Tuesday, March 04, 2014

Dancing with the Stars Season 18 Cast Has Sitcom Stars; Episodic Reviews: The Goldbergs - "Goldbergs Never Say Die" Airing Tonight on ABC and Brooklyn Nine-Nine - "Tactical Village Day" Airing Tonight on Fox

Dancing with the Stars - Season 18

ABC has announced the stellar new cast of Dancing with the Stars. Season 18's dynamic lineup of stars includes plenty of sitcom actors, two Olympic Gold Medalists, a game show host, a swimming legend and a teen pop star. The two-hour season premiere will air on Monday, March 17 at 8:00-10:01 p.m. on ABC.

Sitcom stars appearing this season will be Candace Cameron Bure (Full House), Drew Carey (The Drew Carey Show, The Price Is Right), NeNe Leakes (The New Normal, The Real Housewives of Atlanta), James Maslow (Big Time Rush) and Danica McKellar (The Wonder Years). Other celebrities include former pro hockey player Sean Avery, Olympic Gold Medalists Meryl Davis and Charlie White, swimming legend Diana Nyad, Paralympic snowboarder Amy Purdy, pop star singer Cody Simpson and actor Billy Dee Williams.

In a first for Dancing with the Stars, the competition will feature a new game changing twist called The Switch Up. This season, America will be given the power to vote and change celebrities and professional dance pairings. This new rule will affect all couples as they will be required to switch partners at a point in the season. Never before have dance partnerships been split up during the course of competition.

Viewers may cast their votes for their favorite teams via phone on Monday nights during and up to 60 minutes after the end of the Dancing with the Stars broadcast in each time zone. Online voting at www.ABC.com and on Facebook at https://apps.facebook.com/votedwts/ is open for 24 hours, beginning from the start of each episode on the East Coast at 8:00 p.m., ET/5:00 p.m., PT and closing at 8:00 p.m., ET/5:00 p.m., PT on Tuesday evenings. For the final week, on Monday, May 19, online voting will open for 15 hours, beginning from the start of the episode on the East Coast at 8:00 p.m., ET/5:00 p.m., PT and closing at 11:00 a.m., ET/8:00 a.m., PT the next day. A custom Facebook app lets fans vote, share whom they voted for and say why, as well as see whom friends voted for.






On the next...The Goldbergs:
By: Pavan

ABC's Tuesday freshman comedy anchor set in the '80s, airs Tuesday nights at 9:00pm and we have just watched the next episode that airs tonight (March 4). In the episode airing tonight, "Goldbergs Never Say Die," Adam (Sean Giambrone) is obsessed with the movie The Goonies and when Beverly's (Wendi McLendon-Covey) mother's jewelry goes missing, he bands together Erica (Hayley Orrantia), Barry (Troy Gentile) and his friends Emmy Mirksy (Stephanie Katherine Grant), Dana Caldwell (Natalie Alyn Lind) and Chad Kremp (Jacob Hopkins) to look for the missing treasure, just like the film.

The Goldbergs is a hilarious show that keeps getting better and better. Sometimes you even forget we are back in 1980-something. We're really invested in this family and the series might be set in the '80s but this family is still very relatable in 2014. Tonight's episode shows us why this family is special. The kids, parents and granpda are all just so essential to this show and each one of them were vital to tonight's plot. The episode centers around a comical spoof of the hit movie The Goonies when Adam assembles a group of his friends, both of his siblings and even a random guy Adam doesn't know that well named Dave Kim to play "Data." It's so funny! They are trying to find some missing jewelry that belonged to Beverly's mom and leave it to Adam to try to find it. It's a fun adventure and you'll be saying "Goldbergs Never Say Die!" I mean there are no pirates or anything here, but we get a cool treasure map!



