SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

TBS has renewed its popular new sitcom Men at Work for a second season. Currently airing Thursdays at 10 p.m. (ET/PT), the comedy ranks as one of basic cable's Top 5 new series with adults 18-49 for the quarter. TBS has ordered 10 episodes for the second season, which is slated to launch in 2013. Created by Breckin Meyer (Road Trip, TNT's Franklin & Bash), Men at Work centers on four buddies who work together at a magazine. Danny Masterson (That '70s Show) plays the recently dumped Milo, whose friends are determined to help him get back in the dating game. James Lesure (Las Vegas) is Gibbs, a photographer and successful ladies man. Michael Cassidy (The O.C.) plays Tyler, a features writer who brings a dose of style and sophistication to the group. And Adam Busch (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) is Neal, a somewhat nerdy ad salesman and the only one in the group with a steady girlfriend (Meredith Hagner - Royal Pains).
Men at Work comes to TBS from Sony Pictures Television and Fanfare. The multi-camera comedy is executive-produced by Breckin Meyer, along with Fanfare's Jamie Tarses and Julia Franz. In its first season thus far, Men at Work has averaged more than 2.7 million viewers in Live + 7, with 1 million adults 18-34 and 1.8 million adults 18-49. The comedy ranks as one of basic cable's Top 5 new series among adults 18-49 in Q2 2012. The season finale for Men at Work is set to air July 12. The following Thursday, TBS will launch its newest original sitcom, Sullivan & Son, starring comedian Steve Byrne and executive produced by Vince Vaughn, Peter Billingsley and showrunner Rob Long.

Actor, musician and composer Don Grady, best known as Robbie Douglas on My Three Sons, has died. Grady died after a long battle with cancer on June 27 in Thousand Oaks, California. Mr. Grady was 68.

Grady was born Don Louis Agrati in San Francisco, California on June 8, 1944. He was one of the original Mousketeers on The Mickey Mouse Club at the age of 13. Some of his early television appearances included The Ann Sothern Show, The Restless Gun, The Rifleman, Wagon Train, Have Gun -- Will Travel, The Eleventh Hour, The Lucy Show, Mr. Novak, To Rome with Love, and The F.B.I.. In 1960, he landed the role of the middle brother Robbie Douglas on My Three Sons. His character married his longtime classmate/girlfriend, Katie Miller (played by Tina Cole), near the end of the 1967-68 season. The next season she gave birth to triplets named Robert, Steven, and Charles. Grady was written out of the show after the eleventh season. He appeared in approximately 356 of the 380 episodes of the long-running sitcom. In 1970-1971, he appeared in two episodes of Love, American Style. His final credited acting appearances were in two episodes of Simon & Simon in 1983-1984.

Following My Three Sons, he pursued a career in music as a composer. He worked on the film Switch, wrote the theme music for The Phil Donahue Show, and did the music for EFX, a multimedia stage show at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV, which starred Michael Crawford, David Cassidy, Tommy Tune, and Rick Springfield. Grady also composed for productions on Lifetime and the Discovery Channel. In 2008, he released an album called Boomer: JazRokPop, a collection of songs written for and about the baby boomer generation.

Grady's survivors include his mother, Mary B.; wife, Virginia "Ginny" Lewsader; two children, Joey and Tessa; and a sister, Marilou Reichel. His sister, actress Lani O'Grady, died in 2001. He was great on My Three Sons. It was good, clean entertainment. He seemed to be very fan friendly and will be greatly missed.

My Three Sons can be seen on Me-TV weekdays at 7:30AM ET/PT. Share your memories of Don Grady on our My Three Sons message board.

Actress Doris Singleton, who appeared as Lucy Ricardo's near-sighted neighbor and frenemy Carolyn Appleby on I Love Lucy, has died. Singleton died on June 26 in her Los Angeles, California home from unknown causes. Ms. Singleton was 92.

Singleton first met and worked with Lucille Ball when she appeared on the radio show My Favorite Husband in 1948. Her early television guest appearances included The Adventures of Superman, The Loretta Young Show, The Bob Cummings Show, The Great Gildersleeve, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. In 1953, she first appeared on I Love Lucy as a character named Lillian Appleby. Her name was changed to Carolyn in later episodes. She appeared in a total of 10 episodes of the series. Some of her many other sitcom guest apperances included The People's Choice, Blondie, The Danny Thomas Show, Peck's Bad Girl, The Ann Sothern Show, Pete and Gladys, McKeever & the Colonel, Hazel, The Munsters, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Lucy Show, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., Family Affair, Hogan's Heroes, All in the Family, and Here's Lucy. In 1960-61, she had a regular role as Susie on the CBS sitcom Angel. She had two recurring roles on My Three Sons. She first played Helen Morrison, the mother of Meredith MacRae's Sally character who married Mike Douglas in the 1964-65 season. In 1970-71, she played Margaret Williams, the mother of Polly (played by Ronne Troup) who married Chip Douglas.

The Archive of American Television conducted an interview with her on April 21, 2005. Singleton was widowed and childless. Her husband of over 60 years, comedy writer Charles Isaacs, died in 2002. She was such a talented and funny actress and will be deeply missed. Share your memories of Doris Singleton on our I Love Lucy message board.