Tuesday, January 17, 2012

TCA Winter 2012 Press Tour: Cable, Includes 4th Season of Hot in Cleveland; ABC Removes Work It From Schedule


We were pretty busy yesterday with our scoop on Joyce DeWitt and Suzanne Somers reuniting, so we couldn't bring you the TCA Winter 2012 Press Tour news for cable that was held this past weekend. The biggest news for us came from TV Land. TV Land has picked up its fifth original sitcom, Have Faith, starring Cedric "The Entertainer. This sitcom is not to be confused by the late '80s ABC short-lived sitcom that was produced by John Ritter. The network has ordered 12 episodes for the first season, which is tentatively set to premiere on Wednesday, June 6, 2012 at 10:30pm following the second half of the third season of Hot in Cleveland. The sitcom, which was created by Cedric and Hot in Cleveland creator Suzanne Martin, revolves around Cedric's character, Reverend Boyce "The Voice" Ballentine, an R&B superstar-turned-minister who takes over as preacher of his father's church. Niecy Nash (Dancing with the Stars, Reno 911) also stars as the reverend's wife, Lolli. The pilot also features John Beasley as his father, Wesley Jonathan (What I Like About You) as his younger brother, and Jazz Raycole (My Wife and Kids) as his daughter. The character of Reverend Boyce originated on a second season episode of Hot in Cleveland in which Cedric guest-starred, making this a spin-off series.

Hot in Cleveland

Meanwhile, Hot in Cleveland, TV Land's first original sitcom starring Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick and Betty White, has also been greenlit by the network for a 24-episode fourth season. A syndication deal was recently reached for"Hot in Cleveland, giving CBS Television Distribution the domestic distribution rights for the series. This season pickup would bring "Hot in Cleveland" to 80 total episodes. The series, which is currently in its third season, averages 2.5 million total viewers per episode. The winter finale will be on Wednesday, Feb. 15, before the series returns for the second half of the season on June 6.

In other TV Land news, TV Land announced that the second season of the hit original sitcom Happily Divorced will begin production today (January 17, 2012) at CBS Radford Studios and will be filmed in front of a live studio audience. The twelve new episodes of Happily Divorced will now premiere on Wednesday, March 7 at 10:00 pm ET/PT. Previously it was set to return on June 6 at 10:30pm, but TV Land has changed their minds and will now test the waters by having this sitcom lead an hour. The sitcom, which stars Fran Drescher (The Nanny) is also inspired by her real-life story, and revolves around Fran, a Los Angeles florist, who finds out after 18-years of marriage that her husband is gay. Having to live under the same roof as her ex-husband and start over in the dating world is complicated but Fran jumps head first as only Fran can with laughter ensuing.
Last season, Drescher was reunited with her Nanny cast mates, Renee Taylor and Charles Shaughnessy. According to Nielsen, the first season of Happily Divorced averaged 2.2 million viewers and was a ratings success for TV Land. TV Land will air the second season of Retired at 35 as planned starting Wednesday, March 7 at 10:30pm for ten all-new episodes. TV Land has not given any updates yet on The Exes, which premiered on Nov. 30. If it gets another season we will let you know, but you can watch that show every Wednesday at 10:30pm through Feb. 1.

