Saturday, March 31, 2012

Digital Digest: Adam-12 - The Final Season DVD Review


Happy Saturday and welcome to Digital Digest! We've got all of your regular features here this week, of course (though not a whole lot of news, it has been slow this week), and we've also got a review of Shout! Factory's upcoming release of Adam-12 - The Final Season! Let's get rolling!


DIGITAL NEWS

News on the DVD front has been excruciatingly slow this week, but there was one announcement from Lionsgate regarding a new release of the series House of Payne. House of Payne - Volume Nine, which has been "on again, off again" on the schedule, is now "on again" with a scheduled release date set for June 19. Will this change again? We don't know, but hopefully, for the sake of fans, this day will be the actual release date.

Sony is continuing their manufacture-on-demand DVDs (of course, don't forget about Tuesday's releases of Benson - The Complete Second Season and Brothers - The Complete Series) with the series 10 Items or Less. On May 1, they will be releasing 10 Items or Less - The Complete Second Season, but only as a manufacture-on-demand product. It isn't available to pre-order just yet, but you can read more about the release here.


UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW

Tuesday (April 2) has several DVD releases to offer. Shout! Factory continues their releases of Designing Women with their release of Designing Women - The Complete Sixth Season. You can read our review of this set here. CBS Home Entertainment brings an older (and somewhat forgotten) sitcom to DVD for the first time with their release of Bob - The Complete Series. You can read our review here. If you are looking for new releases of Carsey-Werner series from Mill Creek, they have (literally) tons of them, with 3rd Rock from the Sun - The Complete Season Three, 3rd Rock from the Sun - The Complete Season Four, Roseanne - The Complete Third Season, Roseanne - The Complete Fourth Season, That '70s Show - Season Three, and That '70s Show - Season Four. We have not received these yet for review, but while we are mentioning these, we should mention that we have received a review copy of That '70s Show - Season One (Blu-ray), which was released a little over a week ago, and we will have a review of that set soon (as well as these new releases for Tuesday). If you're in the mood for manufacture-on-demand products, Sony brings some new sitcoms to DVD through those means on Tuesday with their release of Benson - The Complete Second Season and Brothers - The Complete Series. There certainly is something for everybody on Tuesday!

BLOG FEATURE REVIEW


Blog DVD Review: Adam-12 - The Final Season (Shout! Factory, $34.93)
by skees53

It's time to ride along with Officer Reed (Kent McCord) and Malloy (Martin Milner) one last time with Shout! Factory's release of the seventh season of the iconic police drama Adam-12, with Adam-12 - The Final Season. The final 24 episodes of the classic series, from the 1974 to 1975 season. A lot has changed for these officers since the first season, but they're still out there helping the citizens of Los Angeles, and also helping to prevent crime.

The season begins with the two-part episode "Camp," where a boy seeks independence from his mother (and in turn finds himself in trouble with the law). In "Team Work," Malloy and Reed get suspicious after seeing the same witness and tow truck driver at two different accident scenes. A gang is robbing pizza delivery boys in "Roll Call." In "Suspect Number One," Malloy gets a request from an ex-con who just wants to go back to prison. A holdup goes wrong, leaving two robbers on the roof of a shopping center, in "Point of View."

In "Lady Beware," Malloy and Reed are on the search for a rapist of teen girls. Reed and Malloy are on the hunt for a missing young girl in "Excessive Force." In "Alcohol," the latest arrest by Reed and Malloy is a happy drunk who seems to be entertaining. Reed has trouble getting a credit card in "Credit Risk." It is a happy holiday for everybody, except for Reed and Malloy, in "Christmas." Malloy encounters a young man using the machines at a laundromat to dry marijuana in "Pot Shot."

Reed and Malloy are following the path of a car theft ring in "Grand Theft Auto." In "Victim of the Crime," Reed gets blamed when a thief escapes from a shop. A new recruit has a stuttering problem in "Pressure Point," and it could have more serious problems than expected when he tries to hide it. Reed and Malloy take their significant others on a double date in "Ladies' Night." In "Citizen With a Gun," a homeowner decides to take advantage of his right to own a gun to protect himself, but owning that gun may have consequences when he comes close to accidentally shooting a police officer. Reed and Malloy are after a horse thief in "Follow Up."

Reed and Malloy have to find a man who may be planning to kill himself in "Suicide." In "Operation Action," Malloy is missing, and Reed is going to do whatever it takes to find out where he is. A new recruit is taking serious risks to apprehend suspects in "Gus Corbin." In "Dana Hall," a female officer is out to prove that she can do anything that a man can do on the job. The series ends with the two-part final episode (one of the few police dramas of the era to actually have a proper final episode), "Something Worth Dying For," where Reed and Malloy may be going their separate ways after some changes.

It appears that the episodes on the set are unedited. Runtimes are as follows:

Disc 1:
1. "Camp (Part 1)" (24:56)
2. "Camp (Part 2)" (24:55)
3. "Team Work" (24:31)
4. "Roll Call" (24:30)
5. "Suspect Number One" (24:30)
6. "Point of View" (24:31)

Disc 2:
7. "Lady Beware" (25:11)
8. "Excessive Force" (24:27)
9. "Alcohol" (24:55)
10. "Credit Risk" (24:54)
11. "Christmas" (25:10)
12. "Pot Shot" (24:29)

Disc 3:
13. "Grand Theft Auto" (25:11)
14. "Victim of the Crime" (25:08)
15. "Ladies' Night" (25:30)
16. "Pressure Point" (24:31)
17. "Citizen with a Gun" (25:09)
18. "Follow Up" (24:31)

Disc 4:
19. "Suicide" (24:55)
20. "Operation Action" (25:26)
21. "Gus Corbin" (25:23)
22. "Dana Hall" (25:25)
23. "Something Worth Dying For (Part 1)" (25:29)
24. "Something Worth Dying For (Part 2)" (25:29)

The DVD set is packaged just like the sixth season, with the DVDs in a standard Viva case. To recap all of it, season one was released in a huge box with two standard Amaray cases (only two discs, but both were double-sided), seasons 2-5 were released in slimcases, and the final two seasons (6 and 7) have been released in Viva cases. The cover has a photo of Reed and Malloy, in front of what (I think) is LAPD headquarters, though I don't know that is what it is for certain. On the back, there is a brief description of the season, two photos from the series, and for some reason, quite a bit of blank space... but it isn't a huge deal. Inside the case, there are four discs, each containing six episodes. The disc artwork contains a different black and white photo on each disc. Complete episode descriptions and original airdates are printed inside the case. However, there are some issues with the episode guide inside the case, as it is plagued with titles which I believe are wrong, improperly abbreviated, misspelled, and some of the episodes are even listed in the wrong order. The episodes as listed on the menu appear to be the most "correct," but certainly, the episode guide inside the case will give you an idea of what is on each disc.

Not one thing has changed about the menus since the previous season. The main menu is designed like a police radio, with buttons for Play All and Episodes. The theme song plays in the background on the main menu. Upon selecting Episodes, you get another menu which lists the episodes. Each episode plays immediately upon selecting it. Chapters are placed throughout each episode.

The video and audio quality of the set is, generally speaking, excellent. You'll find a bit of grain and debris here and there, but even that is significantly lessened from the previous releases. I don't think anybody will be the slightest bit disappointed with the video quality. The audio is great too, and generally loud and clear. Unfortunately, the episodes are not closed-captioned.

The set contains no special features at all. It would have been nice to have included some sort of interview retrospective or something along those lines since, after all, this is the final season of the series.

We don't get to say this too much lately, because most series have either been completed long ago or were just abandoned early on, but we have finally seen this series completed on DVD! It took a long time, and there were plenty of bumps along the road (particularly with Universal giving up on the series after just one season), but sure enough, we have all of the episodes on DVD now, and the releases really haven't had any major issues of concern, although it would be nice to see a re-release of the first season (which Universal did a terrible job with, primarily by using double-sided discs which had a very high failure rate). I think that these season sets really do close the book on this series, because a complete series set probably couldn't be much of an improvement on what is here, and this series is not really appropriate to release on Blu-ray. So, if you are a fan of this series, or just a fan of police dramas in general, you should pick up these DVDs, all seven seasons. It doesn't matter which season you start with. Basically, they are all equally enjoyable.

(4/5 stars)

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

Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
Adam-12 on TV.com


CLICK OF THE WEEK

The Official Kent McCord Home Page - Lately, our Click of the Week has often been closely related to upcoming DVD releases or DVDs which we have recently reviewed, and we are doing this yet again today, sort of. But instead of just choosing a website about Adam-12 (there is at least decent one out there which we will likely feature at a later date), we instead chose to feature the official website of Kent McCord, one of the stars of the classic series.

