Bill Bixby

San Francisco, California, USA

Biography

Bill Bixby was an American actor, director, and producer born Wilfred Bailey Everett Bixby III on January 22, 1934, in San Francisco, California. His career spanned more than three decades, during which he became well-known for a variety of television roles. Bixby achieved early popularity starring as Tim O'Hara in the CBS sitcom "My Favorite Martian" (1963-1966), and he later played the widowed father Tom Corbett in the ABC sitcom "The Courtship of Eddie's Father" (1969-1972). He was also recognized for his role as stage magician and detective Anthony Blake in "The Magician" (1973-1974). Bixby's most iconic role came in the late 1970s when he portrayed Dr. David Banner in the CBS science-fiction drama "The Incredible Hulk," a role he reprised in three television movies. In addition to acting, he directed numerous episodes of shows throughout his career. Bixby was nominated for three Emmy Awards. He passed away from complications of prostate cancer on November 21, 1993, at age 59. His enduring legacy is marked by his kind and compassionate portrayals and the versatility he brought to his work across television and film.

Movies

The Andy Griffith Show is an American sitcom first televised on CBS between October 3, 1960 and April 1, 1968. Andy Griffith portrays the widowed sheriff of the fictional small community of Mayberry, North Carolina. His life is complicated by an inept, but well-meaning deputy, Barney Fife, a spinster aunt and housekeeper, Aunt Bee, and a precocious young son, Opie. Local ne'er-do-wells, bumbling pals, and temperamental girlfriends further complicate his life. Andy Griffith stated in a Today Show interview, with respect to the time period of the show: "Well, though we never said it, and though it was shot in the '60s, it had a feeling of the '30s. It was when we were doing it, of a time gone by." The series never placed lower than seventh in the Nielsen ratings and ended its final season at number one. It has been ranked by TV Guide as the 9th-best show in American television history. Though neither Griffith nor the show won awards during its eight-season run, series co-stars Knotts and Bavier accumulated a combined total of six Emmy Awards. The show, a semi-spin-off from an episode of The Danny Thomas Show titled "Danny Meets Andy Griffith", spawned its own spin-off series, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., a sequel series, Mayberry R.F.D., and a reunion telemovie, Return to Mayberry. The show's enduring popularity has generated a good deal of show-related merchandise. Reruns currently air on TV Land, and the complete series is available on DVD. All eight seasons are also now available by streaming video services such as Netflix.

More info
The Andy Griffith Show
1960