Saturday, January 03, 2015

SitcomsOnline Digest: Midseason Premieres Ahead; College Football Playoffs Make Cable TV History

Welcome to the first SitcomsOnline Digest of 2015! This is the last of our "winter break" editions where news is trickling out, but we've got updates on when your favorite midseason series will return, news of some sitcom (and cartoon) star deaths, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB
  • We've hit that time of the broadcasting year known as "midseason," and Deadline has a complete rundown of when you can expect your favorite midseason series to debut or return. (Deadline)
  • We rarely talk about college football here, but it is worth noting that the college football playoffs made TV history, giving ESPN the honor of having not one, but two of the most watched cable telecasts ever. (CNNMoney)
  • Donna Douglas, who played Elly May on The Beverly Hillbillies, died Friday morning at the age of 81. (CNN).
  • Meanwhile, Christine Cavanaugh, who was best known for the voice of Chuckie on Rugrats (but also had appearances on sitcoms including Cheers, Empty Nest, Everybody Loves Raymond, and others) died this week. (New York Times)
  • Looking for what is ahead in 2015 for TV on DVD? We've got our own preview. (SitcomsOnline)

JANUARY 6 HOME MEDIA RELEASES 

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00OU4MTOC/ref=nosim/happydaysonline5-20
FOLLOW ME

Who to Follow: Markie Post (Twitter), "Not just the girl from Night Court...actress, mother, cake decorator, late adopter"
Claim to Fame: Markie Post got her start in acting in the in 1979, and made appearances on some of the big action series of the era (including CHiPs, Hart to Hart, and Simon & Simon), but she got her first regular role in The Fall Guy, where she played a regular supporting role for three seasons. She left that series in 1985 to go on to what is probably her best known TV role, that of Christine Sullivan on the sitcom Night Court, where she stayed until the end of the series. She didn't have to wait long for her next role after Night Court, though, she she went on to star with John Ritter in the sitcom Hearts Afire for three seasons. Her work in recent years has been in TV movies, though she has appeared in sitcoms such as Scrubs and 30 Rock. Most recently, she has been appearing in the series Chicago P.D.
Pick of the Tweets: "In Chicago looking for trouble on @NBCChicagoPD . Better hide your heart, Lindsay...@SophiaBush." (December 8, 2014)


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Monday, January 12

The Neighorhood - "Welcome to the Downsizing" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Calvin and Marty face permit delays at Westside Fuse Box, pushing back the grand opening, while Malcolm’s booming writing career sparks an urgent search for a new nanny. Over at the Johnson house, Dave is still struggling to bounce back after being fired.

DMV - "Splash Fountain" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Colette’s effort to redirect holiday plans takes an unexpected turn when it lands her trapped in a car. Meanwhile, a surprising new friendship stirs up jealousy among the team.

St. Denis Medical - "This Is From Joyce" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Serena and Alex work a "Botox and Bubbly" party; Joyce enlists Matt's help with a personal issue; Bruce introduces Ron to the world of memecoins.

Stumble - "Media Day" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Courteney decides to use media day as a way to recruit new cheerleaders and to push her team to get right back on that mat; DiMarcus proves that not all Buttons are meant to be pushed.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of January 12)

Monday, January 12

  • Michael B. Jordan (The Assistants) - Watch Michael on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Joel McHale (Animal Control/The Great Indoors/Community) - Joel appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Kristen Wiig (Palm Royale) - Kristen is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Ashton Kutcher (The Ranch/Two and a Half Men/That '70s Show) - Ashton stops by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Kal Penn (The Santa Clauses/Sunnyside/We Are Men) - Andy Cohen interviews Kal on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 3:30am on Bravo.
  • Laura Dern (F Is for Family/Enlightened) - Laura talks about Is This Thing On? on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Elise Neal (A.N.T. Farm/All of Us) - Elise, starring in the new series G.R.I.T.S., stops by to share how she built unshakable confidence and her non-negotiables for self-care on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
  • Chris Perfetti (Abbott Elementary) - Chris can be heard on The Morning Mash Up on SiriusXM.
  • Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/One Day at a Time) - Valerie joins Drew and Ross to cover the latest headlines on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Denis Leary (Going Dutch/No Good Deed/Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll/The Job), Danny Pudi (Going Dutch/Mythic Quest/Powerless/Community) and Taylor Mislak (Going Dutch) - Denis, Danny and Taylor talk about Fox's Going Dutch on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray) Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season (DVD) St. Denis Medical - Season One (Blu-ray) Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
08/26 - The Huckleberry Hound Show - The Complete Original Series (Blu-ray)
09/30 - Touché Turtle and Dum Dum - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
10/07 - Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season (DVD)
10/14 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
10/28 - St. Denis Medical - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/04 - Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - Rick and Morty - Season 8 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fifteenth Season (DVD)
11/11 - Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/02 - Tom and Jerry - The Golden Era Anthology (1940-1958) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
12/16 - Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/16 - Wally Gator - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
01/20 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (Blu-ray)

