died
in an automobile accident just a few days before the same fate befell
Ernie Kovacs; Aladdin died in 1971.

 

[Mario500]

Lawrence Welk lost at least two while he was on ABC: Dick Kesner,
the violinist who could have passed for Richard Boone's brother, died
in an automobile accident just a few days before the same fate befell
Ernie Kovacs; Aladdin died in 1971.

Who?

 

[MarcB]

Was Family Feud still in production when Ray Coombs killed himself?

 

[WMC2006]

No, Combs died in 1996. Combs' final episode aired in 1994, then Richard Dawson took over again for the 1994-1995 season.

 

[onairb]

Lawrence Welk lost at least two while he was on ABC: Dick Kesner,
the violinist who could have passed for Richard Boone's brother, died
in an automobile accident just a few days before the same fate befell
Ernie Kovacs; Aladdin died in 1971.

Who?

Full name Aladdin Abdullah Achmed Anthony Pallante, he was a featured violin soloist for Welk's first 12 years on the air. He left the show in 1967, and died in 1970(heart failure).

 

[onairb]

No, Combs died in 1996. Combs' final episode aired in 1994, then Richard Dawson took over again for the 1994-1995 season.

Combs' last 'Feud' episode(for CBS, anyway) aired in March of '93; the network pulled the plug after airing reruns all summer. CBS revived it in the spring/early summer of '94, but it only ran about a year, due to OJ Simpson trial coverage pre-empting it.

 

[jfrancispastirchak]

Larry ...oh, and while considering the elements of the dramatic arts that are involved in professional wrestling, I'll toss in Hercules Cortez with AWA All-Star Wrestling and David Von Erich and Gino Hernandez with World Class Championship Wrestling, each of whom were top active stars with their respective promotions at the time of their deaths...

Since you opened the gate to that slippery slope, PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING, Mike Dibiase died in the ring of a heart attack in 1969, during a wrestling show in Lubbock, TX. Yes, he was pro-wrestling icon Ted Dibisase's father. Another pro wrestler died a few years earlier of the same ailment, in the parking lot, following a show in NJ. His name was Chic Garabolde. And of course, you needn't be a wrestling fan to remember hearing the horrific news of pro-wrestler Owen Hart's death on live-PPV TV. His body slammed helplessly into the wrestling ring when a cable, hooked to the rafters above, failed.

 

[jfrancispastirchak]

From Hee Haw:
Stringbean
Junior Samples
Grady Nutt
Possibly Archie Campbell?

As I recall, Archie Campbell died a few years after his exit from Hee Haw. Other active Hee Haw alumni worth remembering: Kenny Price and Slim Pickins.