TVSquad

David Lloyd was one of those TV writers whose work spread across the history of television. He worked on shows ranging from The Tonight Show in the 60s to Frasier in the 90s and early 2000s.

Lloyd died last night after a long illness.

Lloyd had a part in many memorable TV shows over the years, as a writer and/or a producer, including Cheers, Wings, Taxi, Lou Grant, Rhoda, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show, Phyllis, The Tony Randall Show, Dear John, The Dick Cavett Show, The Associates, The Best of the West, and many other shows.

Ken Levine has a great tribute to Lloyd on his site, including a discussion of how Lloyd was as a writer. It includes an example of Lloyd's script for the classic Mary Tyler Moore Show episode "Chuckles Bites The Dust."

Here are the new TV DVDs, in stores tomorrow.

I'd like to apologize to the makers of My Own Worst Enemy. I enjoyed the show to a certain extent, but I have no intention of buying the complete series set (complete series meaning one season). It's one of those shows that I kinda enjoyed each week, yet at the same time I'm not going to miss it, and I can't imagine grabbing the DVDs off of my shelf and watching the episodes again.

There's actually nothing I want to buy this week, so my wallet/bank account will be happy.

• Battlestar Galactica - Caprica
• Dallas - Season 11
• Freakazoid - Season 2
• iCarly - Season 1, Vol. 2

(S01E09) Okay, we're really into swinging tonight. Everybody seems to get into the action, including the kids. Frankly, the summer of '76 is making everyone in Swingtown hot and horny and just a touch too adventurous. It makes for interesting viewing, but I'm not sure how realistic all this is supposed to be. What is the difference between swinging and cheating?

Brad and Sylvia are back. It's yet another dinner party at the Deckers! The writers really have to find other ways to get these people together. Anyway, after Bruce's admission of his overt flirtation with Melinda -- a couple of kisses and a trip to her apartment -- the Millers accept an invitation to the Pendulum Club. That's an erotic cabaret according to Trina, and yes, the Deckers decide to go along at Susan's behest.

Actor David Groh is probably best known for his role as Rhoda's husband Joe Gerard on Rhoda. He was also a regular on General Hospital and guest starred on several shows, including Police Story, Law and Order, Girlfriends, The X-Files, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, JAG, Baywatch, Melrose Place, Sisters, Murder, She Wrote, Spenser: For Hire, L.A. Law, Kate & Allie, Hunter, Simon & Simon, and many other shows. He was also a veteran stage actor, appearing in Chapter Two, as well as movies like Two Minute Warning, Crazylove, and Get Shorty.

Groh died of kidney cancer in Los Angeles at age 68.

His wedding to Rhoda was a major TV event back in the 70s. Of course, with ratings slipping, they had to go ahead and divorce the couple in the third season of the show. That left a bad taste with viewers, I think.

When one of our favorite TV shows goes off the air, it can be devastating. However, many times, the cancellation is the birth of a spinoff. Sometimes it can be a great thing (Rhoda) and sometimes not so much (Tabitha). Here are some this month's spinoff ideas that I would love to see.

The Young Jason Gideon Chronicles
What is it that made Jason Gideon the enigmatic person he became? Watch and find out. See the events that turned a carefree young teenager into the sullen, contemplative FBI agent we came to know on Criminal Minds. See the part his parents (Michael McKean & Annette O'Toole) played in his transformation.

OK, not her actual house, but the show she "lived in" on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. It really is in Minneapolis, and it's on the market for $3.6 million.

Of course, this house was only used for exterior shots on the show. The actual sets for Mary's apartment and Rhoda's oh so funky 70s bachelorette pad (remember those beaded curtains and the colors?) were on a Hollywood lot. The home is an 1892 Victorian, bought for $1.1 million by the current owner, and he has spent even more fixing it up. I think it looks really nice in the pic, and I'm sure with the location and the classic TV connection, someone will snatch it up.

Though I'd wonder about tourists. As the article says, past owners have been annoyed by people coming by and taking photos. Maybe they should charge to tour the place. Nah, that wouldn't work. People would just say "hey, this looks nothing like Mary's apartment!" Then they'd leave in a huff and go try to find the offices of WJM-TV.

[via TV Tattle]