Saturday, October 24, 2015

SitcomsOnline Digest: Truth Be Told Sets Undesirable Ratings Records for Debut; Undateable to Go Live on Both Coasts; 'Til Death Continuing on DVD

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! It has been a rather busy week, so we've only got some of the highlights here for you this week (so make sure to look through our blog for the entire week to see what we didn't cover here!), but we do have some ratings news for a new NBC sitcom that simply spell disaster, news of Undateable going live on both coasts, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB
  • None of the new fall sitcoms have been canceled yet, but if you're looking for a good candidate for the first one to be canceled, NBC's Truth Be Told may be it, as the debut episode shattered two lowest-rated records (including NBC's lowest-rated in-season premiere ever). (Variety)
  • Meanwhile, the lead-in for Truth Be Told, Undateable, which started out the season with live episodes only on the east coast, will be airing live on both the east coast and west coast. (A.V. Club)
  • Tracy Morgan hosted Saturday Night Live last week, but there was even more for sitcom fans, as the episode featured a reunion of the 30 Rock cast. (Huffington Post)
  • There is a good chance that you never saw it anyway, but the TBS series Clipped has been canceled. (Hollywood Reporter)
  • Even though Desperate Housewives has been off the air for over three years and Nicollette Sheridan hasn't appeared on the series in over six years, her lawsuit involving the show still won't quite seem to go away. (Hollywood Reporter)
  • Remakes and reboots have become a hallmark of television in the past year or so, and now it looks like one may be in the works for Amazing Stories. (Deadline)
  • Marty Ingels, best known for his role on I'm Dickens, He's Fenster (and as husband to Shirley Jones) died this week at the age of 79. (New York Times)
  • Pat Woodell, who played Bobbie Jo in the early seasons of Petticoat Junction, also died this week. (SitcomsOnline

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
  • Sony has by and large abandoned TV-on-DVD releases for classic series (and considering that they aren't exactly a huge player in new series, we don't get much there either), but TVShowsOnDVD.com revealed this week that they are hearing of a very surprising release of the third season of the Fox series that never seemed to die, 'Til Death. The MOD release is said to be released sometime in November.

OCTOBER 27 HOME MEDIA RELEASES


FOLLOW ME

Who to Follow: Julie McCullough (Twitter), "Funny Bunny"
Claim to Fame: The magazine Playboy recently announced that they were going to stop including nudity in their magazine, and Julie McCullough may very well be the first (and only) Playboy Playmate of the Month that we've ever featured as our Follow Me, but that first appearance occurred in the magazine nearly 30 years ago. McCullough had become a bit more family friendly shortly after that appearance when she took on the role of Julie, the Seaver family nanny, in the sitcom Growing Pains. Throughout the fourth season, her character evolved into a love interest for Mike Seaver. Unfortunately for her, that role didn't last long, as Kirk Cameron essentially had her fired from the show since he wasn't comfortable having a love interest on the series who appeared in Playboy in real life, something that she still hasn't (and perhaps never will) forgiven him for doing. She didn't quite give up acting, though, as she did go on to appear in a few acting roles. Today, at age 50, she spends her time in stand-up comedy.
Pick of the Tweets: "Most of ya know me from #GrowingPains or from @Playboy but what ya don't know is: my family owns a #Carnival its @HuntingtonMall right now🌟" (June 4, 2015)


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Friday, March 6

Happy's Place - "Dart to the Heart" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Bobbie tries to help Emmett and Isabella reconnect by forcing them into a darts tournament; Steve celebrates killing a spider until Takoda informs him about Iktomi, the Lakota trickster spirit.

