Bob Denver Spent Last Two Decades of Life Caring for Autistic Son: Most Beloved Classic TV Star?

by SodaHead Slideshows Posted 2012/11/16 17:24:50

Related Topics: Bob Denver, Gilligan's Island, Dreama Denver

Read More

1 of 8

Bob Denver

Bob Denver's widow has revealed that the "Gilligan's Island" star made caring for his autistic son a priority.

Bob Denver

Bob Denver's widow has revealed that the "Gilligan's Island" star made caring for his autistic son a priority.
Bea Arthur

Among her decades of credits, Bea starred in not one, but three, iconic sitcoms: "All in the Family," "Maude" and "The Golden Girls."
Henry Winkler

Winkler's character "The Fonz" in "Happy Days" is arguably the most iconic TV character of all.
Bill Cosby

Bill Cosby is such a well-loved icon that a colorful sweater is known around the world now as a "Cosby sweater"!
Alan Alda

The finale of "M*A*S*H," which starred Alda as "Hawkeye," is still rated one of the most-watched episodes of television in history.
Lucille Ball

Ball's show "I Love Lucy" was the first sitcom to be filmed in front of a live studio audience and is still incredibly influential.
Phil Silvers

"The Phil Silvers Show" gave us one of TV's best-loved police characters: Sgt. Bilko.
Mary Tyler Moore

Mary Tyler Moore caught our eyes on "The Dick Van Dyke Show," but then really stole our hearts with "The Mary Tyler Moore Show."

Bob Denver Spent Last Two Decades of Life Caring for Autistic Son: Most Beloved Classic TV Star?

4,682 votes
Read all 165 opinions
Lightning Report View Results and Demographics + View Demographics

	Bob Denver
	Bea Arthur
	Henry Winkler
	Bill Cosby
	Alan Alda
	Lucille Ball
	Phil Silvers
	Mary Tyler Moore

Loading Demographics... Click an icon to see demographic results Display unknown and private
	Bob Denver	1,386 votes	30%
	Bea Arthur	126 votes	3%
	Henry Winkler	297 votes	6%
	Bill Cosby	552 votes	12%
	Alan Alda	232 votes	5%
	Lucille Ball	1,649 votes	35%
	Phil Silvers	89 votes	2%
	Mary Tyler Moore	351 votes	7%

He was beloved by millions for his role as Gilligan on “Gilligan’s Island,” but Bob Denver’s widow Dreama Denver has revealed a more serious side to the TV comedy icon. Speaking to FOX411’s Pop Tarts and in her upcoming memoir “Gilligan’s Dreams: The Other Side of the Island,” she reveals that Bob spent the last two decades of his life caring for his heavily autistic son, Colin.

“He was very under the radar and never put himself out there that much,” she explains. “I wanted the fans to know who he really was, because he was a special, special man, especially when dealing with our son Colin, who has severe autism.” She continues by saying that “he set aside the last 21 years of his life to be with me and take care of our son, who had to have full-time care, [because he] didn’t want me to do it alone. That speaks to the type of human being he was.”

Bob and Dreama started the Denver Foundation together, which offers help to families who have children with special needs.

Check out our gallery and decide: Who do you think is the most beloved classic TV star?

Add a comment above

kathy 2012/11/16 19:16:23

Bob Denver

+11
forgot about him! But anyone who puts their childrens live's first is #1 to me
>> See Replies

More polls by SodaHead Slideshows

bt sedlock to RobbyRh... 2012/11/29 06:35:53

I should've known that.

reply
bt sedlock to RobbyRh... 2012/11/29 06:35:12

+1
John Ritter as Jack Tripper?

reply
katywon 2012/11/16 23:20:29

Henry Winkler

Bob Denver was great but Henry Winkler seems like a role model with a stable marriage and no bad history of addiction.

reply
charles nelson 2012/11/16 23:16:21

Bob Denver

+1
Maynard G Krebs
http://youtu.be/pqzpQPDSr2s

reply
PattyM to charles... 2012/11/17 01:11:51

WORK!

reply
charles... to PattyM 2012/11/19 01:27:56

Remember Zelda

reply
PattyM to charles... 2012/11/19 07:40:39

Sheila James Kuehl was Zelda. She's an attorney now and served a couple terms in the California state senate. An interesting if inconsequential bit of trivia.

I liked the Dobie Gillis show. Fortunately my mother also liked it. We watched what she wanted to watch.

reply
charles... to PattyM 2012/11/19 14:13:36

I knew that about Zelda, and I also know the that she was a practicing Lawyer during her time on the show. That wasn't an act.

reply
PattyM to charles... 2012/11/19 20:27:09

Was she? How 'bout that!

