SitcomsOnline Digest: Will Community Get Six Seasons and a Movie?; More Mill Creek Releases

Saturday, March 29, 2014

SitcomsOnline Digest: Will Community Get Six Seasons and a Movie?; More Mill Creek Releases

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! Today, we've got news about new Mill Creek releases, updates about The Wonder Years on DVD, and some news that may give fans of a struggling NBC series real hope for "six seasons and a movie." Let's get started!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

Six seasons and a movie? That could be in the works for NBC's Community, regardless of what NBC decides to do with the series. It appears that if NBC decides not to renew the series (which has been renewed every season, despite constantly struggling in the ratings), Sony is looking at plans for offering a sixth season on a streaming service. (Zap2it)
Proving once again that Amazon Studios (yes, that same place that started by selling books almost two decades ago) is serious about competing with traditional television, Dana Delany has been cast in their latest pilot, a drama called Hand of God. Production is set to begin next month. (The Hollywood Reporter)
Remember the Fox reality series Joe Millionaire? Well, the network is going in that direction again this with I Wanna Marry "Harry", a reality show where American women are tricked into thinking they're on a show where the winner gets to marry Prince Harry, a series that is sure to be either the most unrealistic reality show ever or the cruelest reality show ever. (Entertainment Weekly)
As it turns out, Twitter is more powerful for TV series and stars than one would suspect. (Deadline)
The Boondocks debuted on Adult Swim nine years ago, and hasn't had a new episode since 2010. But finally, the series is coming back for a fourth (and final) season, without creator Aaron McGruder, on April 21. (SitcomsOnline)

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

For the first time in a very long time, Mill Creek is releasing a season of a TV series that has never been seen on DVD, at least not in the US. On June 3, Highway to Heaven - The Complete Fourth Season arrives on DVD for the very first time.
Meanwhile, on May 20, two more sitcoms from Sony will get a re-release from Mill Creek: The Jeffersons and The Facts of Life. Both sets will include the first two seasons, although it should be noted that the re-release of the first season of The Facts of Life has been available for a while at most retailers.
Time-Life/StarVista is hard at work on their complete series set for The Wonder Years, but before they get too far ahead, they're interested in knowing what you think are the best episodes of the series, so that they can prepare special features for those episodes. You can tell them on their Facebook page.

APRIL 1 HOME MEDIA RELEASES

The Dick Van Dyke Show - Classic Mary Tyler Moore Episodes (DVD, $24.98): This best of release from RLJ Entertainment contains 20 of Mary Tyler Moore's best performances on the series.
I Dream of Jeannie - Seasons 1 and 2 (DVD, $14.98): A value priced re-release of the first two seasons of a series from Mill Creek.
Newsradio - Seasons 1 and 2 (DVD, $14.98): Another value priced re-release of the first two seasons of a series from Mill Creek.

FOLLOW ME

Who to Follow: James Van Der Beek (Twitter) "Husband, father, professional make-believer."

Claim to Fame: James Van Der Beek really became known in his starring role of Dawson Leery in the successful teen drama Dawson's Creek, and in those days, it would have been hard to imagine us ever talking about him on this website... except, as an adult (if you disregard the fact that he was, after all, a guy in his 20s playing a teenager on that series), he has actually become more of a sitcom star. He most recently appeared as a regular on Don't Trust the B---- In Apartment 23, and beginning Monday, he will be appearing in the new CBS series, Friends with Better Lives.

Pick of the Tweets: "“@sheldonhigdon: How would've Dawson's Creek been different if Joey Potter was Chloe from Apt 23? #askvanderbeek” Less whining, more wine" (January 19, 2014)

Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Tuesday, July 7

Live in Front of a Studio Audience: All in the Family and Good Times - (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
“Live in Front of a Studio Audience: ‘All in the Family’ and ‘Good Times’,” the holiday-inspired live event that captivated audiences back in December, is set to rebroadcast on ABC, TUESDAY, JULY 7 (8:00-9:30 p.m. EDT). Produced by Sony Pictures Television, “Live in Front of a Studio Audience: ‘All in the Family’ and ‘Good Times’” recreates installments of Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin’s Emmy® Award-winning series “All in the Family” and groundbreaking sitcom “Good Times,” created by Mike Evans, Eric Monte and developed by Lear.

All-star cast members taking on the famed “All in the Family” roles include Woody Harrelson, Marisa Tomei, Ellie Kemper and Ike Barinholtz reprising their iconic roles as Archie and Edith Bunker, Gloria Stivic and Meathead, along with Kevin Bacon as Pinkie Peterson, Jesse Eisenberg as David Brewster and Justina Machado as Teresa Bettencourt.

A lineup of all-star talent tackling “Good Times” roles include Viola Davis and Andre Braugher as Florida Evans and James Evans, Jay Pharoah as J.J Evans, Asante Blackk as Michael Evans, Corinne Foxx as Thelma Evans and Tiffany Haddish as Willona Woods. Jharrel Jerome also stars as Jimmy Pearson, while ABC’s Anthony Anderson and the legendary Patti LaBelle join forces for a show-stopping musical performance.

black-ish - "Boss Daddy" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Dre’s torn at the office between looking out for Junior as his dad or letting him make his own mistakes. Meanwhile, Jack loses a friendship after trying to look cool in front of the basketball team.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of July 6)

Tuesday, July 7

Anthony Anderson (black-ish/Guys with Kids/All About the Andersons) - Anthony guest hosts Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
D.L. Hughley (The Hughleys) - Catch D.L. on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Demi Lovato (Sonny with a Chance) - Demi appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Patton Oswalt (A.P. Bio/The Goldbergs/The King of Queens) - Patton is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Ray Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond) - Ray appears on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Lauren Ash (Superstore/Super Fun Night) - Lauren is a guest on a repeat of A Little Late with Lilly Singh at 1:35am on NBC.
Ben Feldman (Superstore/A to Z/Living with Fran) - Ben appears on a repeat of A Little Late with Lilly Singh at 1:35am on NBC.
Rob Lowe (The Grinder/Parks and Recreation) - Rob is a guest on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
Yvette Nicole Brown (The Mayor/The Odd Couple/Community) - Yvette chats with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Denise Richards (Blue Mountain State) - Denise appears on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
Jada Pinkett Smith (A Different World) - Jada is a guest on LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
Ron Funches (Final Space/Powerless/Undateable) - Ron appears on a repeat of The Real, so check your local listings.
Sherri Shepherd (Mr. Iglesias/Trial & Error/Sherri/Less Than Perfect) - Sherri is a guest on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
Kym Whitley (Young & Hungry/Animal Practice/Sparks) - Kym will be on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
Paul Reiser (The Kominsky Method/Mad About You/Red Oaks/My Two Dads) - Paul appears on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
Jim Carrey (Kidding/The Duck Factory) - Jim talks about Memoirs and Misinformation on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies) - Tom is a guest on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am and in the 10am hour.
Kristen Bell (The Good Place) - Kristen talks about The World Needs More Purple People on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.