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

Sunday, December 28

Animal Control - "Bear Cubs and Broncos" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Tensions erupt when the two rival animal control precincts are forced to merge due to budget cuts; Frank and Templeton clash during a bear cub rescue as they fight for control; Emily and Shred try to hide their romance from the team.

The Simpsons - "¡The Fall Guy-Yi-Yi!" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Homer revitalizes Bumblebee Man's career when he becomes his secret stuntman.

Krapopolis - "Monster Week" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Tyrannis offends his father; Stupendous and Hippocampus do security; Deliria builds a dog.

Bob's Burgers - "Heist Things Are Heist" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
After winning a prestigious award, Bob faces a setback at the ceremony; the kids team up with possible former jewel thief Vincent to put things right.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 22)

Friday, December 26

Mila Kunis (Family Guy/That '70s Show) - Watch Mila on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Zooey Deschanel (Physical/New Girl) - Zooey appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Laura Dern (F Is for Family/Enlightened) - Laura is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Rose Byrne (Platonic/Physical) - Rose appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Jamie Kaler (My Boys) - Jamie is a guest on Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 12:37am on CBS.
Dick Van Dyke (The Dick Van Dyke Show/The New Dick Van Dyke Show/The Van Dyke Show) - Dick discusses his new book with ABC News' Chris Connelly on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Patti LaBelle (Out All Night) - Patti cooks on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Lacey Chabert (Still the King/Baby Daddy/Family Guy) - Lacey talks about Loist in Paradise on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Ryan Reynolds (Two Guys and a Girl) - Ryan appears on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
Sarah Paulson (Leap of Faith) - Sarah is a guest on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
Phil Rosenthal (Creator of Everybody Loves Raymond) - Phil appears on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Mo'Nique (The Parkers) - Tamron Hall (repeat) has a DAYTIME EXCLUSIVE with Mo'Nique about her weight-loss journey and the launch of her new fitness brand, Mo'Niques Movement, as well as the emotional moment with her husband that changed it all, so check your local listings.
Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother/Star Raving Mad/Doogie Howser, M.D.) - NBC's Today has Cocktails and Mocktails with Neil and David Burtka on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Mario Lopez (Saved by the Bell/Saved by the Bell: The College Years) - Mario tells Sherri about his new holiday film The Christmas Spark on a repeat of Sherri, so check your local listings.
Woody Harrelson (Cheers), Dave Franco (The Afterparty/Scrubs/Do Not Disturb), Isla Fisher (Wolf Like Me) and Ariana Greenblatt (Stuck in the Middle) - The Now You See Me: Now You Don't cast including Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher Jesse Eisenberg, Ariana Greenblatt, Justice Smith and Dominic Sessa join Drew to dish all about the third installment of the hit franchise on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.