SitcomsOnline Digest: Nashville to Head to AXS TV; Beverly Hills, 90210 to Get an Unauthorized Story; Growing Pains Season 5 to Arrive on DVD in July

Saturday, June 27, 2015

SitcomsOnline Digest: Nashville to Head to AXS TV; Beverly Hills, 90210 to Get an Unauthorized Story; Growing Pains Season 5 to Arrive on DVD in July

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! It's another slow summer news week, but we've got news of Nashville heading to cable, yet another unauthorized story from Lifetime, another season of Growing Pains on DVD, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

Reruns of the series Nashville will be heading to cable soon on AXS TV. (Deadline)
It looks as if Lifetime is going to keep milking the "Unauthorized Stories" franchise of movies, as they are now working on an Unauthorized Beverly Hills, 90210 Story.
We've accepted for years that Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy are the two hottest shows on syndication, but Family Feud has been creeping up on them both, and last week, Family Feud topped the ratings for syndicated series. (Cinema Blend)
Dick Van Patten died this week at the age of 86. (NPR)
Character actor Tony Longo, who appeared in series such as Alice and Laverne & Shirley, also died this week. (Hollywood Reporter)
With the Confederate flag being removed everywhere this week, Warner Bros has announced that they too will remove the Confederate flag from merchandise based upon the series Dukes of Hazzard. (Deadline)
TV Land continued their re-branding this week with a new logo, yet another reminder that TV Land is absolutely nothing like the network it was 19 years ago (or even five years ago). (SitcomsOnline)

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

Fans of Growing Pains have had to wait, on average, over two years between each release (there were five years between the release of the first season and second season even). But now, only three months after the release of the fourth season, it looks like the fifth season will come sometime next month.

JUNE 30 HOME MEDIA RELEASES

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00UUOV8D4/ref=nosim/happydaysonline5-20

The Donna Reed Show - Season Three (DVD, $29.99): MPI comes "full circle" with their re-releases of the classic sitcom, with this completing the first five seasons of the series on MPI. Seasons six, seven, and eight remain in the hands of Sony, and we're hopeful that something can be worked out to get those released.

FOLLOW ME

Who to Follow: Laura Prepon (Twitter)

Claim to Fame: We're featuring another That '70s Show cast member again this week, and this time it is Laura Prepon. Born in 1980, her first role literally was on That '70s Show, when she was already 18. She remained on that series until it ended in 2006. It wasn't long after that until she came back to TV, with October Road in 2007. Unfortunately, it also didn't take long (two seasons, consisting of a total of 19 episodes) for that to get canceled either. She moved into guest starring roles for a little while after that before jumping into her next role in the NBC comedy Are You There Chelsea?, which, again, didn't last long. But despite those two less than successful series after That '70s Show, she came back in a big way in 2013 with what may be one of her biggest roles, as Alex Vause in the Netflix series Orange is the New Black, a role that doesn't seem like it will be ending at any time in the near future.

Pick of the Tweets: "Always love my visits with debrajorupp #that70sfamily #donnaandkitty http://instagram.com/p/qZwDWZG638/ " (July 13, 2014)

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Monday, April 6

The Neighorhood - "Welcome to Gemma Johnson's Day Off" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Gemma reaches her limit at work, and when a car issue forces her to slow down, an unexpected break helps her rethink what she really wants next. Meanwhile, Marty and Malcolm’s plans are thrown off course when unexpected opportunities arise, and Dave embraces a new career path.

The Neighorhood - "A Farewell Special" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
CBS presents The Neighborhood: A Farewell Special, an Entertainment Tonight production, airing Monday, April 6 (8:30-9:30 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network and streaming on Paramount+. Hosted by Entertainment Tonight's Kevin Frazier and filmed on location on The Neighborhood's stages, the special celebrates the acclaimed CBS comedy's final season, honoring eight seasons, 156 episodes, and eight unforgettable years of laughter, heart and community, leading up to the series finale on May 11.

This celebratory event features exclusive new interviews with the cast reflecting on their journey, revisiting early days on set, and looking back at the show's evolution and cultural impact. From its heartfelt exploration of friendship and family to its comedic take on life in a changing community, The Neighborhood has become a beloved part of CBS' comedy legacy.

The special includes never-before-seen footage and archival interviews from the ET Vault, offering fans a nostalgic look at the series' most iconic moments and the relationships built along the way. Viewers will get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the emotional final days of production, including the cast and crew's last table read, intimate moments from the final tapings, and heartfelt goodbyes.

Additionally, The Neighborhood: A Farewell Special brings audiences inside the cast's final wrap party, capturing the laughter, speeches, memories, and surprises that marked the end of an era. To cap off the evening, fans will get an exclusive sneak peek at the upcoming series finale, with the cast and producers sharing what viewers can expect as the Butlers and Johnsons say farewell to the neighborhood they've called home for nearly a decade.

The Neighorhood - "Welcome to New Horizons" (CBS, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Dave’s silent auction wins lead to a classical concert outing with Gemma and the Butlers that quickly goes off the rails. Meanwhile, Malcolm’s ghostwriting gig takes a surprising turn when Tina encourages him to dive into reality TV for inspiration – sparking an unexpected obsession.

St. Denis Medical - "We Make Time" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When a doctor becomes a patient, his co-workers rally around him, whether he likes it or not; Matt and Serena need to talk.

The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins - "The Loyalty Swamp" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Tobin's past comes back to haunt him; Reggie and Brina struggle to set a wedding date.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of April 6)

Monday, April 6

Jason Segel (Shrinking/How I Met Your Mother/Undeclared) - Watch Jason on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Lisa Ann Walter (Abbott Elementary/Emeril) - Lisa appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Keanu Reaves (Swedish Dicks) - Keanu is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. He also talks about Outcome on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
Melissa Gilbert (Stand by Your Man) - ABC's Good Morning America has George Stephanopoulos' exclusive interview with Melissa sometime between 7-9am.
Laurie Metcalf (Big Mistakes/The Conners/Roseanne/The McCarthys/The Norm Show) - Laurie talks about Big Mistakes on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Kerry Washington (UnPrisoned) - Kerry chats with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Mindy Kaling (Running Point/The Mindy Project/The Office) - Mindy talks about Mindy's Book Studio on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine/Are We There Yet?/Everybody Hates Chris) - Terry and Rebecca King-Crews make an exclusive announcement on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am. Terry will also be on in the 9am hour.
Sterling K. Brown (Starved) and Ryan Michelle Bathe (First Wives Club/Retired at 35) - Sterling and his wife Ryan Michelle tell Sherri about the highly anticipated new season of Paradise now streaming on Hulu & Disney+ on a repeat of Sherri, so check your local listings.
Amanda Peet (Brockmire/Togetherness/Bent) - Amanda talks season 2 of Your Friends & Neighbors and her new film Fantasy Life on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.