Classic casts reunite for TV Land Awards

Classic TV casts reunited for the ninth TV Land Awards, which celebrates favourite TV shows of yesteryear.

Gathered for the event were cast members from Welcome Back, Kotter, The Facts of Life, Family Ties and The Cosby Show.

The show kicked off with Liza Minnelli singing New York, New York. Other performances included an impromptu Higher Ground from Stevie Wonder, and Billy Vera singing At This Moment, made famous in Family Ties.

In attendance were Barbara Walters, Stevie Wonder, Ben Stiller, Jane Lynch, Paul Reiser, Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick, the cast of The Real Housewives of New York. The night also included a parody of The King’s Speech starring Susan Olsen aka Cindy Brady.

Both the casts of Welcome Back Kotter and The Facts of Life will also appear on Good Morning, America.

The tribute awards included the following:

35th ANNIVERSARY AWARD
Emmy® Award-winner Jane Lynch, whose own hit show “Glee” takes place at a high school, presented the cast of “Welcome Back, Kotter” with the 35th Anniversary Award. Golden Globe®-winner and two-time Academy Award® nominee John Travolta reunited with co-stars Gabe Kaplan, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, Robert Hegyes, Ellen Travolta and Marcia Strassman to accept the award for the popular edgy sitcom which ran from 1975-1979.

THE IMPACT AWARD
Presented by musical prodigy Stevie Wonder, The Impact Award is given to a show that offered both entertainment and enlightenment, with comedy that reflected reality. “The Cosby Show” cast – Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad, Tempestt Bledsoe, Sabrina LeBeauf, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Raven Symone, Geoffrey Owens and Malcolm-Jamal Warner – accepted the award.

THE LEGEND AWARD
A legend herself, Barbara Walters presented this award to Regis Philbin (“LIVE! with Regis and Kelly,” “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?”), whose career in television has spanned over 50 years and two Emmy® Awards.

THE MUSIC ICON AWARD
Popular television star Paul Reiser presented this award to “Rock ‘N Soul” pioneers and platinum recording artists Daryl Hall and John Oates. The duo received the award for their contribution to music, having sold over 60 million albums worldwide and eight number one singles throughout their long and successful careers. Daryl Hall and John Oates also performed three of their number one singles – “Rich Girl,” “Kiss on My List” and “You Make My Dreams.”

THE POP CULTURE AWARD
Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves and Wendie Malick – the stars of TV Land’s “Hot In Cleveland” – presented “The Facts of Life” cast, including Charlotte Rae, Mindy Cohn, Kim Fields, Nancy McKeon, Lisa Whelchel, Cloris Leachman and Geri Jewell, with The Pop Culture Award. Their memorable characters along with that catchy theme song made “The Facts of Life” soar to pop culture status in the 1980s.

THE FAN FAVORITE AWARD
The Fan Favorite Award was presented to the “Family Ties” cast by comedian extraordinaire Ben Stiller. The show won the hearts of viewers everywhere as the fictional Keaton family humorously struggled to deal with a new generation gap and political differences in the 1980s. Cast members Michael J. Fox, Michael Gross, Meredith Baxter, Justine Bateman, Tina Yothers, Tracy Pollan and Marc Price accepted, and singer Billy Vera gave a moving performance of “At This Moment.”

Source: TV by the Numbers