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      Lucy Hale Shocked by How Quickly 'Pretty Little Liars' Is Picked Up for Reboot

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      ABC

      The Aria Montgomery depicter admits to being caught off guard when she heard her teen television show is getting rebooted only three years after it concluded.

      Jan 1, 2021
      AceShowbiz – Lucy Hale was surprised by the speed at which a “Pretty Little Liars” reboot has been picked up.
      The actress starred as Aria Montgomery in the much-loved teen TV show from 2010 to 2017 when it ended after seven seasons.
      The show has now been snapped up for a reboot at HBO Max, but Lucy admitted she was stunned by how quickly a new trip to Rosewood has been planned.
      Asked for her feelings on the reboot, Lucy said, “I’m like, ‘Whoa, already they’re doing this!’ ”

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      However, she was quick to add that she is “supportive” of everyone involved in the new show.
      “Look I’m supportive of all of everyone, I think it’s great that this’ll give people an opportunity to create a career,” she smiled during the interview with Billboard. “I mean, the show was big. And I don’t know what they’re going to do with it exactly but I think it’s gonna be all new characters, just sort of the same premise.”
      And when it comes to whether or not she’ll ever make a cameo in the reboot, Lucy insisted that while she’s “curious,” she doesn’t “know enough about it” to sign up.
      “I think it’s going to be a lot edgier, a lot sexier, and I’m like, ‘Ooh. Why didn’t they do that with our version of it?’ But that’s ok,” she laughed.
      Lucy Hale previously said she was “too protective” to have the TV show brought back without her. “I’m so protective of this show So I feel like when the time comes that they want to do it with a whole new cast, I might have to produce it because I’m way too protective of it,” she said earlier this year.

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      10 New TV Shows to Look Forward to in 2021

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      To make it easy for you to choose what to watch in 2021, AceShowbiz has made a list of 10 TV shows from various genres, including superhero and thriller among others, that you may not want to miss.

      Jan 1, 2021
      AceShowbiz – New year could be also a fresh start for your choice of home entertainment. As staying home seems to be still the best option to ensure one’s safety these days, a bunch of new TV shows to premiere in 2021 are set to be served to make anyone’s day less bored.
      Coming in the new year, superheroes fans are in for a treat as there will be several exciting comic book adaptations to look forward to. Some spin-off series also allow beloved TV characters to return to the small screen in addition to offering fans more exploration of their story. The many streaming services that have become new homes to TV and movie projects additionally provide more choices for viewers.
      To help you choose what to watch in 2021, AceShowbiz has made a list of 10 TV shows from various genres, including superhero, psychological thriller, comedy and adventure, that you may not want to miss.

      1. Superman and Lois (February 23, 2021)
      The CW

      Clark Kent and Lois Lane are heading back to the small-screen on their own spin-off TV series on The CW in 2021. Hailing from Greg Berlanti (“Arrow”, “The Flash”) and Todd Helbing (“The Flash”), “Superman & Lois” follows Superman and his love interest Lois Lane, a journalist for Daily Planet.
      The 13-episode show will see Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch reprising their roles as the titular characters. Set in the aftermath of the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover, it follows Superman and Lois as they “deal with all the stress, pressures and complexities that come with being working parents in today’s society.” The freshman series marks the seventh series to join the ever-expanding Arrowverse on The CW.

      2. Law and Order: Organized Crime (TBA 2021)
      The CW

      Christopher Meloni is back! After exiting “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” back in 2011 after season 12 when his character suddenly retired from NYPD, the actor is set to reprise the role of Elliot Stabler, who heads the NYPD organized crime unit, on ABC’s “Law & Order: Organized Crime”.
      The official synopsis says that the new series will see Stabler returning to the NYPD to battle organized crime after a devastating personal loss. However, it must be challenging for him because “the city and police department have changed dramatically in the decade he’s been away, and he must adapt to a criminal justice system in the midst of its own moment of reckoning.” Fans seemingly can expect a crossovers galore from characters from other “Law & Order” series as the show is also set in New York.

