Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Universal HD Short-Lived Series for June/July 2011 Includes Aliens in America; Remembering Jeff Conaway of Taxi

Universal HD has a weekly block on Friday nights from 9pm-11pm called "Universal HD Rediscovered" and they will be adding some new ones this summer! First up, the drama Clubhouse returns to the block and will replace drama Wolf Lake starting Friday, June 3 at 9pm. Then a week later on Friday, June 17, the short-lived Fox sitcom Life on a Stick from 2005 (13 episodes, 8 unaired) will replace the 2003 series A Minute with Stan Hooper (13 episodes) at 10pm. And then the final change will be in the last-hour starting Friday, July 22 at 10:30pm, as The CW sitcom Aliens in America from 2007-08 (18 episodes) will replace the short-lived In-Laws from 2002-03 (15 episodes). It's great to see Universal HD continue to air short-lived sitcoms every Friday night. I personally am hoping they air something like The Knights of Prosperity, Crumbs and The Class soon. Something older, like from the 90s or earlier would be nice, too, but they seem to focus on the sitcoms of the last decade. To my knowledge, Life on a Stick and Aliens in America are premieres on Universal HD, so watch! Previously airing this year were comedies such as Out of Practice, Andy Richter Controls the Universe and The Bad Girls Guide. So as soon as every episode airs, they move on to another series.
Universal HD airs the '70s classic Charlie's Angels weekdays at 7pm & 2am and also in marathon blocks such as on every other Wednesday from 8am-6pm. They also air the '80s drama T.J. Hooker every weekday at 6pm & 3am and those every other Wednesday marathon blocks from 8am-6pm. Also airing on this network are The Unit, Hack, Nash Bridges and sitcoms Hogan's Heroes and Becker. The latter two still air on Fridays from 8am-12pm. Movies and some airs of Law & Order: SVU, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent round out the schedule. There is nothing new to the line-up besides the additions to the Universal HD Rediscovered block.

Actor Jeff Conaway, best known for his roles in the movie Grease and the TV sitcom Taxi, has died. He was found unconscious on May 11 after suffering from pneumonia with sepsis. Conaway was placed in a medically induced coma at Encino Tarzana Medical Center and never recovered. His family took him off life support on May 26 and he died the following day at the age of 60.

Conaway appeared in the Broadway musical Grease for several years in different roles, including the lead male character, Danny Zuko. In 1978, he played Zuko's (John Travolta) buddy Kenickle in the movie Grease. He made his film debut in the 1971 romantic drama Jennifer on My Mind. Other film credits for him included Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, Jawbreaker, Ghost Writer, and Do You Wanna Know a Secret?.

Conaway's television career began in 1975 when he appeared on two episodes of Happy Days as Rocko. In 1978, he was cast as the vain, struggling, but goodhearted actor Bobby Wheeler in Taxi. Conaway left the series after the third season in 1981 due to reported drug abuse. He received two Golden Globe nominations in 1979 and 1980 for his role. Some of his other regular television roles were on the 1983 short-lived fantasy-spoof series Wizards and Warriors, the 1985 drama Berrenger's, a stint on the soap The Bold and the Beautiful in 1989-90, and the sci-fi series Babylon 5 from 1994-1999. His sitcom guest appearances included Mary Tyler Moore, Who's the Boss?, The Love Boat, Hope & Gloria, and George & Leo.

In early 2008, he appeared on the VH1 reality series Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew for two seasons. He had battled drug and alcohol addiction for many years. Mr. Conaway is survived by his sisters, Michelle and Cara. He will be deeply missed.

What are your favorite Bobby Wheeler episodes/moments? Discuss them here.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Memorial Day 2011 TV Marathons Includes Wayans Bros. on MTV2, Batman on The Hub and More!

Happy Memorial Day! As we pay tribute to our troops every year on this day, let's have some fun as well watching TV marathons on the tube on this day off! If you're not going outside in the heat (the East coast has 90 degrees today), then there are plenty of TV options for you on this day! Are you headed to the shore or would you rather watch Jersey Shore (good god we hope not!)? So bring out your lawn chair, throw some burgers on the BBQ, and watch some television!
Among the marathons today are the marathons we have previously mentioned, such as the Frasier marathon on Hallmark Channel from 3pm-11pm. We also told you about the Martin marathon on TV One from 11am-8pm, but also MTV2 will showcase the sitcom with a marathon from 4pm-10pm. If that's not all, MTV2 has acquired the rights to The Wayans Bros. and will air a marathon of the '90s sitcom from 10pm-3am! TV Land has a marathon of M*A*S*H, which is probably the most appropriate TV marathon on the day from 8pm-6am tonight. BET has a marathon of The Game once again on this Memorial Day starting at 8am through 7:30pm. ION and A&E just love Criminal Minds and both will have a marathon of the drama, with A&E airing it from 7am-10pm and ION from 3pm-3am.

Other marathons include a marathon of the classic '60s Batman on The Hub from 7am-6pm, an Arrested Development marathon on IFC from 8am-6pm, and TV Guide Channel can't get enough of Charlie Sheen and will air a Spin City marathon starting at 12 noon. And if that's not enough Charlie Sheen for you, FX will showcase Two and a Half Men with a marathon from 12pm-12am. Watch the short-lived series My So-Called Life with a marathon on Sundance Channel from 1pm-6pm, while on TBS you can watch the long-running series Seinfeld with a marathon starting at 4:30pm. Showoff your blue with The Smurfs marathon on Boomerang from 9am-12am and be proud to be an American by watching The Proud Family marathon on Centric from 9am-5pm. E! will have a Sex and the City marathon from 7:30am-6pm, and finally Oxygen will have Roseanne and Living Single marathons starting at 8am.

If you like movies on TV, watch The Karate Kid trilogy on Encore starting at 2pm! Or if you like the same-old marathons, then watch the NCIS marathon on USA Network, Law & Order marathon on TNT and the stupid Jersey Shore marathon on MTV. Non-marathon wise, watch the new Antenna TV line-up starting today with the additions of Burns & Allen and Mad About You joining today with more classics like Soap joining next weekend!
For the full times of these marathons and much more marathons we didn't cover (like Band of Brothers on Spike and Hoarders on A&E), check out the full list from our pals at TV Tango!

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Final Week of 2010-2011 TV Ratings and Analysis; How the Sitcoms Did

2010-11 Week 36 TV Ratings (first four nights averages, Mon-Thu):

Households: #1. Fox 8.8/14.0 rating/share; #2. ABC 6.6./10.5; #3. CBS 4.7/7.6; #4. NBC 3.0/4.8; #5. The CW 0.5/0.8
Total Viewers: #1. Fox 15.94 million; #2. ABC 10.46 million; #3. CBS 7.39 million; #4. NBC 4.86 million; #5. The CW 740,000 viewers
Adults 18-49: #1. Fox 5.2/14.7 rating/share; #2. ABC 2.6/7.2; #3. NBC 1.7/4.6; #4. CBS 1.7/4.5; #5. The CW 0.3/0.8

Week 36 (May 23-29) Analysis: Week 36 is the final week of the season, but it is only three days long, so there is actually 35 1/2 weeks to a TV season. We have the first four nights available, but they count night one of summer on Thursday. Through the first four nights. Fox is in a clear first place across the board. ABC is second across the board, as CBS is in third with repeats starting a week earlier for them. NBC is still in fourth despite CBS's repeats. That's a wrap for the 2010-11 season...we will give you the final network ratings as soon as we get them, but Fox won the season in 18-49 and CBS in total viewers. NBC remained fourth place across the board. Last week, week 35, had CBS win the final full week of the season in HH/viewers beating out second place ABC, but Fox took the important 18-49 crown again. Fox was third in HH but second in viewers nipping by ABC, while NBC was fourth again. ABC was second in 18-49, leaving CBS in third, while NBC was back in fourth again.

