Thursday, February 03, 2011

TV Land Taping 3 Sitcom Pilots, To Honor Regis at 9th TV Land Awards; ABC Family Picks-Up 3 Pilots to Series

TV Land is taping 3 sitcom pilots the next three weeks in February at CBS Studio City. They are just pilots, but should they come out good, they could be ordered to series and join Hot in Cleveland and Retired at 35 on the TV Land schedule. We have mentioned these pilots before, but now we have more details on them. The first pilot was taped last night (Feb. 2) and is known as the Untitled Mark Reisman Pilot. From creator/producer Mark Reisman (Frasier) revolving around 3 divorced guys, who live in an apartment building where their landlord is their sexy female divorce attorney. Starring Donald Faison ([scrubs]), Kristen Johnston (3rd Rock From The Sun), Wayne Knight (Seinfeld, Hot in Cleveland), David Alan Basche (Law & Order), Beth Lacke (Happy Hour), Kelly Stables (Romantically Challenged, Two and a Half Men), Edi Patterson (The Groundlings) and Golden Brooks (Girlfriends). The pilot was previously titled Ex Men.
The next pilot will be taped next week (Feb. 8). The pilot is titled Happily Divorced and is based on Fran Drescher's real life. In addition to co-writing/exec producing, the former The Nanny star will star in the project, about a woman who re-enters the dating world after finding out that her husband is gay. It focuses on how she juggles her relationship with her current boyfriend and ex-husband post-divorce. John Michael Higgins, D.W. Moffett, Valente Rogriguez (George Lopez), Rita Moreno, Robert Walden and Tichina Arnold (Everybody Hates Chris) also star.
The final pilot tapes a week later (Feb. 16). It doesn't have an official title yet, but it known as the Untitled Terri Minsky Pilot. Creator/producer Terri Minsky (Less Than Perfect), presents a comedy set at a regional beverage manufacturer and distributor in Oregon centering on a thirty-something, Ivy League-educated New York woman who takes over as the boss. Her enthusiasm is dampened when her boyfriend doesn't follow her and nobody at the new company wants her there. Starring Christine Taylor (The Brady Bunch Movie), Barry Watson (Samantha Who?) and The View's Sherri Shepherd (Sherri, Less Than Perfect). The pilot was previously titled Rip City.
We will of course let you know if any of these are picked-up to series to join Hot in Cleveland and Retired at 35. What do you think about these potential series? Which one(s) do you want on the air? Sound off on our message board!

In other TV Land news, beloved Emmy(R) Award-winning television host Regis Philbin (LIVE! with Regis and Kelly, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire) will receive the Legend Award at The Ninth Annual TV Land Awards in New York City. The star-studded celebration will be held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on Sunday, April 10 and will premiere on TV Land on Sunday, April 17 at 9pm. The awards show moves to New York for the first time, after the previous eight shows were in the Los Angeles area.
The Legend Award is presented to an entertainer or a television show that has stood the test of time and ranks among the most memorable and celebrated in television and movie history. Previous winners include Garry Marshall, Don Rickles, Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner, the cast of The Dick Van Dyke Show and the cast of Cheers. On January 18, 2011, Regis Philbin announced on-air that after 28 years, he would retire as host of LIVE! With Regis and Kelly" later this year.
Philbin joins previously announced honorees The Cosby Show, which will receive the Impact Award at this year's show, and the cast of Family Ties, which will receive the Fan Favorite Award. More honorees besides these two series and Philbin will be announced shortly. So stay tuned.

Finally, ABC Family has picked-up three pilots to series. Two are dramas and one is a multi-camera sitcom. The two one-hour dramas are Switched at Birth and The Nine Lives of Chloe King, and the half-hour multi-cam comedy series is The Great State of Georgia. The three original series will debut on the network later this year.
Switched at Birth is a one-hour scripted drama that tells the story of two teenage girls who discover they were accidentally switched as newborns in the hospital. The series stars newcomer Katie Leclerc as Daphne Vasquez; Vanessa Marano (Gilmore Girls) as Bay Kennish; Constance Marie (George Lopez) as Regina Vasquez; D.W. Moffett (Friday Night Lights) as John Kennish; Lea Thompson (Caroline in the City) as Kathryn Kennish; and Lucas Grabeel (High School Musical) as Toby Kennish.
The Nine Lives of Chloe King is a one-hour scripted drama about Chloe King who is looking forward to celebrating her birthday with her friends and single mother, just like every other year... that is until she starts developing heightened abilities and discovers she's being pursued by a mysterious figure. The series stars Skyler Samuels (The Gates) as Chloe King; Amy Pietz (The Office, Caroline in the City) as Meredith King; Grey Damon (True Blood) as Brian; newcomer Grace Phipps as Amy; Benjamin Stone (10 Things I Hate About You) as Alek; Alyssa Diaz (Southland) as Jasmine; and Ki Hong Lee (The Secret Life of the American Teenager) as Paul.
And finally, The Great State of Georgia, an ABC Studios Production, is a half-hour multi-cam comedy series starring Raven-Symone as Georgia, an aspiring actress with a larger than life personality, and her science geek best friend, who try to make headway in New York City. Majandra Delfino (Roswell) also stars, as Jo and Meagen Fay (Malcolm in the Middle) as Aunt Honey.
Stay tuned for premiere dates for all three series. The The Great State of Georgia could be a nice companion with ABC Family's hit comedy Melissa & Joey, which returns with 18 more episodes to complete its first season of 30 episodes sometime this spring or summer.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Thursday, March 28

The Conners - "Keep On Truckin' Six Feet Apart" (The CW, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
The Conners are dealing with the pandemic and life's financial troubles.