      3. WandaVision (January 15, 2021)
      Marvel Studios

      “WandaVision” is the first Marvel spin-off series to premiere on Disney+ in 2021. Featuring Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Mazimoff (Scarlet Witch) and Paul Bettany as Vision, the new series is something that is presented in rather a new way for Marvel series as it is described as “a blend of classic television and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.”
      On the upcoming series, the couple, who is “living idealized suburban lives,” begins to suspect that everything is not as it seems. Matt Shakman, whose credits include “Cut Bank”, directed “WandaVision” with Jac Schaeffer tapped to be the head writer.

      4. Star Wars: The Bad Batch (TBA 2021)
      Lucasfilm Animation

      Star Wars fans, rejoice! In 2021, you will be offered with a brand new animated series. Coming from executive producer Dave Filoni, who has become an instrumental piece of Disney’s upcoming Star Wars strategy, “Star Wars: The Bad Batch” serves as both a sequel and spin-off to “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”.
      Set in the “post-‘Clone War’ era,” the new series centers on Clone Force 99 a.k.a. “The Bad Batch”, an elite group of soldiers who possess unique skills from standard clones. Fans of the franchise might be familiar with the group as they were first introduced in the final season of “The Clone Wars”.

      5. The Irregulars (TBA 2021)
      Instagram

      Solving more mysteries in 2021! Netflix brings back iconic fictional detective Sherlock Holmes in the form of live-action series titled “The Irregulars”. The new series is created by Oscar-nominated writer Tom Bidwell (“Watership Down”). He is joined by “Endeavour” helmer Johnny Kenton and short film director Weronika Tofilska.
      “The Irregulars” is set in Victorian London. It follows a gang of troubled delinquent teens who are manipulated into solving crimes for the sinister Doctor Watson and his mysterious business partner. As the crimes take on a horrifying supernatural edge and a dark power emerges, it’ll be up to the Irregulars to come together to save London, each other, and potentially the entire world.

      6. Clarice (February 11, 2021)
      CBS

      A continuation story of Clarice Starling from hit 1991 movie “The Silence of the Lambs” is here. CBS’ “Clarice”, starring Rebecca Breeds as the titular character, will bring fans of the pyschological horror flick to deep dive into the untold personal story of FBI Agent Clarice Starling.
      Set in 1993, six months after the events of “The Silence of the Lambs”, the new series will feature the agent returning to the field to pursue serial murderers and sexual predators while navigating the high-stakes political world of Washington, D.C. In addition to Breeds, the Alex Kurtzman-directed series stars Kal Penn (“Designated Survivor”), Michael Cudlitz (“The Walking Dead”), Nick Sandow (“Orange Is the New Black”), Lucca De Oliveira (“SEAL Team”) and Marnee Carpenter (“Criminal Minds”) among others.

      7. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (March 19, 2021)
      Marvel Studios

      “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” are set to reunite on upcoming Disney+ series “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”, much to Marvel fans’ excitement. Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan will reprise their roles as Sam Wilson/Falcon and Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier respectively on the new series, which will be set after the events of “Avengers: Endgame”.
      With Sam receiving Captain America’s (Chris Evans) arm shield, he and Bucky team up in a global adventure that tests their abilities — and their patience. The all-new series, which is directed by Kari Skogland with script from Malcolm Spellman, will definitely treat fans to exciting chemistry between the two Avengers through funny banters.

      8. Walker (January 21, 2021)
      The CW

      After “Supernatural”, Jared Padalecki is returning to the small screen for “Walker, a reboot of 1990s action/crime series “Walker, Texas Ranger” on CBS. The new series, which is also created by Albert S. Ruddy & Leslie Greif who worked on the original series, will see Jared playing Cordell Walker, a widower who returns home to Austin after being undercover for two years only to find out that his wife died.
      Noticing that some things don’t add up with her death, Walker is determined to solve the mystery surrounding his wife’s death. That, however, isn’t the only thing he has to deal with as he attempts to reconnect with his children, navigate clashes with his family and find unexpected common ground with his new partner (one of the first women in Texas Rangers history).

