Month: February 2023

Emmy-nominated actor Barbara Bosson, best known for her role as Fay Furillo on “Hill Street Blues,” died Saturday in Los Angeles at the age of 83. Bosson’s death was confirmed by her son, Jesse Bochco who posted on Instagram: “More spirit and zest than you could shake a stick at. When she loved you, you felt it without a doubt. If she didn’t, you may well have also known that too. Forever in our hearts. I love you Mama. Barbara “Babs” Bosson Bochco 1939-2023 ”

Bosson was a main cast member on “Hill Street Blues” from 1981 to 1986, portraying Fay Furillo, the ex-wife to police captain Frank Furillo (Daniel J. Travanti). Bosson received five Emmy nominations for best supporting actress in a drama series throughout her tenure on the series, and was nominated in the same category in 1995 for “Murder One,” which shows the life of prominent attorney Theodore Hoffman at a Los Angeles firm, in which Bosson played Miriam Grasso. Bosson’s other acting credits include “Richie Brockelman: The Missing 24 Hours,” “Richie Brockelman, Private Eye,” “Hooperman,” “Cop Rock” and “The Last Starfighter.”

In 1970, Bosson married writer-producer Steven Bochco (“Hill Street Blues,” “L.A. Law,” “Murder One”), with whom she had two children. The two divorced in 1997, and Bochco died in 2018. Bosson is survived by her son, daughter, granddaughter and grandson.

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Actress Hayden Panettiere’s younger brother, actor Jansen Panettiere, has died at the age of 28. According to TMZ, which was the first to break the news, Jansen died over the weekend in New York. The outlet reports that law enforcement was called to a residence Sunday night around 5:30 PM and while no official cause of death has been released, there’s no foul play suspected in Jansen’s death.

Jansen, who is five years younger than Hayden, had several film and TV roles throughout the early 2000s, including credits on Even Stevens, The X’s, Tiger Cruise, Racing Stripes, The Martial Arts Kid, The Walking Dead, Perfect Game and How High 2. His most recent role was in the 2022 Christmas film, Love and Love Not.

While Jansen was best known for his acting career, he was also passionate about art with his Instagram page filled with colorful portraits and abstract pieces. His latest upload appeared to be a portrait of his partner, Catherine Michie, captioning a photo of Michie standing next to artwork with a blue heart emoji.

Jansen is survived by sister Hayden and their parents, Lesley Vogel and Skip Panettiere.

Hayden Panettiere’s Brother Jansen Dead at 28: Reports

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The People’s Court and Judge Mathis and have both been canceled, and will end their runs at the end of their current seasons.

Judge Mathis, which has been on the air for 24 seasons, follows Judge Greg Mathis as he lays down the law and gives sentences to those in his courtroom. The show won a Daytime Emmy Award for outstanding legal/courtroom program in 2018. The program, which began in 1998, is the second longest-running court show with a single production life, behind Judge Judy. Judge Mathis is also the longest-running Black male host on television.

The People’s Court, which premiered in 1997, will wrap after season 26. It has won four Daytime Emmy Awards for outstanding legal/courtroom program – the most wins for a court show in the category. The show follows former Florida prosecutor and judge Marilyn Milian as she decides on actual small-claims court cases. Milian was the first Latina judge to host a nationally syndicated television court show. The People’s Court has run for a total of 39 seasons, including the original series which ran from 1981 to 1993 with Judge Joseph Wapner.

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Actor and comedian Richard Belzer passed away on Feb. 19 at age 78. Belzer passed away at his home in Bozouls in southwest France. Writer Bill Scheft, a longtime friend of the actor, told The Hollywood Reporter, “He had lots of health issues … and his last words were, ‘F–k you, motherf–ker.’”

Belzer was perhaps best known for playing detective John Munch on NBC shows ‘Homicide: Life on the Street’ and ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.’  NBC and Universal Television issued a statement about Belzer’s death which read. “Anyone who ever had the pleasure of watching Richard Belzer portray Det. John Munch—whether on Homicide or Law & Order: SVU—over four decades will never forget how much he inhabited that beloved character to make it his own. His professionalism, talents and dedication to the craft made him a pillar in the industry, but it was his humor, compassion and loving heart that made him family. Our condolences go out to his loved ones as we join them in mourning his loss, but also in celebrating his memory.”

Belzer began his entertainment career as a stand-up comedian in New York City; he was the warm-up comic on the first season of Saturday Night Live and also made appearances in SNL sketches. He also starred in other TV shows such as The Flash, as well as films such as Night Shift and Scarface, before making his debut as Munch on ‘Homicide: Life on the Street’  in 1993. Belzer played the role for all seven seasons of the series, as well as in its 2000 TV film, 15 seasons of ‘Law & Order: SVU’ and episodes of eight other shows—episodes of Law & Order, Law & Order: Trial by Jury, The X-Files, The Wire, UPN’s The Beat, 30 Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Arrested Development.

Belzer is survived by his third wife, actress Harlee McBride, and stepdaughters Jessica and Bree.

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