The website is much like many other celebrity websites out there, although naturally, it includes more of a full account of McCord's early life all the way up through the present day, giving a full picture of his life. But my favorite part of the website is the wealth of first-hand artifacts which he provides from his career. There are plenty of photos and memorabilia featured from Adam-12, of course, but you'll also find a page about his time on the series Galactica 1980. There are also many photo memories available on the site from his appearances on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. He even has a full page, complete with photos and an article, dedicated to a rare 1989 TNN made-for-TV movie Nashville Beat, which was special because in the movie, he played a cop partnered with another cop played by Martin Milner (I've never seen the movie, but I'm still confident that he always belonged in Los Angeles anyway). There is also a series of interesting correspondence which he has had with those he has worked with over the years. All of this isn't to say that this is a one-stop shop for everything that you need to know about Kent McCord or Adam-12, but you will certainly find a lot of interesting and unique artifacts on this website, all of which make it worthy of being Click of the Week.

That's it for this week. Until next time, keep it digital!

Friday, March 30, 2012

Marla Gibbs, Jackee, Gladys Knight To Star In New Sitcom 'The First Family'; Sitcom Stars On Talk Shows (Week of April 2, 2012)


The First Family Cast
As we announced in January, Entertainment Studios is working on two original sitcoms for first run syndication for this fall, but now we have casting news for one of them! The First Family, a sitcom about an African-American family that resides in The White House has announced its casting. Many familiar faces will be on hand for this series. The pilot was recently taped and the series will tape a whopping 104 episodes for next season. The series will star Christopher B. Duncan (The Jamie Foxx Show) playing President William Johnson. The cast also includes Kellita Smith (Bernie Mac Show) as First Lady Katherine Johnson, Jackee Harry (227, Sister Sister) as Pauletta (the First Lady's sister), John Witherspoon (The Wayans Bros.) as Grandpa Alvin (the President's father), Gladys Knight (Dancing with the Stars) as Grandma Carolyn (the President's mother), with Marla Gibbs (The Jeffersons, 227) as Grandma Eddy (the First Lady's mother) and Michael D. Roberts (Baretta) as Bernard (the White House Butler), among other cast members like comedian Paul Rodriguez. Yep, child, Jackee and Marla Gibbs are reuniting for another sitcom! Production will resume this summer for the comedy's fall debut.

No casting news yet on the other sitcom Entertainment Studios is pitching for national syndication this fall: Mr. Box Office, a sitcom about the biggest movie star in the world who is sentenced to community service teaching English at the toughest high school in America. Stay tuned for more details on that one and continued updates on The First Family and when it will premiere! It'll be on broadcast syndication, cable, and digital media starting this fall.



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, so this is for all sitcom fans of all eras!
For the week of April 2-6, 2012, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! All times listed are Eastern. So get your DVR's (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!

Monday, April 2, 2012
  • Betty White (Hot in Cleveland/The Golden Girls/The Mary Tyler Moore Show) - Watch the legendary Ms. White on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC. Betty White's Off Their Rockers premieres on NBC on Wedensday at 8/7c.
  • Christa Miller (Cougar Town/The Drew Carey Show) - Christa stops by Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12am on ABC.
  • Jason Biggs (Mad Love/Drexell's Class) - Jason visits LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings. America Reunion opens in theaters on April 6.
  • Janet Jackson (Good Times/Diff'rent Strokes) - Janet appears on a repeat of Anderson, so check your local listings.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
  • Maya Rudolph (Up All Night) - Catch Maya on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Jason Biggs (Mad Love/Drexell's Class) - Jason visits The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie) - Edie is a guest The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings. She will also be on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12am on ABC.
  • Ted Danson (Cheers/Becker) - Ted appears on the The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Hannah Simone (New Girl) - Hannah drops by The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Jennifer Lawrence (The Bill Engvall Show) - Tune in to see Jennifer on a repeat of Chelsea Lately on E! at 11pm.
  • Chris Elliott (Get a Life/Cursed) - Chris stops by Conan at 11pm on TBS.
  • Carolina Rhea (Sabrina, the Teenage Witch) - Caroline chats on LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
  • Simon Helberg (The Big Bang Theory) - Simon is a guest on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
  • Jeffrey Tambor (Bent/Arrested Development/The Larry Sanders Show) - Watch Jeffrey on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Jason Biggs (Mad Love/Drexell's Class) - Jason continues to make the rounds on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12am on ABC.
  • Alyson Hannigan (How I Met Your Mother) - Alyson visits Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
  • Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory/Roseanne) - Johnny stops byLIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
  • Niecy Nash (The Cleveland Show/Reno 911!) - Niecy appears on The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
  • Betty White (Hot in Cleveland/The Golden Girls/The Mary Tyler Moore Show) - Betty is a guest on NBC's Today between 7-9am.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
  • Alec Baldwin (30 Rock) - Catch Alec on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Sofia Vergara (Modern Family/The Knights of Prosperity/Hot Properties) - Sofia appears on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
  • Aziz Ansari (Parks and Recreation) - Aziz is a guest on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
  • Annie Potts (Designing Women) - Annie joins the Chew Crew on The Chew on ABC at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
  • Kathy Griffin (Suddenly Susan) - Kathy stops by Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
Friday, April 6, 2012
  • Laura Linney (The Big C) - Watch Laura on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Debra Messing (Will & Grace) - Debra chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother/Doogie Howser, M.D.) - Neil guest co-hosts a repeat of LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
  • Jason Biggs (Mad Love/Drexell's Class) - Jason wraps up his appearance this week on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
  • Alyson Hannigan (How I Met Your Mother) - Alyson visits The Rachael Ray Show, so check your local listings.
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!

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Fox Summer 2012 Schedule; MeTV Network Coming To San Antonio



Fox
This summer, Fox heats up with a lot of reality and Gordon Ramsey: the season nine premiere of So You Think You Can Dance, the return of Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen and Masterchef, plus the premiere of Ramsay's new series Hotel Hell. Back for a ninth season, So You Think You Can Dance kicks off with a two-hour premiere Thursday, May 24 from 8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT. Then the following week, on Wednesday, May 30 from 8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT, the series moves into its regular time period where it will air only once a week this season and each jam-packed two-hour show will feature awe-inspiring performances, as the contestants compete to be named America's Favorite Dancer. Additional So You Think You Can Dance schedule information to be announced. On Tuesday, May 29, Chef Ramsay returns for an all-new season of Hell's Kitchen at 8:00 PM ET/PT, followed by the season three debut of Masterchef at 9:00 PM ET/PT. Beginning Monday, June 4 at 9:00 PM ET/PT, Hell's Kitchen expands to twice per week with all-new episodes Mondays at 9:00 PM ET/PT and Tuesdays at 8:00 PM ET/PT. Next, in Hotel Hell premiering Monday, June 4 at 8:00 PM ET/PT, Ramsay will travel to San Diego, CA; Coeur D'Alene, ID; Cambridge, NY; Milford, PA; and Windsor, VT to fix horrid hotels, awful inns and just plain bad bed and breakfasts. That is all Fox has announced so far for summer. Mondays & Tuesdays with Gordon Ramsey shows and Wednesdays with So You Think You Can Dance. It is expected repeats will air Thursday-Sunday, but we're not 100%. Fox has said additional summer premiere dates and schedule information will be announced. So stay with us!

MeTV

MeTV Network has announced an affiliation agreement with Post-Newsweek-owned KSAT-TV, San Antonio where MeTV will launch on Monday, April 2, 2012. The station will carry MeTV over the air on channel 12.2 as well as on all local cable systems. MeTV now covers more than 77% of the country and has more than 120 affiliates. Post-Newsweek's other MeTV affiliate is WPLG- TV in Miami, which will launch on April 24, 2012. In other MeTV news, they will add their new Saturday morning block starting Saturday, April 7. The new block will feature classic animated series from 5-8am. Airing in order are: Gumby, The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and She-Ra: Princess of Power. The latter two will have two episodes back-to-back. This block will replace Saturday airings of Gomer Pyle, Petticoat Junction and The Beverly Hillbillies. On Easter Sunday (April 8), MeTV will air two classic specials at 6pm and 7pm: Here Comes Peter Cottontail and Lamb Chop's Passover Special. There will be no other changes to the schedule, so all of your favorite sitcoms and dramas will remain airing.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Nick at Nite Orders Scott Baio Sitcom Pilot To Series; James Franco Joins Nick at Nite Telenovela


Daddy's Home - Scott Baio and Jason Hervey
Nickelodeon has ordered 20 episodes of the original scripted comedy series, Daddy's Home (working title), starring Scott Baio, which was ordered to pilot back in October. Now it will be an official series! A multi-camera, half-hour comedy for Nick at Nite, Daddy's Home follows David Hobbs (Baio) an actor who, after ten years of starring as America's favorite TV dad, becomes a stay-at-home father to honor the deal he made with his soap star wife so that she may return to the limelight. The series comes from creators/executive producers Tina Albanese and Patrick Labyorteaux and is helmed by executive producers Nat Bernstein and Mitchel Katlin who will show run. Eric Bischoff and Jason Hervey are also executive producing through their production company Bischoff Hervey Entertainment (BHE), along with Baio. Daddy's Home marks Hervey and Baio's return to scripted comedy, with BHE having previously collaborated on three acclaimed unscripted series including Scott Baio is 45 and Single, Scott Baio is 46 and Pregnant, and Confessions of a Teen Idol. Production on the series is slated to commence later this year in Los Angeles.
For over 30 years, Baio has been a beloved actor, successful producer, writer and director. He received his acting break in 1976 when he was cast as the lead in the youthful gangster film Bugsy Malone. Baio is perhaps best known for his role as Chachi Arcola on one of television's most iconic comedy series Happy Days, followed by a starring role in the spin-off series Joanie Loves Chachi. Baio also starred in his own 1980s hit sitcom, Charles in Charge. Following his television comedy roles, he delved into some deeper and more dramatic roles, such as in the award-winning ABC after-school special, Stoned, the CBS film The Boy Who Drank Too Much and as a hemophiliac in NBC's Senior Trip! He continued his acting career as the youthful associate of Dick Van Dyke on the successful CBS series Diagnosis Murder and a decade later, made several appearances on the Emmy Award-winning television series Arrested Development. Most recently, Baio was featured as himself on VH1's popular series, Scott Baio is 45... and Single and Scott Baio is 46... and Pregnant. Off-screen, he has directed episodes of popular series including The Parkers, Unhappily Ever After, The Jamie Foxx Show, The Wayans Bros., Harry and the Hendersons, Out of This World, Charles in Charge and recently served as executive producer of VH1's Confessions of a Teen Idol.
Stay tuned for much more information on this series, including more casting, and a premiere date.

