Monday, September 04, 2006

FOX Sitcom Pilot Reviews: 'Til Death and Happy Hour - Premiere September 7th

Happy Labor Day! A special thank you to Pavan on his day of rest for bringing us daily news, schedules, and ratings. When we first started this blog over a year ago, I honestly didn't think he'd be able to post news every single day. With so little news during the summer hiatus months, he has continued to deliver on a daily basis. He'll have some exciting news on a few '80s sitcoms tomorrow when he returns.

We are proud to present reviews of the new fall sitcom pilots for the second consecutive season. There will be 8 new sitcoms premiering in September and October. There looks to be a number of promising sitcoms this fall, such as The Class, 30 Rock, The Knights of Prosperity, and Help Me Help You. Hopefully we'll see a number of big hits, as we've hit a bit of a dry spell in recent years. It would also be nice if some of last season's new sitcom hits (How I Met Your Mother, My Name Is Earl, The New Adventures of Old Christine) don't suffer any sophomore slumps. Look for our other pilot reviews in the upcoming weeks, as we get closer to their premiere dates. We'll also bring you reviews of the mid-season sitcoms, when they are announced at a later date.

'Til Death

'Til Death - Thursdays at 8:00PM ET/PT on FOX
Premieres September 7th at 8:00PM ET/PT

'TIL DEATH is a comedy about middle-aged EDDIE (Brad Garrett, "Everybody Loves Raymond") and JOY STAMM (Joely Fisher, "Desperate Housewives"), who are on day 8,743 of their marriage and have the battle scars to prove it. Their new next-door neighbors are young newlyweds STEPH (Kat Foster, "Law & Order") and JEFF WOODCOCK (Eddie Kaye Thomas, "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle") - idealistic, passionate, adorable and married for all of 12 days. It's a show about new marriage versus old marriage, about keeping the romance alive - or at least staying together so you have someone to drive you to the hospital for your operations. Eddie is a cynical realist who considers himself an expert on most topics. A high school history teacher, he's learned well the lessons of history and applies the basic principles to his marriage: all fights are about power, land and resources - and women love to kill fun. A veteran of the marriage wars, Eddie freely gives his advice to the younger, idealistic Jeff, who's the new Vice Principal at Eddie's school. Of course, Eddie's little secret all along is that he loves Joy more than anything. And however brash and sardonic Joy herself appears, she loves Eddie right back.

Cast: Brad Garrett as Eddie Stamm, Joely Fisher as Joy Stamm, Eddie Kaye Thomas as Jeff Woodcock, Kat Foster as Steph Woodcock

Read our review of the pilot episode here.

Discuss the show after you watch it on Thursday on our message board.

Related Links:

  • FOX.com Official Site
  • TV.com
  • epguides.com
  • Internet Movie Database
  • Wikipedia
  • 'Til Death Photo Gallery


    Happy Hour

    Happy Hour - Thursdays at 8:30PM ET/PT on FOX
    Premieres September 7th at 8:30PM ET/PT

    Straight arrow HENRY BECKMAN (John Sloan, "The OH in Ohio") had it all: a great job, a perfect girlfriend and a sweet apartment. He was a big fish in the small pond of Amsterdam, Missouri. And then he let HEATHER (Brooke D'Orsay, "King's Ransom") talk him into moving to Chicago to work in her family business, where it all went wrong. In the space of one morning, Henry gets dumped by Heather, learns he can no longer work for Heather's uncle, and gets kicked out of their apartment. It's in this vulnerable state that he meets his new roommate, a vain, flashy, loveable rogue named LARRY CONE (Lex Medlin, "Still Standing"). Larry is a modern-day Dean Martin who is looking for a new protg to teach the wisdom of staying single and enjoying the good life. Larry's last roommate and best friend, BRAD (Nat Faxon, "Joey"), has gotten engaged to the shrew TINA (Jamie Denbo, "Must Love Dogs"), a cold and controlling fiance who's immune to Larry's considerable charm. Under Larry's tutelage, Henry begins to rebuild his life and goes to work for Larry's childhood friend AMANDA (Beth Lacke, "The Rest of Your Life"), a beautiful mess who's unsuccessfully trying to emulate her perfect ideal of womanhood, Kelly Ripa. Will Henry manage to hold onto his traditional values and remain a hopeless romantic? Or will Larry indeed "build a better Brad"?

