SitcomsOnline Digest: Tracy Morgan to Host Upcoming SNL Episode; Documentary Now! Renewed for Two New Seasons

Saturday, August 22, 2015

SitcomsOnline Digest: Tracy Morgan to Host Upcoming SNL Episode; Documentary Now! Renewed for Two New Seasons

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! After a few busy news weeks, things have slowed down this week, and there isn't even a single new rumor of a reboot of any series (though it is possible that there is something that we have missed!). But we do have news of Tracy Morgan hosting an upcoming Saturday Night Live episode, and a lot of news coming from Shout! Factory on new DVD releases. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

Tracy Morgan has been recovering after being out of the spotlight for a year, and soon, he will be hosting an episode of Saturday Night Live when the new season returns. (Deadline)
The comedy series Documentary Now! debuted on IFC literally just this week, but before the first episode could even air, the network already renewed it for two more seasons. (Deadline)
Lifetime's Unauthorized Full House Story movie debuts tonight, and not surprisingly, expectations (and actual reviews) are unfavorable. (People)
Even though the video itself is about five years old, a "Seinfeld as a drama" video has been getting a lot of attention in the past day or two. (Vox)
Both Yvonne Craig and Bud Yorkin died this week. (SitcomsOnline)
The Facts of Life has been a hit on Logo (even if they have only been airing the same few episodes over and over again), so now, TV Land will be airing it too. (SitcomsOnline)

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

November 10 will bring both Automan - The Complete Series and Manimal - The Complete Series from Shout! Factory, and although we're not certain, both sets appear to be Region 1 repackages of the excellent quality Fabulous Films releases from the United Kingdom.
Shout! released McHale's Navy as individual season sets a long time ago, in the years just before they were truly becoming a vintage TV-on-DVD powerhouse, and now they are finally getting around to putting together a complete series release with McHale's Navy - The Complete Series, set for a November 17 release.
If you skipped on the complete series releases for WKRP in Cincinnati and Maude, Shout! is moving ahead with individual releases, with WKRP in Cincinnati - The Complete Final Season and Maude - The Complete Third Season on November 10.

AUGUST 25 HOME MEDIA RELEASES

King of the Hill - Season 11 (DVD, $34.95): Olive Films puts the animated comedy series one step closer to completion with this release.
The Mindy Project - Season Three (DVD, $29.98): This set from Universal wraps up the final season of the series from Fox, though the fourth season with new episodes will debut on Hulu next month.

FOLLOW ME

Who to Follow: Neil Patrick Harris (Twitter, Facebook), "I act some. Dig variety acts, Pixar, puppets, prestidigitation, theme parks, my family and great meals. Not necessarily in that order."

Claim to Fame: Neil Patrick Harris started his career as Doogie Howser in the series Doogie Howser, MD. And honestly, that seemed to be the biggest thing that he would do at the time. But that was very, very wrong. He later went on to a role on the (mostly forgotten) NBC series Stark Raving Mad, but his biggest role has been that of Barney Stinson on the sitcom How I Met Your Mother. And in between all of that, he has become a celebrity with talent that isn't just limited to one area of entertainment, though he keeps his television celebrity at the center of it all. This fall, he will have a variety series on NBC, Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris. And this week, he has beefed up his "social media" credentials by doing something that allows him to go beyond 140 characters... he has joined Facebook.

Pick of the Tweets: "I already miss David Letterman... #legendary" (May 21, 2015)

Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Thursday, January 21

Young Sheldon - "Freshman Orientation and the Inventor of the Zipper" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
College orientation does not go as Sheldon planned. Also, Mary is invited to a party when she’s mistaken for a university student, and George Sr. helps Pastor Jeff set up a children’s nursery.

B Positive - "Open Heart Surgery" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Gina needs to keep herself together to pass a psych evaluation while dealing with the news of an ex’s engagement.

Mom - "Woo-Woo Lights and an Onside Kick" (CBS, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Bonnie and the ladies indulge Jill when she goes to extremes to get her relationship with Andy (Will Sasso) back on track.

The Unicorn - "The First Supper" (CBS, 9:30PM ET/PT)
When Wade decides to introduce Shannon to his friends, the get-together quickly takes an awkward turn. Also, Noah tries to fit in with the older kids since he’s tired of being one of the babies.

Call Me Kat - "Therapy" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
When Sheila comes to stay with Kat to avoid being home alone, Sheila's lack of boundaries leads them to try therapy; Phil and Randi make a road trip to buy Phil's mother medicinal marijuana.

Last Man Standing - "Jen Again" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Mike surprises Vanessa with a visit from Jen that might last longer than expected; Ryan asks Chuck for advice to impress his new corporate boss on the golf course.

Mr. Mayor - "The Sac" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
A special assignment forces Jayden and Arpi to get to know each other; Neil sets out on a mission to reconnect with Orly after she gets into a little trouble.

Superstore - "Biscuit" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
After returning from quarantine, Glenn enlists Cheyenne and Bo's help to get Dina to relinquish control; Jonah and Mateo have second thoughts about helping Sandra with her cat's medical needs; Garrett struggles with customer returns.

grown-ish - "Public Service Announcement" (Freeform, 8:00PM ET/PT)
After dropping out of Cal U and diving into her dream job, Zoey balances the demands of her work life and her personal life.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of January 18)

Thursday, January 21

Allison Janney (Mom/Mr. Sunshine) - Catch Allison on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Alison Brie (GLOW/Parks and Recreation) - Alison appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Regina King (The Boondocks/227) - Regina is a guest on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Jane Krakowski (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt/30 Rock) - Jane will be on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
Francia Raisa (grown-ish) - Francia appears on The Real, so check your local listings.
Yara Shahidi (grown-ish/black-ish) - Yara talks about grown-ish on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Candace Cameron Bure (Fuller House/Full House) - Candace is a guest on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Morris Chestnut (Out All Night) - Morris talks about The Resident on a repeat of Access Daily, so check your local listings.
Sara Gilbert (The Conners/Roseanne/Living Biblically/Bad Teacher/Twins) - Sara talks about The Conners on a repeat of Access Daily, so check your local listings.