Betty White

Comic actress Betty White had a strong television presence for over 50 years, both as a sitcom player and as an irreverent wit on scores of panel game shows. She was front and center at the birth of live television in the 1940s, serving as one of the medium's earliest female producers - in addition to making her mark as a comedienne on sitcoms and popular game shows that depended on a fast quip. White's regular appearances on the panels of "Liar's Club" and "Password" nearly eclipsed her acting work until a supporting role on the acclaimed sitcom "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" (CBS, 1970-77) reestablished her primetime presence, earning her an Emmy for her angelic-faced but bawdy "happy homemaker," Sue Ann Nivens. She went on to enjoy further sitcom successes with NBC's surprise gal pal hit, "The Golden Girls" (NBC, 1985-1992), where she offered up daffy naiveté as Rose Nylund. As White's status evolved into that of a revered pop culture icon, her razor wit was tapped nonstop for everything from "That '70s Show" (Fox, 1998-2006) and "Boston Legal" (ABC, 2004-09) to a Facebook-instigated hosting stint on "Saturday Night Live" (NBC, 1975- ), which made her one of the hippest octogenarians in small screen history. Like television comedian Lucille Ball and other timeless talents from the early days of television, White remained a relevant comedic force for decades and was destined to live on in rebroadcasts forever.