Tuesday, April 15, 2014

TV Land Picks Up Hilary Duff, Sutton Foster Sitcom; Episodic Review: New Girl - "Big News" Airing Tonight on Fox



TV Land has picked up comedy pilot Younger, which is written, executive produced and directed by Darren Star (Sex and the City), to series with a 12-episode order. The 30-minute single-camera comedy stars Tony® Award-winning Sutton Foster (Bunheads), Hilary Duff (Lizzie McGuire), Debi Mazar (Entourage) and Miriam Shor (GCB) and will premiere fall 2014 on the network. The series will shoot in New York – a first for TV Land. The new comedy follows 40-year old Liza (Foster), a suddenly single mother who tries to get back into the working world, only to find it’s nearly impossible to start at the bottom at her age. When a chance encounter with a young guy at a bar convinces her she looks younger than she is, Liza tries to pass herself off as 26 – with the help of a makeover, courtesy of her best friend Maggie (Mazar). Armed with new confidence, she lands a job as an assistant to the temperamental Diana (Shor) and teams up with her new co-worker and 20-something Kelsey (Duff) to make it in the career of her dreams. Now she just has to make sure no one finds out the secret only she and Maggie share.




On the next...New Girl:
By: Vincent

Fox's Tuesday adorkable sitcom starring Zooey Deschanel airs Tuesdays at 9:00pm and we have just watched the next episode that airs tonight (April 15). In the episode airing tonight, "Big News," Jess (Zooey Deschanel) and Nick (Jake Johnson) scramble to keep their break-up a secret from the loftmates. Meanwhile, Schmidt (Greenfield) tutors Cece (Hannah Simone) for her G.E.D. and Winston (Lamorne Morris) passes his police academy entrance exam, demanding that the gang throw him a "Honey Roast."

In its previous episode, New Girl made the curious decision to break up with Nick and Jess, who have been the shows' central focal point for over a year now. In a way, this seemed inevitable. While Nick and Jess have undeniable chemistry and clash in ways that make them an incredibly interesting relationship, they're fundamentally different in so many aspects. Much of the third season of New Girl has been focused on exploring these differences and questioning whether or not people should feel the need to compromise for the sake of a relationship. This season has had a lot of messy elements, but its strongest aspect has easily been the in-depth analysis of the Nick and Jess relationship. The Nick/Jess stories have provided a fresh take on the weary old friendship-turned-relationship concept, and "Big News" offers a similarly refreshing spin on what happens when that relationship ends. Since they live together, Nick and Jess's dynamic is different than most sitcom couples that have been in this situation before, and the way the episode allows Nick and Jess to almost mourn the end of their relationship together is the most interesting thing it brings to the table.



"Big News" isn't necessarily just a Nick/Jess episode, as it also features a prominent Winston storyline and gets the rest of the group actively involved in dealing with Nick and Jess's fallout. In fact, "Big News" felt like the biggest ensemble episode in quite some time, and it seems to reaffirm that this isn't only a show about Nick and Jess. There's a vocal group of New Girl fans who feel the Nick/Jess relationship has sort of silenced the rest of the characters, and much of this episode seems to be a comforting conformation that this simply isn't the case. Similar to last seasons' post-Cooler episodes, "Big News" is just as much about how Nick and Jess's dynamic affects everyone else as it is about Nick and Jess themselves. What I wanted more out of "Big News," though, was - as usual - Winston's story. "Big News" sort of acknowledges how Winston's adventures are often sidetracked, but it doesn't quite go far enough for me to say that it's a successful acknowledgement of this recurring problem. Winston is a hilarious character who could certainly do a fine job in a storyline of his own, and it's slightly disappointing that the show can never quite jump the gun and give him the same treatment as the other roommates, even if he does get some strong moments in this episode. Still, "Big News" was overall a strong aftermath episode that grounded itself in not just Nick and Jess's characters, but the characters of everyone in the loft. B+


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Saturday, August 2

Mind Your Business - "Tick Tock" (Bounce TV, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Aaliyah discovers that she could be running out of time to become a mother when she's diagnosed with endometriosis; family tensions rise when they're convinced Lucille wrote a book filled with their family secrets and drama.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of July 28)

Friday, August 1

  • Chris Distefano (Benders) - Chris guest hosts a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Julie Bowen (Modern Family/Ed) - Watch Julie on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Owen Wilson (Stick) - Owen takes "The Colbert Questionert" on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Mary Beth Barone (Overcompensating) - Mary appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Thomas Lennon (The Odd Couple/Sean Saves the World/Reno 911!) - Thomas is a guest on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Pamela Anderson (Stacked/Home Improvement) - Pamela talks about The Naked Gun on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Nicole Ari Parker (And Just Like That.../Second Time Around) - NBC's Today catches up with Nicole in the 10am hour.
  • Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary/Fam/Instant Mom/Moesha/It's a Living) - Sheryl and her husband, Pennsylvania State Senator Vincent Hughes, sit down for an EXCLUSIVE conversation about their choice to live in separate cities, which set off the internet on a repeat of Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
  • Brooke Shields (Suddenly Susan) - Brooke is sharing the secrets behind her shiny and bouncy hair and why she decided to create he own haircare line in her 50s on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Michael Jai White (Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse) - Michael is a guest on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series Frasier (2023) - Season Two Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered) Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)

01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
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
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (Blu-ray)
07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)

More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive


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