Catherine O'Hara

I'm pretty much a good Catholic girl at heart and I believe in family. I also have a basic belief that God takes care of me.

I believe in prayer, even though I'm not that religious.

I just have that foundation from my family.

I mean when you think that you're just a human being and one of God's creatures, you can't take anything that seriously.

-Catherine O'Hara

Catherine Anne O'Hara

March 4, 1954 – January 30, 2026

Catherine O'Hara started her career in the sketch comedy series Second City Television (1976–1984) where she won the Primetime Emmy Award. 

She gained acclaim acting in films such as After Hours (1985), Heartburn (1986), Beetlejuice (1988), Home Alone (1990) and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992). 

She collaborated with Christopher Guest acting in his mockumentary films Waiting for Guffman (1996), Best in Show (2000), A Mighty Wind (2003), and For Your Consideration (2006). She also voiced roles in films such as The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), Chicken Little (2005), Over the Hedge (2006), Monster House (2006), Where the Wild Things Are (2009), Frankenweenie (2012), and Elemental (2023).

She gained a career resurgence for her role as Moira Rose in the CBC sitcom Schitt's Creek (2015–2020), earning a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy. She was Emmy-nominated for her portrayal of Temple Grandin's aunt in the HBO film Temple Grandin (2010). She also acted in the HBO drama series Six Feet Under (2003–2005), the Netflix series A Series of Unfortunate Events (2017–2018), the Apple TV+ comedy series The Studio (2025), and the HBO post-apocalyptic drama series The Last of Us (2025).

Good Night Catherine

Stay Tuned

Tony Figueroa

This Week in Television History: January 2026 PART III

   

January 25, 1949

The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences presents its first industry award at the Hollywood Athletic Club in Los Angeles. The Emmy for most popular program went to Pantomime Quiz Time, and puppeteer Shirley Dinsdale and her puppet Judy Splinters won an award for Outstanding TV Personality. Most of the awards were for programs produced by TV station KTLA. The station also won an award for Outstanding Overall Achievement.

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Tony Figueroa

Your HOLIDAY SOR-BAY: Christmas 1961 with Steve Allen

 

Here is a

"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"

a little spark of madness

that we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.

Stay Tuned


Tony Figueroa

This Week in TV History - The Day I Spent with Rob Reiner

Bob Burns

I met Bob at this event pictured below. He was with the original King Kong armature, at the premiere of King Kong: 360 3-D

Bob Burns III

May 12, 1935 - December 16, 2025

Bob Burns III (May 12, 1935 - December 16, 2025) was an American actor, consultant, producer, archivist and historian of props, costumes, and other paraphernalia from science fiction, fantasy, and horror motion pictures. He is notable for his work with and collection of movie props, particularly from horror and science-fiction movies.^[1] He has also had numerous acting roles, including Tracy the Gorilla in the 1975 television show The Ghost Busters.

"Bob's Basement" is the informal name given to Burns's collection of props, costumes, and other memorabilia. The New York Times stated that it could be described as the "premier film museum in the Los Angeles area, though it is not open to the public and has no regular hours." Notable contents include the last surviving 18-inch armature model used in the animation sequences of the original 1933 King Kong movie, costumes from several of the Republic Pictures serials of the 1940s (including Roy Barcroft's costume from The Purple Monster Strikes), masks from several different movies made by special make-up effects creator Rick Baker, a 7-time Academy Award winner for makeup, and the original Time Machine prop from the George Pal film of the same name.

Burns had one of the largest private collections of memorabilia from the Alien franchise. A short documentary about his collection was included in the 2003 Alien Quadrilogy DVD collection.

Good Night Bob

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Tony Figueroa

Rob Reiner

The most important thing is that you be a good person and you live by the golden rule of do unto others.

If you live by that, that's all I care about.

-Rob Reiner

Robert Norman Reiner

March 6, 1947 – December 14, 2025

On December 14, 2025, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported finding two deceased persons—a 78-year-old male and a 68-year-old female—inside Reiner and Singer's home in Brentwood, Los Angeles around 3:30 p.m. The identities of the bodies were not immediately reported. At the time I am writing this there are conflicting reports. 

One of the most memorable days working as a VIP tour guide at Universal Studios was the day that I got to take around Rob Reiner, his wife, his kids and some of their close friends. Imagine everywhere we went somebody would shout, “Have fun storming the castle” or somebody would get close to me and ask very softly, “Is that meathead?” He was cool with that.

There were two highlights of the day.

The first one was when I pointed out the house from the movie The thrill of it all he asked the driver of our trolley to stop. He points at the house and he says to his kids my dad… Grandpa directed a movie that was set in that house. Then he looked at me and asked do I know about that movie and I said, “Yeah your dad directed it when he was on hiatus from The Dick Van Dyke Show and he looked at me and went “No…  wait yes, you're right he was on hiatus from The Dick Van Dyke Show. He was just so proud and so thrilled to share that moment with his kids.