There is something new to learn every day.

reply
charles... to PattyM 2012/11/20 17:25:32

just kinding, but she seem like she was

reply
blumunofky 2012/11/16 21:58:58

Mary Tyler Moore

None of these apply in my book as long as even one person remembers James Arness. Marshall Dillon was the best!

reply
sokoyah 2012/11/16 21:54:47

Bob Denver

+2
Everyone loved Lucy, but Denver was special too

reply
bt sedlock to sokoyah 2012/11/29 06:37:40

It's sad that Bob Denver is no longer with us. He was only 70 years old when he died.

reply
'90skid 2012/11/16 21:53:41

Lucille Ball

+2
It's always going to be Lucy, no matter what! Everyone loves Lucy! :D <3

reply
Pinot 2012/11/16 21:34:13

Bill Cosby

It would have to be Bill Cosby!

reply
CAPISCE 2012/11/16 21:33:02

Bob Denver

+2

reply
thє вluє wαndєrєr 2012/11/16 20:57:50
murray.... to thє вlu... 2012/11/16 21:25:06

You're wrong. In fact, I would argue that the overwhelming majority of parents with disabled children dedicate their lives and all their resources to their care--and like Mr Denver, they do it alone and without any help.

reply
CAPISCE to murray.... 2012/11/16 21:34:18

They probably would have had an abortion if they knew----people suck---Bob Denver is/was cool

reply
thє вlu... to murray.... 2012/11/17 10:35:37
««Gingey, the Master Debate... 2012/11/16 20:41:14

Lucille Ball

+2
Her and her sexy husband!

I love the episode where they go to France and she unknowingly gets counterfeit Francs, and the police officer only speaks French, so they get an officer that speaks French and German, a drunk that speaks German and Spanish, and Ricky who speaks Spanish and English just to translate for Lucy, lol!

reply
Swartzy 2012/11/16 20:15:35

Bill Cosby

+3

reply
COMALite J to Swartzy 2012/11/17 07:51:23

reply
Swartzy to COMALite J 2012/11/17 23:58:15

Oh my goodness, that's a classic!

reply
COMALite J to Swartzy 2012/11/18 03:01:49 (edited)

+1
Yeah! And did you notice, not a single bit of profanity or vulgarity? How many of today’s comedians can be that funny without resorting to that sort of thing?

Cosby wasn’t the only classic comedian that could do hilarious comedy about dentists. Here’s a roughly equally funny skit involving two great comedians from The Carol Burnett Show. Watch how the late, great Harvey Korman couldn’t keep from laughing at Tim Conway’s antics:

reply
Swartzy to COMALite J 2012/11/20 15:02:01

Ah, that's good stuff. One of my favorite "clean" comedians today is Jim Gaffigan. Have you heard his stuff?

reply
COMALite J to Swartzy 2012/12/01 07:33:41

+1
Not yet. Thanks for turning me on to him, though! I’ll definitely check him out on your recommendation!

reply
PattyM to COMALite J 2012/11/20 18:34:23

There were some truly hysterical moments on that show. Several of their sketches had me laughing till tears ran down my face.

Does anyone remember the soap opera parody they did? "As the Stomach Turns"? One of my favorite ongoing bits. Wonderful stuff.

reply
COMALite J to PattyM 2012/12/01 07:34:43 (edited)

Yes. Do you remember “Went With the Wind”? It had one of the very funniest moments in TV history, right up there with WKRP in Cincinnati’s ending line to the “Turkey Drop” Thanksgiving episode!

reply
retrograve 2012/11/16 20:13:51

Bea Arthur

+3
:< No Andy Griffith, no Don Knotts?

reply
Sir Bud 2012/11/16 20:12:43

Alan Alda

+2

reply
cinbadl to Sir Bud 2012/11/18 18:45:21
Sir Bud to cinbadl 2012/11/18 21:31:02

+2
And with such a nice a comment like that-he was obviously mistaken.

reply
cents-less 2012/11/16 20:07:19

Henry Winkler

+2
I always liked the Fonz.

reply
nightcrawler2005 2012/11/16 19:58:28

Lucille Ball

+2
It would still have to be Lucille Ball, Phil Silvers second the most of the rest are good but I never liked Alan Alda and Bea Arthur's voice always grated on my nerves a bit.

reply
cinbadl 2012/11/16 19:56:52
COMALite J to cinbadl 2012/11/18 03:10:22 (edited)

reply
cinbadl to COMALite J 2012/11/18 18:44:16
Drummerboy 2012/11/16 19:50:49
Mike 2012/11/16 19:26:07

Bill Cosby

+1

reply