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 / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Sunday, May 17

Family Guy - "High School History" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT)
The Griffins take a humorous look at the French Revolution, the American Civil War, and World War II.

Bob's Burgers - "Stuck in the Middle With Hu(go)" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Bob is forced to spend time with one of his least favorite people; Tina is entrusted with something very close to Jimmy Junior's heart.

American Dad! - "Where the Wild Boars Are" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Jeff comes of age with the help of an old man; Roger takes care of a "special" shed.

Bob's Burgers - "Smellbound" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
When a horrible smell threatens to cancel one of the kids' favorite town traditions, Tina, Gene, and Louise decide to try and get rid of the smell themselves.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of May 11)

Friday, May 15

Goldie Hawn (Good Morning World) - Watch Goldie on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Asif Ali (Deli Boys/Wrecked/Mr. Robinson) and Saagar Shaikh (Deli Boys) - Asif and Ali are guests on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Stanley Tucci (Central Park) - Stanley appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Brenda Song (Running Point/Dollface/Dads/The Suite Life on Deck/The Suite Life of Zack & Cody) - Brenda is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Nathan Lane (Mid-Century Modern/Only Murders in the Building/Modern Family/Charlie Lawrence/Encore! Encore!/One of the Boys) - Nathan appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
John Krasinski (The Office) - John talks about Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan: Ghost War on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Lisa Ann Walter (Abbott Elementary/Emeril) - Lisa talks about Abbott Elementary and Lisa Ann Walter: It Was an Accident with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Cafe Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - Drew and Ross are covering the headlines with pals Valerie and Nate Berkus on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Belmont Cameli (Saved by the Bell (2020-2021) - Belmont and Ella Bright talk about Off Campus on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
Patton Oswalt (A.P. Bio/The Goldbergs/The King of Queens) - Patton co-hosts NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
Jackie Tohn (Nobody Wants This/GLOW) - NBC's Today catches up with Jackie in the 10am hour.
Y'lan Noel (Insecure) - Y'lan talks about Netflix's Nemesis on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.