Monday saw ABC win the final Monday of the season. ABC started with the performance finale of Dancing with the Stars for an hour doing 22.86 million and a 4.7 18-49 rating, up some from previous week when it was two-hours. From 9-11pm ABC aired the season premiere of The Bachelorette and did 9.02 million and a 2.8 18-49 rating, consistent from last year's debut. Look for solid numbers this summer as usual. CBS was next with its comedies, but in repeats for the final Monday of the year. How I Met Your Mother started it off with a repeat doing 4.41 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating. A second repeat was next preempting the canceled Mad Love, doing 4.03 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, as this comedy doesn't repeat as well as other CBS comedies. Two and a Half Men repeat was next doing 8.03 million and a 2.2 18-49 rating, up some week-to-week. A repeat of Mike & Molly at 9:30pm did 7.27 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating, which is solid thanks to the lead-in's numbers. Hawaii Five-0 was preempted for a special called Clash of the Commercials - USA vs. the World and did 6.84 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating. Fox was all-new with the season finale of House doing 9.11 million and a 3.4 18-49 rating, down a tenth from previous week. The finale episode of Chicago Code followed at 9pm with 7.11 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, again up some from previous week but it is canceled. NBC started with another airing of Minute to Win It doing 4.28 million and 1.5 18-49 rating. Is there any night where this show hasn't aired yet? The Event had its final episode and did 4.89 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, which is up week-to-week but still did nothing much. Law & Order: Los Angeles was all-new and did 5.91 million and a 1.3 18-49 rating, up some from previous week. It will continue through June and then it is gone forever. The CW was in repeats like CBS, as 90210 did 610,000 viewers and a 0.3 18-49 rating, while a repeat of Gossip Girl followed and did worse with 480,000 viewers and a 0.2 18-49 rating. Why repeat these?

Tuesday had American Idol invade the night and win. First, CBS started with more repeats, this time of NCIS and it did 9.83 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating on the final Tuesday of the season. Did CBS think this couldn't compete with a new episode? I don't get it. NCIS: Los Angeles followed with what else, a repeat, and did 8.67 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, similar to the lead-in. At 10pm, another repeat of NCIS aired and did 7.91 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, as CBS took another backseat. For ABC, a repeat of Monday's Dancing with the Stars at 8pm did 10.36 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, down some from previous week's all-new special...but for a repeat, this is good. At 9, the two-hour season finale of Dancing with the Stars: The Results did 21.42 million and a 4.6 18-49 rating, up a ton from previous week, as Hines Ward took the trophy. Well deserved! Fox had part one of the season finale of American Idol air on a special night and did 20.57 million and a 6.4 18-49 rating, on its former night of many seasons. However, for part one of a fine, this was lower than normal. Raising Hope was preempted for the season finale of Glee at a special time of 9pm and it did 11.8 million and a 4.6 18-49 rating, its best ratings in weeks but still lower than what it did in the fall. I thought it would be higher with an Idol lead-in. NBC started with the two-hour finale of The Biggest Loser doing 8.2 million and a 3.1 18-49 rating, which was up some from previous week as this season's ratings were lower. Then NBC had the young skewing The Voice at 10pm with just one hour again, doing 8.49 million and a 3.8 18-49 rating, still great but a series low. Let's see if it can continue into the summer, as it will have competition from the NBA Finals the next few weeks. The CW was all repeats, like its sibling CBS, with One Tree Hill doing just 520,000 viewers and a dismal 0.2 18-49 rating. Next at 9pm was Hellcats and that did just as bad with 580,000 viewers and a 0.2 18-49 rating. I think The CW could do decent in summer if they air reality series instead of serialized drama repeats.

Wednesday it was the final night of the season and it of course belonged to American Idol which had its finale. The two-hour Idol finale did 29.29 million and a 9.2 18-49 rating, up a ton from previous week and by far the best showing since January. CBS was in repeats again with two repeats of The Big Bang Theory starting it off. The 8pm airing did 5.46 million and a 1.3 18-49 rating, followed by the 8:30 repeat doing a bit better with 5.86 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating. Then at 9pm, a repeat of Criminal Minds did 6.07 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating. At 10pm, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior was NEW but it doesn't matter as the series was canceled, so CBS didn't care. It did 7.25 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating, down some from previous week. ABC had seasons finale of its Laugh On comedy block and had the season finale of The Middle open the night with 7.33 million and a 2.2 18-49 rating, which was down some from previous week. Then at 8:30, a special repeat of Modern Family aired and did 5.89 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating, up a lick from previous week's The Middle repeat. Then ABC aired the season finale of Modern Family at 9pm doing 10.31 million and a 4.2 18-49 rating, up a tenth from previous week despite the Idol finale. Then at 9:30, Cougar Town was all-new with a one-hour season finale doing 5.01 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, on par with previous week despite going up against the finale half-hour of the Idol finale. At 10:30pm, new comedy Happy Endings did 4.02 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating, up from both airings the previous week. NBC was in repeat mode from 8-10pm with Minute to Win It doing 2.65 million and just a 0.8 18-49 rating at 8. Another repeat followed with just 3.1 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating, but up a tenth actually week-to-week. Then NBC aired a new Law & Order: Los Angeles on a special night instead of SVU, doing 5.47 million and only a 1.3 18-49 rating. No wonder this is canceled. The CW had a repeat of America's Next Top Model start it off at 8pm doing 920,000 viewers and a 0.4 18-49 rating, off some from previous week. Then at 9pm it was another repeat doing 950,000 viewers and a 0.4 18-49 rating. Sigh, The CW...

Starting from Thursday on, the summer season started! So we won't do an analysis, but stay tuned all summer to see how your favorite network sitcoms are doing--repeat or not!

Week 36 How the Sitcoms Did

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week 35 -- May 16-22)

  • American Dad! (Fox) - The season finale at 7:30pm did 3.57 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating, down some from previous week.
  • The Simpsons (Fox) 2 episodes - The season finale at 8pm did 5.25 million and a 2.5 18-49 rating, which is basically on par with previous week again. A repeat earlier at 7pm did only 2.52 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating, down week-to-week.
  • Bob's Burgers (Fox) - The season finale of how-did-this-get-renewed-comedy did 4.25 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, down some from previous week.
  • Family Guy (Fox) - The one-hour season finale at 9pm did 5.84 million and a 3.1 18-49 rating, but off a bit week-to-week when it was a half-hour.
  • The Cleveland Show (Fox) - preempted.

Monday Sitcoms

  • How I Met Your Mother (CBS) 2 episodes - Summer started a week early for CBS, as repeats aired all week for CBS. A repeat at 8pm did 4.41 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, followed by a second repeat at 8:30 doing a similar 4.03 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating. It makes no sense why they aired repeats on the final Monday of the TV season.
  • Two and a Half Men (CBS) - Another repeat of this show did 8.03 million and a 2.2 18-49 rating which was up from previous week.
  • Mike & Molly (CBS) - A repeat of this sitcom did 7.27 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating.

Tuesday Sitcoms

  • Raising Hope (Fox) - preempted.
  • Traffic Light (Fox) - The finale is this Tuesday.

Wednesday Sitcoms
  • The Middle (ABC) - The season finale of this sitcom did 7.33 million and a 2.2 18-49 rating, off some from previous week, opposite the Idol finale.
  • The Big Bang Theory (CBS) 2 episodes - Two special repeats in the 8pm hour aired. The first repeat did 5.46 million and only a 1.3 18-49 rating, but the second one improved to 5.86 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, but still losing to the ABC sitcom repeat at 8:30.
  • Modern Family (ABC) 2 episodes - The season finale at 9pm did 10.31 million and a 4.2 18-49 rating, which is up a tick from previous week, which is remarkable up against the Idol finale! A repeat at 8:30pm did a decent 5.89 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating.
  • Cougar Town (ABC) - The one-hour season finale from 9:30-10:30pm did 5.01 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, still on par with previous week as it faced Idol's last half-hour of the finale. All things considered, that is not bad.
  • Happy Endings (ABC) - The season finale at 10:30pm did 4.02 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating, up a good number from previous week at 10:30. Look for every episode to repeat at 9:30pm this summer following Modern Family starting June 22! If you haven't watched yet, now is your chance!

Thursday Sitcoms

  • The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - Summer has OFFICIALLY started, as a repeat of this comedy did a good 8.28 million and a 2.2 18-49 rating. Great for a repeat!
  • Rules of Engagement (CBS) - A repeat did 6.82 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating, which is also good for a repeat these days.
  • Community (NBC) - A repeat at 8pm did 2.67 million and a 0.8 18-49 rating. Low as usual for a repeat.
  • 30 Rock (NBC) 2 episodes - A repeat at 8:30pm only did 2.38 million and a 0.8 18-49 rating. A second repeat aired at 10pm and did only 2.21 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating. It's going to be a long summer for NBC comedy repeats.
  • The Office (NBC) 2 episodes - A repeat at 9pm did 2.76 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating, the best of this low block. A second repeat at 10:30pm did only 2.0 million and a 0.9 18-49 rating.
  • Parks & Recreation (NBC) - A repeat at 9:30pm only did 2.24 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating.

Friday Sitcoms

  • None.

