How the heroes die, or, which fictional characters are still alive?

Cafe Society
1

Thinking about characters voting for trump got me thinking about older shows. There must be some characters of long deceased shows that would still be alive. Since Ed Asner, Gavin MacLeod, Valerie Harper, and Betty White are still alive, possibly so would Lou Grant, Murray (and Capt Steubing!), Rhoda and Sue Ann be.

What characters from old TV shows and movies would you think are still alive, and what do you think they are up to? You don’t have to guess who they’d vote for, unless you want.

But you don’t have to go by the actual actors. If you think Mary Richards would still be alive, speculate away.

2

Ben Richards from “The Immortal”.

3

A lot of the doctors and nurses who served at the 4077th MAS*H unit are still alive. They’re all retired now.

4

Actors from the early 1980s may be alive, but the characters from the early 1950s (Korean War essentially ending in '53) probably mostly wouldn’t be, as the youngest would be in his or her 90s. Maybe Radar or Klinger, definitely not Col. Potter, probably not any of the doctors or Nurse Houlihan.

5

Barnabas Collins.

6

Tony Soprano;)

7

Martin O’Hara

8

Charlie McCarthy
Mortimer Snerd
Lambchop
Charlie Horse
Mr. Moose
Bunny Rabbit

9

I’m trying to find early TV examples like this.

Take Richard Crenna. Born 1926. Played high school kid Walter Denton in Our Miss Brooks from 1952-55. Figure Walter was born ~1937. Crenna lived to be 79. Figure Walter lived to the same age. (Unless whatever what was wrong with his throat that caused that weird voice didn’t kill him first.) So ~ 2016. Nope.

The tradition of older people playing high schoolers is old. Not hard to find ones from a bit later.

So, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (1959-1962). Dobie, Zelda Gilroy, Thalia Menninger, and Milton Armitage could still be alive.

(Zelda and Dobie’s marriage ended shortly after she came out of the closet. Thalia and Milton’s marriage lasted 15 minutes.)

Maynard G. Krebs (Bob Denver), Chatsworth Osborne, Jr. (Steve Franken), Aphrodite Millican (Yvonne Craig) are interesting cases. All three actors dead now but played younger people.

Denver: 1935-2005. Not good news for Maynard.

Franken: 1932–2012. Chatsworth’s probably alive and annoying people.

Craig 1937–2015. Aphrodite could still be hanging in there.

10

Opie would still be alive but Aunt Bee would surely be dead. Sheriff Andy would be in a home now with round the clock care. A good one. Opie visits almost every day.

11

Living into one’s 90s isn’t that unusual, nowadays. Most of the characters other than Potter and Blake would be in their mid-late 90s, meaning that still being alive is hardly out of the question, though not super likely for a lot of them.

Hawk - certainly dead, probably passed in his 70s, given his apparent commitment to debauchery.
Trap - probably dead, but sometime in the last 5 years.
BJ - probably alive. His great-grandkids keep him going.
Hot Lips - see Trap.
Frank - probably dead of a heart attack sometime in the late 70s. Dude was high strung.
Winchester - tough one. He was, apparently, not as old as he looked. I’ll say probably passed, but it wouldn’t be super surprising if he was still hanging on.
Radar - Certainly alive.
Klinger - Probably alive, presuming he got away from the bad neighborhood he claimed to have grown up in.
Nurse Kellye - Certainly alive. (Kellye Nakahara is only 60, so assuming her character was around the same age as her when she started in the role (which I think we can assume she was, given how much of the character was based on Nakahara), she’d be in her early 80s).
Fr. Mulcahey - probably passed some time ago…if nothing else when the history of bad behavior in the Church became public knowledge, his heart would have given out.

12

Buck Rogers is still marinading in radioactive soup, awaiting his future revival…

13

Burt Ward is still alive, which means Dick Grayson is presumably still alive.

(And, presumably, President of These United States.)

14

Phillip J. Fry is currently alive but trapped in a cryogenic chamber.

Nibbler is probably the only other character from the 30th century would would be alive currently; the rest haven’t been born yet. Of course Fry’s parents, brother, ex-girlfriend, and boss at the pizzeria are all alive.

15

In the final episode, Dr. Robert Hartley closed down his psychology practice in Chicago and moved to Oregon to be a professor. Since Bob Newhart is 89 now, there’s a good chance Dr. Hartley is hanging on as an emeritus faculty member, teaching one class a semester.

And I’m guessing ALF is in a cage somewhere deep inside Area 51, annoying the scientists with stupid jokes in between vivisections.

16

For people in…non-standard lines of work:

Jim Phelps probably lived as long as Peter Graves (83 years). Once he survived being a field agent and switched to being a station chief or spymaster, he probably lived to an old age. retired and raised orchids in Virginia.

Barney Collier. Being held in a prison for 10 years took a toll. After being rescued, he left the CIA and ran TV repair shop. Health problems precipitated his early death at 62. Lifelong Democrat.

Rollin Hand. Was killed on a mission in 1974. Voted for Nixon.

Willy Armitage. Retired in the 70s and competed in body building contests. Started a chain of gyms that were successful but eventually got bought out by LA fitness. Living in a cabin outside of San Louis Obispo. Is 87. Voted for Clinton.

Cinnamon Carter. retied from spying after the death of Rollin and returned to modeling. Because of her ability to assume different personas, no one in the spy world recognizes her, so she is in no danger from assassins. Became the Lancome spokesperson and model for over-40 cosmetics. Currently lives in a NYC townhouse. Sometimes does appearances on Ellen and GMA. 87. Voted for trump.

Paris (last name unknown). Became disenchanted with the US policies after too many missions of questionable morality and quit the CIA. Became a free-lance trouble shooter. Lives somewhere in Europe under assumed names as he is still a target of assassins. Rumored to have been killed by a CIA assassin but this is unsubstantiated. If alive he would be 87. Doesn’t vote but hates trump.

Dan Briggs. Abruptly quit the CIA in 1967 and moved to upstate New York. Became a paranoid recluse and never left his home. Was found dead under a pile of old newspapers in 1981 but had been dead for several months. His death was ruled accidental, but that’s just what they would say, isn’t it? Never voted because he believed the CIA put mind control chemicals on ballots.

(Lisa?) Casey. Left the CIA and married a Senator. Had a family and several male lovers, just like her husband. On her third husband, Lives in DC. Votes Republican except voted Bernie. Her son is an actor and her daughter married a controlling husband.

Dr. Doug Robert. Quit the CIA and returned to medicine. Went back to school and got a degree in chemistry. Went back to the CIA and designed a mind control chemical to be used on voting ballots. Just kidding - he works for Doctors without borders, bringing needed medical care to impoverished countries. Takes out a African dictator every now and then in his spare time. Retired to LA and lives in the Valley. Raises horses. 74. Voted Democrat.

17

Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod
Bo, Luke, and Daisy Duke should be arthritic but alive. Boss Hogg may be hanging on just to spite them Duke Boys. Uncle Jessie is gone. He’s on Donkey Number 13 by now.

18

At eighty, he’d be in need of medical attention and barely alive — but that’s been the case since the seventies, so figure the Six Million Dollar Man (adjusted for inflation) is probably still up and around and looking like Lee Majors.

19

Well, his legs and one arm would look like those of a thirty year old!

Perhaps, not having to carry around the weight of his legs, with the reduced strain on his heart, he might live a long time.

20

Everyone who took ship to Valinor is still alive. And I think so are Maglor, Amroth and Daeron. When are Feanor and others who went with him to Mandos finally getting out?