TVXOHOF MEMORIAL TRIBUTE - KATHY "KITTEN" ANDERSON

From People
[Brenton Blanchet]:
Lauren Chapin, a former child star known for her role in '50s sitcom Father Knows Best, has died. She was 80.
Chapin's son, Matthew, announced the news via Facebook on Tuesday, Feb. 24, and shared that the actress died following a cancer diagnosis.

"After a long hard-fought battle over the past 5 years, the time has come. My mother, Lauren Chapin passed away from her battle with cancer tonight," Matthew wrote, tagging a fan page for his mom. "I'm at a complete loss for words right now. Please keep my sister and family in your thoughts and prayers as we go through this incredibly tough time."

And hopefully, the Television Crossover Hall of Fame will do just that with the memorial tribute induction of

KATHY "KITTEN" ANDERSON

From Wikipedia:
Lauren Ann Chapin (May 23, 1945 – February 24, 2026) was an American actress who played the role of the youngest child "Kathy Anderson" (nicknamed "Kitten") on the television show 'Father Knows Best' between 1954 and 1960. She appeared in 196 episodes of the 203 in the series. Chapin was awarded five Junior Emmys for Best Child Actress.

The TV cast reunited for a pair of TV films on NBC: "Father Knows Best Reunion" on May 15, 1977, and "Father Knows Best: Home for Christmas" on December 18, 1977.

In the 17 years since the series had ended, the characters of Betty and Bud had both married and had families of their own. Betty was the widowed mother of two girls, Jenny (Cari Anne Warder) and Ellen (Kyle Richards), while Bud and his wife Jean (Susan Adams) were the parents of a son, Robert "Robby" (Christopher Gardner).

Kathy had become engaged to a doctor, Jason Harper (Hal England).

Here are the productions which get "Kitten" in the TVXOHOF:

FATHER KNOWS BEST
201 Episodes (1954-1960)

THE FATHER KNOWS BEST REUNION (1977 TV movie)

FATHER KNOWS BEST: HOME FOR CHRISTMAS (1977 TV movie)

Three separate productions are all that is needed for membership in the Hall.  And the two reunion movies are distinct from the actual series.

Welcome to the Hall, Lauren Chapin.  As Red Skelton would say, "Good night and may God bless...."

TVXOHOF TRIBUTE 02/24/2026 - SAM McGUIRE

 
From Deadline
[by Mike Fleming, Jr.]:
Robert Carradine has died at age 71. He took his own life Monday. The actor is best known for his roles in The Long Riders, Revenge of the Nerds and Lizzie McGuire.

A beloved member of the storied clan of actors, Carradine was the bedrock of his family, according to surviving older brother Keith Carradine. But he struggled for two decades with bipolar disorder and ultimately it got the best of him.

SAM McGUIRE

From Wikipedia:
Robert Reed Carradine (March 24, 1954 – February 23, 2026) was an American actor. A member of the Carradine family, he made his first appearances on television Western series such as Bonanza and his brother David's TV series, Kung Fu.

Carradine is also well remembered for his roles as fraternity nerd Lewis Skolnick in the Revenge of the Nerds films and Sam McGuire in the Disney Channel series Lizzie McGuire.

From 2001 to 2004, Carradine played father Sam McGuire on 'Lizzie McGuire', starring Hilary Duff. The series was widely popular among young viewers, and its realistic portrayal of adolescent issues also appealed to parents.  (Sam McGuire sometimes struggles with the pressure of raising a teenager and is a bit slow-minded.)

A feature film based on the series, "The Lizzie McGuire Movie", was released in 2003.   It serves as the finale of the Disney Channel television series 'Lizzie McGuire' and was the first theatrical film based on a Disney Channel show. It follows the title character and her classmates on a graduation trip to Rome, where she gets mistaken for a famous Italian pop star and embarks on an unexpected adventure. The events of the film take place after the second and final season of 'Lizzie McGuire'.

A revival series was announced in August 2019 to be entering production for Disney+, with Duff reprising her role and Minsky returning as showrunner, but Minsky later departed from the role. Lamberg, Thomas, Todd and Carradine were also attached to return to the series in their original roles. The series began production in association with Disney Channel, but entered a hiatus after Minsky's departure and did not resume; the revival was officially canceled in December 2020.

LIZZIE McGUIRE
65 Episodes (2001-2004)

THE LIZZIE McGUIRE MOVIE (2003)

LIZZIE McGUIRE (2020)
2 Episodes

Eventually Hilary Duff, Hallie Todd, and Jake Thomas should enter the TVXOHOF as well, with those exact same qualifications.  But hopefully there will be plenty of time for that.

For now, the Hall salutes the memory of Robert Carradine.