Saturday Sitcoms

  • None.

Airing tonight (Sunday) are no comedies.

Summing it up. Modern Family, The Big Bang Theory Thurs, The Middle, Rules of Engagement, Two and a Half Men, Mike & Molly were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as Cougar Town, Happy Endings) or just plain old terrible (such as NBC Thursday repeats).

[Source: Nielsen NTI Ratings. View Travis Yanan's Ratings Website].

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Digital Digest: What About Used DVDs?

Happy Memorial Day weekend, and welcome to Digital Digest, your weekly place for all things digital in the world of sitcoms! We have another slow news week again, but in addition to our regular news and preview of Tuesday's DVD releases, we have somewhat of a follow-up to a story that we brought you a few weeks ago about Home Media on a Budget, where this week, we'll talk exclusively about used DVDs. Let's get going!


DIGITAL NEWS

The series I Love Lucy is about to have another milestone anniversary, as it approaches 60 years with the 60th anniversary coming up, but that anniversary isn't going unnoticed. Just in time for the anniversary, on June 21, CBS Home Entertainment will be releasing The Best of I Love Lucy, a two-disc collection of fourteen classic and memorable episodes of the series. But it won't be receiving a wide retail release, at least not for now. It'll be available exclusively atTarget for the time being. If a larger retail release is announced at a later date, we'll let you know, of course.

We found this interesting piece of news from TVShowsOnDVD.com. It looks as if Shout! Factory is on the acquisition trail once again, this time with acquiring the rights to release the Universal series Kojak! They say to look for the second season later this year. We'll update you when we know more information.

We told you a while back that The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones, the crossover cartoon movie based upon two classic animated sitcoms, would be coming to DVD soon from Warner Archive. Well, now we have a release date for it, and it is coming very soon. Look for it to be released on June 14 at a $14.95 MSRP. Of course, it is a MOD release only available from Warner Archive.

The website MemoryLane.com has announced some new video-on-demand offerings, including memorable clips from The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. You can also watch classic commercials on the website--there are over 1000 available! It appears that the content is available without a subscription for the time being, though that could change in the future. The website was formerly Classmates.com.


UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW

Tuesday (May 31) has no sitcom releases other than The Abbott and Costello Show - Hit the Road. Other releases include The Red Green Show - The Midlife Crisis Years (you can read our review here) and Rookie Blue - The Complete First Season. We hope to have a review of Rookie Blue soon in Digital Digest.

BLOG FEATURE STORY

What About Used DVDs?

A few weeks ago, we talked about Home Media on a Budget, where we told you about how you can build your collection of DVDs and Blu-ray Discs without breaking your budget. We talked a little bit about used DVDs, but this week, we'll go a bit more in-depth.

When I first started my DVD collection about eight years ago with one DVD set (literally, I only had one lone Family Guy DVD set to start out), I always insisted upon keeping all of my DVDs in pristine condition, which also meant only purchasing brand new DVDs. But as my collection eventually started growing to the nearly 1000 DVD sets that I own today, I realized that buying new DVDs may not be so cost-effective, and began looking into the idea of buying used DVDs.

I was rather reluctant at first. I know how some people treat their DVDs. Some people just take the DVDs out of the package and literally throw the boxes away, and leave the discs sitting on a dusty bookshelf somewhere. When I took my first gamble on a used DVD, I had no idea what to expect, and truly did expect the worst. But, I found that by doing some careful shopping, you can often find used DVDs that look just as good as new.

When you are shopping in a store that specializes in used DVDs, you can often be alleviated of many of your fears before you leave the store. Often times, these stores will leave the boxes items sitting on the shelves, where you can check out the condition of the packaging. You'll often find that, with a few exceptions, most of the items will have packaging that is close to perfect quality, if not perfect. But in many of these stores, the DVDs will not be in the packaging on the shelf, as a security measurement. Instead, the actual discs are often stored behind the cash register, in plastic sleeves. Many times, these stores will actually buff and polish the DVDs before they sell them to you. In fact, I've seen some stores do that as they are checking you out at the register so that they can prove right before your eyes that they are doing their best to give you good quality DVDs. And I've noticed that in many cases, these DVDs look as good, if not better, than many of the ones that I have in my own collection. To top it off, many of these places have return policies that will allow you to return anything that you buy if there is a problem with the set or even if you decide that you just don't like the show, although many will only give in-store credit.

So, while that takes care of the bricks-and-mortar retailers, what about buying used DVDs online? Well, when you shop online, you are taking a little bit more of a risk. You usually don't see any photos of the sets other than a basic stock photograph, and can't get much of an idea of the quality of the set. Sometimes sellers will describe things as being in one condition, when it is actually much worse (although sometimes the opposite occurs). Even worse, some of the larger sellers don't even have time to describe every detail of every set that they sell, so you are essentially in for a crapshoot. This has happened to me before with a large online retailer when I purchased a used DVD set. With no guidance on condition, I bought a DVD set, expecting something decent, and what I ended up getting was a bunch of DVDs inside of Blockbuster rental cases with no original artwork and scratches all over the disc (the retailer was nice enough to give me a refund without even asking me to return the item, however). On the other hand, from the same retailer, I have purchased used DVDs, and ended up receiving DVDs that were still sealed in their original packaging. It is difficult to offer guidance here, as the online retailers will usually be cheaper, but you are in for a big mystery as to what you'll get.

Honestly, I can say that I don't regret my habit of turning to used DVDs in recent years. I've had a few duds here and there, but when that has happened, I've never had trouble getting refunds or store credit for the bad items. It is a much cheaper way to build up a large collection if that is what you are going for, and for those environmentalists out there, it is undoubtedly more Earth-friendly.


LOOKING AHEAD

We'll be back next week for more Digital Digest. We hope to have our review of Rookie Blue - The Complete First Season next week, but that depends upon whether or not we receive a review copy of the set by then. Until then, keep it digital!

Friday, May 27, 2011

New 2011-12 Sitcoms Preview; Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of May 30, 2011)

Today we preview the new sitcoms that made the fall schedules with series descriptions, cast lists, video clips and related links. There will be a total of 11 new comedies on the fall schedule: 5 multi-camera, 5 single-camera and 1 animated series. An additional 6 new comedies are planned for mid-season: 2 multi-camera, 3 single-camera and 1 animated series. There are 5 or more additional series, including Rob Schneider and Mike O'Malley comedies, that are in contention to be picked up for mid-season. NBC leads the way with 6 comedies on the fall schedule or planned for mid-season. ABC will have 5 plus another in contention to be picked up. Fox offers 4 new comedies (2 animated) plus 2 more live-action comedies that could be picked up for mid-season. CBS has 2 new multi-camera sitcoms on the fall schedule. The CW, once again, will be the only broadcast network without any sitcoms on the schedule. Some familiar faces returning to sitcoms this season include Tim Allen, Nancy Travis, Teri Polo, Dave Foley, Nancy Lenehan, Christina Applegate, Will Arnett, Laura Prepon, Lenny Clarke, Jeffrey Tambor and Jaime Pressly.



ABC

ABC Fall Schedule

New Fall: Last Man Standing, Man Up, Suburgatory
New Mid-Season: Apartment 23, Work It
In Contention for a Mid-Season Pick-Up: Smothered
Returning Fall: The Middle, Modern Family, Happy Endings
Returning Mid-Season: Cougar Town

Last Man Standing

Last Man Standing - Tuesdays at 8:00PM EST/PST on ABC

Today it’s a woman’s world, and this man’s man is on a mission to get men back to their rightful place in society.

Tim Allen returns to ABC in this new comedy from Jack Burditt (30 Rock). Men may have built civilizations, invented the locomotive and created ESPN, but they’re about to find out that it’s not a man’s world anymore. You can’t get manlier than Mike Baxter. He’s the marketing director for an iconic outdoor sporting goods store, he loves to have adventures while he’s traveling for work and, of course, he drives a pick-up truck. While Mike is king of the hill at work, he’s the odd man out in a home that is dominated by women -- namely his wife, Vanessa, and their three daughters, 22- year-old Kristin, 17-year-old Mandy and 14-year-old Eve. After being a stay-at-home mom for years, Vanessa recently returned to the workplace and was quickly promoted (much to the dismay of her primarily male co-workers). As a result of Vanessa’s increased work load, Mike is pulled into more hands-on parenting than ever before.

The show stars Tim Allen (Home Improvement) as Mike, Nancy Travis (So I Married an Axe Murderer, Three Men and a Baby) as Vanessa, Molly Ephraim as Mandy, Alexandra Krosney as Kristin, Kaitlyn Dever as Eve and Hector Elizondo (Chicago Hope) as Ed.

