Thursday, December 11, 2014
ABC Schedules Fresh Off the Boat for February Premiere; Remembering Mary Ann Mobley and Ken Weatherwax
ABC announced the premiere date today for new half hour comedy Fresh Off the Boat. Inspired by Eddie Huang's best-selling memoir by the same name, Fresh Off the Boat will be sampled twice in ABC's Wednesday night comedy block on Wednesday, February 4 at both 8:30pm and 9:31pm following The Middle & Modern Family, followed by its time slot premiere on Tuesday, February 10 at 8:00pm ET. It's 1995 and 11-year-old hip-hop loving Eddie Huang (Hudson Yang) has just moved with his family from Chinatown in Washington D.C. to suburban Orlando. They quickly discover things are very different there. Orlando doesn't even have a Chinatown -- unless you count the Huang house. Eddie's dad, Louis (Randall Park), has dragged the family to the 'burbs to pursue his version of the American dream, opening Cattleman's Ranch Steakhouse, a struggling western-themed restaurant. Louis thinks that the best way to get customers in the door is to hire a white host to greet them and make them feel comfortable. Eddie's mom, Jessica (Constance Wu), has agreed to the move, but she finds Orlando a strange place -- from the rollerblading stay-at-home moms, to the hospital-like grocery stores, to the fact that the humidity has ruined her hair.
Inspired by a true story, Fresh Off the Boat stars Randall Park as Louis, Constance Wu as Jessica, Hudson Yang as Eddie, Forrest Wheeler as Emery and Ian Chen as Evan. Eddie Huang provides the voice over narration. Fresh Off the Boat was written by Nahnatchka Khan (Don't Trust the B--- In Apartment 23), who also serves as executive producer.
Actress Mary Ann Mobley, who appeared as Maggie McKinney Drummond in the final season of Diff'rent Strokes, has died. She died at her home in Beverly Hills, California on December 9 from breast cancer. Ms. Mobley was 77.
Mobley won the Miss America crown in 1959, the first Mississippian to achieve this honor. Her film credits from 1964-1968 included Get Yourself a Girl, Girl Happy (with Elvis Presley), Harum Scarum (with Elvis Presley), Young Dillinger, Three on a Couch and For Singles Only. She won the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer in 1965.
She made multiple guest appearances in Burke's Law, Perry Mason, Mission: Impossible, Run for Your Life, The Sixth Sense, Love, American Style, Fantasy Island, The Love Boat and Falcon Crest. Some of her other television guest appearances included General Hospital, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Virginian, Iron Horse, Ironside, Police Story, Vega$, Matt Houston, Hotel and Dead Like Me. Her sitcom guest appearances included The Partridge Family, Designing Women, Hearts Afire, Hardball and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.
Mobley had a recurring role as Maggie McKinney Drummond, the wife of Phillip Drummond (Conrad Bain), in ten episodes in the final season of Diff'rent Strokes, which aired on ABC in 1985-1986. She replaced Dixie Carter in the role. Mobley had previously played Arnold's teacher and Drummond's love interest Nancy Osborne in the second season episode "Teacher's Pet."
She was married to actor Gary Collins from 1967 until his death in 2012. Survivors include their daughter, Clancy Collins White; a stepdaughter, Melissa Collins; a stepson, Guy William Collins; a sister, Sandra Young; and two stepgrandsons, Garrett and Gaston.
Actor Ken Weatherwax, who played Pugsley Addams in The Addams Family, has died. He died on December 7 of a heart attack at his home in West Hills, California. Mr. Weatherwax was 59.
Weatherwax appeared as Puglsey Addams, the oldest child of Morticia and Gomez Addams, in The Addams Family. The popular sitcom ran for two seasons on ABC from 1964-1966. Pugsley was known for wearing striped shirts and shorts. He reunited with the cast in the 1977 NBC TV movie Halloween with the New Addams Family. He played Puglsey Addams, Sr., who had become a witch doctor.
