Friday, September 03, 2010

Blog Book Review: With Love and Laughter, John Ritter (Sept. 7); Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of September 6, 2010)

Today we have a very special blog book review for sitcom fans and John Ritter fans. With Love and Laughter, John Ritter is actress Amy Yasbeck's most enduring memory of the life she shared with her husband, John Ritter. He was one of America's most popular and beloved film and television actors and no stranger to this website. We welcomed him into our homes weekly with his Emmy Award-winning portrayal of Jack Tripper on Three's Company and his hit comedy 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter, along with many many other roles. In this powerful memoir Amy Yasbeck shares her deeply personal and ultimately hopeful journey of surviving the devastating loss of her husband. Yasbeck looks back with anecdotes and memories from both John's life and her own. Here are the unforgettable times she shared with a man who was adored for finding humor in everyday encounters, never failing to energize and entertain everyone around him. His philosophy was summed up by his favorite autograph for his fans, With Love and Laughter, John Ritter. Amy Yasbeck's powerful story reminds us that love never dies...and the laughter doesn't have to end.

See my Blog Book Review of With Love and Laughter, John Ritter:



With Love and Laughter, John Ritter - by Amy Yasbeck (Simon & Schuster, $26.00) was how John Ritter usually signed autographs and now it will be a hit book! In this wonderful, loving, funny and sad book, we get personal stories and details from life of John Ritter in the words of his wife, Amy Yasbeck. There are all kinds of very interesting and detailed stories in this book and the book has about 249 pages, but you breeze right through it because it is very well-written and so enduring. You can't put it down and I'm sure when you all get it, you'll see why. Amy does a very good job in the writing and picks the perfect stories. We get personal stories from both her life before John and with John. And of course we get stories from some of John's acting work. We all know he was the nicest guy and Amy proves that even more with her stories. The man was also very smart. John was of course funny, caring, nice and smart. You'll see all those qualities in these stories.

The book has twenty-six chapters, but of course there is no chapter thirteen. Amy hilariously notes that actors are superstitious, so chapter thirteen is a no-no! Ha that number thirteen is to be feared! There is also a seven-page pre-face before chapter 1. The book starts off with some background information on John's childhood life in chapter one and in chapter two we get info on Amy's childhood life in Ohio. The next chapter delves into John's early roles guest starring on shows like Kojak. Amy gives us a hilarious story from that role, when they caught a rerun of that episode in 1997. Chapter four is titled "Daddy No Beard." That is what his daughter Stella called him whenever she saw a rerun of Three's Company on Nick at Nite. Stella was used to the bearded John Ritter. Even Stella is funny! This chapter discusses Three's Company. The next chapter has Amy detailing her move to New York in 1983. I never knew about this story at all, so it was very fascinating. We get a taste of how Amy got into "the business."

Chapter six is titled "Icon Tact." Among the items discussed in this chapter are why John Ritter never hosted Saturday Night Live, despite being offered to host it. The next chapter we get more of Amy's early work and then in chapter eight is where Amy meets John on September 25, 1989 at Dennis Dugan's house. Dugan directed the feature film Problem Child, which starred both John and Amy. In Chapter nine, we move into the 1990's! The chapter starts off with John and Amy's guest appearance on The Cosby Show. We get so many behind-the-scenes stories here. The chapter also highlights stories from Hearts Afire, where John met his good buddy Billy Bob Thornton.

Without detailing every chapter, the best of the book has great stories like Amy on Wings, John working with Andy Griffith on the TV-movie Gramps (Amy also worked with Andy on Matlock), their summer trip in Italy & France in 1996, going to Elizabeth Taylor's house in 1997, more of John's TV movies like Last Man on the List & Holy Joe, the cool stories and treatment at World's Greatest Magic IV, the birth of Stella and why they named her Stella, the marriage, the play The Dinner Party with Henry Winkler, a hilarious recall on Henry & John's early 90s TV movie The Only Way Out, living in New York in 2000, Clifford the Big Red Dog, 8 Simple Rules and John's final day. There are also over 25 nice color photos in the middle of the book, from John & Amy in Venice, Hawaii, with Stella, and more!

The last few chapters talks about life after John, including the Ritter Rules, which are life-saving reminders to recognize, treat, and prevent thoracic aortic dissection. The John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health is saving so many lives and is a great tribute to John Ritter. In the book, Amy also mentions in detail on how John's brother Tom was saved from an aortic dissection. This foundation is truly saving lives and will for many years to come! Chapter twenty-six is titled, "John But Not Forgotten," and he certainly will never be forgotten.