Elsewhere at Nick at Nite, actor James Franco will also be joining the cast of Hollywood Heights, a daily scripted series premiering on Nick at Nite this June. Franco will star in a multi-episode arc, playing the role of Osborne "Oz" Silver - a passionate, intense eccentric movie mogul who lives life to the fullest, often outrageously. Funny, offbeat, seductive, ruthless when he has to be, Oz adores the moviemaking process and does whatever it takes to make the films he wants. Hollywood Heights (previously titled Reach for a Star), a daily scripted series based on the wildly popular Televisa telenovela, Alcanzar Una Estrella, will debut in primetime on Nick at Nite in June. The 80 one-hour episodes currently in production will star Brittany Underwood, Melissa Ordway, Cody Longo and Justin Wilczynski. Hollywood Heights is a co-production with Televisa and is being produced by Sony Television.
Stay tuned for a premiere date and timeslot, as it seems it will air four or five days a week.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Fox To Reunite Classic Series In 25th Anniversary Special, Includes Married with Children; Sample Pilot of Upcoming ABC Comedy Apartment 23


Fox 25th Annivesary Special

As we broke last month, Fox will air its 25th Anniversary Special on Sunday, April 22 from 8-10PM. We exclusively mentioned that among the classic Fox series that will be featured are Arrested Development, Beverly Hills 90210, In Living Color, Married...with Children, That '70s Show, and The X-Files. Now we have some more info! The star-studded special will take an entertaining look back at the groundbreaking and irreverent shows that have defined the network since its first signal transmission on April 5, 1987. The star-studded special will pay tribute to Fox's most memorable moments with appearances by Fox talent, highlights from iconic series and specials and reunions with cast members from some of the network's fan-favorite series, including Married With Children, among other surprises.
Talent scheduled to appear on Fox's 25th Anniversary Special include Calista Flockhart from Ally McBeal; Gabrielle Carteris, Shannen Doherty, Jason Priestley and Ian Ziering from Beverly Hills, 90210; Christina Applegate, David Faustino, Ed O'Neill and Katey Sagal from Married With Children; Patrick Warburton from The Tick; and Gillian Anderson, David Duchovny and creator Chris Carter from The X-Files. The host, additional Fox talent and more cast reunions to be announced. I'm thinking we get the casts of Arrested Development, That '70s Show, In Living Color, Living Single, and Martin perhaps? So stay with us for more information as get it!


Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23

Like NBC did with Smash and Fox did with New Girl, ABC is previewing the full Don't Trust The B---- in Apartment 23 pilot on Hulu before its Wednesday, April 11 at 9:30pm premiere. Con artist (Krysten Ritter) and her snarky friend James Van Der Beek (as himself!) teach small-town girl June how to survive in NYC. Preview the pilot below:



The second episode will also premiere on Hulu on Monday, April 2 before its April 18 air date, and following episodes will be available a day after they air on ABC on Hulu, Hulu Plus and abc.com.
We have already watched three episodes of the series for review and we will have our formal review of this comedy a day before the premiere on Tuesday, April 10 - so come on back for that! Hint: It's a great show! But for now, you can't trust that b--- in apartment 23, so watch the pilot and spread the word of this fine comedy!

Monday, March 26, 2012

Cloo's Classic Get Smart, Mannix and Charlie's Angels Marathon; CBS Season Finale Dates in May 2012


Get Smart
Cloo will be airing some classic marathons once again in April and May. As we mentioned, we have already gotten classic Saturday marathons of Mannix and Get Smart, but now we'll get more! On Saturday, April 21, 2012 it's three shows in one day! First, we'll get Get Smart from 6-10am ET! Then its time for some Mannix from 10am-4pm ET and what better way to finish it off with Charlie's Angels from 4pm-6am. It's nice to see Get Smart and Mannix get some play again and Charlie's Angels is always nice to see, as it also airs on sister network Universal HD.
What about in May? There will also be a Cloo Classic Marathon that month. On Saturday, May 19 we will get a full 24-hour marathon of Charlie's Angels! Hello, Angels indeed! We'll of course continue to keep you up to date of any future Cloo Classic marathons and we hope we get plenty more to come! And hopefully some more classics join in on the fun. View the Cloo website to see if you get this cable network.


CBS announced the dates for its 2011-12 series' season finales. Finales include two-hour editions of The Amazing Race, Survivor: One World, NCIS: Los Angeles and Criminal Minds. Also, sitcoms 2 Broke Girls and How I Met Your Mother will both get one-hour season finales! The finales kick-off on Sunday, April 29 with the season finale of The Good Wife in its 9pm timeslot. Then on the following week on May 6, it will be the two-hour season finale of The Amazing Race from 8-10pm. The very next night on Monday, May 7, CBS will air a one-hour season finale of 2 Broke Girls starting at a special time of 8pm, as How I Met Your Mother is preempted. That sitcom will get the one-hour finale treatment the following week on May 14 from 8-9pm. New drama Unforgettable, whose fate is still not revealed, will have its finale on Tuesday, May 8 at 10pm. CSI will end its season on Wednesday, May 9 at 10pm. The Big Bang Theory is ending pretty early as it has its season finale on Thursday, May 10 -- a week before the final Thursday of the season. The Friday finales will also end a week before the final Friday of the season, as these shows end on May 11: Undercover Boss, CSI: NY and Blue Bloods. On Sunday, May 13, it is the Survivor finale event from 8-11pm with a two-hour finale and a live Reunion show at 10pm. Following the Mother finale on Monday, May 14, will be the finales of the other Monday series Two and a Half Men, Mike & Molly and Hawaii Five-0 -- also a week before the final Monday of the season. And CBS continues that pattern on Tuesdays, with the NCIS finale at 8pm and a two-hour NCIS: LA finale from 9-11pm on Tuesday, May 15. Criminal Minds will also get a two-hour finale on Wednesday, May 16 from 9-11pm. No word what airs at 8pm on that night, as Survivor will have its finale Wednesday episode on May 9. On Thursday, May 17, Rules of Engagement will have its season finale at 8:30pm. It looks like a Bang repeat will lead-in. Weird. Dramas Person of Interest and The Mentalist will have their season finales also on that night from 9-11pm.
So everything but the Thursday, May 17 finales are ending early. CBS looks like will air a lot of repeats from May 18-23 (like last season) -- the final week of the season. Look for a new Jesse Stone movie on Sunday, May 20.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Week 27 TV Ratings and Analysis; How the Sitcoms Did

2011-12 Week 27 TV Ratings (first four nights final ratings, Mon-Thu):

Households: #1. CBS 6.8 rating/11.1 share; #2. Fox 6.1/9.7; #3. ABC 5.1/8.3; #4. NBC 3.6/5.9; #5. The CW 0.9/1.5
Total Viewers: #1. CBS 10.79 million; #2. Fox 10.04 million; #3. ABC 7.9 million; #4. NBC 5.82 million; #5. The CW 1.37 million.
Adults 18-49: #1. Fox 3.1 rating/8.7 share; #2. CBS 2.8/7.8; #3. NBC 2.1/5.8; #4. ABC 1.8/5.0; #5. The CW 0.6/1.8

Week 27 (March 19-25) Analysis: Week 27 has Fox on top in 18-49 with all original programming, but CBS has the edge in HH/viewers as they were all new, too. NBC was all-new all week so far, too, but ABC had a mix of new and repeats--with mostly repeats. Through the first four nights, Fox and CBS are first place in 18-49 and HH/viewers, respectively. For second, Fox has that in HH/viewers, but CBS is in second in adults 18-49. ABC is third in HH/viewers, while NBC is third in 18-49. NBC is fourth in HH/viewers, while ABC is in fourth in 18-49 thanks to a lot of repeats. When the week is over by tonight, CBS will overtake Fox in 18-49 easily thanks to NCAA coverage on Friday and Saturday. ABC will also overtake NBC for third in 18-49 after decent Friday performance and tonight's likely first place finish. More on the prediction of week 27 below. As for last week, week 26, Fox and CBS tied for the crown in 18-49 but CBS took home the HH/total viewers crown. ABC was second in HH/viewers, edging out third place Fox. ABC was third in 18-49, but only two tenths behind CBS and Fox. NBC was fourth across the board.

