Thursday, February 28, 2013

Nick at Nite Updates, Includes Week-Long Friends Stunt; Episodic Review: 1600 Penn "To The Ranch" Airing Tonight on NBC

As you all know, Nick at Nite launched new comedy Wendell & Vinnie on Saturday, Feb. 16. It technically airs on Nickelodeon on Saturdays at 8pm, since Nick at Nite doesn't start programming on Saturdays until 10pm. The series was originally supposed to air Sundays at 8pm (which is part of the Nick at Nite line-up). Anyway, the premiere delivered 2.34 million viewers and a 0.51 18-49 rating on the Saturday at 8pm premiere and 1.91 million and a 0.32 18-49 rating the next day for the encore. In comparison, the series premiere of See Dad Run on Saturday, Oct. 6 did 1.64 million and a 0.34 18-49 rating. The return of See Dad Run at a new time of 8:30pm followed on Sunday, Feb. 17 with 1.46 million and a 0.26 18-49 rating (down a tad from its 1.53 million and 0.32 18-49 rating average in the fall). The late night encore actually did better with a 0.5 18-49 rating. In week two, the Saturday premiere of Wendell & Vinnie did 2.38 million viewers and a 0.49 18-49 rating, so virtually on par with its premiere ratings, which is a good sign. The encore the next night did 1.72 million and a 0.27 18-49 rating, slightly down from previous week. Week two of See Dad Run followed on Sunday, Feb. 24 with a series low 0.95 million and a 0.18 18-49 rating, while the late night encore once again fared better with a 0.34 18-49 rating. Perhaps it should be aired later like 9 or 10pm.

On to scheduling news, Nick at Nite has scheduled a week-long Friends stunt for the week of March 11. The stunt will air Monday, March 11 through Friday, March 15 from 8pm-6am each night (Thursday and Friday starts at 9pm). It's a week-long event with all your favorite friends, all-night! Meanwhile, the movies on Sundays at 9pm will continue in March with National Lampoon's European Vacation this Sunday at 9. Recent movies were Ferris Bueller's Day Off and The Brady Bunch Movie. Upcoming airings are Rugrats in Paris on March 10, Scooby-Doo on March 17, and The Last Airbender on March 31. Stay with us for continued updates.


On the next...1600 Penn:
By: Pavan

NBC's freshman comedy starring Josh Gad airs Thursday nights at 9:30pm and we have just watched the next episode, that airs tonight (Feb. 28). We also have a recap of the previous week's episode "Skip the Tour" below! In the episode airing tonight, "To The Ranch," when unable to make a decision about who to nominate to the Supreme Court, President Dale Gilchrist (Bill Pullman) decides to take a family trip to their ranch to clear his head. During their getaway, Skip (Josh Gad) finds himself moping over his failed relationship, while Becca (Martha MacIsaac) contemplates major flaws in her own relationship. Meanwhile, Emily (Jenna Elfman) attempts to spend some quality time with Marigold (Amara Miller) and Xander (Benjamin Stockham), who both struggle with their loss of technology while at the ranch.

If you have ever wondered what the President of the United States does on a weekend trip with the family, you know might want to check this episode out. OK, maybe it isn't a realistic take on what the President does (or is it? hmm) but it is good sitcom fun. It is probably a little too silly or over-the-top, though. So the first family heads to a ranch in Nevada because The President needs to relax to make an important decision on who to nominate for the Supreme Court. Everyone is really making an important decision when they head to the ranch. The President obviously has to make a decision on the Supreme Court, while Becca has to decide if baby daddy D.B. is worth staying with or start a relationship with Press Secretary Marshall Malloy. Skip is heartbroken over his crush Stacy kissing someone else at the White House and in a sub-plot Emily tries to connect with her step-kids Marigold and Xander by hiding their phones at the ranch. I think the best plot of the episode is really Becca, D.B. and Marshall's storyline. It overshadows everything else in the episode and has a lot of depth and frankly is more interesting. D.B. is so clueless he botches the expression "Hindsight is 20/20" by calling it "Hindsight is 50/50." I don't think Emily's story is that interesting, while the President and Skip don't really deliver in this episode with their storylines. It's just too over-the-top. However, their scenes together are decent in the episode and their chemistry is good (the Yoda impersonation was great!). And I liked Skip on the episodes I reviewed for the pilot review. B-

In the previous episode, "Skip the Tour," President Dale Gilchrist's (Bill Pullman) brother Doug (guest star Bruce Campbell) stops by the White House, initiating a long-standing rivalry which threatens their relationship and prompts Emily (Jenna Elfman) to take on the role of peacemaker. Meanwhile, Becca (Martha MacIsaac) prepares for an interview and Skip (Josh Gad) decides to offer his own special version of the White House tour after witnessing one from an official tour guide (guest star Rory O'Malley).

We'll recap this episode since it didn't do well in the ratings, as in fact it was a series low. This episode was not all that great. The best thing about the episode is the phrase "Skip the Tour." Skip is actually going to the official White House tour and tells the tourists to...skip the tour (Pun intended!) and go on his tour. However, once again Skip is pretty crazy and he was kind of annoying in this episode, too. This was a sub=plot, so it wasn't the main plot of the episode really. The episode mainly dealt with the arrival of the President's brother Doug. They have a rivalry going on, as I'm sure many siblings do, but this might be a little too much. Without giving anything away (well I'm not really, since this already aired), even the Secret Service is a little late. Becca and D.B. prepare for an interview with Mary Hart, but D.B. is told not to say anything except to smile. This episode just doesn't click on all cylinders and since it already aired, you should skip it if you haven't seen it yet. Unless you have watched every episode so far, well then you might have to watch it. I think Becca, D.B. and Marshall saved this episode from a lower grade. C+

Stay tuned in two weeks for our review of the episode airing March 14: "Live from the Lincoln Bedroom," where they start an official podcast of the Gilchrist White House.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

TBS Orders Late Night Comedy Show for Fall 2013; Episodic Review: Guys with Kids - "Divorce Party" Airing Tonight on NBC (Cosby Show Reunion!)

TBS has ordered a four-week run of a new untitled late-night comedy series starring popular comedian Pete Holmes and produced by Conaco LLC, the company behind the late-night hit Conan. Plans call for the new Pete Holmes series to launch in fall 2013 and air four nights a week (Monday-Thursday) at midnight (ET/PT) for a four-week test run, following Conan at 11pm. The show is executive-produced by Jeff Ross, David Kissinger, Nick Bernstein, Dave Rath and Conan O'Brien. Taped before a live studio audience, TBS's new Pete Holmes series will showcase the comedian's incredible skill set, combining sketches, short films, live comedy, field pieces and in-studio guest interviews into a fast-paced half hour. Named one of Variety's Top 10 Comics to Watch, Holmes hosts the You Made It Weird podcast, which has been downloaded nearly 6 million times and was named one of the Top Ten Podcasts of 2012 by both The Onion AV Club and Paste magazine. Holmes has also starred in a series of hugely popular Batman parodies on the website CollegeHumor. And he provides the voice of the e*trade baby.

This series will mark the first original late night series in the time period since the cancelation of Lopez Tonight. Currently, the network is airing original encores in the time period and reruns of The Office. Stay with us for more news on this series and as we get closer to the date we'll give you scheduling updates on what will air following the series.


On the next...Guys with Kids:
By: Pavan

NBC's Jimmy Fallon produced sitcom starring Anthony Anderson airs Wednesday nights at 8:30pm and we have just watched the next episode that airs tonight (Feb. 27). It's the season finale and features a mini Cosby Show reunion with guest star Keshia Knight Pulliam! In the episode airing tonight, "Divorce Party," Chris (Jesse Bradford) and Sheila (Erinn Hayes) contemplate having another baby together despite being divorced, while Nick (Zach Cregger) vows to do whatever it takes to keep them from getting back together. Later, Nick and Emily (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) plan a divorce party to remind Chris of his horrible past with Sheila. Meanwhile, Marny's (Tempestt Bledsoe) younger sister Bridget (guest star Keshia Knight Pulliam) comes to town and is soon hired as Gary's (Anthony Anderson) assistant.

This is a solid episode. The main draw of the episode of course is the mini-Cosby Show reunion featuring Keshia Knight Pulliam guest starring with her former Cosby sister Tempestt Bledsoe. And they are playing sisters once again! Though they may not be Rudy and Vanessa, the chemistry between the two is certainly there. Their story is about Marny's sister Bridget coming to town. Bridget borrows money a lot and never pays back, so Marny's husband Gary really doesn't like her or trusts her. Marny is giving to her sister but promises Gary that she won't give her any money. And somehow she ends up giving Bridget a job as an assistant to Gary. Without giving too much away, Bridget kind of does well but Gary is skeptical. She's working on Gary's "rapkin" project. The other storyline is with Sheila wanting a baby with Chris, despite them being divorced now, or does she just want another baby? But Nick and Emily are working on a "divorce party" for Chris so he can meet with his high school sweetheart Sage. So does Sheila have a "master plan" to get back together with Chris by wanting another baby? Nick and Emily are trying to stop Chris from making a mistake he might later regret. The divorce party and the baby story kind of clash and we are left with a cliffhanger to end the season! B

Guys with Kids is a solid throwback style comedy, like we mentioned in our pilot review way back in September. It feels like a '90s sitcom but that may not be a bad thing. The guest appearance by Keshia Knight Pulliam is really good and her character probably brought Gary's "rapkin" project to another level instead of just being functional. It'll be interesting if she will be back next season, should the series be renewed for a second season. Their is nice balance with all of the storylines in the episode and there doesn't seem to be a main story, so each story seems vital to the episode. This is a solid cast, in particular Anthony Anderson, Jesse Bradford and Jamie-Lynn Sigler. All three of them shine in the season finale (the karaoke scene with Anthony Anderson is hysterical). Watch the season finale because Rudy is all grown-up and looks amazing! It's also funny and has mainstream laughs so everyone will laugh!

