The news that NBC has opted against moving forward with The Farm, the Dwight-centric spinoff of The Office, marks the latest bit of bad news for what was once one of TV's most common genres. Ever since 1960, when CBS enlisted M*A*S*H's future Colonel Potter (Harry Morgan) to move his December Bride character of Pete Porter to a new show called Pete and Gladys, networks have been exploiting their most successful sitcoms by creating new shows engineered from the DNA of those hits. But while the practice is still fairly common with TV dramas, sitcom spinoffs have become increasingly rare: The last major-network comedy to transplant a regular character into a new show was Fox's Family Guy, which begat The Cleveland Show in 2009. TV's comedy drought of the aughts, which saw some networks struggling to put together even a single night of sitcoms, helps explain why the spinoff...
- 11/1/2012
- by Josef Adalian
- Vulture
Harry Morgan might have been best known as Col. Sherman Potter on M*A*S*H, but that role was one of hundreds the Emmy-winning actor played in a career that spanned more than 60 years. Morgan, who died Wednesday at 96, also had a starring role as officer Bill Gannon on NBC's remake of Dragnet in the late '60s. In the years between Dragnet and M*A*S*H, he played a doctor on the NBC Western Hec Ramsey. But Morgan was best loved for his comedic side, perhaps best captured, aside from M*A*S*H, in his role...
- 12/8/2011
- by Tim Nudd
- PEOPLE.com
Harry Morgan never planned to be an actor, yet he spent 10 years on one of the top TV series of all time, made 50 films and appeared on Broadway. He became one of the best-known character actors in Hollywood.
But it was Morgan’s portrayal of the fatherly Col. Sherman Potter on M-a-s-h for which Morgan became most famous, and he knew it.
“M-a-s-h was so damned good,” Morgan told The Associated Press. “I didn’t think they could keep the level so high.”
His wry humor, which helped net him an Emmy for the CBS-tv hit, carried onto the show.
But it was Morgan’s portrayal of the fatherly Col. Sherman Potter on M-a-s-h for which Morgan became most famous, and he knew it.
“M-a-s-h was so damned good,” Morgan told The Associated Press. “I didn’t think they could keep the level so high.”
His wry humor, which helped net him an Emmy for the CBS-tv hit, carried onto the show.
- 12/8/2011
- by Associated Press
- EW - Inside TV
Character actor Harry Morgan, beloved for his roles on both M*A*S*H and Dragnet, has died at the age of 96. He passed away at his home in Los Angeles from unknown causes but had recently been treated for pneumonia. His son Charles, a lawyer in Los Angeles, confirmed his death.
Born Harry Bratsberg in Detroit, he worked on stage before making his way to Hollywood in 1942. He originally used the screen name Henry Morgan but changed it to Harry in the 1950s to avoid confusion with radio's Henry Morgan. He appeared in more than 100 films throughout his career, often playing bad guys and sidekicks.
On the small screen, he played numerous guest roles and was a regular on several TV shows, including Pete and Gladys, December Bride, The Richard Boone Show, Kentucky Jones, The D.A., Hec Ramsey, and Blacke's Magic. He was...
Born Harry Bratsberg in Detroit, he worked on stage before making his way to Hollywood in 1942. He originally used the screen name Henry Morgan but changed it to Harry in the 1950s to avoid confusion with radio's Henry Morgan. He appeared in more than 100 films throughout his career, often playing bad guys and sidekicks.
On the small screen, he played numerous guest roles and was a regular on several TV shows, including Pete and Gladys, December Bride, The Richard Boone Show, Kentucky Jones, The D.A., Hec Ramsey, and Blacke's Magic. He was...
- 12/7/2011
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Los Angeles — Harry Morgan never planned to be an actor, yet he spent 10 years on one of the top TV series of all time, made 50 films and appeared on Broadway. He became one of the best-known character actors in Hollywood.
But it was Morgan's portrayal of the fatherly Col. Sherman Potter on "M-a-s-h" for which Morgan became most famous, and he knew it.
"M-a-s-h was so damned good," Morgan told The Associated Press. "I didn't think they could keep the level so high."
His wry humor, which helped net him an Emmy for the CBS-tv hit, carried onto the show.
