Entertainment

7 TV Shows You Totally Forgot Doris Roberts Was In

by Jefferson Grubbs

The world was saddened when TMZ reported that legendary comedian Doris Roberts had passed away Sunday, April 17 at the age of 90. Millions of people all over the country fell in love with the hilarious actor thanks to her performance as controlling but loving mother Marie Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond , that classic NBC sitcom. From 1996 to 2005, over the course of nine seasons and 210 episodes, viewers everywhere felt like they got to know Roberts — which explains why her death was such an upsetting one for so many people. But Everybody Loves Raymond is far from the only credit on Roberts' resumé; in fact, she was in a lot of your favorite TV shows from the '90s and '00s… even if you don't remember her.

True, Marie is without a doubt Roberts' iconic role. She was nominated for a Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Emmy seven times for the nine years the show was on the air, ultimately taking home four trophies. (She also won a Screen Actors Guild Award for the same role.) But even while she was busy filming 20+ episodes per season of that series, she still found time to drop by the following seven shows, among others:

1. Full House (1989)

OK, so this episode technically aired in the '80s, but barely, and it was too good not to include. Roberts guest starred in the Season 3 episode "Granny Tanny" as Danny Tanner's grandma Claire.

2. Murder, She Wrote (1990/1994)

Roberts actually guest starred on the classic Angela Lansbury mystery program twice — as two completely different characters, no less. First she appeared in the Season 6 episode "Shear Madness" as Helen Owens, and then again in the Season 11 episode "The Murder Channel" as Mrs. Leah Colfax.

3. Step By Step (1994)

Roberts continued her trend of dropping by sitcoms to play an elderly relative with the Season 4 holiday episode of this ABC show, "I'll Be Home For Christmas," in which she played crotchety Aunt Edna.

4. Aaahh!! Real Monsters (1997)

But Roberts' TV roles weren't limited to in-the-flesh appearances, either. She also lent her prolific voice talents to the likes of this creepy Nickelodeon cartoon, voicing two characters named Eunice and (appropriately enough) Doris in the Season 4 episodes "Watch The Watch" and "She Likes Me?"

5. The Wild Thornberrys (2000)

Roberts delivered another vocal performance to a second Nickelodeon 'toon, this time in the Season 3 episode "Critical Masai" as a character with the totally dignified name of Cow #1.

6. Lizzie McGuire (2003)

Again with the elderly relatives… This time, Roberts popped up on the Disney Channel to play Gordo's grandmother Ruth in the Season 2 episode "Grand Ole Grandma."

7. A Time To Remember (2003)

Of course, no resumé is complete without a sappy Hallmark Channel original movie or two. In this made-for-TV film with an inappropriately punny title, Roberts played a woman stricken by Alzheimer's whose daughter (Dana Delany) came to care for her on Thanksgiving Day.

There's no denying that the world has lost a great talent. Thank you, Doris Roberts, for making all of our favorite shows even more memorable.

Images: Disney Channel; CBS; The Hallmark Channel