On Monday, it was NBC with the win but the lead has definitely shrunk with more competition coming back. First, on ABC, Dancing with the Stars started it off from 8-10pm with its season premiere doing a first place 18.79 million and a 3.5 18-49 rating, off five tenths from the season thirteen premiere in the fall. While down, still solid against the other major reality competition on the night. There was certainly plenty of buzz after the premiere aired, so perhaps it will maintain or grow tomorrow. At 10pm, Castle was all-new and did 11.52 million and a 2.3 18-49 rating, for second place. Tomorrow's episode is a big one, so likely will go up. For CBS, How I Met Your Mother was new doing 8.15 million and a 3.5 18-49 rating, which is solid. Then a new episode of breakout hit 2 Broke Girls followed doing a better 9.38 million and a 3.5 18-49 rating, but that was a series low and didn't build on its lead-in for the first time (it did maintain though). At 9pm, a new Two and a Half Men did a below normal 11.47 million and a 3.8 18-49 rating, but the best of the CBS block. A new Mike & Molly followed and did 9.71 million and a 3.1 18-49 rating, which is below normal. A new Hawaii Five-0 was next doing a second place 9.31 million and a first place 2.5 18-49 rating, but was at a season low. Fox aired a a new House at 8pm and did 5.94 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, which I believe was a series low for the veteran drama. At 9pm, a new Alcatraz did 5.04 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, on par with previous week's series low. Chances are it will not be back, I think. NBC was in first place and started it off with a two-hour The Voice and did a second place 11.95 million and a first place 4.6 18-49 rating, which was down six tenths from previous week. In the last two weeks it has gone down 1.6 points. Then at 10pm week seven of critical darling Smash was next doing 6.56 million and a 2.2 18-49 rating, which was down two tenths from the previous week for third place. I knew it would be third place in 18-49 even with that large lead-in. It has been renewed for a second season, though. The CW was in repeats, at 8pm a special repeat of America's Next Top Model aired and did 750,000 viewers and a 0.3 18-49 rating, on par with previous week's repeat. At 9pm a repeat of Hart of Dixie did just 670,000 viewers and a 0.2 18-49 rating, up a tenth from previous week's embarrassing 0.1 rating!

On Tuesday, it was CBS with the win with its dramas. NCIS at 8 started it off with a new episode doing 19.05 million and a 3.4 18-49 rating, which is good but below normal. Then a new NCIS: Los Angeles at 9pm did 16.17 million and a 2.8 18-49 rating, which is solid but also below normal. At 10pm, a new Unforgettable did 11.32 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating. ABC started with a new Last Man Standing with Tim Allen leading the night off doing 6.98 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating, which is below normal and a low for the series. At 8:30pm, a new episode of the awesome Cougar Town did 4.38 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, which is up two tenths from previous week's low. At 9pm, the finale of new horror/adventure series The River did 3.99 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating, up a tenth from previous week's series low. Hopefully it comes back on Netflix or anywhere else if ABC passes on it. Body of Proof was a repeat at 10 and did 4.79 million and a 0.9 18-49 rating. Fox will bring back Glee in early April, but for now a four-show comedy block! At 8pm, Raising Hope was all-new doing 3.78 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, down two tenths from previous week. As I expected, it went down with ABC's comedy being new. At 8:30pm a new episode of the horrid I Hate My Teenage Daughter did only 2.92 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating, off another two tenths from previous week for a series low. Now Fox has pulled it. New Girl was new at 9 too and did 5.18 million and a 2.7 18-49 rating, off a tenth from previous week for another series low. At 9:30pm Breaking In was new and did just 2.84 million and a 1.3 18-49 rating, off two tenths from previous week. Wish it did better but it is not doing good. NBC was next with The Biggest Loser from 8-10pm doing 6.76 million and a 2.3 18-49 rating, which was up two tenths from previous week when it was 90-minutes. At 10pm, NBC's new reality series Fashion Star did just 4.76 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating. Not good still, but up two tenths from previous week like its lead-in. The CW was new with 90210 doing 1.25 million and a 0.7 18-49 rating, up a tenth from previous week. Then at 9pm, Ringer was new and did 1.16 million and a 0.5 18-49 rating, also up a tenth week-to-week.

Wednesday it was Fox with win with another two-hour Idol leading the way of course. First, CBS started the night off with a new Survivor: One World doing 10.47 million and a 2.8 18-49 rating, which is again down two tenths from the previous week. Then at 9pm, a new Criminal Minds did 12.09 million and a 3.2 18-49 rating, up four tenths from previous week's series low. And at 10pm a new CSI did 11.38 million and a 2.6 18-49 rating, but down two tenths from previous week. ABC was 75% in repeats for its Laugh On comedy block with a repeat of The Middle doing 4.75 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating. Suburgatory followed with a repeat at 8:30pm doing 4.27 million and a 1.3 18-49 rating, which built on its lead-in again. The mega hit Modern Family was next at 9pm with a repeat though and it did 5.63 million and 2.0 18-49 rating, which was below normal. At 9:30pm, Happy Endings was new and did 4.1 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating, down two tenths from the previous week when its lead-in was new. Not to worry, the show has been renewed for a third season! At 10pm the addicting Revenge will return in April 11 with a special and then April 18 with the last six episodes of the season, but ABC aired an encore of Missing and did 5.04 million and a 1.3 18-49 rating, which was actually up a tenth from previous week's ABC News special. Fox aired American Idol from 8-10pm doing 17.21 million and a 5.1 18-49 rating, down another three tenths from previous week but still good for #1 for the week. Take that The Voice, says Fox. NBC opened the night with a new episode of the terrible series Whitney doing 4.18 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, but up two tenths from the previous week. Week 11 (God help us) of Are You There, Chelsea followed with only 3.47 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating, but up three tenths from previous week's series low. At 9pm, NBC is airing back-to-back episodes of new sitcom Bent and it is not off to a pretty start. In fact, the premiere was a historic low for a premiere (on the big four networks) did only 2.75 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating, with episode two at 9:30pm doing even worse with 2.38 million and a 0.8 18-49 rating. Ouch. And at 10pm, Rock Center with Brian Williams was new in its temporary new time period and did 3.02 million and a 0.7 18-49 rating, but up a tenth from previous week's series low. Still, yank this already, too. The CW had a new One Tree Hill at 8pm doing 1.5 million and a 0.8 18-49 rating, on par with previous week. This show is ending and its one of their best performing series. Sad. Then at 9pm, week four of America's Next Top Model did 1.25 million and a 0.6 18-49 rating, up a tenth from previous week.

Thursday it was Fox again for the win. Starting with ABC, they opened the night with week two of Missing doing 8.81 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, down a half a point from the premiere. Total viewers is good but the 18-49 needs to be better. At 9pm, a repeat of Grey's Anatomy aired doing 4.53 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating. At 10pm, Private Practice was a repeat, too doing 3.29 million and a 0.8 18-49 rating. It moves to Tuesdays at 10 for five airings starting April 17. CBS preempted The Big Bang Theory, Person of Interest and The Mentalist for the round of 16 coverage of the NCAA Basketball Tournament. The primetime block averaged 6.75 million and a 2.3 18-49 rating, up six tenths from previous week. Fox aired American Idol at 8 doing 15.58 million and a 4.2 18-49 rating, down four tenths from previous week. Fox aired a new episode of Touch, doing 11.81 million and a 3.3 18-49 rating, which is solid. NBC was all-new with a new Community up first doing 3.87 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating, which was down five tenths from previous week's surprising 2.2 rating. Knew it wouldn't last. It might be a good show but it has no mass appeal. At 8:30pm, 30 Rock was new at 8:30pm and did 3.31 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, like its lead-in, down five tenths from previous week. As I keep saying, time to end it after six seasons. A second episode followed, as The Office was preempted, and did just 3.42 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, eight tenths lower than a lower The Office from previous week. At 9:30pm Up All Night was new and did just 3.25 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, down two tenths from previous week. At 10pm, week four of Awake did not do much with 4.73 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating, down four tenths week-to-week for a series low. The CW's big gun Vampire Diaries was new and did 2.69 million and a 1.3 18-49 rating, up a tenth from previous week but below normal. Then at 9pm, drama The Secret Circle was new and did 1.72 million and a 0.7 18-49 rating, on par with previous week.

