2015 deaths in American television
Date Name Age Notability
January 1 Donna Douglas 82 Actress , singer , and children 's book author , best known as Elly May Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies ( other credits include playing the key character in The Twilight Zone episode Eye of the Beholder , Love , American Style , Hee Haw and The Nanny )
January 2 Robert Magruder 82 American actor and television/radio voiceover personality , known for his narration of the filmed investigations on Cheaters
January 4 Stuart Scott 49 ESPN personality ( anchor of SportsCenter , studio host for NFL and NBA coverage on both ESPN and ABC )
January 8 Patsy Garrett 93 American actress
January 8 Rod Taylor 84 Australian-born American actor ( Credits include Hong Kong , Bearcats ! , and The Oregon Trail )
January 9 Bud Paxson 80 American radio and television owner and executive ( founder of WNYP-TV / Jamestown , New York , Home Shopping Network , Paxson Communications and PAX TV )
January 10 George Dickerson 81 American actor
January 10 Taylor Negron 57 American actor , comedian , playwright , poet , and painter ( Credits includes regular roles in So Little Time and Smart Guy ; guest roles in Seinfeld , Friends , and Curb Your Enthusiasm )
January 12 Darrell Winfield 85 Model and rancher known as the Marlboro Man in the 1960-1980s
January 13 H. Wesley Kenney 89 American producer and director , was executive producer for Days of Our Lives ( 1977-1979 , also directed from 1968 to 1979 ) ; The Young and the Restless ( 1982-1987 ) ; General Hospital ( 1987-1989 , was also head writer briefly during the 1988 WGA strike ) ; and directed episodes of All in the Family
January 15 Sid Smith 93 American director and producer ( All Star Revue , The Colgate Comedy Hour , The Jimmy Durante Show , The Ray Anthony Show and The Bell Telephone Hour ) and several Bob Hope specials
January 17 Don Harron 90 Canadian actor , writer , and radio personality ( best known for appearances as Charlie Farquharson on Hee Haw )
January 17 Greg Plitt 37 American fitness model and actor ( starred in the Bravo series Work Out )
January 18 Tony Verna 81 Producer/director ( notably with CBS Sports and live events including Live Aid ) and inventor of instant replay
January 19 Walter Peregoy 89 American animator
January 20 Bette Rogge 92 Talk show host
January 22 Peggy Charren 86 Children 's television advocate and co-founder of Action for Children 's Television
January 23 Barrie Ingham 82 English actor
January 24 Joe Franklin 88 Host of The Joe Franklin Show , the longest continuously running talk show in television history , from 1950 to 1993
January 26 Stephen R. Johnson 62 American director , animator and writer , directed episodes of Pee-Wee 's Playhouse
January
The following deaths of notable individuals related to American television occurred in 2015.