E! Brings in New Joel McHale Special Following Hit Series; UP's Saturday Schedule Now Back to All Sitcoms

Monday, June 17, 2013

E! Brings in New Joel McHale Special Following Hit Series; UP's Saturday Schedule Now Back to All Sitcoms

Community star Joel McHale just got a little more busier. For more than a decade, E!'s popular comedy franchise The Soup has entertained the pop culture cynic in all of us by mocking, dissecting and highlighting the most shameful moments in television and pop culture. From cringe worthy make out sessions at the Jersey Shore to Anderson Cooper's school girl giggle to Honey Boo Boo in all her glory, The Soup has been there every step of the way. But now, The Soup team, led by host Joel McHale, will delve deeper into the Hollywood vortex to examine pop culture mysteries, celebrity rumors and the shocking questions that entertainment fans never thought to ask... and probably shouldn't have. The new spin-off special The Soup Investigates premieres Wednesday, June 19 at 10:30pm ET/PT on E! following a new episode of The Soup at 10pm ET/PT.

Among the guests joining Joel McHale to discuss these investigations is Christine Lakin of Step by Step & Lovin' Lakin (pictured above with McHale). Some of the topics covered will be: How DOES that rose get from the grower's field to The Bachelor's hand just in time for the all-important rose ceremony? What do people, like Tila Tequila, really keep in their storage lockers? And how deep does the "Beliebers" dedication to their main man run? Host Joel McHale and our investigative reporters will be working around the clock to get to the truth by probing, penetrating and thrusting themselves into any and all forbidden places, shady sources, and promising leads. Stay tuned for further updates if this special turns into a series. And the more Lakin on our screens, the better!

The Saturday afternoon drama block on UP is now going back to sitcoms after just a few weeks. As we announced a few weeks ago, Saturday afternoons had four episodes of Touched by an Angel or 7th Heaven rotating each week from 1-5pm. Now sitcom marathons will take over from 1-5pm. 227 aired this past Saturday, with Sister, Sister airing this coming Saturday (June 22), and Moesha on June 29. The regular Saturday morning sitcoms will remain intact with an hour each of Smart Guy, Sister Sister, Moesha and 227 from 9am-1pm. This is not that big of a deal for Touched by an Angel and 7th Heaven because both also air on the regular weekday schedule.

No other schedule changes will be made on UP, so that means the weekday schedule will remain intact with The Waltons leading it off from 10am-12pm, followed by 7th Heaven at noon. Judging Amy airs from 1-3pm leading into Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman at 3. At 4pm, reruns of Heartland airs into back-to-back hours of 7th Heaven from 5-7pm. Then in primetime, Touched by An Angel airs back-to-back at 7 & 8pm. From 9-11pm, it is still different programming every night, with a day of Touched by an Angel, 7th Heaven, Heartland or original series Family Addition With Leigh Anne Tuohy. In late night, sitcoms are still intact with an hour of 227 at 11, Moesha from 12-1am, more 227 from 1-2am and Family Ties hour from 2-3am to close out the night.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Wednesday, October 20

The Goldbergs - "An Itch Like No Other" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
With Beverly’s encouragement, Mr. Glascott moves in next door to the Goldbergs and slowly goes from friendly neighbor to cluelessly intrusive. Adam and Murray become increasingly disgruntled while Beverly comes up with a plan to occupy Mr. Glascott’s time with a new friend, Mr. Woodburn. Meanwhile, Barry lands in urgent care with a case of poison ivy in a compromising area – his rear end. Erica and Geoff are called to task to take care of Barry and his ridiculous demands – inadvertently testing their parenting skills and patience with one another.

The Wonder Years - "The Lock In" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Dean is reluctant to attend the annual church lock-in until Kim tells him it’s where she got her first kiss. He enlists his friends to help him pair up with Keisa, but his plans are thwarted when he instead gets paired up with the pastor’s daughter, Charlene.

The Conners - "Trucking Live in Front of a Fully Vaccinated Studio Audience -- East Coast" (ABC, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Lights, Camera, Action: “The Conners” is going live for both the East and West Coast broadcasts of the season four premiere episode. This iconic TV family continues to deal with the current pandemic while navigating breakups and newfound sobriety, all while planning an upcoming wedding.

Home Economics - "Giant Jenga, $120" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Tom spirals when Connor dates a woman who broke his heart at summer camp. Then, family game night becomes an all-or-nothing competition between Marina and Denise.

Superstar - "Robin Williams" (ABC, 10:00PM ET/PT)
The new episode recounts his life through Robin Williams’ own voice, describing “the spark of madness” which defined his life. From his early days in the San Francisco Bay Area comedy scene to his meteoric rise on “Mork & Mindy,” the one-hour special explores the experiences that made Williams into a one-of-a-kind talent and reveals what gave voice to the characters in his mind. It also chronicles the creative force driving critically acclaimed films like “Good Will Hunting” and “Dead Poets Society,” as well as fan favorites such as “Aladdin.” The special explores his personal struggles, including substance abuse and depression, and his battle with Lewy Body Dementia before his tragic death in 2014. “Superstar: Robin Williams” features interviews with famous comedians and actors who knew and admired Williams, including Margaret Cho, Howie Mandel, Lewis Black, Jimmie Walker, Paula Poundstone, Gina Hecht and Pauly Shore, as well as Barry Levinson, director of multiple films starring Williams including “Good Morning, Vietnam.” The program also contains interviews with Williams from the ABC News archives, in which he opens up about his life and the highs and lows of his distinguished career.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of October 18)

Wednesday, October 20

Rami Malek (The War at Home) - Watch Rami on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Issa Rae (Insecure) - Issa appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Billy Bob Thornton (Hearts Afire) - Billy Bob is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Jamie Foxx (Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!/The Jamie Foxx Show) - Jamie appears on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) - Nick is a guest on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Trevor Noah at 11pm.
Leah Remini (Kevin Can Wait/The Exes/Family Tools/The King of Queens/Fired Up) - Leah guest hosts The Wendy Williams Show, so check your local listings.
Debra Messing (Will & Grace/Ned & Stacey) - Debra talks about her latest project: how self-care can change the world on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
Ron Howard (Arrested Development/Happy Days/The Andy Griffith Show) and Clint Howard (Gung Ho) - Ron and Clint discuss their new book, The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family, on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Amy Sedaris (No Activity/BoJack Horseman/Strangers with Candy) - It's a TV exclusive with sister and brother duo Amy and David Sedaris appearing together for the first time on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Jeremy Sisto (Suburgatory) - Jeremy talks about FBI on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
David Eigenberg (Sex and the City) - David talks about NBC's Chicago Fire on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) - Nick talks about Where the Deer and the Antelope Play: The Pastoral Observations of One Ignorant American Who Loves to Walk Outside on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.