SitcomsOnline Digest: Disney Shows Confidence in Boy Meets World Spinoff; Bill Cosby to Return to NBC?

Saturday, January 25, 2014

SitcomsOnline Digest: Disney Shows Confidence in Boy Meets World Spinoff; Bill Cosby to Return to NBC?

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! We're back on another cold and snowy (depending upon where you are) winter weekend with news about a possible Bill Cosby sitcom on NBC, updates on Girl Meets World, and even an update on a Kickstarter project to bring The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet to DVD. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

Cable series often tend to operate at a different pace than broadcast series, but Disney is showing plenty of confidence with their upcoming series Girl Meets World, a spinoff of the much beloved sitcom Boy Meets World. This week, it was announced that the series would be given a full season order of 21 episodes. (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
It looks like Bill Cosby's hopes of returning to TV in a sitcom are rising a bit, and it could happen at a place that he previously called home: NBC. Could such a series revive sitcoms for NBC,? (Deadline)
Speaking of NBC, it looks as if they'll likely be renewing the ratings challenged (but much loved by fans and critics) sitcom Parks and Recreation for a seventh season. Will another season Community be next? (Deadline)
With Seth Meyers set to leave Saturday Night Live to take over at Late Night, the Weekend Update segment is getting a new co-anchor to join Cecily Strong. This week, it was announced that head writer Colin Jost will take this role. (Entertainment Weekly)
Adult Swim aired another (supposedly the final) installment of The Greatest Event in Television History this week, where they did a shot-for-shot re-creation of the opening credits of yet another classic TV series. The choice this time was the sitcom Bosom Buddies, and it is worth checking out. (Time)

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

It has been a long time since we've heard from Sam Nelson (grandson of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, by the way) about his project to restore The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet in order to release it on DVD, so long that we were concerned that he may have abandoned his Kickstarter project. Yesterday, he posted an update (it is only available to those who have supported the project on Kickstarter, but you can read it all here) where he indicates that he is indeed working with the UCLA Film and Television Archive to restore the series to its original glory. He says that it may not be possible to bring all episodes back to their original form due to some issues over the years, but the goal is still to bring the series to DVD in the best way possible... we're very hopeful!
For the few fans of the series who don't already own the complete series on either DVD or Blu-ray, RLJ Entertainment is bringing a smaller set of The Dick Van Dyke Show to DVD, with some of Mary Tyler Moore's best episodes, in The Dick Van Dyke Show - Classic Mary Tyler Moore Episodes. The set will contain 20 episodes at a $24.98 MSRP, to be released on April 1.

RECENT HOME MEDIA REVIEWS ON SITCOMSONLINE

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/marriedwithchildrenseasons1and2millcreekdvdreview.html

Married with Children - Seasons One and Two (Mill Creek): The Bundys return to DVD in this three disc re-release from Mill Creek.
Newhart - The Complete Second Season: Shout! Factory finally brings fans more of this great series to DVD, although there are a few video quality issues and some syndication edits in the set.

FOLLOW ME

Who to Follow: Simon Helberg (Twitter), "i act. i play music. i was born two years before my siamese twin...so annoying. and i have an autographed first edition of the Bible."

Claim to Fame: Simon Helberg's earliest TV appearances were almost exclusively in guest starring roles (sometimes appearing a few times), in series such as Popular, Undeclared, MADtv, Arrested Development, Joey, and others. But none of those roles are ones that he is really known for. That role would be the current role that he plays, of Howard Wolowitz on the CBS series The Big Bang Theory.

Pick of the Tweets: "How do we know the Flinstone Kids are 10 million strong and growing? Who did that poll? Wasn't that the Nazi Party's theme song? I'm scared." (July 24, 2012)

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Thursday, March 12

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "A Big Birthday and Tequila Shots" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Mandy struggles to celebrate Georgie’s 21st birthday after hitting a rough patch in her career.

Ghosts - "St. Hetty’s Day 2: The Help" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
A St. Patrick’s Day staffing emergency gives Hetty the chance to step into an unlikely role at the restaurant as she regains her once-a-year ability to be seen and heard by the living. Meanwhile, Kyle returns to watch over the ghosts and finds himself caught in an amusing supernatural dynamic.

Animal Control - "Squirrels and Fat Cats" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Frank uncovers Emily and Shred's secret romance during a break-in at city supply; Victoria and Patel confront his daughter's school bully.

Going Dutch - "Tinker, Tailor, Colonel, Spy" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Rick takes a sabbatical from the CIA and returns to the base, hoping to rekindle his strained relationship with Capt. Maggie; paranoia runs high when a mole is suspected to be operating inside the base.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 9)

Thursday, March 12

Will Forte (The Four Seasons/HouseBroken/MacGruber/The Last Man on Earth/The Cleveland Show) - Catch Will on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Minnie Driver (Emily in Paris/Speechless/About a Boy) - Minnie is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Wanda Sykes (The Upshaws/The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - Wanda appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Robert Smigel (Let's Be Real) - Robert stops by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Kristin Chenoweth (Stumble/Trial & Error/Kristin) - Kristin is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Jennifer Tilly (Out of Practice) - Andy Cohen interviews Jennifer on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 10pm on Bravo.
Nathan Lane (Mid-Century Modern/Only Murders in the Building/Modern Family/Charlie Lawrence/Encore! Encore!/One of the Boys) - Nathan talks about Broadway's Death of a Salesman with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Ariana DeBose (Schmigadoon!) - Ariana joins Tamron to talk about her fashion evolution and her role in the all-star cast of the new series Scarpetta on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
Lauren Graham (The Z-Suite/M.Y.O.B./Conrad Bloom/Townies/Good Company) - Lauren talks about Reminders of Him on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Cafe Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - NBC's Today catches up with Valerie in the 10am hour.
Phil Rosenthal (Creator of Everybody Loves Raymond) - Phil and Lily Rosenthal join Drew for a taste test of weird foods and talk about their children's book Just Try It! Someplace New! (A Phil & Lil Book) on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.