Saturday, October 10, 2015

SitcomsOnline Digest: New Greg Garcia Sitcoms in the Works at NBC and Fox; Last Man Standing Season Four Arrives on DVD

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we've got news of two new projects in development from the creator of My Name is Earl and Raising Hope, new Last Man Standing DVDs, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB
  • Greg Garcia, creator of some of some of broadcast TV's quirkier cult favorite sitcoms, is back at it again with new projects at both NBC and Fox, Letters to Beyonce and The Pack. (Deadline)
  • Bill Lawrence has been part of the sitcom scene for over two decades now, and he even set his expectations low when NBC debuted his current series Undateable as a summer burn-off. Last night, the series began a third season of all live episodes, and he discusses some of the new challenges of creating a sitcom. (Vanity Fair)
  • Jay Leno may not be part of The Tonight Show (and he probably won't be back for a third time), but it also sounds like he won't be leaving TV either, as his new CNBC series, Jay Leno's Garage, gave the network their biggest audience ever. (Deadline
  • Nancy Drew could be the next thing to be rebooted at CBS. (Hollywood Reporter)
  • Bob's Burgers appeared to be an unceremonious burn-off series destined for quick cancellation when it debuted in 2011, but it has evolved into a piece of the Fox Sunday night lineup that is as reliable as The Simpsons and Family Guy as it has now been renewed for a seventh and eighth season. (SitcomsOnline)
  • ABC Family is the fifth name that one particular cable network has had in the past 30 years (and it is also the longest running name for the network), but now it is set to be rebranded as Freeform next year. (SitcomsOnline

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

    FOLLOW ME

    Who to Follow: Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Twitter), "In State of reasonably confused refreshment."
    Claim to Fame: Believe it or not, we're actually continuing our theme of "stars of the new season" this week, even if you think we're talking about Zack Morris. Of course, that Saved by the Bell character is something that Mark-Paul Gosselaar will always be known for, and he doesn't seem to mind. That does not distract from the fact that he has successfully transitioned into an adult actor, though. In recent years, he has had starring roles in NYPD Blue, Raising the Bar, and Franklin & Bash. He also had a very memorable single appearance in Weeds, an appearance which we don't feel comfortable describing in an all-ages blog. But now, he is returning to comedy next week on NBC, as he stars in their latest sitcom, Truth Be Told.
    Pick of the Tweets: "You all rock! Thanks for the love and support. Hope you also enjoy #TruthBeTold and if you don't...keep it to your damn self!!! Cheers. @nbc" (September 29, 2015)


    Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

    Thursday, December 25

    Ghosts - "A Very Arondekar Christmas Part 1" / "A Very Arondekar Christmas Part 2" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
    A leaky water heater mishap threatens to ruin holiday plans as Sam and Jay prepare to host Jay’s hard-to-please dad, Mahesh (Bernard White), difficult-to-impress mom, Champa (Sakina Jaffrey), and sister Bela (Punam Patel).

    Ghosts - "It's a Wonderful Christmas Carol: Part One" (CBS, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
    Sam’s big Christmas Eve TV interview with Walter Storm (Larry Wilmore) takes an unexpected turn. Meanwhile, Trevor and Patience bond over their mutual disinterest in celebrating Christmas.

    Ghosts - "It's a Wonderful Christmas Carol: Part Two" (CBS, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
    Sam gets a glimpse of what her life would be like if she could never see the ghosts.

    Complete TV Listings


    Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 22)

    Thursday, December 25

    • Kate Hudson (Running Point) - Watch Kate on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
    • John Stamos (Palm Royale/UnPrisoned/Fuller House/Grandfathered/Jake in Progress/Full House/You, Again?) - John appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
    • Chris Kattan (The Middle) - Chris is a guest on a repeat of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 12:37am on CBS.
    • Jason Bateman (Arrested Development/The Hogan Family/It's Your Move/Silver Spoons) - Jason talks Zootopia 2 with Chris Connelly on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
    • George Clooney (Roseanne/The Facts of Life/ E/R (1984-1985) - George talks Jay Kelly with Michael Strahan on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
    • Michael J. Fox (Family Ties/Spin City/The Michael J. Fox Show) - Michael opens up about his career with George Stephanopoulos on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
    • Ariana Grande (Sam & Cat/Victorious) - Ariana talks about Wicked on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.