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

TV Guide Asks for Favorite Comedy; Episodic Review: Raising Hope - "The Old Girl" and Mindy Project - "The One That Got Away" Airing Tonight on Fox

What's your favorite TV comedy right now? The polls are open! TV Guide Magazine is turning the power over to the readers, inviting them to cast their vote for which shows they would like to see featured on the cover. The competition is heating up, and by logging onto TV Guide Magazine's Facebook page, fans can vote as many times as they would like help their favorite show come out ahead. Vote now for your favorite comedy, and come back every day this week to check for new categories (2 new ones revealed each day). The winners of the 4th annual Fan Favorite Poll will be revealed on the cover of TV Guide Magazine's April 22-29 double issue, available on newsstands April 25. The polls close on Monday, March 11 at noon ET. Fans can help their favorite show land on the cover of TV's #1 publication by logging onto Facebook, "Liking" TV Guide Magazine, and voting for their favorite show!

Selected by TV Guide Magazine's Editors, the 2012 Fan Favorite nominees in the "Favorite Comedy" category are 2 Broke Girls, Community, Cougar Town, Girls, Glee, Happy Endings, Modern Family, New Girl, The Big Bang Theory, and The Middle. Who will you choose? You can make a difference. The SitcomsOnline pick for Favorite Comedy goes to Modern Family (though 2-3 others are tempting, too). Go and vote and your favorite comedy could make the cover!



On the next...Raising Hope:
By: Todd

Fox's Tuesday sitcom starring Martha Plimpton airs Tuesday nights at 8:00pm & 8:30pm and we have just watched the episode that airs tonight (Feb. 26) at 8:30pm. Hilary Duff guest stars! In the episode airing tonight, "The Old Girl," Sabrina (Shannon Woodward) is excited to introduce her new friend, Rachel (guest star Hilary Duff), to the family, but Virginia (Martha Plimpton) and Burt (Garret Dillahunt) are shocked when she turns out to be Jimmy's (Lucas Neff) ex-girlfriend who broke his heart as a teenager.

After Hope is bitten by a cow at the Natesville petting zoo, they receive 500 pounds of beef in order to avoid a messy lawsuit. The family has nothing but meat for the next week. Sabrina shows them a photo of her new friend, Rachel. Everybody is shocked to see that she is Jimmy's ex-girlfriend. Jimmy had met her at college when he was 18. They meet every single weekend, but the relationship is eventually ended by Rachel. Jimmy, Virginia and Burt later sing Ain't No Sunshine in a breakup video montage. Sabrina invites Rachel over for dinner. Jimmy reads a letter that he had written to Rachel seven years ago. Rachel tells him that Virginia and Burt are the whole reason they broke up. In flashback scenes, a young Jimmy is shown by rejected by a girl at a grocery store. Young Jimmy also sings Ain't No Sunshine. Many years later and in more flashback scenes, Virginia and Burt go to the college to meet Rachel. They don't want to see Jimmy get his heart broken again, so they try to get Richard interested in Rachel. Richard, however, has his sights set on somebody else. Will Rachel stay for the dinner or will she go? Tune in to find out.

It's an all-new hour of Raising Hope tonight. Only the second episode was available for review. Hilary Duff hasn't appeared in any episodic series in the last few years, so it's nice to see her return to television with this funny guest appearance. This episode is Virginia and Burt centric and offers plenty of flashback scenes. It's always fun to see the scenes when Virginia and Burt were younger and even more insane. Trace Garcia, creator Greg Garcia's son, does a fine job as the five-year-old Jimmy and even sings like the adult Jimmy. I liked how they set up the present day and flashback breakup montages the same way. Their flashback scenes are always very creative. It's a pretty enjoyable episode overall. The highlights are the Virginia and Burt flashback scenes at the college and the Ain't No Sunshine renditions. I'm looking forward to the My Name Is Earl reunion with Jason Lee, Jaime Pressly, Ethan Suplee, Nadine Velazquez and Eddie Steeples tonight in the first episode ("Making the Band") airing at 8:00pm. That would be my pick of the night. B



On the next...The Mindy Project:
By: Skees

Fox's Tuesday night comedy starring Mindy Kaling airs Tuesday nights at 9:30pm immediately following New Girl and we have just watched the next episode that airs tonight (Feb. 26). Seth Rogen guest stars!. In the episode airing tonight, "The One That Got Away," Mindy (Mindy Kaling) reunites with her "first kiss," Sam (guest star Seth Rogen) and the two reminisce about their time at Jewish summer camp, and soon rekindle the sparks of their teen romance.

Mindy has reunited with an old flame once again (surprise?) when she meets up with Sam (played by guest star Seth Rogen). Unlike many of her old flames, though, Sam goes pretty far back... all the way back to when Mindy was at Jewish summer camp (don't ask). It was at this summer camp where Mindy first met Sam and had her first kiss. Of course, once summer was over, she was headed back home and Sam was out of her life. That is, until Sam returns home from his duty in the Army (wearing an Army t-shirt that Mindy is convinced that he picked up at hipster-chic Urban Outfitters) and meets up with Mindy. Once she finds out that Sam is about to be deployed again, she becomes a bit reluctant to attempt to rekindle the relationship, but as she begins to fall for him once again, she considers doing whatever it takes to keep him from leaving her life... literally anything.


Once again, this is yet another predictable episode about Mindy falling in love... again. These episodes are good once in a while, but the whole theme just continues to wear a bit thin in my opinion. I enjoyed seeing Rogen make an appearance in the episode, but much like other guest stars who've appeared in previous episodes, it seems like a generic script was already written for anybody without actually using Rogen's talents and creating a character around him. I have been growing to like this series, but too many of these "old boyfriend back in Mindy's life" stories can wear thin very quickly. Regardless, though, this wasn't a bad story, and I loved the ploy that Mindy tried to undertake to keep this boyfriend around... I'd just rather these episodes less often, and also to see big-name male guest stars be somebody other than a love-interest for Mindy. B-

Monday, February 25, 2013

Off Their Rockers Moves to Wednesdays in April, Whitney/Guys with Kids Out; Remembering Lou Myers of A Different World

Betty White's Off Their Rockers

As we announced on Friday on Twitter, NBC has announced that Betty White's Off Their Rockers will move to Wednesdays at 8:00pm & 8:30pm beginning April 10. The hijinks comedy is currently airing Tuesdays at 8:00pm & 8:30pm, but once The Voice returns Tuesday. March 26, the comedy will have to move. Its Tuesday finale is March 19 before it returns April 10 and will air new episode at 8 and repeats at 8:30pm. The hour will be replacing Whitney, which will have its season finale the week prior on Wednesday, April 3 at 8pm. The sitcom has a 16 episode order and will be done with it by April 3. Whitney will be doubled up with repeats at 8:30pm beginning next Tuesday (March 6), as freshman sitcom Guys with Kids is having its season finale this Wednesday at 8:30pm (with guest star Keshia Knight Pulliam for a mini-Cosby Show reunion!). That sitcom has a 17 episode order and will already be finished with it by this week. Both Whitney and Guys with Kids are struggling heavily in the ratings, so these could be their final episodes ever but we won't know that for sure until this May during upfronts. Possibly one (Whitney) could return (a very slight chance), but there is no chance really both are returning.

Moving on to Fox, they also announced a few special sitcom airing plans. First up on Thursday, April 7, Tuesday comedies New Girl and The Mindy Project will both receive a special Thursday airing following American Idol at 9:00pm & 9:30pm. In the all-new "Date Night" episode of New Girl, Jess (Zooey Deschanel) and Nick (Jake Johnson), who are caught between friendship and something more, try to break out of relationship limbo by going on a "first" date. Once Schmidt (Max Greenfield) and Winston (Lamorne Morris) realize a full-on Jess/Nick romance might be happening, they swoop in to try to sabotage the date. And in the all-new "Mindy's Birthday" episode of The Mindy Project, Morgan (Ike Barinholtz) throws Mindy (Mindy Kaling) a surprise birthday party, but when her two worlds collide - personal and professional - it's nothing to celebrate. Meanwhile, Jeremy (Ed Weeks) and Danny (Chris Messina) fight over the same girl (guest star Kelen Coleman, Newsroom). Both comedies have 24-episode orders and New Girl is airing episode 18 this coming Tuesday (so six episodes will remain from March-May) and The Mindy Project is airing episode 16 this Tuesday (so eight episodes will remain from March-May). Now one less episode will air on a Tuesday with this special Thursday airing on April 7.
Elsewhere on Fox, The Cleveland Show will be doubling up for a few weeks. It is all-new next Sunday (March 3) at 7:30pm and 8:30pm, all-new on March 10 at 8:30pm and March 17 all-new at both 7:30 and 8:30, and on April 7 it will be all-new at 9:30pm. Yes, a little confusing, but the comedy was preempted a lot this fall during the NFL season. The Cleveland Show regularly airs Sundays at 7:30pm, while Bob's Burgers airs at 8:30pm but Bob's Burgers is preempted March 3, 10 and 17 at 8:30pm but it will air at 9:30pm on all of those nights. It will air in place of American Dad! those three weeks. Confused? Don't be yet, because American Dad will air at a special time with a new episode on March 10 at 7:30pm, before returning to 9:30pm on March 24. Yeah, now we're confused, too.


Lou Myers

Character actor Lou Myers, best known as the ornery Vernon Gaines in A Different World, has died. He died on February 19 at the Charleston Area Medical Center in West Virginia after battling pneumonia for several months. Mr. Myers was 77.

Myers played the feisty Vernon Gaines, who ran the campus eatery and hangout, The Pit, in A Different World. He joined the cast in the second season and appeared in 65 episodes of the series. In 1987, he guest starred as Mr. Davis in 2 episodes of The Cosby Show, which was the parent series of A Different World. He appeared in 6 episodes of The WB sitcom All About the Andersons in 2003. He had a recurring role as T.C. in the NBC sitcom My Parents, My Sister & Me in 2009-2010. His other sitcom guest appearances included Bagdad Cafe, Thea, The Sinbad Show, Living Single, The Jamie Foxx Show, Malcolm & Eddie, Eve and Lucky Louie. Some of his other television credits included The Sentinel, JAG, ER and NYPD Blue. Myers' film credits included Cobb, Tin Cup, Volcano, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, The Wedding Planner and The Fighting Temptations.

