December 06, 2011

Vivian Vance and William Frawley to be inducted posthumously in TV Academy Hall of Fame

Vivian Vance and William Frawley from "I Love Lucy" fame (Ethel and Fred Mertz), are among the latest inductees into the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame.

The star of the series, the legendary Lucille Ball, was included in the very first Hall of Fame class back in 1984 was very emotional in her acceptance speech and sad that Vance, who died in 1979, could not be there for the momentous occasion. Desi Arnaz was inducted posthumously six years later in 1990 after his death in 1986.

Vance was the first actress to win an Emmy Award for outstanding supporting actress in 1954 for her portrayal of Ethel Mertz. She was nominated three more times before the show ended its run in 1957. She went on to once again play Ball’s sidekick in the follow-up series The Lucy Show while Frawley joined the cast of the sitcom My Three Sons. Frawley had a 50-year film career before landing his role as Fred Mertz, which earned him five Emmy nominations. After the show ended, he played Bub O'Casey on "My Three Sons" before retiring for health reasons in 1965. He died the following year, in 1966.

The others to be inducted are The Jeffersons and Amen star Sherman Hemsley, Real World creators Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray, former Walt Disney Co. CEO Michael Eisner, Sábado Gigante game-show host Don Francisco, lighting designer Bill Klages, and producer Chuck Lorre. Bunim died in 2004.

"The group of inductees for this year's Hall of Fame has had a remarkable impact in all areas of the television industry, from performers and hosts to producers and executives," said Mark Itkin, a board member at WME Entertainment and chair of the Hall of Fame selection committee. "It is a tremendous privilege to chair this committee and be able to honor this group with the recognition that they so greatly deserve."

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