TV One Orders More of New Sitcom Love That Girl; Remembering Tom Bosley, Another TV Legend

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

TV One Orders More of New Sitcom Love That Girl; Remembering Tom Bosley, Another TV Legend

In January 2010, TV One aired four episodes of a new comedy called Love That Girl for a "test run," as we previously mentioned. Now it's back as TV One has ordered its first scripted series. Bent Outta Shape Productions/Hazrah Entertainment will reprise the show. TV One has ordered a full season of 26 episodes (13 have already been produced, reports B&C). The series, from Bentley Kyle Evans (Martin, The Jamie Foxx Show), is targeted for a first-quarter 2011 return. The series stars Tatyana Ali (The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, TV One Access) as a divorcee who returns home to Southern California to make a fresh start at life and a career, but one complicated by the arrival of her stand-up comedian brother (Alphonso McAuley).
Martin Lawrence will continue to serve as executive producer as well as appear in the series! We will have more information, such as a premiere date, in the coming weeks...so stay with us! Lots of original sitcoms are airing these days on basic cable (MTV, TV Land, ABC Family, CMT, etc). We will have even more original sitcom news tomorrow! So come on back!

First it was Barbara Billingsley, now it's Tom Bosley. Tom Bosley was a warm and comforting presence on American TV sets for decades. Bosley, best known as the often flustered but always fatherly Howard Cunningham on Happy Days, died Tuesday (Oct. 19, 2010) in Palm Springs, CA. Bosley died suffering heart failure at a hospital and also had lung cancer.
Bosley earned a place as one of the most memorable dads in TV history as the hardware store owner, father to Richie (Ron Howard) and Joanie Cunningham (Erin Moran) and landlord to Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli (Henry Winkler) on the long-running sitcom. He played well with his TV wife Marion Ross as well. The sitcom was set in the '50s/60s but aired on ABC from 1974-1984. The series became the #1 show on television by its third season.
Angela Lansbury played Bosley's unfaithful wife in the 1964 Peter Sellers film The World of Henry Orient. Then decades later, from 1984 to 1988, Bosley played a recurring role in Lansbury's long-running TV series, Murder, She Wrote, as folksy Sheriff Amos Tupper. Bosley also played the crime-solving priest in television's The Father Dowling Mysteries, which ran from 1989 to 1991 on ABC.
But it was his fame from Happy Days that lead him to serve as a pitchman for GLAD trash bags along with other products on commercials. Among his many appearances on other TV series include Diagnosis: Unknown, The Law and Mr. Jones, Car 54 Where Are You, Route 66, Ben Casey, The Defenders, The F.B.I., Get Smart, The Virginian, The Mod Squad, Bonanza, Marcus Welby MD, The Bill Cosby Show, Night Gallery, Bewitched, Mission: Impossible, The New Dick Van Dyke Show, The New Temperatures Rising Show, Medical Center, Maude, The Paul Lynde Show, Love American Style, McMillan & Wife, The Love Boat, Streets of San Francisco, Joanie Loves Chachi, Finders of Lost Love, Hotel, Out of this World, Burke's Law, The Drew Carey Show, Boy Meets World, Early Edition, Walker Texas Ranger, ER, Family Law, Touched by an Angel, It's All Relative, Still Standing, One Tree Hill, Family Guy, That '70s Show, and more. He was also a regular on the short lived 1969-70 CBS comedy The Debbie Reynolds Show and the 1972 CBS sitcom The Sandy Duncan Show. He then voiced the character of Harry Boyle on the animated comedy Wait Till Your Father Gets Home from 1972-74 and after that of course came Happy Days. There were a few Happy Days reunion retrospectives as well. Happy Days Reunion Special in 1992 and Happy Days: 30th Anniversary Reunion in 2005, which both aired on ABC.
Tom will be DEEPLY missed. As far as on-air tributes on television, so far there are no marathons planned. But you can watch Happy Days Mon-Thurs on The Hub at 10pm & 10:30pm ET. If they, or any other network, do a marathon, we will let you know. Also, in memory of Tom Bosley, Bio TV will air the Happy Days 30th Anniversary Reunion Special from 2005 on Friday, Oct. 22 at 8AM & 2PM ET/PT. He just celebrated his 83rd birthday on October 1, so Tom was 83.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Saturday, August 17

Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s ‘All in the Family’ and ‘The Jeffersons' (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Hosted by television icon Norman Lear and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, directed by 10-time Emmy® winner James Burrows and produced by Sony Pictures Television, the special takes viewers down memory lane, recreating an original episode from each of the Emmy Award-winning series. (Rebroadcast. OAD: 5/22/19)

Star power includes Woody Harrelson (Archie Bunker), Marisa Tomei (Edith Bunker), Jamie Foxx (George Jefferson), Wanda Sykes (Louise Jefferson), Kerry Washington (Helen Willis), Ellie Kemper (Gloria Stivic), Will Ferrell (Tom Willis), Marla Gibbs reprising her original role (Florence Johnston), Ike Barinholtz (Meathead), Sean Hayes (Mr. Lorenzo), Amber Stevens West (Jenny Willis Jefferson), Jovan Adepo (Lionel Jefferson), Anthony Anderson (Uncle Henry), Stephen Tobolowsky (Mr. Bentley), Jackée Harry (Diane Stockwell), Fran Bennett (Mother Jefferson) and a musical performance by Jennifer Hudson.

All About "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
After the star-studded sitcom special “Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s ‘All in the Family’ and ‘The Jeffersons,’” “Nightline” will take a special look at the cultural and historical significance of the two iconic series. Participants in the sitcom special along with modern-day comedians, television stars and journalists reminisce about each show’s groundbreaking impact and legacy.

The prime-time special features interviews with “All in the Family” and “The Jeffersons” creator Norman Lear; host and executive producer Jimmy Kimmel and stars Anthony Anderson, Ike Barinholtz, Jackée Harry, Ellie Kemper and Kerry Washington; comedians and actors Raven-Symoné, David Alan Grier, Lil’ Rel and John Amos; original “The Jeffersons” cast member Marla Gibbs; and journalists Deborah Roberts, Chris Connelly, Marc Lamont Hill and Joe Levy.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of August 12)

Friday, August 16

Lenny Clarke (Are You There, Chelsea?/It's All Relative/The Job/The John Larroquette Show/Lenny) - Watch Lenny on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Billy Eichner (Difficult People) - Billy appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Mark Hamill (The Texas Wheelers) - Mark is a guest on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Bradley Whitford (Perfect Harmony/Happyish/Trophy Wife) - Bradley appears on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Niecy Nash (Getting On/The Soul Man/Reno 911!) - Niecy talks about When They See Us on LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
Tate Donovan (Partners) - Tate appears on a repeat of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
Christopher Abbott (Girls) - Christopher is a guest on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
Sherri Shepherd (Mr. Iglesias/Sherri/Less Than Perfect) - Sherri appears on a repeat of The Wendy Williams Show, so check your local listings.
Henry Winkler (Barry/Out of Practice/Monty/Happy Days) - Henry is a guest on a repeat of The Real, so check your local listings.
Yvette Nicole Brown (The Mayor/The Odd Couple/Community) - Yvette guest co-hosts a repeat of The Real, so check your local listings.
Loretta Devine (Family Reunion/The Carmichael Show) - Loretta talks about Family Reunion on Couch Surfing at 8am.
Leah Remini (Kevin Can Wait/The Exes/Family Tools/The King of Queens) - Leah will be on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Marlon Wayans (Marlon/The Wayans Bros.) - Marlon talks about Sextuplets on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Candace Cameron Bure (Fuller House/Full House) - Candace prepares a warm, zesty zoodle salad on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
Marilu Henner (Evening Shade/Taxi) - Marilu appears on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.