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Actor James Sikking of "Hill Street Blues" and "Doogie Howser" Dies at 90
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Intermediate
Intermediate
FILE - Actor James Sikking poses for a photograph at the Los Angeles gala celebrating the 20th anniversary of the National Organization for Women, Dec. 1, 1986. Sikking, who starred as a hardened police lieutenant on “Hill Street Blues” and as the titular character's kindhearted dad on “Doogie Howser, M.D.,” has died of complications from dementia, his publicist Cynthia Snyder said in a statement Sunday, July 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Avery, File)

Actor James Sikking of "Hill Street Blues" and "Doogie Howser" Dies at 90

July 15th, 2024

James Sikking was a well-known actor who played a police lieutenant on a TV show called "Hill Street Blues" and a nice father on "Doogie Howser, M.D." He passed away at 90 years old because he had dementia. He was born in Los Angeles and he started acting in small movie parts and on TV shows. James became famous when he played in "Hill Street Blues" starting in 1981. This show was different and had exciting stories. He once got an Emmy nomination because he was so good in the show. James also appeared in a "Star Trek" movie but did not really like science fiction. After "Hill Street Blues," he acted on "Doogie Howser, M.D." and had other smaller acting roles. James liked acting and he also enjoyed doing charity work, like playing in golf events to help others. He was married, had two children, and four grandchildren. James loved being an actor and felt lucky in his life.
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💭 Discussion Questions


1
. What TV show made James Sikking famous?
2
. How old was James Sikking when he passed away?
3
. What did James Sikking do to help others?

📖 Vocabulary


🌐 Cultural context


James Sikking was an actor from the United States, where TV shows are a significant part of the culture. "Hill Street Blues" and "Doogie Howser, M.D." were popular in the 1980s and 1990s. "Star Trek" is a famous sci-fi series. In the US, actors often participate in charity.

🧠 Further reading


Chronic traumatic encephalopathy
There is a brain sickness called Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). CTE happens when someone hits their head many times. People with CTE can have trouble with their behavior, feelings, and thinking. Over time, they may even get dementia. CTE is often found in people who play sports like boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and football. It can also happen in sports like soccer from hitting the ball with the head. Soldiers or anyone who hits their head a lot might get CTE, too. Doctors can usually only be sure someone has CTE after they have died. There is no special medicine for CTE. People with CTE start to have problems like getting confused, feeling dizzy, and having headaches. Later, they may forget things, act without thinking, and have trouble making decisions. In the end, they can have a very hard time moving, speaking, and understanding what they see or hear. People have known about CBL for a long time—it used to be called "boxer’s dementia" or "punch drunk syndrome." Now, some people say we should change sports rules to help stop CTE from happening.

The Tomorrow People (American TV series)
There is a TV show about young people with special powers. These powers are because they are the next step in human growth. These special abilities include reading minds, moving to different places quickly, and moving things without touching them. They are called the Tomorrow People. The main character is Stephen. He is new to the group and he is looking for his dad who is very strong but missing. There is also a bad group called Ultra. They do not like the Tomorrow People and try to catch them. Stephen and his friends need to be careful to stay safe. The show started showing on TV in October 2013 and ended in May 2014. It was on once a week in the evening. But after one season, the show stopped.

Celebrity sex tape
Some people who are famous sometimes have private videos. These videos show them in adult situations and can get out to the public. This can happen by accident or on purpose. Sometimes, these videos can hurt a famous person's job, but other times they can make them more popular. Long ago, in 1988, a famous actor named Rob Lowe had a video like this that made people think less of him. Now, some famous people might let their videos out to get more attention or money. Others might try to stop the videos from being shared but can still get famous from them. A lady who was on a TV show for young mothers made a video with an actor and sold it. She said she did it because she was proud of her body. Also, a famous woman named Pamela Anderson had two videos that were shared with the public a long time ago. One video was with her husband from a trip they took, and another was with a singer from a band.