PBS to Air 4th Season of Pioneers of Television in April; CMT Celebrates 35th Anniversary of Dukes of Hazzard

Thursday, January 23, 2014

PBS to Air 4th Season of Pioneers of Television in April; CMT Celebrates 35th Anniversary of Dukes of Hazzard

Standup comedians who landed sitcoms, TV doctors and nurses, standout comedy actors, and the people who broke the color barrier on television, are the subjects explored when Pioneers of Television returns to PBS this April, offering inside stories from some of America's most beloved television stars. The fourth season of the Emmy-nominated series reveals intriguing behind-the-scenes stories and fascinating facts about television's most well-known and influential celebrities. On January 21 at the semi-annual Television Critics Association conference, Ray Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond), Bob Newhart (The Bob Newhart Show, Newhart), Jimmie Walker (Good Times), Leslie Uggams (The Leslie Uggams Show) and George Takei (Star Trek) introduced television critics to the exciting upcoming season with a panel discussion and an inside look at season four. New interviews with legendary stars, including Robin Williams, Roseanne Barr and Dick Van Dyke, and never-before-seen images mix with timeless footage that continues to entertain TV viewers decades later. Pioneers of Television's first-hand look at the medium is guided by the stories of television icons who appear in memorable footage and reminisce about the iconic genres they helped popularize.

The genres highlighted in this season of four one-hour Pioneers of Television episodes include:

STANDUP TO SITCOM
This star-packed episode features fresh interviews with Jerry Seinfeld, Roseanne Barr, Tim Allen, Ray Romano, and Bob Newhart. The program reveals how America's top standup comics made the transition to the sitcom form; and includes dozens of clips from Seinfeld, Home Improvement, Everybody Loves Raymond, Roseanne, and more.

DOCTORS AND NURSES
From George Clooney on ER to Richard Chamberlain on Dr. Kildare, television's long love affair with doctors and nurses shows no signs of letting up. Noah Wyle, Anthony Edwards, Gloria Reuben and Eriq LaSalle open up about the secrets of ER; Howie Mandel, Ed Begley Jr. and Christina Pickles revisit St. Elsewhere. The episode also features the final interview with Chad Everett of Medical Center before his recent death.

ACTING FUNNY
This episode peeks behind the curtain to reveal the backstage techniques of America's favorite comedic actors. The program features the manic improvisational style of Robin Williams, along with his comic predecessor Jonathan Winters. They're a fascinating contrast to Tina Fey, who explains her measured, highly prepared approach. The episode also highlights the all-time #1 Emmy winner for comedy acting: Cloris Leachman.

BREAKING BARRIERS
This episode traces the story of people of color on American television — including the mid-1960s breakthroughs of African Americans Diahann Carroll (Julia) and Bill Cosby (I Spy). Latino landmarks range from I Love Lucy with Desi Arnaz to Miami Vice with Edward James Olmos. Also featured are Asian Americans like George Takei (Star Trek), who details his youth spent in a Japanese American internment camp.

The Dukes of Hazzard

CMT will celebrate a milestone 35 years since The Dukes of Hazzard first launched with eight back-to-back hours of the most-loved episodes on Sunday, January 26 beginning at 2:00 pm, ET/PT. For a chance to see their name and favorite Dukes fact on television, fans are invited to be part of the fast-moving episodes by sharing Dukes facts on facebook.com/TheDukesRideAgain and on Twitter using #Dukes35. The series returned to CMT earlier this month, airing for the first time in high-definition. The iconic television series originally launched on January 26, 1979, and exploded as a pop culture phenomenon throughout its successful seven-year run. Bo, Luke and Daisy Duke, along with their Uncle Jesse, fought the corrupt political system of Hazzard County, and made short-shorts, fast cars and CB radios cool around the globe.

For a full lineup and episode descriptions, visit CMT.com. The Dukes of Hazzard airs weekdays at Noon and 8:00 p.m., ET/PT on CMT.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Tuesday, April 1

St. Denis Medical - "Anything to Push Zaluva" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Ron's teasing makes Joyce question whether her friendship with a pharmaceutical rep is genuine; Alex has trouble letting Serena take on a new task; Matt finds a mentor in Bruce.

Night Court - "Hot to Trot" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Abby's friendship with her ex-boyfriend's mother leads to romantic complications; when Julianne's wealthy aunt passes away, the gang vies for a piece of her inheritance.

Tyler Perry's House of Payne - "Love At First Swipe" (BET, 9:00PM ET/PT)
C.J. and Janine receive marital advice from an unlikely source; Peanut seeks help with his newfound online lover.

Tyler Perry's Assisted Living - "Failure 2 Launch" (BET, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Assisted Living is the new situation comedy by Tyler Perry about three generations who must make a new start in the rural backwoods of Georgia.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 31)

Tuesday, April 1

Adam Scott (Ghosted/Veep/Parks and Recreation/Party Down) - Catch Adam on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Kevin Bacon (I Love Dick) - Kevin is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Amanda Peet (Brockmire/Togetherness/Bent) - Amanda appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Paul Rudd (The Shrink Next Door/Living with Yourself/Wild Oats) - Paul stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Ike Barinholtz (The Studio/The Afterparty/Bless the Harts/The Mindy Project/Eastbound & Down) - Ike appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He will also be on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9:30pm on Bravo.
Vinny Thomas (Platonic), Paul F. Tompkins (The Great North/BoJack Horseman/DAG) and Aparna Nancherla (The Great North/Lopez vs Lopez/Corporate) - Vinny, Paul and Aparna are guests on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
Chase Sui Wonders (The Studio/Bupkis) and Kathryn Hahn (The Studio/Tiny Beautiful Things/Central Park/Happyish/Transparent/Free Agents) - Chase and Kathryn are guests on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9:30pm on Bravo.
Will Ferrell (The Office) and Jennifer Coolidge (2 Broke Girls/Joey) - E! News has interviews with Will and Jennifer at 11pm on E!.
Román Zaragoza (Ghosts) - Román talks about Ghosts on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Jenny Slate (The Great North/Big Mouth/Married/Bob's Burgers) - Jenny talks about Dying for Sex on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Michael Angarano (Laid/I'm Dying Up Here/Will & Grace) and Michael Cera (Life & Beth/Arrested Development/I Was a Sixth Grade Alien) - Michael and Michael talk about Sacramento with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Olivia Munn (Perfect Couples) - Olivia guest co-hosts NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Hannah Einbinder (Hacks) - Hannah talks about Hacks on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Tasha Smith (Survival of the Thickest/Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse/The Tom Show/Boston Common) and Tone Bell (Survival of the Thickest/Fam/Disjointed/Truth Be Told/Bad Judge/Whitney) - Tasha and Tone talk about the new season of Netflix’s Survival of the Thickest on Sherri, so check your local listings.
Kathryn Hahn (The Studio/Tiny Beautiful Things/Central Park/Happyish/Transparent/Free Agents) - Kathryn is dishing on her new comedy series The Studio on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Wilmer Valderrama (That '70s Show) - Wilmer and Freddy Rodriguez chat about their podcast Dos Amigos on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Brenda Song (Running Point/Dollface/Dads/The Suite Life on Deck/The Suite Life of Zack & Cody) - Brenda talks about Netflix's Running Point on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Paul Walter Hauser (The Afterparty) - Paul is a guest on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:40am.