Now, final numbers for Friday and Saturday are not available, but CBS beat ABC with coverage of the NCAA Tournament for the second straight week. ABC was #1 with regular programming with Shark Tank at 8pm as Undercover Boss was preempted on CBS. At 9pm What Would You Do? did solid for ABC, with NBC's Grimm a repeat. CBS' Blue Bloods preempted so ABC's 20/20 was #1 at 10 among regular shows with an interview with an exclusive interview with Dharun Ravi. Fox's Fringe returned with a series low at 9pm.
Saturday numbers have CBS winning the night for a second straight week with NCAA coverage doing the best it has done thus far. ABC did decent for Saturday, but Fox continued to struggle with Q'Viva. ABC preempted its limited news series 20/20: My Extreme Affliction for an encore of Dancing with the Stars premiere that did OK. NBC did poorly with an encore of USA's Fairly Legal and a burn-off episode of The Firm did nothing.

Tonight ABC's line-up is all-new with AFV, Once Upon a Time, Desperate Housewives and GCB. Look for a first place finish once again, as Once Upon a Time will be #1 for the night. NBC has Dateline at 7 followed by a new episode of old skewing Harry's Law, then a two-hour Celebrity Apprentice, from 9-11pm. Maybe a fourth place finish again. CBS has new airing of 60 Minutes then a new Amazing Race, followed by new episodes of The Good Wife and CSI: Miami. I think that is a second place finish because NCAA will lead-in to boost them. Fox has all-new episodes of Animation Domination starting at 7:30pm, but they have been below normal nearly all-season. It'll battle with CBS for second but will come up in third.

As for the week (week 27), CBS will likely win the week in 18-49 thanks to coverage of the NCAA Tournament. CBS will easily win HH/viewers. Fox will be second across the board. ABC will go pass NBC in 18-49 and will remain in third in HH/viewers, leaving NBC fourth across the board. As for the coming week (week 28), ABC has its first Dancing with the Stars: The Results Tuesday at 9pm bringing life back to that night for ABC. NBC premieres a one-hour commercial for Ford Escape with a new series called Escape Routes airing Saturdays at 8pm. And Fox has the two-hour finale of Alcatraz tomorrow, but it won't do much.

Week 27 How the Sitcoms Did

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for Week 26 -- March 12-18)

  • The Simpsons (Fox) 2 airings - A new episode did 5.25 million and a 2.4 18-49 rating, which was up a tenth from the previous week. A repeat at 7pm earlier in the night did 2.48 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating against the end of the Creighton/UNC game on CBS, down three tenths from previous week.
  • The Cleveland Show (Fox) - A new episode at 7:30pm did just 3.22 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, down a tenth from previous week.
  • Bob's Burgers (Fox) - A new episode aired at 8:30pm and did 4.4 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, which is up two tenths from previous week. Still a toss-up on what show comes back--this or Napoleon. Or better yet, neither.
  • Family Guy (Fox) - A new showing at 9 did 5.61 million and a 2.8 18-49 rating, the best of the block like usual and again on par with previous week.
  • American Dad! (Fox) - A new airing at 9:30pm did 4.61 million and a 2.2 18-49 rating, on par week-to-week.

Monday Sitcoms

  • How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - A new episode did 8.15 million and a 3.5 18-49 rating, which is below normal for it this season.
  • 2 Broke Girls (CBS) - A new episode maybe got hurt by the competition as it did 9.38 million and a 3.5 18-49 rating, which is a series low but still solid numbers.
  • Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 11.47 million and a 3.8 18-49 rating is not that great for this show, but number one for the CBS block still after all these years.
  • Mike & Molly (CBS) - A new episode did 9.71 million and a 3.1 18-49 rating, as this was below normal and lower than the 8-9pm comedies. Could be better.

Tuesday Sitcoms

  • Last Man Standing (ABC) - A new episode in its 8pm half-hour did 6.98 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating, which is below normal for this show. Perhaps because of all the repeats the last few weeks? It is preempted this Tuesday for a planned Dancing special.
  • Cougar Town (ABC) - A new episode did 4.38 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, up two tenths from previous week, as it finally broke the strong of dropping a tenth each week. Next airing is a week from Tuesday on April 3.
  • Raising Hope (Fox) - A new episode at 8 did 3.78 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, down two tenths from previous week as perhaps Last Man took some of its ratings.
  • I Hate My Teenage Daughter (Fox) - A new episode at 8:30pm did just 2.92 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating, down two tenths from previous week and a series low. So bad that Fox has pulled it from the schedule now.
  • New Girl (Fox) - A new episode at 9pm did 5.18 million and a 2.7 18-49 rating, down a tenth from previous week for another series low. When The Voice Results and Dancing Results air in this slot in the next few weeks, will this show get lost (to DVR, at least)?
  • Breaking In (Fox) - A new episode at 9:30 did just 2.84 million and a 1.3 18-49 rating, down two tenths from previous week for a series low. Not good.

Wednesday Sitcoms
  • The Middle (ABC) - A repeat did 4.75 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating, which is below normal for a repeat. It won't be new again until April 11, along with the rest of the Wednesday comedies besides Happy Endings.
  • Suburgatory (ABC) - A repeat did 4.27 million and a 1.3 18-49 rating, building from its lead-in though.
  • Whitney (NBC) - A new episode did just 4.18 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, which was up two tenths from previous week. I'll be sickened if they bring this back, but I don't think they will.
  • Are You There, Chelsea? (NBC) - Week eleven did only 3.47 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating, up three tenths from previous week's series low. Maybe only because ABC was in repeats with its comedies?
  • Modern Family (ABC) - A repeat did 5.63 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, which is decent for a repeat but below normal for this show.
  • Happy Endings (ABC) - A new episode did 4.1 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating, down some from previous week when its lead-in was new. It'll be new this week, too, while the other Wednesday comedies are repeats. So make a note to watch because that is one reason it is down because everyone thinks its a repeat cause the three shows leading in are.

Thursday Sitcoms

  • The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - preempted.
  • Rules of Engagement (CBS) - Returns March 29!
  • Community (NBC) - A new episode did 3.87 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating, down a half a point from previous week's surprising 2.2 rating. Back to mid 1's it goes. Still think NBC brings it back for possibly one last season.
  • 30 Rock (NBC) 2 airings - A new episode did 3.31 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, also down five tenths from previous week. It's time for this show to go, as it has already aired for many seasons. A special new episode at 9pm did no better with 3.42 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, much lower than the usual The Office, and that show is doing nothing anymore.
  • The Office (NBC) - preempted.
  • Up All Night (NBC) - A new episode did just 3.25 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, down two tenths from previous week thanks to a weaker lead-in.

Friday Sitcoms

  • None.

Saturday Sitcoms

  • None.

Airing tonight (Sunday) are Fox's animated comedies from 7-10pm with new episodes starting at 7:30pm.

Summing it up. Airings of Two and a Half Men, 2 Broke Girls, How I Met Your Mother, Mike & Molly, New Girl were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as Last Man Standing, Community) or just plain old terrible (such as I Hate My Teenage Daughter, Bent, Breaking In).

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Digital Digest: South Park - The Complete Fifteenth Season Blu-ray Disc Review

Spring is officially here, but before you get out and take in all of the greatness that spring has to offer (or since it is still March, make the trek all the way to your living room to watch the non-stop NCAA men's basketball coverage), sit back and enjoy this week's edition of Digital Digest, your weekly source for all things digital! This week, we've got a review of the Blu-ray Disc version of South Park - The Complete Fifteenth Season (DVD/Blu-ray). Let's get going!


DIGITAL NEWS

Last week, we updated you on the Canadian release of Saved by the Bell - The Complete Collection, and now, that very same studio is bring yet another complete series to DVD. This time, Alliance Films Media is bringing ALF - The Complete Series to DVD. The 16 disc set is to be released on April 10. Of course, given the somewhat shoddy treatment that Lionsgate gave to the series with their releases, fans are certainly wondering whether or not these episodes will be unedited. The very same question was brought up in this article from TVShowsOnDVD.com. Nobody knows definitely what the answer to this question is, but the article on the website speculates that the episodes will be the syndicated versions of the episodes, and given the evidence, that looks very probable. First, according to the article, Alliance Films Media purchased the Canadian distribution rights of many series from Lionsgate last year. This would seemingly imply that they have access to the same copies of the episodes, and perhaps the DVDs will even be exactly the same disc-by-disc. But what is even more of a sign that we'll see similar (or identical releases) is the artwork on the two DVD cases included in the set. The artwork uses the exact same photos of ALF used for the cover art of Lionsgate releases. We certainly hope, though, that something better actually is in the works.

One important thing to mention, however, is that the unedited versions of the episodes are by no means in any worse condition than the episodes released by Lionsgate, as as been insinuated. Warner Home Video maintains the DVD distribution rights for the series outside of North America, and Warner has in fact released all four seasons of the series in a few countries with nearly every single episode unedited, and even when accounting for the PAL/NTSC conversion, the video and audio of the Warner Home Video releases is just as great if not superior to the releases from Lionsgate. You can read more about international DVDs and our review of ALF - Die Komplette Erste Staffel (Region 4 release of season 1) in our archives from our very first two weeks of Digital Digest. As if we haven't gone off on enough tangents here, you may that our first edition of Digital Digest was published on March 27, 2010. So we're almost two years old this week!

