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KANE & ABEL/1985 (Mini-series)
*(Peter Strauss) Abel Rosnovski, a wealthy businessman who created the world’s
largest chain of hotels. Before coming to New York, Able [born in the Polish
countryside] spent many years working in Siberian prison camp. Able now
struggles to maintain his business empire while doing battle with William Kan, a
wealthy Bostonian and Wall Street banker. Abel’s relatives include Alberta
Watson as Zofia Rosnovski; and Kate McNeil as Florentyna Rosnovski.
KAZ/CBS/1978-79
*(Ron Liebman) Martin "Kaz" Kazinsky, an ex-cop, ex-auto thief, who passes the
bar exam and begins his career as an attorney at the Los Angeles law firm of
Bennett, Rheinhart and Alquist.
KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER/ABC/1974-75
*(Darren McGavin) Carl Kolchak, a wisecracking journalist for the Chicago's
Independent News Service who usually returned from his assignments with
unbelievable tales of vampire, werewolves, etc.
LAVERNE & SHIRLEY/ABC/1976-83
**((Michael McMean) Lenny Kosnowski, Milwaukee brewery truck driver and dufus
sidekick of Squiggy Squiggman (David L. Lander) who lived in the same apartment
complex as brewery coworkers, Laverne DeFazio and Shirley Feeney. Lenny's family
surname "Kosnowski" translated into English means "Help! There is a hog in my
kitchen." His last name was "Kolowski" in earlier episodes.
THE LIBERACE SHOW/NBC/1952
*(Wladziu Valentino, a.k.a. Liberace) Liberace, popular pianist Wladziu
Valentino ("Lee" to his friends) who starred in this network musical variety
program. A syndicated version of the program was filmed from 1953-55; followed
by THE LIBERACE SHOW/ABC/1958-59; and then again he reappeared in his own CBS
network series in 1969. He often played the song "I'll Be Seeing You" as a
closing number. Liberace, earned his nickname "Mr. Showmanship" for his
flamboyant stage shows which included glittering wardrobes studded in sequins
and rhinestone-covered pianos. Liberace, a child prodigy, soloed at the age of
fifteen with the Chicago symphony orchestra. During the Depression, he played
his piano in nightclubs to help his family (using his first stage name of Buster
Keys).To give his act a little more class in the 1940s, he placed a candelabrum
on the top of his piano. The most flashy part of his act was his wardrobe.
Originally, he wore a tuxedo with tails and later dressed in a gold or plaid
jacket while performing. However, when his fans began to out dress him, not to
be outdone Liberace began wearing more and more outrageous costumes which
eventually became an expensive joke costing an average of $1,000,000 a year and
weighing in excess of 100 pounds a piece. But with a reported salary of $250,000
a week, he could afford it. Milton Berle recalled Liberace once saying that one
of his red glittering jackets was actually "20,000 fire flies in heat." Negative
critiques of his performances prompted Liberace to invent his now famous quote
"I cried all the way to the bank." Years later he remarked, "Remember the bank I
cried all the way to?...I bought it." Liberace debuted on local Los Angeles
television in 1951, followed by a summer musical variety series His last public
appearance was on the 1986 Christmas telecast of the syndicated talk show series
THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW. Liberace died in his favorite Palm Springs home on
February 4, 1987. The Riverside County coroner, Raymond Carrillo ruled his death
(originally listed as congestive heart failure brought on by inflammation of the
brain) as being due to complications brought on by the AIDS virus. Memorial
services were held at St. Anne's Catholic Church in Las Vegas (a town where he
often played to sold-out performances). His body was buried next to his mother,
Frances and brother, George in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles. In memory of
the ever-smiling performer whose appeal spanned all age groups, the Hollywood
Chamber of Commerce placed a wreath on Liberace's star on the Walk of Fame; and
the Palm Springs City Hall flew their flag at half mast. Artifacts of his career
are now displayed in The Liberace Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada.
M*A*S*H/CBS/1972-83
**(John Schuck) Captain Walter Koskiusko Waldowski, dentist stationed at the
4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital based in Korea during the Korean War.
Waldowski is nicknamed “The Painless Pole” and widely known as the ‘the
best-equipped dentist in the Army.” This Polish character although appearing in
the 1970 Robert Altman film M*A*S*H never made it to the TV series spin-off. In
the film he planned to commit suicide when he believed he was experiencing
“latent homosexuality” after not being able to “get it on” with an Army nurse.
MAN WITH A CAMERA/ABC/1958-60
*(Charles Bronson) Mike Kovac, New York City photographer working freelance for
newspapers, insurance companies, etc. who helped the police solve crimes. Other
cast included Ludwig Stossel as Anton Kovac, Mike's father. Ludwig Stossel is
remembered for his of character "The Little Old Wine Maker" the sweet little old
spokesman for Italian Swiss Colony wine who dressed in an Alpine hat and
lederhosen in a series of TV commercials in the 1960s.
