SitcomsOnline Digest: Yahoo! Screen Shuts Down, Effectively Cancelling Community (Again); NBC Announces New Pilots

Saturday, January 09, 2016

SitcomsOnline Digest: Yahoo! Screen Shuts Down, Effectively Cancelling Community (Again); NBC Announces New Pilots

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! Not surprisingly, with everybody back at work this week (including in the entertainment industry), there is lots of news to catch up on from the slow holiday weeks of news, including the shutdown of an online streaming service (though one that wasn't really making a big splash to begin with), new hope for sitcoms on NBC, new additions to Hulu, and much more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

Community has managed to survive six seasons (though no movie... yet), but it can't seem to catch a break. After being on the verge of cancellation just about every season on NBC, it finally was cancelled and moved to Yahoo! Screen for the sixth season, except now, Yahoo! Screen has been shut down, effectively cancelling the series... again. (/FILM)
NBC may be falling short in the comedy realm lately, but they're not giving up, as they've picked up four new pilots from producers with a track record of success. (Hollywood Reporter)
Hulu has announced a new deal with Sony that will bring Dawson's Creek, Party of Five, and more to the service, though so far, the only sitcom announced is Happy Endings (which has actually already debuted on the service). (Hollywood Reporter)
TBS, which has been sort of redefining itself lately, has ordered a comedy pilot starring Wyatt Cenac, with Conan O'Brien and Greg Daniels producing. (Variety)
We still have another month before Fuller House debuts on Netflix, but everybody is excited over new photos from the series that have surfaced online. (Entertainment Weekly)
ABC is eager to make primetime a game show destination again (at least for the summer), as they've renewed Celebrity Family Feud and plan to introduce a Michael Strahan hosted version of $100,000 Pyramid. (Deadline)
Pat Harrington, Jr., best known for his role of Schneider on One Day at a Time, has died, and Antenna TV is airing a marathon of the series today. (SitcomsOnline)

TUESDAY (JANUARY 12) HOME MEDIA RELEASES

Hill Street Blues - The Final Season (DVD, $34.93): The final season of the classic police drama arrives on DVD for those who skipped on the complete series release.
The Wonder Years - Season Four (DVD, $39.98): Time Life continues the series on DVD with this release, for those who did not pick up the previously released complete series set.

FOLLOW ME

Who to Follow: Patricia Richardson (Twitter, Facebook), "in transition"

Claim to Fame: Last week, we featured Tim Allen as our Follow Me, and this week, we move on to his Home Improvement co-star, Patricia Richardson. For eight seasons, she played Jill Taylor, the wife of Tim Allen's character on the series. Before Home Improvement, she mostly appeared in guest roles, beginning in 1981 with an episode of Love, Sidney, and continuing on with Kate & Allie, The Cosby Show, The Equalizer, and more. She had a brief starring role on the series FM in 1989, but that was cancelled rather quickly. Since Home Improvement ended, she has had roles in Strong Medicine and The West Wing, and now, most recently she appeared on an episode of Tim Allen's new series, Last Man Standing... and the good news is that there is a little more of that to come.

Pick of the Tweets: "How about as a Christmas present to my fans and Tim's fans and HI and LMS fans I tell you I'm going to do another episode of LMS in 2016?" (December 17, 2015)

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Thursday, January 23

Shifting Gears - "Accommodations" (ABC, 9:02PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Matt joins Riley at Carter’s high school open house, where he’s unsettled to learn about the “accommodations” made for his grandson’s anxiety. Meanwhile, Riley reconnects with Caitlin, a former classmate, and sets her up with Gabriel.

Only Murders in the Building - "Sparring Partners" (ABC, 9:33PM ET/PT)
Closing in on the killer, Mabel takes her investigative talents into the ring; Oliver and Charles duke it out over a birdcage only to end up confronting their deepest paternal struggles.

Only Murders in the Building - "I Know Who Did It" (ABC, 10:12PM ET/PT)
The question of who did it remains, along with a few more questions that have been raised.

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "An Old Mustang" (CBS, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Georgie worries that he’s leaving Connor out of his new project with Jim. Meanwhile, Mandy and Audrey struggle to decorate CeeCee’s nursery without fighting.

Ghosts - "The Primary Source" (CBS, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Sam’s book publisher requires source material for her biography on Isaac, she and Jay take a field trip to find a diary he claims he hid when he was alive.

Animal Control - "Baby Kangaroos and Chickens" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Frank and Victoria compete to win Fiona's affections at the new kennels' fundraiser; Emily gets some very bad advice from Bettany on her speech; Patel and Shred find themselves facing the world's most charming squatter.

Going Dutch - "Korfball" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Everyone in town is talking about the upcoming Korfball match between the Americans and the Dutch; the colonel refuses to lose to the Dutch and Quinn brings out her high school alter ego "The Rocket" to make her dad proud.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of January 20)

Thursday, January 23

James Marsden (30 Rock) - Catch James on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Fortune Feimster (FUBAR/Kenan/Bless the Harts/Champions) - Fortune appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Denis Leary (Going Dutch/No Good Deed/Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll/The Job) - Denis stops by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Morris Chestnut (Out All Night) - Morris is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Nick Kroll (Big Mouth/The League/Cavemen) - Nick appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Britt Lower (Ghosted/Man Seeking Woman/Big Lake) - Britt is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Thomas Lennon (The Odd Couple/Sean Saves the World/Reno 911!), Paul F. Tompkins (The Great North/BoJack Horseman/DAG) and Joe Manganiello (How I Met Your Mother) - Thomas, Paul and Joe are guests on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
Al Madrigal (Lopez vs Lopez/About a Boy/Gary Unmarried/Welcome to The Captain) - Al appears on Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
Ronny Chieng (Young Rock/Ronny Chieng: International Student) - Ronny hosts Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
Jason Biggs (Outmatched/Mad Love/Drexell's Class) - Jason and his wife Jenny Mollen are telling Drew about their new show Dinner and a Movie that features an episode focusing on 50 First Dates on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.