Survivors include his mother, Dorothy Jeffries, 95, a son, Melvin Myers, and two grandsons, Brayden and Christian. We loved his Mr. Gaines character on A Different World. He always gave sound advice. We thank him for bringing us many laughs. He will be greatly missed.

A Different World can currently be seen on TV One. Share your memories of Mr. Myers on our message board. View photos in our galleries.

A Different World

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Week 22 TV Ratings and Analysis; How the Sitcoms Did

2012-13 Week 22 TV Ratings (first four nights, Mon-Thu): 

Households: N/A
Total Viewers: N/A.
Adults 18-49: N/A

Week 22 (Feb. 18-24) Analysis: It's been a normal week so far but that changes tonight with The Oscars. Right now, through the first four nights, we see Fox with the edge so far over CBS in 18-49. But it won't hang on to first place after tonight after ABC's coverage of The Oscars. We don't have final Thursday network averages (we only have program averages), but we will project what is happening through the first four nights.  We can project CBS has the lead in HH/total viewers, while Fox is on top in adults 18-49. CBS is a close second place in 18-49, followed closely by ABC, then NBC is a very distant fourth. Fox is second in HH/viewers, followed by ABC. Then NBC is a distant fourth and it continues to be a long winter for them. It's basically similar to previous week. When the week is done, ABC will come back and take the week in 18-49. More on that later. As for last week, week 21, Fox took home first in adults 18-49 thanks just getting by CBS and ABC. CBS was a close second behind Fox only two tenths behind while ABC was only  a tenth behind CBS. NBC was way back there. Among total viewers, it was of course CBS on top easily over Fox and ABC. ABC was a close third (it tied Fox in HH rating) and NBC was way back behind in fourth.

Monday saw ABC tie CBS. Starting with ABC, a two-hour The Bachelor from 8-10pm did 9.26 million and a 3.0 18-49 rating, which is up another three tenths in 18-49 from previous week and another season high. This has been a solid season because we have seen the growth each week and I could tell this was going to happen after just 2-3 weeks. At 10pm, Castle was new with a big 2-part episode and part one did 9.85 million and a 2.3 18-49 rating, up three tenths in 18-49 from previous week for a season high. It might do even better tomorrow night for the conclusion. Great stuff. For NBC, they had a two-hour The Biggest Loser from 8-10pm doing 5.65 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, which is back up a tenth in 18-49 from previous week's season low. At 10pm, week seven of new drama dud Deception didn't do much with 3.13 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating, which was on par in 18-49 with previous week. CBS was all-new with its comedies, as a new How I Met Your Mother did 8.86 million and a 3.4 18-49 rating, which was up two tenths in 18-49 from previous week. A new Rules of Engagement at 8:30pm did 8.19 million and a 2.9 18-49 rating, which is solid and up a tenth in 18-49 from previous week. At 9pm, a new 2 Broke Girls followed with 10.25 million and a 3.5 18-49 rating, down another tenth in 18-49 from previous week and not nearly as strong as a CBS Monday anchor should be. Next, a new Mike & Molly did 10.33 million (building from its lead-in)  and a 3.2 18-49 rating, up two tenths in 18-49 week-to-week. A new Hawaii Five-0 at 10pm did 9.11 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, which was down a tenth in 18-49 from previous week and was second place, like I thought it would be. Fox aired an all-new episode of Bones at 8 and it did 8.47 million and a 2.2 18-49 rating, which was on par in 18-49 with previous week. At 9pm, week five of new drama The Following at 9pm did 8.39 million and a 2.9 18-49 rating, which was back up five tenths in 18-49 from previous week's season low. A sigh of relief. The CW aired week six of The Carrie Diaries at 8 and did 1.08 million and a 0.4 18-49 rating, which is down a tenth in 18-49 from the previous week for a series low.  At 9, 90210 was new and did only 0.55 million and a 0.2 18-49 rating, down another tenth from previous week in 18-49 and a series low. This is horrible! If it's not canceled, then I have no idea what The CW is doing.

On Tuesday, it was CBS with the win as they beat second place ABC by a good margin. On CBS, NCIS was new and did 21.08 million and a 3.5 18-49 rating, which is solid. At 9pm, a new NCIS: Los Angeles did 16.27 million and a 2.7 18-49 rating, just getting by ABC for first place. At 10pm, the struggling Vegas did 9.52 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, but actually that was good enough to win the hour...sad. Onto ABC, at 8pm week five of The Taste did 4.76 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, up a tenth in 18-49 from previous week. It will be moving to 9pm this week. At 9, ABC aired the special The Bachelor: Sean Tells All that did very well with 8.11 million and a 2.6 18-49 rating, as it was smart to air this on Tuesday. ABC will air the three-week event Celebrity Wife Swap at 8pm starting this week. The season premiere of Body of Proof aired at 10pm and did 6.75 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating, which was not good in 18-49. I think it will be better once Dancing comes as a lead-in. NBC aired Betty White's Off Their Rockers from 8-9pm as the first half-hour did 4.59 million and a 1.3 18-49 rating, which was up two tenths in 18-49 from previous week's repeat. Another new episode followed at 8:30pm and did 4.64 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating, up a tenth in 18-49 from previous week. At 9pm, Go On was all-new but NBC wishes it wasn't airing as it only did 3.3 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating for series lows. At 9:30pm, it was more bad news as The New Normal did a horrible 2.8 million and a 0.9 18-49 rating. Ouch. At 10pm, it was just as bad with a new Smash doing 3.29 million and am embarrassing 0.9 18-49 rating. I bet they wished they had more Parenthood episodes now right? Fox aired comedies as a new Raising Hope at 8pm did 3.65 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, which is a bit below what it could do. A repeat of New Girl followed at a special time of 8:30pm doing 2.7 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating, up a tenth in 18-49 week-to-week. A new episode followed at 9pm and did a below normal 4.31 million and a 2.2 18-49 rating. At 9:30pm was a new episode of The Mindy Project that did an uneventful 3.05 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating. The CW aired a new Hart of Dixie and did just 1.37 million and a 0.5 18-49 rating. New series Cult premiered at 9 and was ignored with just 0.86 million and a 0.3 18-49 rating, ouch!

Wednesday of course means American Idol and it took the night of course since its two-hours every week and Fox only programs 2 hours a night. But first, CBS started the night off with a new Survivor: Caramoan at 8 doing 9.32 million and a 2.4 18-49 rating, which is on par in 18-49 with previous week's 90-minute season premiere. Criminal Minds was new at 9 and did 10.69 million and a 2.6 18-49 rating, which is below normal. At 10pm, a new CSI did 10.65 million and a 2.3 18-49 rating, up four tenths in 18-49 from previous week, as it was up because it had a compatible lead-in.  ABC kicked off the night with a new The Middle doing 8.27 million and a 2.3 18-49 rating, which is back up four tenths in 18-49 from previous week's season low. At 8:30pm a new episode of The Neighbors did 6.34 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating, up two tenths in 18-49 from previous week. At 9pm, a new Modern Family did the best of the block with 10.62 million and a 4.0 18-49 rating, which was up two tenths in 18-49 from previous week. It has gone up slowly each week the past three weeks. Suburgatory followed at 9:30pm with a new episode doing 5.74 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, down a tenth in 18-49 from previous week. Perhaps it is better suited to air at 8:30pm. At 10pm, Nashville was preempted for A Special Edition of 20/20: Mad About OSCAR with Katie Couric doing 5.02 million and a 1.3 18-49 rating, five tenths below in 18-49 from previous week's Nashville. On Fox, a two-hour American Idol did a solid 14.37 million and a 4.1 18-49 rating, but down two tenths in 18-49 from previous week as it keeps going down each week. Onto NBC a new episode of Whitney started it off at 8pm with 3.14 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating, down a tenth in 18-49 from previous week. At 8:30pm, a new Guys with Kids did 2.83 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating, on par in 18-49 with previous week, tying a series low. Season finale for the latter is this week with Keshia Knight Pulliam guest starring!  Law & Order: SVU followed at 9pm with a new airing as well that did only 5.61 million and only a 1.6 18-49 rating, up a tenth in 18-49 from previous week. At 10pm, a new Chicago Fire did 6.5 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating, which is solid and on par in 18-49 with previous week once again. It's not a hit, but it's consistent and doing well enough for NBC. The CW aired a new airing of its new hit Arrow and did 3.15 million and a 0.9 18-49 rating, but down two tenths from previous week in 18-49. At 9pm, a new Supernatural did 2.1 million and a 0.9 18-49 rating, down a tenth in 18-49 week-to-week. 

On Thursday, saw Fox with the win thanks to an expanded Idol. Starting with ABC, week two of Zero Hour did 5.39 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating, down three tenths in 18-49 from its series premiere. Not really a good show either. At 9pm, Grey's Anatomy was new and did a solid 8.75 million and a 3.1 18-49 rating, back up three tenths in 18-49 from previous week. An excellent season of storytelling, too. The surging Scandal at 10pm was all-new doing 7.68 million and a 2.7 18-49 rating, on par in 18-49 with previous week. The #1 series at 10pm on all of network TV, people! CBS had a night of new episodes and opened with a new The Big Bang Theory doing 17.62 million and a 5.6 18-49 rating, which is great and up tenth in 18-49 from previous week. No drastic ups and downs this week. A new Two and a Half Men was up next and benefited with 13.41 million and a 3.9 18-49 rating, also up a tenth in 18-49 from previous week. At 9pm, a new showing of older-skewing Person of Interest followed with 14.22 million and a 2.9 18-49 rating, down a tenth in 18-49 week-to-week. Still, should CBS opt for younger-skewing comedies next season, this series would be perfect on Tuesdays at 9 or 10 following older NCIS. They would make a better match. At 10pm, a new showing of freshman Elementary closed the night with 11.19 million and a 2.4 18-49 rating, up a tenth from previous week in 18-49. It is doing decent for 10pm, but still a waste to air it following the Super Bowl as it has gotten no bump. Fox had a two-hour American Idol from 8-10 that did 13.66 million and a 3.9 18-49 rating, which was up two tenths in 18-49 from previous week when it was one-hour. Finally went up. Glee was preempted. NBC aired new episodes of its comedies, as week three of Community did just 3.08 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating, down a tenth in 18-49 from previous week but still skewed young. Parks & Recreation was new at 8:30pm and did 3.07 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating, down a tenth in 18-49 from previous week. I don't think this series can anchor a night at 9pm next season, if they go that route as a new episode also aired at 9pm and did 2.95 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating, six tenths lower in 18-49 than previous week's episode of The Office which was preempted. Not good news. At 9:30m a new 1600 Penn, which is doing horrible, did only 2.34 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating. It's time to pull it. At 10pm, NBC had a repeat of Law & Order: SVU doing 3.88 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating, as that was up two tenths in 18-49 from previous week. The CW's big gun Vampire Diaries aired at 8 and did 2.91 million and a 1.3 18-49 rating, which is great and up three tenths in 18-49 from previous week topping both ABC and NBC. At 9, Beauty and the Beast was new and did 1.52 million and a 0.5 18-49 rating, losing more than half of its lead-in's 18-49 rating and on par in 18-49 with previous week. If they bring it back, it shouldn't be on Thursdays.

