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, February 28

Bless the Harts - "Big Pimpin'" (Fox, 7:30PM ET/PT)
Jenny lets Louise use Wayne as a faux boyfriend after her husband tragically dies on a cruise ship; Betty makes murder accusations while guest-starring on Violet's podcast.

The Simpsons - "Wad Goals" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Bart becomes a successful caddy, but Marge worries it is ruining his character.

The Great North - "Romantic Meat-Based Adventure" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Worried that she's inherited Beef's fear of romance, Judy forces her dad to get back out there by attending a meat auction and singles mixer in hopes of bringing home a new love.

Bob's Burgers - "Die Card, or Card Trying" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Linda drags Bob and the kids out into nature, determined to take the best holiday family portrait ever.

Family Guy - "And Then There's Fraud" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
After attending a baseball game, Peter and Chris are inspired to start a memorabilia business; Stewie tries to combat aging by getting plastic surgery but ends up taking it too far.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of February 22)

Friday, February 26

Will Arnett (Flaked/Arrested Development/The Millers/Up All Night/Running Wilde) - Watch Will on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Queen Latifah (Living Single) - Queen Latifah is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Will Forte (The Last Man on Earth/The Cleveland Show) - Will appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Annie Mumolo (Mapleworth Murders/About a Boy) - Annie is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Regina King (227/Leap of Faith) - Regina appears on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Constance Zimmer (Entourage/Good Morning, Miami) - Constance talks about the series Good Trouble on LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
Tiffany Haddish (The Last O.G./The Carmichael Show) - Tiffany guest hosts The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar (mixed-ish/Saved by the Bell/Truth Be Told) and Tika Sumpter (mixed-ish/The Game) - Mark-Paul and Tika are guests on The Real, so check your local listings.
Soleil Moon Frye (Punky Brewster/Sabrina, the Teenage Witch) and Cherie Johnson (Punky Brewster) - Soleil and Cherie talk about Peacock's Punky Brewster on NBC's Today in the 9am hour. Soleil also appears on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
Freddie Prinze Jr. (Punky Brewster/Freddie) - Freddie is a guest on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
Jason Biggs (Outmatched/Mad Love/Drexell's Class) - Jason is filling us in on hosting the new game show Cherries Wild on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
Mary Lynn Rajskub (How to Be a Gentleman/Veronica's Closet/The Larry Sanders Show) - Mary Lynn talks about Live from the Pandemic on Couch Surfing at 8am.
Brooke Shields (Suddenly Susan) - Brooke will be on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.