Wednesday, April 09, 2014
The CW Schedules Sitcom This Summer from Online World; NBC's Comedy Playground Initiative: You Decide The Next Sitcom
A digital sitcom goes to TV. In a first for the network's digital studio, CW Seed, the original digital series Backpackers will make the jump from online-only to the broadcast network, with brand new original episodes of Backpackers set to premiere on The CW Television Network this summer. Backpackers will premiere with ten original half-hour episodes on The CW Network later this summer, with a date and time to be announced at a later date. The first four episodes contain material previously released as digital episodes on CW Seed; the final six wholly original episodes will be specifically written and produced for The CW Network.
In Backpackers, best friends Ryan (Noah Reid) and Brandon (Dillon Casey, Nikita) race across Europe in search of Ryan's missing bride-to-be, while also struggling with the eternal twenty-something question of what to do with their lives. When Ryan's lost journal suddenly gets posted online and explodes across the internet, Ryan's life dream of becoming a published author becomes real - if only he can track down the jerk who stole the journal. With Brandon's slacker brother Andrew (Giacomo Gianniotti, Reign) in tow, they travel from Thailand to Canada in search of the missing journal, while also seeking the ultimate answers to life, love and partying. Backpackers is produced by Shaftesbury U.S. and Smokebomb Entertainment, Shaftesbury's award-winning digital media arm, in association with The CW Television Network. Developed for television and produced by Jay Bennett, Backpackers is executive produced by Maggie Murphy, Christina Jennings, Scott Garvie and Tom Mazza.
In an unprecedented effort to discover fresh comedic voices, NBC Entertainment President Jennifer Salke announced "NBC Comedy Playground," a grassroots initiative designed to invest in new cutting-edge comedy through a groundbreaking national campaign that offers aspiring comedy writers from across the country the opportunity to take their concepts from pitch to broadcast. An all-star comedy Advisory Board comprised of A-list talent, including Aziz Ansari, Jason Bateman, Robert Carlock, Sean Hayes, Mindy Kaling, Jason Katims, Josh Lieb, Eva Longoria, Adam McKay, Seth Meyers, Todd Milliner, Will Packer, Amy Poehler, Craig Robinson, Maya Rudolph, Mike Schur, Adam Scott and Mike Shoemaker will help the network ultimately select two winners to create original shows intended for telecast during summer 2015 on NBC. Through "NBC Comedy Playground," the network aims to uncover additional sources of talent and open the door for aspiring comedy writers - reaching beyond the traditional talent labs of film schools and NY/LA comedy clubs -- in a grassroots effort to find and nurture new creative voices and expand and enrich the traditional television development model.
Beginning May 1, aspiring comedy writers are asked to submit their ideas to be considered for both digital and network comedy shows. Entrants may submit up to two video samples (5-10 minutes each) of their pre-existing work, along with up to two video pitches (2-5 minutes per pitch), each describing a unique, original show idea, to www.nbccomedyplayground.com. The Official Rules, including all eligibility requirements, are available at www.nbccomedyplayground.com. Up to 10 finalists will be chosen by the NBC Selection Panel, and NBC will provide funding for each finalist to produce a full pilot presentation based on his/her original pitch. Two winners will be selected by the all-star comedy Advisory Board, in consultation with NBC. Each of the winners will have their show broadcast on NBC. The remaining finalist presentations that aren't selected will be posted to the "NBC Comedy Playground" website where the public will vote for their favorites - and the one receiving the most votes will then be developed as a digital show.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight
Saturday, December 9
none scheduled
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 4)
Friday, December 8
- Eddie Murphy (The PJs) - Watch Eddie on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Da'Vine Joy Randolph (Only Murders in the Building/High Fidelity/People of Earth/Selfie) - Da'Vine appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- John Caponera (The Good Life) - John is a guest on a repeat of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen on CBS between 12:37-1:37am.
- Robert Smigel (Let's Be Real) - Triumph the Insult Comic Dog aka Robert Smigel chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Noah Galvin (The Real O'Neals) and Molly Gordon (Ramy) - Noah and Molly talk about Theater Camp on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
- Eric Stonestreet (The Santa Clauses/Modern Family) - Eric talks about The Santa Clauses on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Kenan Thompson (Kenan/Kenan & Kel) - Kenan sits down with Sherri to talk about his new book, When I Was Your Age, on Sherri, so check your local listings.
- Sebastian Maniscalco (Bookie) - Sebastian appears on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
New on DVD/Blu-ray (September-December)
09/05 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Sixth Season
09/12 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Second Season
09/12 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-6 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/26 - Family Matters - The Complete Series
09/26 - Step by Step - The Complete Series
10/10 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season Thirteen / The Complete Season Fourteen
10/17 - ALF - The Complete Series (Deluxe Edition) (Shout! Factory Special Offers)
10/17 - Night Court (2023) - The Complete First Season
11/07 - South Park - The Complete Twenty-Sixth Season (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/14 - Leave it to Beaver - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
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
12/19 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Official Restored Complete Series
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