The Ultimate Sitcom Actor Tournament - Round 8
This is round eight of The Ultimate Sitcom Actor Tournament. For rules, point values, and other information, see the introduction.
In the last round, Lucille Ball held her title as female champion, but John Ritter unseated Bernie Kopell as the new male champion. In this round, they’ll face TV power couple Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore.
Dick Van Dyke
Versatile film and TV actor Dick Van Dyke has had a successful career spanning over six decades, and at 97 years old, he’s showing no sign of stopping yet. Best known for starring in The Dick Van Dyke Show and Diagnosis Murder, Dick had two more sitcoms named after him, The New Dick Van Dyke Show and The Van Dyke Show. He also made guest appearances on The Phil Silvers Show, The Golden Girls, Coach, Becker, Scrubs, and The Middle among others.
Starring Roles: 9 seasons = 180 points
Regular Roles: 0 seasons = 0 points
Recurring Roles: 0 seasons = 0 points
Guest Appearances: 10 episodes = 10 points
TOTAL: 190 points
Mary Tyler Moore
The woman, the myth, the legend, Mary Tyler Moore was a sitcom pioneer. She starred in one of the most popular sitcoms of all time, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, produced by her production company, MTM Enterprises, which also produced many other popular sitcoms, including Newhart, The Bob Newhart Show, WKRP in Cincinnati, Rhoda, and Phyllis. Her first acting role was as a recurring character on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. She went on to play Dick Van Dyke’s wife, Laura Petrie, in The Dick Van Dyke Show before building her own TV enterprise. She retired in 2013 and passed away in 2017 at 80 years old.
Starring Roles: 11 seasons = 220 points
Regular Roles: 5 seasons = 50 points
Recurring Roles: 7 seasons = 35 points
Guest Appearances: 13 episode = 13 points
TOTAL: 318 points
John Ritter and Lucille Ball are still the reigning champions!
Check back tomorrow for round nine!