Now, final numbers for Friday and Saturday are not available, as ABC took Friday in 18-49 again. CBS returned Undercover Boss at 8, but still sneaked out a win.  Kitchen Nightmares was fourth for Fox as ABC's Last Man Standing and Malibu Country and NBC's Dateline battled.  ABC was back to first at 9pm by a lot with a new Shark Tank easily beating the season finale of CSI: NY at 9. From 8-10pm Dateline did OK for NBC, as Rock Center was last place at 10pm again.  CBS was tied for first at 10pm with a new Blue Bloods tying ABC 20/20. which focused on Robin Roberts' journey. Fox struggled badly with Touch at 9.
Saturday had Fox and ABC tie for the win on a very slow night. Fox took the 8pm hour with Cops, but struggled at 9 with a repeat of The Following, while CBS took 9pm with a special time period of 48 Hours. NBC settled for repeats of American Ninja Warrior, Chicago Fire and SNL which all struggled. The CBS special Vanity Fair's Hollywood was dead last at 10. ABC aired the Dreamgirls film from 8-11pm and was good enough to tie for the lead for the night.

Tonight ABC Sunday is all-new but AFV, Once Upon a Time and Revenge are preempted for the coverage of the Oscars hosted by Seth MacFarlane. Look for an easy first place finish and probably over a 12.0 in 18-49 for the awards itself. NBC devotes the night to Dateline at 7, repeats of Betty White's Off Their Rockers at 8, and an SNL special repeat from 9-11pm, which is a fourth place finish for sure. CBS has 60 Minutes at 7, followed by a new Amazing Race, which is strange to air against The Oscars. Then CBS has repeats of struggling The Good Wife & The Mentalist from 9-11pm. I'm thinking a distant second (or third) place finish for CBS. Fox's animation block is all repeats from 7-10pm and should be second (or third) place in 18-49.

As for the week (week 22), ABC will come back and and take the week in 18-49 with something like a 12.0 18-49 rating for the Oscars helping them. Maybe close to 40 million. Fox will be second, and CBS will be third in 18-49. NBC will be way behind and in fourth.  For total viewers, it should be ABC on top here as well, then CBS over Fox for second, and NBC in a distant fourth.  As for the coming week (week 23), ABC has the season premiere of Celebrity Wife Swap Tuesday at 8pm that should do solid and young. CBS has the series premiere of Golden Boy on Tuesday at 10, which could do OK. And February sweeps ends after Wednesday, so look for repeats to start Thursday for many shows. Next Sunday features the series premiere of Red Widow on ABC and the season premiere of Celebrity Apprentice on NBC, both from 9-11pm.


Week 22 How the Sitcoms Did

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for Week 21 -- Feb. 11-17)
  • The Simpsons (Fox) 2 airings - A new episode at 8 did 4.57 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, which was on par with previous week in 18-49 and still below normal. A repeat at 7 did 2.21 million and a 0.9 18-49 rating, down two tenths in 18-49 from previous week's Bob's Burgers repeat in the same time period.
  • The Cleveland Show (Fox) - A new showing at 7:30pm did only 2.63 million and a bad 1.1 18-49 rating, down three tenths in 18-49 from previous week. Not good.
  • Bob's Burgers (Fox) - At 8:30, a new episode did 3.93 million and 1.8 18-49 rating, nearly holding all of its lead-in's ratings and on par in 18-49 with previous week.
  • Family Guy (Fox) - A new airing at 9 did 4.87 million and a 2.4 18-49 rating, the best of the block but down a tenth in 18-49 from previous week when it faced the Grammys.
  • American Dad! (Fox) - A 9:30pm airing was new and did 4.15 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating, also down a tenth in 18-49 from previous week when it faced the Grammys. I guess the NBA All-Star game had more of an affect on these comedies than the Grammys.
Monday Sitcoms
  • How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - A new episode at 8 did 8.86 million and a 3.4 18-49 rating, which was up two tenths in 18-49 from previous week. Solid.
  • Rules of Engagement (CBS) - Week three at 8:30pm did 8.19 million and a 2.9 18-49 rating, solid and up a tenth in 18-49 from the previous week. 
  • 2 Broke Girls (CBS) - A new episode at 9 did 10.25 million and a 3.5 18-49 rating, as it was down another tenth in 18-49 from previous week. This has been one of the disappointments of the season, I think. I really thought it would easily be doing 4's right now without Dancing/Voice.
  • Mike & Molly (CBS) - A new episode at 9:30pm did 10.33 million and a 3.2 18-49 rating, which is solid and up two tenths in 18-49 from previous week. It did better than its lead-in in total viewers and it was up in 18-49 over previous week despite its lead-in going down. This was the CBS winner of the night.
Tuesday Sitcoms
  • Raising Hope (Fox) - A new episode at 8 pulled 3.65 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, which could be better.
  • New Girl (Fox) 2 airings - A new episode at 9 did 4.31 million and a below normal 2.2 18-49 rating. A special repeat at 8:30pm did 2.7 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating, up a tenth in 18-49 from previous week.
  • Go On (NBC) - A new episode did a series low 3.3 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating, as this series has completely tanked.
  • The Mindy Project (Fox) - A new airing at 9:30pm did 3.05 and a 1.6 18-49 rating, yes low but this is about what it has done all season.
  • The New Normal (NBC) - A new episode at 9:30pm was clobbered with just 2.8 million and a 0.9 18-49 rating, as now I don't think this comedy will be back next season.
Wednesday Sitcoms
  • The Middle (ABC) - A new episode at 8 did 8.27 million and a 2.3 18-49 rating, which is good and back up four tenths in 18-49 from previous week's strange season low.
  • Whitney (NBC) - A new episode at 8 did 3.14 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating, which is down a tenth in 18-49 from previous week. This show isn't worth bringing back anymore. No point.
  • The Neighbors (ABC) - A new showing of this new comedy did 6.34 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating, up two tenths in 18-49 from previous week. It WILL be back next season folks, whether it's here or on Friday. It's doing well creatively, too.
  • Guys with Kids (NBC) - At 8:30pm, a new episode of this series did 2.83 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating, which is terrible and on par in 18-49 with previous week's series low. Can a mini Cosby Show reunion help this Wednesday, which is the season finale? We've watched it already and look for our review of the episode posting on Wednesday!
  • Modern Family (ABC) - A new episode at 9 did 10.62 million and a 4.0 18-49 rating, #1 for the block as usual and up two tenths in 18-49 from previous week. Good sign of climbs the past few weeks.
  • Suburgatory (ABC) - A new episode at 9:30pm did 5.74 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, which is down a tenth in 18-49 from previous week. Such a good show but might be better suited for 8:30.
Thursday Sitcoms
  • The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - At 8pm, a new episode did 17.62 million and a 5.6 18-49 rating, which is excellent and up a tenth in 18-49 from previous week. I thought it would be back over a 6 again.
  • Two and a Half Men (CBS) - A new airing did 13.41 million and a 3.9 18-49 rating, which is also up a tenth in 18-49 week-to-week.
  • Community (NBC) - Week three did not do well doing 3.08 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating, which is down a tenth in 18-49 from previous week. It needs to do better if it wants another season on NBC. Hello TBS or Comedy Central next season?
  • Parks & Recreation (NBC) 2 episodes - A new episode at 8:30pm did 3.07 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating, which is down a tenth in 18-49 from previous week. Not good, but it got worse at 9pm when a special new episode did 2.95 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating, down six tenths in 18-49 from previous week's The Office in the same slot. Just not mass appealing.
  • The Office (NBC) - preempted.
  • 1600 Penn (NBC) - A new episode at 9:30pm did only 2.34 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating. So many comedy duds on NBC this week. This show doesn't even fit the tone of the other NBC Thursday comedies. Bad scheduling.
Friday Sitcoms
  • Last Man Standing (ABC) - A new episode did a prelim 6.01 million and a prelim 1.3 18-49 rating, which was down a tenth in 18-49 from previous week's preliminaries.
  • Malibu Country (ABC) - A new airing of this new comedy did a prelim 5.05 million and a prelim 1.1 18-49 rating, also down a tenth in 18-49 from previous week's prelim ratings.
Saturday Sitcoms
  • None.
Airing tonight (Sunday) are repeat episodes of Fox Animation Domination comedies from 7-10pm.

Summing it up. The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family, Two and a Half Men, 2 Broke Girls, Mike & Molly, How I Met Your Mother, Rules of Engagement were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as Suburgatory, New Girl) or just plain terrible (such as all the comedies on NBC like The New Normal, Guys with Kids, 1600 Penn).

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Digital Digest: More Laverne & Shirley on DVD; Rocko's Modern Life - The Complete Series DVD Review; Matlock - The Eighth Season DVD Review


Welcome to Digital Digest! This week, we've got reviews of Rocko's Modern Life - The Complete Series and Matlock - The Eighth Season. Let's get started!

