# Richard Anderson (Oscar Goldman) dies. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 2, 2017, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-anderson-oscar-goldman-dies/795307 "2017-09-02T05:54:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-anderson-oscar-goldman-dies/795307/1 "2017-09-02T05:54:19Z")
I didn’t see another thread. Mods can close this if it’s a duplicate. Richard Anderson, who was best known for playing OSI chief Oscar Goldman on _The Six Million Dollar Man_ and _The Bionic Woman_, died yesterday at the age of 91. Goldman, who was discovered on television by Cary Grant in 1949 and went on to appear in 30 movies, became the first actor to play the same character in two shows on different networks when _The Bionic Woman_, which started on ABC alongside its parent show, _The Six Million Dollar Man_, was moved to NBC. > **[Richard Anderson, Actor on ‘The Six Million Dollar Man,’ Dies at 91](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/richard-anderson-dead-six-million-855240/)** > > He played Oscar Goldman on ‘The Bionic Woman’ spinoff as well after working in such films as ‘Paths of Glory,’ ‘Seven Days in May’ and ‘Seconds.’ RIP, Oscar. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-anderson-oscar-goldman-dies/795307/2 "2017-09-02T07:13:36Z")
An old schoolfriend named Steve often got the 'ol Goldman-y “Steve! Don’t _do_ it!”. R.I.P. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-anderson-oscar-goldman-dies/795307/3 "2017-09-02T07:15:25Z")
Thanks for posting this. He was part of what was one of my greatest shows of my youth\* (I still love the opening to this day) and possibly the first sci-fi show that captured my imagination. Also in The Bionic Woman-This Six Million Dollar Man crossover “Kill Oscar” the Fembots (although some were male :dubious:) were very creepy to me, especially when their faceplates fell off revealing the electronics inside, followed by creepy music and/or sound effects. The Bionic Woman was OK, but would have been better without that stupid dog. \*Well, fighting a robotic Bigfoot who protected aliens is pretty damn silly, but otherwise… ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-anderson-oscar-goldman-dies/795307/4 "2017-09-02T07:47:00Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > I didn’t see another thread. Mods can close this if it’s a duplicate. > > Richard Anderson, who was best known for playing OSI chief Oscar Goldman on _The Six Million Dollar Man_ and _The Bionic Woman_, died yesterday at the age of 91. Goldman, who was discovered on television by Cary Grant in 1949 and went on to appear in 30 movies, became the first actor to play the same character in two shows on different networks when _The Bionic Woman_, which started on ABC alongside its parent show, _The Six Million Dollar Man_, was moved to NBC. > > [Richard Anderson Dead: 'Six Million Dollar Man' Actor Was 91](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/richard-anderson-dead-six-million-855240) > > RIP, Oscar. Shit. I meant Anderson was discovered by Cary Grant in 1949. I suppose it’s a tribute to Anderson that I thought of him as his character. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-anderson-oscar-goldman-dies/795307/5 "2017-09-02T12:14:02Z")
Anderson was a very good character actor. He had a steady career and pops up in quite a few old TV shows. He had several guest roles in Big Valley with Lee Majors a decade before the Six Million Dollar Man. The Big Valley (TV Series 1966-1969) Warden Garreck / Hen Matson / Nathan Springer / Mel Trevor / Travers (5 episodes, 1966-1969) ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-anderson-oscar-goldman-dies/795307/6 "2017-09-02T13:25:28Z")
I checked the Archive of American Television. They have interviewed as many of the older producers, directors and actors as possible. Preserving an oral history of television’s early days. I’m a bit disappointed they didn’t interview Richard Anderson. I’m not sure how healthy he was in the past few years. > **[People](https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/people)** > > While we have interviewed over 900 individuals, there are thousands more individuals who are discussed in this collection, but who we never got a chance to interview directly.Browse the list of names of these people below to hear stories from our... ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-anderson-oscar-goldman-dies/795307/7 "2017-09-02T13:57:04Z")
MeTV is showing some of the westerns he was in today (Sep 2) Brian ---
**Author:** ![Clark\_Cello](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@Clark\_Cello](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clark_Cello)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-anderson-oscar-goldman-dies/795307/8 "2017-09-02T15:03:23Z")
I haven’t read the article but please tell me it wasn’t his briefcase that did him in? ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-anderson-oscar-goldman-dies/795307/9 "2017-09-02T17:07:53Z")
I’ve been having a memorial tribute this morning: Forbidden Planet, The Night Strangler, and that episode of Columbo where his sister shoots him and says she thought he was a burglar. Sadly. Mr. Anderson gets killed in all of these. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-anderson-oscar-goldman-dies/795307/10 "2017-09-02T17:08:40Z")
> [@Nobody](#): > > The Bionic Woman was OK, but would have been better without that stupid dog. But wasn’t it also bionic, though? How cool is that? (I must admit I can’t immediately recall its superpowers. Hearing, was it? There’d be an ear close-up, with that unique bionic superpower sound effect that’s next to impossible trying to articulate exactly what that sound is, IIRC.) It’s not like it was a bionic vole or anything. I’ll take a bionic dog over a normal dog any day of the week.\* \*hmmmmm…getting possible hard-on over new possible signature. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-anderson-oscar-goldman-dies/795307/11 "2017-09-02T17:12:50Z")