MATT HELM/ABC/1975-76
*(Lariane Stephens) Claire Kronski, an attractive private practice attorney
working for Matt Helm, a former intelligence agent turned private eye. Matt once
described Claire as "the most honest lawyer who ever lived, but one of the
sneakiest people I have ever known."
MY SO-CALLED LIFE/MTV/1994-95
**(Devon Odessa)Sharon Cherski, a student at Liberty High School. Considered to
be "Miss Perfect" by her classmates [also voted "Best Hooters" in the sophomore
class], Sharon loves to wear pink colors and is involved in a number of
extra-curricular activities including playing the Oboe, working on the school
yearbook, Teen Hotline volunteer and organizer of the World Happiness Dance.
Sharon is also the former best friend and Girl Scout buddy of Angela Chase
[whose taken up with a wilder crowd]. Sharon's family includes her father Andy;
and mother Sharon [into handcuffs and sex videos] who is the best friend of
Angela's mother, Patty. Sharon later made up with Angela after Andy's heart
attack and became a friend of Rayanne Marie Graff [voted "Most Slut Potential"
in the sophomore class]. Sharon is also a friend of Delia Fisher, a new student
and yearbook staffer who has a crush on Ricky Vasquez, a gay student.
MY TWO DADS/NBC/1987-90
**(Dick Butkus) Ed Klawicki, a former football player of Polish descent who
operated a local diner located in the lobby of an apartment in New York City.
NYPD BLUE/ABC/1994-2005
*(Dennis Franz/costar) Detective Andy Sipowicz, a dedicated homicide detective
of Polish descent working in a busy downtown New York City police station. He
married an attorney of Greek descent. Andy leads a tragic life. He is a
recovering alcoholic, his only son Andy, Jr. died in the line of duty (killed
during a robbery); his second wife, Sylvia was shot and killed in the court
house. His partner Bobby Simone died of a heart condition, His next partner,
Danny Sorenson was killed during an undercover assignment. The only sunshine in
his life is his son, Theo (Sylvia's child).
NORTHERN EXPOSURE/CBS/1990-95
**(Diane Delano) Sgt. Barbara Semanski, a burly Polish-American Alaskan state
trooper who was a staunch protector of justice. Her extreme rigidity with
following the letter of the law compromised her affections with a local
entrepreneur (He cheated the IRS) who had the hots for her large blonde
Amazonian body.
PLAYERS/NBC/1997-98
*(Mia Korf/costar) Christine Kowalski, Special FBI agent coordinating the
efforts of three ex-cons recruited by FBI experimental unit that uses streetwise
felons to bring down criminals in high-risk undercover scams. Despite her last
name the Christine facial features reveal some Asian ancestry as well.
RAVEN/CBS/1992
*(Lee Majors/costar) Herman “Ski” Jablonski, a security analyst (and former
special forces agent) of Polish descent who came to aid of friend Jonathan
Raven, a former ninja turned private eye based on Oahu, Hawaii. Ski loves
pastrami. He also has a fondness for weapons: he carries four guns, brass
knuckles and a knife for protection.
RIPTIDE/NBC/1984-86
*(Thom Bray) Murray Bozinski, a bumbling electronics genius and computer whiz
(the creator of "Roboz," the robot) who assisted the California-based private
detectives, Nick Ryder and Cody Allen.
THE SIX O'CLOCK FOLLIES/NBC/1980
**(Philip Charles MacKenzie) Midas Metcovich, hustling US Army Specialist of
Polish heritage stationed in Saigon, Vietnam in 1967. He owns the local bar
called the Midas Bar and is the television director for “The AFVN News and
Sports”, a six O’clock news program produced by the Armed Forces Vietnam
Network.
STAND BY YOUR MAN/FOX/1992
*(Rick Hall/costar) Artie Popowski, a Polish-American patio furniture salesman
whose job is a front for illegal business operations. When he gets arrested, he
is sentenced to eight years in the New Jersey Penitentiary (prison number:
01832). His wife Lorraine Popowski (Rosie O’Donnell) works as a stock clerk at
Bargain Circus and lived in a mobile home at the Camelot Court Trailer Park
before moving in with her sister-in-law Rochelle Dumphy whose husband (also
incarcerated) assisted Artie in the criminal activities.
STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION/SYN/1987-94
**(Diana Muldaur) Dr. Katherine Pulaski, the chief medical officer aboard the
USS Enterprise-D stationed in the Alpha Quadrant. She replaced Dr. Beverly
Crusher after she accepted an assignment as Head of Starfleet Medical in 2365
[Beverly returned a year later and Pulaski departed].
WELCOME BACK, KOTTER/ABC-1975-79
*(Melonie Haller) Angie Globagoski, a female student at James Buchanan High
School in Brooklyn who belonged to a group of hardcore underachievers known as
“Sweathog” [introduced in January 1978.]
A
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