Thursday, November 19, 2015

Iconic Comedic Series to End; Winsanity with Donald Faison on GSN

The Soup

22 years ago, nobody suspected that a new weekly comedy series poking fun at the latest and greatest from the world of entertainment would develop a recipe for long-running success that would be emulated across the television landscape. Now, after thriving on E! for more than two decades, the groundbreaking comedy series The Soup will skewer its final pop culture sacred cow on Friday, December 18 at 10pm ET/PT. Host and Executive Producer Joel McHale, who has fronted the show that made him a bonafide star for 12 years, will once again deliver the laughs as he hangs up his signature skinny tie for the last time. As E! counts down to the final episode on December 18 at 10pm ET/PT, Joel McHale will continue to host new episodes that bring viewers the best of the worst in pop culture and look back at some of the series' most memorable moments from the past 22 years. New episodes will air Fridays at 10pm ET/PT until McHale signs off for the last time and fans say good-bye to the most infamous green screen in TV history, along with the characters that appeared in front of it, including Mankini, Lou the Chihuahua, and of course, the floating talk show heads in the notorious "Chat Stew" graphic.

Over its 22-year history, Talk Soup and The Soup have welcomed some of the most celebrated actors and singers as well as some incredibly desperate X-listers to stand in front of its jolly green screen and poke fun at the most ridiculous moments in television. Stars and "stars" that have stopped by include Norman Reedus, Yvette Nicole Brown, Patrick Warburton, Alison Brie, Seth Green, Lucy Lawless, Chris Hardwick, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ken Jeong, RuPaul, Steven Yeun, Joe Manganiello, Wendy Williams, Simon Pegg, Jon Cryer, Joe Jonas, Kal Penn, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Adam Scott, Aaron Paul, Gabourey Sidibe, Larry King, Kelly Ripa, Allison Janney, Adam DeVine, Johnny Weir, Danny Trejo, Jeff Probst, James Corden, Adam Pally, Jane Lynch, Marilyn Manson, Jon Heder, Tyra Banks, Martha Stewart, Nene Leaks, Nancy Grace, Zachary Quinto, George Takei, Chevy Chase, Sean Combs, Evan Rachel Wood, Eminem, Demi Lovato, Sarah Hyland, Jake Pavelka, Katey Sagal, Mayim Bialik, Katie Lee Gifford, Ana Gasteyer, Tyrese Gibson, Anderson Cooper, Andy Cohen, Kylie Minogue, Kristin Davis, Shaquille O'Neal, Joan Rivers, Jack Black, Eli Roth, Busy Philipps, Jaime Pressly, Lea DeLaria, WWE Superstar The Miz ... and Carrot Top.

Premiering in 1991 as Talk Soup, the show launched the careers of hosts Greg Kinnear (Talk Soup host 1991-1995), John Henson (Talk Soup host 1995-1999), Hal Sparks (Talk Soup host 1999-2000) and Aisha Tyler (Talk Soup host 2001-2002). Re-Launched as The Soup in 2004 with host Joel McHale - a star was born, and a hit show got even bigger! The series has solidified its place in the pop culture zeitgeist as a take no prisoners comedy series that has mocked the most popular shows on television with3324 episodes to date. The series recently earned a 2014 Emmy Nomination for 'Outstanding Short-Format Live-Action Entertainment Program,' and Joel McHale scored 'Best Host' in the 2015 Adweek Watch Awards.


Donald Faison

GSN, the leader in game shows and competitive entertainment, announced it has greenlit 40 episodes of a new original game show series, Winsanity, to be hosted by actor and comedian Donald Faison (Scrubs, The Exes). The show will begin shooting in early 2016. Each half-hour episode of Winsanity features a contestant attempting to rank ten compelling and surprising facts in numerical order, from lowest to highest (i.e.: Which is greater: the number of times a man thinks about sex in a day, or the number of words a woman speaks in a day?). Every time a contestant is correct and wins a prize, so does a randomly selected portion of the studio audience. However, if a contestant gives a wrong answer at any point, they, and the audience lose everything, and a new contestant takes his or her place and continues the game, trying to win prizes that increase in value with each round.

Donald Faison, best known to TV viewers for his long-running role on the hit TV series Scrubs and the classic teen film and TV series Clueless, will serve as host of the show. Faison is a two-time winner of the BET Comedy Award and has been nominated multiple times for the NAACP Image Award and Teen Choice Awards.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Saturday, January 17

TV We Love - "The Love Boat" (The CW, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
The cast, writers and directors of "The Love Boat" reveal how star-studded guest lists and high-seas charm made this series a beloved classic.

TV We Love - "Happy Days" (The CW, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Cast and crew spill the secrets behind the on-set drama, outrageous glamour, and iconic '80s excess.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of January 12)

Friday, January 16

  • Denis Leary (Going Dutch/No Good Deed/Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll/The Job) - Watch Denis on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Chelsea Handler (Are You There, Chelsea?) - Chelsea appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Jodie Foster (Paper Moon/Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice/The Courtship of Eddie's Father) - Jodie is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Simu Liu (Kim's Convenience) - Simu appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Walton Goggins (The Righteous Gemstones/The Unicorn/Vice Principals) - Walton talks about Fallout on Live with Kelly and Mark (check your local listings) and with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Kim Fields (The Upshaws/Living Single/The Facts of Life/Baby, I'm Back) - Kim talks about The Upshaws with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Belissa Escobedo (Happy's Place) - Belissa talks about Happy's Place on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, 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)

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

01/16 - Ted Season 2 Trailer Released; Remembering T.K. Carter of Punky Brewster, TV Director Tom Cherones, and Others We Recently Lost
01/15 - The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins Gets Special Preview; ABC Midseason Changes for Monday and Tuesday Night Lineups
01/14 - NBC Orders Pilots, Including The Rockford Files; The CW to Premiere Celebrity Series
01/13 - 83rd Golden Globe Winners; Tubi's Upcoming YA Film Slate
01/12 - Peacock's The 'Burbs Trailer; The Jeff Foxworthy Show Launch Back on COZI TV
01/11 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of January 12, 2026)
01/10 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Henry Winkler to Star in NBC Legal Comedy Pilot; First Look at Peacock's The 'Burbs
01/09 - HBO's Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! Documentary with Interviews Including Rob Reiner; 83rd Annual Golden Globes Presenters
01/08 - Netflix Orders Nick Kroll Comedy Series; Saturday Night Live January 2026 Hosts and Music Guests
01/07 - Saturday Night Live Bobbleheads from the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum; Fox Entertainment Signs Tracee Ellis Ross to Deal
01/06 - Emily in Paris Renewed for Season 6; Audible's New Comedy Series Starring Jenifer Lewis, Cedric the Entertainer, and Niecy Nash-Betts
01/05 - Trailer for The Muppet Show Special Event; Season 3 of Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal on Adult Swim
01/04 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of January 5, 2026)
01/03 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Premiere Date Set for Malcolm in the Middle Reboot; NBC Pulls The Paper
01/02 - Bridgerton Season 4 Details and Live Premiere Event; NBC Pulls The Paper from Mondays
01/01 - Happy New Year; Shrinking Season 3 Trailer
12/31 - In Memoriam: Remembering the Sitcom Stars We Lost in 2025
12/30 - Antenna TV and Rewind TV's New Year's Eve and Day Marathons; Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair Premieres April 10
12/29 - COZI TV Postpones The Jeff Foxworthy Show Launch; Netflix Releases Free Bert Trailer
12/28 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of December 29, 2025)
12/27 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Chevy Chase "Hurt" By Not Being Invited to SNL 50th Anniversary; New Lineups for Antenna TV and Rewind TV
12/26 - GET Acquires Psych for January 2026; Details on Netflix's A Different World Sequel
12/25 - Merry Christmas from Sitcoms Online; Interviews from 2025 Christmas Con in Edison, NJ
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