TV Land Icon Awards to Honor Norman Lear and John Stamos; TV Land's Younger Scores Its Most-Watched Episode Ever

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

TV Land Icon Awards to Honor Norman Lear and John Stamos; TV Land's Younger Scores Its Most-Watched Episode Ever

TV Land Icon Awards in Celebration with Entertainment Weekly

We reported last week that TV Land was reinventing their annual awards ceremony as the TV Land Icon Awards in Celebration with Entertainment Weekly. Comedian George Lopez will host the evening honoring the very best of TV and entertainment, taping Sunday, April 10th at The Barker Hangar in Los Angeles, and airing Sunday, April 17th at 9pm ET/PT on TV Land. They have announced this year's honorees and additional guests for the star-studded event.

Three-time Emmy® Award winner Norman Lear will be honored with the Impact Icon Award, which praises individuals that have made a significant impression on American entertainment and culture. The incomparable Lear has been in the entertainment business for more than 60 years, creating some of the most memorable television comedy staples including The Jeffersons, One Day at a Time, All in the Family, Sanford and Son, Maude and Good Times, all of which have endured through generations and remain some of today's pop cultural favorites. In addition to being a multiple Emmy Award-winner, Lear is also a recipient of the National Medal of Arts and a Peabody Award, among other numerous accolades. Oscar®, Emmy®, Tony® and GRAMMY® winner Rita Moreno and Jimmie Walker will be on hand on hand for his tribute, and Glee star and recording artist Amber Riley, along with others to be announced, will perform a special medley of theme songs from Lear's shows. The Impact Icon Award will be presented to Lear by television and film creator Seth MacFarlane.

Also being honored at this year's ceremony is John Stamos, who will receive the Timeless Icon Award, which is presented to an entertainer whose extraordinary work spans generations. John Stamos is best known for his role as Jesse Katsopolis on the hit sitcom Full House, a role he recently reprised in the highly-anticipated follow up, Fuller House, which debuted in February on Netflix. He began his career as foster teen and dreamboat Blackie Parrish on General Hospital in 1982. After Full House, he went on to star on several seasons of ER as Dr. Tony Gates, played the title role in Jake in Progress, and currently stars on the FOX series Grandfathered. Stamos' Full House co-stars and longtime friends Dave Coulier and Lori Loughlin, his Grandfathered co-stars Paget Brewster and Josh Peck, and renowned television creator and film producer Garry Marshall will present him with his award. As part of his tribute, GRAMMY-winning band The Beach Boys will perform a medley of their hit songs.

Younger

TV Land and Darren Star's critical darling Younger has reached new series highs in Live+3 after the highly-anticipated season two finale aired last Wednesday (3/23/16), netting 1.3 million total viewers. The median age of the audience for the Sutton Foster comedy is 12 years younger (46 years old) than TV Land's channel prime average, and four years younger than season one. Season two has boasted impressive double-digit gains over season one. The show has also seen significant growth with its followers and fans on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Younger was already renewed for a 12-episode third season before the second season launched on January 13. We will keep you posted when they announce the season three premiere date.

Younger follows Liza (two-time Tony® winner Sutton Foster), a 40-year old woman who pretends to be 26 in order to get a job in the highly competitive world of publishing – and succeeds. Now working under the prickly Diana (Miriam Shor), Liza has to figure out how to balance her real life with best friend Maggie (Debi Mazar), and her "pretend" life with her new crew – friend/coworker Kellsey (Hilary Duff) and fashion publicist Lauren (Molly Bernard). At the end of season two, Liza's secret took a tragic turn when Kelsey's fiancé Thad (Dan Amboyer) was killed in an accident right after he discovered her lie, and Liza's love life is in disarray as she tries to choose between on-again/off-again boyfriend Josh (Nico Tortorella) and her boss Charles (Peter Hermann), with whom she has an undeniable connection. Season three is set to shoot in New York this summer.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Saturday, June 7

The Conners - "It's Gonna Be a Great Day" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Darlene celebrates her promotion, hoping it will allow her to spend more time with Ben; Jackie stumbles upon an opportunity to sue the pharmaceutical company responsible for Roseanne's addiction, which sparks a family debate.

The Conners - "Fame, Flying Fists and Cold Feet" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
The Conners get a taste of fame when their family restaurant is featured in a reality TV show, which inspires Becky to become an influencer; Jackie and Dan meet with a lawyer; Darlene connects with someone at The Lobo Lounge.

The Conners - "Applications, Accusations and a Man-Bag" (ABC, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Jackie decides to rejoin the police force despite everyone's concerns; Darlene grows more skeptical about Mark's secretive behavior; Dan and Becky wade through uncomfortable conversations about Roseanne's addiction issues and death.

The Conners - "Danny Boy, the Interview, the New Hire, and the Hanging Chad" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Dan sidesteps vulnerable emotions surrounding Roseanne's death ahead of an upcoming deposition; Becky prepares for a job interview; Harris impulsively hires a new server at the Lunch Box.

The Conners - "Exercise Bands, Money Plans, and Faraway Lands" (ABC, 10:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Ahead of the deposition, Dan gets support from Jackie, Becky and Darlene; Mark is presented with an opportunity which leads to a major life decision; Becky and Tyler consider the next step in their relationship.

The Conners - "The Truck Stops Here" (ABC, 10:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Jackie prepares for a series of physical tests in an effort to rejoin the police force; Darlene confronts the insecurities in her marriage with Ben; Dan's deposition stirs up feelings; final farewells are made in true Conner family fashion.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of June 1)

Friday, June 6

Paul Rudd (The Shrink Next Door/Living with Yourself/Wild Oats) - Watch Paul on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Ike Barinholtz (The Studio/The Afterparty/Bless the Harts/The Mindy Project/Eastbound & Down) - Ike appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
David Oyelowo (Government Cheese), Bokeem Woodbine (Government Cheese/Battery Park) and Simone Missick (Government Cheese) - David, Bokeem and Simone are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
Whitney Cummings (Whitney) - Whitney appears on Real Time with Bill Maher at 10pm on HBO.
Sarita Choudhury (And Just Like That...) - Sarita talks about And Just Like That... on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Mark Hamill (The Texas Wheelers) - Mark chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Brianne Howey (Dollface) - Brianne chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Steve Guttenberg (No Soap, Radio/Billy) - Steve talks about Kidnapped by a Killer: The Heather Robinson Story on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
Andrew Rannells (Girls/The New Normal) - Andrew talks about I Don't Understand You on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am and on CBS Mornings Plus in the 9am hour.
Lena Waithe (Master of None) and Phylicia Rashad (The Cosby Show/Cosby) - Lena and Phylicia talk about The Chi on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Mark Hamill (The Texas Wheelers) - NBC's Today catches up with Mark in the 9am hour.
Natasha Rothwell (How to Die Alone/Insecure) - Natasha talks about The White Lotus on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.