Television Valets, Maids and Butlers Quiz

Answer: Checkmate

"Checkmate" was a critically acclaimed production by Jack Benny's production company, JaMco Productions. The private investigators consulted Sebastian's character while trying to work their various cases.
Sebastian Cabot was a London native who worked his way into Hollywood with small parts in movies and eventually with appearances on television series such as "Along the Oregon Trail" and "The Adventures of Hiram Holliday" before becoming a regular on "Checkmate". He became a familiar character to household viewers when he played Mr. French on "Family Affair". During the run of "Family Affair" and after the show went off the air Sebastian Cabot took movie roles, television guest shots and did voice-over work.
"Burke's Law" starred Gene Barry from 1963 until 1965. He previously starred on "Bat Masterson" from 1958 TO 1961. "Peter Gunn" starred Craig Stevens from 1958 to 1961 and "Target; The Corruptors!" was a 1961 television show about a newspaper reporter and an undercover agent who attempted to infiltrate organized crime.

Answer: Baxter

Hazel worked for George and Dorothy Baxter on the show. George Baxter was a corporate attorney and his wife was an interior decorator. Hazel called Dorothy "Missy" while her nickname for their son, Harold, was "Sport". "Hazel" first appeared as a comic in "The Saturday Evening Post".

The transition to a television show was successful. Shirley Booth took home two Emmy Awards for her role on the popular program. Shirley was a stage actress before taking the role of Hazel. She made her first appearance in the 1925 production, "Hell's Bells", and was awarded a Tony Award in 1950 for her performance in "Come Back, Little Sheba".

She reprized the role of Lola Delaney in the 1952 film version opposite Burt Lancaster. After winning an Oscar for her performance she became the first actress to win a Tony and an Oscar for playing the same role. Film work did not appeal to her and after a handful of film roles she returned to Broadway before taking the job as Hazel.

Her last Broadway appearances were in "Hay Fever" and "Look to the Lilies" in 1970.

Answer: Ted Cassidy

Because he was 6'9" tall Ted Cassidy was a natural to be the center on his high school basketball team. He started working in the entertainment business as a radio disc-jockey on WFAA in Dallas and took interviews from several key witnesses while covering the John F. Kennedy assassination. While at the station Ted enjoyed doing strange characters such as space aliens and found part time work in the evenings playing the organ in a shopping mall cafeteria.
His height gave him an edge when auditioning for unique roles, including Lurch and the role of Injun Joe on the television series, "The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" (1968). He also did voice-over work and could be heard narrating "The Incredible Hulk" (1978) and providing the grunts and groans during the fight scenes.
Ted was plagued with recurring health problems as he aged and he died when he was only 46 from complications following open-heart surgery. One of the "Addams Family" movies was dedicated to him.
Jackie Coogan had the role of Uncle Fester and Ken Weatherwax played Pugsley. Al Lewis played Grandpa on "The Munsters".

Answer: Soap

"Benson" and "Soap" share the distinction of having endings that were never resolved. Benson was a butler for the Tate family on "Soap" before leaving to work for the governor of an undisclosed state on "Benson". The governor was a cousin of Jessica Tate.
Benson gradually went from being a butler to becoming lieutenant governor over the seven year run. He eventually ran for governor. On the seventh season finale the results of the election were never revealed because the final scene freeze-framed before they were announced. The show was then canceled. Network executives later implied that had another season aired, Benson would have become a senator while the incumbent governor would have won the election.
"Soap" ended without revealing the reason for Jessica Tate's disappearance.
"Hart to Hart" premiered in 1979 and ran for five seasons. The show featured a butler, cook and chauffeur named Max, played by Lionel Stander. Hervé Villechaize played Mr. Roarke's sidekick from 1978 to 1984 on "Fantasy Island". Rick Schroder played Ricky Stratton for all 119 episodes of "Silver Spoons" beginning in 1982.

Answer: Mildred

Nancy starred as Mildred in "McMillan and Wife" for five seasons. She was written off in the series as opening her own diner. When Nancy left there were other significant cast changes so the show was renamed "McMillan".
Nancy Walker began her acting career on Broadway in the early forties in "Best Foot Forward". She developed a unique, dry delivery which allowed her to remain busy acting despite for her short stature.
She made the transition to television and appeared as a regular or in guest roles on many shows from the fifties into the nineties. She had a recurring role as Sophia's sister on "The Golden Girls" and was was co-starring on "True Colors" when she passed away in 1992 at age 69.
Nancy portrayed Ida Morgenstern on "Rhoda" beginning in 1974. She also had the role of Emily the housekeeper on "Family Affair" (1966). In 1976 Nancy was cast as a deaf maid named Yetta in "Murder by Death", one of her last movie roles.

