Sitcom Guest Stars...Okay Just "Girls/Women"

[lildogs]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 12:37pm

Was watching season 7 of GG last night and got to thinking about all the great guests they'd had over the years and also thought about Designing Women, Carol Burnett...

Golden Girls: I'd have to go with two Devereaux: Charmaine and Virginia, played by Barbara Babcock and Sheree North and Doris Belack as Dorothy's sister Gloria.

Designing Women: Randa Oliver episode--I don't know the little girl's name, Kim Zimmer as Charlene's abused friend and Mary Ann Mobley as the Southern homes tour guide...

As for Carol's best guests, I'd lean toward Maggie, Bernadette, but my vote really would go to Ken Berry and Betty White...I think....

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 12:38pm

Randa Oliver = Jessie Joy from that Sarah Jessica Parker/Sally Struthers movie.

[Calvin]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 12:45pm

I also liked the big fat umpire who was in one of the later Randa episodes. I can't think of his name, but he was a frequent sitcom guest star at the time.

And Anne Haney showed up in both -- as a the woman getting a mastectomy when Dorothy was afraid of foot surgery and as Bill's snobby Aunt Phoebe when Charlene met the family. I don't know if she ever did Carol Burnett, but she was the preacher's wife on "Mama's Family," so could she be the magic link between all three?

[lildogs]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 1:07pm

OMG Rath--I had totally forgotten about that movie! I kinda feel guilty about loving it...

Hmm...I love some Anne Haney...also Mary's mother on CURB, Charlotte's ex-mother-in-law on SEX...she gets around...

I don't think she was ever on Carol--she only had stars really...Steve Lawrence wasn't too bad either...considering...

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 1:33pm

No guilt in loving SJP as a crack whore and Struthers as the over-invested foster mother of her kids!!

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 1:38pm

And Struthers' hubby in that was hot....and he played Merrill, or Moose on the episode when Blanche's pen pal from prison shows up.

Jesse Joy...cripes!

[RadiGal2]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 1:39pm

My favorite is from years ago--- Sonia Braga on The Cosby show...

[fflagg]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 1:45pm

Somehow Margaret Avery wound up on the "Cosby Show" and Carole King, under her real name, wound up on the "Mary Tyler Moore Show."

The problem with the "Carol Burnett Show" is that the 1967-1972 seasons are buried somewhere in rights hell. During that time she had:

MICHELE LEE
LIZA
RITA HAYWORTH
LUCY
GINGER ROGERS
LAINIE KAZAN
LESLIE UGGAMS

Maggie Smith was on the show 3 times yet only 2 are on DVD. Betty White was a bravura Ellen [". . .jackass!!!!!!!!"]. Joanne Woodward was great, James Garner was charming, Eydie Gorme was fun in a trashy way [great singer, poor actress].
Roddy McDowall was fun, and what can you say about Tim Conway?

From AS THE STOMACH TURNS:

Dwayne Toddleberry, Canoga Falls' oldest-living insurance salesman. . .

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 1:46pm

One of the best ever was Emma Thompson on "Ellen".

[lildogs]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 1:47pm

Watching Roddy play Phillip, even at that young age, I knew he was gay.

I also have to give props to one of the best guests of all time, Ebersole as Murphy's sister on MURPHY BROWN--perfection!

[Calvin]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 1:52pm

Despite the overall suckiness of later "Designing Women" episodes, I do enjoy the appearances of Pat Carroll and Gretchen Wyler in them.

I always hated the late Lewis Grizzard's appearance, though, even though I was a fan of his writing.

[lildogs]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 2:04pm

Yes, he was awful...thought about mentioning Tony Goldwyn (swoon) in the condom lady episode...

I liked McRaney as Dash Goff the writer...

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 2:05pm

That Dash Goff episode was waaaayy too preachy.

Even for that show.

[DG]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 2:10pm

Paul Reubens on Murphy Brown.

[blueroses]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 2:10pm

A few that stand out...Glenn Close, Blythe Danner and Demi Moore on Will & Grace, Delta Burke on Popular, Christina Applegate on Friends, Anne Heche on Ally Mc Beal.

[DG]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 2:15pm

On All in the Family - Sammy Davis, Jr. and Lori Shannon as Beverly LaSalle.

[Calvin]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 2:17pm

Who played Julia's hateful friend in the condom episode? She always reminded me of Natalie West.

[RadiGal2]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 2:17pm

Oh GOD>> Aretha Franklin on Murphy Brown was priceless..

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 2:18pm

blue, Debbie Reynolds on Will and Grace as well.

"No panty lines because..... no panties!

[lildogs]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 2:23pm

Debbie was also on GG--as the replacement roomie when Dorothy was going to remarry Stan.


I don't know who that actress was Calvin, but "she's probably down at the free clinic ALL the time!"

GG also had a few Bway vets: Paula Kelly, George Hearn, George Grizzard, Geraldine Fitzgerald....though I'm loath to mention RITA MORENO....worst episode ever.

[blueroses]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 2:23pm

Rath, Debbie Reynolds was fantastic, I agree. W&G had the best female guest stars! Also loved Camryn Manheim as the wacky psychic, Sara Gilbert as the "fanilow" and Minnie Driver as Karen's stepdaughter-to-be.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 2:23pm

They also had the worst - Madonna.

[Calvin]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 2:24pm

The beauty of the Rita Moreno episode, though, is it shows you just how much one show can be retooled. How the heck did that premise turn into Richard Mulligan living with his spinster daughters and dog? The only constant was that the male character was a doctor and the appearance of David Leisure.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 2:25pm

Umm, yeah, you didn't just call Kristy a spinster.

[Calvin]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 2:26pm

Dinah Manoff exudes enough spinster to cover them both.