Amazon to Launch New Comedy Starring Sarah Chalke, Jay Chandrasekhar; 4th Annual Critics' Choice Television Awards Winners

Monday, June 23, 2014

Amazon to Launch New Comedy Starring Sarah Chalke, Jay Chandrasekhar; 4th Annual Critics' Choice Television Awards Winners

Amazon Studios announced it will debut the half-hour dramatic single-camera comedy pilot Really from Jay Chandrasekhar, Main Street Films' Craig Chang and Harrison Kordestani, and Executive Producer Jamie Tarses (Happy Endings) as part of its third pilot season debuting later this year on Amazon Instant Video. Customers will once again be invited to watch and provide feedback on the shows they want to see turned into full series, which will then become available on Prime Instant Video. Written, created and directed by Chandrasekhar, Really is a funny, extremely honest behind-the-curtain look at the psychological and emotional complexities of marriage, and the charged dynamics of a tight-knit group of friends.

Really is about four hard-charging suburban Chicago couples trying to grasp on to their dwindling youth. At the center are the happily but messily married couple "Jed," played by Chandrasekhar, and "Lori," played by Sarah Chalke. When Jed is faced with the choice of keeping his pal's secret or destroying his friend group, he winds up digging himself into a very deep hole. Really explores marriage, friendship and the stifling peculiarities of suburban Chicago life. The pilot also stars Selma Blair, Travis Schuldt, Hayes MacArthur, Collette Wolfe, Luka Jones, Lindsay Sloane and Rob Delaney. Stay with us for more on this as it still has a ways to go. Your feedback will be key!

Critics' Choice Television Awards

The Broadcast Television Journalists Association (BTJA) announced the winners of The 4th Annual Critics' Choice Television Awards. Seventeen of the best series in television were honored at the Beverly Hilton Hotel at a star-studded gala awards show, which was broadcast live on The CW on Thursday night (June 19). Actor/comedian Cedric the Entertainer (The Soul Man, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire) hosted. FX was the most awarded network with five wins, followed by HBO with four wins. Fargo (FX) and Orange Is the New Black (Netflix) tied as most honored series with three wins each. Allison Janney was the only actor to receive two performance awards: Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Mom, tied with Kate Mulgrew in Orange Is the New Black, as well as Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series for Masters of Sex.

Breaking Bad won for Best Drama Series, while Orange Is the New Black won as Best Comedy Series. Matthew McConaughey and Jim Parsons won Best Actor in a Drama Series for True Detective and Best Actor in a Comedy Series for The Big Bang Theory, respectively. Tatiana Maslany was honored as Best Actress in a Drama Series for Orphan Black, while Julia Louis-Dreyfus won for Best Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in Veep, both for the second year in a row. Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul was awarded Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series; Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Andre Braugher was awarded Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series; and Scandal's Bellamy Young was named Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Uzo Aduba was named Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series for her role in Orange Is the New Black.

Fargo was awarded Best Mini-Series, and its stars Billy Bob Thornton and Allison Tolman were honored as Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress in a Movie or Mini-Series, respectively. Jessica Lange won Best Actress in a Movie or Mini-Series for her performance in American Horror Story: Coven, while Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey took home awards for Best Reality Series and Best Reality Host, Neil DeGrasse Tyson. The Best Reality Series-Competition category went to Shark Tank. Finally, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon won the Best Talk Show category, and Archer won for Best Animated Series.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Thursday, March 12

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "A Big Birthday and Tequila Shots" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Mandy struggles to celebrate Georgie’s 21st birthday after hitting a rough patch in her career.

Ghosts - "St. Hetty’s Day 2: The Help" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
A St. Patrick’s Day staffing emergency gives Hetty the chance to step into an unlikely role at the restaurant as she regains her once-a-year ability to be seen and heard by the living. Meanwhile, Kyle returns to watch over the ghosts and finds himself caught in an amusing supernatural dynamic.

Animal Control - "Squirrels and Fat Cats" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Frank uncovers Emily and Shred's secret romance during a break-in at city supply; Victoria and Patel confront his daughter's school bully.

Going Dutch - "Tinker, Tailor, Colonel, Spy" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Rick takes a sabbatical from the CIA and returns to the base, hoping to rekindle his strained relationship with Capt. Maggie; paranoia runs high when a mole is suspected to be operating inside the base.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 9)

Thursday, March 12

Will Forte (The Four Seasons/HouseBroken/MacGruber/The Last Man on Earth/The Cleveland Show) - Catch Will on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Minnie Driver (Emily in Paris/Speechless/About a Boy) - Minnie is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Wanda Sykes (The Upshaws/The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - Wanda appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Robert Smigel (Let's Be Real) - Robert stops by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Kristin Chenoweth (Stumble/Trial & Error/Kristin) - Kristin is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Jennifer Tilly (Out of Practice) - Andy Cohen interviews Jennifer on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 10pm on Bravo.
Nathan Lane (Mid-Century Modern/Only Murders in the Building/Modern Family/Charlie Lawrence/Encore! Encore!/One of the Boys) - Nathan talks about Broadway's Death of a Salesman with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Ariana DeBose (Schmigadoon!) - Ariana joins Tamron to talk about her fashion evolution and her role in the all-star cast of the new series Scarpetta on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
Lauren Graham (The Z-Suite/M.Y.O.B./Conrad Bloom/Townies/Good Company) - Lauren talks about Reminders of Him on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Cafe Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - NBC's Today catches up with Valerie in the 10am hour.
Phil Rosenthal (Creator of Everybody Loves Raymond) - Phil and Lily Rosenthal join Drew for a taste test of weird foods and talk about their children's book Just Try It! Someplace New! (A Phil & Lil Book) on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.