5 TV shows featuring Tony Bennett that might surprise you
Tony Bennett and Carrie Underwood perform on "Blue Bloods." Credit: CBS Entertainment / John Paul Filo
Last November, Tony Bennett received the prestigious Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. On Friday, Jan. 12, PBS airs a tape of the star-studded Washington, D.C., ceremony. Bennett, of course, has shown off his vocal chops on scores of variety and talk shows over the years, but the 91-year-old has also made guest appearances in several series. Here are five:
MAKE ROOM FOR DADDY (“Tony Bennett Gets Danny’s Help,” 1959) Bennett guested as Stephen, the cousin of Danny Williams (Danny Thomas). The young man has a good future in his father’s (Danny’s Uncle Habib) dry-goods business, but he would rather be a singer. In the episode, Bennett sang “From This Moment On” and “Without a Song.”
77 SUNSET STRIP (1963) The sixth and final season opened with a five-part arc involving an international search for art objects stolen by the Nazis during World War II. Bennett, playing a character named Maximilian, was one of 20 guest stars. The reason for the hoopla was that the show had undergone a radical change in direction: The cast was purged, with only Efrem Zimbalist Jr. surviving, and he was now working as a globe-trotting investigator instead of an L.A. private eye.
EVENING SHADE (“I Left My Ring in Evening Shade,” 1994) In this Arkansas-set sitcom starring Burt Reynolds, Bennett guested as Tony Lombardi, one of the ex-husbands of Frieda (Elizabeth Ashley), who returns to see her again.
BLUE BLOODS (“Mercy,” 2011) In the second-season opener, Bennett guested with Carrie Underwood and the two sang “It Had to Be You,” which they had recorded together for his “Duets II” album. The plot had NYPD Commissioner Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck) and his daughter, Erin (Bridget Moynahan), attending a black-tie fundraiser thrown by the mayor-elect; Frank says the only reason he went was because Bennett, an old friend, was performing. For laughs, after Bennett finished singing, he recognizes the commish and asks him to throw out a speeding ticket.
30 ROCK (“Mazel Tov, Dummies!,” 2012) Playing himself, Bennett sings at the wedding of Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) and Criss Chross (James Marsden). (It was a very special occasion, indeed, so Liz was decked out as her idol, Princess Leia.)
Andy Edelstein, Newsday's entertainment editor, supervises coverage of TV, celebrities, movies and pop music. He has written three books on popular culture, including "The Brady Bunch Book."
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