Eric gilland former comedy writer for Roseanne and my boys has died Eric gilland a longtime comedy writer best known for his work on Rosanne died sept one the cause was cancer gilland an Illinois native and 1984 graduate of Northwestern University wrote for the ABC comedy from 1992 to 1996 he went on to consult on the Connors in 2019 his first big writing gig in TV was on who's the boss he went on to write for living dolls the Wonder Years Doogie Houser MD That 70s Show and my boys his most recent project was the podcast the cinamon bear a holiday Adventure gillin received wga award nomination in 1994 for Roseanne in 2019 he received a Daytime Emmy nomination for writing the children's show the was was show away from TV gilland was quite the Whistler his tuting was featured on Sam winches the lader and on the soundtrack for an episode of pen and Teller bullsh tributes to gilland continue to pour in on Facebook like this one from Modern Family co-creator Steve Levitan weird I know but I found myself thinking this morning that Eric Gillan would have taken some perverse pleasure in knowing that of all people he was outlived by Dick Van Dyke that's one of the ways Eric and I bonded back in 8th grade over our mutual love for the Dick Van djk show and Monty Python Jack Benny the Carol Bernett show SNL and bad puns yes people we started a pun Club Eric was just plain smart and funny in high school we did plays and musicals and comedy assemblies parts of which we even co-wrote he somehow pulled off the impossible of being biting and sweet at the same time while doing a comedy show called little Bucky for our local Glen View radio station with our friends theia kadmus and Betsy Brennan I was so bad at doing accents that Eric nicknamed me the man with a thousand voices gillan's fellow Roseanne scribe Stan Zimmerman wrote this after a particularly brutal day of abuse from Roseanne the writing staff decided to take out our anger and smoosh food all over one or her framed publicity photos on the wall in our main office somehow I ended up with the only Polaroid and there's Eric smiling brightly front and center as others have more eloquently described Eric as an extremely bright witty and dry writer humorist person I know he looked at me and Jim's open queerness in the writer's room as both Brave scary and yet very appealing fly high my friend in all the sea James Darren dies Teen Idol actor in Gig and singer was 88 James Darren gig Teen Idol actor who Rose to Fame in the 1950s has died at 88 according to Nancy Sinatra who counted him among her closest friends one of my dearest closest friends in all the world of all my life has passed away she wrote on Instagram Godfather to my daughter ajl edge. Lambert wishing him a fast and beautiful Journey Through the Universe and Beyond godspeed sweet Jimmy my heart is torn but full of love for Eevee Christian Anthony and Jimmy Jr heartbreak at James Darren alongside two images One featuring her daughter's baptism and the second of her and Darren side by side per Outlet reports his son Inside Edition correspondent Jim morit said that his father died at the Cedar Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after entering the hospital's cardiac unit he was deemed too weak to have a surgical aorta valve replacement and died in his sleep born June 8th 1936 in Philadelphia Darren was a student of famed acting coach Stella Adler for whom he commuted to New York regularly he starred as Surfer Moon doggy Landing the part despite being unable to Surf and being a weak swimmer in all three Colombia pictures romantic comedy gigit films from the 1959 original through subsequent sequels gig goes Hawaiian 1961 and gig goes to Rome 1963 in addition to acting he made a name for himself in the mid1 1960s as a singer after proving his vocal chops by performing the gig theme song with hits like Goodbye cruel world and her royal Majesty it was this background that helped him land a portrayal as the holographic Lounge singer Vic Fontaine in several episodes of Star Trek Deep Space 9 in the 9s serving as a Revival of his music career he continued in Hollywood in the TV realm with popular series like the 1966 Sci-Fi show The Time Tunnel and80s police drama TJ hooker alongside William Shatner Jimmy Darren I worked with him for several years and then we'd see each other on occasion Shatner reflected on X following news of Darren's death what a wonderful man so talented so loving I had the best time with him the world is less because of his loss after working in television for decades he moved into TV directing working on shows like Melrose Place and Beverly Hills 9,210 in the '90s ands