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, April 25

Young Sheldon - "A Fancy Article and a Scholarship for a Baby" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Sheldon’s published paper leads to a frenzy of grad school recruiting, and Georgie tries to speak more properly in front of his daughter.

Ghosts - "The Traveling Agent" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Pete discovers a power that he never knew he had – one that brings him closer to his buddy Jay (and further apart).

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of April 22)

Thursday, April 25

  • Rob McElhenney (Mythic Quest/It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) - Catch Rob on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Carol Burnett (Palm Royale/Mad About You/Mama's Family) - Carol appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Tim Robinson (Digman!/Detroiters) - Tim is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Wendell Pierce (The Odd Couple/The Michael J. Fox Show/The Weber/The Brian Benben Show/The Gregory Hines Show) - Wendell appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Fred Armisen (Los Espookys/Forever/Final Space) - Fred sits in with The 8G Band on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Jerry Seinfeld (Seinfeld) - E! News has an interview with Jerry at 11pm on E!. He also talks about Unfrosted on CBS Mornings some time between 7-9am.
  • Ronny Chieng (Young Rock/Ronny Chieng: International Student) - Ronny guest co-hosts Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
  • Jason Ritter (The Class) - Jason is a guest on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Jim Gaffigan (The Jim Gaffigan Show/My Boys/The Ellen Show/Welcome to New York) - Jim talks about Unfrosted on CBS Mornings some time between 7-9am. NBC's Today catches up with Jim in the 9am hour.
  • Vivica A. Fox (Mr. Box Office/Getting Personal/Arsenio/Out All Night) - Vivica talks about Not Another Church Movie in the 10am hour.
  • Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/CafĂ© Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - Valerie talks about her new book Indulge: Delicious and Decadent Dishes to Enjoy and Share on a repeat of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Pam Grier (Bless This Mess) - Pam talks about Prime Video's Them: The Scare on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
  • Luenell (Lopez) - Luenell stops by before her performance at the famous Apollo Theater in New York City on Sherri, so check your local listings.
  • Tichina Arnold (The Neighborhood/Survivor's Remorse/Happily Divorced/Everybody Hates Chris/Martin) - Tichina guest co-hosts The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.


New on DVD/Blu-ray

Father Knows Best - The Complete Series Three's Company - The Official 40th Anniversary Collection Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Too Close for Comfort - The Complete Series Check It Out! - The Complete Series

12/05 - Father Knows Best - The Complete Series
12/05 - The Odd Couple - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/12 - The Dick Van Dyke Show - The Complete Series
12/12 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
12/12 - That Girl - The Complete Series
12/15 - Letterkenny - Season 11
12/19 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Official Restored Complete Series
12/22 - Three's Company - The Official 40th Anniversary Collection (includes The Ropers and Three's a Crowd)
01/09 - South Park - Seasons 11-15 (Blu-ray)
01/16 - Ghosts (UK) - Season Five
02/13 - Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/27 - The Really Loud House - Season One
03/12 - Ghosts (UK) - The Complete Series
03/12 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 3 (Blu-ray)
03/12 - Rick and Morty - Season 7 (Blu-ray Steelbook) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
04/03 - Too Close for Comfort - The Complete Series (VEI)
04/08 - Check It Out! - The Complete Series (VEI)

The Odd Couple - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) That Girl - The Complete Series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Official Restored Complete Series

More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD Releases / DVD Reviews Archive / SitcomsOnline Digest


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