Kudrow's The Comeback to Make a Comeback on HBO; Bounce Brings Back Family Time and Adds 2 More Sitcoms

Tuesday, May 06, 2014

Kudrow's The Comeback to Make a Comeback on HBO; Bounce Brings Back Family Time and Adds 2 More Sitcoms

A comeback is happening for The Comeback after nearly a decade. "B level" TV star Valerie Cherish was a pioneer of reality television. Now, it's ten years later - there's more TV than ever and she wants back in. Lisa Kudrow (Emmy(R) winner for Friends) returns to star as the embattled Valerie Cherish, a fading TV "It Girl" who was once so desperate to stay in the spotlight that she allowed cameras to follow her every move as she appeared on a new sitcom - with disastrous results. When the comedy series The Comeback returns as a new six-episode limited series this fall, exclusively on HBO, Valerie thinks she has it all figured out this time. She doesn't. Scheduled to begin production in Los Angeles this month, the show was created by Michael Patrick King (Emmy(R) winner for HBO's Sex and the City) and Lisa Kudrow, who will serve as executive producers along with producing partner Dan Bucatinsky (Emmy(R) winner for Scandal).

The first season of The Comeback, which debuted in 2005 on HBO, explored the madness of television, a Beverly Hills lifestyle, the dual roles of wife and stepmom, the trouble with growing older in Hollywood, and the bravery of a comic-tragic 40-year-old actress who was desperate to look like she was keeping her head above it all. The series was singled out by both TIME and Entertainment Weekly as one of the ten best shows of the decade. In the new episodes, Valerie continues her search to attain the spotlight, but this time around, it illuminates a whole new series of problems when she achieves the visibility she wants.

Family Time

Bounce TV has renewed the half hour situation comedy Family Time created by Bentley Kyle Evans (The Jamie Foxx Show, Martin, Love That Girl!) for a second season. The first season ended in summer 2012, so after two years this show will return to production. Family Time centers around the life and times of The Stallworths, a working class African American family who wins the lottery and jumps from the 'hood to "all good" overnight. This family-next-door consists of two loving parents: Anthony (Omar Gooding) and Lisa (Angell Conwell) Stallworth and their children Ebony (Jayla Calhoun) and Devin (Bentley Kyle Evans, Jr.). Trenton Gumbs (Love That Girl!) serves as a producing partner and season two premieres Fall 2014. In addition, Bounce TV has ordered two new sitcoms. The first is Mann & Wife. Husband and wife team David Mann (Madea's Big Happy Family) and Tamela Mann (Sparkle), stars of the hit Tyler Perry sitcom Meet The Browns, reunite for a new show which series creator and director Roger Bobb (The Rickey Smiley Show) calls "a black Brady Bunch." The new sitcom will premiere in Winter 2015. Casting is to be announced. And finally, new sitcom Sisters is an all-new original sitcom centered around a once-famous R&B group called the "Ladies of Essence" who, after life has thrown each of them a few curve balls, find themselves fabulous, forty and forced to live under the same roof. Produced by Roger Bobb's BobbCat Films, Terri J. Vaughn and Cas Siger's Nina Holiday Entertainment and Chip Hurd, this sitcom will premiere in Summer 2015.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Sunday, July 21

Last Man Standing - "The Passion of Paul" (Fox, 7:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Rev. Paul calls on Mike to teach Sunday school, Mike calls on Kyle to take his place; Eve fears Mandy and Kristin are taking advantage of Jen at home.

Last Man Standing - "Yass Queen" (Fox, 7:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
In an effort to help get her clothing line off the ground and into stores, Mike invites Mandy to sit in on a business meeting with an aggressive sales rep; Ed hires Kyle to transcribe his life story.

The Simpsons - "From Russia Without Love" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
On a mission to play hardcore pranks, Bart, Nelson and Milhouse get Moe a mail-order bride.

Bob's Burgers - "What About Blob?" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Gene convinces Tina and Louise to help him save a misunderstood plankton blob from being destroyed by a yacht club.

Family Guy - "Pawtucket Pete" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
The brewery's new bosses decide to change the company's mascot; in an attempt to be crowned the new face of Pawtucket Ale, Peter and Brian go head-to-head.

What Just Happened??! with Fred Savage - "Preempted" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
A crazy car chase on the news stops "The Flare" from airing, and Fred doesn't have anything to discuss until a call from a fan changes everything; Joel McHale stops by the show.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of July 15)

Friday, July 19

The Jonas Brothers (Jonas) - The Jonas Brothers are guests on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation) - Aubrey is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Louie Anderson (Baskets/The Louie Show/Life with Louie) - Louie appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Allison Williams (Girls) - Allison is a guest on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Kristen Bell (The Good Place), Enrico Colantoni (Just Shoot Me!/Hope and Gloria), Ryan Hansen (Bad Judge/Bad Teacher/Party Down) and Kirby Howell-Baptiste (Barry/The Good Place/Downward Dog)- Kristen, Enrico, Ryan and Kirby talk about Veronica Mars on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
Ricky Gervais (After Life/The Office) - Ricky chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Sutton Foster (Younger) - Sutton stops by The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
Louie Anderson (Baskets/The Louie Show/Life with Louie) - Louie visits Couch Surfing at 8am.
Marcia Gay Harden (Trophy Wife) - Marcia talks about Netflix's Point Blank on Access Live, so check your local listings.
JD McCrary (Tyler Perry's The Paynes) - JD talks about The Lion King on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
Francesca Reale (Haters Back Off) - Francesca talks about Stranger Things on the BUILD Series at 2pm.