Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Remembering Alan Thicke; IFC Picks Up Stan Against Evil for 2nd Season

Alan Thicke

Canadian actor, composer, and game and talk show host Alan Thicke, who was best known for his role as Jason Seaver in Growing Pains, has died. He collapsed while playing hockey with his son Carter on December 13, 2016. He subsequently died of type-A aortic dissection at the Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California. Mr. Thicke was 69.

Growing Pains

Thicke played Dr. Jason Seaver, a psychiatrist and father, in the ABC sitcom Growing Pains. The popular series ran for seven seasons and 166 episodes from 1985 to 1992. It starred Joanna Kerns, Kirk Cameron, Tracey Gold, Jeremy Miller, Ashley Johnson (1990-1992) and Leonardo DiCaprio (1991-1992). Thicke received a Golden Globe Award nomination in 1988 for Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series – Comedy/Musical. The cast reunited for The Growing Pains Movie in 2000, followed by Growing Pains: Return of the Seavers in 2004.

He starred as Dennis Dupree in the 1995-1996 NBC sitcom Hope & Gloria. He played the vain, egocentric host of the local Pittsburgh The Dennis Dupree Show. The series starred Cynthia Stevenson, Jessica Lundy, Robert Garrova, Enrico Colantoni and Taylor Negron.

Some of his sitcom guest appearances included The Love Boat, Married with Children, Arli$$, My Wife and Kids, Yes, Dear, Half & Half, Joey, Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, About a Girl, 'Til Death, I'm in the Band, How I Met Your Mother, Grandfathered and Fuller House.

He also worked as a TV theme composer. Thicke collaborated with his first wife Gloria Loring on the themes to Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of Life. He also wrote many game show themes, including The Wizard of Odds, The Joker's Wild, Celebrity Sweepstakes, The Diamond Head Game, Animal Crack-Ups (which he also hosted), Blank Check, Stumpers!, Whew! and the original theme to Wheel of Fortune.

Thicke worked early in his career as a talk show host. He hosted the Canadian daytime talk show The Alan Thicke Show from 1980-1982. He later hosted the American syndicated late night talk show Thicke of the Night, which aired for one season from 1983-1984.

He hosted the Canadian game show First Impressions in the 1970s. He hosted Animal Crack-Ups on ABC for three seasons from 1987-1990. In 1997, he hosted the syndicated Pictionary. He hosted the All New 3's a Crowd on the Game Show Network in the early 2000s. Thicke hosted two other series focusing on animals with Animals Are People, Too in 1999 and Miracle Pets from 2000-2005 on PAX

Unusually Thicke

Thicke had recently been starring in the Pop mockumentary/reality-sitcom hybrid series Unusually Thicke. It presented a fictionalized portrayal of his family life. The cast included his wife Tanya Callau and son Carter, with some appearances by his sons Brennan and Robin.

Survivors include his wife Tanya Callau and sons Brennan, Carter and singer Robin.

Mr. Thicke was a man of many talents. Jason Seaver was one of the best TV dads of the 1980s. He was perfect in the role. We thank him for the entertainment and laughter he brought us. Thanks to him for showing us his smile. He will be greatly missed.

Share your memories on our Growing Pains message board. View photos in our galleries.




Stan Against Evil

IFC announced that horror-comedy series Stan Against Evil has been picked up for a second season slated to air in 2017. Created by Dana Gould (The Simpsons, Parks and Recreation) and starring John C. McGinley (Scrubs) and Janet Varney (You're The Worst), Stan Against Evil debuted Halloween week to strong numbers and critical acclaim. Season 1 concluded in November with Sheriff Evie Barret (Varney) stranded in the past and about to be burned at the stake, accused of being a witch. Stan Against Evil is one of IFC's most successful original series launches to date. The show demonstrated steady weekly audience growth across its first season and also saw significant time-shifted viewing, with total viewers and adults 18-49 more than doubling within seven days of each new episode premiere, notable for a new series.

Stan Against Evil follows Stan Miller (McGinley), a perpetually disgruntled former sheriff of a small New England town who was forced into retirement. Stan has trouble relinquishing his authority to Evie Barret (Varney), the tough and beautiful new sheriff in town, but they form an unlikely alliance when both begin to realize things are not quite right in their quaint New England town. Together, they valiantly fight a plague of unleashed demons that have been haunting the town, which just happens to be built on the site of a massive 17th century witch burning.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Friday, March 29

none scheduled

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 25)

Friday, March 29

  • Michael Keaton (Report to Murphy/Working Stiffs/All's Fair) - Watch Michael on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Ramy Youssef (Ramy/See Dad Run) - Ramy appears on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Sarah Paulson (Leap of Faith) - Sarah is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Bowen Yang (Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens) - Bowen appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Lauren Lapkus (Crashing/Clipped/Are You There, Chelsea?) - Lauren is a guest on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Jim Parsons (Young Sheldon/The Big Bang Theory) - Jim talks about Mother Play on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
  • Frank Grillo (Battery Park) - Frank talks about his new film Lights Out on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local lisitngs.
  • Eugene Levy (Schitt's Creek/Greg the Bunny/Hiller and Diller) - Eugene is telling Drew about working with his two children on Schitt's Creek, joining season four of Only Murders in the Building and traveling around the world for his new show on The Drew Barrymore Show, 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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