    New on DVD and Blu-ray

    Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray) Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season (DVD) St. Denis Medical - Season One (Blu-ray) Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

    01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
    02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series (DVD)
    03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two (DVD)
    04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season (DVD)
    05/13 - The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered)
    06/06 - Shoresy - Season 2 (DVD)
    06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (Blu-ray)
    07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
    08/26 - The Huckleberry Hound Show - The Complete Original Series (Blu-ray)
    10/07 - Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season (DVD)
    10/14 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
    10/28 - St. Denis Medical - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
    11/04 - Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
    11/11 - Rick and Morty - Season 8 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
    11/11 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fifteenth Season (DVD)
    11/11 - Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
    12/02 - Tom and Jerry - The Golden Era Anthology (1940-1958) (Blu-ray) (DVD)

    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

    12/24 - 2025 Christmas Eve and Christmas Day TV Marathons
    12/23 - Antenna TV January 2026 Schedule; Rewind TV January 2026 Schedule
    12/22 - The Ms. Pat Show Returns January 7; According to Jim Christmas Day Marathon on Laff
    12/21 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of December 22, 2025)
    12/20 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Historical 19th Century Comedy in the Works at CBS; Bowen Yang Leaving Saturday Night Live After Tonight
    12/19 - The Muppet Show 50th Anniversary Event in February on ABC & Disney+; Adult Swim Renews Haha, You Clowns for 2 More Seasons
    12/18 - The Oscars Moving to YouTube in 2029; Celebs for Hollywood Squares Season 2
    12/17 - MeTV Remembers Rob Reiner with Tribute Marathon; MGM+ to Make New The Magnificent Seven Series
    12/16 - The Rob Reiner Story: A Hollywood Tragedy – ABC News Special; Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion Part 2 on CBS
    12/15 - Remembering the Legendary Rob Reiner of All in the Family; Trailer for Netflix's His & Hers
    12/14 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of December 15, 2025)
    12/13 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Warner/Netflix Merger Gets Complicated; Steve Carell Comedy Rooster Coming to HBO Max in March
    12/12 - Survival of the Thickest Final Season Guest Stars; Ted Season 2 Returns in March
    12/11 - The Upshaws Final Season Premieres January 15; Mike Epps Gets 5th Netflix Special
    12/10 - HBO's Rooster Premieres in March; Fox's Updated Winter 2026 Schedule
    12/09 - 83rd Golden Globe Nominations; Paradise Returns on Hulu in February
    12/08 - First Look at Bert Kreischer Netflix Comedy Free Bert; School Spirits Season 3
    12/07 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of December 8, 2025)
    12/06 - SitcomsOnline Digest: First Look at Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair; Netflix to Acquire Warner Bros. Discovery
    12/05 - FETV Acquires The Carol Burnett Show Uncut; Hey A.J.! Coming to Disney Jr.
    12/04 - COZI TV Acquires The Jeff Foxworthy Show; Hulu Renews Chad Powers for Season 2
    12/03 - MeTV January 2026 Schedule; Netflix's My Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman Season 6 Guests
    12/02 - MeTV Acquires Charlie's Angels, Fantasy Island, Hart to Hart & Hawaii Five-O; Apple TV's The First Snow of Fraggle Rock Trailer
    12/01 - MeTV to Announce Four New Shows; Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Draws 25 Million Viewers on NBC
    11/30 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of December 1, 2025)
    11/29 - SitcomsOnline Digest: First Look at Scrubs Reboot; Mad Men Coming to HBO Max
    11/28 - Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion Encores Tonight (11/28); Hulu's Smash Hit Renewed for Quick 4th Season
    11/27 - 2025 Thanksgiving TV Marathons
    11/26 - ABC's Scrubs First Teaser During Dancing with the Stars Finale; Eva Green Joins Wednesday Season 3
    11/25 - COZI TV Acquires Malcolm & Eddie and The Steve Harvey Show; 53rd International Emmy® Awards Winners
    11/24 - Antenna TV's All-You-Can Eat Wings for Thanksgiving Marathon; Rewind TV's Serving Up the Seavers with a Thanksgiving Day Growing Pains Marathon