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NBC REUNITES STARS FROM PAST TO APPEAR IN RELATED CURRENT SERIES IN APRIL AND MAY AS PART OF PEACOCK NETWORK'S 75TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
NBC
REUNITES STARS FROM PAST TO APPEAR IN RELATED CURRENT SERIES IN APRIL AND MAY AS
PART OF PEACOCK NETWORK’S 75TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
Ultimate Crossovers Feature “Frasier” Reuniting with “Cheers” Stars; “Hill Street Blues” Stars Appear on “Third Watch”; “St. Elsewhere” Docs Scrub in on “Scrubs”; “Quincy’s” Jack Klugman Visits “Crossing Jordan,” Among Others
BURBANK, Calif. -- Classic meets contemporary as part of NBC’s unprecedented
75th anniversary celebration this May as several stars from the network’s
memorable series -- including “Cheers,” “Hill Street Blues,” “St.
Elsewhere,” “Quincy” and “Little House on the Prairie” - guest-star on
current series for broadcast in late April and early May.
In one notable reunion, George Wendt, John Ratzenberger and Rhea Perlman from the classic comedy “Cheers” (1982-93) get a a house call from Seattle-based Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) on “Frasier” (Tuesdays, 9-9:30 p.m. ET) in a melding of two Emmy-winning comedies. This time, Frasier heads to Boston and finds himself reuniting with his old “Cheers” gang and celebrating postman Cliff’s (Ratzenberger) retirement party on a special episode on Tuesday, April 30 (9-9:30 p.m. ET).
In addition, three of the original actors - Paul Wilson, Phillip Perlman and Raye Birk -- who sat at the end of the bar and offered pithy one-liners during the “Cheers” run also will join the gang. The episode was written by Heidi Perlman (“Cheers”).
Likewise, three stars of NBC’s Emmy-winning “Hill Street Blues” -- Veronica Hamel (Public Defender Joyce Davenport), Bruce Weitz (Detective Mick Belker) and Ed Marinaro (Officer Joe Coffey) -- visit “Third Watch” (Mondays, 9-10 p.m. ET) on Monday, May 6 (9-10 p.m. ET). Hamel portrays the mother and Weitz is the uncle of firefighter Taylor (Amy Carlson), who come together after the body of Taylor’s firefighter father is finally found in the ruins of the World Trade Center; Marinaro plays a fellow firefighter and friend of her father who offers a eulogy at the services.
Among the other vintage stars who will be showcased are Emmy Award winner William Daniels, Ed Begley, Jr., Stephen Furst and Eric Laneuville from NBC’s critically acclaimed serio-comic medical drama “St. Elsewhere” (1982-88) who will appear on the freshman hit comedy “Scrubs” (Tuesdays, 9:30-10 p.m. ET). The four will play bickering doctors who are stricken during a medical convention and are admitted for treatment by the “Scrubs” staff in an episode for broadcast on Tuesday, April 30 (9:30-10 p.m. ET).
Emmy winner Jack Klugman (“The Odd Couple”) - who starred as the inquisitive medical examiner on NBC’s “Quincy, M.E.” (1976-83) - will guest-star on “Crossing Jordan” on Monday, April 29 (10-11 p.m. ET) as a distinguished coroner whom Macy (Miguel Ferrer) discovers has made a crucial case error due to his failing eyesight - a chronic problem that Jordan (Jill Hennessy) can’t help but notice.
On “Just Shoot Me” (Thursdays, 9:30-10 p.m. ET), David Hasselhoff (“Baywatch”) guest-stars on the “Must See TV” series on Thursday, April 18 (9:30-10 p.m. ET). Finch shoots a semi-autobiographical film for his documentary cinema class and manages to convince Hasselhoff (as himself) to appear in it as his dad. But while coming to the set one day, Hasselhoff scratches Jack’s (George Segal) car, leading to a heated exchange between them.
Melissa Gilbert, who starred as Laura Ingalls Wilder on “Little House on the Prairie” (1974-83), makes herself at home on NBC’s feel-good “Providence” (Fridays, 8-9 p.m. ET) as the proud owner of a prize sheep dog on Friday, May 3 (8-9 p.m. ET).
Musical director Paul Shaffer (“Late Night with David Letterman”) swings
by “Ed” (Wednesdays, 8-9 p.m. ET) to guest-star as a basketball referee who
once officiated a controversial game for Ed’s (Tom Cavanagh) former high
school team and is asked to return to “re-do” the game to settle the issue.
The episode will be telecast on Wednesday, May 1 (8-9 p.m. ET).
The generational crossovers continue on “Weakest Link” (Sundays, 8-9 p.m.
ET) as the game show hosted by Anne Robinson takes viewers on a time-machine
trip from the 1960s-1990s by matching up generations of NBC TV stars from
“Star Trek” and “The Monkees” to “St. Elsewhere” and “The Cosby
Show.” The stars are Begley, Jr., Davy Jones (“The Monkees”), Nichelle
Nichols (“Star Trek”), Dennis Weaver (“McCloud”), Dirk Benedict (“The
A-Team”), Erin Gray (“Silver Spoons”), Vicki Lawrence (“Mama’s
Family”) and Raven Symone (“The Cosby Show”).
Furthermore, stars of the Emmy Award-winning “L.A. Law” - who will
re-convene for the “L.A. Law: The Movie” reunion movie on Sunday, May 12
(9-11 p.m. ET) - will play for charity and to determine who among them is the
“Weakest Link” immediately preceding the movie (8-9 p.m. ET). The eight
regular and recurring cast members from the 1986-94 drama are Jill Eikenberry,
Michael Tucker, Corbin Bernsen, Michele Greene, Larry Drake, Sheila Kelley,
Conchata Ferrell and Kathleen Wilhoite.
This season NBC celebrates 75 years as America’s first national broadcasting network. Since its first live radio transmission on November 15, 1926, the National Broadcasting Network has been breaking new ground in communication technology, as well as entertaining and informing America for three-quarters of a century. In recognition of those notable accomplishments, NBC will celebrate with a wide variety of special programming and memorable guest appearances, culminating in a three-hour live telecast from its Rockefeller Center headquarters Sunday, May 5 (8-11 p.m. ET). The anniversary special, from “Saturday Night Live’s” Lorne Michaels, will feature clips of the network’s most memorable news, sports and entertainment moments from the past seven decades, as well as surprise guest appearances by NBC’s classic and contemporary stars.
