Saturday, October 25, 2014
SitcomsOnline Digest: First Cancellation of the New Season; CSI Season Cut Short; New Mill Creek DVDs
Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! We finally have news of the first cancellation of the season, new developments on the remake of Bewitched, news of more Mill Creek DVDs, and more. Let's get going!
HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB
- This year, it took almost five weeks (unusually long by broadcast network standards) for the first new fall series to be canceled by one of the networks. The series receiving this distinction was ABC's Manhattan Love Story. (Entertainment Weekly)
- CBS has decided to cut the current season of CSI down to 18 episodes, which already has some wondering if the long-running series may be reaching the end. (Deadline)
- We mentioned last week that the classic TV series Bewitched was being eyed for a remake, and things have moved very fast... so fast, that it has finally been given a pilot production commitment at NBC following what is being described as an intense bidding war between NBC and ABC. (Deadline)
- Fox is being sued by actor Frank Sivero over the use of The Simpsons mobster character Louie, because Sivero says that the character is a ripoff of his character from the movie Goodfellas. (People)
- The debut of new episodes of American Dad was a huge success for TBS earlier this week. (TV By The Numbers)
- Saturday Night Live is adding current writer Leslie Jones as a cast member, and given some of her cameo appearances on the series, it is certain to be a good thing for the series. (CBS News)
- Another retro TV digital network is coming, and this time it is coming from CBS and Weigel Broadcasting. (SitcomsOnline)
HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
- Mill Creek is moving ahead once again with more Married... with Children on DVD as they prepare for January 6 releases of Married... with Children - Season Seven, Married... with Children - Season Eight, and Married... with Children - Seasons Seven and Eight.
- Mill Creek also has more of The Cosby Show on the same date, with The Cosby Show - Season Five, The Cosby Show - Season Six, and The Cosby Show - Seasons Five and Six.
OCTOBER 28 HOME MEDIA RELEASES
- WKRP in Cincinnati - The Complete Series (DVD, $139.99): One of the most anticipated series ever comes to DVD, and despite a few music licensing hiccups, a significant amount of the original music is intact on this excellent release of the series (much more than what Fox included on their season 1 release). We'll have a full review of this set very soon.
FOLLOW ME
Who to Follow: Dick Van Dyke (Twitter), "the barefoot prince of Malibu"
Claim to Fame: The legendary actor is, in fact, on Twitter. Of course, he started out on television in the 1950s as host of The Morning Show on CBS and quickly rose to fame, particularly in a lot of films on the 1960s. But at the same time, he also had just as much fame from his CBS sitcom, The Dick Van Dyke Show. The series ran for six years, and is now considered one of the greatest classic TV series of all time. After that series ended, he mostly stayed with films for a few years, until 1971 when he got a second chance with The New Dick Van Dyke Show on CBS. The second series struggled initially before picking up, but ultimately, it left the air after Carl Reiner walked away from the series in protest of a scene in an episode that CBS found to be too "family unfriendly" (despite the fact that the network was airing several sitcoms at the time that were even less family friendly). Following that, he went back into movies again and even tried his hand at a variety series, Van Dyke and Company. A third sitcom in the 80s, The Van Dyke Show, was an instant flop. He did find success again by 1993, though, with the long-running series Diagnosis Murder.
Pick of the Tweets: "Arlene is dragging me into the 21st century - This is a joint blog for my wife and I. We are inseparable! ... http://tmblr.co/Z1FiFm1TD_kcx" (October 15, 2014)
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Wednesday, May 1
Abbott Elementary - "Double Date" (ABC, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Two teachers head out on a double date, but when they run into familiar bar patrons, it proves to be an unfortunate distraction. At Ava’s first book club meeting, the group ends up in a debate over who would be the best post-apocalyptic leader.
The Conners - "Campaign U-Turn and a Hard Write" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Dan gets asked to write an article for a Hardware magazine, making Ben long for his days as a writer. Meanwhile, Jackie inserts herself into Louise’s run for the school board when her retirement leads to too much free time.
Animal Control - "Bulls and Potbellies" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Frank and Emily get a break in their exotic animal ring case; Shred and Rick bond over their romantic woes; Victoria and Patel's father accidentally kiss.
Family Guy - "Old World Harm" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Peter and Lois vacation in Florida, only to discover they've rented a condo in a retirement community; Brian helps Stewie take his first shower.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of April 29)
Wednesday, May 1
- Carol Burnett (Palm Royale/Mad About You/Mama's Family) - Watch Carol on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Jim Gaffigan (The Jim Gaffigan Show/My Boys/The Ellen Show/Welcome to New York) - Jim appears on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 10:15pm on Bravo.
- Kyra Sedgwick (Call Your Mother) - Kyra is a guest on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 11pm on Bravo.
- Melissa Joan Hart (Melissa & Joey/Sabrina the Teenage Witch/Clarissa Explains It All) - NBC's Today catches up with Melissa in the 9am hour.
- Busy Philipps (Girls5eva/Vice Principals/Cougar Town/Love, Inc.) - NBC's Today catches up with Busy in the 10am hour.
- John Leguizamo (The Brothers Garcia) - John discusses his new thriller series The Green Veil on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
- Brett Gelman (Camping/Fleabag/Married/Go On) - Brett talks about his new film Boy Kills World on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
New on DVD/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)
04/03 - Too Close for Comfort - The Complete Series (VEI)
04/08 - Check It Out! - The Complete Series (VEI)
More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD Releases / DVD Reviews Archive / SitcomsOnline Digest
Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts
Sitcoms Online Main Page
Follow Us on Twitter
Follow Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Instagram
Follow Us on Threads
Subscribe to the RSS Feed
Contact Us