This week, ABC Studios made some announcements which some would call unprecedented, announcing June 12 DVD releases for three series. Two of the series haven't quite been on the air for a month, and the third one hasn't even made it to air yet. On June 12, you can own the first seasons of Missing, GCB, and the yet-to-air Scandal. It is certainly a major risk to announce DVD season sets of series this early, particularly for Scandal, which we really have no clue if it'll have any level of success at all. But perhaps the releases, particularly with the releases coming months before a potential second season of the series begins, will help boost interest of the series when (and if) they make it back to air in the fall.


UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW

Tuesday (March 27) has very little to offer in regards to releases, but there is a new release of Comedy Central's animated series South Park, with South Park - The Complete Fifteenth Season (DVD/Blu-ray). Our review of the Blu-ray release is featured today in Digital Digest.

BLOG FEATURE REVIEW



Blog Blu-ray Review: South Park - The Complete Fifteenth Season (Comedy Central, $57.99)
by skees53

It's that time of the year to "head on down to South Park" for some more dysfunctional hilarity! The 16th season of the modern pop-culture classic series recently began just last week on Comedy Central, but they weren't about to leave fans waiting too long for the home media release of the 15th season. In the latest home media release, available on both DVD and Blu-ray Disc, fans can enjoy all fourteen of the episodes of the series from 2011, on a three disc DVD set or two disc Blu-ray set.

The series constantly pushes the limits of what is "acceptable" for TV, and this season does that yet again in typical South Park style. The season begins with the episode "HumancentiPad," where Kyle learns a valuable lesson about agreeing to Apple's 50+ page terms and conditions after he clicks agree without actually reading what he is agreeing to. Meanwhile, Cartman just wants an iPad, and even though his mom is about to cave in, his behavior leads to her telling him something that nobody has ever told Eric Cartman in his entire life: "no." Jimmy declares Germans to be unfunny and Tyler Perry is taken hostage in "Funnybot." Ike is off to save Canada's beautiful young princess on Canadian Royal Wedding Day in "Royal Pudding." In "T.M.I.," Cartman encounters some school height data, but chaos ensues when he accidentally believes that the measurements are actually for another body part. Cartman has a new protégé in "Crack Baby Athletic Association." A racial war breaks out in South Park between the city's only Chinese man and the city's only Japanese man in "City Sushi." Stan has a very unpleasant 10th birthday in the mid-season finale "You're Getting Old," which only gets worse when his parents announce they are splitting up.

The second half of the season picks up four months later with "Ass Burgers," where Stan's cynicism has turned him into a different person than we've ever seen in the past. Meanwhile, Cartman tries to convince the school nurse that he has Asperger's Syndrome, and thinks that he can fake it and get away with it if he just shoves some hamburgers in his... well, you know. Cartman joins the U.S. Border Patrol in "The Last of the Meheecans" after a regular game of Texans vs. Mexicans (only in South Park!). Lemmiwinks makes a return in "Bass to Mouth," where the boys need him to stop his evil brother WikiLeaks from spreading rumors about them. Randy becomes addicted to Broadway in "Broadway Bro Down." Cartman causes his class to receive the lowest score in the nation on the Presidential Fitness Test in "1%," and the 99% Club (spearheaded by Butters and Jimmy) decide to protest and "occupy the fourth grade." The boys turn to a History Channel documentary to help with a Thanksgiving report in "A History Channel Thanksgiving," which ends in a lot of REALLY bad information. The season ends with "The Poor Kid," where Kenny's parents are arrested and Kenny is forced into a foster home, which causes a serious problem for Cartman because now he isn't sure who the poorest kid in the school is.

The episodes all appear to be unedited, including the all-important scene from the end of the "You're Getting Old" episode featuring the montage to Stevie Nicks' "Landslide." The runtimes are all 22:25 for each episode in the first part of the season, and 22:22 for each episode in the second part, but by episode, they are as follows:

1. "HumancentiPad" (22:25)
2. "Funnybot" (22:25)
3. "Royal Pudding" (22:25)
4. "T.M.I." (22:25)
5. "Crack Baby Athletic Association" (22:25)
6. "City Sushi" (22:25)
7. "You're Getting Old" (22:25)
8. "Ass Burgers" (22:22)
9. "The Last of the Meheecans" (22:22)
10. "Bass to Mouth" (22:22)
11. "Broadway Bro Down" (22:22)
12. "1%" (22:22)
13. "A History Channel Thanksgiving" (22:22)
14. "The Poor Kid" (22:22)

The Blu-ray Disc set is packaged a standard digipak with a powder blue color scheme this time. On the cover, we have a picture of Cartman hugging all of his stuffed animals, with the other kids in the background. On the back, there is a picture of the "HumancentiPad" (it isn't a pleasant sight) along with a very short description of the season and a listing of special features. Inside, there is a four panel digipak (most likely it is five with the DVD set, but we didn't receive a copy of that), with the two outer panels listing all of the episodes, and the center panels containing the discs. Both discs have pictures of the boys from two different episodes contained on the set. The Blu-ray set contains seven episodes on each disc.

The Blu-ray release has very simple menus, but they do take full advantage of the Blu-ray technology and the "pop-up menu" abilities which Blu-ray possesses. The main menu gives options of Play All, Episode Selection, Special Features (Disc 1 only), and Set Up. While video clips from the episodes play in the background, the pop-up menu allows you to find your episode or your special features, or perform setup options. For whatever reason, Setup is actually where you'll find the commentaries, not under Special Features where it would, you know, actually make sense. There are no scene selection menus, but chapters are placed throughout each and every episode. Of course, we haven't seen the DVD version of this release, but the menus for the DVD releases of the series have been pretty much the same going all the way back to the very first season.

The video and audio quality of the Blu-ray release is absolutely spectacular, with really no issues at all. I often forget that Comedy Central's high-definition channel even exists (it is actually one of the highest numbered channel on my cable system, deep in the 990s range), so I'm used to watching these episodes in standard definition. But they actually make the high-definition technology work with this series, and it looks just plain amazing. The video and audio is not just "mostly" flawless, but I would go so far as to say it IS flawless. All of the episodes are presented in widescreen, with audio available in both English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Digital: English 5.1. We assume that the DVD release is just as nice, of course just not in high-definition.

"Six Days to Air: The Making of South Park" (42:05) is certainly not a unique feature which was created just for this home media release, but it was actually a special which aired last year on Comedy Central, essentially following the production crew through their six day period of going from an "idea for an episode" to "airing the episode," giving the series one of the fastest turnarounds in all of scripted television. This is a great behind-the-scenes feature which fans, even if they watched it, will be happy to own on home media. "Six Days to Air: Behind the Scenes of City Sushi" (3:27) is a very short clip which appears to have been something that was cut from the 42 minute special, likely due to airtime constraints. It is still enjoyable to watch. "Deleted Scenes" (5:08) is exactly what it sounds like: a series of deleted scenes from all of the episodes on the release. And finally, like all of the other releases, every episode has those ridiculous "mini-commentaries" where Trey Parker and Matt Stone provide us with about two minutes of commentary before abandoning the viewers. I wish they would at least do full commentaries for a few episodes each season, perhaps some of their favorites, but at least we're getting something... even if it is practically nothing.

There isn't much to really add to the comments on these South Park releases at this point. With this release of the fifteenth season, we've been able to get (for the most part, anyway) excellent releases throughout the series. The first two seasons, which were originally released by Warner Home Video, indeed created some disappointment for fans, but ever since Paramount has taken over, there haven't been any problems with the season sets. I certainly do wish that they'd put more special features on these sets, but the episodes are the important part, and this is one of the rare series which seems to achieve perfection on home media. If you own a Blu-ray player, it is definitely worth going with that version of the release, as this series really does show a nice difference between the two formats, but if you only have a DVD player, I'm sure that release is more than sufficient. Now, to just sit back and relax and watch these episodes from season 16--and I have a feeling that in about twelve months, I'll be back to provide fans with a review of those episodes once they are inevitably released!

(4/5 stars)

To purchase South Park - The Complete Fifteenth Season on Blu-ray (as featured in the review), click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com

To purchase South Park - The Complete Fifteenth Season on DVD (not featured in the review, but very similar), click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com

Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
South Park TV.com Page
South Park Studios


CLICK OF THE WEEK

South Park Studios - Honestly, we're cheating a little bit this week, because we just provided a link to this website at the end of the review of the South Park Blu-ray that appeared right above this. But I'm honestly not sure why it took us so long to use this website as our Click of the Week, something that it should have been included in a long time ago. South Park Studios is exactly what it sounds like: a website about the series South Park. But it is much more than just that. It is the official website for the series, and unlike just about any other official website that most of us have ever seen out there, this website is simply amazing.

