Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Leave it to Beaver Marathon on Antenna TV; Episodic Reviews: Suburgatory - "Apocalypse Meow" and "Stray Dogs" and How to Live with Your Parents - "How to Live with the Academy Awards Party" - All Airing Tonight on ABC

We just mentioned a few Leave it to Beaver news items recently, including about the sitcom leaving Antenna TV and moving to MeTV and also the passing of Frank Bank (Lumpy Rutherford). Now, we have news on a "farewell" marathon on Antenna TV, since the sitcom is leaving the network. Transform your Sunday into "Sonday" and spend Sunday, April 28 with America's favorite sons, Wally and the Beaver Cleaver. Antenna TV, which airs on 74 affiliates across the U.S., reaching 63% of TV households, will air a 40 episode/20 hour Leave it to Beaver marathon on Sunday, April 28 beginning at 9am ET and lasting through 5am ET. Here are a list of episodes in order of airing: Beaver's Hero, The Boat Builders, Beaver Becomes a Hero, Beaver's Freckles, Beaver Play Hooky, The Garage Painters, Beaver's Pigeons, The Haunted House, Beaver and Gilbert, The Bus Ride, A Horse Named Dick, Beaver Says Goodbye, Beaver's Newspaper, Friendship, Dance Contest, The Cookie Fund, Forgotten Party, Beaver the Athlete, Found Money, Most Interesting Character, Wally's Play, Beaver Finds a Wallet, Baby Picture, Pet Fair, Wally's Election, School Sweater, Beaver Makes a Loan, Larry's Club, Wally and Alma, Beaver's Big Contest, Beaver Won't Eat, Wally's Glamour Girl, Wally the Lifeguard, Beaver's IQ, Eddie's Double Cross, Miss Lander's Fiancée, Chuckie's New Shoes, Ward's Millions, Teacher's Daughter and Beaver and Kenneth. Stay with us for continued updates on all things Leave it to Beaver!




On the next...Suburgatory:
By: Pavan

ABC's Comedy Wednesday sitcom starring Jane Levy and Jeremy Sisto, airs Wednesday nights at 8:30pm and we have just watched the two-episode season finale that airs tonight (April 17), starting at a special time of 8pm ET. In the first episode airing tonight, "Apocalypse Meow," Dallas (Cheryl Hines) offers to help George (Jeremy Sisto) tell Tessa (Jane Levy) that he's sold their house and that they're combining residences, but it doesn't go as planned. The rift between Dalia (Carly Chaikin) and Tessa widens as Dalia goes out of her way to make Tessa miserable and Tessa seeks break-up revenge. Meanwhile, Noah (Alan Tudyk) obsesses over Carmen (guest star Bunnie Rivera) even though she's dating his therapist (guest star Todd Louiso). On the season finale, "Stray Dogs," Sheila (Ana Gasteyer) launches a chastity campaign in Chatswin and convinces Mr. Wolfe (Rex Lee) to throw a Chastity Ball at the high school, assuming that Lisa (Allie Grant) will be crowned queen of the ball. Meanwhile George (Jeremy Sisto) buys a house for Dallas (Cheryl Hines) and receives a visit from her ex-husband (guest star Jay Mohr), and Tessa (Jane Levy) sets up residence in her bathroom stall at school.

The 2-episode season finale continues where we left off last week. Things are getting interesting and soapy between Dalia and Tessa after Tessa finds out that Dalia was the reason why she and Ryan broke up. The first half-hour sets-up the finale with George selling the house but he still hasn't told Tessa. Dallas offers to help tell her, but will she actually do it and Tessa finds out another way? There's also a nice scene between Dalia and "Daddy" Altman (aka George), while Tessa and Dallas indulge in pasta before Tessa tells how she really feels about Dalia. I'm still not 100% sure why Dalia is trying to mess everything up for Tessa, but we have an all-out cat fight in the episode and it is pretty physical. Not quite campy like Dynasty or Desperate Housewives, but maybe a bit more realistic. In other plotlines, Lisa has a hilarious one about "meow mixes." It's hilarious. The plotline about Noah trying to get revenge on Dr. Bob over the Carmen thing is getting old and needs to end, I think. Either put them together or just stop it. The first half-hour ends with Tessa saying she's "outta here"...you'll have to see why.



