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

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

The Cosby Show - Seasons 5 and 6 (DVD, $14.98): The Huxtable family returns to DVD with this re-release from Mill Creek. Season 5 and Season 6 are also available as standalone releases.
Married... with Children - Seasons 7 and 8 (DVD, $14.98): Mill Creek gives fans another re-release of the classic Fox sitcom on DVD, presumably with the original theme song reinserted into the episodes. Season 7 and Season 8 are also available as standalone releases.

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

Wednesday, May 12

The Goldbergs - "Alligator Schwartz" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Erica fears that Geoff has moved on from their breakup and started dating someone else. Meanwhile, Adam decides to find Dave Kim a date to prom, once he remembers his pact with Dave that they won’t go to prom if they both don’t have dates.

Home Economics - "The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire: An Oral History (Used), $11" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Connor invites the siblings to a party he’s throwing for his ex-wife, Emily. While he feels the need to prove that he is cool with their divorce, he is not the only one in the competitive spirit. Tom and Marina try to prove to each other that they still have game, while Sarah finds the perfect solution to the fact that she’s a bad gift-giver.

The Conners - "Jeopardé, Sobrieté, and Infidelité" (ABC, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Darlene makes a decision about her trip to Hawaii, leading to a heated encounter with Barb. Meanwhile, Becky gives a presentation on addiction to Mark’s class.

Call Your Mother - "The Raines Games" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Jean fears her family is drifting apart so she brings everyone together for a game night that doesn’t go as planned.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of May 10)

Wednesday, May 12

The Upshaws/The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Aidy Brant (Shrill) - Aidy appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Lisa Kudrow (The Comeback/Friends/Mad About You) - Lisa is a guest on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
Jerry O'Connell (We Are Men/Carpoolers/My Secret Identity) - Jerry guest co-hosts The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
Hank Azaria (The Simpsons/Brockmire/Free Agents/Herman's Head) - Hank discusses The Jim Brockmire Podcast on LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
The Cast of Mom - Allison Janney, Jaime Pressly, Kristen Johnston, Beth Hall and Mimi Kennedy are guests on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
Mike Epps (The Upshaws/Uncle Buck/Survivor's Remorse) and Kim Fields (The Upshaws/Living Single/The Facts of Life) - Mike and Kim are guests on The Real, so check your local listings. Kim will also talk about The Upshaws on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Seth Rogen (Undeclared) - Seth will be on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
The Cast of Girls5eva) - Sara Bareilles, Busy Philipps, Paula Pell, Renée Elise Goldsberry are guests on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Leslie Bibb (American Housewife/Nobodies/The Odd Couple/About a Boy) - Leslie talks about Jupiter's Legacy on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
Joe Jonas (Jonas) - Joe appears on Access Daily, so check your local listings.