Classic TV Stars - Dead or Alive?

Only in L.A. can you spend a Sunday at an airport hangar watching classic TV stars parade by...

I attended the taping of the TVland Awards yesterday (June 10, 2008), which were staged in a hangar at the Santa Monica Airport. (The magic of television!) My official role was Red Carpet Bleacher-sitter, and Seat-filler. But I added Has-been Ogler and Junior Paparazzi to my own job description.

I went solo to the soiree' because none of my friends would stoop to such a pedestrian activity. To me, it was all good, clean, silly fun. And it's easy enough to strike up conversations with equally silly bleacher-sitters, so who needs to drag along companions?

The dominant conversation of the day, of course, was "Dead or alive?" Like when Bea Arthur strolled in with her Golden Girl gal pals, the conversation that rolled through the bleachers was:

"Is Bea Arthur still alive? I thought she died a couple of years ago."
"No, that was Estelle Geddy that died."
"Did she die? Oh, how sad! I thought she was younger than Bea Arthur."
"Bea looks older now than Sophia ever did."
"They're all looking pretty Golden."
"Betty White is actually white."
"Good thing they're getting an award this year. Next year it might just be 'Golden Girl.' No 's.'"

And so it went all day long - "I thought he was dead." "I can't believe SHE is still alive!" "I wonder if so-and-so will be here. Oh no, he/she is WAY dead."

Are your favorite TV stars dead or alive? Ask us and we'll find out! In the meantime, the following TV stars have been been placed on the official "Not Dead Yet" list , since they "fogged the mirror" at the TVLand Awards taping:

- Penny Marshal (Laverne & Shirley)
- Cindy Williams (Laverne & Shirley)
- Henry Winkler (Happy Days)
- Jack Klugman (Odd Couple)
- Dick Van Dyke (The Dick Van Dyke Show, Diagnosis Murder)
- Bea Arthur (Golden Girls)
- Betty White (Golden Girls, Mary Tyler Moore)
- Rue McLanahan (Golden Girls)
- Jonathan Winters (Jonathan Winters Show)
- Robin Williams (Mork & Mindy)
- Mike Myers (Saturday Night Live)
- Roseanne Barr (Roseanne)
- John Goodman (Roseanne)
- Sara Gilbert (Roseanne)
- Michael Fishman (Roseanne)
- Martin Mull (Roseanne)
- Johnny Galecki (Roseanne)
- Alicia Goranson (Roseanne)
- Sarah Chalke (Roseanne)
- Kathy Griffin (Suddenly Susan, Life on the D List)
- Barry Williams (Brady Bunch)
- Bernie Kopell (The Love Boat)
- Gary Coleman (Diff'rent Strokes)
- Jimmy Walker (Good Times)
- Adam West (Batman)
- Florence Henderson (The Brady Bunch)
- Joan Rivers (The Tonight Show)
- Joyce DeWitt (Three's Company)
- Lindsay Wagner (The Bionic Woman)
- Maureen McCormick (The Brady Bunch)
- Phyllis Diller (The Phyllis Diller Show - yes, still alive!)
- Sherman Hemsley (All in the Family, The Jeffersons)
- Vicki Lawrence (The Carol Burnett Show, Mama's Family)
- Dawn Wells (Gilligan's Island)

Lionel Richie, although not a TV star is, happily, also still alive. He rocked the house with three of his biggest hits and had one of the best lines of the night... "I've had a lot of challenges in my life, but none as big as 27 years being the father of Nicole Richey." Funny, but sadly, probably also true!

Justin Timerberlake, also not a TV star, is quite alive. And he was one of the funniest presenters of the whole show. Who knew Justin had a personality?

Stay tuned for video and photo proof that those on the "Not-Yet-Dead TV Stars" list belong there!