In the second half-hour, Tessa is looking for places to stay. She can't find anyone to stay with, so she ends up staying temporarily in the school bathroom. The other plotlines for this episode are the Chastity Ball hosted by Sheila (but her expectations are not met) and of course Dallas and George preparing to move into their new house. There is so much that happens during the rest of the finale that it is best I not say. The finale is well-written and has so many "oh my god" moments. We have a lot of cliffhangers, surprise returns (I'll tell you one person who returns: Dallas' ex-husband and he tries to start a cat fight of his own) and a stray dog. I can't really say what a stray dog has to do with all this, but it will make sense when you watch the finale tonight. Does Dalia want her father back or does she want Daddy Altman instead? And why is she trying to make Tessa's life a living hell? Is it because she wants George all to herself? I don't know, but that Dalia is one interesting and complex character. We have a nice moment between Tessa and Ryan as well, but will it last? It's a great finale for a great show. I can't wait for next season, which I'm about 95% sure will happen. Tune in tonight for great storylines and writing. First episode: B+, Second episode: A-




On the next...How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life):
By: Skees

ABC's Comedy Wednesday sitcom starring Sarah Chalke, Elizabeth Perkins and Brad Garrett and airs Wednesday nights at 9:30pm and we have just watched the next episode that airs tonight (April 17). In the episode airing tonight, "How To Live With The Academy Awards Party," the family celebrate their favorite holiday - the Oscars. Polly (Sarah Chalke) invites an old classmate over for the event and tries to impress him (guest star Reid Scott). Meanwhile, Max (Brad Garrett) thinks that Elaine (Elizabeth Perkins) has too close a relationship with her brother (guest star)Joe Wengert, and tensions explode at the party.

In this episode we get to enjoy a very special holiday episode... or at least something that Max and Elaine consider to be a holiday, the Oscars. With the big Oscar party coming up, Polly decides to reinvent her life, quite literally, when she has the opportunity to be with an old classmate whom she only remembers through a rear-view mirror. Only now, he seems to have found great success in life. It seems that we have yet another dating episode of the series (and perhaps a series of mishaps), and honestly, I often find such episodes to be a bit too predictable. But I actually didn't mind this one, and thought that it was a rather enjoyable episode. Essentially, for Polly to get what she wants, she decides to pretend to be somebody that she isn't, and the family is rather supportive of that. But there was a bit of suspense in the episode, wondering if/when she'll be caught and what the outcome of being caught would be. As much as I enjoyed that element of suspense, I actually found the end result to be predictable, but it was still an enjoyable plot nonetheless.



While I enjoyed the main plot of the episode, I do feel that the B-plots were rather weak. The first one involves the relationship between Max and Elaine's brother, where there is clearly some animosity, but the story doesn't really seem to be fully developed. We're told that it is about taking sides, but it didn't seem to be much to explain why anybody was taking sides. We tend to expect a bit more of an explanation in modern sitcoms. Meanwhile, over at Julian's place, Natalie is having a pretty miserable time (something that seems to be a regular thing no matter what Natalie is doing), but once again, this doesn't all quite make sense either, as this isn't fully explained either. Regardless, I found this to be another decent episode of a series that I'm hoping we'll see quite a bit more of. A-


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Sunday, November 1

Animal Control - "Bugs and Rabid Dogs" (Fox, 7:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Frank goes undercover at Roman's new privatized animal control company, Pax Romana.

Universal Basic Guys - "La Gloire Du Bouffon" (Fox, 7:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Mark learns to play a new instrument; Tammy confronts her fear of clowns.

The Simpsons - "Testing 1-2-3" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT)
In what she argues is not an attempt to get extra time on tests, Lisa has herself evaluated for three types of neurodiversity -- which remind her of behaviors she's witnessed in Principal Skinner, Comic Boy and Homer.

Animal Control - "Sled Dogs and Kitty Litter" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Victoria balances pig parenting with a hot date.

Universal Basic Guys - "Termination: Salvation" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Mark teaches Andrea how to live the post-work lifestyle; Hank helps a robot find joy.

Grimsburg - "CrimeShare" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
The precinct goes on an office retreat.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of October 26)

Friday, October 30

  • Kate Berlant (Ghosted/Search Party) - Watch Kate on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Kristen Bell (Nobody Wants This/Central Park/The Good Place) - Kristen appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Joe Manganiello (Mythic Quest/How I Met Your Mother) - Joe is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary) - Quinta appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Natasha Leggero (Broke/Dice/Another Period/Free Agents) and Tommy Davidson (The Varnell Hill Show/The Proud Family/Malcolm & Eddie/Between Brothers) - Natasha and Tommy will be on a repeat of Funny You Should Ask at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep/The New Adventures of Old Christine/Watching Ellie/Seinfeld/Day by Day) and Allison Janney (Mom/Mr. Sunshine) - Julia and Allison talk about Broadway's Other Desert Cities on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
  • Jerry O'Connell (We Are Men/Do Not Disturb/Carpoolers/My Secret Identity) - Jerry appears on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Sophia Bush (Partners) - Sophia talks about And I Will Tell You Mine: Notes from a Life in Progress on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
  • Sherri Shepherd (Mr. Iglesias/Trial & Error/Sherri/Less Than Perfect/Suddenly Susan) - Sherri talks about Broadway's Aladdin on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
  • Karyn Parsons (The Job/Lush Life/The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) - Karyn discusses her new novel, Blue Beach, and her iconic role as Hilary Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
  • Marilu Henner (Taxi/Evening Shade) - Marilu is a guest on New York Living on WPIX in New York.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Abbott Elementary - The Complete Fourth Season (DVD) The Office - The Complete Series - Superfan Extended Episodes (Blu-ray) The Bill Dana Show - The Complete Series (DVD) I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray) Perfect Strangers - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