DIGITAL NEWS

Laverne and Shirley are "gonna do it" once again on DVD this May! On May 21, CBS will release Laverne & Shirley - The Sixth Season on DVD at a $39.98 MSRP. With this release, the seventh and eighth seasons will still remain to be released, so hopefully we'll see those soon. There is still no word on the remaining seasons of Happy Days or Mork & Mindy (which only has one season to go, yet the most recent release was released over five years ago), but hopefully CBS will get back to those soon.

A few weeks ago, TVShowsOnDVD.com mentioned a listing for Alice - The Complete Third Season appearing on amazon.com, with a release date of February 12. That release didn't happen, but it appears that it will be coming, at least eventually. We have confidence that we'll see this from Warner Archive, and we'll let you know when that happens.


UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW

Tuesday (February 26) brings releases of Rocko's Modern Life - The Complete Series and The Client List - The Complete First Season. We have a review of Rocko's Modern Life in this week's Digital Digest, and we'll have The Client List next week.


BLOG FEATURE REVIEW


Blog DVD Review: Rocko's Modern Life - The Complete Series (Shout! Factory, $29.99)
by skees53

America's favorite animated wallaby is back on DVD once again... this time, with every episode in one set... in Rocko's Modern Life - The Complete Series! The eight disc set from Shout! Factory compiles all 52 episodes from the entire four season run of the series that ran on Nickelodeon from 1993 until 1996. While it was not one of the biggest Nicktoons ever, it did manage to become a worldwide cult favorite, and was loved by fans of all ages. Now, after releasing the first three seasons, Shout! has decided to place all four seasons in one value-priced collection.

Since this set contains 52 episodes, most containing two segments each, we'll skip on going into a lot of detail on the episodes of the first three seasons. We've already reviewed all of these seasons, and you can check out our reviews of season 1, season 2, and season 3 for details. Since we haven't reviewed season 4 (it has not been yet released individually), we will go into details on those episodes.

Season 4 begins with "With Friends Like These," where Rocko is forced to choose between friends. In "From Here to Maternity," somebody is expecting a bundle of joy. Rocko's former bully stops by in "Wimp on the Barby." Heffer decides to move out in "Mama's Boy." In "Magic Meatball," Ed Bighead begins to make big decisions using a magic 8-Ball. Filbert is suspected of being an alien in "The High Five of Doom." In "Heff in a Handbasket," Heffer sells his soul... just so that he can be on a game show. Rocko gets arrested after ding-dong-ditch gone wrong in "Dumbells." Heffer's mother asks Rocko to teach her how to drive in "Driving Mrs. Wolfe." The series ends with "Floundering Fathers," where the group looks back at the founding fathers of O-Town.

The episodes are essentially as unedited as we'll ever get. There have been reports of some censorship issues on the previous releases, but the material here seems to be all that Nickelodeon will allow to be released (and honestly, I don't find the edits to really be that significant). Runtimes are as follows:

Season 1/Disc 1:
1. "No Pain, No Gain/Who Gives a Buck" (23:28)
2. "Leap Frogs/Bedfellows" (22:27)
3. "Jetscream/Dirty Dog" (23:18)
4. "Keeping Up With the Bigheads/Skidmarks" (23:17)
5. "Power Trip/To Heck and Back" (23:49)
6. "The Good, the Bad, and the Wallaby/Trash-O-Madness" (22:16)
7. "SpitBalls/Popcorn Pandemonium" (23:28)

Season 1/Disc 2:
8. "A Sucker for the Suck-o-Matic/Canned" (24:32)
9. "Carnival Knowledge/Sand in Your Navel" (23:39)
10. "Cabin Fever/Rinse and Spit" (23:58)
11. "Rocko's Happy Sack/Flu-In-U-Enza" (23:21)
12. "Who's For Dinner?/Love Spanked" (24:14)
13. "Clean Lovin'/Unbalanced Load" (22:39)

Season 2/Disc 1:
1. "I Have No Son!" (23:59)
2. "Pipe Dreams/Tickled Pinky" (24:41)
3. "The Lounge Singer/She's the Toad" (24:08)
4. "Down the Hatch/Road Rash" (24:20)
5. "Boob Tubed/Commuted Sentence" (24:29)
6. "Rocko's Modern Christmas" (23:09)
7. "Hut Sut Raw/Kiss Me, I'm Foreign" (24:27)

Season 2/Disc 2:
8. "Cruisin'" (22:26)
9. "Born to Spawn/Uniform Behavior" (23:58)
10. "Hair Licked/Gutter Balls" (24:50)
11. "Junk Junkies/Day of the Flecko" (24:07)
12. "Snowballs/Frog's Best Friend" (24:36)
13. "Short Story/Eye Capades" (24:03)

Season 3/Disc 1:
1. "Bye, Bye, Birdie/Belch of Destiny" (24:51)
2. "The Emperor's New Joe/Schnit-Heads" (25:25)
3. "Sugar Frosted Frights/Ed is Dead: A Thriller!" (24:29)
4. "Fish-n-Chumps/Camera Shy" (25:23)
5. "Nothing to Sneeze At/Old Fogey Froggy" (25:46)
6. "Manic Mechanic/Rocko's Happy Vermin" (25:06)
7. "I See London, I See France/The Fat Lands" (25:44)

Season 3/Disc 2:
8. "Fortune Cookie/Dear John" (25:14)
9. "Speaking Terms/Tooth & Nail" (23:50)
10. "Wacky Delly" (25:05)
11. "The Big Question/The Big Answer" (24:58)
12. "An Elk for Heffer/Scrubbin' Down Under" (24:38)
13. "Zanzibar/Fatal Contraption" (25:05)

Season 4/Disc 1:
1. "With Friends Like These/Sailing the Seven Zzz's" (25:03)
2. "Pranksters/From Here to Maternity" (24:24)
3. "Ed Good, Rocko Bad/Teed Off" (24:28)
4. "Wimp on the Barby/Yarn Benders" (24:29)
5. "Mama's Boy/Feisty Geist" (24:38)
6. "S.W.A.K./Magic Meatball" (24:30)
7. "Closet Clown/Seat to Stardom" (24:16)

Season 4/Disc 2:
8. "The High Five of Doom/Fly Burgers" (25:09)
9. "Heff in a Handbasket/Wallaby on Wheels" (24:15)
10. "Dumbells/Rug Birds" (23:56)
11. "Hypno-Puppy Luv/Driving Mrs. Wolfe" (24:26)
12. "Put to Pasture/Future Schlock" (24:03)
13. "Turkey Time/Floundering Fathers" (24:24)

The packaging for this set is along the lines of the previous season releases, except (of course) in a much thicker package. Essentially, the set packages all of the discs in a DVD case that is twice as thick as a normal case, with four two-sided trays inside. The cover has a photo of Rocko, Filburt, Heffer, and Spunky (new artwork done by creator Joe Murray), with the same photo on the back, along with a series description. Inside, you'll find the eight discs, all of which have the same artwork that was used on the season sets. Unfortunately, this release does not include any episode listings at all.

The menus for this set are identical to all of the previous releases. On the main menu, there is a listing of all of the episodes (you can start with either segment of each episode), along with a Play All option. Any special features are also listed on this main menu as well. The closing theme music plays in the background on the menus. Chapters are placed within each episode.
The video and audio quality on the set is nothing particularly impressive, but it looks fine for an animated series created 20 years ago. You'll find a few defects here and there, but it is nothing that takes away from the enjoyment of the episodes. The audio is decent as well, and is very loud and clear. All of the episodes contain closed-captioning.

The set includes all of the special features included on the previous releases, along with one new one. On Season 4/Disc 2, you'll find "Wacky Delly Live 2012" (51:51), which is a 2012 table read of that particular episode in front of a live audience... but really it is much more than that, as there is an interesting Q&A with the cast at the end. This really remind me a lot of those excellent Comic-Con special features found on some of the Family Guy DVD sets. The other special features are the same as what was included on the individual season sets. Season 1, of course, had no special features. Season 2 has "Behind the Characters" shorts (16:11) and the original pilot version of "Trash-O-Madness" (8:09). Finally, Season 3 has "Selected Scenes Commentary by Joe Murray" (30:23).

This is a decent set, but I'm just wondering why Shout! chose to release the series in this manner. It would have been better if they'd just started by releasing this complete series set at the beginning, or released season four before this set. But this method... one that consumers tend to not really like... means that a lot of fans who have bought the first three seasons either have to buy all of them again to get the fourth season, or wait until the separate release comes along. If you haven't bought any of the previous releases, then this set is certainly a good deal and worth picking up. But if you do have those releases, it may be worth just waiting for the season 4 release to come along, as this set doesn't really offer anything new aside from season 4 episodes. In any event, I'm glad to see this series complete on DVD, and encourage everybody who loved the series to own it one way or the other. It really does maintain the charm that it had when it originally aired, and fans young and old are sure to love it.

(4/5 stars)

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

Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
Rocko's Modern Life on TV.com


BLOG FEATURE REVIEW



Blog DVD Review: Matlock - The Eighth Season (CBS, $49.99)
by skees53

Ben Matlock (Andy Griffith) has returned for the defense (and also to help the prosecutor figure out who REALLY did it) in Matlock - The Eighth Season. The next-to-last season of the series, and also the second season to air on ABC (after it moved from NBC in 1992) brings back Matlock, his "partner of the season" (and also daughter) Leanne (Brynne Thayer), and his investigator... another role that had frequent cast changes... Cliff (Daniel Roebuck). This six disc set collects 20 more episodes of the series, where Matlock finds himself entangled with killer comedians, lowly kidnappers, crooked D.A.'s, and more.