Never mind, answers my own question. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-anderson-oscar-goldman-dies/795307/12 "2017-09-02T20:14:36Z")
> [@Eddie The Horrible](#): > > But wasn’t it also bionic, though? > How cool is that? > (I must admit I can’t immediately recall its superpowers. Hearing, was it? There’d be an ear close-up, with that unique bionic superpower sound effect that’s next to impossible trying to articulate exactly what that sound is, IIRC.) > > It’s not like it was a bionic vole or anything. > > I’ll take a bionic dog over a normal dog any day of the week.\* > > \*hmmmmm…getting possible hard-on over new possible signature. > **[Maximillian](https://bionic.fandom.com/wiki/Maximillian)** > > You may be looking for the episode, Max Maximillian — or simply "Max" — is a bionic German Shepherd dog. He is a recurring character the third and final (1978) season of The Bionic Woman. Max was donated for laboratory use at the age of four months... Max - 4 bionic legs, bionic jaw, mentally unstable, ideal family pet. Restored to sanity by Jaime’s dog-whispering talents. Isn’t that a TV trope, maiden calms violent beast, bringing out his finer qualities? The bionic hearing was Jaime herself. Great show for anyone with an ear fetish. Ear close-up with the dong-dong-dong-dong-dong-dong (decreasing volume) sound. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-anderson-oscar-goldman-dies/795307/13 "2017-09-02T20:25:50Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > [Maximillian | The Bionic Wiki | Fandom](http://bionic.wikia.com/wiki/Maximillian) > Max - 4 bionic legs, bionic jaw, mentally unstable, ideal family pet. > > Restored to sanity by Jaime’s dog-whispering talents. Isn’t that a TV trope, maiden calms violent beast, bringing out his finer qualities? > > The bionic hearing was Jaime herself. Great show for anyone with an ear fetish. Ear close-up with the dong-dong-dong-dong-dong-dong (decreasing volume) sound. [Lindsay Wagner’s hearing test for COZI TV.](https://youtu.be/wH5Q4EpzVDQ) ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-anderson-oscar-goldman-dies/795307/14 "2017-09-02T20:27:57Z")
Now all the regular stars of Perry Mason are dead. Sad to slowly lose our connection to early tv. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-anderson-oscar-goldman-dies/795307/15 "2017-09-02T20:59:03Z")
I’ve seen Richard Anderson in a lot of old shows courtesy of all the retro networks. He was in _Zorro_ as a friend of Don Diego’s. He played Ronny Howard’s father in an episode of _I Spy_ ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-anderson-oscar-goldman-dies/795307/16 "2017-09-02T22:36:32Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Now all the regular stars of Perry Mason are dead. Sad to slowly lose our connection to early tv. I thought that Barbara Hale was still around, but looking her up I somehow missed hearing about her death in January. ---
**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:** [September 2, 2017, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-anderson-oscar-goldman-dies/795307/17 "2017-09-02T23:11:25Z")
No doubt now he’s better … stronger … faster than he was before. RIP, Oscar. :o ---
**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:** [September 2, 2017, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-anderson-oscar-goldman-dies/795307/18 "2017-09-02T23:17:38Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Richard Anderson … became the first actor to play the same character in two shows on different networks when _The Bionic Woman_, which started on ABC alongside its parent show, _The Six Million Dollar Man_, was moved to NBC. **Trivia question:** Who was the first to play the same \*\*regular \*\*character on two different shows \*\*concurrently \*\*(regardless of network)? ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2017, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-anderson-oscar-goldman-dies/795307/19 "2017-09-03T00:25:49Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > **Trivia question:** Who was the first to play the same \*\*regular \*\*character on two different shows \*\*concurrently \*\*(regardless of network)? So you mean a spin-off, presumably? No doubt the answer is in here, but it’s not an easy search, since they are arranged alphabetically. > **[List of television spin-offs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_television_spin-offs)** > > A spin-off in television is a new series containing characters or settings that originated in a previous series, but with a different focus, tone, or theme. For example, the series Frasier was a spin-off of the earlier series Cheers: the character Frasier Crane was introduced as a secondary character on Cheers, and became the protagonist of his own series, set in a different city, in the spin-off. Spin-offs are particularly common in sitcom. A related phenomenon, not to be confused with the spi... ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2017, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-anderson-oscar-goldman-dies/795307/20 "2017-09-03T00:37:30Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > **Trivia question:** Who was the first to play the same \*\*regular \*\*character on two different shows \*\*concurrently \*\*(regardless of network)? I will guess Frank Cady as store owner Sam Drucker on _Petticoat Junction_ and _Green Acres_. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-anderson-oscar-goldman-dies/795307.md?page=2)