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.
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 / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Sunday, May 18
The Simpsons - "Estranger Things" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When Bart and Lisa stop watching Itchy and Scratchy together, Marge fears that they'll start to drift apart.
Family Guy - "The Fat Lotus" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Peter suspects Lois of betraying his trust with Quagmire at a swanky vacation resort.
Krapopolis - "Ty Died" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Ty is tired of his family thinking he's not important enough to be assassinated.
Bob's Burgers - "Mr. Fischoeder's Opus" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Tina becomes the new advice columnist for the school newspaper; Teddy takes on more than he can handle when he volunteers to build a float for the Bounty of the Bay Parade.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of May 12)
Friday, May 16
- Lunell (Lopez) - Watch Luenell on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC. She will also be on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:39am.
- Benito Skinner (Overcompensating) - Benito appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Mayan Lopez (Lopez vs Lopez) and Jerry O'Connell (We Are Men/Do Not Disturb/Carpoolers/My Secret Identity) - Mayan and Jerry are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Luke Kirby (Étoile) and Gideon Glick (Étoile/The Other Two) - Luke and Gideon talk about Étoile on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
- Stanley Tucci (Central Park) - Stanley talks about his new series Tucci in Italy with GMA co-anchor Michael Strahan on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm. He will also be on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
- Howie Mandel (Good Grief) - Howie talks about America's Got Talent on Live with Kelly and Mark (check your local listings) and on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your lcoal listings.
- Marissa Jaret Winokur (What We Do in the Shadows/Retired at 35/Stacked) - Marissa talks about her latest project Mama I'm a Big Girl Now on Sherri, so check your local listings.
New on DVD and 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)
07/08 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
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