SitcomsOnline Digest: Melissa McCarthy to Return for Gilmore Girls Netflix Revival; American Idol Finale Airs

Saturday, April 09, 2016

SitcomsOnline Digest: Melissa McCarthy to Return for Gilmore Girls Netflix Revival; American Idol Finale Airs

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we've learned that Melissa McCarthy has a new gig (that is also really an old gig), we said goodbye to American Idol (or at least we think we did), and we've learned what Shout! Factory has in store for DVD releases in July. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

The Netflix revival of Gilmore Girls is really happening, and Melissa McCarthy will be part of it. (Entertainment Weekly)
A chapter of history was closed this week when the final episode of American Idol aired... well, "for now," as host Ryan Seacrest said at the end of the show, and that is being seen as a hint that it will be resurrected in some form (not necessarily as a TV series, but that isn't outside of the realm of possibilities either) in the future. (ABC News)
Steve Harvey and Mark Burnett are working together to bring a new reality series to ABC that will be somewhat along the lines of Shark Tank. (Deadline)
The series hasn't even officially debuted yet (although there has been a sneak preview), but TBS has already renewed The Detour for a second season. (SitcomsOnline)
TBS has also renewed the weekly talk show Full Frontal with Samantha Bee for an additional 26 episodes, bringing it through the end of 2016. (Deadline)

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

A very unexpected release was announced this week as Shout! Factory announced they would be bringing the 1960s legal drama (which also inspired a short-lived revival on CBS in 2010) The Defenders to DVD. The classic series starred E.G. Marshall and Robert Reed, and aired from 1961 until 1965. The Defenders - Season One arrives on DVD on July 12.
Shout! Factory will also be moving forward with Sisters in their release of Sisters - Season Five on July 19.

TUESDAY (APRIL 12) HOME MEDIA RELEASES

Family Matters - The Complete Sixth Season (DVD, $29.99): Warner Archive moves ahead with their releases of the classic TGIF series with this release of the sixth season
Grace and Frankie - Season One (DVD, $29.98): The hit Netflix series arrives on DVD for the first time in this release.
Welcome to Sweden - The Complete Second Season (DVD, $34.98): It wasn't really much of a hit for NBC, but the second (and final) season of the series arrives for those who did enjoy it.

FOLLOW ME

Who to Follow: Joanna Kerns (Twitter), "Director/Actress/Dog lover"

Claim to Fame: Joanna Kerns got her start in guest appearances on TV series in the late 70s and early 80s, but had her first regular role in a series in the 1983 CBS sitcom The Four Seasons. It was a flop and only lasted one season. But it was for the best, as she bounced back in 1985 with the hit ABC sitcom Growing Pains, where she played mother Maggie Seaver for seven seasons. Around the same time, she began getting numerous roles in made-for-TV movies, which seemed to be a pretty steady gig for her from 1985 all the way through the late 90s. Of course, she also appeared in the two Growing Pains reunion movies that aired in 2000 and 2004. It seems that her acting career came to an end (for now, at least) around 2009, as her last credited appearance as an actress was in an episode Eastwick. She has made other appearances since then, though, such as on Alan Thicke's reality series Unusually Thicke. But around the same time, she began a more dedicated career as a director, and has had 53 directing credits, her first actually being a final season episode of Growing Pains. She has directed episodes of ER, Scrubs, Boston Public, Suddenly Susan, Grey's Anatomy, and Dawson's Creek (among others), and in the past five years, she has directed episodes of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Pretty Little Liars, Jane the Virgin, Nashville, Switched at Birth, and more.

Pick of the Tweets: "#PLL episode 612 written by the fab @Pllijah @jonell_lennon (pic)" (July 14, 2015)

Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Wednesday, January 29

The Goldbergs - "Geoff the Pleaser" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Adam questions his career path of filmmaking when “the other Adam” moves back from Los Angeles and warns him making it big in Hollywood isn’t easy. Meanwhile, the JTP house is in shambles, and Geoff becomes the home manager as they know how much he loves to please and can’t say no.

Schooled - "Titanic Love" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
The hit film has love on everyone’s brain, and Lainey has a realization about CB. Meanwhile, Principal Glascott uses the season’s bad football team to teach Coach Mellor how to be both a good winner and a good loser.

Modern Family - "Tree's a Crowd" (ABC, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
The Dunphy house is bursting at the seams when Dylan’s hippie mom moves in and Claire’s lonely stepdad, Jerry, wants to pay them a visit. Meanwhile, Jay and Gloria attempt to help Manny get over his big breakup with Sherry.

Single Parents - "Yarn and Pebbles" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT)
While Graham joins Derek at Ratso’s for a day of father-and-son bonding, a jealous Angie enlists Douglas to help her make sure they don’t bond too much. The twins and Rory eat all the food in Douglas’ house to save his life, and Poppy and Miggy try to help Will with a dating situation named “Kay,” only to have it backfire.

Last Man Standing - "Yours, Wine and Ours" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Kristin entrusts Mike with her gender reveal party.

Outmatched - "Pilot" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Kay and Mike cope with raising three high-IQ children.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of January 27)

Wednesday, January 29

Lakeith Stanfield (Atlanta) - Watch Lakeith on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Jameela Jamil (The Good Place) - Jameela visits The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Kristen Bell (The Good Place) - Kristen appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Kumail Nanjiani (Bless the Harts/Silicon Valley) - Kumail drops by The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Dan Levy (Schitt's Creek) - Dan is a guest on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Tom Lennon (The Odd Couple/Sean Saves the World/Reno 911!) - Tom appears on a repeat of A Little Late with Lilly Singh at 1:35am on NBC.
Aisling Bea (Living with Yourself) - Aisling is a guest on a repeat of A Little Late with Lilly Singh at 1:35am on NBC.
Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family/The Class) - Jesse stops by Conan at 11pm on TBS.
Ilana Glazer (Broad City) - Ilana chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Billy Ray Cyrus (Still the King) - Billy Ray appears on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
Tommy Davidson (Between Brothers) - Tommy talks about his new book Living in Color on NBC's Today in the 9am hour, on Tamron Hall (check your local listings), on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 11:30am ET and on the BUILD Series at 4pm.
David Alan Grier (The Cool Kids/The Carmichael Show/Bad Teacher/Life with Bonnie) - David is in the kitchen making brisket and dishing on his new Broadway show A Soldier’s Play on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
Kelly Ripa (Hope & Faith) - Kelly is a guest on E!'s Pop of the Morning at 11am and on People Now at 12pm.
Tim Robbins (The Brink) - Tim talks about VHYes on a repeat of Access Daily, so check your local listings.
Busy Philipps (Vice Principals/Cougar Town) - Busy talks about the Hotel Tonight travel app on a repeat of Access Daily, so check your local listings.
Danielle Fishel (Girl Meets World/Boy Meets World) - Danielle is a guest on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.