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

Wednesday, May 12

The Goldbergs - "Alligator Schwartz" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Erica fears that Geoff has moved on from their breakup and started dating someone else. Meanwhile, Adam decides to find Dave Kim a date to prom, once he remembers his pact with Dave that they won’t go to prom if they both don’t have dates.

Home Economics - "The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire: An Oral History (Used), $11" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Connor invites the siblings to a party he’s throwing for his ex-wife, Emily. While he feels the need to prove that he is cool with their divorce, he is not the only one in the competitive spirit. Tom and Marina try to prove to each other that they still have game, while Sarah finds the perfect solution to the fact that she’s a bad gift-giver.

The Conners - "Jeopardé, Sobrieté, and Infidelité" (ABC, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Darlene makes a decision about her trip to Hawaii, leading to a heated encounter with Barb. Meanwhile, Becky gives a presentation on addiction to Mark’s class.

Call Your Mother - "The Raines Games" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Jean fears her family is drifting apart so she brings everyone together for a game night that doesn’t go as planned.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of May 10)

Wednesday, May 12

The Upshaws/The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Aidy Brant (Shrill) - Aidy appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Lisa Kudrow (The Comeback/Friends/Mad About You) - Lisa is a guest on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
Jerry O'Connell (We Are Men/Carpoolers/My Secret Identity) - Jerry guest co-hosts The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
Hank Azaria (The Simpsons/Brockmire/Free Agents/Herman's Head) - Hank discusses The Jim Brockmire Podcast on LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
The Cast of Mom - Allison Janney, Jaime Pressly, Kristen Johnston, Beth Hall and Mimi Kennedy are guests on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
Mike Epps (The Upshaws/Uncle Buck/Survivor's Remorse) and Kim Fields (The Upshaws/Living Single/The Facts of Life) - Mike and Kim are guests on The Real, so check your local listings. Kim will also talk about The Upshaws on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Seth Rogen (Undeclared) - Seth will be on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
The Cast of Girls5eva) - Sara Bareilles, Busy Philipps, Paula Pell, Renée Elise Goldsberry are guests on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Leslie Bibb (American Housewife/Nobodies/The Odd Couple/About a Boy) - Leslie talks about Jupiter's Legacy on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
Joe Jonas (Jonas) - Joe appears on Access Daily, so check your local listings.