SitcomsOnline Digest: Must See TV on NBC Officially Dead; Enlisted and Back in the Game on MOD DVD

Saturday, December 13, 2014

SitcomsOnline Digest: Must See TV on NBC Officially Dead; Enlisted and Back in the Game on MOD DVD

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! Things are settling down in the world of sitcom news as we are approaching Christmas, but we're here with news of the (official) death of Must See TV, David Letterman's exit from The Late Show, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

NBC's Thursday night lineup has been a haven for sitcoms for the past 34 years, and most (if not all) of NBC's successful and memorable sitcoms since 1980 have aired as part of that lineup for most of their run. Now, it is completely dead, as NBC has turned Thursday night into drama night. (Complex)
Zap2It has ranked NBC's "Must See TV" sitcoms from best to worst, with Seinfeld making it to the top and Coupling making it to the bottom at #62. (Zap2it)
May 20 will be David Letterman's last night on The Late Show. No word yet on when Stephen Colbert will take over. (Washington Post)
Murder, She Wrote will debut on one of the broadcast retro networks for the first time ever on COZI TV in January. (SitcomsOnline)
MeTV is also looking ahead to a new lineup beginning January 1. (SitcomsOnline)

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

CBS will be releasing Petticoat Junction - Family Favorites on March 10, and while we don't know the exact content of this eight episode disc, it will likely consist of episodes from the seasons of the series that have been released so far.
Enlisted didn't last long on Fox, but it can last a lot longer on your DVD shelf, as Fox has released Enlisted - The Complete Series as a MOD release.
Another short-lived series is also available as a MOD release from Fox: 2013's Back in the Game, with Back in the Game - The Complete Series.

DECEMBER 16 HOME MEDIA RELEASES

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00NALHK5E/ref=nosim/happydaysonline5-20

Batman - The Complete Series (Blu-ray, $239.99): If this release sounds familiar, that is because technically it is already out on Blu-ray, but now Warner Home Video is bringing fans a lower priced version without the extras.
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis - The Final Season (DVD, $29.93): While the complete series was released long ago, Shout! now finishes up the individual season releases.

FOLLOW ME

Who to Follow: Todd Bridges (Twitter) "Todd Bridges\ actor / Director /stand up comic"

Claim to Fame: As we continue on our child stars from the past theme again this week, we have a child star from the series that really did give child stars a bad name: Diff'rent Strokes. Looking at the child stars from that series, Dana Plato was in trouble for armed robbery and dealt with drug abuse issues, Gary Coleman had a nasty financial battle with his parents, and Todd Bridges dealt with drug abuse and was even charged with the attempted murder of a drug dealer. Unfortunately, Plato and Coleman are no longer living, but Bridges is, and unlike the other two, he has managed to turn his life into something much more positive over the past two decades, and carrying a very positive and upbeat attitude towards life. Most recently, he had a recurring role on Everybody Hates Chris, as well as appearing in several reality shows. Among one of my personal favorite appearances of Bridges is his appearance in the video for The Black Keys song "Howlin' for You." As many of his fellow cast members have died since the series (in addition to the kids mentioned, Conrad Bain, Dixie Carter, Nedra Volz, and even Mary Ann Mobley), he seems to be among the few who will live the longest to remind us of the series.

Pick of the Tweets: "today me and my son are going to have a great time. I really love being a father." (November 26, 2013)

Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Tuesday, February 7

Night Court - "The Apartment" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
In desperate need of a new apartment, Abby turns to Gurgs and her unconventional real estate skills; Dan helps Olivia prepare for the biggest case of her career and a shot at redemption.

American Auto - "Celebrity" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
When Payne loses their spokesperson, Katherine and the team go to great lengths to woo a new celebrity -- Andy Richter -- only to have second thoughts.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of February 6)

Tuesday, February 7

Salma Hayek Pinault (30 Rock/The Sinbad Show) - Catch Salma on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Tig Notaro (One Mississippi) - Tig appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC. She also talks about Your Place or Mine on ABC's Good Morning America some time between 7-9am.
Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies) - Tom is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Paula Pell (Girls5eva/Mapleworth Murders/A.P. Bio) - Paula will be on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Kirby Howell-Baptiste (The Good Place/Barry/Downward Dog) - Kirby appears on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Elon Gold (Stacked/In-Laws) - Elon is a guest on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Chelsea Handler (Are You There, Chelsea?) - Chelsea guest hosts Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
Ashton Kutcher (The Ranch/Two and a Half Men/That '70s Show) - Ashton will be interviewed on E! News on E! at 11pm.
Alison Brie (GLOW/Community) - Alison is a guest on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
Fortune Feimster (Kenan/Bless the Harts/Champions) - Fortune joins Tamron to chat about her Netflix comedy special Good Fortune and her new tour Live Laugh Love! on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
Alan Cumming (Schmigadoon!/God, the Devil and Bob) - Alan is talking to Drew about his new show and the time he swam in Drew's pool when she wasn't home on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Yvette Nicole Brown (The Mayor/The Odd Couple/Community) - Yvette will be on The Jennifer Hudson Show, so check your local listings.
Ron Funches (Loot/Poweless/Undateable) - Ron appears on The Jennifer Hudson Show, so check your local listings.
Drew Barrymore (Santa Clarita Diet) - Drew is a guest on CBS Mornings some time between 7-9am. She will also be interviewed on E! News on E! at 11pm.
Zoe Chao (The Afterparty/Love Life) - Zoe talks about Your Place or Mine on ABC's Good Mornning America some time between 7-9am.
Nick Jonas (Jonas) - NBC's Today catches up with Nick in the 9am hour.