Elsewhere on cable, we will have even more Niecy Nash. TLC has ordered a docu-sitcom titled Leave it to Niecy. Blending together production and storytelling elements from both the traditional sitcom genre and the world of non-scripted reality shows, Leave it to Niecy offers a new balance of real-life humor through the lens of the beloved comedy format. The eight-episode half-hour series will premiere Wednesday, March 28 at 10/9c. The docu-sitcom takes viewers into Niecy and her husband Jay Tucker's home, which includes her three kids, and her opinionated mother. Together, they balance work, life, and love to create a modern blended family. Also, CMT is joining forces with Ryan Seacrest Productions on a new reality series. The eight-episode series, Melissa and Tye: A New Reality (working title), starring television personality Melissa Rycroft (Dancing With the Stars, The Bachelor) will premiere on CMT in April. Melissa, a SitcomsOnline favorite, the former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader and America's favorite bachelorette definitely has gotten the last laugh after being dumped on national TV. She found the ultimate redemption by becoming a hugely popular contestant on Dancing with the Stars, which ignited a television hosting career on series and specials such as Good Morning America, Entertainment Tonight, Bachelor Pad, The Insider, and Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve. But her greatest success came when she re-connected with the "real" man of her dreams, home town boyfriend, Tye Strickland. Now married with an eleven-month old daughter, Melissa is about to embark on her biggest journey yet - moving to Los Angeles from Texas to pursue her Hollywood dreams. The series will follow the couple as they navigate the trials and tribulations of being new parents, making a long-distance relationship work and making their dreams become a reality.
Finally, the world knows Shannen Doherty (Charmed, Beverly Hills 90210) as an icon, but she's also a devoted daughter and friend and now a newlywed. In the brand-new original series, Shannen Says, premiering Tuesday, April 3 at 9pm ET/PT, WE tv reveals a woman with substance and a sense of humor as she takes viewers on the hilariously bumpy ride of planning her wedding. Eight hour-long episodes of Shannen Says follow Shannen and her groom-to-be, famed photographer Kurt Iswarienko - two busy career-focused individuals with strong and often conflicting viewpoints - as they plan for their special day. Wedding preparations are sure to be stressful enough, but they've added to the pressure by allotting only seven weeks to get it all done! Pre-wedding jitters, a career-distracted groom, family turmoil and wardrobe malfunctions should be enough to make them pull the plug - but maybe love will conquer all in Shannen Says. After being engaged for over a year, Shannen and Kurt finally set a wedding date and did we already mention it's only seven weeks away? Shannen and Kurt are new to actual wedding planning and being from very different backgrounds with loyal sets of opinionated friends and family, they have quite an undertaking ahead of them. Among the highlights on this series, Shannen's Dancing with the Stars partner Louis Van Amstel is set to help the couple with their first dance.


We broke the news on the internet on late Friday that ABC has pulled new sitcom Work It off the schedule after just two episodes. The series premiered to a 2.0 18-49 rating, which was weak but doable. However, by the second episode the series dropped to a 1.5 18-49 rating and ABC has since then pulled the series. Repeats of Last Man Standing will air at 8:30pm starting tonight for at least the next three weeks. The Tim Allen comedy will also air in its normal 8:00pm slot.
ABC has not yet announced what will air Tuesdays at 8:30pm starting Feb. 7. One option of course is to air the unscheduled third season of Cougar Town. ABC had planned to start airing the comedy in March, but it could be called on earlier than planned. The sitcom has a 15 episode order for this season. Series creator Bill Lawrence has heard that today could be the day we get an announcement on a Cougar Town premiere date, so stay with us if any info comes out. As for Work It, eleven episodes will remain to be aired. Perhaps ABC will burn them off in the summer or just put them on abc.com like they did with the remaining five episodes of Man Up ("Camping," "Fear," "Up All Night," "Letting Go," and "Be Who You're Not."). Or not air them at all ever. We'll let you know if they do end up airing them somewhere whether it be on TV or online.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Saturday, July 5

Mind Your Business - "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" (Bounce TV, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Aaliyah and Mia try convincing Lucille that the owner of a new nearby lounge is up to no good; Alfonso and Kim deal with AJ's first relationship.

Mind Your Business - "The Boy Is Mine" (Bounce TV, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Alfonso tries to maintain his newfound bromance after Aaliyah breaks up with his new friend; Kim goes the extra mile to inject luxury into their lifestyle to impress the moms of a Black Excellence club.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of June 30)

