Thursday, March 24, 2016

George Lopez Marathon to Air on TV Land on April 23; Remembering Director James Sheldon and Ken Howard from The White Shadow

George Lopez

TV Land will air a George Lopez marathon for the first time on Saturday, April 23 from 4-11pm ET/PT. No word yet if the series will air in a regular timeslot. It currently airs on Nick at Nite in the late night/early morning hours. We will have complete marathon details when they become available.

The new TV Land comedy Lopez will premiere next Wednesday, March 30 at 10pm ET/PT. It's the real George Lopez we rarely get to see as he struggles to find his place among the worlds of race, class and fame. In the series premiere "Slave for a Day," George gets auctioned off at his daughter's elite private school fundraiser attended by his enemies. He doesn't want to embarrass himself or his daughter, or get bought by Snoop Dogg.

As we mentioned yesterday, George Lopez is hosting the TV Land Icon Awards on Sunday, April 17 at 9pm ET/PT. Stay with us for continued updates on all things George Lopez. Sheeow!

James Sheldon

Director James Sheldon, who directed episodes of over 100 series, has died. He died from complications of cancer on March 12 at his home in Manhattan, New York. Mr. Sheldon was 95.

Sheldon's early sitcom directing credits included ten episodes of Mr. Peepers in 1952. He directed a full season of The Bing Crosby show in 1964-1965. In 1967, he directed eight episodes of My Three Sons. Other credits included seven episodes of That Girl, eight episodes of Room 222, eight episodes of Love, American Style and six episodes of Sanford and Son.

Some of his other sitcom directing credits included The Donna Reed Show, Angel, Margie, The Patty Duke Show, My Mother the Car, O.K. Crackerby!, Family Affair, Petticoat Junction, Julia, To Rome with Love, My World and Welcome to It, Bridget Loves Bernie, Alice, M*A*S*H, The Love Boat and Sledge Hammer!.

He was mostly known for his work directing dramas. He directed 44 episodes of The Millionaire from 1957-1960. He worked on 6 episodes of The Twilight Zone in 1961-1962, including the classic "It's a Good Life." Other series he directed multiple episodes of included Zane Grey Theater, Perry Mason, Death Valley Days, Naked City, Route 66, The Fugitive, Walt Disney's World of Color, Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law, Petrocelli, McMillan & Wife, The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo, The Dukes of Hazzard and Lottery!.

Survivors include his sons Tony and James, Jr., and three grandsons.

The Archive of American Television conducted an extensive interview with him on April 6, 2005.

His "It's a Good Life" episode of The Twilight Zone, which starred Bill Mumy and Cloris Leachman, is considered by some fans to be one of the best of the series. We thank him for the entertainment he brought us over the years. He will be deeply missed.

Ken Howard

Actor Ken Howard, who was best known for his role as Ken Reeves in The White Shadow, has died. He died of a heart attack on March 23 in Los Angeles, California. Mr. Howard was 71.

Adam's Rib - Blythe Danner and Ken Howard

Howard starred in the short-lived 1973 ABC sitcom Adam's Rib. The romantic comedy was based on the Spencer Tracy-Katherine Hepburn 1949 film of the same title. The series starred Blythe Danner, Dena Dietrich, Ron Rifkin, Edward Winter and Norman Bartold.

He later starred as Jack Long in the short-lived 1983 ABC sitcom It's Not Easy. The series starred Jayne Meadows, Rachael Jacobs, Evan Cohen, Carlene Watkins, Bert Convy and Billy Jacoby.

He had a recurring role as Hank Hooper, Jack Donaghy's (Alec Baldwin) boss from Kabletown, in nine episodes of 30 Rock from 2011 to 2013. Some of his other sitcom credits included The Golden Girls, Arli$$, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Office, George Lopez and The McCarthys.

The White Shadow

Howard's best known role was as basketball coach and former Chicago Bulls player Ken Reeves in The White Shadow. The 1978-1981 CBS drama starred Ed Bernard, Joan Pringle, Thomas Carter, Kevin Hooks, Eric Kilpatrick, Nathan Cook, Timothy Van Patten, Ken Michelman, Ira Angustain and Byron Stewart.

He earlier starred in the crime drama The Manhunter, which aired on CBS in 1974-1975. He had a recurring role as Garrett Boydston in Dynasty and the spin-off series The Colbys. He appeared in five episodes of Melrose Place as George Andrews. Howard starred as Max Cavanaugh, Dr. Jordan Cavanaugh's (Jill Hennessy) father, in Crossing Jordan. In 2007, he appeared as the villain Joe Samuels in Cane.

His numerous television drama guest appearances included Bonanza, Medical Center, Hotel, Murder, She Wrote, Diagnosis Murder, The West Wing, The Practice, Family Law, Ghost Whisperer, Huff, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Brothers & Sisters, Eli Stone, Boston Legal, Cold Case, The Closer and Blue Bloods. He won an Emmy for his work in the 2009 HBO film Grey Gardens.

Survivors include his wife of 25 years, stuntwoman Linda Fetters Howard, and three stepchildren.

Mr. Howard was excellent in the classic and underrated The White Shadow. He always gave a solid performance in all of his television and film appearances. He will be greatly missed.


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


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

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03/13 - CBS Renews Ghosts and Fire Country; Apple TV+ Orders Owen Wilson Comedy
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03/01 - Lopez vs Lopez Season 2 Brings Out the Stars; Prime Video's Música Drops April 4
02/29 - Season 3 of Hacks Adds Star Power; Remembering Richard Lewis
02/28 - BUZZR Celebrates Women's History Month in March; 10th Anniversary of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
02/27 - Little House on the Prairie Big 5-0 Stunt on COZI TV; Netflix Orders Tires Starring Shane Gillis
02/26 - Hulu Orders Chad Powers Starring Glen Powell; Netflix's Mindy Kaling Produced Comedy Rounds Out Cast
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02/23 - Paramount+ Renews Frasier for Season 2; Netflix Orders Series from Maid Showrunner
02/22 - 30th SAG Awards Presenters Announced; Jay Pharoah Heads to Fox
02/21 - SNL Loads Up for Next 3 Weeks; Tig Notaro Prime Video Special
02/20 - Brittany Snow to Star Opposite Malin Akerman in Starz Series; Dennis Quaid Joining Paramount+
02/19 - Rewind TV's 227 on 2/27 Marathon; Dolly Parton's Pet Gala with Special Guests
02/18 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of February 19, 2024)