Tuesday, July 22, 2008

FX Schedule Changes; Remembering Golden Girls' Estelle Getty, Lifetime Honors Estelle with Marathon on Friday

FX made some last minute schedule changes last week (effective July 14) but we didn't have time to inform me as we were swamped with so much other stuff. FX has removed Married...with Children, Dharma & Greg and Buffy the Vampire Slayer from its line-up. The first two were airing weekdays in the daytime while Buffy was airing weekends at 7am. The Practice was only airing weekends 8am but now it seems to be airing more. It is airing weekdays at 8am and weekends 7 & 8am. Also, FX will bring back disgusting reality series Fear Factor back from the dead starting July 28. It won't be airing in set slots, though. Look for it airing Monday afternoons around 1pm, Tuesday nights around 1am, Wednesday afternoons around 1pm & late nights around 1am, and some Thursday afternoons around 1pm.
As for the rest of the schedule, after 1pm the schedule is not really constant, but here is how it looks generally:
Weekdays - 7-8am Malcolm in the Middle, 8am The Practice, 9-10am Spin City, 10am Movie, 12-1pm Spin City, 1-6pm various back to back slots of King of the Hill, That '70s Show and Malcolm in the Middle (with some Fear Factor mixed in around 1pm on some days), 6pm-11pm movies/originals, 11pm-2am usually marathons of That '70s Show or King of the Hill (with an episode of Fear Factor on a few days days around 1am).
Weekends - 7am The Practice, 8am The Practice, 9am-10am Spin City (on some weekends), Movies otherwise, 10am-2am Movies/originals.
These changes are probably temporary (as of now through 9/1, but could be a bit more beyond that) and we will let you know the fall line-up as soon as we know. Married...with Children of course is expiring at the end of August, but we have seen the last of it on FX already (last airing was July 13 at 1am)...it'll be coming to Spike TV and TBS this September, as we have mentioned many times already. No idea if Buffy or Dharma are expiring, though, but we will try to find out. Dharma & Greg will still air on WE tv weekdays 11am-12pm. Bernie Mac is coming this Fall to FX we know in a four-year-deal...more info on that soon. Stay tuned!

We have yet another TV related passing to tell you. This time it is fan favorite Estelle Getty. Estelle of course is best known for her role as Sophia Petrillo on the sitcom The Golden Girls. She died this morning (Tuesday, July 22 at 5:35am PT) in Los Angeles. Estelle had been suffering from Dementia with Lewy bodies for the last 8 years or so.
Estelle had been nominated for an Emmy seven times for her role on The Golden Girls, winning in 1988. She was also nominated three times for a Golden Globe, winning in 1986.
Before The Golden Girls, her acting career started in 1978. She got her start in the Yiddish theater, and her most important early role was playing Harvey Fierstein's mother on Broadway in the play Torch Song Trilogy. She then moved on to films, with her most famous ones such as Tootsie (1982) and Mask (1985). She also guest starred on some series such Cagney & Lacey, Hotel, One of the Boys, and Newhart before getting The Golden Girls in 1985. During the run of The Golden Girls, she played Sophia Petrillo on other series as well. She guest starred a few times on the spin-off series Empty Nest. She also guest starred as Sophia on the sitcom Blossom in 1991, an NBC series at the time of The Golden Girls. After The Golden Girls ended in 1992 on NBC, CBS did a follow-up series called The Golden Palace, where the girls work at a hotel. Everyone came back except Bea Arthur (she did guest star a few time though). The sitcom lasted one season and also starred Don Cheadle and Cheech Marin. She once again played the role of Sophia on an episode of the Empty Nest spin-off series Nurses in 1993.
She guest starred on many series not playing Sophia as well. She played herself on episodes of sitcoms such as The John Larroquette Show, The Nanny, and It's Like You Know. She also guest starred on series such as City, The Fanelli Boys, Touched by an Angel, Hollywood Squares, Brotherly Love, Mad About You, and Ladies Man. She continued on film as well with movies such as Stuart Little and The Million Dollar Kid.
Estelle will be deeply missed by not only Golden Girls fans but by all sitcom fans.
UPDATE: This Friday, July 25, Lifetime Television will pay a special on-air and online tribute to Estelle Getty. July 25 is also her birthday. From 12-5PM (ET/PT), Lifetime will air 10 episodes showcasing 'Sophia' in all her blustering, sarcastic splendor, beginning with the show's pilot. The last episode at 4:30PM (ET/PT) will be the #1 favorite "Sophia episode" as decided through a vote of her legion of devoted fans at myLifetime.com.
Estelle would have been 85 on Friday, so she passed away three days before her 85th birthday. I'm sure many of you don't know this, but Bea Arthur is actually a bit older then Estelle, despite Bea playing her daughter on The Golden Girls.
The following was stated on her website:
"To all of Estelle's Fans,
Sadly, today July 22, 2008 at 5:35 a.m. Pacific Time, we said our last good-byes to our little friend Estelle, who passed away and made her journey to the great beyond. Although it was a trip that she never wanted to take, she went gracefully, in the comfort of her own home, surrounded by her family and her very loving care-givers.
Estelle's legacy will live on and on through the comedy and laughter she gave to us all, which will forever keep us laughing out loud."


