Friday, March 20, 2009

Retroality.TV Interviews Joyce DeWitt and...Me; CBS/Warner Bros. Officially Renew Big Bang, Men for Multiple Seasons; Sci Fi Renames to Syfy

Our buddy Chris Mann of Retroality.TV has put up his March 2009 cover story and it is a great one, like usual. This time he goes one-on-one with Joyce DeWitt...yes, Janet Wood from Three's Company! Chris talks to Joyce about a lot of different things and they are all interesting. See what Joyce has to say about John Ritter, when she last saw him, her feud with Suzanne Somers, friendship with Priscilla Barnes & the late Don Knotts, her stage roots with Richard Kline, the NBC Three's Company tell-all movie, her spiritual journey, and her upcoming projects (which includes stage work and two upcoming movies). And she talks in detail about those topics and much more topics. It's a nice three-part interview and you will find yourself reading every word and the time will just breeze by. It is a great read, and I urge you all you to read it. It starts off on the cover page on Retroality.TV, and continues on part two and part three.
That is not all for March! Chris has a few other new features and interviews, including an interview with ME! He interviewed me for my Jack's Bistro Three's Company website. How odd does it feel going from Joyce to me? But I am honored to be in great company! I talk to Chris about how I started the website, what my inspiration was, my favorite Three's Company episodes, John Ritter, the Suzanne-Joyce feud, and more! Check out me being interviewed by the great Chris Mann! And if you missed it back in October, both Todd and I were interviewed by Chris for SitcomsOnlline, so check that out, too, if you missed it.
All this is just in time for Three's Company's 32nd anniversary, which was on Sunday (March 15). Has it really been 32 years? I remember the 25th anniversary in 2002 and that didn't feel like too long ago. Chris says "more coming soon" so we cannot wait for that! We'll let you know what that is when he posts it! So 'Come and Knock on Retroality.TV's Door' today!

CBS Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television have reached a multi-year broadcast agreement for the hit comedy series Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory. The agreement renews television's Number One comedy, Two and a Half Men, through the 2011-2012 season, and one of television's fastest-growing series, The Big Bang Theory, through the 2010-2011 season.
The ratings success of Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory has helped establish CBS's Monday night as the Number One comedy block on television. This season, CBS's Monday night comedy lineup is up 13% in viewers, 11% in 18-49 and 9% in adults 25-54, so far.
Two and a Half Men, currently in its sixth season, is the Number One comedy in both viewers and adults 18-49, averaging 15.09 million viewers (up 14%), 5.1/11 in adults 18-49 (up 13%) and 6.3/13 in adults 25-54 (up 11%), so far.
The Big Bang Theory, in its sophomore season, is averaging 10.05 million viewers (up 20%), 3.7/10 in adults 18-49 (up 12%) and 4.4/10 in adults 24-54 (up 10%), so far.

Building upon sixteen years of water cooler programming and soaring ratings growth following its most-watched year ever, SCI FI Channel is evolving into Syfy on air and online beginning Tuesday, July 7.
By changing the name to Syfy, which remains phonetically identical, the new brand broadens perceptions and embraces a wider and more diverse range of imagination-based entertainment including fantasy, paranormal, reality, mystery, action and adventure, as well as science fiction. It also positions the brand for future growth by creating an ownable trademark that can travel easily with consumers across new media and non-linear digital platforms, new international channels and extend into new business ventures.
"Imagine Greater" will become the new brand message and tagline, inviting both consumers and advertisers into a new era of unlimited imagination, exceptional experiences and greater entertainment. Syfy more clearly captures the mainstream appeal of the world's biggest entertainment category, and reflects the network's ongoing strategy to create programming that's more accessible and relatable to new audiences. Syfy will continue to celebrate the traditional roots of the genre, while opening the brand aperture to accommodate a broader range of imagination-based entertainment.
The premiere of the new scripted drama, Warehouse 13, and the return of breakout summer series Eureka, will be launched in tandem to this new evolution. An aggressive trade marketing campaign will kick off this spring. Scifi.com will assume the URL Syfy.com at that time. As long as we see some more Mork & Mindy, who cares, right?


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Sunday, August 16

The Simpsons - "Aunt Mishavin'" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Patty and Bart team up for the ultimate prank -- getting Homer declared legally dead; to their chagrin, Homer loves being officially dead -- which leads to Patty and Selma having a huge fight and Patty moving away to "Palm Springfield."

Animal Control - "Donkeys and Weasels" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Frank's dad temporarily moves into Frank's house following a heart attack; Victoria and Patel try to find ways to replace pet food that was destroyed in a fire.

Universal Basic Guys - "Good Marks" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Mark goes back to high school to prove he is smart; Hank tries to pass Advanced Woodshop.