At the age of 17, he entered the U.S. Army. He later worked in Hollywood behind the camera as a movie studio grip and set builder. He also made appearances at fan conventions and Addams Family-related events.
Survivors include his brother Joey D. Vieira (also known as Donald Keeler), an actor who appeared in Lassie; a niece, Shanyn Vieira; and a nephew.
We thank them for the entertainment they brought us. They will be greatly missed.
Share your memories on our Diff'rent Strokes and The Addams Family message boards.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight
Thursday, August 18
Young Sheldon - "Money Laundering and a Cascade of Hormones" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Missy asks some uncomfortable questions at church, and Meemaw and Georgie go into business together. Bill Fagerbakke returns as Officer Jake.
Ghosts - "Jay's Sister" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Jay’s sister, Bela (Punam Patel), comes to visit Sam and Jay after being dumped by her boyfriend, they’re shocked to discover that she’s communicating with someone they know on a dating app.
Welcome to Flatch - "The Devil's Backbone" / "On the Hooky" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
To increase their social media following, Kelly and Shrub plan to record a surprise reunion with Father Joe and another former member of his religious boy band; Shrub gets a new job detailing cars; Cheryl and Mandy bond over a day of playing hooky.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of August 15)
Thursday, August 18
- Kirby Howell-Baptiste (The Good Place/Love/Downward Dog) - Catch Kirby on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Nicole Byer (Grand Crew/Loosely Exactly Nicole) - Nicole guest hosts Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Martin Short (Mulaney/The Martin Short Show) - Martin is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Demi Lovato (Sonny with a Chance) - Demi is a musical guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Rhea Seehorn (Whitney/I'm with Her) - Rhea appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Juliette Lewis (Camping/A Family for Joe/I Married Dora) - Juliette is a guest on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
- Craig Robinson (Killing It/Ghosted/Mr. Robinson/The Office) - Craig chats with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Jenifer Lewis (black-ish/The PJs) - Jenifer will be on a repeat of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Mark Consuelos (Alpha House/Hope & Faith) - Mark guest co-hosts LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
- Lily Tomlin (Grace and Frankie/Malibu Country)- Lily appears on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
- David Duchovny (Californication) - David is a guest on a repeat of The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
- Ms. Pat (The Ms. Pat Show) - Ms. Pat appears on a repeat of The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
- Dave Coulier (Fuller House/Full House) - Dave speaks candidly about being an alcoholic and the moment that led him to sobriety on a repeat on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
- Topher Grace (Home Economics/That '70s Show) - Topher is a guest on a repeat on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Sherri Shepherd (Mr. Iglesias/Trial & Error/Sherri/Less Than Perfect/Suddenly Susan) - Sherri guest hosts a repeat of The Wendy Williams Show, so check your local listings.
- Sharon Horgan (Bad Sisters) - Sharon talks about Bad Sisters on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
- Martha Plimpton (Sprung/The Real O'Neals/Raising Hope) and Garret Dillahunt (Sprung/The Guest Book/Raising Hope) - Martha and Garret talk about Freevee's Sprung on Access Daily, so check your local listings.
New on DVD/Blu-ray (April-August)
04/05 - Up All Night - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
04/26 - The Danny Thomas Show (aka Make Room for Daddy) - The Complete Fourth Season
04/26 - Jackie Gleason TV Treasures - 70th Anniversary Collection (including Honeymooners Rarities)
05/03 - No Activity - Season Three
05/13 - The Donna Reed Show - The Complete Seasons 1-5 (Time Life)
05/31 - Becker - The Complete Series (2022 Release)
06/14 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Eleventh Season
06/14 - Hacks - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
06/14 - Rutherford Falls - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
06/21 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season One / Season Two
07/19 - The Neighborhood - Season Four
07/19 - Reno 911! - The Hunt for QAnon (Blu-ray) (DVD)
07/26 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season Three / Season Four
08/16 - And Just Like That... - The Complete First Season (Warner Bros. - Canada)
08/16 - South Park - The Complete Twenty-Fourth Season (Blu-ray) (DVD)
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