By Michele Harris
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Florence Henderson, one of America’s best-loved entertainers, is back on television in Living Live! a daily, live program on Retirement Living TV.

Henderson and cohost Meshach Taylor (best known from the hit comedy series Designing Women) welcome celebrity guests and explore the issues and ideas impacting older Americans.

Sharing the vision
When RLTV offered Henderson the chance to host its newest program, she couldn’t resist, especially once she had an opportunity to speak with RLTV founder John Erickson about the channel’s commitment to empowering America’s older generation.

“Mr. Erickson told me  how he felt about the over 50 population, and I agreed,” Henderson says. “I’ve always felt that we are under-appreciated and underserved. I’ve always wanted to do a talk show about looking good and feeling good and that’s what this show is.”

No stranger to the rigors of early morning live TV, Henderson was a “Today Girl” on the Today Show back in the late ‘50s and more recently hosted Later Today. Even though it meant returning to pre-dawn wakeup calls, Henderson couldn’t pass up the opportunity to host what she describes as her dream show. “I thought this is something I really want do. Living Live! is informative; it’s entertaining. It’s a show I’m very proud of.”

Early experience on live television
Best known for her role as Carol Brady on The Brady Bunch, Henderson has had a long and varied career. “Early on, I got into television,” she says. “I did everything, starting with Th e Ed Sullivan Show, then game shows like Password and Match Game. I did The Jack Parr Show and Th e Dean Martin Show.

“In those days, we had so many opportunities to gain experience and work with wonderful people. You learned to think on your feet because in live television you don’t get a second crack at it,” she adds.