The season begins with "The Play," where Matlock plays a detective in a community play... but when a murder occurs, he may not just play a detective anymore. Matlock ends up entangled in a double murder in North Carolina in "The Fatal Seduction." Matlock visits the wife of his first client from 1962... a black cook accused of killing a white sheriff... in "The Diner." Matlock witnesses an argument from his hotel window that turns into something much bigger in "The View." One comedian is accused of killing another in "The Last Laugh," and it is no laughing matter. In "The Capital Offense," Matlock has reached the end of the road on saving a seemingly innocent man from death row. Matlock's client resembles a dead man in "The Haunted." In "The Conspiracy," Matlock defends an attorney charged with killing a fellow lawyer. Matlock takes a trip back to 1932 (and into a murder case) in "Matlock's Bad, Bad, Bad Dream"

Leanne finds herself falling for a client in "The Defendant." In "The Kidnapping," Billy gets kidnapped, and Matlock has only a little time to save his friend's life. Leanne falls victim to a criminal who steals her journal in "The Temptation." A choir member is accused of murder in "The Crook." In "The Murder Game," a murder mystery becomes a bit too real for everybody. Matlock goes up against a powerful D.A. with a deep and dark secret in "Brennen." A P.I.'s daughter takes photos that implicate the wrong man in the murder of a Hollywood mistress in "The P.I." In "The Godfather," Matlock's goddaughter is getting married... but not before the wedding turns into a murder to be solved. A young attorney who idolizes Matlock is forced to turn to Matlock after a shady private investigator is killed in "The Idol."

As far as I know, everything is intact on this set. Runtimes are as follows:

Disc 1:
1. "The Play" (46:15)
2. "The Fatal Seduction (Part 1)" (47:46)
3. "The Fatal Seduction (Part 2)" (46:29)
4. "The Diner" (47:14)

Disc 2:
5. "The View" (46:55)
6. "The Last Laugh" (47:45)
7. "The Capital Offense" (47:44)

Disc 3:
8. "The Haunted" (1:32:51)
9. "The Conspiracy" (47:44)
10. "Matlock's Bad, Bad, Bad Dream" (47:42)

Disc 4:
11. "The Defendant" (46:52)
12. "The Kidnapping (Part 1)" (47:44)
13. "The Kidnapping (Part 2)" (47:14)
14. "The Temptation" (47:16)

Disc 5:
15. "The Crook" (47:44)
16. "The Murder Game" (47:46)
17. "Brennen" (47:13)
18. "The P.I." (47:44)

Disc 6:
19. "The Godfather" (47:45)
20. "The Idol" (1:32:18)

Given that this is a CBS DVD release, it should come as no surprise that the packaging is exactly the same as all other CBS DVD releases. The discs come packaged in a standard Viva case, and there is a cast photo on the cover. On the back, you'll find another cast photo, along with a brief description of the set. Inside, there are the six discs, each of which have the standard gray CBS DVD artwork. There are also episode titles, descriptions, and airdates printed inside of the case.

The menus for this set are similar to the menus used on the seventh season. The main menu has a still photo of Matlock, along with a few episode snapshots, and a list of all of the episodes. There is also a Play All and Subtitles option. Once you select an episode, you get an episode menu. This menu has a photo snapshot from the episode, and gives you the option of playing the episode or the episodic teaser. Chapters are placed throughout each episode.

I'm not really convinced that much has been done as far as trying to make the video quality the best that it can be, but despite that, it really looks decent, and about how one would expect it to look. The picture is a bit soft, but I don't think it'll bother people too much. The audio is decent, but nothing spectacular. Each episode contains English subtitles.

There isn't much in regards to special features, but each episode does include a 30 second teaser, which CBS bills as a special feature. Really, I feel that this is something that should have been included regardless, but I probably shouldn't complain considering that they did include them, at least. These can be accessed from the episode menus.

Once again, CBS has another great set of episodes... but no special features. It is really a shame that they didn't get Andy Griffith to participate in some of the special features on previous releases. That opportunity is now gone, and the most that they could hope to do at this point is to go with archival footage. Still, it is great to see CBS getting close to completing this series on DVD, and after this, there is only one more season to go. I hope (and honestly expect) that we'll see this final season by the end of this year, giving fans once and for all, the opportunity to watch the entire series on home media.

(4/5 stars)

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

Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
Matlock on TV.com


FOLLOW ME 


Who to Follow: Bill Cosby (Twitter), "Comedy/Education"
Claim to Fame: Does he REALLY need an introduction? Everybody knows exactly who Bill Cosby is. His earliest days included a starring role on the series I Spy, as well as The Electric Company, but he became really big in the '80s as the star of one of the biggest sitcoms ever, The Cosby Show. Even though he isn't starring in any series right now, he still remains active in life and is nonetheless loved by his fans worldwide.
Why You Should Follow Him: We love Bill Cosby... who doesn't? He has entertained so many generations of fans that you would be hard-pressed to even find a single person who hasn't enjoyed something that he has done at some point in their life. Although he doesn't keep his Twitter feed going at full speed several times a day (or even every week for that matter), he does drop in from time to time to offer nuggets of wisdom about life and to entertain us with his thoughts about sweaters (why not?). Also, he keeps fans updated on what he is doing in life and even responds (with his own breed of humor) to rumors about his death... which, of course, are not even close to the truth.
Pick of the Tweets: "People who try to do very little, do just that." (October 25, 2012)

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

Friday, February 22, 2013

New Classic TV Block on The Hub, Where YOU Rule; Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of February 25, 2013)


The Hub TV Network has announced "You Rule Thursdays," a weekly programming block giving viewers a chance to remotely control the shows they watch on the network during the Thursday primetime hours of 9pm–midnight ET (with an encore from 3-6am). On Thursday, February 28, at 9pm ET, following a special programming block featuring past Academy Awards® winners in popular Hub sitcoms, viewers will go to http://hubworld.com/YouRule to vote on the shows that will air the following Thursday (March 7). Each week of "You Rule Thursdays" will be themed with a different common element that links Hub shows, including Mork and Mindy, Happy Days, The Facts of Life, Family Ties, Laverne & Shirley and more. Selected themes for the first few weeks of the new "You Rule Thursdays" are as follows:

• March 7 – Favorite Classic TV Sitcom, Part 1
• March 14 - Favorite Classic TV Sitcom, Part 2
• March 21 – Favorite Sitcom Character Crossover Episodes
• March 28 – Favorite Sitcom Episodes Featuring Celebrity Guest Star

Fans can go to http://hubworld.com/YouRule to view select clips, preview artwork, and cast their votes. Viewers can vote as often as they like. The voting results in all categories will be revealed on-air during the "You Rule Thursdays," programming block from 9pm-midnight ET, so you'll have to tune in! Before "You Rule Thursdays" begins, the block will feature "Favorite Sitcom Episodes Featuring Oscar® Winning Guest Stars" chosen by The Hub! The Facts of Life kicks it off with two episodes with George Clooney from 9-10pm ("Into the Frying Pan" and "The Reunion"). Then at 10pm, Tom Hanks guest stars on the two-part Family Ties episode "The Fugitive." At 11pm, we have another episode of The Facts of Life, this time with guest star Helen Hunt on the classic first season episode "Dope." And finally at 11:30pm, Anjelica Huston guest stars on the Laverne & Shirley episode "An Affair to Forget." The block will be preceded by an hour of ALF every Thursday from 8-9pm (encores 2-3am). "Ha!"

Stay with us for continued updates and let's hope The Hub has some tricks up their sleeves for the selection of shows we can choose from. You could probably expect all of the sitcoms that they air like the ones mentioned above and others like Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Doogie Howser M.D. and maybe even The Wonder Years again? You'll have to stay tuned! It's make your own classic TV on The Hub!




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 February 25-March 1, 2013, 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, February 25, 2013
  • Alec Baldwin (30 Rock) - Watch Alec on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Zooey Deschanel (New Girl) - Zooey appears on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
  • Felicity Huffman (Sports Night) - Felicity is a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
  • Wendi McLendon-Covey (Reno 911!/Rules of Engagement) - Wendi visits Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
  • Brooke Shields (Suddenly Susan) - Brooke guest co-hosts The View on Monday and Tuesday on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
  • Kevin Nealon (Weeds/Hiller and Diller/Champs) - Catch Kevin on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
  • Wendi McLendon-Covey (Reno 911!/Rules of Engagement) - Wendi is a guest on The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
  • Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family/The Class) - Jesse chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
  • Tina Fey (30 Rock) - Watch Tina on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family/The Class) - Jesse appears on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • David Duchovny (Californication) - David is a guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • J.B. Smoove (Curb Your Enthusiasm/'Til Death) - J.B. visits The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Tom Lennon (Reno 911!) - Tom stops by The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory/Roseanne) - Johnny appears on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
  • Charlie Sheen (Anger Management/Two and a Half Men) - Catch Charlie on a repeat of The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Steve Carell (The Office) - Steve drops by The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) - Jim appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • David Duchovny (Californication) - David continues to make the rounds on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Zach Braff (Scrubs) - Zach visits The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
Friday, March 1, 2013
  • Jerry Seinfeld (Seinfeld) - Watch Jerry on a repeat of The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • David Duchovny (Californication) - David wraps up his appearances this week on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
  • Regina King (227) - Co-host Clinton Kelly teams with Regina to create cowboy rice and fried eggs on The Chew on ABC at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
  • Terry Crews (Are We There Yet?/Everybody Hates Chris) - Terry guest co-hosts "Guy Day Friday" on The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
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, February 21, 2013

TV One Acquires What's Happening!! in March 2013; For Better or Worse Heads to OWN for Season 3

TV One has acquired the classic funky '70s sitcom What's Happening!! for its Friday night classic comedy line-up! The sitcom will begin airing on Friday, March 1, with a special two-hour block of episodes centered on Rerun (played by the late Fred Berry) from 8-10pm, as part of TV One's Friday night classic comedy block. Episodes airing on this night are all from season two: "Rerun Get's Married," "Give Me Odds," "Going Going Gong," and "Rerun Sees the Light." The special launch will encore the following day (Saturday, March 2) from 12-2pm. The What's Happening!! launch will lead into the season finale of original comedy Belle's on Friday at 10pm. TV One usually airs a block of classic comedies from 8-10pm, with series such as The Jeffersons, Good Times, A Different World all filling in. But wait, there's more! What's Happening!! will be airing on a regular basis beginning the following week. Effective Friday, March 8, the Friday night classic comedy block will have a set regular schedule and What's Happening!! will air Fridays at 11:00pm & 11:30pm ET! The Friday night classics schedule begins with That's My Mama at 8:00pm & 8:30pm, followed by back-to-back The Jeffersons at 9:00pm & 9:30pm, and Good Times at 10:00pm & 10:30pm leading into What's Happening!! It's a time warp back to the '70s on Friday nights! The What's Happening!! episodes will be going in order from the first episode and will encore on Saturdays at 2:00pm & 2:30pm beginning March 9. The Saturday morning schedule will have four episodes of That's My Mama from 6-8am, then a block of Good Times from 8am-12pm and Martin from 12-2pm leading into What's Happening!!

