Good News If Your Name Is Earl; Dick Van Dyke Returns To The Small Screen; I Love Lucy's Final Season Coming To DVD

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

Good News If Your Name Is Earl; Dick Van Dyke Returns To The Small Screen; I Love Lucy's Final Season Coming To DVD

Some good news if your name happens to be Earl. Universal Studios Hollywood is offering free admission, starting January 5th and running through the end of January, to anyone named Earl. All Earls will also receive free t-shirts. My Name Is Earl is being shifted from Tuesdays to Thursdays on NBC at 9PM ET/PT starting January 5th. Read their press release here. Discuss this freshman sitcom on our message board.

Dunkin' Donuts commercial star Michael Vale has died. He passed away on Saturday, December 24 in New York City at age 83 due to complications from diabetes. He did the ads from 1982 until he retired in 1997. He said "Time to make the donuts." His sitcom roles included 3 appearances on Car 54, Where Are You? and a 1987 episode of The Cosby Show.

Television icon Dick Van Dyke returns to the small screen in “Murder 101” premiering on Hallmark Channel on Saturday, January 7 (9/8c). Van Dyke is joined by his real life son, Barry Van Dyke, and grandson, Wes Van Dyke, in the new murder mystery that also reunites the Van Dykes with Dean Hargrove, the Emmy® Award-winning executive producer of “Murder 101,” “Diagnosis Murder,” and “Columbo.”

Dick Van Dyke stars as Dr. Jonathan Maxwell, a bumbling professor of criminology who happens to be one of the sharpest crime-solving minds in the world. Although sometimes forgetful in his ordinary life, when it comes to solving a whodunit, Dr. Maxwell is talented in using psychology and evidence to uncover the truth with a little help from his protégé private investigator Mike Palmer played by real life son, Barry Van Dyke. Grandson Wes Van Dyke makes a cameo appearance as one of Dr. Maxwell’s criminology students.

I Love Lucy's sixth and final season will be released on May 2nd. Click here to read the info and see the artwork at TVShowsonDVD.com . Will we see the start of The Lucy Show season sets after I Love Lucy wraps up? Or maybe The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour? Click here to read one rumor thread that was posted on our Lucy Show message board. There is still lots of Lucy material that could be released in the future.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Monday, December 22

Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion Pt. 2 (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
CBS is gifting viewers an extra special holiday present this season, the brand-new EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND: 30TH ANNIVERSARY REUNION PT. 2,” airing Monday, Dec. 22, (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network and streaming on Paramount+.*

This one-hour show gives viewers who loved the first special another opportunity to reminisce and revisit the laughter and joy from the original CBS series. The brand-new broadcast follows the success of EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND: 30TH ANNIVERSARY REUNION, which originally aired Monday, Nov. 24, with an encore presentation Friday, Nov. 28, garnering 10.08 million live plus 7-day multiplatform viewers across both broadcasts and streaming.

Hosted by Emmy Award-winning actor Ray Romano and series creator Phil Rosenthal, this fresh hour brings fans closer than ever to the original series, with exclusive stories and heartfelt memories shared by beloved cast members gathered together to honor one of TV’s most iconic sitcoms. Ray Romano and Phil Rosenthal share their thoughts on the magic of being back on set and reuniting with the cast. Additionally, viewers can enjoy never-before-seen content, outtakes and behind-the-scenes footage. Plus, guest stars, writers and producers will provide unique insights into the creation and legacy of this beloved series.

St. Denis Medical - "Get Me in the Pod, Brother" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Alex and Ron spar over the wisdom of open communication; Joyce brings in a body scanner that proves overly distracting.

The Paper - "I Love You" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
With Marv camped out in the newsroom while his office is painted, Ned and the staff find their unresolved attitudes toward authority bubbling up; Esmeralda and Ken plot a betrayal that leaks.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 22)

Monday, December 22

Kenan Thompson (Kenan/Kenan & Kel) - Watch Kenan on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Tony Shalhoub (We Are Men/Stark Raving Mad/Wings) - Tony appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Ron Funches (Loot/Powerless/Undateable) and Jeff Garcia (Mr. Box Office) - Ron and Jeff are guests on a repeat of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 12:37am on CBS.
Kate Hudson (Running Point) - Andy Cohen interviews Kate on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9pm on Bravo. She also talks about Song Sung Blue on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Jamie Lee Curtis (The Sticky/Anything But Love/Operation Petticoat) - Jamie Lee talks about Ella McCay with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Simu Liu (Kim's Convenience) - Simu talks about The Copenhagen Test on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
Hugh Jackman (Human Resources) - Hugh talks about Song Sung Blue on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Kyle Richards (Down to Earth) - Kyle gives Sherri a sneak peek at the 15th season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills on a repeat of Sherri, so check your local listings.
Paul Rudd (The Shrink Next Door/Living with Yourself/Wild Oats) - Paul and Jack Black are telling Drew all about their hilarious adaptation of Anaconda on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Odessa A'zion (I Love LA/Fam) - Odessa tells Drew about her role in new movie Marty Supreme and hit series I Love LA on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Melissa Gilbert (Stand by Your Man) - Melissa is guest on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:10am.