More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

01/11 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of January 12, 2026)
01/10 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Henry Winkler to Star in NBC Legal Comedy Pilot; First Look at Peacock's The 'Burbs
01/09 - HBO's Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! Documentary with Interviews Including Rob Reiner; 83rd Annual Golden Globes Presenters
01/08 - Netflix Orders Nick Kroll Comedy Series; Saturday Night Live January 2026 Hosts and Music Guests
01/07 - Saturday Night Live Bobbleheads from the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum; Fox Entertainment Signs Tracee Ellis Ross to Deal
01/06 - Emily in Paris Renewed for Season 6; Audible's New Comedy Series Starring Jenifer Lewis, Cedric the Entertainer, and Niecy Nash-Betts
01/05 - Trailer for The Muppet Show Special Event; Season 3 of Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal on Adult Swim
01/04 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of January 5, 2026)
01/03 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Premiere Date Set for Malcolm in the Middle Reboot; NBC Pulls The Paper
01/02 - Bridgerton Season 4 Details and Live Premiere Event; NBC Pulls The Paper from Mondays
01/01 - Happy New Year; Shrinking Season 3 Trailer
12/31 - In Memoriam: Remembering the Sitcom Stars We Lost in 2025
12/30 - Antenna TV and Rewind TV's New Year's Eve and Day Marathons; Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair Premieres April 10
12/29 - COZI TV Postpones The Jeff Foxworthy Show Launch; Netflix Releases Free Bert Trailer
12/28 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of December 29, 2025)
12/27 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Chevy Chase "Hurt" By Not Being Invited to SNL 50th Anniversary; New Lineups for Antenna TV and Rewind TV
12/26 - GET Acquires Psych for January 2026; Details on Netflix's A Different World Sequel
12/25 - Merry Christmas from Sitcoms Online; Interviews from 2025 Christmas Con in Edison, NJ
12/24 - 2025 Christmas Eve and Christmas Day TV Marathons
12/23 - Antenna TV January 2026 Schedule; Rewind TV January 2026 Schedule
12/22 - The Ms. Pat Show Returns January 7; According to Jim Christmas Day Marathon on Laff
12/21 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of December 22, 2025)
12/20 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Historical 19th Century Comedy in the Works at CBS; Bowen Yang Leaving Saturday Night Live After Tonight
12/19 - The Muppet Show 50th Anniversary Event in February on ABC & Disney+; Adult Swim Renews Haha, You Clowns for 2 More Seasons
12/18 - The Oscars Moving to YouTube in 2029; Celebs for Hollywood Squares Season 2
12/17 - MeTV Remembers Rob Reiner with Tribute Marathon; MGM+ to Make New The Magnificent Seven Series
12/16 - The Rob Reiner Story: A Hollywood Tragedy – ABC News Special; Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion Part 2 on CBS
12/15 - Remembering the Legendary Rob Reiner of All in the Family; Trailer for Netflix's His & Hers
12/14 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of December 15, 2025)
12/13 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Warner/Netflix Merger Gets Complicated; Steve Carell Comedy Rooster Coming to HBO Max in March
12/12 - Survival of the Thickest Final Season Guest Stars; Ted Season 2 Returns in March
12/11 - The Upshaws Final Season Premieres January 15; Mike Epps Gets 5th Netflix Special