      9. Loki (May 2021)
      Marvel Studios

      If you think “WandaVision” and “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” are the only Marvel series you will get in 2021, you can’t get any more wrong. Disney+ is set to release “Loki” that will please fans who have been dying to see more of Tom Hiddleston’s God of Mischief, since the character appears to be killed off at the end of “Avengers: Infinity War”.
      Not only the return of Loki, the upcoming show will introduce Mobius M. Mobius, whose undecided alliance will add an interesting layer to this character. Played by Owen Wilson, the character is described as a member of the Time Variance Authority (TVA), an organization in charge to manage the multiverse and pruning universes that have become a danger to the greater whole of reality.

      10. Call Your Mother (January 13, 2021)
      ABC

      Last, but not least is ABC’s “Call Your Mother”. The sitcom, which is written and executive produced by “The New Adventures of Old Christine” creator Kari Lizer, stars Hollywood Walk of Famer Kyra Sedgwick, who is set to play an empty-nester mom named Jean Raines who wonders how she ended up alone while her children live their best lives thousands of miles away.
      The sitcom will see her deciding that her place is with her family, and as she reinserts herself into their lives. That may create some friction, but her kids will eventually realize they might actually need her more than they thought. Recurring on the show is Sherri Shepherd (“Mr. Iglesias”), playing Sharon, Jeans salty and salt-of-the-earth best friend from Iowa. The cast also includes Rachel Sennott as Jackie Raines, Joey Bragg as Freddie Raines, Patrick Brammall as Danny, Emma Caymares as Celia and Austin Crute as Lane.

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      How the Networks Will Fill Airtime on a Quiet New Year’s Eve

