Looking back over the years I have realized that there’s a helluva difference between the way we treat movie stars as opposed to TV stars.  Well-loved movie stars can keep on working until parts start falling off, but TV stars often get just one single chance, and then they fade away.

Let’s take a walk through the past and I’ll show you what I mean.

Remember “Gunsmoke” and “Barney Miller”? They were two of the biggest hits ever on TV, but what happened to those famous stars once the series ended? James Arness never had another Matt Dillon role, and Amanda Blake never got to play a Miss Kitty again. Dennis Weaver did work after the series, but never reached the stardom he had as Chester. And what happened to Doc and Festus?

“Barney Miller” was one of the funniest shows ever, but I bet you can’t name a single member of that cast today. Hal Linden as Barney, Abe Vigoda as Fish, Max Gail as Wojo, and a dozen other regulars never again had a hit series.

Even the great Bill Cosby never had another hit after the blockbusting “Bill Cosby Show.” And Cliff Huxtable’s wife and all those daughters disappeared like smoke in a wind storm.

Remember “Hawaii Five-O”?  It ranked at the top for a long stretch, but can you name the stars? Poof, they were gone.

The “Mary Tyler Moore” show was one of America’s favorites for years, but when it ended most of the stars never had a hit show again — even Mary.  Ed Asner, Valerie Harper and Chloris Leachman all had series after “Mary,” but none became ratings champs again. Only Gavin MacCLeod, with ”Love Boat,” and Betty White hit the top again with “The Golden Girls”? — but the other three stars of Golden Girls didn’t ever get starring roles again.

The curse even applied to the fabulous “All in the Family.” When that show finally ended not one of it’s stars ever hit the top again. Carroll O’Connor, Jean Stapleton, Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers stayed in show business, but we never got to the top of the mountain again.

Remembed “The Waltons”? Again, for several seasons it was a show beloved by Americans — but most of those fickle Americans can’t recall the name of a single cast member today.  (Richard Thomas, Michael Learned, Ralph Waite, Will Geer, Ellen Corby and all those kids.)

The rule also applies to “MASH.” Alan Alda is still working, but he never matched Hawkeye again. And look what happened (or didn’t happen) to Wayne Rogers, McClean Stevenson, Harry Morgan, Loretta Swit, David Ogden Stiers and Larry Linville, not to mention Corporal Klinger, Father Mulchay and good old Radar.

What about another big hit, “Happy Days.”?  Ron Howard became a director,  but the Fonz and the rest of the famous cast fell away.

Remember what a blockbuster “Dallas” was? That cast was on top of the world during the show’s run — and haven’t had a meaty role since.

I loved “Taxi.” Danny Devito is still working,  but the rest of that cast disappeared. Andy Kaufman  (Latka) tried many weird roles to get back before his death, but the others never achieved real stardom again.

Look at the fine cast of  the long-running hit “Family Ties.”  Michael J.Fox was slowed by illness, but his show-biz mother, father and two sisters are seldom seen these days. (Meredith Baxter, Michael  Gross, Justine Bateman and Tina Yothers.)

Another fabulous comedy was “Cheers,” but it too got smacked with the curse. Ted Danson has had a few series since, but nothing even close to his role as Sam Malone.  Shelly Long, did such a good job as Diane  she decided to quit the show so she could become a famous movie star.  Zap — over the cliff to Flop City. Her replacement, Kirstie Alley, nibbled her way out of stardom. The actors who portrayed Norm and Cliff, the mailman, once starred in the bar where “everybody knew your name” but stardom never tickled their egos again.

Remember when “Miami Vice” swept the ratings charts? Boy, was that a hot show. Tell me the names of the two stars.

There was a time when the names of the cast of “L.A. Law” filled the Emmy nominations. What the hell happened to Corbin  Bernson, Jill Eikenberry, Richard Dysart and Susan Day? The whole cast was smacked by the curse.

There were three lovely ladies and one gent on “Designing Women.” But as soon as the show ended, so did the stardom of Dixie Carter, Delta Burke, Jean Smart and Meshak Taylor.

During it’s magnificent run the whole country talked about “Northern Exposure.”  But not one of that fine cast hit the big-time again.  Name one.

Candice Bergen is still at work, but she never again got as high as she was during “Murphy Brown,” and the rest of the popular cast might well live in China.

Dennis Franz, in the role of detective Andy Sipowitz, on “NYPD,” deserved every honor he got, and the entire cast kept that show on top for years. But once it ended, where the hell did they go? Franz has disappeared, Jimmy Smits has never reached that high again, and I don’t recall seeing Gordon Clapp, James McDaniel or Kim Delany since.

The curse even reached into outer space to zap “Star Trek.” Bill Shatner never got another role like Capt. Kirk (even in “Boston Lega”), and Leonard Nimoy and his pointy ears faded away. The rest of the huge cast the Enterprise just fell off the edge of the show business world.

Remember the great laughs from Helen Hunt and Paul Reiser in “Mad About You”? Long gone.

“Everybody Loved Raymond,” but that super cast dropped out of stardom as soon as it ended. Ray Romano is doing an excellent job in the new “Men of a Certain Age” series, but it’s not on the network, and will never get the huge audience that “Everybody” got.

One of my all-time favorite series was “West Wing.” It gathered Emmies and awards for years — and then it ended. So did the stardom of most of the cast. Martin Sheen, Stockard Channing, Allison Janney, Richard Schiff, and Bradley Whitford just drifted off to smaller roles.

Can you name the stars of “Get Smart”?  What about “Walker, Texas Ranger.”? “Sanford and Son”? “Lavern and Shirley”? “The Jeffersons”? “WKPR in Cincinnati”? “Different Strokes”? “The A Team”? “Night Court”? “Frasier”?  “Chicago Hope”? “Sea Hunt”? Buffy and her Vampire?

The three male stars of “Friends” might as well be plumbers.

“The Sopranos” was a show business wonder –but the cast will never see that stardom again. The same goes for the casts of “E.R.”, “Grey’s Anatomy,” “30 Rock” “Glee Club” “House” “Scrubs “The Shield” and even “Lost.”

I know there are exceptions to the “You Only Get One Chance” rule on TV, such as Michael Landon. He skipped from “Bonanza” to “Little House on the Prairie” to “Highway to Heaven” and would probably still be going strong if he were still still swith us.

It’s sad that so many talented actors no longer draw the adoration they once did, but you don’t have to feel too sorry for them. Most of them made enough money during their show’s long runs that they’ll never have to work again as long as they live.  I just heard that Charley Sheen makes $900,000 per eisode for “Two and a Half Men,” so even if his booze problems end his career, he won’t be on welfare.

Fight Forth!