SitcomsOnline Digest: TV Land Removes The Dukes of Hazzard; Melrose Place to Become Unauthorized Story; New Growing Pains and King of the Hill DVD Releases

Saturday, July 04, 2015

SitcomsOnline Digest: TV Land Removes The Dukes of Hazzard; Melrose Place to Become Unauthorized Story; New Growing Pains and King of the Hill DVD Releases

Happy Independence Day and welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! In true spirit of Independence Day, it seems that current topical controversy and "freedom of speech" issues, no matter which way you look at them, have managed to creep into the TV news during this surprisingly busy news week. Plus, we have less controversial news about new Growing Pains and King of the Hill DVDs. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

There has been some controversy regarding The Dukes of Hazzard in the past few weeks, and TV Land also removed the series this week (there is speculation that it is due to the use of the Confederate flag in the series, though it is important to note that TV Land is known for abrupt schedule changes for virtually any reason), but in the midst of all of this, the series has been topping the DVD sales on amazon.com, to the point where the first season will set you back about $100 and is only available from third party sellers. (New York Post)
The Unauthorized Stories franchise at Lifetime will never end. This week, yet another one was announced: Melrose Place. (Jezebel)
The Miss USA Pageant has been in limbo since NBC and Univision decided to not air it following lots and lots of controversial news regarding Donald Trump that we won't even get into here, but Reelz has jumped in to rescue it. (Variety)
Sesame Street has had an unusual amount of stability when it comes to the the actors who appear in the show, but this week, it was announced that Sonia Manzano, who has played Maria for the past 45 years has retiring and will not be back for next season.. (NPR)
The famous 30 Rock building in New York, which (of course) had an entire sitcom named after it, is now The Comcast Building. (Vanity Fair)
What would the Fourth of July be without marathons everywhere? We've got your entire list. (SitcomsOnline)

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

We mentioned last week that Growing Pains would be moving forward on DVD soon, and this week, Warner Archive gave us a date. Growing Pains - The Complete Fifth Season will arrive on July 14.
Olive Films is remaining dedicated to getting King of the Hill finished up on DVD, and on August 25, fans will see King of the Hill - The Complete 11th Season arrive on DVD, leaving two more to go.

JULY 7 HOME MEDIA RELEASES

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00VX2200C/ref=nosim/happydaysonline5-20

Archie Bunker's Place - Season One (DVD, $9.98): It has been out-of-print from Sony for quite a while now, but now, the first season of the follow-up series to All in the Family is on DVD from Mill Creek.
Barney Miller - The Final Season (DVD, $24.97): The complete series has been out for quite some time, but now, for those who were collecting individual seasons, Shout! Factory has you taken care of.
Married... with Children - Season 11 (DVD, $9.98): The Bundys are wrapped up on DVD with this Mill Creek re-release. Also available, the complete series.

FOLLOW ME

Who to Follow: Pamela Adlon (Twitter), "that lady guy"

Claim to Fame: Pamela Adlon may not be a name that resonates with everybody immediately, but her name before her marriage (and subsequent divorce), Pamela Segall, might be more familiar. One of her first roles ever was on The Facts of Life playing Kelly, a mostly forgotten character who was actually a regular character (and received a billing in the opening credits) during the fifth season. After that, she did a lot of guest work on series, until she found one of her true callings in voice work in 1996 (usually voicing the characters of young boys), starting in Bobby's World. Her biggest role as a voice actor was as Bobby Hill on King of the Hill. These days, though, she isn't limiting her work to voice acting, as she is an executive producer and recurring character on the series Louie.

Pick of the Tweets: "Every day. Every day. Every day. #InternationalWomensDay (photo)" (March 9, 2015)

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Monday, December 22

Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion Pt. 2 (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
CBS is gifting viewers an extra special holiday present this season, the brand-new EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND: 30TH ANNIVERSARY REUNION PT. 2,” airing Monday, Dec. 22, (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network and streaming on Paramount+.*

This one-hour show gives viewers who loved the first special another opportunity to reminisce and revisit the laughter and joy from the original CBS series. The brand-new broadcast follows the success of EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND: 30TH ANNIVERSARY REUNION, which originally aired Monday, Nov. 24, with an encore presentation Friday, Nov. 28, garnering 10.08 million live plus 7-day multiplatform viewers across both broadcasts and streaming.

Hosted by Emmy Award-winning actor Ray Romano and series creator Phil Rosenthal, this fresh hour brings fans closer than ever to the original series, with exclusive stories and heartfelt memories shared by beloved cast members gathered together to honor one of TV’s most iconic sitcoms. Ray Romano and Phil Rosenthal share their thoughts on the magic of being back on set and reuniting with the cast. Additionally, viewers can enjoy never-before-seen content, outtakes and behind-the-scenes footage. Plus, guest stars, writers and producers will provide unique insights into the creation and legacy of this beloved series.

St. Denis Medical - "Get Me in the Pod, Brother" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Alex and Ron spar over the wisdom of open communication; Joyce brings in a body scanner that proves overly distracting.

The Paper - "I Love You" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
With Marv camped out in the newsroom while his office is painted, Ned and the staff find their unresolved attitudes toward authority bubbling up; Esmeralda and Ken plot a betrayal that leaks.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 22)

Monday, December 22

Kenan Thompson (Kenan/Kenan & Kel) - Watch Kenan on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Tony Shalhoub (We Are Men/Stark Raving Mad/Wings) - Tony appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Ron Funches (Loot/Powerless/Undateable) and Jeff Garcia (Mr. Box Office) - Ron and Jeff are guests on a repeat of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 12:37am on CBS.
Kate Hudson (Running Point) - Andy Cohen interviews Kate on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9pm on Bravo. She also talks about Song Sung Blue on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Jamie Lee Curtis (The Sticky/Anything But Love/Operation Petticoat) - Jamie Lee talks about Ella McCay with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Simu Liu (Kim's Convenience) - Simu talks about The Copenhagen Test on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
Hugh Jackman (Human Resources) - Hugh talks about Song Sung Blue on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Kyle Richards (Down to Earth) - Kyle gives Sherri a sneak peek at the 15th season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills on a repeat of Sherri, so check your local listings.
Paul Rudd (The Shrink Next Door/Living with Yourself/Wild Oats) - Paul and Jack Black are telling Drew all about their hilarious adaptation of Anaconda on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Odessa A'zion (I Love LA/Fam) - Odessa tells Drew about her role in new movie Marty Supreme and hit series I Love LA on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Melissa Gilbert (Stand by Your Man) - Melissa is guest on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:10am.