Who’s Still Alive From Vega$? Why the Robert Urich Series Ended

VEGA$, (aka VEGAS), Robert Urich, 1978-81. — Everett Collection

Vega$ was the quintessential ’70s crime drama. Set in Las Vegas, the show featured private-eye mysteries, a cool car, and Robert Urich as Dan Tanna, the detective who worked out of a converted warehouse near the Strip. The ABC series began with a pilot movie on April 25, 1978, before becoming a weekly series that September. It was produced by Aaron Spelling Productions and created by Michael Mann, years before Mann became closely associated with Miami Vice. The show ran for three seasons and aired its final episode on June 3, 1981.

The series was great for Urich, who earned two Golden Globe nominations for playing Dan Tanna, but it did not continue past the 1980-81 season, likely due to declining viewership and the high costs of filming in Las Vegas. Interestingly enough, Las Vegas may soon be back at the center of another glossy TV drama, as Netflix is developing The Roman, a present-day casino-world series starring Oscar Isaac and executive-produced by Martin Scorsese.

In honor of the show that fans feel was canceled too soon, let’s find out which stars are still alive and pay tribute to those we’ve lost.

Bart Braverman as Bobby “Binzer” Borso

VEGAS, (aka VEGA$), Bart Braverman, (1980), 1978-1991

Alice Hall/TV Guide/ABC/Everett Collection

Bart Braverman, 80, played Bobby “Binzer” Borso, Tanna’s assistant and one of the show’s most recognizable supporting characters. Braverman had been acting since childhood and appeared on I Love Lucy under the name Bart Bradley. After Vega$, he continued working steadily on television, with credits including The New Odd Couple, Match Game, The Facts of Life, Murder, She Wrote, The Mentalist, Dexter, and Shameless.

He appears to have largely stepped away from acting in recent years.

Judy Landers as Angie Turner

VEGA$, (aka VEGAS), from left: Judy Landers, Robert Urich, 1978-81.

Everett Collection

Judy Landers, 67, played Angie Turner during the first season of Vega$. Angie was another of Tanna’s assistants. Landers went on to become a familiar TV face in the late ’70s and ’80s. She appeared on B.J. and the Bear, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Happy Days, The Jeffersons, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, CHiPs, The Fall Guy, and Night Court. She is also the sister of actress Audrey Landers, and the two later worked together on family projects, including The Huggabug Club and The Treehouse Club.

In Memoriam

Robert Urich played Dan Tanna, the private detective. He died on April 16, 2002, at age 55 after battling cancer.

Phyllis Davis played Beatrice Travis, Tanna’s glamorous assistant. She died on September 27, 2013, at age 73 from cancer.

Greg Morris played Lt. David Nelson, one of the law enforcement figures connected to Tanna’s investigations. Morris died on August 27, 1996, at age 62 from cancer.

Tony Curtis played Philip “Slick” Roth, the casino owner. He died on September 29, 2010, at age 85 following cardiac arrest.

Naomi Stevens played Sgt. Bella Archer during the first season of Vega$. She died on January 13, 2018, at age 92.

Will Sampson played Harlon Twoleaf, Tanna’s friend and occasional helper. He died on June 3, 1987, at age 53, after complications following a heart-lung transplant.