Jackie Gleason - On Television

On Television

A television movie called Gleason was aired by CBS on October 13, 2002, taking a deeper look into Gleason's life; although it took liberties with some of the Gleason story, it featured his troubled home life (a side of Gleason that few had previously known). The film also showed backstage scenes from his best-known work. Brad Garrett of Everybody Loves Raymond portrayed Gleason after Mark Addy dropped out. Garrett was made up to resemble Gleason in his prime. His height—6 feet 8 inches (2.03 m), about 8 inches (20 cm) taller than Gleason—created logistical problems on the sets, which were designed so Garrett did not tower over everyone else. Cast members wore platform shoes when standing next to him; the shoes can be seen on Alice in one shot during a Honeymooners sequence.

In 2003, after an absence of more than 30 years, the color musical versions of The Honeymooners from the 1960s Jackie Gleason Show in Miami Beach were returned to television on the GoodLife TV (now ALN) cable network. In 2005, a movie version of The Honeymooners appeared in theaters with a twist: a primarily African-American cast, headed by Cedric the Entertainer. This version, however, bore only a passing resemblance to Gleason's original series and was panned by critics.

Actor-playwright Jason Miller, Gleason's former son-in-law, was writing a screenplay based on Gleason's life that was to star Paul Sorvino at the time of Miller's death. Gleason's daughter, Linda Miller, was also an actress.

Sean Cullen played a small role as Gleason in the 2002 made-for-TV movie Martin and Lewis.