What's Happening!! has aired on TV One in the past, but only for Black History Month back in 2010 and not as a regular series. The series hasn't aired regularly on cable since it aired on TV Land from 2005-07. TV Land also aired select episodes from the follow-up series What's Happening Now!! but TV One does not have the rights to air that series, as of now. No other schedule changes will occur on TV One, so the classic Friday night comedy block will now have a set schedule and a new addition, while Saturday mornings will also get a bit of a makeover. Stay with us for continued updates, as we can tell you that there could be another classic addition to the TV One line-up soon. What will it be? Stay tuned!


Tyler Perry's popular sitcom For Better or Worse is coming to OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network with a third season of all new episodes debuting in the fall of 2013. In addition, the network has garnered the encore rights for the first two seasons of the sitcom's 45 episodes that originally aired on TBS. The series, which was basic cable's #1 sitcom of 2011 and the #1 show on all of television with African-American adults, follows three couples who are at various stages of their relationships as they weather the ups-and-downs of married life and dating. The original cast is set to return in their starring roles including Tasha Smith, Michael Jai White, Crystle Stewart, Kent Faulcon, Kiki Haynes and Jason Olive. Production will begin in Atlanta in April.

For Better or Worse will mark OWN's third scripted series from Perry who has an exclusive deal with the network to produce brand new television series and projects. The first two original series - the sitcom Love Thy Neighbor and the ensemble drama The Haves and the Have Nots - are set to premiere Wednesday, May 29. The original series mark the network's first venture into scripted programming and now they will have an established comedy to pitch in the fall in For Better or Worse. The series wrapped up its TBS-run in December with all-new episodes and repeats were airing on Friday nights through the end of January. Before it moves to OWN, TBS is still airing the series Tuesday and Wednesdays at 4am.
As for Love Thy Neighbor, it is a half-hour comedy set at Love's Diner, where every day the menu serves up good food, great laughs, valuable life lessons and a whole lot of love for its zany neighbors. Jonathan Chase, Palmer Williams, Patrice Lovely, Kendra C. Johnson, Andre Hall and Darmirra Brunson star.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

WGN America and Esquire Network Acquire Parks and Recreation for September 2013; G4 Rebrands as Esquire Network

Parks and Recreation

National cable network WGN America has acquired the off-network rights to the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation and will begin airing it this September, 2013. The sitcom has not been cleared for local broadcast syndication and was being pitched for Fall 2014 at NATPE. So the series will likely premiere on cable first in syndication rather than the normal local broadcast five-days-a-week syndication. The comedy has more than enough episodes for syndication but NBCUniversal is likely going more after a SVOD (subscription video-on-demand) play. The series is currently airing in its fifth season and by this fall it will have 90 episodes in the can, which is just enough for syndication and weekday play. The series has not yet been renewed for a sixth season on NBC, but with NBC losing The Office and 30 Rock after this season, it is more than likely Parks will be back. It is unclear how WGN America will schedule the series, but currently WGN America airs comedies 30 Rock, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Rules of Engagement, How I Met Your Mother, Old Christine, Futurama and Scrubs. WGN America will not have exclusive cable rights like usual, as all of those series above can also be found elsewhere. WGN America will share the cable rights for Parks and Recreation with G4, but more on that below (including a name change for G4).

From Emmy Award-winning executive producers Greg Daniels (NBC's The Office, King of the Hill) and Michael Schur (NBC's The Office, Saturday Night Live), Parks and Recreation is a hilarious ensemble comedy that follows Leslie Knope (Emmy nominee Poehler, NBC's Saturday Night Live) a mid-level bureaucrat in the Parks and Recreation Department of Pawnee, Indiana, and her tireless efforts to make her quintessentially American town just a little bit more fun. The series also stars Adam Scott, Aubrey Plaza, Aziz Ansari, Chris Prat, Jim O'Heir, Nick Offerman, Rashida Jones and Rob Lowe.


We haven't talked about this yet, but the G4 network will be rebranding again and this time the new name will be the Esquire Network (yep, like the magazine). And they will also air off-network cable runs of Parks and Recreation this fall. Beginning April 22, 2013, the G4 network will be rebranded the Esquire Network. The network is a strategic partnership between NBCUniversal and Hearst Magazines to create the only television network aimed at the full, multi-faceted lives of today's modern men. Esquire Network will expand on G4's foundation of games, gear and gadgets to reflect the broad range of interests, passions and aspirations that define men today. Appealing to men's intelligence as well as their sense of adventure, Esquire Network's programming will capture the classic voice, impeccable style and unmistakable wit that have come to define Esquire, the original men's magazine and premier authority on contemporary man. Diverse program categories and genres will feature not only gaming and technology, but also entertainment, food, fashion, women, humor, travel, competition, danger and more.

The network will feature a blend of unscripted and scripted series, and movies and specials that appeal to today's man. Partnering with the industry's top producers and talent, the Esquire Network team is developing a slate of engaging all-new original series such as Knife Fight, a passionate celebration of food, executive produced by Drew Barrymore, Flower Films and Authentic Entertainment. Hosted by "Top Chef" winner Ilan Hall, Knife Fight is an underground, after-hours cooking competition where talented chefs go head to head in front of a rowdy crowd of celebrities, critics and die-hard foodies. Another original series, The Getaway (working title), is executive produced by Anthony Bourdain and Zero Point Zero and features travel-loving, well known personalities - people deservedly famous for excellence in their fields - who take viewers to their favorite city on the planet, giving the insiders' track on their top spots to eat, drink, shop and hang out.

Fan favorite competition series American Ninja Warrior will return for its fifth season, to air this summer on Esquire Network and NBC. Additionally, Esquire Network will complement its slate of original programming with ambitious and witty scripted series that include reruns of NBC's Emmy-nominated comedy, Parks and Recreation, and the critically acclaimed series from STARZ, Party Down, which aired in 2009-10. Additional programming announcements will be made in the coming weeks. We hope we have some more comedies to go along with Parks and Recreation and Party Down. Stay with us!

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Bounce TV Sitcom Family Time Now On TV One with New Comedy Belle's; Episodic Review: New Girl - "Parking Spot" Airing Tonight on Fox

As part of its growing aggressive program strategy, TV One has added the half-hour sitcom Family Time to its Friday night classic comedy block. The half-hour comedy created by Bentley Kyle Evans (The Jamie Foxx Show, Martin, Love That Girl) and produced by Evans and partner Trenten Gumbs, airs Fridays at 7:30PM/ET since earlier this month. The sitcom is a Bounce TV original sitcom and six episodes were produced and aired last summer. No word if the series has been picked-up for a second season and if TV One will take over, but for now TV One is just airing repeats. TV One also airs original episodes of original comedy Belle's, every Friday at 10pm since Feb. 1. It is TV One's newest scripted comedy that centers around widower William "Big Bill" Cooper who owns and operates his family's upscale soul food restaurant and stars Emmy(R) Award-winning actor Keith David (Crash), Elise Neal (All of Us, The Hughley's), Tami Roman, Ella Joyce (Roc) and Miguel Núñez, and introduces young actress Nadja Alaya. The half-hour series is co-created and executive produced by legendary Emmy(R) Award-winning producer Ed. Weinberger (Taxi, The Cosby Show), Belle's co-star Miguel Núñez and Oscar Turner for Gallery Road Productions. The season finale is slated for March 1 and a marathon of all six episodes from the first season will air Saturday, March 2 from 4-7pm. Ans for Love That Girl, TV One has not yet renewed it for a third season. The second season ended last year.

As for Family Time, it centers around the life and times of the Stallworths, a working class African American family who get lucky with a scratch-off lottery ticket and makes the leap to middle class status overnight. Starring Omar Gooding and Angel Conwell as parents Anthony and Lisa Stallworth, and Jayla Calhoun and Bentley Kyle Evans, Jr as their children, the Stallworths represent a true-to life African American family working to pursue the American dream. The series follows the family as they move to a middle class community in southern California resulting in classic comedic moments tinged with humorous drama. TV One airs the series Fridays at 7:30pm, followed by a classic TV block of sitcoms from 8-10pm, then Belle's at 10.

Stay with us for continued updates on TV One, including Family Time and Belle's, and we might have some classic TV news for TV One later this week...so come on back!


On the next...New Girl:
By: Todd

Fox's Tuesday adorkable sitcom starring Zooey Deschanel airs Tuesday nights at 9:00pm and we have just watched the next episode that airs tonight (Feb. 19). In the episode airing tonight, "Parking Spot," Schmidt (Max Greenfield) discovers a previously unknown, yet highly-coveted parking spot, prompting Jess (Zooey Deschanel) and the roommates to fight over who will get to use it. The situation gets even more complicated when Schmidt discovers that Nick (Jake Johnson) and Jess kissed, as he fears it will trigger the "no nail" clause the guys signed when Jess moved in. Meanwhile, Winston (Lamorne Morris) has a hard time finding an essential item when he gets an impromptu invitation from Daisy (guest star Brenda Song).

It's Garage Wars on tonight's all-new episode. The episode begins with Jess and Nick brushing their teeth and talking about how things are not weird between them and they are just roommates. Schmidt finds a hidden parking spot in the garage behind a dumpster. Jess suggests that they share the spot, but everybody else has a different idea. Winston receives a text from Daisy. In a flashback scene, Jess has to deal with outside Dave in her parking spot. Later, Jess tries to flirt with Nick in his hoodie in order to sway his vote. Winston finally arrives at Daisy's apartment, but he has forgotten a condom. Schmidt gives Nick a beer to try and get his vote. Jess and Nick reveal to Schmidt that they have kissed. Meanwhile, Winston goes to the store, but he doesn't have any money with him. Everybody makes a frantic rush to be the first car parked in the spot to win it. Jess' discovers some feral cats in her current parking spot. Cece talks to Shrivang at her apartment before Winston arrives and asks her for a condom. Schmidt goes to great lengths to stay in the spot. He talks about the "no nail" oath they agreed to when Jess moved in. Winston finally locates a condom, but he has problems finding Daisy's building. The winner of the parking spot is revealed as the episode closes.

