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

Wednesday, May 1

Abbott Elementary - "Double Date" (ABC, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Two teachers head out on a double date, but when they run into familiar bar patrons, it proves to be an unfortunate distraction. At Ava’s first book club meeting, the group ends up in a debate over who would be the best post-apocalyptic leader.

The Conners - "Campaign U-Turn and a Hard Write" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Dan gets asked to write an article for a Hardware magazine, making Ben long for his days as a writer. Meanwhile, Jackie inserts herself into Louise’s run for the school board when her retirement leads to too much free time.

Animal Control - "Bulls and Potbellies" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Frank and Emily get a break in their exotic animal ring case; Shred and Rick bond over their romantic woes; Victoria and Patel's father accidentally kiss.

Family Guy - "Old World Harm" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Peter and Lois vacation in Florida, only to discover they've rented a condo in a retirement community; Brian helps Stewie take his first shower.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of April 29)

Wednesday, May 1

  • Carol Burnett (Palm Royale/Mad About You/Mama's Family) - Watch Carol on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Jim Gaffigan (The Jim Gaffigan Show/My Boys/The Ellen Show/Welcome to New York) - Jim appears on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 10:15pm on Bravo.
  • Kyra Sedgwick (Call Your Mother) - Kyra is a guest on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 11pm on Bravo.
  • Melissa Joan Hart (Melissa & Joey/Sabrina the Teenage Witch/Clarissa Explains It All) - NBC's Today catches up with Melissa in the 9am hour.
  • Busy Philipps (Girls5eva/Vice Principals/Cougar Town/Love, Inc.) - NBC's Today catches up with Busy in the 10am hour.
  • John Leguizamo (The Brothers Garcia) - John discusses his new thriller series The Green Veil on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
  • Brett Gelman (Camping/Fleabag/Married/Go On) - Brett talks about his new film Boy Kills World on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.


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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04/10 - CBS Renews NCIS and The Neighborhood; Max's Pretty Little Liars Returns May 9
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04/04 - Apple TV+ The Big Door Prize Returns April 24; ABC Renews Will Trent for Season 3
04/03 - Sony Pictures and Game Show Network Upfront; ABC Renews Grey's Anatomy and 9-1-1 for 2024-25
04/02 - Adult Swim's Smiling Friends Returns May 12; Stallone Drama Returning for Season 2
04/01 - Selena Gomez Gets New Food Network Series; Orphan Black Gets New Series
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