Thursday, June 21, 2012

TBS, Local Syndication Acquire 2 Broke Girls in 2015, Locals Get Mike & Molly in 2014; Review of Worst Audition Ever's New York Show

2 Broke Girls
TBS has acquired the off-network rights to 2 Broke Girls, the breakout freshman hit comedy created by Emmy(R) winner/executive producer Michael Patrick King (Sex and the City) and white-hot comedian Whitney Cummings. Television's #1 new series of the 2011-12 season with adults 18-49 and the #1 new comedy among total viewers, 2 Broke Girls is distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television and is set to join the TBS lineup in 2015. It is being reported that TBS has paid a record $1.7 million per episode for the series, beating the $1.5 million per episode they bought for The Big Bang Theory and USA Network's $1.5 million per episode signing of Modern Family (which starts in 2013).
2 Broke Girls will return for its second season this fall on CBS. The series is produced by Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with MPK Productions and Warner Bros. Television. TBS' deal for 2 Broke Girls adds another outstanding contemporary comedy to a slate that includes Cougar Town, which is making the move to the network as an original series in 2013, and acquired hit The Big Bang Theory, which is currently dominating the charts as basic cable's #1 sitcom. TBS' roster also includes the original sitcom Men at Work, which premiered in May; Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse, returning with new episodes July 13; Sullivan & Son, premiering July 19; and one-hour comedy Wedding Band, set to premiere later this year.

And cable is not all for 2 Broke Girls. It has already been sold for local broadcast syndication as well with another comedy! Warner Bros. Domestic Television's Mike & Molly and 2 Broke Girls have both been sold to the CBS Television Stations and Weigel for off-network debuts in fall 2014 and 2015, respectively. The CBS Television Stations will serve as the primary launch group, taking the show for their stations in New York (WLNY), Los Angeles (KCAL), Philadelphia (WPSG), Dallas (KTXA), San Francisco (KBCW), Boston (WSBK), Atlanta (WUPA), Detroit (WKBD), Seattle (KSTW), Tampa (WTOG), Miami (WBFS), Pittsburgh (WPCW) and Sacramento, Calif. (KMAX). In addition, both series also have been bought by the Weigel station group for its stations in Chicago (WCIU) and Milwaukee (WDJT-WMLW). As of now, both have already been cleared in 35% of the country. Stay tuned for more clearances as we get closer to Fall 2014 for Mike & Molly and Fall 2015 for 2 Broke Girls. A cable deal is expected to be reached for Mike & Molly by next week...so stay tuned for that announcement. What network do you think will make a run for that? TBS like 2 Broke Girls and Big Bang? FX like Two and a Half Men? ABC Family like The Middle? USA Network like Modern Family? Or a dark horse? Tweet us or Facebook us!

Worst Audition Ever

Finally, we leave you today with a review of the live evening comedy show Worst Audition Ever! As we reported last week, the show hit New York City for the first time on Monday (June 18) and we had the honor to be in attendance to see this vibrant show at Joe's Pub. The evening benefited The Actors Fund, so it was for a great organization. Creator/producer Christine Lakin along with producers Alec Ledd, Daniel A. Miles and Corri English have already found success with the show in Los Angeles but doing a New York style show is completely different. The New York show certainly had a New York style to it with all the worst auditions being theater-themed, which New York of course is famous for. The producers did a fabulous job in making the theme very obvious. There were six performers telling their worst auditions ever and each one was completely different from the other. That made the night more interesting, intriguing and of course funny! As we mentioned last week, performing were John West, Jenna Leigh Green, Tyler Maynard, Jena Friedman, Cheryl Stern and Kevin Duda. There were plenty of sitcom references for us sitcom lovers as well...from Saved by the Bell (John West learned to kiss for an audition by watching Zach Morris!) to Sabrina the Teenage Witch (Jenna Leigh Green of course played Libby on the show). I think there was a M*A*S*H reference somewhere in there, too. Wow! As for the audition stories, I think Tyler Maynard stole the show with his hilarious story of one night in New York working at a hotel and being in P. Diddy's "crew" for the night. I don't want to give anything more away, but that one really got the audience dying of laughter. Jenna Leigh Green shared a comical story of auditioning for Wicked as Nessarose. Other worst audition stories from the night included Cheryl Stern in La Cage aux Folles starring Kelsey Grammer and how she had to re-audition for the part when Kelsey left...and didn't get the part! John West shared his story of auditioning for the very first time when he was 12 in Tennessee and learned about homosexuals. Some of his wording in his story was really amusing (rated TV MA, ha). The night was hosted by theater veteran Daniel Reichard and directed by Kristin Hanngi, who was celebrating her birthday on that night!

Worst Audition Ever is a must see. It has the perfect set-up and it is simple. Sometimes simplicity is all that is needed to make a show work well. It makes for a good night of laughs and fun. If you've ever gone to a sitcom taping you know what I mean. While this isn't scripted like sitcoms, it's the inside stories of how auditions work and how sometimes they don't work out that make this very cool. And sometimes they come out hysterical and sharing them to others makes it even better. Painfully true, mutually hilarious and completely cathartic is really the perfect way to describe these worst auditions ever. The New York version was the first time I got to see the show live, and I have to say, I wish I was in attendance for the Los Angeles shows over the last year. Hearing these inside stories is very cool and you just want to hear them all. It's like a TV series you can't miss from the beginning like Lost. Yes this live show doesn't have the storylines being connected for each show, but once you see a few you, you want to go back and see them all and want to see the upcoming ones as well. Thankfully there are some worst auditions on their website for everyone to sample and hopefully the New York show auditions are put up soon for you to see. A TV version of Worst Audition Ever is in the works, so if and when that happens, we'll get to see even more actors/directors telling these inside stories. I see success if it happens and whoever airs it will be lucky to have it. Christine Lakin and company have created this very unique idea and this can go on for many years to come. It's got branding written all over it! When the next evening of comedy is scheduled (in LA, NY or perhaps even another city?), make sure you attend and feel the show in person. It's a great atmosphere (you get to talk with the performers/producers in person after show!) and of course the audition stories are off-the-wall. I'm already dying to know who is coming up next to share their worst audition ever!
Read our story from last week for complete information on Worst Audition Ever. Stay with us for any further news on the show and don't forget to visit their website.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Monday, March 18

The Neighborhood - (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)

Bob Hearts Abishola - "Worth the Cooties" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
After Christina kicks Abishola and Dottie out for making light of her pre-pregnancy preparations, Christina bonds with Douglas and Abishola spends a fun day with Dottie. Also, when Bob, Goodwin and Kofo are stumped on a work issue, Bob insists they go out to lunch to loosen up.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 18)

Monday, March 18

  • Christina Applegate (Dead to Me/Up All Night/Samantha Who?/Jesse/Married with Children) - Watch Christina on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Carrie Preston (Crowded/Happyish/Emeril) - Carrie is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Rachel Dratch (Grimsburg/Imaginary Mary/30 Rock) - Rachel appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Sasheer Zamata (Home Economics/Woke/Robbie) and John Hodgman (Up Here/Married) - Sasheer and John are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg (Two and a Half Men/Jenny) - Jenny appears on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 3:30am on Bravo.
  • Lisa Ann Walter (Abbott Elementary/Emeril) - Lisa will be on ABC's Good Morning America some time between 7-9am.
  • Brett Gelman (Camping/Fleabag/Married/Go On) - Brett talks about The Terrifying Realm of the Possible: Nearly True Stories on CBS Mornings some time between 7-9am.
  • William Shatner ($h*! My Dad Says) - NBC's Today catches up with William in the 9am hour.


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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