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

Wednesday, October 9

Abbott Elementary - "Back to School" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT)
The neighboring construction site of a new golf course is causing issues at Abbott, forcing the teachers to find creative solutions. An HR representative visits the school. Following their kiss, Janine and Gregory’s relationship status is revealed.

Everybody Still Hates Chris - "Everybody Still Hates Cheat Codes" (Comedy Central, 10:00PM ET/PT)
Chris debates using a cheat code to win a free Nintendo.

Everybody Still Hates Chris - "Everybody Still Hates Halloween" (Comedy Central, 10:30PM ET/PT)
Chris spends Halloween at a church event, hoping to hook up with Tasha.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of October 7)

Wednesday, October 9

Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary) - Watch Quinta on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC. She also talks about the new season of Abbott Elementary on Sherri, so check your local listings.
Henry Winkler (Barry/Arrested Development/Out of Practice/Monty/Happy Days) - Henry appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Rachel Sennott (Call Your Mother) - Rachel is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Eric Idle (Suddenly Susan/Nearly Departed) - Eric stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Michael Keaton (Report to Murphy/Working Stiffs/All's Fair) - E! News has an interview with Michael at 11pm on E!.
Ali Wong (Big Mouth/American Housewife/Are You There, Chelsea?) - NBC's Today catches up with Ali in the 10am hour.
Rita Wilson (Girls) - Rita stops by to talk about her new album on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your listings.
Goldie Hawn (Good Morning World) - Goldie appears on ABC's Good Morning America some time between 7-9am.
Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary/Fam/Instant Mom/Moesha/It's a Living) - Sheryl Lee talks about Abbott Elementary on ABC's Good Morning America some time between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm. She chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Josh Gad (Wolf Like Me/Avenue 5/The Comedians/1600 Penn/Back to You) - Josh talks about his new children's book PictureFace Lizzy and fatherhood on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Jessica St. Clair (Avenue 5/Playing House/Best Friends Forever/In the Motherhood) - Jessica is sharing her breast cancer experience with Drew and Dr. Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz is talking about breast cancer diagnoses on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Abigail Spencer (Extended Family/Burning Love) - Abigail discusses her television series Shatter Belt on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
Kim Matula (LA to Vegas) - Kim is a guest on PIX 11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:39am.
Lea Thompson (Caroline in the City) - Lea appears on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:05am.