In checking back through some previous columns to make sure that the links are still working, I ran across the column on movie stars.  In that column I stated that there were so many movie stars whose names are frequently used in crossword puzzles that I would have to save the often used names of television stars for a future column.  Somehow I never got around to it...until now, that is.

As it happens, there are plenty of television stars turning up in almost all of the current crop of crosswords, but the surprising thing seems to be that very few of them can be classified as frequently used in many different puzzles.  Those who do show up often have been favorites of the cluemeisters over a long period of time.  Two of the most popular continue to be...

ALAN ALDA... Both first and last names seem to be equally favored.  The clue might be anything from "MASH's Hawkeye" to "4077th surgeon" to "father/son actors Robert and Alan", this last clue including a reference to Alan's movie star father who portrayed George Gershwin in a film biography of that famous composer's life.  Alan Alda's versatility also was indicated in the clue, "MASH's actor/writer/director Emmy winner".  Click on the above picture to learn about Alda's current PBS affiliation.

Ed ASNER... An "actor with seven emmys", he is also a "former S.A.G. president".  The emmys are primarily for his work as "Lou Grant's portrayer" and also as "Mary's and Murray's boss".  As usual, you may click on either the picture or the high-lighted name for more information.
 

As television viewers, the cluemeisters are obviously talk show fans which is not really that surprising.  One is treated to a lot of words in all of that conversation.  Occasionally we run across something like "daytime talk show host" for Oprah (Winfrey) or "Philbin of TV" for Regis (Philbin).  Dave Letterman, Jerry Springer and most of the others, both current and past, are virtually ignored, but the following more than make up for it:

JAY LENO...  Both names work for "'Tonight Show' host" and "NBC's late-nighter", with "late night Jay" and "Jay of 'The Tonight Show'" sure indicators for Leno.  You might also find something like "Carson's successor" or "Carson's replacement", references to long-time "Tonight Show" host Johnny Carson, but if the years pass with Leno remaining as successful as he is currently, the inclusion of Carson in the clues will probably fade.  Bird lovers of the world will be happy to observe that some of the puzzle composers play it safe by giving us "blue bird" as their clue for jay.

Jack PAAR...  He may have celebrated an 81st birthday, but he's not gone and he's not forgotten, and our cluemeisters will be the first to tell you so.  Whether he's the "'Tonight Show' host, '57 to '62", "Jack of late night TV" or "he came before Carson and Leno", he still turns up again and again in many a puzzle.  I've even seen him clued with something as obscure as "As he was saying...", a reference to the time he angrily walked off the show and then returned several weeks later with the opening line, "As I was saying...".  I seem to remember that that is also the title of his TV retrospective special which was broadcast a few years ago.

ROSIE O'Donnell...  She hasn't passed Oprah in the People's Choice or the Daytime Emmys or the ratings race as yet, but so far as the crossword puzzle providers are concerned, Rosie is the clear winner.  Whether she appears as "comic O'Donnell" or "daytime host O'Donnell" or even the 'daytime hostess with the mostest", Rosie O"Donnell has temporarily become an obvious choice of clue writers.  News of her pending retirement from the TV hostess job may change all that, in which case we might find ourself back with "children's song, 'Ring Around the _____'" or "Sweet O'Grady" as clues.
 
 
 
 

OPIE  and/or RON  Howard...It is usually "Andy's boy" or "Andy's kid" for the first one (Opie is Andy Griffith's son in "The Andy Griffith Show", the part Ron Howard played for the entire run of the series) and "director Howard" for the second (Ron Howard is now well known and highly respected as the director of such popular films as "Splash", "Cocoon"  "Apollo 13" and the multiple Academy Award nominated "A Beautiful Mind."  We also mustn't forget those in-between years when he was "Richie on 'Happy Days'"  which has also been given as a clue for Ron.  Given the fact that he's had three careers so far, no wonder he's become a popular puzzle favorite.
 
 
 
 

FLO...Polly Holliday's portrait of the "Mel's diner waitress", Flo Castleberry, remains a lasting favorite of cluemeisters.  Let's face it, Flo fits far too easily into many a tight crossword corner for any of the puzzle designers to ever give her up.  And so we continue to have everything from "'Alice' spin-off" to "'kiss my grits' gal" to "red-headed waitress at Mel's" showing up in our puzzles.

TED...No, the clues don't tell us it is "Danson of 'Cheers'" or "Mary Tyler Moore's anchor man".  They usually tell us it is "TV's Turner" or "father of CNN" or maybe "Atlanta Braves owner".  More recently we might be informed he is "Jane Fonda's hubby" (now "Jane Fonda's ex") or "Turner of TNT".
 
 
 
 

CARLA  and ELAINE ...Sitcoms Cheers and Seinfeld are still recent enough to be in continual syndication reruns on many, many stations with the result that clues such as "'Cheers' waitress" for Carla and "Jerry's pal" for Elaine are among the many clues which continue to appear for these two TV character names.  Click on the pictures above to read more about the Emmy winning actresses who play these parts.

We'll close out this particular column with someone who is not an actor, but who has certainly become one of the most recognizable TV stars of them all...
 

Roger EBERT...For many years now this "Chicago based film critic" has usually been clued as "Siskel's partner", a reference to the late Gene Siskel, another Chicago film critic who paired with Ebert on a weekly TV program of current film reviews.  More recently he has paired with a new partner and we may soon be adding the name of "Roebert's partner" to our puzzles.
 

Anything else you want to know about crosswords?  You should be able to learn about it through one or another of Ray Hamel's crossword puzzle links.  If you haven't looked into his link page recently, I think you might be in for a big surprise.  He's rearranged the page to list daily, weekly and monthly internet puzzle links up front followed by the dozens (or is it now hundreds) of other crossword links.  You could easily spend most of your computer time there.

If you are into online crosswords, and have a Java-powered browser, try Timothy Parker's Universal Crossword.  Juse click on the logo below.

Copyright 1999 C. Schnebel
All rights reserved

Return to Starview Home Page

FastCounter by bCentral