Friday, July 4

  • Ayo Edebiri (Big Mouth/The Bear) - Watch Ayo on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Jay Pharoah (White Famous/Champaign ILL) - Jay is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Frankie Grande (Henry Danger/Danger Force) - Frankie appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Mark Hamill (The Texas Wheelers) - Mark is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Cristin Milioti (The Resort/Made for Love/A to Z/How I Met Your Mother) - Cristin appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Arnold Schwarzenegger (FUBAR) - Arnold is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Rob Riggle (Rob Riggle's Ski Master Academy/Golan the Insatiable/Gary Unmarried) - Rob appears on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Marsai Martin (black-ish) - Marsai chats with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Brooke Shields (Suddenly Susan) - Brooke guest co-hosts NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • Mario Cantone (And Just Like That.../Sex and the City) - Mario talks about And Just Like That... on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • Billy Bob Thornton (Hearts Afire) - Billy Bob opens up about being married six-times and is sharing all about his new show Landman on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Justine Lupe (Nobody Wants This/Cristela) - Justine is telling Drew about her viral wardrobe moment with Kathy Bates and shares behind the scenes moments of filming Succession, revealing the cast member she had a crush on, on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series Frasier (2023) - Season Two Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered) Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)

01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
05/13 - The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered)
06/06 - Shoresy - Season 2
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (Blu-ray)
07/08 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (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

07/05 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Comedy Central Delays South Park and Digman! Season Premieres; Jackée to Appear in Guest Role in Netflix Series
07/04 - Happy 4th of July; Antenna TV's McHale's Navy Red, White and Navy Independence Day Marathon
07/03 - The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder Season 3 Premieres August 6; South Park New Season Moves by Two Weeks
07/02 - FETV Acquires The Rookies; Hulu Renews The Bear for Season 5
07/01 - Bert Kreischer Gets Netflix Sitcom; NBC Gets Into Survival Mode This Summer
06/30 - The Comeback Makes Another...Comeback; First Look at Black Rabbit at Netflix
06/29 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 30, 2025)
06/28 - SitcomsOnline Digest: The Comeback Returning for a Third and Final Season; South Park to Remain on HBO Max
06/27 - The White Lotus Star Teams Up with Netflix; Remembering Bobby Sherman, Lynn Hamilton, and Rick Hurst
06/26 - The CW's Fall Movie of the Week; First Look at New York Comic Con 2025
06/25 - Netflix Renews Ransom Canyon for Season 2; My Life with the Walter Boys First Look for Season 2
06/24 - Marc Maron Gets Second HBO Comedy Special; Outlander Prequel Renewed for Season 2 Ahead of Series Premiere
06/23 - MeTV Summer Changes, Adds Adventures of Superman; Jimmy Kimmel Live! Summer Guest Hosts
06/22 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 23, 2025)
06/21 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Night Court Officially Dead After Not Finding New Home; Weigel Announces New WEST Network
06/20 - Great American Media Announces New Danica McKellar Movie; Jennifer Love Hewitt ID True Crime Series
06/19 - Bad Thoughts Renewed for Season 2 at Netflix; Zarna Garg Gets Hulu Special This July
06/18 - Weigel Broadcasting Announces WEST Network with Classic TV Westerns; Hulu's Season 2 of Such Brave Girls
06/17 - Gary Coleman's Ex-Wife on A&E Series; Digman! Returns July 9 on Comedy Central
06/16 - Hulu's Chad Powers Teaser; Prime Video's Jesse Williams Series
06/15 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 16, 2025)
06/14 - SitcomsOnline Digest: NBC Mulls Airing The Paper on Primetime Lineup; Fox Revives Baywatch Reboot Talk
06/13 - My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman Renewed for 2 More Seasons; Hanna-Barbera Developing Adult Animated Series
06/12 - Comedy Superstar Jack Black Is the King of Comedy at Nickelodeon; Doc Adds Felicity Huffman
06/11 - Celebrities for Celebrity Family Feud Season 11; Netflix's Little House on the Prairie Starts Production
06/10 - Warner Bros. Discovery Separates Company; Peacock's Jennifer Garner Series Adds to Cast
06/09 - Comedian Ms. Pat Gets Season 3 of Courtroom Series; Disney Branded Television Animated Slate
06/08 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 9, 2025)
06/07 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Fox Cancels Alert: Missing Persons Unit and The Cleaning Lady; Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune Headed to Streaming
06/06 - Hulu's First Look at Amanda Knox Drama; Prime Video Lands Spy Thriller
06/05 - Disney's Electric Bloom Gets Premiere Date; Conan to Guest on NBC's Late Night