    Cast: John Sloan as Henry Beckman, Lex Medlin as Larry Cone, Nat Faxon as Brad Cooper, Jamie Denbo as Tina DiFabio, Beth Lacke as Beth Pennington, Brooke D’Orsay as Heather Hanson

    Read our review of the pilot episode here.

    Discuss the show after you watch it on Thursday on our message board.

    Related Links:

  • FOX.com Official Site
  • TV.com
  • epguides.com
  • Internet Movie Database
  • Wikipedia
  • Happy Hour Photo Gallery

  • Sitcoms Airing Tonight

    Monday, September 25

    Son of a Critch - "Particip-action" (The CW, 8:00PM ET/PT)
    Mark is forced to participate in the school's Sports Day; Fox fights for her mother's attention and attempts to break the school record for gold medals.

    Run the Burbs - "Li Xi" (The CW, 8:30PM ET/PT)
    As they celebrate Vietnamese Lunar New Year, Andrew worries about his parents' relationship; Camille pitches her business to Andrew's mother; the kids get into trouble with their business startup.

    Children Ruin Everything - "Dignity" (The CW, 9:00PM ET/PT)
    Following embarrassing run-ins with her boss and co-workers, Astrid feels on the back foot and disconnected from her younger co-workers; Astrid realizes her best move might be to attend a drink night with the rest of her team.

    American Dad! - "Productive Panic" (TBS, 10:00PM ET/PT)
    Francine becomes an overnight sensation when a famous art dealer discovers her homemade pottery.

    Breeders - "No Matter What: Part Two" (FX, 10:00PM ET/PT)
    Jackie's health is continuing to worsen; Paul helps out a distressed Luke but finds himself in more conflict with Ally; at Baby Jay's naming party, Ava declares her love, and Paul makes an offer that will take him and Ally back in time.

    Complete TV Listings


    Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of September 25)

    Monday, September 25

    • Eddie Murphy (The PJs) - Watch Eddie on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
    • D'Arcy Carden (The Good Place/Barry) - D'Arcy is a guest on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
    • Idris Elba (Turn Up Charlie) - Idris appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
    • Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation) - Aubrey is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
    • Wilmer Valderrama (That '70s Show) - Wilmer appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
    • Woody Harrelson (Cheers) - Woody is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
    • Jon Lovitz (Mr. Box Office/NewsRadio/Foley Square) - Jon is a guest on a repeat of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen on CBS between 12:37-1:37am.
    • Kelly Ripa (Hope & Faith) and Mark Consuelos (Alpha House/Hope & Faith) - E! News has interviews with Kelly and Mark at 11pm on E!.
    • Jamie-Lynn Sigler (Guys with Kids/Entourage) - Jamie-Lynn appears on Watch What Happens: Live at 3:30am on Bravo.
    • Kerry Washington (Unprisoned) - Kerry talks about her new book Thicker than Water: A Memoir on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
    • Punkie Johnson (After Life) - Punkie talks about her podcast Love Thang with Punkie Johnson on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
    • Keke Palmer (Scream Queens/True Jackson, VP) - Keke talks about her Big Boss album and tour on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.


    New on DVD/Blu-ray (June-October)

    Mayberry R.F.D. - The Complete Series Night Court (1984-1992) - The Complete Series Family Matters - The Complete Series Step by Step - The Complete Series ALF - The Complete Series (Deluxe Edition)