"He was an imp," said Mike Farrell, who starred as B.J. Hunnicutt in "M-a-s-h" along with Morgan and Alan Alda. "As Alan once said, there's not an un-adorable bone in the man's body. He was full of fun, and he was smart as a whip."
Morgan died Wednesday at...
But it was Morgan's portrayal of the fatherly Col. Sherman Potter on "M-a-s-h" for which Morgan became most famous, and he knew it.
"M-a-s-h was so damned good," Morgan told The Associated Press. "I didn't think they could keep the level so high."
His wry humor, which helped net him an Emmy for the CBS-tv hit, carried onto the show.
"He was an imp," said Mike Farrell, who starred as B.J. Hunnicutt in "M-a-s-h" along with Morgan and Alan Alda. "As Alan once said, there's not an un-adorable bone in the man's body. He was full of fun, and he was smart as a whip."
Morgan died Wednesday at...
- 12/7/2011
- by AP
- Huffington Post
Harry Morgan, the actor otherwise known as M*A*S*H’s Colonel Potter, has passed away, according to The New York Times. Morgan, who died in his Los Angeles home, was 96 years old.
Though Morgan is most well-known for his role on M*A*S*H, he was a prolific actor on the big and small screen, starring in such TV programs as Dragnet, Pete and Gladys, and The D.A, and appearing in over 100 movies. But, still, Morgan had said that Potter was “the best part I ever had” — one that even won him an Emmy in 1980. The...
Though Morgan is most well-known for his role on M*A*S*H, he was a prolific actor on the big and small screen, starring in such TV programs as Dragnet, Pete and Gladys, and The D.A, and appearing in over 100 movies. But, still, Morgan had said that Potter was “the best part I ever had” — one that even won him an Emmy in 1980. The...
- 12/7/2011
- by Kate Ward
- EW - Inside TV
Harry Morgan, the actor best known for his role as the well-respected, sometimes irascible Colonel Sherman T. Potter in the long-running series "M*A*S*H", died Wednesday morning at his home in Los Angeles. He was 96.
He was born Harry Bratsberg on April 10, 1915 in Detroit, Michigan, to Henry and Anna Bratsberg, where his father worked for war hero and car designer Eddie Rickenbacker. The family soon moved to Muskegon, Michigan, where Harry, hoping to be a lawyer, became heavily involved debate and speech classes; his junior year in high school he won a debate championship at the University of Michigan. He attended the University of Chicago for a few years, before leaving school and finding employment with an office equipment maker who eventually sent him to Washington D.C. It was during his time in Washington D.C. that Harry got his start on the stage, joining the Civic Theater in Ben Hecht’s "Front Page". Eventually, he moved on to a Mt. Kisco summer stock theater company, where he met and acted regularly with actress Frances Farmer. Ms. Farmer had quite an impact of his life; she promoted his career by involving him to acting classes with Elia Kazan, and also introduced him to her University of Washington classmate Eileen Detchon. He married Detchon in 1940 and they would have four children, sons Christopher, Charles, Paul and Daniel. Harry's stage career continued to grow, as he joined New York's Group Theater, whose members included Kazan, Karl Malden and Lee J. Cobb. When Hollywood agent Charlie Feldman saw him perform on Broadway, he signed the young actor and had him quickly under studio contract with Twentieth Century Fox, where he changed his name to Henry Morgan.
Harry and Eileen made the move to Hollywood in the early 1942 and his first billed appearance (as Henry Morgan) came that year in To the Shores of Tripoli. To avoid confusion with a popular comedian of the time, another name change soon followed, and he became Harry Morgan. Morgan’s film career prospered, and in the next 5 decades he appeared in many now-legendary dramatic films, including The Ox-Bow Incident, All My Sons, Madame Bovary, High Noon, The Glenn Miller Story, Inherit the Wind, Cimarron, How the West Was Won, Frankie and Johnny, The Apple Dumpling Gang and The Shootist.
