R.I.P. Stephen Strimpell aka Mr. Terrific - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

sbeamish · 08-13-2006, 03:52 PM

Last night, on another TV website, a user expressed to me regret over the recent passing of Stephen Strimpell: the star of the short lived, virtually lost sitcom Mr. Terrific.

This was quite a shock. After nearly 39 years I had finally written a fan letter to Strimpell this past January, and he was kind enough to send me a nice, friendly response. I had heard nothing about his death.

I did some online searching and found two references supporting the other user's claim. IMDB says that he died on April 16,2006. The Columbia College site says April 10.

I suppose it must be true, and I'm heart broken about it. During my obsessive search for episodes of MT these past few years, I've become very close to Stanley Beamish/Mr. Terrific.

I can only hope that, somewhere, Stanley is taking his power pill, flapping his arms, and flying off to save the day.

Goodbye, Stephen. Those of us who remember will miss you.

TV Knowledge Fan · 08-13-2006, 04:10 PM

.....if I wasn't watching "I DREAM OF JEANNIE" at 8pm(et) Monday nights in early 1967, I was watching Stephen Strimpell.

For those of you who didn't know this, he got the show only because Alan Young didn't want to play "Stanley". Only 17 episodes were produced, and THEN, because MCA/Universal never believed in wasting ANY of their "one-season wonders" in the vaults, they stitched four episodes together, minus the laugh tracks- with new transition footage featuring John McGiver and Paul Smith- and released it theatrically [primarily in Europe, but received some distribution here] in 1968 as "The Pill Caper"...which then found its way into MCA-TV's movie packages for TV in the '70s. THAT is how most people remember "MR. TERRIFIC" today. Stephen Strimpell never starred in another series again, although he did turn up in some supporting roles and commercials over the years. I believe it was the curse of being "Mr. Terrific" that ruined his acting career. A shame....

Lamont · 08-13-2006, 06:59 PM

a great show

i traded for a handful of the eps in GERMAN

and even though my german is REALLL bad now

i can still follow the plot
and love it!

EmpressDR · 12-15-2006, 10:13 PM

I loved the series very much. It's sad that Strimple's career got pole-axed.

Dick Gautier was the "handsome best friend" of Mr. Terrific. I once emailed him, after I found his website, and sent him an ecard that was funny, and he sent me a reply thanking me for giving him a laugh, when he was suffering with a cold.
Sadly, he wouldn't reply to any other emails I sent, I guess he worried about getting too familiar with an e-correspondant

The card was a good one --it had a horny man at a party with his whole body covered in mistletoe! Dick said he'd have to get a suit of leaves just like that!

Troi Tribble · 01-07-2007, 09:12 PM

I am sorry to hear that guy died. I want to see the whole "Mr. Terrific" series, but it is hard to get. People just have one or 2 eps. I have the whole "Captain Nice" show, though.

sbeamish · 01-08-2007, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Troi Tribble

I am sorry to hear that guy died. I want to see the whole "Mr. Terrific" series, but it is hard to get. People just have one or 2 eps. I have the whole "Captain Nice" show, though.

Yes, I've heard that Captain Nice did pop up in syndication from time to time.

Aside from two edited episodes that TVLand ran a few years back, Mr. Terrific doesn't appear to have been run at all since 1967. (Not here in the states, anyway.)

Scoobiedoo30 · 01-08-2007, 10:52 PM

Rest in Peace Stephen

neuroslicer · 05-14-2007, 09:49 AM

I recently posted an excerpt from Stanley the Safecracker on youtube.com, and someone left a comment that other MT episodes had been posted on the usenet forum. (a.b.multimedia.comedy). I could not find them there, so I thought I'd check here to see if anyone else had found them.
Jay

sbeamish · 05-14-2007, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neuroslicer

I recently posted an excerpt from Stanley the Safecracker on youtube.com, and someone left a comment that other MT episodes had been posted on the usenet forum. (a.b.multimedia.comedy). I could not find them there, so I thought I'd check here to see if anyone else had found them.
Jay

Please keep us posted. I don't belong to usenet, and I'm hesitant to join unless I know for sure that Mr. Terrific is there. (I did see your posts on youtube, though. They look great.)

neuroslicer · 05-17-2007, 11:46 PM

The two episodes this poster was referring to were the two already in circulation: Matchless and Stanley the Safecracker

sbeamish · 05-19-2007, 05:39 PM

Hey, speaking of youtube, did you see the other little Mr. Terrific treat on there?

Back in December, somebody posted a cool German trailer (or TV spot) for a 1991 airing of Mr. Terrific. Ofcourse it's listed under the German title, "Immer, wenn er Pillen nahm."

Can somebody download this onto a DVD?

Scoobiedoo30 · 05-19-2007, 08:01 PM

Stephen will be very missed

neuroslicer · 05-30-2007, 05:29 PM

Eureka!

sbeamish · 05-30-2007, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neuroslicer

Eureka!

