Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Pop Launches Jan. 14, 2015 with 90210, Melrose Place; Mike & Molly Returns Monday, Dec. 8 on CBS
TVGN announced that it will rebrand as Pop across its distribution of 80 million homes on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015. The CBS/Lionsgate joint venture, currently known as TVGN, will embrace a new on-air look and creative design to accompany its new brand promise - celebrating the fun of being a fan, as we previously announced. Among the original series will be The Story Behind, airing Wednesdays at 8:30pm. The Story Behind features new episodes that go behind-the-scenes of TV's greatest hits and most iconic shows, and how they got their start. The series reveals stories straight from the set with exclusive on-camera interviews with all the insider players from cast members to producers to television executives. The one-hour episodes will highlight some of TV's most treasured classics, including Everybody Loves Raymond, Home Improvement, Beverly Hills 90210, Will & Grace, Full House, Friends and ER. The Story Behind will be a Pop Media Group production and will begin with The Story Behind: Everybody Loves Raymond on Jan. 14.
Also, docu-sitcom Unusually Thicke returns for a second season this spring 2015 starring Alan Thicke. Not even seven seasons as Dr. Jason Seaver on Growing Pains could prepare Alan Thicke to be the patriarch of his own modern family. Between his fiery, much younger Latina wife, Tanya, and his three sons - teenaged know-it-all Carter, pop star Robin and marijuana dispensary owner Brennan - Alan Thicke has his work cut out for him as a father, a husband and a Hollywood actor, writer and icon. Unusually Thicke follows the hilarious, action-packed and dramatic daily lives of Alan's real-life family. Dozens of celebrity appearances have been featured in the series, including David Hasselhoff, Bob Saget, Magic Johnson, Wayne Gretzky, John Stamos, Bill Maher and Tom Green, with many more to come. Unusually Thicke is an original series that blends reality television with situation comedy, and is produced by Peacock Alley Entertainment.
Pop will also have its own sitcom, Schitt's Creek, premiering Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015 at 10:00 PM, ET/PT. Starring the incomparable Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara, the character-driven comedy series (created by and starring Eugene Levy and his son Daniel) will become the first original scripted project in the history of the network. Thirteen half-hour episodes will star Emmy winners(R) Eugene Levy (American Pie, Best In Show, SCTV) and Catherine O'Hara (Home Alone, Best In Show, SCTV) and Chris Elliott (How I Met Your Mother, Late Show With David Letterman, There's Something About Mary) alongside Daniel Levy (Admission) and Annie Murphy (Blue Mountain State). The series centers on filthy rich video store magnate Johnny Rose (Eugene Levy), his soap star wife Moira (Catherine O'Hara), and their two kids, über-hipster son David (Daniel Levy) and socialite daughter Alexis (Annie Murphy), after they suddenly find themselves broke. They are forced to live in Schitt's Creek, a depressing small town they once bought as a joke. And finally, what about the network's reruns like Family Ties, The Love Boat and more? No word yet on the full weekday schedule, but the #Throwback programming lineup will continue. The new 90210 will begin airing Monday, Jan. 19, 2015 at 4:00 PM, ET/PT with the original two-hour pilot, and beginning Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015, the series will air at its regularly scheduled time slot of Monday through Friday at 5:00 PM, ET/PT. The original Beverly Hills, 90210 will continue to air marathons Tuesdays at 12:00 PM, ET/PT. But that's not all! The original Melrose Place will join the line-up and air weekly beginning Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2015 at 12:00 PM, ET/PT. Stay with us for continued updates on the #Throwback block as we get closer to January.92
The fifth season of Mike & Molly, starring Billy Gardell and Emmy Award winner and Academy Award nominee Melissa McCarthy, will premiere Monday, Dec. 8 at 8:30PM ET/PT on CBS. One week earlier, on Monday, Dec. 1, four encore episodes of the series will air from 8:00-10:00PM, followed by a rebroadcast of Scorpion at a special time of 10:00PM ET/PT. Mike & Molly replaces canceled sitcom The Millers on the schedule. Mike & Molly will air right after 2 Broke Girls and will lead into new episodes of new drama Scorpion at 9. Mike & Molly of course stars Billy Gardell, Melissa McCarthy, Reno Wilson, Katy Mixon, Nyambi Nyambi, Swoosie Kurtz, Louis Mustillo, Cleo King, Rondi Reed and David Higgins. Chuck Lorre and Al Higgins are the executive producers for Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. and Warner Bros. Television. The comedy is about a working-class Chicago couple who had almost given up on love...and then found each other.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight
Wednesday, February 1
Abbott Elementary - "Holiday Hookah" (ABC, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
On the last day of school before winter break, Janine is convinced by her friend to go to a popular Hookah Club where she runs into unexpected colleagues. Elsewhere, Jacob crashes Barbara and Melissa’s traditional holiday dinner and in the process begins to learn the true meaning of Christmas.
Abbott Elementary - "Read-A-Thon" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
The competition heats up between Melissa and Janine as their classrooms go head-to-head in a read-a-thon sponsored by a local pizza shop. Both teachers encourage their students to hit the books hard but face some unexpected obstacles on their path to pizza glory. Meanwhile, Jacob and Gregory join forces and attempt to get their student-podcasting club off the ground.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of January 30)
Wednesday, February 1
- Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) - Watch Nick on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Harrison Ford (Shrinking) - Harrison appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Natasha Lyonne (Poker Face/Russian Doll) - Natasha is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Adam Pally (Indebted/Making History/The Mindy Project/Happy Endings) - Adam will be on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Jenny Slate (The Great North/Big Mouth/Married/Bob's Burgers) - Jenny appears on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
- D. L. Hughley (The Hughleys/Double Rush) - D. L. guest hosts Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
- Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary/Fam/Instant Mom/Moesha/It's a Living) - Sheryl is a guest on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Alan Cumming (Schmigadoon!) - Alan appears on LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your local listings.
- Jay Ellis (Insecure/The Game - Jay will be on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
- Drew Carey (The Drew Carey Show/The Good Life) - Drew is a guest on The Jennifer Hudson Show, so check your local listings.
- Michael Urie (Shrinking/Younger/Partners) - Michael talks about the new Apple TV+ Shrinking on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
- Abby Quinn (Mad About You) - Abby will be on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 8:50am.
- Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine/Are We There Yet?/Everybody Hates Chris) - NBC's Today catches up with Terry in the 9am hour.
New on DVD/Blu-ray (October-January)
10/04 - Mr. Mayor - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
10/04 - The Munsters - Marineland Carnival with The Munsters TV Cast
10/18 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete First Season
11/08 - Frasier - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/08 - Young Rock - Season Two (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/15 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season Seven / The Complete Season Eight
11/22 - That '70s Show - The Complete Series (Mill Creek)
11/29 - Ghosts - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
12/06 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - 70th Anniversary Ultimate Christmas Collection
12/13 - And Just Like That... - The Complete First Season
12/13 - Hogan's Heroes - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
01/03 - Andy Richter Controls the Universe - The Complete Series (2023 Release)
01/27 - Master of None - Season Three / The Complete Series
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