The website is a very modern, sleek, and constantly updated website dedicated to the fans of the series, directly from the creators and producers of the iconic series. One of the best features on this website, a feature which has been available on the site since 2008, is the feature where fans can watch every (well, all except the season 14 episodes "200" and "201," which fans know why we'll never see those episodes again except for on the season 14 home media releases) episode from the series at any time for free. It isn't like most other websites where episodes appear online for a certain amount of time, then require a premium subscription to watch them after a certain amount of time. There is a very thorough episode guide for each episode as well, along with answers to frequently asked questions, many clips from the episodes (if you don't necessarily need to see the whole episode), and more. But that isn't all you'll find on the website. You'll also find news about the series, very active message boards (don't even try to read everything on there, it'll never happen!), free games, a store with all of the merchandise that you could ever want, and the ever popular South Park Avatar Creator. It is a great website for a great series, and fans will certainly appreciate the website.

That's it for this week. Until next time, keep it digital!

Friday, March 23, 2012

TBS Schedules Second Original Sitcom In Summer; Sitcom Stars On Talk Shows (Week of March 26, 2012)


Sullivan and Son
10 days ago we told you about TBS scheduling their original sitcom Men at Work for Thursdays at 10pm starting May 24, but now they have announced a premiere date for their second original sitcom! Thursdays are about to get funnier than ever. In addition to buddy comedy Men at Work, starring Danny Masterson, TBS's new workplace comedy Sullivan & Son, starring popular comedian Steve Byrne, will take over the same timeslot when it premieres Thursday, July 19, at 10 pm (ET/PT). The announcement comes just as TBS claims an important victory as basic cable's #1 network with adults 18-34 and adults 18-49 in primetime.
Sullivan & Son, which is executive-produced by Vince Vaughn, Peter Billingsley and show-runner Rob Long (Cheers), takes place in a popular bar in a working-class Pittsburgh neighborhood. Filled with locals and regulars, the establishment known as Sullivan & Son serves as the unofficial "town hall" for the neighborhood. As the series opens, Steve Sullivan (Byrne) is a successful corporate attorney from New York who brings his girlfriend, Ashley (guest star Brooke Lyons) for a visit just as his Irish-American father, Jack Sullivan (Dan Lauria - The Wonder Years), and Korean mother, Ok Cha (Jodi Long), are preparing to sell the bar and retire. Upon arrival, Steve reconnects with his best friend, Owen (Owen Benjamin); gets accosted by his long-suffering, under-appreciated younger sister, Susan (Vivian Bang); endures offensive comments from gruff barfly Hank (Brian Doyle Murray - Groundhog Day, Saturday Night Live); and gets hit on by tipsy cougar Carol (Christine Ebersole - Royal Pains, Amadeus). He even feels a rekindled romantic spark with his former sweetheart, Melanie (Valerie Azlynn). It doesn't take Steve long to realize that what he really wants out of life is to return to the old neighborhood and take over Sullivan & Son, even if it means giving up a lavish Manhattan lifestyle with the gorgeous Ashley. And so begins Steve's quest for a more meaningful and rewarding life behind the bar. Sullivan & Son is from Wild West Picture Show Productions, in association with Warner Horizon Television.

Both sitcoms each have a ten episode order. Stay tuned for any further updates. In addition, TBS, which has basked in the glory of nerd-dom with the enormously popular acquired sitcom The Big Bang Theory, is now ready to take things to the next level. TBS has greenlit the new unscripted competition series King of the Nerds, hosted by two of the stars of the movie blockbuster Revenge of the Nerds, Robert Carradine and Curtis Armstrong. TBS has ordered eight episodes of King of the Nerds, which is being executive-produced by Ben Silverman and Jimmy Fox of Electus, Rick Ringbakk, Tod Mesirow and Craig Armstrong of 5X5 Media, as well as Carradine and Armstrong. The show is slated to premiere in early 2013. Electus International, the global distribution arm of Electus, will distribute the series internationally. It is primed to become television's ultimate nerd-off. The show invites competitors spanning the full nerd spectrum to come together to face challenges that will test their intellect, ingenuity, skills and pop-culture prowess. The nerds will first compete as teams before moving on to individual challenges, all with the goal of being named the quintessential master of all things nerdy.



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, so this is for all sitcom fans of all eras!
For the week of March 26-30, 2012, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! All times listed are Eastern. So get your DVR's (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!

Monday, March 26, 2012
  • Zooey Deschanel (New Girl) - Watch the adorkable Zooey on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12am on ABC.
  • Robin Williams (Mork & Mindy) - Robin appears on a repeat of the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Casey Wilson (Happy Endings) - Casey drops by Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC. She will also be on earlier on Watch What Happens: Live on Bravo at 11pm.
  • Woody Harrelson (Cheers) - Woody chats with the ladies on a repeat of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Jerry O'Connell (Carpoolers/My Secret Identity) - Jerry guest co-hosts LIVE! with Kelly on Monday and Tuesday, so check your listings.
  • Jennifer Anniston (Friends) - Tune in to see Jennifer on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
  • Tiffani Thiessen (Saved by the Bell) - Tiffani appears on a repeat of The Nate Berkus Show, so check your local listings.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
  • Ashton Kutcher (Two and a Half Men/That '70s Show) - Catch Ashton on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12am on ABC.
  • Eric McCormack (Will & Grace) - Eric chats with the ladies on a repeat of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Annie Potts (Designing Women) - Annie appears on a repeat of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT. Watch her on GCB on ABC on Sunday nights at 10pm ET-PT.
  • Fran Drescher (Happily Divorced/The Nanny) - Fran stops by The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
  • Whitney Cummings (Whitney) - Whitney is a guest on Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:36am on NBC.
  • Christian Slater (Breaking In) - Christian drops by The Rachael Ray Show, so check your local listings.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
  • Rainn Wilson (The Office) - Watch Rainn on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Aziz Ansari (Parks and Recreation) - Aziz is a guest on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
  • Ana Gasteyer (Suburgatory) - Ana stops by Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
  • Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory/Blossom) - Mayim visits Conan at 11pm on TBS.
  • Mackenzie Phillips (One Day at a Time) - Mackenzie appears on The Rosie Show at 7pm on OWN.
  • Niecy Nash (The Cleveland Show/Reno 911!) - Niecy drops by to chat about her new reality show, Leave It to Niecy, her recent marriage, and her predictions for this season's DWTS on Anderson, so check your local listings.
  • J.B. Smoove (Bent/Curb Your Enthusiasm) - J.B. discusses his new show Bent on The Wendy Williams Show, so check your local listings.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
  • Lisa Kudrow (Friends/The Comeback) - Catch Lisa on a repeat of the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Kristen Schaal (Bob's Burgers/Flight of the Conchords) - Kristen visits Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12am on ABC.
  • Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family/The Class) - Jesse guest co-hosts a repeat of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Niecy Nash (The Cleveland Show/Reno 911!) - Niecy continues to make the rounds on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
  • Sofia Vergara (Modern Family/The Knights of Prosperity/Hot Properties) - Sofia is a guest on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
  • Kristen Johnston (The Exes/3rd Rock From the Sun) - Kristen discusses her harrowing addiction to prescription pills and alcohol, her rehab and recovery -- which she details in her new memoir, Guts, on Anderson, so check your local listings.
Friday, March 30, 2012
  • Megan Mullally (Breaking In/Will & Grace) - Watch Megan on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Sean Hayes (Will & Grace) - Sean appears on a repeat of the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Jennifer Lawrence (The Bill Engvall Show) - Tune in to see Jennifer on a repeat of Chelsea Lately on E! at 11pm.
  • Reba McEntire (Reba) - Reba drops by The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
  • Annie Potts (Designing Women) - Annie sits down with Tim to discuss her new ABC series, GCB, then joins Ty for a segment on common household items that do unexpected things on ABC's The Revolution at 2pm ET/1pm PT/CT.
  • Tom Cavanagh (Ed) - Tom joins the Chew Crew on The Chew on ABC at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
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!

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Hallmark Channel April 2012 With Mary Tyler Moore Show; Fox Pulls Teenage Daughter Off Line-Up


The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Well over a month ago we told about The Mary Tyler Moore Show marathon on The Hallmark Channel that will be airing on Sunday, April 1 (no foolin'), but now we have more news! They were not going to air it on their regular schedule after the marathon, but yesterday they made some tweaks to their April 2012 schedule and The Mary Tyler Moore Show does indeed "make it after all" on the regular schedule after this marathon event. First, here are some details on the marathon: the marathon airs Sunday, April 1 from 10am-8pm with the ABC 2000 TV movie Mary & Rhoda airing from 8-10pm. View the episode info here!
So after the marathon airs, the Hallmark Channel will air the show every morning. You'll have to be a night owl or an early bird to catch it (or DVR/TiVo it). Effective Monday, April 2 (technically Tuesday morning), Hallmark will air the show every morning in a block from 4-6am, seven days a week. It will replace an hour each of Frasier and I Love Lucy on weekdays and an hour each of Cheers and Lucy on weekends. That means Cheers will be off the schedule totally now. The Mary Tyler Moore Show will air right after The Bob Newhart Show block from 2-4am every morning.
In case you're wondering this is how the weekday line-up looks like now: 6-8am I Love Lucy, 8am-10am The Golden Girls, 10am-3pm Martha at Home Block, 3-6pm The Waltons, 6pm-10pm Little House on the Prairie, 10pm-12am Frasier, 12am-2am The Golden Girls, 2am-4am The Bob Newhart Show and 4-6am The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Weekends is the same except 10am-10pm are a mix of movies and marathons. And speaking of marathons, in addition to Mary Tyler Moore on April 1, we have the following marathons: Little House on the Prairie on Saturday, April 7 from 10am-1am and I Love Lucy on Saturday, April 28 from 6am-10pm (don't forget there is a Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour marathon this Saturday - March 24). That's all we have for now, but who can turn the world with her smile? Only Mary Tyler Moore can, so tune in starting April 1!


