SitcomsOnline Digest: Early Full Season Orders for New ABC Series; The Game Cancelled; Twin Peaks Returning in 2016 on Showtime

Saturday, October 11, 2014

SitcomsOnline Digest: Early Full Season Orders for New ABC Series; The Game Cancelled; Twin Peaks Returning in 2016 on Showtime

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we've got some news of some early full season orders of ABC series, news of the cancellation of a BET series, and even a bit on the revival of the classic series Twin Peaks. Let's get started!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

We haven't hit the first cancellation of the new season yet, but we do have two full season orders of some successful series already, with ABC giving full seasons to How to Get Away with Murder and black-ish. (Deadline)
It's "game over" for the BET series (and spinoff of The Girlfriends) The Game, as it was just canceled after nine seasons. (Deadline)
Twin Peaks, the cult-favorite that aired on ABC in 1990 and 1991, is returning with nine new episodes in a limited run on Showtime in 2016. (CNN)
Speaking of Showtime, they're also looking in to a series based upon the movie In The Heat of the Night, which means that they've either forgotten that a very popular one already existed or are at least hoping that fans forgot about it. (Hollywood Reporter)
Yet again, another classic comedy film is being eyed to be made into a sitcom, and this time it is ABC interested in a series based upon the John Candy movie Uncle Buck (and it wouldn't be the first series based upon the movie). But the families of both John Candy and John Hughes are not pleased with this idea. (A.V. Club)
Actress Jan Hooks, best known to sitcom fans from her roles on Saturday Night Live, Designing Women, 3rd Rock from the Sun, and The Simpsons, died this week at the age of 57. (TMZ)
Recent allegations against actor Stephen Collins has been cause for UP TV to abruptly drop the popular series 7th Heaven from their lineup, and has some wondering if the series will go into obscurity for good. (LA Times)

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

It has become a tradition in the past few years for Fox to release a new season of The Simpsons on DVD and Blu-ray the first week of December each year. This year is no exception, with the 17th season arriving on DVD and Blu-ray on December 2.
The third season of Last Man Standing will be arriving on DVD as MOD release soon, it seems.
For those who passed on Welcome Back, Kotter - The Complete Series, Shout! will soon begin releasing individual seasons, starting with the January 20 release of Welcome Back, Kotter - The Complete Second Season.

OCTOBER 14 HOME MEDIA RELEASES

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00GO78384/ref=nosim/happydaysonline5-20

Two Broke Girls - The Complete Third Season (DVD, $38.99): The hit CBS series returns to DVD for another season of episodes.
Two and a Half Men - The Complete Eleventh Season (DVD, $38.99): The Jon Cryer and Ashton Kutcher sitcom moves ahead on DVD, with the next-to-last season arriving on DVD.

FOLLOW ME

Who to Follow: Katey Sagal (Twitter), "Actress, wife, mother. Currently playing Gemma on FX's Sons of Anarchy"

Claim to Fame: We're (sort of) continuing our theme of making our Follow Me about stars of the new sitcoms for this season, though this time, our Follow Me is somebody who has been established as a sitcom star for nearly three decades, and doesn't even appear on any sitcom this season (she does the narration on the NBC series A to Z). Katey Sagal got her start in the 1970s, and one of her earliest roles was an installment Columbo. She also appeared in the not-so-successful Mary Tyler Moore sitcom, Mary, in 1985. But she really made it big in 1987, when she appeared on Married... with Children. She followed up on that success with roles in Futurama and 8 Simple Rules. Currently, she appears on the FX series Sons of Anarchy, and is the narrator on NBC's A to Z.

Pick of the Tweets: "Watch this Thursday night at 9:30/8:30 the premier of AtoZ!! I'm involved!! Find out how. Haha!! @NBC_AtoZ @benqueen1" (October 1, 2014)

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Thursday, May 21

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "Funky Chili and Friends Who Take Their Clothes Off" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Mandy and Jim butt heads when they take over the store for a sick Georgie and Ruben. Meanwhile, Audrey panics when Connor rekindles an old flame.

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "A New Beau and Someone Else's Mom’s House" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Georgie and Mandy take matters into their own hands when Mary starts warming up to Fagenbacher (Matthew Letscher). Also, Audrey struggles to cope with Connor’s absence.

Ghosts - "Up the Creek" (CBS, 9:00PM ET/PT)
When Woodstone’s future is put in jeopardy, Sam and Jay join forces with the ghosts to protect the mansion by securing its place in history.

Ghosts - "Across the Pond" (CBS, 9:00PM ET/PT)
A trip abroad could determine Woodstone’s fate. Meanwhile, a major career opportunity takes Sam out of town, leaving others to step in and help with the ghosts.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of May 18)

Thursday, May 21

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert - Watch the series finale of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Andrew Rannells (Girls/The New Normal) - Andrew is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Maya Rudolph (Loot/Bless the Harts/Forever/Up All Night) - Maya appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Keke Palmer (Scream Queens/True Jackson, VP) and Brooke Shields (Suddenly Susan) - Andy Cohen interviews Keke and Brooke on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9pm on Bravo.
Ronny Chieng (Young Rock/Ronny Chieng: International Student) - Ronny hosts Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
LaKeith Stanfield (Atlanta) - LaKeith chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Laurie Metcalf (Big Mistakes/The Conners/Roseanne/The McCarthys/The Norm Show) - Laure discusses Death of a Salesman on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
Niecy Nash (Reno 911!/Getting On/The Soul Man/Do Not Disturb) - Niecy is Sherri's special guest on the final Sherri show, so check your local listings.
Michelle Buteau (Survival of the Thickest/Bless the Harts/Enlisted) - Michelle stops by for a very special Sherri's Laugh Lounge on Sherri, so check your local listings.
Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Cafe Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - The Drew Barrymore Show has a little bit extra from Drew-crewers Ross Mathews, Sunny Anderson and Valerie sharing their tips in the kitchen with knife skills 101, so check your local listings.
Paul Rudd (The Shrink Next Door/Living with Yourself/Wild Oats) and Nick Jonas (Jonas) - Paul and Nick can be heard on the Morning Mash Up on SiriusXM.
Judith Light (Who's the Boss?/Phenom/Transparent) - Judith talks about AMC+'s The Terror: Devil in Silver on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Utkarsh Ambudkar (Ghosts) - Utkarsh talks about Ghosts on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.