01/20/26 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27/26 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11/26 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (Blu-ray)
03/24/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
04/11/26 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Fourth Season (DVD)
04/21/26 - Famous Studios Champion Collection (Blu-ray) (DVD)
05/19/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (DVD)
05/19/26 - Looney Tunes Cartoons - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
06/16/26 - Difficult People - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
06/30/26 - Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
07/14/26 - The Office - The Complete Series - Superfan Extended Episodes (Blu-ray)
07/28/26 - The Bill Dana Show - The Complete Series (DVD)
07/28/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray)
07/28/26 - The Paper - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
08/25/26 - Perfect Strangers - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/08/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 3 (Blu-ray)
09/22/26 - Bridget Loves Bernie - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
10/20/26 - The Quick Draw McGraw Show - The Complete Series (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

10/31 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Criminal Minds Coming to an End; Baywatch Premiere Date Set
10/30 - VH1 to Bring Back America's Funniest People Starring Ms. Pat; Remembering Barbara Barrie and Patrick Stewart
10/29 - Peacock's Dig Trailer and Artwork; The CW 2026 Holiday Programming with A Very Brady Christmas, A Flintstone Christmas and More
10/28 - ABC 2026 Holiday Programming; Remembering Susan Saint James of Kate & Allie
10/27 - Fox's Baywatch Premieres January 6; aspireTV's First Sitcom Premieres January 7
10/26 - COZI TV's Halloween Schedule with Roseanne, George Lopez, The Munsters and More; Chloe Radcliffe: Eyes Down Here Stand-up Special
10/25 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of October 26, 2026)
10/24 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Reboots in the Works for Coach and Glee; Saturday Night Live Sets November Hosts
10/23 - Prime Video Renews Carrie for Season 2; Remembering Richard Riehle of Grounded for Life
10/22 - Abbott Elementary Returns Big After 7 Day Viewing; BET Renews ComicView: Rooftop Series
10/21 - Charmed Joining Hulu This Huluween; Prime Video's Comedy Variety Series Hosted by Nick Kroll
10/20 - Hulu's Phony Premieres Today; Janelle James Netflix Comedy Special Drops November 10
10/19 - Lil Kev Season 2 Premieres December 9; It's a Wonderful Lifetime 2026 Schedule
10/18 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of October 19, 2026)
10/17 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Hulu Picks Up Reboot for The X-Files; Roseanne Self-Produces New Sitcom
10/16 - Christa B. Allen in Night of January 16th Play Through Sunday; Remembering Sitcom Writer and Producer Bernie Orenstein
10/15 - Guest Stars for Peacock's Comedy Dig; Apple TV Renews Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed for Season 2
10/14 - HBO Brings Back Girls for 5 Episodes; Hulu's The X-Files Picked Up to Series
10/13 - Full Cast for Three's Company Live Reading in New York City; High Potential to Air After Super Bowl on ABC
10/12 - Bob's Burgers Holiday Special on Hulu; The Rookie and The Rookie: North Wednesdays on ABC in January
10/11 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of October 12, 2026)
10/10 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Colin Jost and Danny Chun to Launch Free Streaming Comedy; Paramount/Warner Merger Completed
10/09 - Apple TV Comedy Stick Returns November 4; News from New York Comic Con 2026 Day One
10/08 - FETV Acquires I Dream of Jeannie and The Bionic Woman; Netflix Renews The Hunting Wives for Season 3, Before Season 2 Launch
10/07 - More Live Three's Company Readings; Lucy Hale is Scarlett Holmes for Roku in 2027
10/06 - NBC's Happy Place Season 3 Trailer; Apple TV's Imperfect Women Renewed for Season 2
10/05 - A Different World to Return for Season 2 on Netflix; Prime Video's Barbershop Comedy Series Premieres February 10
10/04 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of October 5, 2026)
10/03 - SitcomsOnline Digest: A Different World Renewed for Second Season; A First Look at Ted: The Animated Series
10/02 - Mike Judge's Beavis and Butt-Head Season 4 Launch; Anthony Anderson Returns to Soul Train Awards
10/01 - Ted: The Animated Series Premieres December 17 on Peacock; Trailer for Apple TV's Small Prophets