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David Nelson, the last surviving family member from the 1950′s US sitcom ‘The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet’, has died aged 74.
The actor-turned-director died at his Los Angeles home of colon cancer – a family spokesman said.
Nelson starred in the real-life sitcom which featured his parents (bandleader Ozzie Nelson and singer Harriet Hilliard) and his brother Rick.
The TV show ran in the US for 435 episodes from 1952 – 1966.
The family show began on the radio as Here Come the Nelsons in 1944 before transferring to the small screen.
It became something of a national institution, depicting an idealised version of American family life with some of the storylines taken from the stars’ own lives.

David Nelson.

David Nelson, who starred on his parents’ popular television show ‘The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet’, died Tuesday, a family spokesman said. He was 74.
Nelson died at his home in the Century City area of Los Angeles after battling complications of colon cancer – said family spokesman and longtime Hollywood publicist Dale Olson.
Nelson was the last remaining member of the Nelsons TV family, which included actor/bandleader Ozzie, his singer wife, Harriet Hilliard and his teen idol brother Rick. The show originated on radio in 1952 as ‘Here Come the Nelsons’, then ran for 320 episodes on TV from 1952 to 1966 as ‘The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet’ with some of the story lines taken from the stars’ own lives. David Nelson also directed and produced numerous episodes of the show throughout its run.
The show was shot in the Nelson family home in the Hollywood foothills, which remains a popular attraction for visitors on Hollywood celebrity bus tours.

‘The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet’ began on radio in 1944, focusing on the home life of bandleader Ozzie Nelson and his vocalist wife, Harriet Hilliard.
In 1949, the popular show became a true family affair when 12-year-old David and 8-year-old Ricky replaced the child actors who had been portraying them on radio.
‘The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet’ moved to television three years later, debuting on ABC in October 1952.
When the series ended in 1966 after 435 episodes, it had become the longest-running family situation comedy in TV history (as well as serving as the launch pad and showcase for teen idol Rick Nelson’s singing career).
In the process of playing fictionalized versions of themselves on television each week for 14 years, David and Rick Nelson literally grew up in front of millions of Americans.
Indeed, after David and Rick were married in the early 60′s, their wives (first David’s wife, actress June Blair, and then Rick’s wife, the former Kris Harmon) became their TV wives.
The blurring of what was real and what was not real caused confusion in some viewers’ minds.