The Conners - "Halloween and the Election vs the Pandemic" (The CW, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Halloween has been canceled, so the family works to create an unforgettable experience.

Son of a Critch - "Airing Out" (The CW, 9:00PM ET/PT)
The Critches are doing their annual airing-out-the-house ritual; some family secrets are uncovered.

Son of a Critch - "Cabaret" (The CW, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Mark finally gets the chance to take the stage as a stand-up comedian.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 25)

Thursday, March 28

  • Joey King (Bent) - Joey talks about We Were the Lucky Ones on ABC's Good Morning America some time between 7-9am.
  • Giancarlo Esposito (Bakersfield P.D.) - Giancarlo discusses his starring role in the AMC crime-thriller series Parish on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
  • Niecy Nash-Betts (Reno 911!/Getting On/The Soul Man/Do Not Disturb) - Niecy stops by to talk about her upcoming starring turn in Ryan Murphy's horror drama Grotesquerie on Sherri, so check your local listings.
  • Lisa Ann Walter (Abbott Elementary/Emeril) - Lisa talks about Abbott Elementary on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
  • Lorraine Toussaint (Where I Live) - Lorraine is a guest on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:40am.


New on DVD/Blu-ray (November-March)

Leave it to Beaver - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Father Knows Best - The Complete Series The Odd Couple - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Three's Company - The Official 40th Anniversary Collection Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

11/07 - South Park - The Complete Twenty-Sixth Season (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/14 - Leave it to Beaver - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/05 - Father Knows Best - The Complete Series
12/05 - The Odd Couple - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/12 - The Dick Van Dyke Show - The Complete Series
12/12 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
12/12 - That Girl - The Complete Series
12/15 - Letterkenny - Season 11
12/19 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Official Restored Complete Series
12/22 - Three's Company - The Official 40th Anniversary Collection (includes The Ropers and Three's a Crowd)
01/09 - South Park - Seasons 11-15 (Blu-ray)
01/16 - Ghosts (UK) - Season Five
02/13 - Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/27 - The Really Loud House - Season One
03/12 - Ghosts (UK) - The Complete Series
03/12 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 3 (Blu-ray)
03/12 - Rick and Morty - Season 7 (Blu-ray Steelbook) (Blu-ray) (DVD)

That Girl - The Complete Series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Official Restored Complete Series

More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD Releases / DVD Reviews Archive / SitcomsOnline Digest


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

03/28 - Netflix's Good Times Animated Comedy Trailer; Too Close for Comfort and Check It Out! Complete Series on DVD
03/27 - The Upshaws Part 5 This April; Max Orders Noah Wyle Medical Drama
03/26 - Apple TV+ Orders Star-Studded Comedy; Elizabeth Banks Joins New Peacock Series
03/25 - Disney Channel Orders Wizards of Waverly Place Revival; Paramount+ Animated Comedy Ark: The Animated Series
03/24 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 25, 2024)
03/23 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Netflix Sets Premiere Date for Good Times Animated Reboot; NBC Renews Several Popular Series
03/22 - NBC Renews Nearly All Chicago and Law & Order Series; Goosebumps Season 2 Cast Update
03/21 - Hallmark Renews The Way Home; You Final Season Sets Cast
03/20 - Community Arrives on Peacock April 1, Movie Coming Soon; Hulu Premieres New Comedy Dinosaur April 5
03/19 - NBC Summer 2024 Schedule; Starz Drama Rounds Out All-Star Cast
03/18 - Shout! TV Celebrates 25 Years of Farscape; AMC Acquires Snowpiercer
03/17 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 18, 2024)
03/16 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Ty Burrell Sitcom in the Works at ABC; CBS Renews Ghosts
03/15 - Netflix Heads to the Arctic for Comedy Series; Neal Brennan's 3rd Comedy Special
03/14 - SNL Announces Second to Last 3 Episode Set of Season; Bill Maher Renewed for 2 More Seasons
03/13 - CBS Renews Ghosts and Fire Country; Apple TV+ Orders Owen Wilson Comedy
03/12 - Roseanne Couch Week on COZI TV; The CW Orders Leighton Meester Series for 2025
03/11 - Every Grey's Anatomy Episode Now on Hulu; You Season 5 Casting Update
03/10 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 11, 2024)
03/09 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Tim Allen Headlining ABC Comedy Pilot; NBC Developing Bewitched Inspired Sitcom
03/08 - Amazon Freevee Gets New Comedy Series; Apple TV+ Loot Returns April 3
03/07 - Jim Parsons and Mayim Bialik Reprising Their Characters from Big Bang; Monsters at Work Returns for Season 2
03/06 - CBS Orders Multi-Camera Spin-off of Young Sheldon; FETV Acquires Highway Patrol
03/05 - Fox Summer 2024 Schedule, In-Season Finales; CBS Renews Tracker for Season 2
03/04 - Laff Acquires Matthew Perry and Will Arnett Sitcoms; Lisa Whelchel Returns for MeTV Series
03/03 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 4, 2024)
03/02 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Pluto TV Adds More Channels Including Universal Action; CBS Renews Young and the Restless for Four More Years
03/01 - Lopez vs Lopez Season 2 Brings Out the Stars; Prime Video's Música Drops April 4
02/29 - Season 3 of Hacks Adds Star Power; Remembering Richard Lewis
02/28 - BUZZR Celebrates Women's History Month in March; 10th Anniversary of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon