Home

The stars turn out for TV Land Awards

You are not authorized to post comments.
Submitted by SHNS on Fri, 06/13/2008 - 18:16

SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- Tina Yothers came to think of Michael J. Fox, who played her brother, Alex Keaton, on "Family Ties," as her real-life sibling."When people would go on and on about him, I would say, 'Gross! He's my brother,' " Yothers said, laughing on the red carpet last Sunday (June 8) at the TV Land Awards.Today her hair is dyed black, but she still has her character Jennifer's smile, an expression that prevails on classic TV characters.Well, maybe not on everyone.Alison Arngrim seemingly frowned more than smiled as the mean, spoiled brat on "Little House of Prairie," but she said it was therapeutic to vent."I got to break things and got to yell and scream," said Arngrim, who played Nellie Oleson. "People would ask my mom about me, and she said, 'She's well behaved at home. She gets it out of her system.'"I know my blood pressure is lower (today) because of Nellie Oleson," Arngrim said with a big smile.Arngrim, Yothers and other stars from classic shows sounded enthusiastic as they talked to reporters on the red carpet at the Santa Monica Airport.Everyone from Betty White ("The Golden Girls") to The Fonz himself -- Henry Winkler -- chatted about TV's good old days.Taped inside the hangar, "The TV Land Awards" program airs at 9 p.m. EDT/PDT Sunday on TV Land.Vanessa Williams ("Ugly Betty") hosts the show honoring icons such as Jonathan Winters and featuring TV parodies.For example, Bea Arthur, Sally Struthers and Charlotte Rae star in a spoof of "Sex and the City." Arthur and "Golden Girls" co-stars White and Rue McClanahan accept an award honoring their old series.Sunday's show starts with stars such as Barry Williams ("The Brady Bunch") and Jerry Mathers ("Leave It to Beaver") in a big opening act.The show is low on suspense -- there are no lists of nominees, just winners, and TV Land already has announced them -- but it's heavy on nostalgia and elaborate dance-and-song numbers. And Lionel Richie, who won the Icon Award, performs.The show, which has evolved during its six years into a mix of both classic and current stars, features Justin Timberlake giving the Legacy of Laughter award to movie star Mike Myers.The cast of "The Office," including star Steve Carell, accepts the "Future Classic Award." Carell stars in the upcoming "Get Smart" movie, a new take on the old TV series. Original "Get Smart" star Barbara Feldon, who played Agent 99, looks like she hadn't aged a day as she walked down the red carpet.Bernie Kopell, who played Siegfried, an evil KAOS leader, in the TV version, explained what he thinks when he sees an old "Get Smart" episode."It reminds me I was 33 when I did it," Kopell said on the red carpet. "I was in heaven. I couldn't wait to go to work. I loved working with (star) Don Adams." Kopell is appearing in the "Get Smart" film. (He had to cut the interview short to get into his "Love Boat" uniform for the awards show's opening act; Kopell played Doc on the series.)Arngrim recalled how Michael Landon, the "Little House" star and executive producer, kept the mood on the Simi Valley, Calif., set light with practical jokes. "He was always putting (live) frogs in his mouth and walking up to people," Arngrim said.In another red-carpet interview, "Taxi" star Jeff Conaway said he found his show to be a challenge: "I remembered it was a lot of hard work. They would change the script every day. They told us, 'Don't learn your lines the night before you shoot it.' "During other interviews, celebrities explained why their shows still flourish in reruns around the world.Cissy had one explanation."('Family Affair') had great values, and everybody really liked each other," said Kathy Garver, who played the teen-age daughter, Cissy, in the 1966-71 series. "She cared about her family," the actress said of her character.Garver said today's shows have too many characters yelling and swearing at each other, and that kids watching TV copy those bad habits."Mary Tyler Moore Show" star Ed Asner said the comedy continues to appeal to viewers because it's about friends who struggle together and try to respect each other. Then he thought for a moment."Well, it was different with Ted (Baxter)," he said, referring to the bumbling WJM-TV anchor played by the late Ted Knight.Asner, looking like the star that he is in his tuxedo, leaned forward and talked about why his character, Lou Grant, remains popular. "He's an honest man, a hard worker. He's willing to learn."Asner, one of the awards show's presenters, explained how he became so skilled at playing strong characters such as Lou. "Being a bowl of jelly on the inside, I put on a tough surface on the outside."Fans of Disney-Pixar's animated movies will hear Asner's voice in next year's film "Up."(Dave Mason of the Ventura County Star in California can be reached at damson(at)VenturaCountyStar.com.)