SitcomsOnline Digest: More Seasons of Community and Arrested Development; Live Productions of The Brady Bunch and Cheers

Saturday, June 06, 2015

SitcomsOnline Digest: More Seasons of Community and Arrested Development; Live Productions of The Brady Bunch and Cheers

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we have news of new seasons of Community and Arrested Development, new stage productions for Cheers and The Brady Bunch, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

The sixth season of Community is finished on Yahoo! Screen, and it seems that now it is time for that movie to fulfill the goal of "six seasons and a movie." But it looks like there is a possibility that a whole seventh season could possibly be next instead. (Deadline)
Another cult favorite sitcom that died in real life (but came back to life online) was Arrested Development, and it too may be getting another season on Netflix. (Deadline)
CBS has become well-known for marketing and ensuring that series in their library have a strong afterlife, and to that end, they are now working on bringing The Brady Bunch and Cheers to the stage as live productions. (Variety)
What were some of the cheesiest 80s and 90s sitcom very special episodes? VH-1 has their thoughts in an online article. (VH-1)
Following in the footsteps of HBO and their HBO Now service for those who want HBO (but don't want cable), Showtime is now looking to launch a similar service. (CNET)
Even though there have been no new episodes of Full House in almost two decades, it seems there is always some new Full House news every week. This week, we have learned that Lifetime's Full House movie will air August 22. (SitcomsOnline)

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

With the recent arrival of The Nanny on DVD as a complete series, fans who just want to collect the individual seasons are left wondering if more seasons will be coming. And they will, as this week, Shout! announced that The Nanny - Season Four will arrive on DVD on September 22.

JUNE 9 HOME MEDIA RELEASES

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00UART1R6/ref=nosim/happydaysonline5-20

The Facts of Life - Season Six (DVD, $29.39): Shout! Factory begins to wrap up a few loose ends for this series on DVD for those who did not purchase the complete series release.

FOLLOW ME

Who to Follow: Marla Gibbs (Twitter, Facebook), "Actress, Comedian, Community Supporter 7 NAACP Image Awards 11 seasons The Jeffersons, 5 seasons 227, 4 seasons The Hughleys, 1 seasons Passions"

Claim to Fame: Marla Gibbs got her start in the "blaxploitation" movies in the early 1970s, but it wasn't long before she picked up a small role on The Jeffersons as housekeeper Florence Johnston. It wasn't exactly intended to be a major role, but as the series progressed, she quickly became a star of the series and there were many episodes that were almost exclusively about her character. The character became so big that they eventually created a spinoff, Checking In, but it was quickly canceled and she was allowed to return back to The Jeffersons. She didn't have to wait long after The Jeffersons was canceled for her next role, as Mary Jenkins on the NBC sitcom 227, for which she also served co-producer. After two solid series, she has somewhat stepped back from regular roles since then, although she has had recurring roles in The Hughleys and The First Family. Following some health issues a few years ago, she took a few years off from acting, but now she is now regularly popping up in guest roles once again on series such as Scandal (which also happens to be a show that she really enjoys watching) and Hot in Cleveland. And the acting tradition in the family continues with her daughter Angela Gibbs, who currently has a role on the Adult Swim series Black Jesus.

Pick of the Tweets: "Watching fireworks never gets old. So grateful to be surrounded by my kids. Now I wish one of them would get me a margarita!" (July 4, 2014)

Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Wednesday, October 20

The Goldbergs - "An Itch Like No Other" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
With Beverly’s encouragement, Mr. Glascott moves in next door to the Goldbergs and slowly goes from friendly neighbor to cluelessly intrusive. Adam and Murray become increasingly disgruntled while Beverly comes up with a plan to occupy Mr. Glascott’s time with a new friend, Mr. Woodburn. Meanwhile, Barry lands in urgent care with a case of poison ivy in a compromising area – his rear end. Erica and Geoff are called to task to take care of Barry and his ridiculous demands – inadvertently testing their parenting skills and patience with one another.

The Wonder Years - "The Lock In" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Dean is reluctant to attend the annual church lock-in until Kim tells him it’s where she got her first kiss. He enlists his friends to help him pair up with Keisa, but his plans are thwarted when he instead gets paired up with the pastor’s daughter, Charlene.

The Conners - "Trucking Live in Front of a Fully Vaccinated Studio Audience -- East Coast" (ABC, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Lights, Camera, Action: “The Conners” is going live for both the East and West Coast broadcasts of the season four premiere episode. This iconic TV family continues to deal with the current pandemic while navigating breakups and newfound sobriety, all while planning an upcoming wedding.

Home Economics - "Giant Jenga, $120" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Tom spirals when Connor dates a woman who broke his heart at summer camp. Then, family game night becomes an all-or-nothing competition between Marina and Denise.

Superstar - "Robin Williams" (ABC, 10:00PM ET/PT)
The new episode recounts his life through Robin Williams’ own voice, describing “the spark of madness” which defined his life. From his early days in the San Francisco Bay Area comedy scene to his meteoric rise on “Mork & Mindy,” the one-hour special explores the experiences that made Williams into a one-of-a-kind talent and reveals what gave voice to the characters in his mind. It also chronicles the creative force driving critically acclaimed films like “Good Will Hunting” and “Dead Poets Society,” as well as fan favorites such as “Aladdin.” The special explores his personal struggles, including substance abuse and depression, and his battle with Lewy Body Dementia before his tragic death in 2014. “Superstar: Robin Williams” features interviews with famous comedians and actors who knew and admired Williams, including Margaret Cho, Howie Mandel, Lewis Black, Jimmie Walker, Paula Poundstone, Gina Hecht and Pauly Shore, as well as Barry Levinson, director of multiple films starring Williams including “Good Morning, Vietnam.” The program also contains interviews with Williams from the ABC News archives, in which he opens up about his life and the highs and lows of his distinguished career.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of October 18)

Wednesday, October 20

Rami Malek (The War at Home) - Watch Rami on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Issa Rae (Insecure) - Issa appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Billy Bob Thornton (Hearts Afire) - Billy Bob is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Jamie Foxx (Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!/The Jamie Foxx Show) - Jamie appears on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) - Nick is a guest on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Trevor Noah at 11pm.
Leah Remini (Kevin Can Wait/The Exes/Family Tools/The King of Queens/Fired Up) - Leah guest hosts The Wendy Williams Show, so check your local listings.
Debra Messing (Will & Grace/Ned & Stacey) - Debra talks about her latest project: how self-care can change the world on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
Ron Howard (Arrested Development/Happy Days/The Andy Griffith Show) and Clint Howard (Gung Ho) - Ron and Clint discuss their new book, The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family, on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Amy Sedaris (No Activity/BoJack Horseman/Strangers with Candy) - It's a TV exclusive with sister and brother duo Amy and David Sedaris appearing together for the first time on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Jeremy Sisto (Suburgatory) - Jeremy talks about FBI on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
David Eigenberg (Sex and the City) - David talks about NBC's Chicago Fire on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) - Nick talks about Where the Deer and the Antelope Play: The Pastoral Observations of One Ignorant American Who Loves to Walk Outside on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.