Grimsburg - "CrimeCon" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Flute learns that criminals at CrimeCon are celebrated, not the detectives, he decides to prove that celebrity criminal Damien Flesher is not the reformed cannibal he claims to be; Pentos meets the Pentos-tonix.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of August 10)

Saturday, August 15 and Sunday, August 16

  • Chelsea Handler (Are You There, Chelsea?) - Chelsea and Sheryl Underwood get the last laugh at the Kevin Hart roast on a repeat of The Weekend View on ABC News Live at 7:30am.
  • Tiffany Haddish (The Last O.G./The Carmichael Show) - Tiffany manifests the Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover on a repeat of The Weekend View on ABC News Live at 7:30am.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Abbott Elementary - The Complete Fourth Season (DVD) The Office - The Complete Series - Superfan Extended Episodes (Blu-ray) The Bill Dana Show - The Complete Series (DVD) I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray) Perfect Strangers - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

01/20/26 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27/26 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11/26 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (Blu-ray)
03/24/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
04/11/26 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Fourth Season (DVD)
04/21/26 - Famous Studios Champion Collection (Blu-ray) (DVD)
05/19/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (DVD)
05/19/26 - Looney Tunes Cartoons - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
06/16/26 - Difficult People - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
06/30/26 - Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
07/14/26 - The Office - The Complete Series - Superfan Extended Episodes (Blu-ray)
07/28/26 - The Bill Dana Show - The Complete Series (DVD)
07/28/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray)
07/28/26 - The Paper - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
08/25/26 - Perfect Strangers - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/08/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 3 (Blu-ray)
09/22/26 - Bridget Loves Bernie - The Complete Series (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

08/15 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Stuart Fails to Save the Universe Saved for a Second Season; Netflix Renews Seinfeld Rights
08/14 - Hulu's Trailer for Chad Powers Season 2; Freeform's Coven Academy Premieres October 1
08/13 - Trailer for Season 2 of FXX's Adults; Trailer for Season 2 of Peacock's The Paper
08/12 - Brandy to Sing Theme Song for A Different World; Damon Wayans Reuniting with David Alan Grier on St. Denis Medical
08/11 - Peacock's Dig Premieres November 23; Disney+ and Hulu Announce Video Podcasts for Boy Mets World, Scrubs, and Desperate Housewives
08/10 - Conan O'Brien Must Go Season 3; Disney's Hidden Heroes: A Descendants Story
08/09 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of August 10, 2026)
08/08 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Joe Dirt Animated Series in the Works at Fox; First Look at The Varnell Hill Show
08/07 - Disney's Big City Greens Brings Out the Guest Stars; The New SuperKitty Premieres Today
08/06 - The Varnell Hill Show Coming to Paramount+ on September 1; Hallmark's 3rd Installment of Holiday Touchdown
08/05 - Colin from Accounts Final Season Premieres September 10; The X-Files: I Want to Believe Gets Director's Cut on Disney+ & Hulu
08/04 - Amazon MGM Studios Orders Improvised Sitcom; The CW Renews Game Shows for Season 3
08/03 - CBS Announces Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen 20th Anniversary Special; Hulu to Debut Exclusive Bob's Burgers Holiday Short
08/02 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of August 3, 2026)
08/01 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Clueless Sequel Series Starring Alicia Silverstone Ordered at Paramount+; Tubi Removing Some Warner Animated Series
07/31 - Netflix's Leanne Season 2 Trailer; Paramount+ Greenlights Clueless Event Series Starring Alicia Silverstone
07/30 - It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 18 Premieres August 17 on FXX, FX and Hulu; Chad Powers Season 2 Premieres September 3 on Hulu
07/29 - Ted Lasso Returns to the Pitch August 5 on Apple TV; Hulu Unveils Futurama Season 14 Trailer and Announces Three XXXL-Sized Specials
07/28 - ABC Fall 2026 Premiere Dates; CBS Fall 2026 Premiere Dates
07/27 - Netflix's Tires Season 3 Debuts August 13; Family Guy Halloween and Holiday Specials Return Exclusively to Hulu This Year
07/26 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of July 27, 2026)
07/25 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Paramount and Warner Merger on Hold; Paramount+ Cancels Crutch
07/24 - Hulu's Desperate Housewives Wisteria Lane Block Party; Whitmer Thomas HBO Comedy Special
07/23 - Fox's Stewie Announces Voice Cast; Clash of the Thundermans Premiere Date and Details, with Ariel Winter Joining the Cast
07/22 - Nirvanna the Band the Show on Hulu & Hulu on Disney+; Netflix's Untold Returns August 25
07/21 - First Look at Netflix's A Different World; Great American Family's 6th Annual Christmas Slate Begins in October with Laura Vandervoort Movie
07/20 - Stuart Fails to Save the Universe Official Podcast; All-Star Cast for Elizabeth Banks Apple TV Comedy
07/19 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of July 20, 2026)
07/18 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Warner to Release Perfect Strangers - The Complete Series on Blu-ray; Chloe Fineman Exits Saturday Night Live
07/17 - Remembering Hal Williams of Sanford and Son, 227 and More; The CW Renews Sullivan's Crossing
07/16 - Trailer for Wizards Beyond Waverly Place Finale Event; HGTV's Totally '90s House with '90s TV Stars
07/15 - Fox Fall 2026 Premiere Dates; FX's The Shards Trailer