Answer: Good Times

Although the setting for "Good Times" was Chicago, the series was filmed at studios in Los Angeles. The series was set in a housing project and ran for five seasons. Cast members included John Amos, Janet Jackson, Jimmie Walker and Ja'net Du Bois. During the final season they finally left the projects. Danny Bonaduce's father, Joseph, was a scriptwriter for the show. "Checking In" was a 1981 spin-off from "The Jeffersons" featuring Marla Gibbs who played their maid, Florence. "What's Happenin'!" began as a 1976 summer replacement and became a regular season show for the next three years. "Hanging In" was a one-season show in 1981 starring Bill Macy after "Maude" went off the air. Macy had played Maude's husband during the run of the show.

Answer: The Facts of Life

Charlotte Rae was cast as the original housekeeper when "Diff'rent Strokes" premiered and remained for one full season, leaving partway through the second season to become the housemother at Eastland School on "The Facts of Life". Nedra Volz replaced her, followed by Mary Jo Catlett from 1982 to the end of the series in 1986.
Between 1979 and 1986 Charlotte Rae was the housemother and dietitian on "The Facts of Life" until she left in 1986. The show continued for two more seasons but declined steadily in the ratings.
After starting an acting career on the stage, Charlotte Rae became a regular on several fifties television sitcoms. She was also an accomplished singer and made several appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show".
From 1975 to 1984 "One Day at A Time" featured a cast that included a building superintendent, but no maids. "A Different World" was a 1987 spin-off from "The Cosby Show".
"Drummonds" was a 1985 British television show centered around an all boy boarding school. Drummond was also the surname of the father character played by Conrad Bain on "Diff'rent Strokes".

Answer: Newhart

Jennifer Holmes began season one as maid Leslie Vanderkellen on "Newhart". Julia Duffy was cast as her cousin, Stephanie, who replaced Holmes until the show wrapped in 1990. Julia played a spoiled girl who was reluctant to be a maid and frequently messed the job up. Peter Scolari joined the cast as Newhart's boss on a cable show, developed a romantic interest in Julia's character and eventually married her on the show.
Duffy began acting on Soap Operas and married her co-star on "Love Of Life", Jerry Lacy. She was pregnant at one time during the shooting of "Newhart" so some episodes had to be shot with her wearing loose clothing or standing behind furniture.
Duffy replaced Delta Burke on "Designing Women" with a character named Allison Sugarbaker for one season in 1991.
Tony Danza played a live-in maid for a single advertising executive on "Who's the Boss" between 1984 and 1992. "Webster" began a four-year run in 1983. "Growing Pains" featured Alan Thicke as a stay-at-home dad beginning in 1985.

Answer: Lynn

Lynn Aloysius Belvedere was the main character in Gwen Davenport's 1947 book, "Belvedere". A movie adaptation of the book released the following year was dubbed "Sitting Pretty". Clifton Webb earned an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of Belvedere. He played the same character in "Mr. Belvedere Goes to College" the following year and "Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell" in 1951.
Several unsuccessful attempts were made through the fifties and sixties to develop a television series.
In 1985 British actor Christopher Hewitt was cast and the show was produced with Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, as the setting.
The show derived comedy from the cultural differences between the family and Mr. Belvedere as well as running gags with various characters and neighbors. Each episode ended with Mr. Belvedere making notes in his journal about his experiences with his employer family.
The final season ended with a two-part episode where Mr. Belvedere married and left for Africa.

Answer: Alan Napier

Thespian Alan Napier came by his distinguished personality honestly. His ancestry could be traced to Neville Chamberlain and Charles Dickens. He knew early in life that he wanted to be an actor and studied at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He landed roles in Shakespearean plays and movies then accepted roles in other feature films.

He transitioned into television by making guest appearances on shows such as "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". He eventually came to the attention of the producers of the "Batman" television show.

Despite having no prior knowledge of the comic book characters, Napier was the first person cast on the series and he remained through the entire run of the show. Neil Hamilton played Commissioner Gordon. Stafford Repp portrayed Chief of Police Miles O'Hara and William Dozier was the voice of "Desmond Doomsday", the narrator.