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

Friday, February 14

Happy's Place - "Accountability" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When Isabella accidentally implies she doesn't trust Steve's work on the tavern's taxes, Bobbie and Steve decide to have some fun and teach her a lesson; Gabby goes on a health kick enlisting Takoda as her personal trainer.

Happy's Place - "Dear Jack" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Bobbie catches Isabella doing a slow-fade breakup with her long-distance boyfriend, she convinces her to send a Dear John letter; Steve brings in a review praising Chef Emmett's cooking and acknowledging the tavern's bartender, "Abby."

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place - "Raiders of the Locked Archive" (Disney Channel, 8:00PM ET/PT)
The Russos go to the Wizard World, where Billie finds out a secret that will change her life, and potentially the world, forever!

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of February 10)

Friday, February 14

  • Ariana Grande (Sam & Cat/Victorious) - Watch Ariana on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Bernadette Peters (High Desert/Mozart in the Jungle/All's Fair) - Bernadette is a guest on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Kieran Culkin (Go Fish) - Kieran appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Kenan Thompson (Kenan/Kenan & Kel) - Kenan is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Morris Chestnut (Out All Night) - Morris appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Will Forte (HouseBroken/MacGruber/The Last Man on Earth/The Cleveland Show) - Will is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Conner O'Malley (Shrill) - Conner appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Harry Hamlin (Movie Stars) - Harry and Lisa Rinna are guests on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Café Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) and
  • Oliver Hudson (Splitting Up Together/Rules of Engagement/My Guide to Becoming a Rock Star) - Golden Bachelorette Joan Vassos and fiancé Chock Chapple are telling Drew about their experience falling in love on television on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings. The love panel of Valerie Bertinelli, Taye Diggs, Oliver Hudson and Dr. Tiffanie Davis Henry is back and answering audience questions in a sex and relationships Q&A. Plus, Drew is joined by love gurus Valerie Bertinelli, Taye Diggs, Oliver Hudson and Dr. Tiffanie Davis Henry for a dating Q&A.
  • Anthony Mackie (Twisted Metal) - Anthony talks about starring in the highly anticipated new film Captain America: Brave New World on Sherri, so check your local listings.
  • Monica Barbaro (FUBAR) - Monica can be heard on The Morning Mash Up on SiriusXM.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Veep - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray) The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series

10/08 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Twelfth Season / The Complete Series
10/22 - Veep - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/05 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/12 - The King of Queens - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (2024 Release)
11/19 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fourteenth Season
11/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 4 (Blu-ray)
12/03 - Angel (1960-1961) - The Complete Series, Volume 1
12/17 - Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (4K UHD)
01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series

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

02/14 - FX's Dying for Sex Premieres in April on Hulu; BET+ Announces Lil Kev, Adult Animated Comedy
02/13 - Antenna TV and Rewind TV Celebrate Valentine's Day; The Handmaid's Tale Returns for Final Season
02/12 - Official Trailer for Hulu's Deli Boys; Doctor Odyssey Returns with a 2-Part Event
02/11 - Trailer for Shoresy Season 4; More Stars for SNL50: The Anniversary Special
02/10 - First Ever SNL Episode This Saturday on NBC; FX Renews English Teacher for Season 2
02/09 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of February 10, 2025)
02/08 - SitcomsOnline Digest: English Teacher Renewed at FX; MeTV Toons to Launch House of Hanna-Barbera Programming Block
02/07 - SNL50's Star-Studded Lineup; Adult Swim Presents Oh My God... Yes! A Series of Extremely Relatable Circumstances
02/06 - Prime Video Iliza Shlesinger Special; Kate Hudson Stars in Netflix Comedy
02/05 - Fox Midseason Tuesday Change; 2025 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game Rosters
02/04 - NBC Summer Staples Return in Summer 2025; Gronk Guests on Animal Control
02/03 - The Conners Final Season Premieres March 26; Tyler Perry Gets 2nd Comedy Series for Netflix
02/02 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of February 3, 2025)
02/01 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Little House on the Prairie Reboot Headed to Netflix; George Sr. Set to Return on Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage
01/31 - Final Season of The Righteous Gemstones; Kenya Barris and Malcolm Gladwell's Audible Original
01/30 - Netflix's New Little House on the Prairie Series Coming Soon; Sabrina Brier Gets Awesomeness TV Series
01/29 - MGM+ Orders Comedy Series; Peacock's Amanda Seyfried Series Premieres March 13
01/28 - Ellen Pompeo's Hulu Series Gets Premiere Date; The White Lotus Season 3 Launches February 16
01/27 - Hulu's Deli Boys Adds Tan France; Joel McHale Taking Over The 1% Club
01/26 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of January 27, 2025)
01/25 - SitcomsOnline Digest: The Righteous Gemstones to End After Upcoming Season; Mid-Century Modern to Pay Tribute to Linda Lavin
01/24 - Prime Video George Lopez Special; Netflix Renews The Lincoln Lawyer for Season 4
01/23 - Tubi's New Comedy The Z-Suite Launches February 6; The White Lotus Renewed for Season 4
01/22 - Fox Announces Animation Domination 2025 Schedule; Abbott Elementary Renewed for Season 5
01/21 - Fox Renews Murder in a Small Town; O.J. Simpson Netflix Docuseries
01/20 - Rewind TV February 2025 Schedule; Shifting Gears and Abbott Elementary Score Big for Premieres
01/19 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of January 20, 2025)
01/18 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Frasier Reboot Canceled at Paramount+; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Coming to MeTV Toons
01/17 - Remembering Bob Uecker of Mr. Belvedere, Punky Brewster Creator David W. Duclon, and Others We Recently Lost
01/16 - Apple TV+ Prime Target Trailer; Apple Cider Vinegar Premieres in February on Netflix
01/15 - My Three Sons to Join FETV Lineup Starting February 3; St. Denis Medical Renewed for Season 2
01/14 - Game Show Network Acquires The Wall; NBC's The Hunting Party to Premiere After NFL Divisional Playoff Game