Saturday, November 09, 2013

SitcomsOnline Digest: Bill Cosby Hoping to Return to Primetime; Busy January for Mill Creek

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! We're settling in for our second week of our new feature around here, and this week, we've got news about sitcoms in development, several new re-releases from Mill Creek, and more. Let's get going!


HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB
  • A lot of TV stars that we loved in the '70s and '80s have been making primetime comebacks recently, and now it seems that Bill Cosby wants to give it a shot too. Recently, he has re-teamed with The Cosby Show producer Tom Werner in hopes of developing a new family comedy that will focus on older children and their relationship with their parents. It isn't even close to being a done deal, but nonetheless, it is great to see that his career is far from finished. (TV Guide)
  • Just when it seemed that Fox was heading into the direction of maintaining a Sunday night lineup with only one Seth MacFarlane animated comedy (as American Dad moves to TBS and The Cleveland Show was canceled), things may be changing, as they announced that they picked up 13 episodes of a new animated series from the creator, Bordertown, which is about two families living in a southwest desert town on the border of the United States and Mexico. It will premiere next season (Entertainment Weekly).
  • Meanwhile, on the sitcom development front at ABC, The Neighbors creator Dan Fogelman and George Lopez co-creator Robert Borden think that America is ready to see The Golden Girls again... but this time, a male version. (Deadline)
  • TV Guide recently interviewed Ed Asner about his upcoming appearance on The Crazy Ones, and has a little bit to say about how the guys at WJM were snubbed in the recent reunion of The Mary Tyler Moore Show cast on Hot in Cleveland. (TV Guide)
  • E! used to air plenty of sitcoms years ago, but it has been a while since they've done it. But now they're airing a sitcom once again, with their addition of Saved by the Bell. (SitcomsOnline)

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
  • We mentioned several weeks ago that Mill Creek would be re-releasing several DVDs that Sony released years ago, and it appears that a great flood of these releases will be coming on January 22. Among these are Bewitched - Season 1, Bewitched - Season 2, Bewitched - Season 1 and 2, Charlie's Angels - Season 1, Good Times - Season 1, Good Times - Season 2, Good Times - Season 1 and 2, Just Shoot Me - Season 1, Just Shoot Me - Season 2, Just Shoot Me - Season 1 and 2, Married... with Children - Season 1, Married... with Children - Season 2, and Married... with Children - Season 1 and 2! That's a huge list! The single season releases will come at a $9.98 MSRP, while the double season releases will come at $14.98. By the way, according to TVShowsOnDVD.com, the first two seasons of Married... with Children will include the original theme song, although it is likely that the remaining seasons will be as they were when originally released... but we'll let you know when those seasons come.
  • Those releases aren't all for Mill Creek on January 22! They've also got a release of a series from CBS and a new one from the Carsey-Werner library Wings - Season 3 and 4, The Cosby Show - Season 1, The Cosby Show - Season 2, and The Cosby Show - Season 1 and 2. The runtime of the The Cosby Show - Season 1 set suggests that these will, in fact, be the unedited episodes.
  • Shout! Factory announced the release of a classic sitcom that seemed to be abandoned this week with their announcement of Newhart - The Complete Second Season. Uncomfirmed rumors (from reliable sources) indicate that we'll be seeing a few more abandoned classic series from the Fox library from Shout! Factory over the next year.
  • Shout! also announced that L.A. Law - Season One will be released on February 25. This marks the first time that the series has been released in the United States (although a region-free version was made available in the United Kingdom a few years ago).

NOVEMBER 12 HOME MEDIA RELEASES

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00EC9UI0C/ref=nosim/happydaysonline4-20
  • Family Ties - The Complete Series ($220.98): CBS brings all of the episodes of this classic series together in one collection, along with extra bonus material not included on the previous season release.
  • My Mother the Car - The Series ($24.96): TGG brings together every episode (or so we think, we're still not entirely certain since the list in the official amazon.com description is missing an episode) of the classic series that is loved by many, despite having the reputation of being one of the worst series of all time.
  • MADtv - The Complete Fourth Season ($29.93): Shout! Factory continues with another season of the late-night sketch comedy series that aired on Fox that competed with Saturday Night Live for several years.
  • The Mod Squad - The Complete Series ($269.99) and The Mod Squad - The Complete Series (gift set) ($180): The classic series makes it to DVD as a complete series for the first time (and inexplicably, with a deluxe version that costs much less than the regular version).

