# Oldest show, all cast members still alive **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [December 23, 2018, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-show-all-cast-members-still-alive/826573 "2018-12-23T16:45:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cmosdes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cmosdes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmosdes)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-show-all-cast-members-still-alive/826573/1 "2018-12-23T16:45:56Z")
What is the oldest TV show in which the original cast members are still alive? You can define cast members however you please. I’ve wondering about this for a while. Cosby? Family Ties? Fall guy? I’m pretty sure the cast of Fall Guy are all still around. I don’t know of any shows from the 70s in which the original cast is all still alive. ---
**Author:** ![Royal\_Nonesutch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecb155/32.png) [@Royal\_Nonesutch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Royal_Nonesutch)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-show-all-cast-members-still-alive/826573/2 "2018-12-23T17:03:17Z")
My first thought was that most all of the main actors from TV’s "Bosom Buddies’’ were pretty young when it started back in 1980, so I’d guess that they are still around, now some 38 years later, but I bet that “The Love Boat” (1977) might have them beat, as Gavin MacLeod and Bernie Kopell, both in their late 80’s, are still with us… ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-show-all-cast-members-still-alive/826573/3 "2018-12-23T17:22:32Z")
Bosom Buddies’ Wendie Jo Sperber died in 2005 ---
**Author:** ![cmosdes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cmosdes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmosdes)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-show-all-cast-members-still-alive/826573/4 "2018-12-23T17:25:32Z")
I considered Love Boat but thought Bernie Kopell has passed. But you are right, he hasn’t. So I guess that would be the oldest so far… ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-show-all-cast-members-still-alive/826573/5 "2018-12-23T18:35:54Z")
We need a well defined criterion of who counts as a “cast member” for the purposes of this thread. _Police Woman_ premiered in 1974. As far as I know Angie Dickinson, Earl Holliman, Charles Dierkop, and Ed Bernard are all still alive. John Crawford is dead, but he was only in 12 of 91 episodes. I would consider his role (Captain Parks) to be a recurring character, not part of the main cast. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-show-all-cast-members-still-alive/826573/6 "2018-12-23T18:46:30Z")
I recently discovered that Earl Holliman was still alive. He stared in the very first TZ episode, “Where is Everybody”. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-show-all-cast-members-still-alive/826573/7 "2018-12-23T19:14:32Z")
I wonder if _Sugarfoot_ would count. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-show-all-cast-members-still-alive/826573/8 "2018-12-23T19:32:20Z")
Between 1952 and 1956, Betty White was the sole host(ess) of the talk/variety show _ **Hollywood on Television** _, broadcast on KLAC-TV. That’s gotta count for something! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-show-all-cast-members-still-alive/826573/9 "2018-12-23T21:37:24Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > I recently discovered that Earl Holliman was still alive. He stared in the very first TZ episode, “Where is Everybody”. Well, Rod Sterling is long dead … Anyway, speaking of Holliman, none of the 4 regulars of _[Police Woman](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071034/)_ are listed on IMDb as dead: Angie Dickinson, Earl Holliman, Charles Dierkop, and Ed Bernard. Show ran from 1974 to 1978. (BTW, we had a thread like these a while back. Can’t find it right now.) ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-show-all-cast-members-still-alive/826573/10 "2018-12-23T21:39:30Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Well, Rod Sterling is long dead … > > Anyway, speaking of Holliman, none of the 4 regulars of _[Police Woman](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071034/)_ are listed on IMDb as dead: Angie Dickinson, Earl Holliman, Charles Dierkop, and Ed Bernard. Show ran from 1974 to 1978. > > (BTW, we had a thread like these a while back. Can’t find it right now.) Easier to just look back four posts. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2018, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-show-all-cast-members-still-alive/826573/11 "2018-12-24T15:45:05Z")
> [@TimeWinder](#): > > Easier to just look back four posts. Something really odd here. I thought **E-DUB** ’s comment was out of the blue so I checked previous posts to see if there was a prompt for it. Double checked. Weird. Anyway, [here](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=754723)’s the earlier thread I mentioned. My [post](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=18300067&postcount=45) regarding _the Smothers Brother show_ still holds up. But sadly there’s been even more deaths from the “almost” shows. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2018, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-show-all-cast-members-still-alive/826573/12 "2018-12-24T19:27:26Z")
It was probably _The Facts of Life_ until Charlotte Rae died. Not sure what it is now. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2018, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-show-all-cast-members-still-alive/826573/13 "2018-12-24T21:44:56Z")
Rereading the previous thread is full of sad. One of the possible good-size-cast possible champs listed there is _[Please Don’t Eat the Daisies](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058840/)_ from 1965-1967. No deaths among the main characters are listed. Although it’s sometimes hard to say for the actors who played the kids since they might not be on anybody’s death list radar. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2018, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-show-all-cast-members-still-alive/826573/14 "2018-12-24T22:03:55Z")
But Lord Nelson, who played Lad-a-dog (the family pet), has surely gone to the great kennel in the sky! ������ Otherwise, I think we have a winner! ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2018, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-show-all-cast-members-still-alive/826573/15 "2018-12-25T02:29:25Z")
This tread reminds me of the sadness whenever learning that one of the _Our Gang/Little Rascals_ in its various groupings passed away. According to Wikipedia, a large number of _Our Gang_ members are thought to be still alive, but the most well known is Robert Blake (Mickey). ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2018, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-show-all-cast-members-still-alive/826573/16 "2018-12-25T02:30:39Z")
> [@Labdad](#): > > But Lord Nelson, who played Lad-a-dog (the family pet), has surely gone to the great kennel in the sky! �� > > Otherwise, I think we have a winner! No, no, no. Next you’ll be telling me there was more than one Lassie! :mad: Watching the Mythusters Merrython right now. “I reject your reality and substitute my own!” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2018, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-show-all-cast-members-still-alive/826573/17 "2018-12-25T19:56:30Z")
I was hoping for ADAM 12, but Martun Milner passed pretty recently (2015). ST:TNG’s principal cast is still up and kicking, but Majel Barret was the computer voice, so… THE TRACEY ULLMAN SHOW’s principal cast is stull drawing breath, from 1987. Gotta be something older than that. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2018, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-show-all-cast-members-still-alive/826573/18 "2018-12-25T20:01:05Z")
CHiPs, 1977! Eight principal cast members, all still alive! ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-show-all-cast-members-still-alive/826573/19 "2018-12-26T01:20:08Z")
> [@Horatio\_Hellpop](#): > > ST:TNG’s principal cast is still up and kicking, but Majel Barret was the computer voice, so… She was also Lwaxana Troi, Deanna’s mother. If were talking about ALL cast members, this might include Mark Lenard, who made the role of Sarek his own. They both were on only occasionally, but their parts were important to the series. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-show-all-cast-members-still-alive/826573/20 "2018-12-26T01:42:30Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > She was also Lwaxana Troi, Deanna’s mother. If were talking about ALL cast members, this might include Mark Lenard, who made the role of Sarek his own. > > They both were on only occasionally, but their parts were important to the series. I think we’re talking about principal cast members with spoken lines in the majority of episodes, whose name appears in the opening credits. Lwaxana Troi was in five episodes (about as many as Barclay), but the Computer Voice was in 101 and was as integral to the series as Carlton the Doorman was to RHODA. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-show-all-cast-members-still-alive/826573.md?page=2)