This is such a gem of a show. It has quietly become one of the best family comedies on television right now, right up there in the same league as Modern Family and The Middle. The show is consistently funny and you can tell the family loves each other. They might call each other "morons" or "putz" but that is what makes this family so real (and funny in the process). If there is no yelling at each other, then there is no Goldbergs frankly. ABC has found a treasure of a show in The Goldbergs. Never Say Die, because this show is going to be around for quite some time (and even Nielsen is beginning to think that). B+




On the next...Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox, 9:30pm):
By: Vincent

Fox's new Tuesday police comedy starring an ensemble cast airs Tuesdays at 9:30pm and we have just watched the next episode that airs tonight (March 4). In the episode airing tonight, "Tactical Village Day," a mandatory training course in which all the regional precincts compete. While at the course, Amy (Melissa Fumero) runs into Teddy (guest star Kyle Bornheimer, Worst Week, Romantically Challenged), a fellow officer whom she used to date. Meanwhile, Holt (Andre Braugher) becomes addicted to a game on his phone and Rosa (Stephanie Beatriz) is angry with Charles (Joe Lo Truglio) for not inviting her to his wedding.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine has established itself over the course of its first season as being a very well-constructed sitcom. From nearly the very first episode, the show functioned like a well-oiled machine – its characters were solidly established and relatable, its actors gelled together to form a genuine ensemble, and the writing was clever and frequently hilarious. These are all hallmarks of a truly great sitcom, and most shows don't hit this kind of balance until much later in their first seasons. Because it started off so well, Brooklyn Nine-Nine could've easily coasted from there on out and remained an enjoyable show. And in fact, there are times when I sort of feel like the show is coasting a little bit. Over the back half of the season, there have been several episodes that felt like the show was on auto-pilot, hitting its familiar beats well but never eclipsing them. Luckily, Brooklyn Nine-Nine's beats are funny enough that this still made for a pretty great show, but it was a bit dismaying to see the show not pushing itself.



Luckily, the past few episodes have been really promising step forwards for the show, and tonight's episode is a strong contender for the shows' best episode yet. Aside from a hilarious plotline featuring Gina and Captain Holt that sees Holt getting addicted to a Candy Crush-esque game on his cell phone, "Tactical Village" puts most of its cast in the same location – a 'tactical village' training program that requires the officers to act out a hostage simulation. This, predictably, leads to many extremely funny sequences, but what was most interesting was the way the show used the simulation to expose some of the feelings the precinct members are hiding from each other. Without spoiling anything, there's some very interesting character moments between both Jake and Amy and Rosa and Boyle, and – for the first time in this show – the episode ends on a bit of a somber, uncertain note for both pairings. The shows' handling of Rosa and Boyle, in particular, feels very well-done, in the show is focusing on the effects that Boyle's past feelings for Rosa is having on their friendship, rather than being caught up in relationship drama. I'm genuinely curious to see what's next for these characters, and I'm excited that the show seems to be pulling off an intriguing endgame for the end of its first season. A-


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Thursday, March 19

Animal Control - "Dragons and Dognappers" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Rob Gronkowski returns and asks the team for help rehoming a zebra; Emily and Shred's first date goes awry when they unexpectedly run into Daisy and Patel on their night out; Frank must defend Templeton when Templeton is accused of dognapping.

Going Dutch - "Farmer's Mark-tet Offensive" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
After a messy breakup, the Colonel and Katja find themselves going to war between the town and the base; Capt. Maggie tries to de-escalate the tension between the two ex-lovers and negotiate a truce.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 16)

