Following tradition, we use this last column of the year to recall those television personalities we have lost in the last calendar year.
Fans of both “America’s Funniest Home Videos” and “Full House” were shocked to learn of Bob Saget’s accidental death (Jan. 9). Dwayne Hickman died the very same day. His character Dobie Gillis was the quintessential high school character from the 1950s, a time besotted with teen culture. Tony Dow, who played older brother Wally on “Leave It to Beaver,” died July 27. “Jack Benny Show” star Bobby Rydell (April 5) was so closely associated with mid-century teendom the kids in the musical “Grease” attended Rydell High.
In a sad coincidence, two iconic mothers from the cast of “Seinfeld,” George’s mom, Estelle Harris (April 2,) and Jerry’s mother, Liz Sheridan (April 15), died within weeks of each other. Prolific character actor Philip Baker Hall was well known as the library detective on “Seinfeld” who browbeat “joy boy” Jerry over an overdue book. He died June 12.
Screen heavies and “Goodfellas” co-stars Ray Liotta (“The Many Saints of Newark”) and Paul Sorvino (“Law & Order) died May 26 and July 25, respectively. Few actors played a gangster as memorably as James Caan (July 6) did in “The Godfather.” Before that, he was in the made-for-TV drama “Brian’s Song,” which had America weeping for Brian Piccolo in 1971. Another notable wiseguy was played by Tony Sirico (July 8). His “Sopranos” character Paulie Walnuts often got the best lines on that brilliantly written show — such as when he dismissed the city of Boston as “Scranton with clams.”
Loretta Lynn (Oct. 4), Naomi Judd (April 30) and Jerry Lee Lewis (Oct. 28) — three country music giants with decades of television appearances, died in 2022. While hardly her most notable work, Lynn made a series of commercials for Crisco shortening that underscored her down-to-earth image and celebrated country cooking.
After decades of standup and touring with rising star Roseanne Barr and others, Louie Anderson (Jan. 21) scored an Emmy with his endearing performance as the unflappable mother on “Baskets.”
Appearing as a Black woman on the deck of the Enterprise on “Star Trek,” Nichelle Nichols’ (July 30) character Uhura envisioned a racially integrated future for mankind in a performance that was praised by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
With a brilliant Hollywood and Broadway career under her belt, Angela Lansbury (Oct. 11) starred in the smash hit “Murder, She Wrote,” arguably the most popular American version of the very British “cozy” murder mystery genre.
Faced with the daunting task of joining a No. 1 comedy and replacing a beloved regular, Kirstie Alley (Dec. 5) soon became a centerpiece on “Cheers” and later “Veronica’s Closet.”
It would be remiss to forget Howard Hesseman, of “WKRP in Cincinnati” (Jan. 29); “Damages” star William Hurt (March 13) or “Today” co-host Jim Hartz (April 17).
I once worked on a Troma-released film that was subjected to the withering sarcasm of Gilbert Gottfried (April 12) on his series “Up All Night,” a late-night showcase for cheaply made movies, which aired on USA.
Let’s not forget Fred Ward (May 8), sportscaster Vin Scully (Aug. 2) or the beloved “Will & Grace” and social media star Leslie Jordan (Oct. 24).
“Twin Peaks” composer Angelo Badalamenti died Dec. 11. Singer Julee Cruise, whose song “Falling” also was essential to the “Peaks” vibe, left us June 9.
Arguably, Queen Elizabeth II’s Sept. 8 passing was among the most notable events of the year. She reigned entirely during the era of television, and her effect on the medium was substantial, from her televised 1953 coronation to her decision to use TV to make her Christmas Day messages to her inspiration of the Netflix show “The Crown,” arguably among the best — or at least the most lavishly produced — series ever made.
Here’s to those we lost in 2022, and to a happy and healthy New Year filled with memorable television.
• A wealth of clips and interviews illuminate a six-decade musical career in the documentary “Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over” (8 p.m. Sunday, CNN).
New Jersey-raised and gospel-trained, Warwick persevered through a university musical education that allowed her to become a refined vocal instrument for the songwriting team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David, whose many songs approached the complexity of classical composition.
