movieguru

What TV show has been on the longest without losing a regular cast member? Let's say scripted shows that had at least 4 regular actors/actresses starring in them during their initial run, and reacurring actors don't count.
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The ones I can think of off the bat would be The Facts of Life which started in 1979. Family Ties since 1982. The Partrige Family may be one of the longest. it started in 1970 and I believe the dad was the first one to pass in 2014.

Bluelitespecial

I know that Marcia Wallace died in 2013 who was the voice of Edna Krabappel. But The Simpsons have been on the air since 1989 and all the regular cast of voice actors are still alive and working. I would say that counts.

windom

Dad on the Partridge Family? I don't remember them ever showing the dad on the show.

TerryW

I wouldn't say she was a regular more a recurring character like Lunch Lady Doris (Doris Grau) who passed in 1997 replaced by Lunch Lady Dora.

majorjoe23

Similarly, Phil Hartman died in 1998, though I think some of his episodes continued into 1999.

movieguru

I never really watched the show, but I gues I was thinking of the middle aged guy on it, Dave Madden. I assumed he was the father, but maybe he was the manager or some other fatherly figure type.

rw2516

Are we talking longest period of time between a show's debut and the passing of a leading star?
77 Sunset Strip premiered in 1958. Three of the four regulars are still alive. Efrem Zimbalist Jr. died in 2014. 54 years.

davidh777

Yeah, that's the sense I got from the second half of the OP, rather than which show lasted the longest without losing a major actor during the run.

movieguru

Yeah, I'm thinking of from when the show debut. They didn't have to die during it's initial run as most shows actors don't pass during the original production run. It doesn't have to be the leading character, but anyone that appeared as part of the regular cast.

Don"t know too much about 77 Sunset Strip but wasn't Richard Long who passed in 1974 a regular duriing season 3?

Nick Danger

For the second interpretation of the question, Route 66 is a contender. George Maharis is still alive, Martin Milner died in 2015. It debuted in 1960, so 55 years.

movieguru

Glenn Corbett who replaced one of the characters passed some time back though.

BORN
8/17/1933, El Monte,California
DIED
1/16/1993
BIRTH NAME
GENDER
Male
ALSO KNOWN AS
Glenn Corbett, Glenn Robinson (II)

Kdogg

That might be a winner. The show would have either a young cast or a cast that lived to be fairly old. First thought was the Little Rascals but after looking some of those kids died really young. Shows from the 80s, 90s, 00s and 10s are out as would be most of the 70s. That leaves my knowledge base limited to Nick at Night and TBS reruns from my childhood. I Love Lucy and Father Knows Best are around 45 years.

movieguru

I put the minmum number of cast members at four, because it is much easier for a buddy show to not have any deaths due to the lack of actors.

I would guess that the dad onFather Knows Best died way back and Fwilliam Frawley died back in the 60's

movieguru

Although most have since passed on Mister Ed, it is amazing that Alan Young is still kicking at 100!!

Nick Danger

I missed the minimum number of actors. My first thought is The Monkees. Wikipedia says that three of them are still alive and playing music. Davy Jones died in 2012. 1966 to 2012 is 46 years.

Double_Oh_7

Um, hate to break it to you...

http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/alan...ed-1201779957/

Kdogg

I think he was on My Three Son's. (Again thank you Nickelodeon).

movieguru

Yeah, that one looks like a good candidate. Was there any other regulars on that other than the Monkees? No managers or girlfriends?

Decker

Fuck this subtraction shit.

We need to figure out "What is the oldest show where all the Regulars are still alive?". Much like "Who is the world's oldest living person?", the argument is irrelevant when you're talking about someone who is dead.

movieguru

I must have missed the news on that but it looks like he died three days before my dad. Funny thing was i just googled Alan Young before I posted and it had his DOB as 1916 and no death mentioned in his biography. Some actors death oddly don't make the news, I had not seen Uncle Henry from Punky Brewster and Police Accedemy died until months afterwards.

movieguru

Facts of Life may be a good choice for that one. Charlotte Rae may outlive all the others on Diff'rent Strokes as well, even though she was one of the oldest cast members!! It's only her and Willis now. Event the guy that sang and wrote the theme song is gone.

Decker

I'm sure there are several 80s TV shows with all the cast still alive (Cosby Show for one). I was trying to think of a single Seventies TV sitcom without a dead series regular. Best I could come up with :

The Valeyard

^ Andrew Sachs died on November 23.

Decker

I saw Cleese at the Venetian about a month ago and he talked about Sachs in the present tense. Didn't think I had to check his IMDB page.

davidh777

Yeah, I saw it on social media.