Alan Thicke

Alan Thicke

Alan Thicke was a Canadian actor, songwriter, and game and talk show host. He was known for playing Dr. Jason Seaver on the 1980s sitcom Growing Pains. He co-wrote the theme songs for Diff’rent Strokes and The Facts of Life. In 2013, he was inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame.

About Alan Thicke in brief

Summary Alan ThickeAlan Thicke was a Canadian actor, songwriter, and game and talk show host. He was known for playing Dr. Jason Seaver on the 1980s sitcom Growing Pains. He also hosted a television version of the board game Pictionary in 1997. He co-wrote the theme songs for Diff’rent Strokes and The Facts of Life. In 2013, he was inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame. He is the father of singer Robin Thickes. He appeared as himself in the pilot episode of the sitcom Hangin’ with Mr. Hangin’, which was filmed on the same set as the growing Pains’ home on the set of the TV show. He has also appeared in two reunion TV movies, The Growing Pain’s Movie and Growing Pained: Return of the Seavers. He hosted a traveling dance show Dancing Pros Live which toured the United States. In 2004 he hosted the Miss Pageant in Canada in Toronto, which aired on the CBC.

In the early 2000s, he host the All New 3’s a Crowd on the Game Show Network. He wrote a number of TV game show themes, including The Wizard of Odds, The Joker’s Wild, Celebrity Sweepstakes, The Diamond Head Game, Animal Crack-Ups, Blank Check, Stumpers!, Whew!, and the original theme to Wheel of Fortune. He produced a variety of television shows, including Anne Murray Christmas specials for the CBC, beginning in the late 1970s. He hosted the Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade with Joan Lunden from 1983 to 1990, when he was succeeded by Regis Philbin. In 1989 he co-hosted a wide range of variety TV events with alumnus Andrea Martin on SCTV. In 1992, he appeared as the host of the opening of the SkyDome TV special of Canada on CBC in Toronto. He had a successful career as a TV theme song composer.