An embarrassment of riches for fans of popular music, this film includes two memorable scenes that could inspire movies of their own. The first is when a young Warwick arrives in Paris to perform for rapturous fans and finds herself mentored by Marlene Dietrich, who schools her in the ways of couture.
Much later, an older Warwick decides to hold a summit with figures from the world of gangster rap and lecture them on their misogynistic lyrics and disrespectful depictions of young Black women. Tupac Shakur, Suge Knight and Snoop Dogg, among others, come to a breakfast meeting that proved intimidating, to say the least. Snoop recalls being thoroughly chastened and “out-gangstered” by a grandmotherly figure whom he grew to love and admire.
Don’t miss “Don’t Make Me Over.” Anyone who ever had a heart will love it.
• Jimmie Allen, Elle King and Rachel Smith host “New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash” (7 p.m., CBS, TV-PG).
• Dick Clark’s Primetime New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2023,” (7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) continues a long tradition.
• “Today” talent Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager host “A Toast to 2022!” (7 p.m., NBC).
• “Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party” (9:30 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
• Streaming New Year’s Eve specials include “Lizzo: Live in Concert” (HBO Max) and “Best of Stand-Up 2022” (Netflix).
• Scheduled on “60 Minutes” (6:30 p.m., CBS): Radio Free Europe; a looming mass extinction; the obesity crisis.
• Elton John, Tim Rice and Hans Zimmer collaborated on the 1994 animated musical “The Lion King” (7 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).
• Hugh Bonneville hosts “Great Performances — From Vienna: The New Year’s Celebration 2023” (8 p.m., PBS, TV-G, check local listings).
• Jamie perseveres on “Yellowstone” (7 p.m., Paramount, CMT, TV-MA).
• “Worst Cooks in America” (7 p.m., Food, TV-G) enters its 25th season.
• The Baltimore Ravens host the Pittsburgh Steelers in NFL action (7:15 p.m., NBC).
• Only a special breed of worker gets to be “Sewer Drivers” (8 p.m., Discovery, TV-14).
• Teonna suffers at the hands of the nuns on “1923” (8 p.m., Paramount, CMT, TV-MA).
• After divorce, Tammy returns to the charts while George returns to the bottle on “George & Tammy” (8 p.m., Showtime, TV-MA).
Cocktail-swilling Manhattanites (Myrna Loy and William Powell) and their dog Asta become amateur detectives in the 1934 mystery comedy “The Thin Man” (7 p.m. Saturday, TCM, TV-G), followed by “After the Thin Man” (8:45 p.m., TV-G) and “Another Thin Man” (10:45 p.m., TV-G) from 1936 and 1939, respectively.
Two hours of “Hell’s Kitchen” (7 p.m. and 8 p.m., Fox, r, TV-14).
YouTube infamy on “The Simpsons” (7 p.m., Fox, TV-PG) … On three episodes of “Fire Country” (CBS, r, TV-14): a chance for parole (7:30 p.m.); a town in peril (8:30 p.m.), reefer madness (9:30 p.m.) … A faculty scandal on “The Great North” (7:30 p.m., Fox, TV-14) … Keep watching the skies on “Bob’s Burgers” (8 p.m., Fox, r, TV-PG) … A film noir mystery on “Family Guy” (8:30 p.m., Fox, r, TV-14).
— OK, that was weird. The least expected story of the week was the scandal involving Felicity Huffman (“Desperate Housewives”) and Lori Loughlin, star of “When Calls the Heart” (7 p.m. Sunday, Hallmark, TV-G), in a bribery/cheating plot to get their respective daughters into elite universities.
This is obviously an ongoing case, and all sides must have their say, or day, in court. But the motivation at the center of this story is worth discussing. It involves some overwhelming need to do anything to get children into elite schools. As if anything “lesser” were unthinkable.
Television plays no small role in this insecurity. I can’t remember how many times I’ve had to describe an ABC legal drama where every single character hails from only the most exclusive Ivy and spends most of the pilot bragging about it.
