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

Wednesday, January 15

Shifting Gears - "Accommodations" (ABC, 8:20PM ET/PT)
Matt joins Riley at Carter’s high school open house, where he’s unsettled to learn about the “accommodations” made for his grandson’s anxiety. Meanwhile, Riley reconnects with Caitlin, a former classmate, and sets her up with Gabriel.

Abbott Elementary - "Testing" (ABC, 8:50PM ET/PT)
Janine must rethink her lesson plans after her class performs poorly on a practice test, while Jacob struggles to engage a disinterested student. The district sends a new custodian to train under Mr. Johnson.

Poppa's House - "Podcast" (CBS, 10:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)

Junior enlists Nina’s help to film a documentary of Poppa’s iconic career, but the direction of the film takes a detour when the radio station begins using AI promos with Poppa’s and Ivy’s voices.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of January 13)

Wednesday, January 15

Tim Allen (Shifting Gears/Last Man Standing/Home Improvement) - Watch Tim on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Nicole Byer (Grand Crew/Loosely Exactly Nicole) - Nicole appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Adam Scott (Ghosted/Veep/Parks and Recreation/Party Down) - Adam appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. He also talks about Severance on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
Ben Stiller (Arrested Development) - Ben is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He also talks about Severance on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
Pauline Chalamet (The Sex Lives of College Girls) - Pauline stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Denis Leary (Going Dutch/No Good Deed/Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll/The Job) - NBC's Today catches up with Denis in the 10am hour. He chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Keke Palmer (Scream Queens/True Jackson, VP) - Keke talks about One of Them Days on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am. She also co-hosts NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Kaitlin Olson (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia/The Mick) - Kaitlin talks about High Potential on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Gabriel Basso (The Big C) - Gabriel talks about The Night Agent on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Britt Lower (Ghosted/Man Seeking Woman/Big Lake) - NBC's Today catches up with Britt in the 9am hour.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Saved by the Bell/Nobodies/Truth Be Told/Saved by the Bell: The College Years) - NBC's Today catches up with Mark-Paul in the 10am hour.
Andrew Rannells (Girls/The New Normal) - NBC's Today catches up with Andrew in the 10am hour.
Jennifer Lopez (South Central) - Jennifer talks about her film Unstoppable on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
Jim Gaffigan (The Jim Gaffigan Show/My Boys/The Ellen Show/Welcome to New York) - Jim talks about his Hulu comedy special Jim Gaffigan: The Skinny on a repeat Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Jay Pharoah (White Famous/Champaign ILL) - Jay talks about his new virtual reality series Soapstone Comedy Presents on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Anthony Anderson (black-ish/Guys with Kids/All About the Andersons) - Anthony discusses his Fox special The Real Full Monty on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Da'Vinchi (grown-ish) - Da'Vinchi is a guest on New York Livng on WPIX in New York at 10:30am.