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      #masthead-section-label, #masthead-bar-one { display: none }The Best of 2020Best ComedyBest TV ShowsBest BooksBest MoviesBest AlbumsAdvertisementContinue reading the main storySupported byContinue reading the main storyHow the Networks Will Fill Airtime on a Quiet New Year’s EveIn a typical year, shots of raucous parties from around the world dominate news programming. This year, the networks had to get more creative.Times Square will be emptier than usual for New Year’s Eve this year, but TV networks are doing their best to fill the gaps with extra live performances and creative thinking.Credit…Michael M. Santiago/Getty ImagesDec. 30, 2020[Follow our New Year’s Eve live coverageWhat becomes of Times Square when you take away hundreds of thousands of cheering, shivering New Year’s Eve revelers?It may no longer be the “biggest, most exciting New Year’s Eve party on Earth.” But it may still be the night’s biggest TV production set.For this year’s pandemic New Year’s Eve, many television traditions will be scrapped, including the scenes of raucous celebrations across the world and impromptu interviews with exuberant party goers at bars and clubs, eager to say hello to their mothers and grandmothers back home.Instead, networks are doubling down on the segments that they can safely pull off. They’ve increased the number of performers and interview guests, decreased the number of crew members and brainstormed creative — and socially distant — locations to send their reporters to. (Instead of reporting from a crowd of partyers, for example, one CNN correspondent will report from a crowd of puppies, which are not known to spread the coronavirus.)So while the type of people who enjoy cramming themselves into crowds of strangers to watch the ball drop may be disappointed this year, the type that prefers to curl up and celebrate from their sofas will find their tradition largely intact.“In some respects it’s going to feel very similar to previous years,” said Meredith McGinn, an executive producer of NBC’s New Year’s Eve program, which is hosted by Carson Daly. “You will see the same confetti fly at midnight; you will see the ball drop.”But, like most things in 2020, there were some necessary adjustments.“Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” on ABC will send Ryan Seacrest roaming around a much emptier Times Square with a camera crew in tow — wearing a mask except when standing in designated areas. And CNN’s hosts, Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen, will reunite in Times Square for an evening of interviews and cheeky ad-libbing. (The hosts are close friends who have been in each other’s social “bubbles” during the pandemic.)This year, the Times Square camera crews and riggings are confined to a space between 45th and 47th Streets. It usually stretches from 41st to 59th.Credit…Carlo Allegri/ReutersIn a typical year, Cooper and Cohen invite interview guests up to their riser overlooking the crowds; this year, the network will superimpose images of the guests’ full bodies beside the hosts in a technique that they will jokingly call “teleportation.” On NBC, rather than cutting to raging parties, the network will broadcast small family gatherings from inside their homes. Even the Times Square production set is smaller: While it typically stretches from 41st Street to 59th Street; this year it is limited to a space between 45th Street and 47th Street.“We had to reinvent Times Square,” said Jeff Straus, the president of Countdown Entertainment, which co-produces the event with Times Square Alliance. He described the set up as a theater in the round, with two stages at the center. Three huge screens will provide close-ups of what’s happening onstage for the small number of guests.Emergency medical workers, frontline workers and essential workers were invited to bring their families to sit in specially designated areas in Times Square and watch the array of performances. In total, somewhere between 100 and 160 guests are expected to be present for the 11 scheduled musical acts, including a seven-minute show by Jennifer Lopez leading up to the final countdown. Those guests will be the subjects of the on-camera interviews, rather than the partyers among dense crowds of people, some of whom wait in Times Square for a dozen or more hours to ensure good spots.To pull off the broadcast, networks must follow state guidelines on pandemic television production, as well as protocols set by the various unions representing the crews and performers. They’ve devised plans for testing production staffers for Covid-19 before New Year’s Eve and for feeding production staffers without letting them get too close to one another. (NBC rented additional space in Times Square to make sure crew members could eat and maintain proper distance.)On Thursday, network employees will work from separate locations when possible. The director of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” Glenn Weiss, is overseeing the broadcast from his office on 46th Street instead of in the “Good Morning America” studio at Broadway and 44th Street. And NBC cameras are stationed on the third floor of the Renaissance New York Times Square Hotel, where the network had to remove some of the hotel’s windows so that bird’s-eye-views of the event would not be hindered by glare.All of the acts at Times Square will be live, including performances by Lopez, Gloria Gaynor, Billy Porter, Cyndi Lauper and Pitbull. Many other performances will occur on stages outside of New York — including those by Brandy, Megan Thee Stallion and Miley Cyrus, all from Los Angeles, for ABC.The networks have lined up more pretaped material than usual, however. (Most have not said which of the performances were filmed in advance.)Highlights of PBS’s prerecorded New Year’s Eve programming include an opening performance of “Lady Marmalade” by Patti LaBelle.Credit…Dan Chung/Mount Vernon Ladies’ AssociationOn PBS, a New Year’s Eve program, called “United in Song,” was filmed in November at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and in September at George Washington’s Virginia estate in Mount Vernon, where about 120 audience members watched from a distance and masked violinists were separated from unmasked brass players with plexiglass. NBC is showing a new Blake Shelton music video. Spectrum News NY1 will roll a highlight reel of its reporter Dean Meminger’s flashy New Year’s Eve suits over the years.And networks are getting creative in other ways to fill the holes formerly filled by crowd shots and partyers. CNN will have one correspondent getting a tattoo, another skiing down an Oregon slope wearing a GoPro and an appearance from Carole Baskin of “Tiger King” fame.With the pandemic driving people away from bars and restaurants and toward their living rooms, executives say it’s possible that there will be more viewers than ever before. ABC, which tends to have the highest viewership on the holiday, peaked last year at about 21 million viewers, according to news reports.“I can never predict what the Nielsen gods will bring,” said Mark Bracco, an executive producer on ABC’s program, “but we’re hopeful that most Americans will be home on their couches.”In a year in which more than 338,000 Americans have died from the coronavirus, viewers may notice a tonal shift compared with the goofy — and sometimes tipsy — coverage of years past. The Champagne popping and 2021 eyeglasses will be interspersed with appreciations of health care workers and emergency medical workers, as well as reflections on the lives lost and the economic hardship.On ABC, Seacrest will interview President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. and his wife, Jill Biden, a rare political interview of someone other than the New York City mayor.And on PBS, an opening performance of “Lady Marmalade” by Patti LaBelle in a gleaming white suit opens the hour-and-a-half program that includes more serious notes, including a monologue from the actress Audra McDonald about trailblazing women throughout history and from the playwright and actress Anna Deavere Smith about the history of the slave cemetery at Mount Vernon as she walks through those grounds. On CNN, John Mayer is slated to perform a tribute to lives lost this year out of Los Angeles.“We’re all going to be celebrating the end of this horrific year,” said Eric Hall, the executive producer of CNN’s program, “and we’re also going to be celebrating the beginning of what looks to be a hopeful year.”AdvertisementContinue reading the main story More

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      Meghan McCain Returns to 'The View' Following Maternity Leave

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      ABC/Jenny Anderson

      Announcing her return, the conservative hosts writes on Twitter, ‘It’s almost time…I’m so excited to take my spot as the conservative seat back at the Hot Topics table (virtually).’

