Match the Supporting Actor with the Show - 1970s Quiz

Answer: James Brolin

The medical drama "Marcus Welby, M.D." ran from 1969 to 1976 and starred Robert Young as the kindly family physician back when doctors made house calls. James Brolin portrayed the motorcycle-riding Dr. Steve Kiley, Welby's younger partner whose modern way of treating patients was at times at odds with Welby's traditional methods. Brolin received Emmy nominations for his work on the show in four consecutive years (1970-1973), winning the award the first year.

Answer: Greg Morris

"Mission: Impossible" aired from 1966-1973, so it was evenly split between the 1960s and 1970s. The show followed a group of government agents tasked with performing seemingly impossible missions, hence the series name. The group of agents changed over the life of the series, but Greg Morris remained with the show from the beginning to the end.

He portrayed electronics expert Barney Collier and received Emmy nominations for his work in 1969, 1970, and 1972.

Answer: Tige Andrews

The police drama "The Mod Squad" ran from 1968 to 1973 and featured Michael Cole, Peggy Lipton, and Clarence Williams III who worked as undercover detectives in lieu of serving time for minor crimes. Tige Andrews portrayed the stern but kind police Captain Adam Greer who recruited and mentored the trio after realizing that their youthful and hip demeanors would get them into places that the police couldn't. Andrews received one Emmy nomination for his performance in 1970 but lost to James Brolin.

Answer: Will Geer

Will Geer portrayed the crotchety Grandpa Zebulon Walton on "The Waltons", a depression-era drama about an extended family living in rural Virginia. Based on the childhood of author Earl Hamner, Jr., "The Waltons" ran from 1972 to 1981. Geer received six consecutive Emmy nominations (1973-1978) for his work, taking home the Emmy award in 1975.

His last nomination was posthumous as he died after completing the sixth season of the show.

Answer: Michael Douglas

The police drama "The Streets of San Francisco" ran from 1972-1977 and starred Karl Malden as street-wise veteran officer Lt. Mike Stone who was assigned to work with young and inexperienced Inspector Steve Keller (Michael Douglas). Douglas left the series during its fifth season to pursue a film career after winning an Oscar for producing "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" in 1976. Douglas received three consecutive Emmy nominations (1974-1976) for his work on show but didn't win.

Answer: David Doyle

The crime drama "Charlie's Angels" ran from 1976-1981 and featured three female police officers (Farrah Fawcett-Majors, Kate Jackson, and Jaclyn Smith) who were recruited by a mysterious millionaire to work as private detectives. David Doyle portrayed the kindly John Bosley, the liaison between Charlie and the Angels. Doyle only received one Emmy nomination in 1977 for his work on the show but he lost the award to Gary Frank.

Answer: Stuart Margolin

"The Rockford Files" ran from 1974-1980 and starred James Garner as wrongly-convicted ex-con Jim Rockford who worked as a low-cost private detective in Southern California. Stuart Margolin portrayed the smarmy Angel Martin, a fellow ex-con (NOT wrongly-convicted) who Rockford occasionally used as a resource and who frequently needed Rockford's help in getting out of trouble. Margolin received two Emmy nominations in 1979 and 1980 for his work on the show, and he won the award in both years.

He was the fourth actor to pick up multiple Best Supporting Actor awards (Art Carney, Carl Reiner, and Don Knotts had done so earlier).

Answer: Gary Burghoff

The Korean War comedy/drama "M*A*S*H" ran from 1972-1983 and was based on the 1970 film of the same name. Gary Burghoff portrayed the company clerk, Corporal Walter "Radar" O'Reilly for seven full seasons on the show and received seven consecutive Emmy nominations (1973-1979) for his work, winning the award in 1977. "M*A*S*H" was popular with Emmy voters in the Best Supporting Actor category: McLean Stevenson received three consecutive nominations (1973-1975) for his portrayal of Lt. Colonel Henry Blake, Harry Morgan received eight consecutive nominations (1976-1983) for his portrayal of Colonel Sherman Potter, Mike Farrell received a nomination in 1980 for his portrayal of Captain B.J. Honeycutt, and David Ogden Stiers received two nominations (1981-1982) for his portrayal of Major Charles Emerson Winchester III.

Besides Burghoff, Morgan was the only other winner for the show, picking up the Emmy in 1980.

Answer: Ed Asner

"The Mary Tyler Moore Show" ran from 1970-1977 and followed the adventures of television news associate producer Mary Richards (Moore). Ed Asner portrayed her curmudgeonly boss Lou Grant on the comedy show, a role that he would also play in the spin-off drama series, "Lou Grant". Asner received seven consecutive Emmy nominations (1972-1977) for his work on the show, winning in 1971, 1972, and 1975. Co-star Ted Knight also received Best Supporting Actor nominations in 1972-1977, winning the award in 1973 and 1976.

Answer: Rob Reiner

Breaking "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" domination of the Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series category was Rob Reiner who portrayed Michael "Meathead" Stivic, the son-in-law of Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor), on "All in the Family". The sitcom ran from 1971-1979 and focused on Bunker and his family, friends, and neighbors.

The liberal Stivic was married to Bunker's daughter Gloria and was frequently at odds with the right-wing Bunker. Reiner received five Emmy nominations (1972-1975, 1978) for his work on the show and won the award in 1974 and 1978 before moving on to film directing.