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Wednesday, May 14

Tyler Perry's House of Payne - "House of Outrage" (BET, 9:00PM ET/PT)
House of Payne is the hilarious comedy about Retired fire chief Curtis Payne and his lovely wife Ella.

Tyler Perry's Assisted Living - "Spare The Rod" (BET, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Jeremy and Leah are forced to put their foot down upon receiving disappointing news concerning Phillip.

The Ms. Pat Show - "Boo, B...!" (BET, 10:30PM ET/PT)
Ghosts of the past can affect the present, and that's what happens when Pat and Denise's abusive mom Mildred returns to haunt her daughters and interfere in their family life.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of May 12)

Wednesday, May 14

  • Dax Shepard (Bless This Mess) - Watch Dax on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Salma Hayek Pinault (The Sinbad Show) - Salma appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Nick Kroll (Big Mouth/The League/Cavemen) - Nick is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Emily Osment (Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage/Young Sheldon/Young & Hungry/Hannah Montana) - Emily appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Leslie Bibb (Palm Royale/God's Favorite Idiot/American Housewife/The Odd Couple/About a Boy) - Leslie is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Terry Crews (Everybody Still Hates Chris/Brooklyn Nine-Nine/Are We There Yet?/Everybody Hates Chris) and Howie Mandel (Good Grief) - Terry and Howie talk about America's Got Talent on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am. Terry will also be on in the 9am hour.
  • Sofia Vergara (Modern Family/The Knights of Prosperity/Hot Properties) - Terry talks about America's Got Talent on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • Jameela Jamil (Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin/The Good Place) - Jameela chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Mario Cantone (And Just Like That.../Sex and the City) - Mario talks about Max's And Just Like That... on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series Frasier (2023) - Season Two Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered) Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)

01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
05/13 - The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered)
06/06 - Shoresy - Season 2
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (Blu-ray)
07/08 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)

More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

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05/07 - Netflix's A Man on the Inside Bulks Up Cast for Season 2; The Studio Renewed by Apple TV+
05/06 - Netflix's Long Story Short Announces Cast; NBC Renews All Chicago Series for 2025-26
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05/02 - USA and SYFY Announce Summer Premieres; CBC in Canada Renews 5 Series, Including Wild Cards
05/01 - ABC Summer 2025 Schedule; Audible Scripted Comedy Podcasts for Summer
04/30 - The Carol Burnett Show Mother of All Marathons; Netflix Renews North of North
04/29 - Lifetime Adds New Ripped from the Headlines Movie; BET+ Orders Season 2 of Series
04/28 - Fox Summer 2025 Schedule; Final Guest Hosts for Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Season
04/27 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of April 28, 2025)
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04/25 - Classic TV's Biggest Auction; Remembering Will Hutchins and Wink Martindale
04/24 - Jerrod Carmichael's 4th HBO Comedy Special; HBO's Pee-wee as Himself Premieres May 23
04/23 - Apple TV+ Announces Comedy Series Prodigies; ABC Renews Unscripted Series Slate
04/22 - Hallmark Channel's May For Moms Month; Prime Video Gets Korean Comedy Action Series
04/21 - Peacock's Twisted Metal Returns July 31; Poker Face Lines Up Big Guests for Season 2
04/20 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of April 21, 2025)
04/19 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Clueless Reboot in the Works at Peacock; King of the Hill Cast Reunion and Revival Preview at ATX TV Festival Next Month
04/18 - 2025 TIME100 on ABC; Atsuko Okatsuka: Father Premieres June 13 on Hulu
04/17 - BET+ Orders Martin Spinoff Varnell Hill; It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Returns in July
04/16 - And Just Like That... Season 3 on Max This May; MGM+ Comedy Series Adds Big Stars
04/15 - HBO's Harry Potter Series; Classic TV Comes to Life in NYC
04/14 - TV Stars Lineup for Summer of 69 Hulu Film; Jessica Kirson Comedy Special