Last Man Standing was written by Jack Burditt (30 Rock), who also serves as executive producer with Tim Allen, Becky Clements, Marty Adelstein (Prison Break), Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum), Richard Baker (The Santa Clause, The Santa Clause 2) and Rick Messina (The Santa Clause, The Santa Clause 2). John Pasquin (Home Improvement, The Santa Clause) directed. Last Man Standing is from Twentieth Century Fox Television.

Multi-Camera

Cast:

Tim Allen as Tim
Nancy Travis as Vanessa
Molly Ephraim as Mandy
Alexandra Krosney as Kristin
Kaitlyn Dever as Molly
Hector Elizondo as Ed

Preview:



Links:

  • ABC.com Official Site
  • IMDB
  • TV.com
  • Wikipedia

    Man Up

    Man Up - Tuesdays at 8:30PM EST/PST on ABC

    Three modern men try to get in touch with their inner tough guys and redefine what it means to be a “real man” in this funny and relatable comedy.

    Will’s grandfather fought in WWII. Will’s father fought in Vietnam. Will plays Call of Duty on his PS3 and drinks non-dairy hazelnut creamer. So what happened to all the real men? They’re still here -- they just smell like pomegranate body wash now. Meet Will (Mather Zickel). His evolved, sensitive nature is why his awesome wife, Theresa (Teri Polo), married him. But Will and his friends find themselves wondering -- in a world of Axe ads and manscaping -- what does it really mean to be a guy anymore? Will is more interested in finding the perfect gift for his son Nathan’s (Jake Johnson) 13th birthday than in doing his job selling insurance; sensitive soul Craig (Christopher Moynihan) still pines for his college ex, Lisa; and Kenny (Dan Fogler) clamps down on his anger and asks himself, “What would Tobey Maguire do?,” when his ex, Brenda (Amanda Detmer), starts seeing a guy (Henry Simmons) who is everything he’s not and much better looking. After Craig crashes Lisa’s wedding to try to win her back, they are all faced with an opportunity to Man Up and be like their forefathers.

    The show stars Christopher Moynihan as Craig, Mather Zickel (The Cape) as Will, Dan Fogler (Balls of Fury) as Kenny, Teri Polo (Meet the Fockers) as Theresa, Amanda Detmer (What About Brian) as Brenda and Henry Simmons (Shark) as Grant.

    Man Up comes from writer/executive producer/actor Christopher Moynihan (100 Questions), executive producer Victor Fresco (Better Off Ted), Ron West and Kelly Kulchak of Tagline Television (Psych) and director Beth McCarthy-Miller (SNL, 30 Rock). Man Up is produced by ABC Studios.

    Single-Camera

    Cast:

    Christopher Moynihan as Craig Griffith
    Mather Zickel as Will
    Dan Fogler as Kenny
    Teri Polo as Teresa Hayden Keen
    Amanda Detmer as Brenda Hayden
    Henry Simmons as Grant

    Preview:



    Links:

  • ABC.com Official Site
  • IMDB
  • TV.com
  • Wikipedia

    Suburgatory

    Suburgatory - Wednesdays at 8:30PM EST/PST on ABC

    Single father George only wants the best for his 16-year-old daughter, Tessa. So when he finds a box of condoms on her nightstand, he moves them out of their apartment in New York City to a house in the suburbs. But all Tessa sees is the horror of over-manicured lawns and plastic Franken-moms. Being in the ‘burbs can be hell, but it also may just bring Tessa and George closer than they’ve ever been.

    Tessa (Jane Levy) and George (Jeremy Sisto) have been on their own ever since Tessa’s mom pulled a Kramer vs. Kramer before she was even potty trained. So far, George has done a pretty good job of raising Tessa without a maternal figure in their lives, but suddenly he’s feeling a little out of his league. So it’s goodbye New York City and hello suburbs. At first Tessa is horrified by the big-haired, fake-boobed mothers and their sugar-free Red Bull-chugging kids. But little by little she and her dad begin finding a way to survive on the clean streets of the ‘burbs. Sure, the neighbors might smother you with love while their kids stare daggers at your back, but underneath all that plastic and caffeine, they’re really not half bad. And they do make a tasty pot roast.

    The show stars Jeremy Sisto (Law & Order) as George Altman, Jane Levy (Shameless) as Tessa Altman, Carly Chaikin (The Last Song) as Dalia Royce, Allie Grant (Weeds) as Lisa, Alan Tudyk (V) as Noah Lerner and Cheryl Hines (Curb Your Enthusiasm) as Dallas Royce. Ana Gasteyer (Saturday Night Live) guest stars.

    Emily Kapnek (Hung) writes and executive-produces this bitingly ironic single-camera comedy. Suburgatory was directed by Michael Fresco (Raising Hope), who also executive-produced the pilot. It is produced by Warner Bros. Television.

    Single-Camera

    Cast:

    Jeremy Sisto as George Altman
    Jane Levy as Tessa Altman
    Carly Chaikin as Dalia Royce
    Allie Grant as Lisa
    Alan Tudyk as Noah Werner
    Cheryl Hines as Dallas Royce

    Preview:



    Links:

  • ABC.com Official Site
  • IMDB
  • TV.com
  • Wikipedia

    Mid-Season

    Apartment 23

    Apartment 23 - Mid-Season (after Dancing with the Stars ends) at 9:30PM EST/PST on ABC

    After a naïve Midwestern girl’s big city dreams are dashed her first week in New York, she finds herself living with her worst nightmare in this hilarious, contemporary comedy about a female odd couple who are surrounded by an outrageous cast of characters.

    June (Dreama Walker) moves to Manhattan for a dream job and the perfect company apartment, only to have them disappear in a puff of reality, thanks to a CEO from the Bernie Madoff school of embezzlement. Deep in debt and out on the streets, June scrambles to land a job and place to live. It seems her luck has turned around when she gets hired at a coffee shop and finds Chloe (Krysten Ritter), a charming, vivacious roommate... with the morals of a pirate. She swindles June out of all her savings, but she and her snarky friend, James Van Der Beek (playing himself), soon learn that, just because June’s naïve, she isn’t stupid. June ingeniously turns the tables on Chloe, who is so shocked about being scammed herself that she decides to pull June into her colorful band of friends. Sure, it’s all dysfunctional, bizarre and overwhelming, but so is New York City. And with the help of Chloe and the other oddballs around her, June might just learn the survival secrets she needs to make it there.

    Apartment 23 stars Krysten Ritter (Breaking Bad, Gilmore Girls) as Chloe, Dreama Walker (The Good Wife, Gossip Girl) as June, Eric André as Mark, Michael Blaiklock as Eli and James Van Der Beek (Varsity Blues, Dawson’s Creek) as James Van Der Beek.

    Created and written by Nahnatchka Kahn (American Dad), Apartment 23 is executive-produced by Kahn, Jason Winer (Modern Family), Dave Hemingson (American Dad, How I Met Your Mother) and Jeff Morton (Modern Family). Winer is also the director. Apartment 23 is a production of 20th Century Fox Television.

    Single-Camera

    Cast:

    Krysten Ritter as Chloe
    Drema Walker as June
    Eric André as Mark
    Michael Blaiklock as Eli
    James Van Der Beek as Himself

    Preview:



    Links:

  • ABC.com Official Site
  • IMDB
  • TV.com
  • Wikipedia

    Work It

    Work It - Mid-Season on ABC

    This high-concept comedy centers on two unrepentant guy’s guys who, unable to find work, dress as women to get jobs as pharmaceutical reps. Not only do they pull it off, but they might just learn to be better men in the process.

    With unemployment an ongoing issue and women now outnumbering men in the workforce, the new comedy series Work It follows two alpha males who realize the only way to beat the current “mancession” and land a job in pharmaceutical sales is to pass themselves off as women. Combining all the best elements of the workplace comedy, the buddy comedy and the family comedy, Work It centers on Lee Standish (Ben Koldyke) -- a quick-witted and likable family man who used to be a top car salesman until he got laid off -- and Angel Ortiz (Amaury Nolasco) -- a single, hot-headed ladies’ man with no filter -- who quickly learn there are fundamental differences in the worlds of men and women that go beyond teetering in high heels and tightening up with Spanx. Lee and Angel are determined to keep their ruse going for as long as they can -- and keep their newly found jobs — in this smart, funny and relevant look at male and female relationships at work, at home and socially. Being a better man sometimes means having to be a better woman.