There was a time, not that long ago, when John Grisham wrote best-selling books about young, barely accredited lawyers from no-name institutions who took on impossible cases against massive corporations and eventually won. And got the girl, to boot.
So, our current era’s neurotic obsession with elitism and inequality is hardly hard-wired.
If anything comes of this sordid affair, it’s an appreciation that shoddy efforts at snobbery are always essentially pathetic. Or on classic TV, comedic. Watching “Gilligan’s Island,” we identified with Mary Ann and the Skipper, and pitied the millionaire and his wife.
— CNN launches the four-hour documentary “Tricky Dick” (8 p.m., Sunday), profiling the life and times of Richard Nixon’s public career, which spanned the decades from the dawn of the Cold War to the Clinton years.
— An anxious new mother joins a group for solidarity and support, only to discover that it has darker plans on its agenda in the 2019 shocker “Mommy Group Murder” (7 p.m., Lifetime, TV-14).
— The Thunder and Warriors meet in NBA action (7:30 p.m., ABC).
— An old kidnapper returns to form on “Ransom” (8 p.m., CBS, TV-14).
— Scheduled on “60 Minutes” (6 p.m., CBS): Embassy workers in China and Cuba complain of mysterious ailments; AOL founder Steve Case and his plans to invest in the future of overlooked American small towns and cities; a visit to Monaco.
— The duels begin on “World of Dance” (7 p.m., NBC, TV-PG).
— Auditions continue on “American Idol” (7 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).
— Lex Luthor is on the loose on “Supergirl” (7 p.m., CW, TV-PG).
— Mr. Wednesday prepares for battle on “American Gods” (7 p.m., Starz, TV-MA).
— After learning about her royal lineage, an adopted 10-year-old becomes a little tyrant in the 2019 shocker “Mommy’s Little Princess” (7 p.m., Lifetime, TV-14).
— A secret room holds dangers on “Charmed” (8 p.m., CW, TV-14).
— Hidden secrets revealed on “The Walking Dead” (8 p.m., AMC, TV-MA).
— A new trial is pursued on “The Case Against Adnan Syed” (8 p.m., HBO, TV-14).
— Axe is determined to destroy Taylor on the fourth season premiere of “Billions” (8 p.m., Showtime, TV-MA).
— Ulysses pursues a conspiracy theory on “Now Apocalypse” (8 p.m., Starz, TV-MA).
— “Unsung” (8 p.m., TVONE) profiles the Jets.
— Pacific overtures on “Madam Secretary” (9 p.m., CBS, TV-PG).
— Tensions rise on “Good Girls” (9 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
— Mo’s past is revealed on “Black Monday” (9 p.m., Showtime, TV-MA).
— St. Patrick’s Day inspires many traditions. Syfy offers a marathon of “Leprechaun” movies, from “Leprechaun 5: In the Hood” (4 p.m. Saturday, TV-14) to “Leprechaun 2” (8 p.m.). TCM takes the traditional approach, ladling out the Technicolor blarney of director John Ford’s 1952 romance “The Quiet Man” (7 p.m. Sunday, TV-PG).
“Dateline” (7 p.m., NBC, TV-PG) … “NBA Countdown” (7 p.m., ABC) … The kids are all right on “MasterChef” (8 p.m., Fox, r, TV-PG) … “48 Hours” (9 p.m., CBS) … A vintage helping of “Saturday Night Live” (9 p.m., NBC, r, TV-14).
A visit from an old friend inspires Miles on “God Friended Me” (7 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) … Homer can’t leave Bart’s virtual realm on “The Simpsons” (7 p.m., Fox, TV-14) … Empathy for all things on “Bob’s Burgers” (7:30 p.m., Fox, TV-14).
A walk down the aisle on “NCIS: Los Angeles” (8 p.m., CBS, TV-14) … On two episodes of “Family Guy” (Fox, TV-14), Meg’s winter Olympics (8 p.m.), fighting over a dowager (8:30 p.m., r) … Aches and pains on “Shark Tank” (9 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).