      Dec 31, 2020
      AceShowbiz – Meghan McCain is heading back to “The View”. After taking some time off the show in order to prepare the arrival of her baby, the conservative talk show co-host will soon return to the show to join other co-hosts including Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin and Ana Navarro.
      Announcing her return, Meghan took to her Twitter account on Wednesday, December 30 to write, “It’s almost time…I’m so excited to take my spot as the conservative seat back at the Hot Topics table (virtually) @TheView on Monday!” Alongside a GIF of Christina Aguilera saying, “Momma came to play,” on “The Voice”, the 36-year-old added, ‘Did I miss anything while on maternity leave?!?”

      Meghan McCain announced ‘The View’ return.

        See also…

      Meghan is set to return via Zoom on Monday, January 4. The week will feature a number of guests that include Lil Nas X, Ken Jeong, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Ralph Macchio and William Zabka.
      Meghan’s return to the show is actually obvious with her shutting down rumors that she would never be back to the show. “Why does everyone ask me if I’m getting fired or quitting every 20 seconds?” the daughter of late Sen. John McCain said during her appearance on “Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen” back in August. “No other host has to deal with this BS. Yes, I’m coming back. It’s an election cycle.”
      Meghan welcomed her daughter Liberty Sage McCain Domenech, whom she shares with husband Ben Domenech, September 28. The couple broke the exciting news in March, nine months after they revealed a heartbreaking miscarriage.
      “My husband Ben and I have been blessed to find out I’m pregnant. Although this isn’t how I expected to announce my pregnancy, both we and our families are excited to share the news with you all,” Meghan announced. “I consulted with my doctors and they advised me that for the safety of our baby and myself, I should be extra vigilant about limiting the amount of people we come in contact with. Starting immediately, I’ll be joining the millions of Americans who are self-isolating as a precaution to prevent the spread of COVID-19.”

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      Thomas Brodie-Sangster Credits 'Queen's Gambit' for Helping Improve His Chess Skills

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      Netflix

      The former ‘Phineas and Ferb’ star has the Netflix hit miniseries fronted by Anya Taylor-Joy to thank to for helping him to become a better chess player.

      Dec 31, 2020
      AceShowbiz – Thomas Brodie-Sangster became a better chess player after starring in hit Netflix show “The Queen’s Gambit”.
      The actor stars as Benny Watts in the miniseries, which has exponentially increased the popularity of the game of chess. And in an interview with Chess.com about his role in the show, Thomas admitted that learning about the game for the show meant he learned how to play properly in real life.
      “I did (become a better player)! And I even learned a couple of openings, which are completely gone now,” he said. “But at the moment, yeah, we were playing with some great players and we were very much invested in that world. And I was excited by it, I loved it! I saw it as, you know, it’s a beautiful game that’s been played for hundreds and hundreds of years, and it’s infinitely complicated.”

        See also…

      “The knowledge that you have to understand and the memory of each game that’s been played in the past, and then kind of put that into a reflection of what you need to do in front of your board. And it’s just moving bits of wood around a board, that’s all it is, but I learned the beauty of it. That’s what I would say.”
      “The Queen’s Gambit”, also starring Anya Taylor-Joy, is available to watch on Netflix now.
      On October 28, the series became the most watched series of the day on Netflix and had been watched by over 62 million households by the end of November. It topped Nielsen’s U.S. streaming rankings for three consecutive weeks and deemed Netflix’s biggest scripted limited series to date.

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      Alison Brie Recalls Accidentally Peeing in Her Underwear on 'Mad Men' Set

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      WENN

      The ‘GLOW’ actress recounts an embarrassing incident at work, remembering how she struggled to pee while wearing a girdle when she was filming the AMC drama series.