    06/13 - Mayberry R.F.D. - The Complete Series
    06/13 - Night Court (1984-1992) - The Complete Series
    07/18 - South Park - Seasons 21-25 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
    07/25 - The Neighborhood - Season Five
    07/25 - Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin - Season One
    07/25 - Superstore - The Complete Series
    08/22 - Back to Life - Season 1 / Season 2
    08/29 - Smiling Friends - Season 1 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
    09/05 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Sixth Season
    09/12 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Second Season
    09/12 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-6 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
    09/26 - Family Matters - The Complete Series
    09/26 - Step by Step - The Complete Series
    10/10 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season Thirteen / The Complete Season Fourteen
    10/17 - ALF - The Complete Series (Deluxe Edition) (Shout! Factory Special Offers)
    10/17 - Night Court (2023) - The Complete First Season
    More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD Releases / DVD Reviews Archive / SitcomsOnline Digest


    Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

    09/25 - Laff Fall 2023 Schedule with Last Man Standing and Man with a Plan; Upload Returns October 20
    09/24 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of September 25, 2023)
    09/23 - SitcomsOnline Digest: An End on the Horizon for WGA Strike?; Hallmark Ready for Christmas
    09/22 - The Santa Clauses Season 2 Launches November 8; CBS Alters Fall Schedule
    09/21 - Penn & Teller: Fool Us Gets New Return Date; Netflix's Unicorn Academy Premieres November 2
    09/20 - Paramount+ Announces Colin from Accounts; The Really Loud House Gets Halloween Movie
    09/19 - The Simpsons Season 34 Streams October 11 on Disney+; Good Burger 2 Set for Holiday Season
    09/18 - Hulu's Huluween and Disney+'s Hallowstream Line-Up; Shining Vale Returns October 13 on STARZ
    09/17 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of September 18, 2023)
    09/16 - SitcomsOnline Digest: ABC Cancels Wonder Years Reboot; Byron Allen Makes $10 Billion Offer to Buy ABC
    09/15 - Antenna TV's Bewitched Halloween Marathon; Rewind TV's Sabrina the Teenage Witch-O-Ween Marathon
    09/14 - Dancing with the Stars Season 32 Cast; BUZZR Celebrates 40 Years of Press Your Luck
    09/13 - TBS Acquires Modern Family; The Frasier Awards on COZI TV
    09/12 - Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen Gets CBS Late Night Run; Unsolved Mysteries: Behind the Legacy Special
    09/11 - Matt Rife Gets Netflix Special; Star Trek Day and Kid Cudi Join Forces
    09/10 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of September 11, 2023)
    09/09 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Warner Bros. Television Suspends Deals with Top Creators; Fran Drescher Re-Elected President of SAG-AFTRA
    09/08 - CBS Announces Hosts of Game Show; New Goosebumps Premieres Friday the 13th This October on Disney+ and Hulu
    09/07 - MeTV Presents Svengoolie's Halloween BOOnanza!; The CW Moving Fall Comedies to Thursdays
    09/06 - CBS to Air NCIS: Sydney This Fall; Fox Makes Fall Change
    09/05 - TBS and TNT September Stunts Include Big Bang Theory Batman Day Marathon; Netflix UK Produced Series Updates
    09/04 - TV Marathons on Labor Day 2023 Include Three's Company
    09/03 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of September 4, 2023)
    09/02 - SitcomsOnline Digest: No Third Season for How I Met Your Father; Spectrum Dispute with Disney Could Spell End of Cable
    09/01 - September Is Anniversary Month on Hulu; Freeform's 31 Nights of Halloween Returns for Its 25th Anniversary
    08/31 - Max's Original Comedy Series Starstruck Season 3 and Our Flag Means Death Season 2 Premiere Dates; AXS TV Announces Fall Programming Lineup
    08/30 - The Partridge Family Coming to AXS TV Starting Oct. 2; CBS to Air A Tribute to Bob Barker Special Aug. 31, Marathon of Match Game Episodes to Air Sept. 2 on Game Show Network
    08/29 - Once Upon a Time Coming to Hulu; Young Love Launches on Max in September
    08/28 - Remembering TV Legend Bob Barker; Wolf Like Me Returns in October on Peacock
    08/27 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of August 28, 2023)
    08/26 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Frasier Reboot Date Set, With CBS Also Airing First Two Episodes; Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. Cancelled
    08/25 - Rick and Morty Returns October 15; Switch New Season Begins September 18 on Game Show Network