The other highlight was in the Back to the Future gift shop, and this gift shop happened to be selling lava lamps. While we were chatting I mentioned that I share a birthday with the lava lamp and he was fascinated by that. He wanted to know how'd you come to find out that I share a birthday with the lava lamp. I said that one morning I was listening to the radio and the DJ's said if you were born on this day, you share a birthday with Ronald Reagan, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Mike Farrell and if you were born on this day in 1965 you share a birthday with the lava lamp. Rob started reminiscing about the 60s. I asked if that was when he was working with The Smothers Brothers. He told me that came a little later but one of the adults in his group asked, “You worked with the The Smothers Brothers and in the middle of this gift shop he started reenacting sketches he wrote, singing songs that were written for the brothers. He talked about how back in those days they were smoking a lot of pot, dropped a lot of acid and fought with the suits. It was just amazing to hear these stories first hand. Coincidentally today someone asked me of all the famous people I've taken around who was the nicest and I'm still having trouble picking just one person but I can say Rob Reiner was the most entertaining.

Good Night Meathead. "Have fun storming the castle"

Stay Tuned

Tony Figueroa

Silence in the face of authoritarianism is complicity.

Speaking out is a patriotic act.

Democracy doesn’t defend itself.

It requires participation, vigilance, and courage from ordinary people.

-Rob Reiner

Your HOLIDAY SOR-BAY: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend | California Christmastime

 

Here is a 

"HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"

a little spark of madness

that we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.

California Christmastime" full music video from Rachel Bloom and the cast of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.

Stay Tuned


Tony Figueroa

Teri Garr

Speed bumps, I was thinking, you know, you're driving along, everything's OK, and then there's a speed bump to go, 'Slow down.' Go over it real slowly, and you hit the pedal, and you keep going, and I just thought it was kind of a nice metaphor for life.

-Teri Garr

Terry Ann Garr
December 11, 1944 – October 29, 2024

Teri Garr died from complications of multiple sclerosis at her home in Los Angeles, on October 29, 2024, at the age of 79.

Good Night Ms. Garr

Stay Tuned

Tony Figueroa

This Week in TV History - Tony on the Picket Line Part I

Bob Barker

Networks decide who will have a chance to do shows, but it is the viewers who make the final decision of who stays and who goes.

I am very fortunate, in that the television viewers of our country have decided that Bob Barker can stay.

-Bob Barker

Robert William Barker

December 12, 1923 – August 26, 2023

Bob Barker was an American television game show host. He hosted CBS's The Price Is Right, the longest-running daytime game show in North American television history, from 1972 to 2007. He also hosted Truth or Consequences from 1956 to 1975.

Born in Darrington, Washington, in modest circumstances, Barker joined the United States Navy Reserve during World War II. He worked part-time in radio while attending college. In 1950, he moved to California to pursue a broadcasting career. He was given his own radio show, The Bob Barker Show, which ran for six years. He began his game show career in 1956, hosting Truth or Consequences. He subsequently hosted various game shows, and the Miss Universe and Miss USA pageants from 1967 to 1987, giving him the distinction of being the longest-serving host of those pageants.

Barker began hosting The Price Is Right in 1972. He became an advocate for animal rights and of animal rights activism, supporting groups such as the United Activists for Animal Rights, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. In 2007, he retired from hosting The Price Is Right after celebrating his 50-year career on television. In the years after his retirement, Barker continued to make occasional public appearances from 2009 to 2017.

Barker was a vegetarian. In 1982, Barker began ending The Price Is Right episodes with the phrase: "This is Bob Barker reminding you to help control the pet population — have your pets spayed or neutered."

In 1987, Barker requested the removal of fur prizes for the Miss USA pageant and stepped down as host when the producers refused. In 1989, Barker and United Activists for Animal Rights publicly accused several media projects and the American Humane Association of animal mistreatment and condoning animal mistreatment, a tactic which resulted in a $10 million suit against him and the UAAR for libel, slander, and invasion of privacy.

Barker founded DJ&T Foundation in 1994, named after his late wife and mother, which has contributed millions of dollars to animal-neutering programs and funded animal rescue and park facilities all over the United States. In 2004, Barker donated $1 million (equivalent to $1.5 million in 2022) to Columbia Law School to support the study of animal rights.

Good Night Neighbor

In Solidarity

Tony Figueroa

This Week in Television History: April 2023 PART II

 

April 12, 1998

The pilot episode of Junkyard Wars aired. 

April 15, 1948

Hollywood Screen Test debuts. TV talent show Hollywood Screen Test debuts on this day in 1948. Unlike other talent shows, the program featured aspiring professionals, not pure amateurs, performing in drama and comedy sketches with established stars. Grace Kelly, Jack Klugman, and Jack Lemmon all got their big break on the show, which ran until 1953.

Stay Tuned

Tony Figueroa