      Dec 31, 2020
      AceShowbiz – Alison Brie was left red-faced when she suffered a “peeing incident” while wearing a girdle on the set of “Mad Men”.
      The actress, who starred as Trudy Vogel on the much-loved show, told Justin Long on his “Life Is Short” podcast that the embarrassing moment happened while she was wearing the restrictive undergarment – which she described as like “biker shorts that go all the way up to your ribs (that also have a) small hole in them.”
      “I didn’t know for the first season that you weren’t supposed to wear underwear under them because they are underwear,” she sighed, before recalling one time when she’d rushed to the toilet before shooting a scene “and tried to pull the hole open, but I didn’t pull my underwear to the side so I’m peeing and not hearing it hit the bowl and then I just feel warmth.”
      “It was full pee,” she laughed. But when Justin asked how she moved on from the incident, Alison replied, “I went straight to set and just dabbed it with a bunch of toilet paper. Because they’re waiting on me … I don’t want to lose my job.”

        See also…

      “Mad Men” also starred Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, January Jones, and Christina Hendricks. Set in the cutthroat world of advertising, the show premiered in 2007 and lasted for seven seasons before coming to an end in 2015. It won multiple Emmy and Golden Globe awards.
      Earlier this year, Elisabeth Moss teased that the cast may have had discussions about a potential reunion.
      When asked if the cast had considered reuniting via Zoom as other TV shows had done during quarantine, Moss answered, “Maybe we have! (Laughs) I don’t know. Maybe we have had some discussions about this.”
      “I don’t think I am in a position to officially share anything. But, yes, we are aware that people are doing reunions and we’ve never done one, which is so crazy. We really all haven’t been together in five years. So I’ll just leave you with that.”

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      ‘Gilligan’s Island’ Star Dawn Wells Dies of Covid-19

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      Dawn Wells, Mary Ann on ‘Gilligan’s Island,’ Dies at 82

