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

Thursday, March 12

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "A Big Birthday and Tequila Shots" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Mandy struggles to celebrate Georgie’s 21st birthday after hitting a rough patch in her career.

Ghosts - "St. Hetty’s Day 2: The Help" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
A St. Patrick’s Day staffing emergency gives Hetty the chance to step into an unlikely role at the restaurant as she regains her once-a-year ability to be seen and heard by the living. Meanwhile, Kyle returns to watch over the ghosts and finds himself caught in an amusing supernatural dynamic.

Animal Control - "Squirrels and Fat Cats" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Frank uncovers Emily and Shred's secret romance during a break-in at city supply; Victoria and Patel confront his daughter's school bully.

Going Dutch - "Tinker, Tailor, Colonel, Spy" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Rick takes a sabbatical from the CIA and returns to the base, hoping to rekindle his strained relationship with Capt. Maggie; paranoia runs high when a mole is suspected to be operating inside the base.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 9)

Thursday, March 12

Will Forte (The Four Seasons/HouseBroken/MacGruber/The Last Man on Earth/The Cleveland Show) - Catch Will on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Minnie Driver (Emily in Paris/Speechless/About a Boy) - Minnie is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Wanda Sykes (The Upshaws/The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - Wanda appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Robert Smigel (Let's Be Real) - Robert stops by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Kristin Chenoweth (Stumble/Trial & Error/Kristin) - Kristin is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Jennifer Tilly (Out of Practice) - Andy Cohen interviews Jennifer on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 10pm on Bravo.
Nathan Lane (Mid-Century Modern/Only Murders in the Building/Modern Family/Charlie Lawrence/Encore! Encore!/One of the Boys) - Nathan talks about Broadway's Death of a Salesman with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Ariana DeBose (Schmigadoon!) - Ariana joins Tamron to talk about her fashion evolution and her role in the all-star cast of the new series Scarpetta on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
Lauren Graham (The Z-Suite/M.Y.O.B./Conrad Bloom/Townies/Good Company) - Lauren talks about Reminders of Him on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Cafe Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - NBC's Today catches up with Valerie in the 10am hour.
Phil Rosenthal (Creator of Everybody Loves Raymond) - Phil and Lily Rosenthal join Drew for a taste test of weird foods and talk about their children's book Just Try It! Someplace New! (A Phil & Lil Book) on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.