    The show stars Ben Koldyke (How I Met Your Mother) as Lee, Amaury Nolasco (Prison Break) as Angel, Beth Lacke (Happy Hour) as Connie, John Caparulo (Chelsea Lately) as Brian, Rebecca Mader (Lost) as Grace, Rochelle Aytes (Detroit 1-8-7) as Vanessa, Kate Reinders (Sherrie) as Kelly, Kirstin Eggers (Aussie and Ted’s Great Adventure) as Kristin and Kacie Lynch (Barney and Friends) as Kat.

    Work It was written by Andrew Reich & Ted Cohen (Friends, Rules of Engagement). Reich and Cohen are the executive producers. Beth McCarthy Miller (Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock) is the director. Work It is produced by Bonanza Productions, Inc. in association with Summer School Productions and Warner Bros. Television.

    Multi-Camera

    Cast:

    Ben Koldyke as Ben
    Amaury Nolasco as Angel
    Beth Locke as Connie
    John Caparulo as Brian
    Rebecca Mader as Grace
    Rochelle Aytes as Vanessa
    Kate Reinders as Kelly
    Kirstin Eggers as Kristen
    Kacie Lynch as Kat

    Preview:



    Links:

  • ABC.com Official Site
  • IMDB
  • TV.com

    In Contention for a Mid-Season Pick-Up

    Smothered

    Love isn't a competition. No, wait; that's exactly what it is for Zack's (Kyle Howard) and Gillian's (Brooke D'Orsay) parents, who swoop down on L.A. for their granddaughter's first birthday. Zack and Gillian are about to learn that "family" can sometimes be a four-letter word. Zack's parents (Marcia Gay Harden and Adam Arkin) are wealthy East Coast Jewish and Gillian's (Julie White and John C. McGinley) are small-town Southern charm, but Zack and Gillian have a great relationship despite their different upbringings. Of course, with their parents visiting, Zack and Gillian realize that the best they can realistically hope for is not to turn on each other - and they can only manage that for less than a day. They're constantly pushed to the edge of an emotional breakdown as they struggle to keep any of a hundred flare-ups between their parents from becoming an uncontrollable firestorm of passive-aggression and personal attacks. Whew, talk about exhausting! Even before the visit, Zack and Gillian are counting the minutes until their parents' visit is over ... but then they learn that it never will be: both sets of parents are moving to L.A. From Friends alums Andrew Reich and Ted Cohen comes the hilarious multi-camera comedy, Smothered, a delightfully skewed look at navigating the challenges of having your parents be a part of your child's life - without letting them completely take over.

    Multi-Camera

    Cast:

    Adam Arkin as Alan
    Brooke D'Orsay as Gillian
    John C. McGinley as Skip
    Julie White as Patty
    Kyle Howard as Zack
    Marcia Gay Harden as Fran

    Links:

  • IMDB
  • TV.com



    CBS

    CBS Fall Schedule

    New Fall: 2 Broke Girls, How to Be a Gentleman
    In Contention for a Mid-Season Pick-up: Untitled Rob Schneider Project, Untitled Peter Knight Project, others
    Returning Fall: How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men, Mike & Molly, The Big Bang Theory, Rules of Engagement

    2 Broke Girls

    2 Broke Girls - Mondays at 8:30PM EST/PST on CBS

    2 BROKE GIRLS is a comedy about two young women waitressing at a greasy spoon diner who strike up an unlikely friendship in the hopes of launching a successful business - if only they can raise the cash. Sassy, streetwise Max (Kat Dennings) works two jobs just to get by, one of which is waiting tables during the night shift at the retro-hip Williamsburg Diner. Sophisticated Caroline (Beth Behrs) is an uptown trust fund princess who's having a run of bad luck that forces her to reluctantly give waitressing a shot. At first, Max sees Caroline as yet another in a long line of inept servers she must cover for, but she's surprised to find that Caroline has as much substance as she does style. When Caroline discovers Max's knack for baking amazing cupcakes, she sees a lucrative future for them, but they first need to raise the start-up money. While they save their tips, they'll stay at the restaurant, working with Oleg (Jonathan Kite), an overly flirtatious Russian cook; Earl (Garrett Morris), a 75-year-old kool-kat cashier; and Han Lee (Matthew Moy), the new, eager-to-please owner of the diner. Working together, these two broke girls living in one expensive city might just find the perfect recipe for their big break. Michael Patrick King (Sex and the City) and writer-comedian Whitney Cummings (Chelsea Lately) are executive producers for Warner Bros. Television.

    Multi-Camera

    Cast:

    Kat Dennings as Max
    Beth Behrs as Caroline
    Matthew Moy as Han Lee
    Jonathan Kite as Oleg
    Garrett Morris as Earl

    Preview:



    Links:

  • CBS.com Official Site
  • IMDB
  • TV.com
  • Wikipedia

    How to Be a Gentleman

    How to Be a Gentleman - Thursdays at 8:30PM EST/PST on CBS

    HOW TO BE A GENTLEMAN, inspired by the book of the same name, is a comedy about the unlikely friendship between a traditional, refined writer and an unrefined personal trainer. Andrew Carlson (David Hornsby) is an etiquette columnist whose devotion to ideals from a more civilized time has lead to a life detached from modern society. Infectiously optimistic, Bert Lansing (Kevin Dillon) is a reformed "bad boy" from Andrew's past who inherited a fitness center, but can still be rude, loud and sloppy. When Andrew's editor, Jerry (Dave Foley), tells him to put a modern, sexy twist on his column or be fired, he hires Bert as a life coach in the hopes of learning to be less "gentle man" and more "real man." Andrew's mom, Diane (Nancy Lenehan), and his bossy sister, Janet (Mary Lynn Rajskub), support the plan, as would Janet's husband, Mike (Rhys Darby), if he was allowed to have an opinion. Though Andrew and Bert's views may be centuries apart, they may find they're each other's missing link. David Hornsby (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Adam Chase (Friends), Ted Schachter (The Invention of Lying), Joe Hipps and Modi Wiczyk are executive producers for CBS Television Studios.

    Multi-Camera

    Cast:

    David Hornsby as Alan
    Kevin Dillon as Bert
    Dave Foley as Jerry
    Mary Lynn Rajskub as Janet
    Rhys Darby as Mike
    Nancy Lenehan as Diane

    Preview:



    Links:

  • CBS.com Official Site
  • IMDB
  • TV.com
  • Wikipedia

    In Contention for a Mid-Season Pick-Up

    Untitled Rob Schneider Comedy Project

    This is a comedy about a solitary guy who marries into a huge Mexican-American family.

    Multi-Camera

    Untitled Peter Knight Project

    This is a comedy about a suburban dad of a blended family who has strong opinions about the way of doing things.

    Multi-Camera



    NBC

    NBC Fall Schedule

    New Fall: Up All Night, Free Agents, Whitney
    New Mid-Season: Are You There? It's Me Chelsea, Bent, Best Friends Forever
    Returning Fall: Community, Parks and Recreation, The Office
    Returning Mid-Season: 30 Rock

    Up All Night

    Up All Night - Wednesdays at 8:00PM EST/PST on NBC

    From Emily Spivey (NBC's Parks and Recreation, NBC's Saturday Night Live) and legendary Emmy Award-winning producer Lorne Michaels, comes Up All Night, a modern take on parenthood that shows the challenges of balancing a career, marriage and a new baby. Christina Applegate (Samantha Who?) stars as Reagan, a successful public relations executive, and Will Arnett (Arrested Development) plays Chris, Reagan's supportive, stay-at-home husband. The two have just become parents - a surprise that has set their lives on a new path as responsible adults -- for the most part. Maya Rudolph (Saturday Night Live, Bridesmaids) stars as Ava, Reagan's outlandish boss and best friend, whose whirlwind social escapades serve as constant reminders of Reagan's former carefree life. James Pumphrey (High Road) portrays Brian, Reagan's socially awkward hipster assistant. Up All Night is a production of Universal Media Studios and Broadway Video. Spivey is the creator and serves as executive producer along with Michaels and Jon Pollack (NBC's 30 Rock).