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      #masthead-section-label, #masthead-bar-one { display: none }What to WatchBest Movies on NetflixBest of Disney PlusBest of Amazon PrimeHoliday TVBest Netflix DocumentariesAdvertisementContinue reading the main storySupported byContinue reading the main storyTHOSE we’ve lostDawn Wells, Mary Ann on ‘Gilligan’s Island,’ Dies at 82Her character on the ’60s sitcom radiated all-American wholesomeness and youthful charm. After her TV career cooled, she focused on theater acting.Dawn Wells as Mary Ann Summers on an episode of “Gilligan’s Island” in 1964. Her character and her look — Gingham blouses, short shorts and double ponytails — personified the girl next door.Credit…CBS, via Getty ImagesDec. 30, 2020Updated 6:35 p.m. ETDawn Wells, the actress who radiated all-American wholesomeness, Midwestern practicality and a youthful naïve charm as the character Mary Ann on the hit 1960s sitcom “Gilligan’s Island,” died on Wednesday at a nursing home in Los Angeles. She was 82.Her publicist, Harlan Boll, said the cause was related to Covid-19.Debuting on CBS in 1964, “Gilligan’s Island” followed an unlikely septet of day trippers (on a “three-hour tour,” as the theme song explained) who ended up stranded on a desert island.There, shipwrecked alongside a movie star (who spent most of her time in evening gowns), a science professor, a pompous, older rich couple, and two wacky crew members was Mary Ann Summers (Ms. Wells), a farm girl from Kansas who had won the trip in a local radio contest.The character had a relatively scant back story — it was said that she worked at the hardware store back home and had a boyfriend — but Mary Ann’s persona alone made her memorable. Gingham blouses, short shorts, double ponytails and perky hair bows were all parts of her signature look.The first version of the show’s theme song mentioned five of the characters “and the rest,” but the lyrics were soon changed to name the professor (Russell Johnson) and Mary Ann as well. The others in the cast were Bob Denver (Gilligan), Alan Hale Jr. (the Skipper), Jim Backus and Natalie Schafer (as the couple Thurston Howell III and Lovey Howell), and Tina Louise (as the actress, Ginger). Ms. Louise is the last surviving member of the original cast.That the premise of “Gilligan’s Island” was pretty much implausible and its humor simplistic made no difference to the show’s millions of fans or its producers, who would discover in the years to come that they had spawned a cultural phenomenon.Though “Gilligan’s Island” lasted only three seasons, canceled in 1967, it hardly slipped from the horizon. Endless reruns ensued, and the cast members had a series of encore performances. Ms. Wells, for one, reprised her role as Mary Ann in three reunion TV movies: “Rescue From Gilligan’s Island” (1978), “The Castaways on Gilligan’s Island” (1979) and “The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan’s Island” (1981).In 1982, she did the voices of both her character and Ms. Louise’s movie star for “Gilligan’s Planet,” an animated spinoff series. And she went on to play Mary Ann in episodes of at least four other (unrelated) shows: “Alf” (1986), “Baywatch” (1989), “Herman’s Head” (1991) and “Meego” (1997). “Gilligan’s”-themed episodes had a certain camp value.The cast of “Gilligan’s Island” from a reunion television movie in 1978: sitting, from left, Bob Denver, Ms. Wells and Russell Johnson; standing, from left, Judith Baldwin (replacing Tina Louise in the movie star role), Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer and Alan Hale Jr.Credit…CBS, via Associated PressEven her career as an author related directly to the series. “Mary Ann’s Gilligan’s Island Cookbook,” which included Skipper’s Coconut Pie, was published in 1993. “What Would Mary Ann Do? A Guide to Life,” a memoir she wrote with Steve Stinson, appeared in 2014.Mary Ann’s advice in the book included this thought: “Failure builds character. What matters is what you do after you fail.” The San Francisco Book Review called the book “a worthwhile mix of classic values and sincerity.”Asked decades later about her favorite “Gilligan’s Island” episodes, Ms. Wells mentioned “And Then There Were None,” which included a dream sequence in which she got to do a Cockney accent. She also cited “Up at Bat,” an episode in which Gilligan imagined that he had turned into Dracula.“I loved being the old hag,” she said.Dawn Elberta Wells was born in Reno, Nev., on Oct. 18, 1938, the only child of Joe Wesley Wells, a real estate developer, and Evelyn (Steinbrenner) Wells. Dawn majored in chemistry at Stephens College in Columbia, Mo., then became interested in drama and went to the University of Washington in Seattle. She graduated in 1960 with a degree in theater arts and design, having taken some time off to win a state beauty title and compete in the 1960 Miss America pageant.“Big deal,” she said in a 2016 interview with Forbes, making light of her Miss Nevada win. “There were only 10 women in the whole state at the time.”For the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City, her talent performance was a dramatic reading from Sophocles’ “Antigone.”A 1961 episode of the drama “The Roaring Twenties” was her screen debut. When she was cast on “Gilligan’s Island,” she had appeared onscreen only about two dozen times, mostly in prime-time series, including “77 Sunset Strip” (multiple episodes), “Surfside Six,” “Hawaiian Eye,” “Bonanza” and “Maverick.”Ms. Wells in 2015. After her television career cooled down, she returned to her first love: theater acting.Credit…Jason Merritt/Getty ImagesAfter her television career cooled down, Ms. Wells returned to her first love: theater, doing at least 100 productions nationwide. Her last television role was in 2019, as the voice of a supernatural dentist on the animated Netflix series “The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants.”Her last onscreen appearance was in a 2018 episode of “Kaplan’s Korner,” about actors running an employment agency. Her only soap opera appearance was in a 2016 episode of “The Bold and the Beautiful,” in which she played a fashion buyer from a wealthy family.Ms. Wells’s marriage in 1962 to Larry Rosen, a talent agent, ended in divorce in 1967, the same year “Gilligan’s Island” went off the air. She is survived by a stepsister, Weslee Wells. Ms. Wells went on to operate charity-oriented businesses. She was a prominent supporter of the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, the nation’s largest natural habitat refuge developed for African and Asian elephants.She also taught acting, creating the nonprofit Idaho Film and Television Institute while living at her ranch in the Teton Valley. But a screen career was never her childhood dream.“I wanted to be a ballerina, then a chemist,” she recalled in the Forbes interview. “If I had to do it all over again, I’d go into genetic medicine.”Alex Traub contributed reporting.AdvertisementContinue reading the main story More