This is round seven of The Ultimate Sitcom Actor Tournament. For rules, point values, and other information, see the introduction.
Bernie Kopell and Lucille Ball have dominated the last three rounds. In this round, they’ll go up against John Ritter and Cloris Leachman.
John Ritter
Well known for playing Jack Tripper in Three’s Company, John Ritter appeared in sitcoms from the 70s to the early 2000s. He also starred in the Three’s Company spin-off, Three’s a Crowd, as well as Hooperman and Hearts Afire, and made several sitcom guest appearances. His final sitcom role was as the star of 8 Simple Rules, which he was shooting when he suddenly passed away in 2003 at only 54 years old. Current champion Lucille Ball was a big fan of his. She hosted a tribute to his work on Three’s Company and later invited him to appear in her last sitcom, Life with Lucy.
Starring Roles: 16 seasons = 320 points
Regular Roles: 0 = 0 points
Recurring Roles: 2 seasons = 10 points
Guest Appearances: 31 episodes = 31 points
TOTAL: 361 points - WINNER!
Cloris Leachman
Cloris Leachman was a busy TV actress for over seven decades. She’s best known for playing Phyllis in The Mary Tyler Moore Show and starring in her own spin-off, Phyllis. She also had regular roles on The Facts of Life and Raising Hope and recurring roles on The Ellen Show and Malcolm in the Middle as well as many sitcom guest appearances. She continued acting right up until she passed away in 2021 at the ripe old age of 94.
Starring Roles: 4 seasons = 80 points
Regular Roles: 10 seasons = 100 points
Recurring Roles: 10 seasons = 50 points
Guest Appearances: 26 episodes = 26 points
TOTAL: 256 points
Winners
Lucille Ball is still the reigning female champion, but John Ritter has finally stolen the title from Bernie Kopell!
Check back tomorrow for round eight!