LOL!

08-13-2006, 03:52 PM	#1
sbeamish Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 28, 2004 Location: Staten Island, NY Posts: 296	R.I.P. Stephen Strimpell aka Mr. Terrific Last night, on another TV website, a user expressed to me regret over the recent passing of Stephen Strimpell: the star of the short lived, virtually lost sitcom Mr. Terrific. This was quite a shock. After nearly 39 years I had finally written a fan letter to Strimpell this past January, and he was kind enough to send me a nice, friendly response. I had heard nothing about his death. I did some online searching and found two references supporting the other user's claim. IMDB says that he died on April 16,2006. The Columbia College site says April 10. I suppose it must be true, and I'm heart broken about it. During my obsessive search for episodes of MT these past few years, I've become very close to Stanley Beamish/Mr. Terrific. I can only hope that, somewhere, Stanley is taking his power pill, flapping his arms, and flying off to save the day. Goodbye, Stephen. Those of us who remember will miss you.

08-13-2006, 04:10 PM	#2
TV Knowledge Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 29, 2006 Location: Long Branch, N.J. Posts: 2,577	I, too, remember "MR. TERRIFIC".... .....if I wasn't watching "I DREAM OF JEANNIE" at 8pm(et) Monday nights in early 1967, I was watching Stephen Strimpell. For those of you who didn't know this, he got the show only because Alan Young didn't want to play "Stanley". Only 17 episodes were produced, and THEN, because MCA/Universal never believed in wasting ANY of their "one-season wonders" in the vaults, they stitched four episodes together, minus the laugh tracks- with new transition footage featuring John McGiver and Paul Smith- and released it theatrically [primarily in Europe, but received some distribution here] in 1968 as "The Pill Caper"...which then found its way into MCA-TV's movie packages for TV in the '70s. THAT is how most people remember "MR. TERRIFIC" today. Stephen Strimpell never starred in another series again, although he did turn up in some supporting roles and commercials over the years. I believe it was the curse of being "Mr. Terrific" that ruined his acting career. A shame....

08-13-2006, 06:59 PM	#3
Lamont Lamont says Smile! Forum Veteran Join Date: May 28, 2005 Location: Deep in the Heart of Nowhere Posts: 5,217	a great show i traded for a handful of the eps in GERMAN and even though my german is REALLL bad now i can still follow the plot and love it!
	__________________ I have not been trading for some time now, so please do not ask---- sorry, i cannot help you!

12-15-2006, 10:13 PM	#4
EmpressDR Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Mar 22, 2004 Location: California Posts: 279	Mr Terrific I loved the series very much. It's sad that Strimple's career got pole-axed. Dick Gautier was the "handsome best friend" of Mr. Terrific. I once emailed him, after I found his website, and sent him an ecard that was funny, and he sent me a reply thanking me for giving him a laugh, when he was suffering with a cold. Sadly, he wouldn't reply to any other emails I sent, I guess he worried about getting too familiar with an e-correspondant The card was a good one --it had a horny man at a party with his whole body covered in mistletoe! Dick said he'd have to get a suit of leaves just like that!

01-08-2007, 10:52 PM	#7
Scoobiedoo30 Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Jun 27, 2002 Location: KENNER, LOUISIANA Posts: 27,654	Rest in Peace Stephen
	__________________ Who Dat

01-07-2007, 09:12 PM	#5
Troi Tribble Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 19, 2006 Posts: 316	I am sorry to hear that guy died. I want to see the whole "Mr. Terrific" series, but it is hard to get. People just have one or 2 eps. I have the whole "Captain Nice" show, though.

05-14-2007, 09:49 AM	#8
neuroslicer Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Sep 01, 2004 Posts: 85	the lost episodes on usenet? I recently posted an excerpt from Stanley the Safecracker on youtube.com, and someone left a comment that other MT episodes had been posted on the usenet forum. (a.b.multimedia.comedy). I could not find them there, so I thought I'd check here to see if anyone else had found them. Jay

05-17-2007, 11:46 PM	#10
neuroslicer Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Sep 01, 2004 Posts: 85	The two episodes this poster was referring to were the two already in circulation: Matchless and Stanley the Safecracker

05-19-2007, 05:39 PM	#11
sbeamish Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 28, 2004 Location: Staten Island, NY Posts: 296	Hey, speaking of youtube, did you see the other little Mr. Terrific treat on there? Back in December, somebody posted a cool German trailer (or TV spot) for a 1991 airing of Mr. Terrific. Ofcourse it's listed under the German title, "Immer, wenn er Pillen nahm." Can somebody download this onto a DVD?

05-19-2007, 08:01 PM	#12
Scoobiedoo30 Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Jun 27, 2002 Location: KENNER, LOUISIANA Posts: 27,654	Stephen will be very missed

05-30-2007, 05:29 PM	#13
neuroslicer Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Sep 01, 2004 Posts: 85	The lost episodes Eureka!