While building this impressive film resume, Morgan was simultaneously working regularly in radio and television, with brief roles in "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", "Cavalcade of America" and "The Twentieth Century Fox Hour" before landing the role of comedic neighbor Pete Porter in "December Bride", which eventually lead to the spin-off series "Pete and Gladys". In 1963, his TV career took a turn toward more serious projects, as part of the ensemble in "The Richard Boone Show" and an iconic role as Officer Bill Gannon in 1967’s "Dragnet". The series, and his performance in it, was not only a precursor to modern police and detective series, but would also inform the 1987 film Dragnet, a comedic reimagination of the show starring Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks; Morgan appeared in this film as Captain Bill Gannon.
Despite decades spent working in film and TV, it would be his work in the TV series "M*A*S*H" that made him instantly recognizable around the world. After a memorable, Emmy-nominated guest turn as loony Major General Steele at the beginning of the third season in 1974, Morgan was invited back to join the cast a year later as Colonel Sherman T. Potter, the late-career Army man sent to run the eccentric medical unit after the loss of their previous commanding officer. Morgan's nuanced performance as dedicated leader and surgeon with an unwavering sense of right and wrong combined with a father-like protectiveness of his staff, allowed Potter to grow organically through the long run of the series. The small touches he brought to the role – Potter's paintings were done by Morgan himself, and the picture of Mildred Potter on Potter’s desk was actually Morgan's wife Eileen – only added to the authentic humanity of his portrayal, and in 1980 Morgan won an Emmy for his performance. After the series came to an end in 1983, Morgan continued the role in the short-lived spin-off "AfterMASH".
After the death of his wife Eileen in 1985, he kept himself busy making guest appearances in series such as "The Love Boat" and took a regular role in the single season run of "Blacke's Magic". In December of 1986, he married Barbara Bushman, the granddaughter of silent film star Francis X. Bushman. His work as a TV guest star continued through the late 1990s in "The Simpsons," "3rd Rock from the Sun," "Grace Under Fire", and his final movie work included Family Plan and the short film Crosswalk.
He is survived by Barbara, his sons Christopher, Charles and Paul, and grandchildren Spencer, Rosemary and Jeremy.
He was preceded in death by his first wife Eileen in 1985 and his son Daniel in 1989.
He was born Harry Bratsberg on April 10, 1915 in Detroit, Michigan, to Henry and Anna Bratsberg, where his father worked for war hero and car designer Eddie Rickenbacker. The family soon moved to Muskegon, Michigan, where Harry, hoping to be a lawyer, became heavily involved debate and speech classes; his junior year in high school he won a debate championship at the University of Michigan. He attended the University of Chicago for a few years, before leaving school and finding employment with an office equipment maker who eventually sent him to Washington D.C. It was during his time in Washington D.C. that Harry got his start on the stage, joining the Civic Theater in Ben Hecht’s "Front Page". Eventually, he moved on to a Mt. Kisco summer stock theater company, where he met and acted regularly with actress Frances Farmer. Ms. Farmer had quite an impact of his life; she promoted his career by involving him to acting classes with Elia Kazan, and also introduced him to her University of Washington classmate Eileen Detchon. He married Detchon in 1940 and they would have four children, sons Christopher, Charles, Paul and Daniel. Harry's stage career continued to grow, as he joined New York's Group Theater, whose members included Kazan, Karl Malden and Lee J. Cobb. When Hollywood agent Charlie Feldman saw him perform on Broadway, he signed the young actor and had him quickly under studio contract with Twentieth Century Fox, where he changed his name to Henry Morgan.
Harry and Eileen made the move to Hollywood in the early 1942 and his first billed appearance (as Henry Morgan) came that year in To the Shores of Tripoli. To avoid confusion with a popular comedian of the time, another name change soon followed, and he became Harry Morgan. Morgan’s film career prospered, and in the next 5 decades he appeared in many now-legendary dramatic films, including The Ox-Bow Incident, All My Sons, Madame Bovary, High Noon, The Glenn Miller Story, Inherit the Wind, Cimarron, How the West Was Won, Frankie and Johnny, The Apple Dumpling Gang and The Shootist.
