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

Monday, December 22

Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion Pt. 2 (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
CBS is gifting viewers an extra special holiday present this season, the brand-new EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND: 30TH ANNIVERSARY REUNION PT. 2,” airing Monday, Dec. 22, (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network and streaming on Paramount+.*

This one-hour show gives viewers who loved the first special another opportunity to reminisce and revisit the laughter and joy from the original CBS series. The brand-new broadcast follows the success of EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND: 30TH ANNIVERSARY REUNION, which originally aired Monday, Nov. 24, with an encore presentation Friday, Nov. 28, garnering 10.08 million live plus 7-day multiplatform viewers across both broadcasts and streaming.

Hosted by Emmy Award-winning actor Ray Romano and series creator Phil Rosenthal, this fresh hour brings fans closer than ever to the original series, with exclusive stories and heartfelt memories shared by beloved cast members gathered together to honor one of TV’s most iconic sitcoms. Ray Romano and Phil Rosenthal share their thoughts on the magic of being back on set and reuniting with the cast. Additionally, viewers can enjoy never-before-seen content, outtakes and behind-the-scenes footage. Plus, guest stars, writers and producers will provide unique insights into the creation and legacy of this beloved series.

St. Denis Medical - "Get Me in the Pod, Brother" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Alex and Ron spar over the wisdom of open communication; Joyce brings in a body scanner that proves overly distracting.

The Paper - "I Love You" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
With Marv camped out in the newsroom while his office is painted, Ned and the staff find their unresolved attitudes toward authority bubbling up; Esmeralda and Ken plot a betrayal that leaks.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 22)

Monday, December 22

Kenan Thompson (Kenan/Kenan & Kel) - Watch Kenan on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Tony Shalhoub (We Are Men/Stark Raving Mad/Wings) - Tony appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Ron Funches (Loot/Powerless/Undateable) and Jeff Garcia (Mr. Box Office) - Ron and Jeff are guests on a repeat of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 12:37am on CBS.
Kate Hudson (Running Point) - Andy Cohen interviews Kate on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9pm on Bravo. She also talks about Song Sung Blue on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Jamie Lee Curtis (The Sticky/Anything But Love/Operation Petticoat) - Jamie Lee talks about Ella McCay with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Simu Liu (Kim's Convenience) - Simu talks about The Copenhagen Test on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
Hugh Jackman (Human Resources) - Hugh talks about Song Sung Blue on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Kyle Richards (Down to Earth) - Kyle gives Sherri a sneak peek at the 15th season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills on a repeat of Sherri, so check your local listings.
Paul Rudd (The Shrink Next Door/Living with Yourself/Wild Oats) - Paul and Jack Black are telling Drew all about their hilarious adaptation of Anaconda on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Odessa A'zion (I Love LA/Fam) - Odessa tells Drew about her role in new movie Marty Supreme and hit series I Love LA on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Melissa Gilbert (Stand by Your Man) - Melissa is guest on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:10am.