    Single-Camera

    Cast:

    Christina Applegate as Reagan
    Will Arnett as Chris
    Maya Rudolph as Eva
    James Pumphrey as Brian

    Preview:



    Links:

  • NBC.com Official Site
  • IMDB
  • TV.com
  • Wikipedia

    Free Agents

    Free Agents - Wednesdays at 8:30PM EST/PST on NBC

    Free Agents is a crooked workplace/romantic new comedy from creator John Enbom (Party Down) and Emmy Award-winning director Todd Holland (Malcolm in the Middle) based on the cult U.K. series of the same name that explores the trials and tribulations of two public relations executives on the rebound. Alex (Hank Azaria, The Simpsons, Huff) is newly divorced and can barely keep himself together while his co-worker Helen (Kathryn Hahn, Hung) thinks she has it together but is obsessed with her deceased fiancé and actually is falling apart. Then a drunken Alex and Helen end up in bed together, and in the resulting sober confusion, Helen decides that they should only be friends. Meanwhile Alex's co-workers, Dan (Mo Mandel, Love Bites, Modern Family) and Gregg (Al Madrigal, Wizards of Waverly Place, Gary, Unmarried), and Stephen (Anthony Head, Merlin, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) fail in their attempts to help him get back out on the dating scene. When Alex finally agrees to a date, Helen gets a little jealous, and he gets cold feet, so they end up back where they started -- in a casual, intimate and beautifully awkward relationship. Also starring is Joe Lo Truglio (Backwash, Mad Love) and Natasha Leggero (Ugly Americans, 'Til Death). Free Agents is a production of Universal Media Studios in association with Dark Toy and Big Talk Productions. Enbom is executive producer/creator along with executive producer/director Holland. Karey Burke (Miss/Guided) executive-produces, along with Big Talk Productions' Kenton Allen (Free Agents, BBC Network) and Nira Park, as well as Chris Niel.

    Single-Camera

    Cast:

    Hank Azaria as Alex
    Kathryn Hahn as Helen
    Mo Mandel as Dan
    Natasha Leggero as Emma
    Al Madrigal as Walter
    Anthony Head as Stephen
    Joe Lo Truglio as Gregg

    Preview:



    Links:

  • NBC.com Official Site
  • IMDB
  • TV.com
  • Wikipedia

    Whitney

    Whitney - Thursdays at 9:30PM EST/PST on NBC

    A hilarious look at modern love, Whitney is a new multi-camera comedy series about Whitney (Whitney Cummings, Chelsea Lately) and Alex (Chris D'Elia, Glory Daze), a happily unmarried couple. Together for five years, the duo is in no rush to get hitched. However, after attending yet another one of their friends' weddings, Whitney realizes that she and Alex are dangerously close to relationship boredom. Determined not to let that happen, Whitney consults her close circle of opinionated girlfriends -- including Lily (Zoe Lister-Jones, The Other Guys) and Roxanne (Rhea Seehorn, The Starter Wife) -- and then snaps into action. A few awkward sexy costumes and one botched seductive evening later, the couple ends up in the emergency room. Even so, Whitney and Alex realize that while their relationship might not be perfect on paper, they really do love each other -- and that works for them. Also starring are Maulik Pancholy (NBC's 30 Rock) as Lily's perfect boyfriend, and Dan O'Brien (How I Met Your Mother) as an eternal bachelor. Whitney is produced by Universal Media Studios and Scott Stuber Productions. Stuber (The Break Up), Quan Phung, Betsy Thomas (My Boys) and Barry Katz (Last Comic Standing) are executive producers. Cummings also serves as executive producer/writer. Andy Ackerman (Seinfeld, The New Adventures of Old Christine) is an executive producer and directed the pilot.

    Multi-Camera

    Cast:

    Whitney Cummings as Whitney
    Chris D'Elia as Alex
    Zoe Lister-Jones as Lily
    Maulik Pancholy as Neal
    Dan O'Brien as Mark
    Rhea Seehorn as Roxanne

    Preview:



    Links:

  • NBC.com Official Site
  • IMDB
  • TV.com
  • Wikipedia

    Mid-Season

    Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea

    Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea - Mid-Season on NBC

    Inspired by the best-selling book from comedienne/talk show host Chelsea Handler (Chelsea Lately), the new comedy Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea, follows the exploits of twentysomething bartender Chelsea (Laura Prepon, That '70s Show) a strong-willed force of nature who is determined to live life to the fullest and make no apologies. Her friends are along for the ride but they all know it is Chelsea's way or the highway. Mark (Jo Koy, Chelsea Lately) is a charming bartender whose wit makes him the perfect foil for Chelsea while Shoniqua (Angel Laketa Moore, ER) is a smart and sassy fellow waitress who looks out for Chelsea's best interests. Close friend and fellow bartender Todd (Mark Povinelli, Water for Elephants) has a wry sense of humor that keeps her in check. Also starring are Natalie Morales (NBC's Parks and Recreation) as Ivory, Chelsea's feisty best friend; Lauren Lapkus (The Middle) as Dee Dee, Chelsea's sheltered, shy roommate, and Lenny Clarke (Rescue Me) as Chelsea's dad, Melvin. Handler has a recurring role as Chelsea's sister Sloan, a happily married new mom who has little in common with her carefree sister. Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea is a production of Warner Bros. Television in association with Werner Entertainment and Borderline Amazing Productions. Dottie Dartland Zicklin (Dharma & Greg) and Julie Larson (The Drew Carey Show) are creators and executive producers. Handler serves as executive producer along with Tom Werner (That '70s Show), Mike Clements (The Life & Times of Tim) and Tom Brunelle (Chelsea Lately).

    Cast:

    Laura Prepon as Chelsea
    Chelsea Handler as Sloane
    Angel Lateka Moore as Shonique
    Jo Koy as Mark
    Mark Povinelli as Todd
    Natalie Morales as Ivory
    Lauren Lapkus as Dee Dee
    Lenny Clarke as Melvin

    Preview:



    Links:

  • NBC.com Official Site
  • IMDB
  • TV.com
  • Wikipedia

    Bent

    Bent - Mid-Season on NBC

    Bent is a new romantic comedy about two people who suddenly find themselves attracted to the qualities that typically repel them. On the surface, Alex (Amanda Peet, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip) and Pete (David Walton, Perfect Couples) could not be more different. The recently divorced Alex is a resilient and tough lawyer who now is raising her eight-year-old daughter, Charlie (Joey King, Ramona and Beezus), as a single mom. Unwilling to let anything get in her way, she downsizes into a smaller house, and she hires Pete, a recovering gambling addict and unapologetic womanizer, as the contractor to re-do her kitchen. The remodeling job is Pete's last chance to prove that he is no longer a screw-up -- but he doesn't know what's about to hit him when he encounters the force of nature that is Alex -- nor does she realize that she's met her match in Pete, a man unafraid to call out her flaws. Jeffrey Tambor (Arrested Development) also stars as Pete's father, Walt, an out-of-work actor, while Margo Harshman (Sorority Row) stars as Alex's wild younger sister Screwsie. This romantic comedy from writer and executive producer Tad Quill (Scrubs, Spin City) and director Craig Zisk (Nurse Jackie, Weeds) will prove that these resilient characters are "bent, not broken." The series is produced by Universal Media Studios.

    Cast:

    Amanda Peet as Alex
    David Walton as Pete
    Jeffrey Tambor as Walt
    Margo Harshman as Screwsie
    Joey King as Charlie

    Preview:



    Links:

  • NBC.com Official Site
  • IMDB
  • TV.com

    Bent

    Best Friends Forever - Mid-Season on NBC

    Best Friends Forever is a single-camera comedy that takes a look at what happens when best friends promise to support each other -- no matter what the cost or circumstances. When Jessica's (Jessica St. Clair, In the Motherhood) husband files for divorce, she immediately seeks comfort and flies across the country to move back in with her best friend, Lennon (Lennon Parham, Accidentally on Purpose). Unfortunately, Lennon's boyfriend, Joe (Adam Pally - this part will be recast since he is on Happy Endings), has just moved into the apartment and has turned Jessica's old room into his perfect home office. As Lennon and Jessica fall into their old routines -- beloved traditions, Steel Magnolia marathons and epic girl-talk sessions -- Joe begins to feel as if he's the odd man out. While Lennon struggles to find balance between her previous life with Jessica and her new life with Joe, Jessica's reentry to single life is complicated by the unresolved feelings that an old friend, Rav (Stephen Schneider, The Funniest Movie Ever...Just Kidding), has for her and the fact that pleated khakis aren't the most flattering single girl look. Best Friends Forever is produced by Universal Media Studios and American Work. St. Clair, Parham, Scot Armstrong (Old School, The Hangover Part II) and Ravi Nandan (Off Duty) are the executive producers. Fred Savage (Party Down) directed the pilot.

