Saturday, February 22, 2014

SitcomsOnline Digest: The Simpsons to Air Lego Episode; Special Features Update for CBS Classic TV Blu-rays


Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! Today, we've got news about The Simpsons 550th episode, updates on some Blu-ray releases of classic TV series from CBS Home Entertainment, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB
  • The Simpsons is approaching yet another milestone in May, with the 550th episode of the series, and in honor of this amazing achievement, the 550th episode will be a special episode that will be created with Lego building blocks. (Reuters)
  • Barney Miller isn't celebrating a milestone anniversary just yet (although it will be 40 years old next year), but even so, International Business Times has a nice interview about the series with a communications professor at Fordham University who discusses the complicated dynamics of the series, which he considers to be "the most intelligent, literate US sitcom ever." (International Business Times)
  • It may not be a sitcom, but the CSI franchise has been big thing for CBS since 2000, eventually expanding into three series (but now back down to just the original). Now, it appears CBS wants to expand the franchise once again with a series that would focus on international cyber crime. (Entertainment Weekly)
  • What happens when you cross the sitcom Community with The Walking Dead? One truly devoted Community fan answers that question (as well as what it would look like if you cross it with The Wonder Years) by creating some rather creative (but well done) opening credits for Community. (Huffington Post)
  • Three's Company and Too Close for Comfort, two series that helped the Antenna TV lineup (but left over a year ago), will be returning to that lineup in April. (SitcomsOnline)

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

    RECENT HOME MEDIA REVIEWS ON SITCOMSONLINE

    FEBRUARY 23 HOME MEDIA RELEASES

    http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00GT7GYVW/ref=nosim/happydaysonline5-20
    • Mama's Family - The Complete Third Season (DVD, $29.98): The classic Vicki Lawrence sitcom returns to DVD for another season, this one being the first season of the retooled version of the series that aired in first-run syndication.
    • The Middle - The Complete Fourth Season (DVD, $44.98): The ABC series that lagged behind a season on DVD releases finally gets caught up with this release.
    • L.A. Law - Season One (DVD, $29.93): The groundbreaking NBC legal drama that began in the '80s comes to DVD for the very first time (at least for the first time in the United States).

    FOLLOW ME

    Who to Follow: Danielle Brisebois (Twitter), "here and now"
    Claim to Fame: Danielle Brisebois is probably not a huge household name to every sitcom fan out there. However, as a child, she gained significant prominence in her regular role of Stephanie on the series All in the Family (as well as spinoff Archie Bunker's Place). After that series ended, her acting career turned to Knots Landing for a while, then went on single episode guest roles in series such as Mr. Belvedere, Hotel, Murder She Wrote, and other series. While her acting career essentially ended before 1990, her attention has turned to music where she has found major success, beginning as a member of the New Radicals (best known for their 1998 single, "You Get What You Give") and later going on to write songs for many prominent artists, such as Natasha Bedingfield (Brisebois was actually the writer for Bedingfield's "Pocketful of Sunshine" and "Unwritten"), Kelly Clarkson, Donna Summer, Clay Aiken, Kylie Minogue, and more. Despite all of this success, she still looks back very fondly at her acting career, particularly working with Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton.
    Pick of the Tweets: "Me and #jeanstapleton good memories pic.twitter.com/71QyTXEAVb" (June 1, 2013)
    Posted by Skees -- SitcomsOnline.com at 2:00 PM
    Labels: , , , , ,

    New on DVD/Blu-ray (April/May/June)

    Diff'rent Strokes - The Complete Fifth Season Father Knows Best - Season Five The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Second Season ALF - The Complete DVD Collection The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - The Complete Series

    04/04 - Diff'rent Strokes - The Complete Fifth Season
    04/11 - Father Knows Best - Season Five
    04/11 - Schitt's Creek - The Complete Third Season
    04/11 - Silicon Valley - The Complete Third Season (Blu-ray)
    04/11 - Veep - The Complete Fifth Season
    05/02 - Red, White and Blue Collar Sitcoms - Make TV Great Again
    05/09 - ALF - The Complete DVD Collection
    05/09 - Divorce - The Complete First Season (Blu-ray)
    05/09 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Second Season
    05/16 - The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - The Complete Series
    06/13 - The Andy Griffith Show - Return to Mayberry
    06/13 - That's My Mama - The Complete Series
    06/20 - Workaholics - The Final (Seventh) Season
    06/20 - Workaholics - The Complete Series
    06/27 - The Jamie Foxx Show - The Complete Third Season
    More TV DVD Releases / DVD Reviews Archive / SitcomsOnline Digest

    Sitcoms Airing Tonight

    Friday, June 23

    Stuck in the Middle - "Stuck in a Gold Medal Performance" (Disney Channel, 8:00PM ET/PT)
    The Diaz family hosts Olympic medalist Laurie Hernandez for a dinner that spins out of control.

    Andi Mack - "Best Surprise Ever" (Disney Channel, 8:30PM ET/PT)
    Jonah Beck turns to Andi after Amber fails to defend him to her friends; Andi is convinced Bex and Bowie are destined to be together.

    Bizaardvark - "First Day of School" (Disney Channel, 9:00PM ET/PT)
    Paige and Frankie take on public high school but quickly discover life at Sierra High is not what they thought it would be; Dirk, a recent Sierra grad and legend, tries to help Bernie and Amelia acclimate to their new school.

    Playing House - "Cookie Jar" (USA Network, 11:00PM ET/PT)
    Maggie hosts a game night to welcome Bruce's new girlfriend into the fold; Emma discovers that this is what 40 looks like.

    Playing House - "None of Your Business" (USA Network, 11:30PM ET/PT)
    Emma tries to rescue Tina from a pyramid scheme; Maggie starts a nursing rotation with a cold doctor.

    Complete TV Listings

    Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of June 19)

    Friday, June 23

    • Kevin Hart (The Big House/Undeclared) - Watch Kevin on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
    • Ali Wentworth (Nightcap) - Ali is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
    • John Mulaney (Mulaney) - John appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
    • Whitney Cummings (Whitney) - Whitney is a guest on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
    • Kumail Nanjiani (Silicon Valley) - Kumail chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
    • Paul Shaffer (A Year at the Top) - Paul guest co-hosts The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
    • Laura Prepon (Are You There, Chelsea?/That '70s Show) - Laura appears on a repeat of LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
    • Michael Strahan (Brothers) - Michael plays Pyramid on a repeat of Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
    • Zoe Perry and Iain Armitage (Young Sheldon) - Zoe and Iain talk about their upcoming CBS sitcom Young Sheldon on People Now at 8:30am.
    • Melora Hardin (The Office/Wedding Band) - Melora talks about Freeform's The Bold Type on the AOL Build Show at 1pm and on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 11:30am ET.
    • Alfonso Ribeiro (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air/In the House/Silver Spoons) - Alfonso guest co-hosts Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
    • Ellie Kemper (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt/The Office) - Ellie is a guest on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
    • Maggie Lawson (Angel from Hell/Back in the Game/Crumbs/It's All Relative/Inside Schwartz) - Maggie talks about Hallmark Channel's original movie My Favorite Wedding on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
    • Rhys Darby (Wrecked/Flight of the Conchords) - Rhys talks about Wrecked on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
    • Damon Wayans, Jr. (New Girl/Happy Endings) - Damon will be on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 8:50am.