After only three airings in its new timeslot, Fox has pulled new comedy I Hate My Teenage Daughter off of the schedule. The multi-camera sitcom was airing Tuesdays at 8:30pm following Raising Hope, which is single camera. Fox aired four episodes in late fall, before returning it in March. But now it will have six episodes remaining on the shelf and Fox insists it will air in the summer, but we'll see. For now, Fox will air repeats of Raising Hope for the next two weeks (March 27 and April 3), before Glee returns to the hour on April 10. Raising Hope will air its final two episodes of the season at 9:30pm on April 10 and 17 right after New Girl, giving sophomore comedy Breaking In a two-week break. That comedy, which is also struggling, will return April 24 for three more weeks following new episodes of New Girl. Breaking In has a 13-episode order, but only eight would have aired. Maybe more to come in the summer, if at all? Alyssa Milano guest stars in episode nine, so we better see that. Fox has scheduled a two-hour Glee on May 15 and May 22 has part one of the American Idol finale at 8pm and the Glee season finale at a special time of 9pm. So hopefully Breaking In returns May 29, but that is still a while away and many things can still change until then....so keep it with us!

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

ABC Family Summer 2012 Schedule Has New Sitcom Baby Daddy; Network Notes Includes CBS Renews Many Series, NBC Summer 2012



ABC Family sets a sizzling summer line-up with the world premiere of three new original series -- the one-hour drama, Bunheads, the half-hour comedy series Baby Daddy and the one-hour docuseries Beverly Hills Nannies. In addition, season premiere dates have also been set for the hit ABC Family original series Pretty Little Liars, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Jane By Design and Melissa and Joey to round-out the three nights of original programming line-up.

The Secret Life of the American Teenager

On Mondays, as previously announced, ABC Family's longest running series The Secret Life of the American Teenager returns with all-new episodes next Monday, March 26 at 8:00PM ET/PT. This summer, The Secret Life of the American Teenager celebrates its fifth season (starting June 11) and 100th episode – a first for an ABC Family scripted series. Joining the drama this summer on Mondays will be the new original series Bunheads starting Monday, June 11 at 9:00PM ET/PT. Bunheads is the tale of a Las Vegas showgirl who impulsively marries a man, moves to his sleepy coastal town, and takes an uneasy role at her new mother-in-law's dance school.

On Tuesdays, even after "A" has been revealed, it is only the beginning of the mystery and lies for Aria, Emily, Hanna and Spencer when the hit original ABC Family series Pretty Little Liars returns for its season three premiere on Tuesday, June 5 at 8:00PM ET/PT. 24 all-new episodes have been ordered and it is expected that it will be split up into two halves, like ABC Family normally does. The hit drama will lead into ABC Family's original series Jane By Design, which will return with all eight new episodes for its second half starting Tuesday, June 5 at 9:00PM ET/PT.

Baby Daddy

And finally on Wednesdays, as we first broke, Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence return with 15 all-new episodes for the second season of their original sitcom Melissa & Joey with back-to-back episodes on Wednesday, May 30 at from 8:00PM–9:00PM ET/PT. The hit sitcom will lead into a new sitcom! The new half-hour comedy original series Baby Daddy premieres a few weeks later on Wednesday, June 20 at 8:30PM ET/PT after Melissa & Joey. From executive producer Dan Berendsen, the series is about a young man (Jean-Luc Bilodeau) who becomes a surprise dad to a baby girl when she's left on his doorstep by an ex-girlfriend. He decides to raise the baby with the help of his mother (Melissa Peterman), his brother (Derek Theler), his best buddy Tucker (Tahj Mowry) and his close female friend, Riley (Chelsea Kane), who is harboring a secret crush on him. The sitcom has a ten episode order. And then a few weeks later, the sitcom will lead into a new reality series. From the production company of The Real Housewives series, Beverly Hills Nannies is a new docuseries that follows the lives of a group of nannies working for families in the most exclusive zip code in the country and premieres on Wednesday, July 11 at 9:00PM ET/PT for eight weeks.

One final note, fan favorite drama Switched at Birth will return with all-new original episodes in Fall 2012, as it has about ten episodes left from its first season order.


It's been a busy past few days, so let's go around the networks with some news. CBS announced it has picked up many returning series for the 2012-2013 broadcast season. The renewals include four comedies, nine dramas, three reality series and two newsmagazines. The returning shows encompass every night of the week and every hour.
RETURNING COMEDIES: The renewed comedies include the previously announced multi-year pickups of How I Met Your Mother and The Big Bang Theory, along with rookie hit 2 Broke Girls and sophomore series Mike & Molly. Also in comedy, CBS and Warner Bros. Television are in preliminary discussions regarding "future seasons" for Two and a Half Men. Stay tuned for updates on that.
YET TO BE RENEWED SO FAR: No word on Rob or Rules of Engagement.

RETURNING DRAMAS: Renewed dramas are NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, Hawaii Five-0, Criminal Minds, CSI, Person of Interest, The Mentalist, Blue Bloods and The Good Wife.
YET TO BE RENEWED SO FAR: Jury is still out on CSI: NY and CSI: Miami, along with rookies Unforgettable and A Gifted Man.

RETURNING REALITY/NEWSMAGAZINES: Among the Network's returning reality series are The Amazing Race, Undercover Boss and the previously renewed Survivor, along with newsmagazines 60 Minutes and 48 Hours Mystery, will also return in the fall.

NBC unveiled premiere dates for three new and returning series for Summer 2012 that include the return of reality show Love in the Wild (Thursday, June 7, 8-10 pm ET), the series debut of drama Saving Hope (working title; Thursday, June 7, 10pm. ET) and the return of G4's American Ninja Warrior (Monday, May 21, 9-11 pm ET). Following its special two-hour premiere on June 7, Love in the Wild will return in its regular time slot on Thursday, June 14 at 9pm ET. American Ninja Warrior will resume in its regular day and time on Monday, May 28 at 9pm ET). Saving Hope will continue in the Thursday 10pm ET time period. Read about the premiere and finales dates for these three series.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Monday, December 2

The Neighborhood - "Welcome to Daddy Issues" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Tina’s newly single father visits. Meanwhile, Dave and Gemma try to curb their spending so they can afford to send Grover to a private high school.

Poppa's House - "Family Photo" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Poppa wants a new family photo that doesn’t include his ex-wife, but Junior and Nina don’t want to leave Catherine out.

What We Do in the Shadows - "Come Out and Play" (FX, 10:00PM ET/PT)
The vampires get blamed for a murder at a meeting of all the New York vampires and must find a way back to the safety of Staten Island.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 2)

Monday, December 2

  • Jamie Lee Curtis (The Sticky/Anything But Love/Operation Petticoat) - Watch Jamie Lee on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Hannah Einbinder (Hacks) - Hannah is a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Stephanie Hsu (Laid) - Stephanie appears on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 10pm on Bravo.
  • Ken Jeong (Dr. Ken/Community) - Ken talks about Accused on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Café Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - The Drew Barrymore Show has Holiiday Décor Dupes with Valerie and Danny Seo, so check your local listings.
  • Zachary Quinto (Big Mouth/So Notorious) - Zachary is telling Drew about starring as a gifted neurologist in the new medical drama Brilliant Minds on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Janelle James (Abbott Elementary) - Janelle talks about the new season of Abbott Elementary on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your listings.
  • John David Washington (Ballers) - John talks about The Piano Lesson on Sherri, so check your local listings.
  • Jim Gaffigan (The Jim Gaffigan Show/My Boys/The Ellen Show/Welcome to New York) - Jim chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Rita Moreno (One Day at a Time/Happily Divorced/9 to 5) - Rita debuts her limited-edition tribute Barbie on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
  • Lacey Chabert (Still the King/Baby Daddy/Family Guy) - Lacey and Kristoffer Polaha talk about Hallmark's The Christmas Quest on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
  • Joel Kim Booster (Loot/Shrill) - Joel discusses his film Sweethearts and podcast Bad Dates on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Friends - The Complete Series (4K UHD) Young Sheldon - The Complete Series Veep - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

09/10 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-7
09/10 - The Ropers - The Complete Series (VEI)
09/10 - Ted - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/17 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - Video Scrapbook
09/17 - Top Cat - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
09/24 - Friends - The Complete Series (4K UHD)
09/24 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Seventh Season (DVD) / The Complete Series (DVD) (Blu-ray)
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)
02/04 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)

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