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 / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Tuesday, April 1

St. Denis Medical - "Anything to Push Zaluva" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Ron's teasing makes Joyce question whether her friendship with a pharmaceutical rep is genuine; Alex has trouble letting Serena take on a new task; Matt finds a mentor in Bruce.

Night Court - "Hot to Trot" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Abby's friendship with her ex-boyfriend's mother leads to romantic complications; when Julianne's wealthy aunt passes away, the gang vies for a piece of her inheritance.

Tyler Perry's House of Payne - "Love At First Swipe" (BET, 9:00PM ET/PT)
C.J. and Janine receive marital advice from an unlikely source; Peanut seeks help with his newfound online lover.

Tyler Perry's Assisted Living - "Failure 2 Launch" (BET, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Assisted Living is the new situation comedy by Tyler Perry about three generations who must make a new start in the rural backwoods of Georgia.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 31)

Tuesday, April 1

Adam Scott (Ghosted/Veep/Parks and Recreation/Party Down) - Catch Adam on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Kevin Bacon (I Love Dick) - Kevin is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Amanda Peet (Brockmire/Togetherness/Bent) - Amanda appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Paul Rudd (The Shrink Next Door/Living with Yourself/Wild Oats) - Paul stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Ike Barinholtz (The Studio/The Afterparty/Bless the Harts/The Mindy Project/Eastbound & Down) - Ike appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He will also be on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9:30pm on Bravo.
Vinny Thomas (Platonic), Paul F. Tompkins (The Great North/BoJack Horseman/DAG) and Aparna Nancherla (The Great North/Lopez vs Lopez/Corporate) - Vinny, Paul and Aparna are guests on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
Chase Sui Wonders (The Studio/Bupkis) and Kathryn Hahn (The Studio/Tiny Beautiful Things/Central Park/Happyish/Transparent/Free Agents) - Chase and Kathryn are guests on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9:30pm on Bravo.
Will Ferrell (The Office) and Jennifer Coolidge (2 Broke Girls/Joey) - E! News has interviews with Will and Jennifer at 11pm on E!.
Román Zaragoza (Ghosts) - Román talks about Ghosts on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Jenny Slate (The Great North/Big Mouth/Married/Bob's Burgers) - Jenny talks about Dying for Sex on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Michael Angarano (Laid/I'm Dying Up Here/Will & Grace) and Michael Cera (Life & Beth/Arrested Development/I Was a Sixth Grade Alien) - Michael and Michael talk about Sacramento with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Olivia Munn (Perfect Couples) - Olivia guest co-hosts NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Hannah Einbinder (Hacks) - Hannah talks about Hacks on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Tasha Smith (Survival of the Thickest/Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse/The Tom Show/Boston Common) and Tone Bell (Survival of the Thickest/Fam/Disjointed/Truth Be Told/Bad Judge/Whitney) - Tasha and Tone talk about the new season of Netflix’s Survival of the Thickest on Sherri, so check your local listings.
Kathryn Hahn (The Studio/Tiny Beautiful Things/Central Park/Happyish/Transparent/Free Agents) - Kathryn is dishing on her new comedy series The Studio on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Wilmer Valderrama (That '70s Show) - Wilmer and Freddy Rodriguez chat about their podcast Dos Amigos on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Brenda Song (Running Point/Dollface/Dads/The Suite Life on Deck/The Suite Life of Zack & Cody) - Brenda talks about Netflix's Running Point on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Paul Walter Hauser (The Afterparty) - Paul is a guest on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:40am.