# The oldest TV show with a still-living cast **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 17, 2015, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-oldest-tv-show-with-a-still-living-cast/717925 "2015-04-17T17:08:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2015, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-oldest-tv-show-with-a-still-living-cast/717925/41 "2015-04-18T16:29:50Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > i thought of this show but I was certain I remembered hearing about Patrick MacNee’s death a few years ago. But I see I’m wrong and he’s still alive at the age of 93. Uh, I also thought I read about MacNee’s death. What are we both remembering? Weird. I have a new “celebrity I thought was dead” winner for myself. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2015, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-oldest-tv-show-with-a-still-living-cast/717925/42 "2015-04-18T17:06:42Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Uh, I also thought I read about MacNee’s death. What are we both remembering? > > Weird. > > I have a new “celebrity I thought was dead” winner for myself. It’s called ‘a glitch in the Matrix’. Frigging William Hickey died three times. Then he died on the same day as Burt Lancaster and then it wasn’t the same day. Ann Jillian died of breast cancer, and then one day she was still alive. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2015, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-oldest-tv-show-with-a-still-living-cast/717925/43 "2015-04-18T18:07:36Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Uh, I also thought I read about MacNee’s death. What are we both remembering? Possibly [**Patrick McGoohan**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_McGoohan) of Danger Man (Secret Agent in the U.S.) and The Prisoner fame. An aside: McNee was 29 but looks younger when he played the young Jacob Marley in 1951’s Scrooge, with Alastair Sim (which is head and shoulders above any other Scrooge made before or after). **Edit to add:** Howdy Doody hasn’t aged a day. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2015, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-oldest-tv-show-with-a-still-living-cast/717925/44 "2015-04-18T18:42:33Z")
One that almost works would be _Life with Elizabeth_ which starred Betty White. In another thread I proposed reviving the series to be about a 93-year-old widow whose husband died 45 years ago who has decided enough time has passed that she can now begin dating again: > **[Predict the next completely unnecessary TV show revival](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=752854)** > > With X-Files and Coach both responding to an overwhelming lack of demand with upcoming revivals, what show will be next? I’m going with Cheers. > **[Life with Elizabeth (TV Series 1952–1955) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045407/)** > > Life with Elizabeth: With Betty White, Del Moore, Jack Narz, Dick Garton. The day-to-day events in the lives of a newly-married couple. Each episode consists of three short, unrelated sketches in which characters often break the imaginary fourth... > **[Life with Elizabeth](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_with_Elizabeth)** > > Betty White > Life with Elizabeth is an American television sitcom starring Betty White as Elizabeth and Del Moore as her husband Alvin; Jack Narz is the on-camera announcer and narrator. The series aired in syndication from October 7, 1953, to September 1, 1955. The show was the first of many sitcoms for Betty White across the decades and was based on sketches involving the Elizabeth character that she had performed on her earlier talk show Hollywood on Television. > The low-budget comedy was prod... ---
**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:** [April 19, 2015, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-oldest-tv-show-with-a-still-living-cast/717925/45 "2015-04-19T18:39:45Z")
For stuff from the 60s, you’re mostly talking about shows with a very small core cast. E.g., 1-3 people. There were several shows with only 1 main recurring character in the 50s into the early 60s. E.g., _Paladin_, _The Millionaire_, etc. But none of the ones not mentioned so far seem to qualify that I can think of. For 2 character shows, [My Brother The Angel](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0188362) featuring the Smothers Brothers from 1965-66 had only the brothers in all episodes. The next most listed, Roland Winters (McMann of “McMann & Tate”) is dead but only appeared in 10 of the 32 episodes. Fun fact: This was the last CBS B&W sitcom. Once you get to good size casts, there’s going to be several not with us anymore. Some come close, e.g., _The Mary Tyler Moore Show_. Of the folks listed as being in 10+ episodes, only Ted Knight is gone. That’s a pretty good average for a show that started in 1970. (But it won’t stay that way for long. MTM is fading.) You can fudge things a little. E.g., _The Man From U.N.C.L.E._ (1964-68). Vaughn and McCallum are still working. But then you have to write off Leo G. Carroll as being a minor character despite being a regular. Just out of curiosity, I checked _The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd_, and none of the people that appeared in 10+ episodes are listed as deceased. That includes the nearly 100 year old George Gaynes and his wife Allyn Ann McLerie. (Technically, you could do a pretty good job casting a _Police Academy_ reunion movie.) I think the late 80s is the point where you get quite a few shows with complete surviving casts. (BTW: on a semi-ish related note. Jerry and Dick Van Dyke are appearing on the 4/22 episode of _The Middle_.) ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-oldest-tv-show-with-a-still-living-cast/717925/46 "2015-04-19T21:03:07Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > [Please Don’t Eat the Daisies](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058840/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast) premiered in 1965. Mark Miller is 89 and Patricia Crowley is 81, but they’re still alive, as are the actors who played their kids. > > Martin Milner and George Maharis from Route 66 (1960) are still alive, but Glenn Corbett, who replaced Maharis, is dead. It is disappointing that Patricia Crowley never acted in anything with Kathleen Crowley (no relation) whose most remembered role was Samantha Crawford in several “Maverick” episodes. Both are still alive. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-oldest-tv-show-with-a-still-living-cast/717925/47 "2015-04-19T21:59:47Z")
> [@Kzbre5m](#): > > Even still, with Steed in the lead role starting in the second year (technically, he was solo in the last episode of the first year) Han or Napoleon? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-oldest-tv-show-with-a-still-living-cast/717925/48 "2015-04-19T22:10:02Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > You can fudge things a little. E.g., _The Man From U.N.C.L.E._ (1964-68). Vaughn and McCallum are still working. But then you have to write off Leo G. Carroll as being a minor character despite being a regular. I’d dispute that. Carroll appeared in all 105 episodes and is included in the [opening credits](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iC88U1SyQQw). ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-oldest-tv-show-with-a-still-living-cast/717925/49 "2015-04-19T22:59:12Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > For 2 character shows, [My Brother The Angel](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0188362) featuring the Smothers Brothers from 1965-66 had only the brothers in all episodes. The next most listed, Roland Winters (McMann of “McMann & Tate”) is dead but only appeared in 10 of the 32 episodes. Fun fact: This was the last CBS B&W sitcom. Another fun fact: The show was actually called _[The Smothers Brothers Show](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Smothers_Brothers_Show)_. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2015, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-oldest-tv-show-with-a-still-living-cast/717925/50 "2015-04-20T00:56:16Z")
I think I have one to beat. Before Gene Roddenberry came up with _Star Trek_, he produced a one-season show about a Marine, called [The Lieutenant](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056771/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast). There seemed to be a lot of turnover in the cast, but the only two actors I found listed in the opening credits are Gary Lockwood and Robert Vaughn, both still alive. For good measure, Don Perry, who was in the next most episodes (14 out of 29) is also still alive. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2015, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-oldest-tv-show-with-a-still-living-cast/717925/51 "2015-04-20T01:01:59Z")
Never mind, I was sure Vaughn was dead, but apparently not. ---
**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:** [April 20, 2015, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-oldest-tv-show-with-a-still-living-cast/717925/52 "2015-04-20T02:46:54Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > I think I have one to beat. > > Before Gene Roddenberry came up with _Star Trek_, he produced a one-season show about a Marine, called [The Lieutenant](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056771/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast). There seemed to be a lot of turnover in the cast, but the only two actors I found listed in the opening credits are Gary Lockwood and Robert Vaughn, both still alive. For good measure, Don Perry, who was in the next most episodes (14 out of 29) is also still alive. I believe this is the show in which Gene gave Nichelle Nichols (“Lt Uhura”) her TV debut. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2018, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-oldest-tv-show-with-a-still-living-cast/717925/53 "2018-01-28T22:57:45Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > > [@kunilou](#): > > > > [Please Don’t Eat the Daisies](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058840/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast) premiered in 1965. Mark Miller is 89 and Patricia Crowley is 81, but they’re still alive, as are the actors who played their kids. > > I think we have a winner here. [pedant]I disagree. The canine actor also receives star billing in the credits, and there’s no way it’s still alive.[/pedant] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-oldest-tv-show-with-a-still-living-cast/717925.md?page=2)