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

Friday, February 14

Happy's Place - "Accountability" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When Isabella accidentally implies she doesn't trust Steve's work on the tavern's taxes, Bobbie and Steve decide to have some fun and teach her a lesson; Gabby goes on a health kick enlisting Takoda as her personal trainer.

Happy's Place - "Dear Jack" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Bobbie catches Isabella doing a slow-fade breakup with her long-distance boyfriend, she convinces her to send a Dear John letter; Steve brings in a review praising Chef Emmett's cooking and acknowledging the tavern's bartender, "Abby."

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place - "Raiders of the Locked Archive" (Disney Channel, 8:00PM ET/PT)
The Russos go to the Wizard World, where Billie finds out a secret that will change her life, and potentially the world, forever!

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of February 10)

Friday, February 14

  • Ariana Grande (Sam & Cat/Victorious) - Watch Ariana on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Bernadette Peters (High Desert/Mozart in the Jungle/All's Fair) - Bernadette is a guest on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Kieran Culkin (Go Fish) - Kieran appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Kenan Thompson (Kenan/Kenan & Kel) - Kenan is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Morris Chestnut (Out All Night) - Morris appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Will Forte (HouseBroken/MacGruber/The Last Man on Earth/The Cleveland Show) - Will is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Conner O'Malley (Shrill) - Conner appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Harry Hamlin (Movie Stars) - Harry and Lisa Rinna are guests on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Café Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) and
  • Oliver Hudson (Splitting Up Together/Rules of Engagement/My Guide to Becoming a Rock Star) - Golden Bachelorette Joan Vassos and fiancé Chock Chapple are telling Drew about their experience falling in love on television on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings. The love panel of Valerie Bertinelli, Taye Diggs, Oliver Hudson and Dr. Tiffanie Davis Henry is back and answering audience questions in a sex and relationships Q&A. Plus, Drew is joined by love gurus Valerie Bertinelli, Taye Diggs, Oliver Hudson and Dr. Tiffanie Davis Henry for a dating Q&A.
  • Anthony Mackie (Twisted Metal) - Anthony talks about starring in the highly anticipated new film Captain America: Brave New World on Sherri, so check your local listings.
  • Monica Barbaro (FUBAR) - Monica can be heard on The Morning Mash Up on SiriusXM.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Veep - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray) The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series

10/08 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Twelfth Season / The Complete Series
10/22 - Veep - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/05 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/12 - The King of Queens - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (2024 Release)
11/19 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fourteenth Season
11/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 4 (Blu-ray)
12/03 - Angel (1960-1961) - The Complete Series, Volume 1
12/17 - Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (4K UHD)
01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series

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

02/14 - FX's Dying for Sex Premieres in April on Hulu; BET+ Announces Lil Kev, Adult Animated Comedy
02/13 - Antenna TV and Rewind TV Celebrate Valentine's Day; The Handmaid's Tale Returns for Final Season
02/12 - Official Trailer for Hulu's Deli Boys; Doctor Odyssey Returns with a 2-Part Event
02/11 - Trailer for Shoresy Season 4; More Stars for SNL50: The Anniversary Special
02/10 - First Ever SNL Episode This Saturday on NBC; FX Renews English Teacher for Season 2
02/09 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of February 10, 2025)
02/08 - SitcomsOnline Digest: English Teacher Renewed at FX; MeTV Toons to Launch House of Hanna-Barbera Programming Block
02/07 - SNL50's Star-Studded Lineup; Adult Swim Presents Oh My God... Yes! A Series of Extremely Relatable Circumstances
02/06 - Prime Video Iliza Shlesinger Special; Kate Hudson Stars in Netflix Comedy
02/05 - Fox Midseason Tuesday Change; 2025 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game Rosters
02/04 - NBC Summer Staples Return in Summer 2025; Gronk Guests on Animal Control
02/03 - The Conners Final Season Premieres March 26; Tyler Perry Gets 2nd Comedy Series for Netflix
02/02 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of February 3, 2025)
02/01 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Little House on the Prairie Reboot Headed to Netflix; George Sr. Set to Return on Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage
01/31 - Final Season of The Righteous Gemstones; Kenya Barris and Malcolm Gladwell's Audible Original
01/30 - Netflix's New Little House on the Prairie Series Coming Soon; Sabrina Brier Gets Awesomeness TV Series
01/29 - MGM+ Orders Comedy Series; Peacock's Amanda Seyfried Series Premieres March 13
01/28 - Ellen Pompeo's Hulu Series Gets Premiere Date; The White Lotus Season 3 Launches February 16
01/27 - Hulu's Deli Boys Adds Tan France; Joel McHale Taking Over The 1% Club
01/26 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of January 27, 2025)
01/25 - SitcomsOnline Digest: The Righteous Gemstones to End After Upcoming Season; Mid-Century Modern to Pay Tribute to Linda Lavin
01/24 - Prime Video George Lopez Special; Netflix Renews The Lincoln Lawyer for Season 4
01/23 - Tubi's New Comedy The Z-Suite Launches February 6; The White Lotus Renewed for Season 4
01/22 - Fox Announces Animation Domination 2025 Schedule; Abbott Elementary Renewed for Season 5
01/21 - Fox Renews Murder in a Small Town; O.J. Simpson Netflix Docuseries
01/20 - Rewind TV February 2025 Schedule; Shifting Gears and Abbott Elementary Score Big for Premieres
01/19 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of January 20, 2025)
01/18 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Frasier Reboot Canceled at Paramount+; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Coming to MeTV Toons
01/17 - Remembering Bob Uecker of Mr. Belvedere, Punky Brewster Creator David W. Duclon, and Others We Recently Lost
01/16 - Apple TV+ Prime Target Trailer; Apple Cider Vinegar Premieres in February on Netflix
01/15 - My Three Sons to Join FETV Lineup Starting February 3; St. Denis Medical Renewed for Season 2
01/14 - Game Show Network Acquires The Wall; NBC's The Hunting Party to Premiere After NFL Divisional Playoff Game