Stumble - "Making Mat" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Courteney must cut one of her Buttons from making mat at Daytona; each of the team shares why Daytona is so important, but Courteney operates with her head over her heart and, after grueling tryouts, renders a heartbreaking decision.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 2)

Friday, March 6

  • Jason Bateman (Arrested Development/The Hogan Family/It's Your Move/Silver Spoons) - Watch Jason on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Bradley Whitford (Perfect Harmony/Trophy Wife) - Bradley appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Joel McHale (Animal Control/The Great Indoors/Community) - Joel is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Rose Byrne (Platonic/Physical) - Rose talks about Broadway's Fallen Angels on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
  • Robby Hoffman (Hacks) - Robby is part of Joy’s Comedy Corner (comedy special, “Robby Hoffman: Wake Up”) on The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Dennis Quaid (Merry Happy Whatever) - NBC's Today catches up with Dennis in the 9am hour.
  • John Slattery (Maggie/Ed) - NBC's Today catches up with John in the 9am hour.
  • Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Cafe Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - Drew is joined by Valerie and UFC's Laura Sanko to hit the headlines at the news desk on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.


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)

07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
08/26 - The Huckleberry Hound Show - The Complete Original Series (Blu-ray)
09/30 - Touché Turtle and Dum Dum - The Complete 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)
12/16 - Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/16 - Wally Gator - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
01/20 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (Blu-ray)
03/24 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 2 (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

03/06 - The Four Seasons Returns on May 28; More Details on I Suck at Girls
03/05 - COZI TV Pairs Up Al Bundy and Hondo at Last; ABC Renews Abbott Elementary for Season 6
03/04 - ABC's Scrubs Returns Big; Netflix's Little House on the Prairie Renewed for Season 2
03/03 - Prime Video's Kevin Premieres April 20; Fox Renews Best Medicine
03/02 - Running Point Returns April 23 on Netflix; A Different World Sequel Starts Production
03/01 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 2, 2026)
02/28 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Warner Now Set to Merge with Paramount, Not Netflix; X-Files Reboot Given Greenlight
02/27 - The Comeback Returns for Final Season on March 22; Animal Control Renewed for Season 5; Remembering Lauren Chapin of Father Knows Best and Robert Carradine of Lizzie McGuire
02/26 - AspireTV Gets First Ever Original Sitcom; Sullivan's Crossing Returns for Season 4 in April on The CW
02/25 - Scrubs Returns Tonight, Sneak Peek at Title Sequence; Stranger Things: Tales From '85 Reveals Odessa A'zion as Nikki Baxter
02/24 - Netflix's Wednesday Season 3 Adds to Cast; Wonder Pets: In the City Returns March 20
02/23 - Celebrities for ABC's Celebrity Jeopardy! All-Stars; Hallmark's Mistletoe Murders Renewed for Season 3
02/22 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of February 23, 2026)
02/21 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Hulu Orders New Adult Animated Comedy From Creator of Bluey; Casting News for Upcoming CBS Comedy Regency
02/20 - ABC Wednesday Comedies Find Valentine's Magic; Netflix Announces Dang!
02/19 - The Golden Girls Coming to MeTV in March; Adult Swim Announces My Two Cars
02/18 - Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special Coming to Disney+; Fox Spring 2026 Schedule and Finale Dates
02/17 - New Animated Comedy from Big Mouth Creators Coming May 22; Scottish Comedy Returns to Hulu February 25
02/16 - Saturday Night Live Returns Following the Olympics on February 28; Fox Pays Tribute to James Van Der Beek on Wednesday
02/15 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of February 16, 2026)
02/14 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Trailer Released for Scrubs Reboot; Tubi to Add 100 Cartoon Series from Warner and Cartoon Network Library
02/13 - Remembering James Van Der Beek of Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23; The Way Home Returns for Final Season in April on Hallmark
02/12 - ABC's Scrubs Revival Trailer and Details; XO, Kitty Returns April 2 on Netflix
02/11 - The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins Gets Post Saturday Night Live Encore; Chris Fleming HBO Special
02/10 - Celebrity Jeopardy! All Stars Premiere Shifting by Two Weeks; Virgin River Season 7 Trailer
02/09 - Shoresy Returns with Season 5; HBO Max Acquires Schitt's Creek
02/08 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of February 9, 2026)
02/07 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Roku Adds New Channels for Bernie Mac, Blossom, and Cougar Town; Catchy Comedy Introduces Catchy Loves Lucy
02/06 - Rooster Premieres March 8 on HBO; MGM+ Comedy American Classic Trailer
02/05 - NBC Unveils Trailer and Guest Stars for The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins; Adult Swim's Anime Series Rooster Fighter Premieres March 14