SitcomsOnline Digest: Two New Series From Established Sitcom Veterans to Come to Netflix?; James Burrows Tribute to Air on NBC

Saturday, January 16, 2016

SitcomsOnline Digest: Two New Series From Established Sitcom Veterans to Come to Netflix?; James Burrows Tribute to Air on NBC

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! It's been another busy week of news with new developments from Chuck Lorre and even Matt Groening, and it's also been a week of non-news rumors (that were passed around as actual news) regarding a Friends reunion... but we'll set the record straight! Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

Chuck Lorre keeps cranking out sitcoms that aren't exactly your traditional or standard sitcoms, and now he is trying to get a network (most likely Netflix) to pick up a new comedy that is being described as The Big Bang Theory if the characters worked in a marijuana dispensery. (Hollywood Reporter)
It looks as if Matt Groening (creator of The Simpsons and Futurama) may be bringing an animated series to Netflix, though details about everything are still very unclear. (IGN)
We'll set the record straight on the rumored Friends reunion that NBC will supposedly be airing: there is no actual Friends reunion coming to NBC. Rather, the real story is that NBC will air a tribute to James Burrows in honor of his 1000th television episode, which will include some (not all) of the cast members of some of the series he has worked on, including Friends. (Deadline)
Mike & Molly has now been officially canceled, though this shouldn't be a surprise given the cast rumors from last month. (Yahoo TV)
CBS has been trying to mix up their sitcoms lately by throwing single-camera sitcoms into the usual multi-camera sitcom mix for the network, but it seems that the network is looking to turn some of the future single-camera projects back into multi-camera projects. (Deadline)
NBC has enough confidence in Seth Meyers to renew his contract through 2021. (Hollywood Reporter)

TUESDAY (JANUARY 19) HOME MEDIA RELEASES

Sister, Sister - The Complete Series (DVD, $109.99): The complete series of the series starring Tia and Tamera Mowry is expected to be released on Tuesday; however, it is possible that it has been delayed.

FOLLOW ME

Who to Follow: Caroline Rhea (Twitter), "Mother of Ava, Phineas, Ferb, Candace, Aunt to Sabrina, considering options for next major crush"

Claim to Fame: Caroline Rhea got her start in one very minor movie role and standup comedy, but she first became known to TV audiences in 1995 with the NBC sitcom Pride & Joy. It only lasted six episodes, but she bounced back (big time) in 1996 when she was cast in the role of Hilda Spellman on Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. She remained in that role for the first six seasons of the series, and left in 2002 when she had the opportunity to replace Rosie O'Donnell when she left her daytime talk show. The Caroline Rhea Show lasted for one season, and since then, she has hosted the first two seasons of The Biggest Loser, played a regular voice role on the Disney series Phineas & Ferb, and much more.

Pick of the Tweets: "Sabrina the Teenage Bitch(Relax, the female dog term) #NewShowsForDogTV" (September 6, 2015)

Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Wednesday, October 20

The Goldbergs - "An Itch Like No Other" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
With Beverly’s encouragement, Mr. Glascott moves in next door to the Goldbergs and slowly goes from friendly neighbor to cluelessly intrusive. Adam and Murray become increasingly disgruntled while Beverly comes up with a plan to occupy Mr. Glascott’s time with a new friend, Mr. Woodburn. Meanwhile, Barry lands in urgent care with a case of poison ivy in a compromising area – his rear end. Erica and Geoff are called to task to take care of Barry and his ridiculous demands – inadvertently testing their parenting skills and patience with one another.

The Wonder Years - "The Lock In" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Dean is reluctant to attend the annual church lock-in until Kim tells him it’s where she got her first kiss. He enlists his friends to help him pair up with Keisa, but his plans are thwarted when he instead gets paired up with the pastor’s daughter, Charlene.

The Conners - "Trucking Live in Front of a Fully Vaccinated Studio Audience -- East Coast" (ABC, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Lights, Camera, Action: “The Conners” is going live for both the East and West Coast broadcasts of the season four premiere episode. This iconic TV family continues to deal with the current pandemic while navigating breakups and newfound sobriety, all while planning an upcoming wedding.

Home Economics - "Giant Jenga, $120" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Tom spirals when Connor dates a woman who broke his heart at summer camp. Then, family game night becomes an all-or-nothing competition between Marina and Denise.

Superstar - "Robin Williams" (ABC, 10:00PM ET/PT)
The new episode recounts his life through Robin Williams’ own voice, describing “the spark of madness” which defined his life. From his early days in the San Francisco Bay Area comedy scene to his meteoric rise on “Mork & Mindy,” the one-hour special explores the experiences that made Williams into a one-of-a-kind talent and reveals what gave voice to the characters in his mind. It also chronicles the creative force driving critically acclaimed films like “Good Will Hunting” and “Dead Poets Society,” as well as fan favorites such as “Aladdin.” The special explores his personal struggles, including substance abuse and depression, and his battle with Lewy Body Dementia before his tragic death in 2014. “Superstar: Robin Williams” features interviews with famous comedians and actors who knew and admired Williams, including Margaret Cho, Howie Mandel, Lewis Black, Jimmie Walker, Paula Poundstone, Gina Hecht and Pauly Shore, as well as Barry Levinson, director of multiple films starring Williams including “Good Morning, Vietnam.” The program also contains interviews with Williams from the ABC News archives, in which he opens up about his life and the highs and lows of his distinguished career.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of October 18)

Wednesday, October 20

Rami Malek (The War at Home) - Watch Rami on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Issa Rae (Insecure) - Issa appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Billy Bob Thornton (Hearts Afire) - Billy Bob is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Jamie Foxx (Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!/The Jamie Foxx Show) - Jamie appears on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) - Nick is a guest on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Trevor Noah at 11pm.
Leah Remini (Kevin Can Wait/The Exes/Family Tools/The King of Queens/Fired Up) - Leah guest hosts The Wendy Williams Show, so check your local listings.
Debra Messing (Will & Grace/Ned & Stacey) - Debra talks about her latest project: how self-care can change the world on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
Ron Howard (Arrested Development/Happy Days/The Andy Griffith Show) and Clint Howard (Gung Ho) - Ron and Clint discuss their new book, The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family, on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Amy Sedaris (No Activity/BoJack Horseman/Strangers with Candy) - It's a TV exclusive with sister and brother duo Amy and David Sedaris appearing together for the first time on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Jeremy Sisto (Suburgatory) - Jeremy talks about FBI on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
David Eigenberg (Sex and the City) - David talks about NBC's Chicago Fire on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) - Nick talks about Where the Deer and the Antelope Play: The Pastoral Observations of One Ignorant American Who Loves to Walk Outside on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.