Thursday, August 20, 2015

ABC Family Orders 3rd Season of Young & Hungry; Remembering Bud Yorkin and Yvonne Craig

Young & Hungry

ABC Family announced that it has picked up a third season of the hit comedy series Young & Hungry. For its recent Spring 2015 finale, Young & Hungry set a series high in adults 18-49 (973,000) and delivered its #2 telecast of all time in adults 18-34 (685,000), and for the season, ranked as cable's No. 1 original series in its Wednesday-at-8 timeslot among adults 18-49, adults 18-34 and key female demos. Launch to date, Young & Hungry is ABC Family's #1 comedy in women 18-34 (471,000), viewers 12-34 (837,000) and females 12-34 (681,000). The series and cast have been nominated for five Teen Choice Awards since its premiere last summer. In May's mid-season finale, Gabi (Emily Osment) left Josh (Jonathan Sadowski) to start a dream job in Switzerland just as they were about to finally take their relationship to the next level. In tonight's season premiere, Gabi and Josh must decide where they go from here, both professionally and personally. The series returned last night with its mid-season premiere, as it wraps up the second half of its second season.

Last night, Gabi returned from her internship in Switzerland and is anxious to face Josh after how things were left between them. But Josh insists he's fine and encourages Gabi to take a job with his new neighbor. But when Josh thinks his neighbor might have a thing for Gabi, he takes to spying to learn the truth.


Bud Yorkin

Television producer, director, and writer Bud Yorkin has died. He died of natural causes on August 18 at his home in Bel Air, California. Mr. Yorkin was 89.

Yorkin's early golden age television work included musical variety shows and specials. He worked as a producer on The Tony Martin Show and The Ford Show (aka The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show). He directed The Colgate Comedy Hour, The Tony Martin Show, The George Goebel Show and The Ford Show.

In 1958, he founded Tandem Productions with television writer/producer Norman Lear. Yorkin directed and produced the 1958 TV special An Evening With Fred Astaire, which won nine Emmy Awards. He won his second Emmy Award with Ralph Levy for directing The Jack Benny Show in 1960.

Yorkin and Lear's string of sitcom hits in the 1970s included All in the Family, Sanford and Son, Maude and Good Times. Yorkin directed the second pilot episode of All in the Family (Those Were the Days in 1969), seven episodes of Sanford and Son from 1972-1975, and one episode of Maude in 1972. He worked as an executive producer on All in the Family and Sanford and Son.

After he ended his partnership with Lear in 1975, he formed Bud Yorkin Productions. He created the short-lived Sanford and Son spin-off series Grady. He worked as an executive producer on the spin-off Sanford Arms. In 1976, he formed TOY Productions with Saul Turteltaub and Bernie Orenstein. Their two hits were ABC's What's Happening!! from 1976-1979 and Carter Country from 1977-1979. Columbia Pictures Television acquired TOY Productions in 1979.

The Archive of American Television conducted an extensive interview with him on December 2, 1997.

Surviors include his second wife, actress Cynthia Sikes Yorkin; two children from his first marriage to Peg Yorkin, Nicole (a television writer and producer) and David; two children with Sikes, Michael and Jessica; two sisters, Ruth Drazen and Martha Berman; and four grandchildren.

Yvonne Craig

Actress Yvonne Craig, who was best known for her role as Batgirl in Batman, has died. She died at her home in Pacific Palisades, California on August 17 from metastatic breast cancer that had spread to her liver. Ms. Craig was 78.

Craig's early television drama guest appearances included Perry Mason, Bronco, Mr. Lucky, Checkmate, The Detectives, 77 Sunset Strip, Dr. Kildare, Wagon Train, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Man from U.N.C.L.E, Ben Casey, The Big Valley and The Wild Wild West. Some of her 1960s sitcom guest appearances included Hennesey, Peter Loves Mary, The Jim Backus Show, Margie, Ichabod and Me, The Gertrude Berg Show, I'm Dickens, He's Fenster, McHale's Navy and My Favorite Martian. She made five guest appearances in various roles as Dobie's (Dwayne Hickman) girlfriend in The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis from 1959-1962.

Yvonne Craig - Batman

She starred as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl in the third and final season of Batman in 1967-1968. She was Commissioner Gordon's daughter who worked at the Gotham Library. As Batgirl she wore a purple and yellow outfit and rode a purple motorcycle with white lace. Burt Ward and Craig reunited as Robin and Batgirl for an 'Equal Pay' public service announcement in 1972.

Some of her later television drama guest appearances included It Takes a Thief, Mod Squad, Star Trek, Land of the Giants, Mannix, The Magician, Kojak, Emergency, The Six Million Dollar Man, Starsky and Hutch and Fantasy Island. Her other sitcom guest appearances included The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, The Good Guys, The Courtship of Eddie's Father, The Partners, Love, American Style and Holmes and Yo-Yo. She provided the voice of Grandma in the animated series Olivia from 2009-2011.

Survivors include her husband, Kenneth Aldrich, and her sister, Meridel Carson.

Share your memories on our Batman message board. View photos in our galleries.