This episode continues to build the momentum from the big kiss between Jess and Nick a few weeks ago. Jess and Nick are very funny and awkward together. They have some hilarious facial expressions and interactions tonight. There is some real sexual tension between them. The secondary story of Winston trying to find a condom is pretty short but funny. It was nice that they added Brenda Strong in a recurring role, but I wish they gave her more screen time. She appears in only one quick scene in the episode. There's also another big kiss between two characters in this episode that will only add to the tension and cause more sparks to fly in future episodes. Overall, it's just a funny outing that is full of win. Who will ultimately claim the parking spot? Tune in to find out. B

Monday, February 18, 2013

TV Land Picks-Up Kirstie Alley's New Show for Fall 2013; Worst Audition Ever Back with Breakup Show, Plus 2 More Shows In March/April

Kirstie Alley's TV Land sitcom pilot has now been picked-up to series! Multiple Emmy® Award-winner Kirstie Alley is lighting up the stage on TV Land as the network picks up Kirstie's New Show (previously titled Giant Baby), a new sitcom revolving around Alley as Broadway star Madison Banks. The sitcom reunites the actress with longtime friend and former Cheers co-star Rhea Perlman and pairs them with famed Seinfeld actor Michael Richards, both of whom have won multiple Emmy® Awards as well. Kirstie's New Show also stars Eric Petersen (Shrek: The Musical) and will premiere in Fall 2013 with 12 episodes and will join other TV Land original comedies like Hot in Cleveland, The Exes, Happily Divorced and The Soul Man.

Kirstie's New Show revolves around Madison "Maddie" Banks, a renowned Broadway star who finds her life turned upside down when Arlo (Petersen), the son she gave up at birth, suddenly appears hoping to connect after his adoptive parents have died. However, Maddie doesn't exactly see nerdy and schlubby Arlo fitting in with her luxurious lifestyle. But when Maddie's assistant and best friend, Thelma (Perlman), and outlandish driver Frank (Richards) encourage her to give Arlo a chance, Maddie is shocked to find that perhaps she has motherly instincts after all. The pilot is written and executive produced by Marco Pennette and is also executive produced by Kirstie Alley and Jason Weinberg. Larry W. Jones and Keith Cox serve as executive producers for TV Land. We hope to see her Dancing with the Stars dance partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy guest star, along with host Tom Bergeron. Stay with us for continued updates and a premiere date and time in the coming months! Go Kirstie!
See a video preview of the series as Kirstie Alley takes to the streets of New York City to announce the series:


On Tuesday, Feb. 26, the hilarious night of live comedy Worst Audition Ever is back with the Worst Breakup Ever edition for some post Valentine's Day hijinks! The show recently had a three-month/six-show run in the fall (Sept-Nov)and is back this winter and spring (Feb-April)! Let's face it, opening your heart up isn't easy and there are a lot of bumps (and humps) along the way. Come and commiserate at Worst Breakup Ever! Laugh along with an evening of real people opening their souls with hilarious stories of awkward and crushing breakups with lovers, co-workers and friends! Laugh and cringe as you relive some of your own agonizing experiences - because pain is best served funny and with cocktails. The festivities will be hosted by Deanna Pappas (The Bachelorette) and will feature real-life breakup stories from Andy Dick (NewsRadio, Less than Perfect), Sarah Collette-Wagner, Alex Fanuele, Larry Poindexter, and Danielle Thorpe! Sounds like a lot of fun and if Andy Dick is in the house, you know you'll be in store for some comedy!

Tickets are only $20 as usual and I promise you from experience that you'll have a great time! Go and order your ticket if you are in L.A. or will be in the L.A. area next Tuesday! It will be at the Cavern Club Theater on 1920 Hyperion Ave. in Los Angeles, CA. This will be the first of a three-month show, with another one slated for Tuesday, March 26, which is in the regular format of Worst Audition Ever and on Tuesday, April 30 for Worst Vacation Ever! Stay with us for info on the hosts and celebs for those two shows in the near future! But for now order your tickets for next week's show and you'll even get to meet these cool stars after the show and also the awesome producers: Christine Lakin (Step by Step, Lovin' Lakin), Alec Ledd (Internet Icon), Daniel A. Miles and Corri English (Holliston)! It's a night of fun!


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Friday, November 8

Happy's Place - "Fish Fry Monday" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When Emmett sees Bobbie drowning in work, he devises a clever ruse to give her a much-needed day off fishing, all under the guise of reviving the tavern's Fish Fry Mondays; Isabella dives into the world of bartending with Gabby.

Lopez vs Lopez - "Lopez vs the Roast of George Lopez" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
After George experiences a minor fall that leaves him with cake on his face, the family begins to treat him like a fragile old man; when Chance is caught using a curse word, Rosie questions Mayan's modern parenting techniques.

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place - "Wizards Just Wand to Have Fun" (Disney Channel, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Billie and Justin work together to undo a spell when Billie's prank goes awry; Roman gets some new muscles thanks to a magical muscle tee; Milo's class pet is loose in the house.

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place - "The Legend of Creepy Follows" (Disney Channel, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Billie uses a spell on her BadgerBook profile and accidentally enchants her classmates; she tries to find a way to break it to get everyone back to normal.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of November 4)

Friday, November 8

  • Allison Janney (Mom/Mr. Sunshine) - Watch Allison on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Salma Hayek Pinault (The Sinbad Show) - Salma is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Kathy Bates (Disjointed) - Kathy appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Pamela Anderson (Stacked/Home Improvement) - Pamela is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies) - Tom appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Rachel Bloom (Reboot) and Jim Rash (Community/Help Me Help You/Thanks/Katie Joplin) - Rachel and Jim are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Lauren Graham (M.Y.O.B./Conrad Bloom/Townies/Good Company) - Lauren is in the house on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your listings.
  • Tim Matheson (Just in Time/Window on Main Street) - Tim talks about his book, Damn Glad to Meet You: My Seven Decades in the Hollywood Trenches, on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your listings.
  • Pete Holmes (How We Roll/Crashing) and Judy Greer (Kidding/Married/Mad Love/Miss Guided/Arrested Development) - Pete and Judy are chatting about their new holiday movie, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • JB Smoove (Curb Your Enthusiasm/Blockbuster/The Millers/Bent/'Til Death) - JB talks about Buy It Now on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • Jeremy Piven (Entourage/Ellen/Pride & Joy/The Larry Sanders Show) - Jeremy is a guest on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:45am.
  • Ms. Pat (The Ms. Pat Show) - Ms. Pat appears on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:10am.


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)

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

11/08 - CBS Orders Full Season for Poppa's House; The CW Acquires Bob ♥ Abishola Reruns; Remembering Alan Rachins of Dharma & Greg
11/07 - A Very Merry MeTV 2024 Schedule; Stranger Things Final Season in 2025
11/06 - Outer Banks to End with Season 5; Nothing to See Here Season 2 on Netflix
11/05 - ABC Holiday Schedule for 2024; NBC Holiday Schedule for 2024
11/04 - Freeform's 25 Days of Christmas Schedule 2024; A Nostalgic Night with Macaulay Culkin at NJPAC
11/03 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of November 4, 2024)
11/02 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Simpsons Themed Monday Night Football Alternate Telecast in December; MeTV Planning for Christmas
11/01 - BET+ Renews Churchy for Season 2 and The Ms. Pat Show for Season 5; Remembering Teri Garr
10/31 - Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage Gets Full Season Order; Fox's Going Dutch Trailer
10/30 - Clifton Davis Joins CBS Daytime's Beyond the Gates; Ronny Chieng's 3rd Netflix Special
10/29 - The Simpsons Monday Night Football Disney+ Telecast; Prime Video Announces The Sticky
10/28 - Fortune Feimster Gets 3rd Netflix Special; Cruel Intentions Series for Prime Video
10/27 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of October 28, 2024)
10/26 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Matlock Renewed for Second Season; Happy's Place Off to a Solid Start
10/25 - Peacock's Based on a True Story Returns November 21; CBS to Honor Jerry Mathers at Awards Show
10/24 - Family Guy's Gift of the White Guy Holiday Special; Laid Arrives December 19 on Peacock
10/23 - Bad Sisters Season 2 Returns November 13; Trailer for Hulu's Interior Chinatown
10/22 - Goosebumps: The Vanishing Premieres January 10; Michelle Buteau Gets 2nd Netflix Special
10/21 - Fox Adds Martin Short to Grimsburg; Secret Level Cast Announced by Prime Video
10/20 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of October 21, 2024)
10/19 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Rick and Morty Renewed for Two More Seasons; A Look at Abbott Elementary and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Crossover
10/18 - Apple TV+ Renews Shrinking for Season 3; Guest Voices for Phineas and Ferb New Season
10/17 - Watson Premieres January 2025 on CBS; Anthony Jeselnik Gets 3rd Netflix Comedy Special
10/16 - Lifetime's It's a Wonderful Lifetime 2024 Schedule; YouTube Sitcom Gets Season 4
10/15 - Tom Papa Is Home Free on Netflix; Apple TV+ Reveals Season 2 Details for Silo
10/14 - ABC Halloween 2024 Schedule; Reba Creates Happy's Place Theme Song
10/13 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of October 14, 2024)
10/12 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Spinoff of The Big Bang Theory in the Works; Velma Canceled by Max
10/11 - Netflix Renews Nobody Wants This; Alicia Silverstone to Lead Acorn TV Series
10/10 - Max's The Sex Lives of College Girls Returns November 21; FETV Acquires Laramie
10/09 - HBO's Seth Meyers Special Debuts October 26; New Late Night Comedy Series Focuses on Crazy Florida
10/08 - Somebody Somewhere Returns for Final Season; Virgin River Season 6 Drops for Holiday Season