Patrick Swayze remembered

Following the passing of actor Patrick Swayze yesterday at the age of 57 after a 20-month battle with pancreatic cancer, the actor best known for his blockbuster films Dirty Dancing and Ghost will be remembered through specials and tributes on television:swayze-walters

Patrick Swayze: Last Dance ABC, Sept. 15 at 10pm ET. Taped in December 2008, this Barbara Walters special originally aired in January 2009 (called Patrick Swayze: The Truth) — nearly a year after Swayze was first diagnosed — and was his final television interview. From their California ranch, Swayze and his wife, Lisa Niemi, spoke about the diagnosis, his brave battle and how they were continuing to live life. New to the hourlong special are audio excerpts from Swayze’s autobiography, The Time of My Life, which he just completed three weeks ago.

BIO Remembers: Patrick Swayze A&E, Sept. 16 at 10pm ET/PT. The Biography special looks back at the life of the actor and dancer, who had continued working despite his diagnosis, most recently starring in the series The Beast for A&E. This special also airs on BIO Channel Sept. 17 at 10pm ET.

Speaking of The Beast, A&E will be airing a marathon of the series on Sept. 16 from 2-6pm ET/PT, with an encore at 11pm ET.

On Sept. 17 at 9pm ET, Style Network will be airing the Swayze episode of The E! True Hollywood Story.

Encore shows three Swayze flicks this Saturday, Sept. 19, starting at 8pm ET. City of Joy kicks things off, followed by Youngblood, and Point Break.

Also on Saturday, Sept. 19, Spike will be airing Swayze’s 1989 action cult classic Road House. It’s normally not huge news that this film is actually playing on a Saturday night somewhere, but this showing, at 10pm ET, will include a special short tribute to the actor. In certain circles it’s probably this film for which Swayze may be most remembered — it’s kind of the ultimate guilty-pleasure guy’s movie, filled with classically cool one-liners and plenty of fighting, one of those B movies that you just can’t click away from when you happen upon it while channel-surfing. And Swayze proved to be just as tough, brave, and perhaps as philosophical as his character Dalton while he fought what must have been a very painful illness, surviving far longer than many thought — even though pain really does hurt.

On Sept. 23 at 8pm ET on ABC, the season premiere of the Dancing With the Stars Results Show will feature a special tribute to Swayze (who made a guest appearance on the competition show’s first season while attempting to teach John O’Hurley lifts). Ten professional dancers will take to the stage and perform in a three-song medley: Swayze’s “She’s Like the Wind”; “Unchained Melody” from Ghost; and the classic “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” from Dirty Dancing. Cheryl Burke, Dimitri Chaplin, Tony Dovolani, Chelsie Hightower, Jonathan Roberts and Anna Trebunskaya, alongside Maksim Chermkovskiy, Anna Demidova, Louis Van Amstel and Edyta Sliwinska will perform.

There will likely be other tributes and movie marathons as the week progresses, as Swayze was very likable, fun, kind, athletic, sexy and actually a good actor. He brought something for everyone, the kind of guy who could be appreciated by both the “chick flick” crowd and the “ass-kicking movie” contingent. He’ll be missed.

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Photo credit: Ron Tom/ABC