We thank them for the entertainment they brought us. They will will be greatly missed.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Saturday, August 29

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "Heartbreak and the Refuge of the Downtrodden" (CBS, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Georgie, Mandy and the family do their best to lift Connor’s spirits during a rough patch while Connor tries to figure out a plan for his life.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of August 24)

Saturday, August 29 and Auguest 30

  • Amy Poehler (Duncanville/Parks and Recreation) and Will Ferrell (The Hawk/The Office) - Amy and Will bond over their box office bomb on a repeat of The Weekend View on ABC News Live at 7:30am.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Abbott Elementary - The Complete Fourth Season (DVD) The Office - The Complete Series - Superfan Extended Episodes (Blu-ray) The Bill Dana Show - The Complete Series (DVD) I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray) Perfect Strangers - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

01/20/26 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27/26 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11/26 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (Blu-ray)
03/24/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
04/11/26 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Fourth Season (DVD)
04/21/26 - Famous Studios Champion Collection (Blu-ray) (DVD)
05/19/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (DVD)
05/19/26 - Looney Tunes Cartoons - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
06/16/26 - Difficult People - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
06/30/26 - Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
07/14/26 - The Office - The Complete Series - Superfan Extended Episodes (Blu-ray)
07/28/26 - The Bill Dana Show - The Complete Series (DVD)
07/28/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray)
07/28/26 - The Paper - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
08/25/26 - Perfect Strangers - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/08/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 3 (Blu-ray)
09/22/26 - Bridget Loves Bernie - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
09/29/26 - The Quick Draw McGraw Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

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


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

08/28 - Apple TV's Brothers Premieres September 23; Remembering Dolly Parton and Tim Curry
08/27 - Antenna TV's Alice 50th Anniversary Marathon; Catchy Comedy's Family Affair 60th Anniversary Marathon
08/26 - Trailer for The Varnell Hill Show on Paramount+; Kevin Langue Heads to Netflix
08/25 - Tubi's Horror-Comedy Film Buzzkill Premieres September 25; Peacock's Wendy Williams Show Documentary Launching in 2027
08/24 - HBO Max Orders Comedy Series The People v. Gorilla Grodd; Remembering Shelley Fabares of The Donna Reed Show and Coach
08/23 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of August 24, 2026)
08/22 - SitcomsOnline Digest: First Look at Trailer for A Different World; SCTV Headed to Netflix
08/21 - Season 2 of Apple TV's Stick Premieres November 4; Canadian Comedy North of North Returns to Netflix
08/20 - Apple TV's Bad Monkey Season 2 Drops December 2; Hulu's Jamie Foxx Comedy Special
08/19 - The CW Mondays This Fall; Lifetime's Powerful September Movie Events
08/18 - Hollywood Arts Premieres October 15 on Netflix; Remembering Hayden Panettiere
08/17 - Stuart Fails to Save the Universe Renewed for Season 2; Randall Park Joins Minimum Wage
08/16 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of August 17, 2026)
08/15 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Stuart Fails to Save the Universe Saved for a Second Season; Netflix Renews Seinfeld Rights
08/14 - Hulu's Trailer for Chad Powers Season 2; Freeform's Coven Academy Premieres October 1
08/13 - Trailer for Season 2 of FXX's Adults; Trailer for Season 2 of Peacock's The Paper
08/12 - Brandy to Sing Theme Song for A Different World; Damon Wayans Reuniting with David Alan Grier on St. Denis Medical
08/11 - Peacock's Dig Premieres November 23; Disney+ and Hulu Announce Video Podcasts for Boy Mets World, Scrubs, and Desperate Housewives
08/10 - Conan O'Brien Must Go Season 3; Disney's Hidden Heroes: A Descendants Story
08/09 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of August 10, 2026)
08/08 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Joe Dirt Animated Series in the Works at Fox; First Look at The Varnell Hill Show
08/07 - Disney's Big City Greens Brings Out the Guest Stars; The New SuperKitty Premieres Today
08/06 - The Varnell Hill Show Coming to Paramount+ on September 1; Hallmark's 3rd Installment of Holiday Touchdown
08/05 - Colin from Accounts Final Season Premieres September 10; The X-Files: I Want to Believe Gets Director's Cut on Disney+ & Hulu
08/04 - Amazon MGM Studios Orders Improvised Sitcom; The CW Renews Game Shows for Season 3
08/03 - CBS Announces Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen 20th Anniversary Special; Hulu to Debut Exclusive Bob's Burgers Holiday Short
08/02 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of August 3, 2026)
08/01 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Clueless Sequel Series Starring Alicia Silverstone Ordered at Paramount+; Tubi Removing Some Warner Animated Series
07/31 - Netflix's Leanne Season 2 Trailer; Paramount+ Greenlights Clueless Event Series Starring Alicia Silverstone
07/30 - It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 18 Premieres August 17 on FXX, FX and Hulu; Chad Powers Season 2 Premieres September 3 on Hulu
07/29 - Ted Lasso Returns to the Pitch August 5 on Apple TV; Hulu Unveils Futurama Season 14 Trailer and Announces Three XXXL-Sized Specials
07/28 - ABC Fall 2026 Premiere Dates; CBS Fall 2026 Premiere Dates