While building this impressive film resume, Morgan was simultaneously working regularly in radio and television, with brief roles in "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", "Cavalcade of America" and "The Twentieth Century Fox Hour" before landing the role of comedic neighbor Pete Porter in "December Bride", which eventually lead to the spin-off series "Pete and Gladys". In 1963, his TV career took a turn toward more serious projects, as part of the ensemble in "The Richard Boone Show" and an iconic role as Officer Bill Gannon in 1967’s "Dragnet". The series, and his performance in it, was not only a precursor to modern police and detective series, but would also inform the 1987 film Dragnet, a comedic reimagination of the show starring Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks; Morgan appeared in this film as Captain Bill Gannon.
Despite decades spent working in film and TV, it would be his work in the TV series "M*A*S*H" that made him instantly recognizable around the world. After a memorable, Emmy-nominated guest turn as loony Major General Steele at the beginning of the third season in 1974, Morgan was invited back to join the cast a year later as Colonel Sherman T. Potter, the late-career Army man sent to run the eccentric medical unit after the loss of their previous commanding officer. Morgan's nuanced performance as dedicated leader and surgeon with an unwavering sense of right and wrong combined with a father-like protectiveness of his staff, allowed Potter to grow organically through the long run of the series. The small touches he brought to the role – Potter's paintings were done by Morgan himself, and the picture of Mildred Potter on Potter’s desk was actually Morgan's wife Eileen – only added to the authentic humanity of his portrayal, and in 1980 Morgan won an Emmy for his performance. After the series came to an end in 1983, Morgan continued the role in the short-lived spin-off "AfterMASH".
After the death of his wife Eileen in 1985, he kept himself busy making guest appearances in series such as "The Love Boat" and took a regular role in the single season run of "Blacke's Magic". In December of 1986, he married Barbara Bushman, the granddaughter of silent film star Francis X. Bushman. His work as a TV guest star continued through the late 1990s in "The Simpsons," "3rd Rock from the Sun," "Grace Under Fire", and his final movie work included Family Plan and the short film Crosswalk.
He is survived by Barbara, his sons Christopher, Charles and Paul, and grandchildren Spencer, Rosemary and Jeremy.
He was preceded in death by his first wife Eileen in 1985 and his son Daniel in 1989.
- 12/7/2011
- by Heather Campbell
- IMDb News
Harry Morgan has died, aged 96. The actor was perhaps most well known for playing Colonel Potter in the long-running sitcom M*A*S*H*. His son Charles confirmed that Morgan passed away at his home in Los Angeles. Morgan was a prolific character actor who appeared in over 100 movies, including High Noon, Inherit the Wind, How the West was Won and the 1987 Dragnet remake with Tom Hanks. He often played loyal sidekicks, sheriffs, Western baddies, police chiefs and judges in his many roles. Morgan was also known for portraying officer Bill Gannon in the 1967 update of Dragnet, Pete Porter in sitcom Pete and Gladys and Amos Coogan in Hec Ramsey. He won an Emmy (more)...
- 12/7/2011
- by By Tom Eames
- Digital Spy
Emmy Award-winning actor Harry Morgan -- who played Colonel Potter on the series M*A*S*H -- died this morning in his L.A. home ... this according to the actor's son.His son Charles told the NY Times ... Morgan was recently treated for pneumonia -- thought it's unclear if that was a cause of death.Morgan had an illustrious TV career -- also starring in "Dragnet," "Pete and Gladys," "December Bride," and "Hec Ramsey.
- 12/7/2011
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
Veteran TV actress Barbara Stuart has died at the age of 81.
The star, whose career spanned more than five decades, passed away on 15 May in St. George, Utah, according to Variety.
No more details about her death were available as WENN went to press.
Stuart began working on the small screen in the 1950s with a role in I Led Three Lives and went on to star in shows such as Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., The Queen and I, and Pete and Gladys.
In later years she appeared in Nash Bridges and Huff with Blythe Danner, while her movie roles included parts in Airplane! and Bachelor Party.
The star, whose career spanned more than five decades, passed away on 15 May in St. George, Utah, according to Variety.
No more details about her death were available as WENN went to press.
Stuart began working on the small screen in the 1950s with a role in I Led Three Lives and went on to star in shows such as Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., The Queen and I, and Pete and Gladys.
In later years she appeared in Nash Bridges and Huff with Blythe Danner, while her movie roles included parts in Airplane! and Bachelor Party.
- 5/23/2011
- WENN
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