Thursday, March 19

  • Sarah Shahi (Teachers) - Catch Sarah on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Michelle Pfeiffer (Delta House) - Michelle appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Matt Braunger (Up All Night) - Matt is a guest on a repeat of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Sarah Michelle Gellar (The Crazy Ones) - Andy Cohen interviews Sarah on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 10pm on Bravo.
  • Kerry Washington (UnPrisoned) - Kerry chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT. She can also be heard on the Morning Mash Up on SiriusXM.
  • Linda Cardellini (Dead to Me/Guys Like Us) - Linda talks about DTF St. Louis on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • Riz Ahmed (Bait) - Riz tells Sherri about his new comedy series Bait on Prime Video on Sherri, so check your local listings.
  • Ryan Michelle Bathe (First Wives Club/Retired at 35) - Ryan Michelle talks about Hulu's Paradise on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray) Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season (DVD) St. Denis Medical - Season One (Blu-ray) Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
08/26 - The Huckleberry Hound Show - The Complete Original Series (Blu-ray)
09/30 - Touché Turtle and Dum Dum - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
10/07 - Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season (DVD)
10/14 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
10/28 - St. Denis Medical - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/04 - Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - Rick and Morty - Season 8 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fifteenth Season (DVD)
11/11 - Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/02 - Tom and Jerry - The Golden Era Anthology (1940-1958) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
12/16 - Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/16 - Wally Gator - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
01/20 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (Blu-ray)
03/24 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 2 (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

03/19 - Netflix Casts Scooby-Doo Live-Action Series; Darren Star's Next Comedy Series Uncorked
03/18 - Saturday Night Live UK to Launch This Weekend; Hulu Renews Paradise for Season 3
03/17 - Netflix Renews Free Bert for Season 2; The Neighborhood: A Farewell Special in April
03/16 - Color Theories by Julio Torres on HBO; Lifetime's Ripped from the Headlines Spring Slate with Two New Movies
03/15 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 16, 2026)
03/14 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Family Guy's Stewie Griffin Getting Spinoff; NBCUniversal Cancels Several Daytime Shows, Including Last of the Daytime "Trash Talk"
03/13 - NBC Summer 2026 Schedule; Malcolm in the Middle Revival Series Trailer
03/12 - Season 9 of Rick and Morty This May; Fox Entertainment Studios Lines Up Frankie Quiñones for Comedy Series
03/11 - Antenna TV's Hazel 65th Anniversary Marathon; Kountry Wayne Prime Video Comedy Special
03/10 - XO, Kitty Season 3 Trailer Released for April 2 Launch; The Drew Barrymore Show Talker Gets 2 Season Renewal
03/09 - Beef Returns April 16 on Netflix; Remembering Jennifer Runyon of Charles in Charge
03/08 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 9, 2026)
03/07 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Scrubs Returns to Big Ratings; New Garfield Series Coming to Paramount+
03/06 - The Four Seasons Returns on May 28; More Details on I Suck at Girls
03/05 - COZI TV Pairs Up Al Bundy and Hondo at Last; ABC Renews Abbott Elementary for Season 6
03/04 - ABC's Scrubs Returns Big; Netflix's Little House on the Prairie Renewed for Season 2
03/03 - Prime Video's Kevin Premieres April 20; Fox Renews Best Medicine
03/02 - Running Point Returns April 23 on Netflix; A Different World Sequel Starts Production
03/01 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 2, 2026)
02/28 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Warner Now Set to Merge with Paramount, Not Netflix; X-Files Reboot Given Greenlight
02/27 - The Comeback Returns for Final Season on March 22; Animal Control Renewed for Season 5; Remembering Lauren Chapin of Father Knows Best and Robert Carradine of Lizzie McGuire
02/26 - AspireTV Gets First Ever Original Sitcom; Sullivan's Crossing Returns for Season 4 in April on The CW
02/25 - Scrubs Returns Tonight, Sneak Peek at Title Sequence; Stranger Things: Tales From '85 Reveals Odessa A'zion as Nikki Baxter
02/24 - Netflix's Wednesday Season 3 Adds to Cast; Wonder Pets: In the City Returns March 20
02/23 - Celebrities for ABC's Celebrity Jeopardy! All-Stars; Hallmark's Mistletoe Murders Renewed for Season 3
02/22 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of February 23, 2026)
02/21 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Hulu Orders New Adult Animated Comedy From Creator of Bluey; Casting News for Upcoming CBS Comedy Regency
02/20 - ABC Wednesday Comedies Find Valentine's Magic; Netflix Announces Dang!
02/19 - The Golden Girls Coming to MeTV in March; Adult Swim Announces My Two Cars