SitcomsOnline Digest: Henry Winkler and William Shatner Cast in NBC Alternative Comedy Series; Raven-Symoné to Enjoy The View

Saturday, June 13, 2015

SitcomsOnline Digest: Henry Winkler and William Shatner Cast in NBC Alternative Comedy Series; Raven-Symoné to Enjoy The View

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! As usual for a summer week after everything for the fall season has been announced and doesn't start for about three more months, we have a slow news week. But we have developments regarding an alternative comedy in development at NBC with Henry Winkler, news of yet another Sony re-release from Mill Creek, a reminder that Rue McClanahan died five years ago (not this week), and surprisingly, for the first time in several weeks, no new developments about Fuller House or any old Full House news... although technically, John Stamos did manage to keep the streak of his name in the news going with some negative news of his own last night, but it isn't newsworthy for us). Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

Henry Winkler, William Shatner, Terry Bradshaw, and George Foreman have all been tapped as cast members for Better Late Than Never, an "alternative comedy" in development at NBC. (Deadline)
Raven-Symone is best known for her roles on The Cosby Show and That's So Raven, but now it is official: she is going to take a lot of time to enjoy The View, as she is the newest co-host. (ABC News)
Golden Girls star Rue McClanahan died over five years ago, yet news of her death began trending on social media this week (and the same thing happened approximately a year ago as well). So why? (CBS News)
Comedy writer Paul Raley, who worked on series including Grace Under Fire, Night Court, and Saturday Night Live, died this week at the age of 71. (Variety)
Bounce TV is freshening up their sitcom offerings, by adding The Bernie Mac Show and Cosby to the lineup. (SitcomsOnline)

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

When Mill Creek announced that they would be re-releasing certain Sony series on DVD, they really meant just about everything. On August 18, they will be releasing The Jeff Foxworthy Show - The Complete Series.

JUNE 16 HOME MEDIA RELEASES

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00US8DH5Y/ref=nosim/happydaysonline5-20

The Cosby Show - Seasons 7 & 8 (DVD, $14.98): Mill Creek finally wraps up their re-releases of the classic sitcom with this release. Season 7 and Season 8 also available individually.
Laverne & Shirley - The Complete Series (DVD, $79.99): CBS gives fans of the classic Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams series a chance to own the entire series in one set with this release.
The Odd Couple - The Complete Series (DVD, $59.98): With the new series entering a second season later next season, the original with Jack Klugman and Tony Randall is compiled in one set for this release.
Two and a Half Men - The Twelfth and Final Season (DVD, $29.98): Who knew that the series that seemed to be unstoppable for years would finally come to an end? Of course, it did end in March, and now Warner Home Video is finishing it up on DVD. Another option for fans is the complete series, which carries a $275.68 MSRP.

FOLLOW ME

Who to Follow: Kurtwood Smith (Twitter), "Still don't know what I am doing here!"

Claim to Fame: The name may not be familiar to some, but the face (and who he is) certainly is familiar: Kurtwood Smith came to fame from playing Red Forman (dad) on the Fox sitcom That '70s Show. His TV and movie career actually started in 1980 with a small role in an episode of Soap. From that point, he made other small appearances in TV series, but mostly stuck with movie roles, including RoboCop. Of course, to TV fans, he was in That '70s Show, and more recently, he appeared on the (now canceled) ABC series Resurrection.

Pick of the Tweets: "How nice to have Ma back! Only on #Resurrection does your mother come back younger than you!" (September 28, 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.