Fans of John Ritter and Amy Yasbeck will surely want to get this book. It is a great read and so interesting. I think fans of television/sitcoms in general will enjoy it. There are so many interesting behind-the-scenes stories that television fans will find cool. The book is out this coming Tuesday (Sept. 7), so I hope you have pre-ordered it? If not, please click the link below and pre-order today! This book needs to be in the top 10 best-sellers because it really deserves to be! Catch Amy Yasbeck promoting the book on the following programs/locations:

- Tuesday, September 7, 2010
KTTV-Fox, Los Angeles GOOD DAY L.A. 9:00AM
- Monday, September 13, 2010
NBC, DAILY CONNECTION 12:30PM
- Tuesday, September 14, 2010
NBC, TODAY Show 8:00AM
- Tuesday, September 14, 2010
ABC, THE VIEW 11:00AM ET/10:00AM CT/PT
- Tuesday, September 14, 2010
HLN, THE JOY BEHAR SHOW 9:00PM
- Thursday, September 16, 2010
PREMIERE RADIO NETWORK 8:00AM
- Thursday, September 16, 2010
SIRIUS XM Radio 11:30AM
- Saturday, September 18, 2010
BARNES & NOBLE 2:00PM
7800 Montgomery Rd in Cincinnati, OH
- Monday, September 20, 2010
Syndicated, RACHAEL RAY SHOW 10:00AM (WABC)
- Monday, September 20, 2010
Syndicated, BETTER TV (check local listings)
- Thursday, September 23, 2010
BARNES & NOBLE 7:00PM
189 The Grove Drive in Los Angeles, CA

-- Reviewed by Pavan

(5/5 stars)

To purchase this book, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com


It's Friday, so it is time for "Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows" for the coming week. This is where we list what sitcom stars are appearing on talk shows for the coming week, the stars are both current and past sitcom stars (but we won't cover movie stars like Tom Hanks or John Travolta, since they won't be talking about their past sitcoms likely), so this is for all sitcom fans of all eras!
For the week of Sept. 6-10, 2010, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! So get your DVR's (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!

Monday, September 6, 2010
  • John Larroquette (Night Court/John Larroquette Show/Happy Family) - Catch John on Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:35am on CBS.
  • The Cast of The Game - Watch the cast of the sitcom on this repeat of The Mo'nique Show on BET at 11pm!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
  • Chris Kattan (The Middle) - Catch Chris on an all-new Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:35am on CBS.
  • Mario Lopez (Saved by the Bell) - Watch Mario on a repeat of The Rachel Ray Show, so check your listings.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
  • Kevin Nealon (Weeds) - Kevin appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12:05am on ABC.
  • Jerry O'Connell (Carpoolers) - Catch Jerry on Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:35am on CBS.
  • Terry Crews (Are We There Yet?) - Watch funnyman Terry on a repeat of The Mo'nique Show on BET at 11pm!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
  • Donal Logue (Knights of Prosperity/Grounded for Life) - Catch Donal on an all-new Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12:05am on ABC.
  • The Cast of The Brady Bunch - Catch some of the stars (Susan Olsen, Mike Lookinland, and Christopher Knight) reuniting for Lloyd Schwartz's book Brady, Brady Brady on Good Morning America on ABC sometime between 7-9am.
  • Sofia Vergara (Modern Family/Knights of Prosperity/Hot Properties) - Watch Sofia on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show so check your local listings.
Friday, September 10, 2010
  • Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family) - Catch the Emmy winner on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am! Dun dun...hey hey!
  • Donald Glover (Community) - Watch Donald on Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, at 12:35am on CBS!
  • Katey Sagal (8 Simple Rules/Married...with Children/Tucker) - Catch Katey also on Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:35am on CBS!
  • Donal Logue (Knights of Prosperity/Grounded for Life) - Donal continues his rounds, this time on Tavis Smiley on PBS. Check your listings for time.
  • Danny DeVito (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia/Taxi) - Catch Danny on The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • John Corbett (United States of Tara) - Catch John on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your listings.
  • Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation/George Lopez) - Watch Nick on a repeat of Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC. This show is always in repeats!

Leave us comments on our message board or Tweet/Facebook us to let us know what you think of this Friday feature! We do listen!


Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Sunday, October 1

The Simpsons - "Homer's Crossing" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT)
eeling worthless at work, Homer volunteers to be a school crossing guard; when Homer's safety squad receives too much funding, the crossing guards become a force to be feared.

Krapopolis - "Wife Swamp" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Tyrannis returns from a quest with a girlfriend; Hippocampus, Stupendous, and Schlub fight and then befriend a species of wolves.

Bob's Burgers - "Fight at the Not Okay Chore-ral" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
When Linda and Bob suggest the kids do chores, the family ends up in a showdown.

Family Guy - "Fertilized Megg" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Meg agrees to be Bruce and Jeffery's surrogate, causing a pregnant Meg to annoy her family; when the couple fails to pick up the baby, the Griffins must take care of their new family member.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of September 25)

Friday, September 29

  • Amy Poehler (Duncanville/Parks and Recreation) - Watch Amy on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Lea Michele (The Mayor) - Lea is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Nathan Lane (Only Murders in the Building/Modern Family/Charlie Lawrence/Encore! Encore!/One of the Boys) - Nathan appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Margaret Cho (All-American Girl) and Maria Bamford (Lady Dynamite) - Margaret and Maria are guests on repeats of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen on CBS between 12:37-1:37am.
  • Patton Oswalt (A.P. Bio/The Goldbergs/The King of Queens) - Patton will be on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.


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

09/30 - SitcomsOnline Digest: WGA Strike Officially Over; ABC Cancels Home Economics
09/29 - Lifetime Announces New Thrillers; Big Mouth Season 7 Trailer
09/28 - New Season of Wolf Like Me on Peacock; Max Original Animated Series Debuts October 19
09/27 - Moonlighting Coming to Hulu; Showtime Announces Date for The Curse
09/26 - Rick and Morty Season 7 Trailer; Fox's Krapopolis Debuts Well
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