SitcomsOnline Digest: Kevin Nealon and Jane Kaczmarek Cast in CBS Comedy Pilot; Community Returns to Air on Yahoo! Screen

Saturday, March 21, 2015

SitcomsOnline Digest: Kevin Nealon and Jane Kaczmarek Cast in CBS Comedy Pilot; Community Returns to Air on Yahoo! Screen

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! It has been a slow news week this week (is news taking a spring break?), but we've got an update on another CBS comedy pilot, news of another Donna Reed Show re-release, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

Kevin Nealon and Jane Kaczmarek have been cast in a CBS comedy pilot based upon the life of standup comedian Tommy Johnagin. (Deadline)
Netflix's Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is something a little different, but does it really prove that the network sitcom is dead? (Washington Post)
In case you missed it, the sixth season of Community started this week on Yahoo! Screen, and some early reviews are in. (Slate)
With so many series blurring the lines between comedy and drama these days, it is sometimes hard to know which category they are going to compete in for awards ceremonies. Last year, Orange is the New Black competed as a comedy and won big... but this year, it has been ruled ineligible to compete as a comedy and must run as a drama. (Hollywood Reporter)
Betty White is set to be honored by the Daytime Emmy Awards with a lifetime achievement award. (People)
Pop, the network formerly known as TVGN, has renewed Schitt's Creek for a second season. (SitcomsOnline)

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

The Donna Reed Show - Season 2 comes to DVD on Tuesday, but the re-release of the third season is not too far behind. On June 30, MPI will release The Donna Reed Show - Season 3.

MARCH 24 HOME MEDIA RELEASES

The Donna Reed Show - Season 2 (DVD, $39.98): MPI brings this now out-of-print release (previously released by Virgil Films) back to DVD.

FOLLOW ME

Who to Follow: Bryan Cranston (Twitter)

Claim to Fame: There was a time when nobody knew who Bryan Cranston was, and now everybody knows that he played Walter White on the series Breaking Bad. But despite the fame he achieved from Breaking Bad, he played a role before that which he probably would have been remembered from much more if not for Walter White: the role of Hal (no last name!) on Malcolm in the Middle. Cranston began to appear on series all the way back in the early 80s, with episodes of CHiPs, Airwolf, Murder, She Wrote, Hill Street Blues, and Matlock, and he finally got a regular role in the 90s with Louie Anderson's sitcom, The Louie Show... for six episodes. He also had recurring roles on Seinfeld and King of Queens before landing the role on Malcolm in the Middle. Following that, he had even more guest roles on other series, including How I Met Your Mother, Family Guy, and others, but his real fame to many came with Breaking Bad. In addition to acting, he is also a director, and has directed episodes of not only the shows he starred in, but also episodes of Modern Family and The Office.

Pick of the Tweets: "Since getting my Breaking Bad tat I've gone a little crazy. Here's my new Malcolm salute. Next a Seinfeld? (photo link)" (June 25, 2013)

Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Thursday, September 29

Young Sheldon - "Four Hundred Cartons of Undeclared Cigarettes and a Niblingo" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
George Sr. bails Meemaw and Georgie out of jail. Also, Sheldon and Missy meet Mandy (Emily Osment), and Mary feels unwelcome at church.

Ghosts - "Spies" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Sam enlists the Ghosts to help secure a good review from an overly critical couple staying at the B&B. Also, Isaac tries to integrate Nigel into his friend group.

Welcome to Flatch - "Welcome to (Barb) Flatch" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Kelley is changing diapers; Cheryl and Joe are raising baby chickens; Shrub is courting Beth; Barb Flatch makes a triumphant return to her hometown to shake things up.

Call Me Kat - "Call Me Ken Jennings" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Kat is seated next to "Jeopardy!" contestant Ken Jennings on her flight home; Kat discovers some significant changes have been made to the cafe by Randi and Phil; Max has returned home from his time in Nashville.

Atlanta - "Light Skinned-ed" (FX, 10:00PM ET/PT)
My family is so crazy we need our own reality TV show. How you still got beef from the 70's? Whew. And y'all need to stop flirting with people's daddy.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of September 26)

Thursday, September 29

George Clooney (Roseanne/The Facts of Life/ E/R (1984-1985) - Catch George on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Billy Eichner (Friends from College/Difficult People/Parks and Recreation) - Billy appears on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS. Billy appears on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
Kelly Ripa (Hope & Faith) - Kelly is a guest on Watch What Happens: Live at 10pm on Bravo.
Alfonso Ribeiro (In the House/The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air/Silver Spoons) - Alfonso will be on LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
Jim Rash (Community/Help Me Help You/Thanks/Katie Joplin) - Jim appears on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
MC Lyte (Partners in Rhyme/Half & Half) - MC shares her journey from rapper and entrepreneur to actress in the new sitcom Partners in Rhyme on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
Nick Kroll (Big Mouth/The League/Cavemen) - Nick stops by to chat about his new stand-up comedy special, Little Big Boy, on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Jurnee Smollett (Wanda at Large/On Our Own) - Jurnee talks about her new film Lou on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Drew Carey (The Drew Carey Show/The Good Life) - Drew talks about The Price Is Right Anniversary on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Sarah Jessica Parker (And Just Like That.../Divorce/Sex and the City/Square Pegs), Bette Midler (Bette) and Kathy Najimy (King of the Hill/Veronica's Closet) - Sarah, Bette and Kathy talk about Hocus Pocus 2 on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.