Saturday, April 19, 2014
SitcomsOnline Digest: SNL Looking to 40th Anniversary; New Mill Creek DVD Releases
Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest!
Today, we have news about SNL's 40th anniversary, the potential 2014-2015 pilots, and many new releases from Mill Creek. Let's get going!
HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB
- Saturday Night Live is about to turn 40 (well, technically that is still another year and a half from now), but NBC is already planning a three hour 40th anniversary special for February 15, 2015. With planning and a date set this early, it should be a huge deal. (Variety)
- Pilot season is about to turn into pickup season in just a few short weeks, and Deadline has a run down of what each network is looking at as they try to decide which series could lead the network into the next decade... or through mid-October 2014. (Deadline)
- TV Land has given a cast-contingent pilot order to a comedy about a con man pretending to be a gay pastor, which seems to be one of the most unusual pilot ideas in a while. (Deadline)
- Fox's Animation Domination High-Def lineup is officially dead, although the programs airing in it aren't necessarily dead... yet. The lineup will cease to exist at the end of June, but the programming will continue to air on other platforms. (Entertainment Weekly)
- Sitcom writer Doris Kanter died this week at the age of 95. Wife of the late Hal Kanter, Doris' writing credits include Chico and the Man and Night Court, and she also designed the opening credits for her husband's sitcom, Julia. (Deadline)
HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
- Mill Creek is showing absolutely no sign of slowing down on their Sony releases, which have seen at least a few released every month since January, and June is no exception. On June 24, the studio will release Bewitched - Seasons 3 and 4, The Larry Sanders Show - Seasons 1 and 2, and The Partridge Family - Seasons 1 and 2.
- eOne Entertainment will release The Abbott & Costello Show - The Complete Second Season on May 20, but for those interested in the series it may make more sense to pick up their release of The Abbott & Costello Show - The Complete Series, which is currently a dollar cheaper.
RECENT REVIEWS ON SITCOMSONLINE.COM
- Starsky & Hutch - Season 1 (Mill Creek): One of TV's favorite detective duos returns to DVD for this re-release on DVD that comes at a lower price (but without the special features of the original release).
FOLLOW ME
Who to Follow: Malcolm-Jamal Warner (Twitter), "Actor, Musician, Poet, Writer, Director. At War with my Nice Guy complex right now so until further notice, beware..."
Claim to Fame: Once again, we're going on with our Cosby Show theme again this week with Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who played Theo. Like many other cast members of the series, he found great success after the series ended and didn't just fade away. Early appearances on TV included guest roles on Matt Houston and Fame, but it wasn't long until he was cast on The Cosby Show. After that, though, he didn't stop. In fact, he was immediately cast in the lead role of the series Here and Now (which didn't last long). In 1996, he did find some success with Malcolm and Eddie, which ran for four seasons. Most recently, he has had a recurring role on the NBC series Community.
Pick of the Tweets: "Tidbit: @BillCosby has never made us eat nor have I ever seen him eat Jell-o or a pudding pop. Ever. Now hoagies are a different story!" (January 19, 2013)
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Friday, December 19
Happy's Place - "Izzy and the Professor" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When a woman inherits her late father's tavern, she's shocked to discover that it's co-owned by a half-sister she never knew existed... who has some interesting new ideas about how to run the family business.
Stumble - "The Tell-Tale Slurp" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
After being fired from her champion cheerleading team, coach Courteney Potter is starting over in a small Southern town where she's putting together a brand-new squad of lovable misfits in the hopes of making a comeback and winning it all.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 15)
Friday, December 19
- Regina Hall (Black Monday/Grandfathered/Married/Second Generation Wayans) - Watch Regina on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies) - Tom is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Matt Rogers (No Good Deed/I Love That for You) - Matt appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Rickey Smiley (The Rickey Smiley Show) - Rickey is a guest on a repeat of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 12:37am on CBS.
- Bradley Cooper (Kitchen Confidential) and Will Arnett (Murderville/Arrested Development/Flaked/The Millers/Up All Night/Running Wilde) - Bradley and Will discuss Is Thing On? on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm. Will tells Drew about playing a dramatic role in new film Is This Thing On? working with Bradley Cooper, and his podcast with pals Sean Hayes and Jason Bateman on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Kumail Nanjiani (Bless the Harts/Silicon Valley) - Kumail chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- James Van Der Beek (Friends with Better Lives/Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23) - James opens up on his cancer battle on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
- Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother/Star Raving Mad/Doogie Howser, M.D.) - NBC's Today catches up with Neil in the 9am hour.
- Paul Rudd (The Shrink Next Door/Living with Yourself/Wild Oats) - Paul and Jack Black talk about Anaconda on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Robby Hoffman (Hacks) - Robby covers the news with Drew on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Zooey Deschanel (New Girl) - Zooey and Charlie Cox talk about their new film Merv with the doggie star of the film on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series (DVD)
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two (DVD)
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season (DVD)
05/13 - The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered)
06/06 - Shoresy - Season 2 (DVD)
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (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)
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)
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