    Cast:

    Jessica St. Clair as Jessica
    Lennon Parnham as Lennon
    Stephen Schneider as Rav
    Daija Owens as Queenetta

    Preview:



    Links:

  • NBC.com Official Site
  • IMDB
  • TV.com



    Fox

    Fox Fall Schedule

    New Fall: Allen Gregory, New Girl, I Hate My Teenage Daughter
    New Mid-Season: Napoleon Dynamite
    In Contention for a Mid-Season Pick-Up: Family Album, Little in Common
    Returning Fall: The Cleveland Show, The Simpsons, Family Guy, American Dad!, Raising Hope
    Returning Mid-Season: Bob's Burgers

    Allen Gregory

    Allen Gregory - Sundays at 8:30PM EST/PST on Fox

    ALLEN GREGORY is a new animated comedy series that tells the story of one of the most pretentious 7-year-olds of our time. When he looks in the mirror, ALLEN GREGORY DE LONGPRE (Jonah Hill, Superbad, Get Him to the Greek) doesn’t see a child. He sees a young man who is intelligent, sophisticated, worldly, artistic and romantic – characteristics he inherited from his doting father, RICHARD (French Stewart, Private Practice, 3rd Rock from the Sun). The pair share an extraordinary father-son bond – a bond that is sometimes annoyingly interrupted by Richard’s life partner, JEREMY (Nat Faxon, THE CLEVELAND SHOW, Reno 911!), for whom Allen Gregory has minimal respect, if any at all. They live together in a stunning architectural loft, along with JULIE (Joy Osmanski, Grey’s Anatomy), Allen Gregory’s adopted Cambodian sister. Although Allen Gregory has allegedly composed operas, written novels and dated Chloë Sevigny, he’s about to embark on his greatest challenge yet: leaving the safety of his father’s homeschooling and attending elementary school with children his own age. His journey will be a struggle, not only with the other kids at school, but with the faculty as well. Whether it’s the all-out rivalry with GINA WINTHROP (guest voice Leslie Mann, Funny People), his by-the-book second grade teacher; his unique relationship with JUDITH GOTTLIEB (guest voice Renée Taylor, How I Met Your Mother), his 68-year-old principal; or his desperate desire to be best friends with JOEL ZADAK (guest voice Jake Johnson, Get Him to the Greek), the school’s popular stud, Allen Gregory has his work cut out for him. With the help of his trusty friend and assistant, PATRICK VANDERWEEL (Cristina Pucelli, Finley the Fire Engine); and the support of SUPERINTENDENT STEWART ROSSMYRE (Will Forte, Saturday Night Live), who believes the De Longpres are a tremendous asset to the school, Allen Gregory won’t have to get his hands too dirty. ALLEN GREGORY is about an outsider. And while he may put on a tough exterior, deep down, all Allen Gregory wants is to fit in. Well, that, and for Julie to run away and never be seen or heard from again. And Jeremy too.

    Animated

    Voice Cast:

    Jonah Hill as Allen Gregory De Longpre
    Nat Faxon as Jeremy
    French Stewart as Richard
    Joy Osmanski as Julie
    Cristina Pucelli as Patrick
    Will Forte as Superintendent Rossmyre

    Guest Voice Cast:

    Leslie Mann as Ms. Winthrop
    Jake Johnson as Joel
    Renée Taylor as Principal Gottlieb

    Preview:



    Links:

  • Fox.com Official Site
  • IMDB
  • TV.com
  • Wikipedia

    New Girl

    New Girl - Tuesdays at 9:00PM EST/PST on Fox

    NEW GIRL is a new single-camera comedy from Liz Meriwether (No Strings Attached) that features a young ensemble cast and takes a fresh and outrageous look at modern male/female relationships. JESS DAY (Zooey Deschanel, (500) Days of Summer) is an offbeat and adorable girl in her late 20s who, after a bad breakup, moves in with three single guys. Goofy, positive, vulnerable and honest to a fault, Jess has faith in people, even when she shouldn’t. Although she’s dorky and awkward, she’s comfortable in her own skin. More prone to friendships with women, she’s not used to hanging with the boys – especially at home. Of the three male roommates, NICK (Jake Johnson, No Strings Attached) is the most grounded. He had big plans for life, but somewhere along the way, he stopped caring and became a bartender. Usually the smartest guy in the room, he has an uncanny knack for reading people and uses humor to deflect everyone and everything. SCHMIDT (Max Greenfield, Ugly Betty) is a hustling young professional who fancies himself a modern-day Casanova. Though his heart is usually in the right place, he’s always scheming ways to climb the social ladder and is driven by an immature and almost obsessive urge to be on “the scene.” Viewing Jess as a gateway into the elusive female mind, as well as a personal project, Schmidt encourages the guys to bring Jess into the apartment. The third roommate, COACH (Damon Wayans Jr., The Underground - his part will be recast since he is on Happy Endings), is a former high school athlete who currently makes his living as a personal trainer. Set in his ways and with a take-it-or-leave-it attitude to dating, Coach is most comfortable when he’s in the gym. Though he’ll never admit it, Coach’s macho athletic exterior is actually a cover for his shyness around women, and he struggles to translate his personal confidence into conversation, preferring to speak in sports metaphors – or not at all. Rounding out this group is Jess’ childhood best friend, CECE (Hannah Simone, Beautiful People), a deadpan, somewhat cynical model who blossomed after outgrowing her promiscuous adolescent years. She has the street smarts Jess lacks and spends a lot of time doling out no-nonsense relationship advice that only a professional model could give. She and Jess balance each other well and accept each other despite their faults, making Cece the perfect complement to Jess. As their relationships progress, the five friends come to realize they need each other more than they ever thought they would and end up forming a charmingly dysfunctional family.

    Single-Camera

    Cast:

    Zooey Deschanel as Jess
    Max Greenfield as Schmidt
    Jake Johnson as Nick
    Hannah Simone as Cece
    Damon Wayans, Jr. as Coach - This part will be recast since Happy Endings was picked up

    Preview:



    Links:

  • Fox.com Official Site
  • IMDB
  • TV.com
  • Wikipedia

    I Hate My Teenage Daughter

    I Hate My Teenage Daughter - Wednesdays at 9:30PM EST/PST on Fox

    I HATE MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER is a new multi-camera comedy about two best friends who are single moms struggling to raise their difficult and over-privileged teenage daughters. ANNIE (Emmy Award winner Jaime Pressly, My Name Is Earl) and NIKKI (Tony Award winner Katie Finneran, Wonderfalls) are former high school outcasts whose pasts inform their current parenting styles. Annie, who was raised in an ultra-strict, über-religious household where she had little-to-no freedom, pretty much allows her daughter, SOPHIE (Kristi Lauren, You), to do whatever she wants. Nikki, once an unpopular, overweight social pariah, has reinvented herself as a pretty Southern belle whose top priority is providing her daughter, MACKENZIE (Aisha Dee, Dead Gorgeous), with the childhood she never had. Sophie and Mackenzie are also best friends, which leads to a lot of co-parenting for Annie and Nikki. They have given the girls everything they asked for and everything they never had: clothes, money and self-esteem. The unintended consequence is they have created two mean girls just like the ones who tortured them years ago. Sophie finds her mother embarrassing and mocks her at every opportunity, but she secretly needs her mom and knows that her behavior is not always appropriate. Mackenzie, on the other hand, is the more manipulative of the daughters – she knows how to work her mother’s insecurities to her benefit. Annie’s ex-husband, MATT (Eric Sheffer Stevens, As The World Turns), wants to be a good parent, but is too clueless to know what that even means. That leaves his brother, JACK (Kevin Rahm, Desperate Housewives, Judging Amy), an attractive, high-powered attorney, to serve as more of a father figure for Sophie. Jack’s meddling would annoy Annie more if she didn’t have such a crush on him. GARY (Chad Coleman, The Wire), Nikki’s ex, also tries to help raise his challenging daughter, but the couple’s complicated relationship often makes his involvement more difficult. As their daughters begin to experience their first high school dances and other life-changing teen events, Annie and Nikki are often reminded of their own tortured adolescent years. But when Sophie and Mackenzie’s mean-girl antics cross the line, the moms quickly realize that they must, for the first time, dole out some real punishment and fix what is broken. They have no idea how to do that, but they do know one thing: They can’t do it without each other.

