Slim Pickens

He was also much on TV, beginning in 1956 with episodic work and on the Disney limited series "The Saga of Andy Burnett" (1957). Pickens was "the town character" on "The Outlaws" (NBC, 1961-1962), and returned to his rodeo roots with appearances on "The Wide Country" (NBC, 1962-1963). He was army scout to "Custer" on the 1967 ABC series about the famed western general's early years. After more than a decade away from regular series work, Pickens played the corrupt Sgt. Wiley on the first season of "B.J. and the Bear" (NBC, 1979). He then returned to his country comedy roots doing two seasons on the syndicated "Hee Haw" from 1981-1983, simultaneously appearing on "The Nashville Palace" for NBC from 1981-1982. On the 1982 CBS sitcom "Filthy Rich," Pickens was seen on videotape, the dead patriarch of a unscrupulous gaggle of southerners. Each week (for the first episodes of the show) the tape was played and Pickens announced one more term of his will. Besides the regular series work, Pickens was a frequent guest star on other programs. He is memorable in a 1971 episode of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" (CBS), in which he was the eccentric, faux bronco-riding former movie cowboy star owner of WJM. Pickens also appeared in numerous TV movies, beginning with "Sam Hill: Who Killed the Mysterious Mr. Foster" (NBC, 1971), and running through "The House Possessed" for ABC in 1981.