FOLLOW ME

Who to Follow: Donal Logue (Twitter), "Canadian born to Irish Parents & raised on the Mexican border (Nogales & El Centro). Currently rolling with #SOA #CopperTV & #Vikings peeps."
Claim to Fame: Donal Logue was best known for his movie roles in the '90s, but his claim to fame for sitcom fans came in 2001, with the Fox (and later The WB) series Grounded for Life. Since then, he has appeared in several episodes of ER and the short-lived ABC sitcom, The Knights of Prosperity. Currently, he appears in the BBC America series, Copper.
Pick of the Tweets: "Judging by CSI: Miami, Dade County is loaded. Must have spent millions on hologram computer monitors and Hummers alone." (March 17, 2013)


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Saturday, May 31

none scheduled

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of May 26)

Friday, May 30

  • Nathan Fielder (The Rehearsal/The Curse) - Watch Nathan on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Paula Poundstone (Home Movies) - Paula performs stand-up comedy on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Nathan Lane (Mid-Century Modern/Only Murders in the Building/Modern Family/Charlie Lawrence/Encore! Encore!/One of the Boys) - Nathan appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Ralph Macchio (Eight Is Enough) - Ralph swings by for a chat about Karate Kid: Legends on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Justina Machado (One Day at a Time) - Justina chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT. She also talks about Broadway's Real Women Have Curves: The Musical on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
  • Yara Shahidi (grown-ish/black-ish) - Yara is telling Drew about the new venture she's taking on, where she's currently at with dating and more on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Don Darryl Rivera (Only Murders in the Building) - Don talks about Broadway's Aladdin on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series Frasier (2023) - Season Two Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered) Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)

01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
05/13 - The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered)
06/06 - Shoresy - Season 2
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (Blu-ray)
07/08 - 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

05/31 - SitcomsOnline Digest: New King of the Hill Reboot Details; CBS Makes Late Night Changes
05/30 - FX's Adults Pilot Available on Social Platforms; BET and BET+ Premiere New Tyler Perry Series in June
05/29 - Netflix's New Chuck Lorre Sitcom Leanne; Apple TV+ Season 4 Premiere of The Morning Show
05/28 - Max Renews Hacks for Season 5; Byron Allen Coming Back to CBS Late Night
05/27 - Antenna TV Summer 2025 Schedule; Rewind TV Summer 2025 Schedule
05/26 - Memorial Day 2025 TV Sitcom Marathons
05/25 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of May 26, 2025)
05/24 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Zach Braff Joins Scrubs Reboot; 7th Heaven Reboot in the Works
05/23 - Discovery Channel's Shark Week with Tom Bergeron; Apple TV+ Season 2 of Hit Series
05/22 - TV Legend Henry Winkler's New HISTORY Series; The CW Renews Family Law
05/21 - Remembering George Wendt of Cheers; Platonic Season 2 First Look
05/20 - The CW Renews Trivial Pursuit and Scrabble; Mike Birbiglia: The Good Life on Netflix May 26
05/19 - North to Shore Festival Returns This June in NJ; S.W.A.T. Sets Spinoff Series
05/18 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of May 19, 2025)
05/17 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Netflix Picks Up New Dan Levy Comedy; First Look at King of the Hill Reboot Artwork
05/16 - Michael J. Fox to Guest Star on Shrinking; The CW Picks Up Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent
05/15 - 2025 Warner Bros. Discovery Upfront; 2025 Netflix Upfront
05/14 - Chad Powers Premieres September 30 on Hulu; Upfront Premiere Dates for FX on Hulu
05/13 - ABC Upfront 2025-26: Fall 2025 Schedule; Ted: The Animated Series Coming to Peacock
05/12 - NBC Upfront 2025-26: Fall 2025 Schedule; Fox Upfront 2025-26: Fall 2025 Schedule
05/11 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of May 12, 2025)
05/10 - SitcomsOnline Digest: NBC Cancels Night Court and Lopez vs. Lopez; ABC Renews Duo of Game Shows
05/09 - Peacock Orders Dig from Amy Poehler; Apple TV+ Comedy Stick Premieres June 4; Remembering Ruth Buzzi
05/08 - CBS 2025-26 Schedule; Animal Control and Going Dutch Renewed by Fox
05/07 - Netflix's A Man on the Inside Bulks Up Cast for Season 2; The Studio Renewed by Apple TV+
05/06 - Netflix's Long Story Short Announces Cast; NBC Renews All Chicago Series for 2025-26
05/05 - Antenna TV's The Partridge Family Mother's Day Marathon; Rewind TV's 227 40th Anniversary Marathon
05/04 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of May 5, 2025)
05/03 - SitcomsOnline Digest: CBS Cancels The Equalizer; Wisteria Lane Offshoot of Desperate Housewives in the Works
05/02 - USA and SYFY Announce Summer Premieres; CBC in Canada Renews 5 Series, Including Wild Cards
05/01 - ABC Summer 2025 Schedule; Audible Scripted Comedy Podcasts for Summer