Wednesday, June 24, 2015

TV Land Rebrands and Gets New Logo; Remembering Dick Van Patten

TV Land

TV Land is rebranding and recreating its look with a new logo and a complete overhaul of the network's brand identity to complement a slate of new, original programming. The rebrand debuted on the linear channel yesterday. The new look of the network reflects the three tenets of TV Land's reinvention: quality, cleverness, and truth. This new branding also strives to be more authentic, raw and emotive. With Darren Star's critically-acclaimed Younger – which just wrapped its first season with record growth numbers for the network – TV Land's brand reinvention began, moving towards original programming that is more serialized, takes more risks and reflects the life experiences of the Gen X viewer. That evolution continues with the network's new series premiering this summer – The Jim Gaffigan Show, starring comedian, actor and New York Times best-selling author Jim Gaffigan, and Impastor, a dark comedy starring Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville) and Sara Rue (Less Than Perfect) – and with season two of Younger, as well as the launch of Teachers from Chicago improv group The Katydids. TV Land also recently announced a script deal with Emmy®-winning producers John Wells and John Riggi for a single-camera period comedy project inspired by the life of Kyle Richards (The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills).


Dick Van Patten

Actor Dick Van Patten, who was best known for his role as patriarch Tom Bradford in Eight Is Enough, has died. He died on June 23 at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California. The cause of death was listed as complications from diabetes. Mr. Van Patten was 86.

Van Patten's television career began with his role as Nels Hansen in the 1949-1956 CBS comedy-drama Mama. The series was about a Norwegian family of five living in San Francisco in the 1910s. It starred Peggy Wood, Judson Laure, Rosemary Rice, Iris Mann (1949), Robin Morgan (1950-1956) and Ruth Gates.

He starred as Sgt. Nelson Higgenbottom in the 1971-1972 NBC sitcom The Partners. The series was about a pair of bumbling detectives. It starred Don Adams, Rupert Crosse, John Doucette and Robert Karvelas. He later had a recurring role as a soap opera producer Max Mathias in the third season of The New Dick Van Dyke Show in 1973-1974. In 1975, he starred as Friar Tuck in the critically acclaimed but short-lived sitcom ABC sitcom When Things Were Rotten, which was created by Mel Brooks.

Eight Is Enough

Van Patten starred as the father, Tom Bradford, in the 1977-1981 ABC comedy-drama Eight Is Enough. The series was about a newspaper columnist for the fictional Sacramento Register and his family with eight children. It starred Diana Hyland (season 1), Betty Buckley (seasons 2-5), Grant Goodeve, Lani O'Grady, Laurie Walters, Susan Richardson, Dianne Kay, Connie Needham, Willie Aames and Adam Rich. Two reunion movies were broadcast on NBC: An Eight Is Enough Reunion on October 18, 1987, and An Eight Is Enough Wedding on October 22, 1989.

Some of his many sitcom guest appearances included I Dream of Jeannie, Arnie, That Girl, Sanford and Son, The Doris Day Show, Love, American Style, The Love Boat, Maude, What's Happening!!, One Day at a Time, Happy Days, The Facts of Life, Growing Pains, Arrested Development and Hot in Cleveland. He starred as weatherman Floyd Graham in the CBS drama WIOU in 1990-1991.

Van Patten's film credits included Charly, Joe Kidd, Snowball Express and Soylent Green. He appeared in several films directed by Mel Brooks, including High Anxiety, Spaceballs and Robin Hood: Men in Tights. He was interviewed for American Masters – Mel Brooks: Make A Noise (2013) on June 6, 2012.

The Archive of American Television conducted an extensive interview with him on May 11, 2011.

Survivors include his wife Pat Van Patten, whom he was married to for more than 60 years, and three sons: Vincent, Nels and Jimmy.

Mr. Van Patten was a talented and versatile actor. Tom Bradford was one of the best TV dads. We thank him for the many hours of entertainment he brought us. He will be greatly missed.

Share your memories on our Eight Is Enough message board. View photos in our galleries.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Thursday, December 5

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "A Regular Samaritan" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Georgie joins a church to sell tires to the congregation and Mandy worries there is more to it than that.

Ghosts - "The Primary Source" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
When Sam’s book publisher requires source material for her biography on Isaac, she and Jay take a field trip to find a diary he claims he hid when he was alive.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 2)

Thursday, December 5

  • Billy Eichner (Friends from College/Difficult People/Parks and Recreation) - Catch Billy on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Dick Van Dyke (The Dick Van Dyke Show/The New Dick Van Dyke Show/The Van Dyke Show) - Dick is a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Molly Shannon (I Love That for You/The Other Two/Divorce/Kath & Kim/Craking Up) - Molly appears on a repeat ofLate Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Carmen Christopher (English Teacher) - Carmen is a guest on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Ronny Chieng (Young Rock/Ronny Chieng: International Student) - Ronny hosts Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
  • Fortune Feimster (Kenan/Bless the Harts/Champions) - Fortune stops by Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 11:30pm on Bravo.
  • Mikey Madison (Better Things) - Mikey talks about Anora on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
  • Margo Martindale (The Sticky/The Millers) - NBC's Today catches up with Margo in the 9am hour.
  • Stephanie Hsu (Laid) - Stephanie talks about Laid on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • Ariana Grande (Sam & Cat/Victorious) - Ariana is joining Drew to chat all about her role in the iconic new musical Wicked on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Jurnee Smollett (On Our Own) - Jurnee talks about her new film The Order on Sherri, so check your local listings.
  • The Cast of The Sex Lives of College Girls - Pauline Chalamet, Alyah Chanelle Scott, Amrit Kaur, Mia Rodgers and Gracie Lawrence are guests on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
  • Ken Jeong (Dr. Ken/Community) - Ken previews his film A Great Divide on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
  • Wyatt Yang (A Man on the Inside) - Wyatt talks about Netflix's A Man on the Inside on Acess Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
  • Adam Brody (Nobody Wants This/Burning Love) and Timothy Simons (Nobody Wants This/HouseBroken/Veep) - Adam and Timothy can be heard on The Morning Mash Up on SiriusXM.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Friends - The Complete Series (4K UHD) Young Sheldon - The Complete Series Veep - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

09/10 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-7
09/10 - The Ropers - The Complete Series (VEI)
09/10 - Ted - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/17 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - Video Scrapbook
09/17 - Top Cat - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
09/24 - Friends - The Complete Series (4K UHD)
09/24 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Seventh Season (DVD) / The Complete Series (DVD) (Blu-ray)
10/08 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Twelfth Season / The Complete Series
10/22 - Veep - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/05 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/12 - The King of Queens - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (2024 Release)
11/19 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fourteenth Season
11/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 4 (Blu-ray)
12/03 - Angel (1960-1961) - The Complete Series, Volume 1
12/17 - Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (4K UHD)
02/04 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)

More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive


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