    Multi-Camera

    Cast:

    Jaime Pressly as Annie
    Katie Finneran as Nikki
    Kristi Lauren as Sophie
    Aisha Dee as Mackenzie
    Eric Sheffer Stevens as Matt
    Kevin Rahm as Jack
    Chad Coleman as Gary

    Preview:



    Links:

  • Fox.com Official Site
  • IMDB
  • TV.com
  • Wikipedia

    Mid-Season

    Napoleon Dynamite

    Napoleon Dynamite - Mid-Season - Sundays at 8:30PM EST/PST on Fox

    Based on the hit film, NAPOLEON DYNAMITE is an animated series that follows the continuing adventures of America’s most awesome awkward teenager and his quirky family and friends as they struggle to navigate small-town life in rural Idaho. The original cast from the film – Jon Heder, Aaron Ruell, Efren Ramirez, Tina Majorino, Sandy Martin, Jon Gries and Diedrich Bader – will voice their characters in the series, and many new characters will be added along the way. NAPOLEON DYNAMITE (Heder) is a 16-year-old boy convinced – for no apparent reason – that he is destined for greatness and blessed with unlimited “sweet abilities.” He spends his days practicing ninja moves, drawing ligers, soul dancing and bragging about his “girlfriend in Oklahoma” whom nobody has ever seen. Napoleon’s brother, KIP (Ruell), is an unemployed 32-year-old who lives at home and believes he would be an amazing catch for any girl who would respond to his online come-ons. The Dynamite brothers live with GRANDMA (Martin), a crusty woman who can often be found four-wheeling with her lady friends at the local sand dunes. Napoleon’s allies include PEDRO (Ramirez), his unflappable best friend who has recently been elected class president; and DEB (Majorino), an incredibly sweet girl who sees the good in Napoleon and dreams of someday being his wife. Napoleon’s UNCLE RICO (Gries) lives out of an orange custom van, where he obsesses over his botched high school football career and dreams up ways to become rich and famous. Then there’s REX KWON DO (Bader), a self-proclaimed martial-arts master who runs the local dojo. Guest voices in the debut season include Jennifer Coolidge (American Pie, Legally Blonde), Sam Rockwell (Choke) and Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords).

    Animated

    Voice Cast:

    Jon Heder as Napoleon Dynamite
    Aaron Ruell as Kip
    Efren Ramirez as Pedro
    Tina Majorino as Deb
    Sandy Martin as Grandma
    Jon Gries as Uncle Rico
    Diedrich Bader as Rex

    Links:

  • Fox.com Official Site
  • IMDB
  • TV.com
  • Wikipedia

    In Contention for Mid-Season Pick-Up

    Family Album

    Starring Mike O’Malley (GLEE) and Rachael Harris (The Hangover), FAMILY ALBUM (wt) is the single-camera comedy that takes a snapshot of the Bronsky clan as they reveal the hilarious stories behind the photo-worthy moments of life.

    Little in Common

    The new family comedy LITTLE IN COMMON (wt), starring Rob Corddry (Hot Tub Time Machine) and Kevin Hart (Death at a Funeral), follows three diverse middle-class families who become intertwined when their children play on youth sports teams together.



    The CW

    No sitcoms on the schedule.



    Discuss the fall schedules here:

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    CBS
    NBC
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    The CW

    What's Your Fall 2011 Viewing Schedule?

    Stay tuned for our reviews of the pilots for these new sitcoms in the upcoming months!




  • It's Friday, so it is time for "Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows" for the coming week. This is where we list what sitcom stars are appearing on talk shows for the coming week, the stars are both current and past sitcom stars (but we won't cover movie stars like Tom Hanks or John Travolta, since they won't be talking about their past sitcoms likely), so this is for all sitcom fans of all eras!
    For the week of May 30-June 3, 2011, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! So get your DVR's (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!

    Monday, May 30, 2011
    • Norm Macdonald (The Norm Show) - Catch Norm on a March repeat of The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
    • Lucy Punch (The Class) - Watch Lucy on an all-new Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
    • Ray Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond) - Ray visits the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
    • Jean Smart (Samantha Who?/Designing Women) - Jean drops by The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
    • Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) - Nick is a guest on The Martha Stewart Show at 10am on the Hallmark Channel.
    Tuesday, May 31, 2011
    • Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family/The Class) - Catch Jesse Tyler on a repeat from a few weeks ago on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
    • Ray Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond) - Ray drops by the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
    • Drew Carey (The Drew Carey Show) - Drew chats with the ladies of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
    • Garcelle Beauvais (The Jamie Foxx Show) - Garcelle visits The Mo'nique Show at 11pm on BET.
    • Marla Gibbs (227/The Jeffersons) - Marla stops by The Mo'nique Show at 11pm on BET.
    Wednesday, June 1, 2011
    • Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation) - Watch Aubrey on a repeat from a few weeks ago on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
    • Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family) - Catch the Emmy winner Eric on a March repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
    • Ellie Kemper (The Office) - Ellie is a guest on a March repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
    Thursday, June 2, 2011
    • Ed Helms (The Office) - Watch Ed on a repeat from a few weeks ago on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
    • Dick Van Dyke (The Dick Van Dyke Show) - The legendary Mr. Van Dyke visits the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
    • Rainn Wilson (The Office) - Catch Rainn on an April repeat of Lopez Tonight at 12am on TBS.
    • Chris Rock (Everybody Hates Chris) - Chris appears on The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
    • Betty White (Hot in Cleveland/The Golden Girls/The Mary Tyler Moore Show) - Betty is a guest on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
    • Robin Williams (Mork & Mindy) - Robin visits The Joy Behar Show at 10pm on HLN.
    Friday, June 3, 2011
    • Alec Baldwin (30 Rock) - Watch Alec on an April repeat of The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
    • Niecy Nash (The Cleveland Show/Do Not Disburb) - Bride-to-be Niecy guest co-hosts a Wedding Theme Show The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
    • Tatyana Ali (Love That Girl!/The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) - Catch the lovely Tatyana on The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
    Leave us comments on our message board or Tweet/Facebook us to let us know what you think of this Friday feature! We do listen!


    Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

    Tuesday, March 19

    Night Court - "The Duke's a Hazard" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
    When Gurgs' royal boyfriend pays a surprise visit, she questions their compatibility; Dan defends his family's honor after he discovers a feud that dates back centuries.

    Extended Family - "The Consequences of Being Irish" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
    When Jim learns of Trey's St. Patrick's Day fundraiser plans, he offers his expertise in an effort to save Trey and the Celtics from embarrassment.

    Complete TV Listings


    Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 18)

    Tuesday, March 19

    • Tracy Morgan (The Last O.G./30 Rock/The Tracy Morgan Show) - Catch Tracy on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
    • Leslie Bibb (Palm Royale/God's Favorite Idiot/American Housewife/The Odd Couple/About a Boy) - Leslie appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
    • Brendan Hunt (Ted Lasso), Marc Maron (GLOW/Maron) and Zainab Johnson (Upload) - Brendan, Marc and Zainab are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
    • Hilary Swank (Camp Wilder) - NBC's Today catches up with Hilary in the 10am hour.
    • The cast of Girls5eva) - Busy Philipps, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Paula Pell and Sara Bareilles are guests on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
    • Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family/The Class) - Jesse talks about his podcast Dinner's On Me on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
    • Annie Potts (Young Sheldon/Over the Top/Love & War/Designing Women/Goodtime Girls) - Annie talks about her legendary career and new film, Ghostbuster: Frozen Empire, on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
    • Joe Manganiello (How I Met Your Mother) - Joe stops by Tamron hall to chat about hosting the new Deal or No Deal Island, so check your local listings.


    New on DVD/Blu-ray (November-March)

    Leave it to Beaver - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Father Knows Best - The Complete Series The Odd Couple - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Three's Company - The Official 40th Anniversary Collection Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

    11/07 - South Park - The Complete Twenty-Sixth Season (Blu-ray) (DVD)
    11/14 - Leave it to Beaver - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
    12/05 - Father Knows Best - The Complete Series
    12/05 - The Odd Couple - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
    12/12 - The Dick Van Dyke Show - The Complete Series
    12/12 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
    12/12 - That Girl - The Complete Series
    12/15 - Letterkenny - Season 11
    12/19 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Official Restored Complete Series
    12/22 - Three's Company - The Official 40th Anniversary Collection (includes The Ropers and Three's a Crowd)
    01/09 - South Park - Seasons 11-15 (Blu-ray)
    01/16 - Ghosts (UK) - Season Five
    02/13 - Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
    02/27 - The Really Loud House - Season One
    03/12 - Ghosts (UK) - The Complete Series
    03/12 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 3 (Blu-ray)
    03/12 - Rick and Morty - Season 7 (Blu-ray Steelbook) (Blu-ray) (DVD)

    That Girl - The Complete Series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Official Restored Complete Series

    More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD Releases / DVD Reviews Archive / SitcomsOnline Digest


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