SitcomsOnline Digest: Contract Negotiations Ahead for The Big Bang Theory and Modern Family; New Blu-Ray Releases from Mill Creek; More Family Matters on DVD in July

Saturday, July 02, 2016

SitcomsOnline Digest: Contract Negotiations Ahead for The Big Bang Theory and Modern Family; New Blu-Ray Releases from Mill Creek; More Family Matters on DVD in July

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we are hearing about contract negotiations for two of the biggest sitcoms on TV that need to be worked out in short time, news of a Lost in Space reboot, and some new Blu-ray releases from Mill Creek. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

Two of the biggest sitcoms on TV, The Big Bang Theory and Modern Family, are about to start negotiations for new contracts for the cast, and while the prospects for The Big Bang Theory look very good, the Modern Family cast might be looking at somewhat shorter contracts. (Deadline)
This past season, there was an episode of The Carmichael Show that took on the Bill Cosby scandal, and as it turns out, NBC (which was in no small part built by the strength of Bill Cosby) fought against the episode. (Deadline)
Netflix has ordered ten episodes of the Lost in Space reboot. (CNN)
Gilmore Girls is coming to Netflix soon as a "reboot," but if you just want the original series, all seven seasons debuted on the service yesterday. (CBS News)
Most people probably have no idea who Stuart Nisbet is, but as it turns out, he was a character actor who guest starred in 120 different TV series (mostly in the 60s and 70s, but his last TV appearance was a 2001 episode of The Practice), and he died this week at age 82. (MeTV)
Antenna TV will be featuring some of Norman Lear's favorite episodes of his series tomorrow. (SitcomsOnline)

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

Mill Creek is continuing with their re-releases of series with some new Blu-ray releases of Universal series on October 4, including Miami Vice - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) and Knight Rider - The Complete Series (Blu-ray). That's not all, though. On the same day, they will also re-release the complete series on DVD with Miami Vice - The Complete Series (DVD) and Knight Rider - The Complete Series (DVD).
That isn't all for Mill Creek. On September 6, they will re-release Coach, beginning with Coach - Seasons One and Two (of course, we're hopeful that they'll eventually give us the entire series of it on DVD).
Warner Archive is moving forward with Family Matters, with a July 26 release of Family Matters - The Complete Seventh Season.

TUESDAY (JULY 5) HOME MEDIA RELEASES

The Rockford Files - Season One (Mill Creek) (DVD, $14.98): Mill Creek continues their re-releases of hit Universal series with this release. Also available is the release of The Rockford Files - Season Two (Mill Creek).

FOLLOW ME

Who to Follow: Steve Harvey (Twitter), "Jump!"

Claim to Fame: Steve Harvey is, by all means, a jack of all trades. While his Miss Universe gaffe from last year may very well be one of his most well-known moments, he actually has quite an extensive background in, well, everything. He started out as a standup comedian, and hit it big in 1990 when he was named host of Showtime at the Apollo, a role that he kept for over a decade. In the mid-90s, he got his sitcom credits, first with the not-so-successful ABC sitcom Me and the Boys in 1994, but he did much better with The Steve Harvey Show (a sitcom), that ran for six seasons on The WB beginning in 1996. In 2000, he moved away from TV for a bit to host The Steve Harvey Morning Show, a very popular morning radio talk show that airs nationally, primarily on urban adult contemporary radio stations. But he returned to TV in 2010 as host of Family Feud, where he has brought the series to levels of success that it hasn't seen in decades, and in 2012, he returned with the syndicated TV talk show, The Steve Harvey Show.

Pick of the Tweets: "This is backstage at BET. His wife came and got me and said Ali wants to speak with you...I cried the entire time. (pic)" (June 4, 2016)

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Wednesday, October 30

Abbott Elementary - "Costume Contest" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT)
It’s Halloween at Abbott Elementary! Janine and Gregory proudly show off their couple’s costume, but it fails to translate. Meanwhile, Barbara faces pushback from parents concerned about hygiene and her beloved apple-bobbing tradition.

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place - "Saved by the Spell" (Disney Channel, 8:00PM ET/PT)
On her first day of school, Billie uses magic to impress Roman's best friend; when a jealous Roman steals Billie's wand, he falls into the grasp of a wizard-hunting phantomus.

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place - "Something Wizard This Way Comes" (Disney Channel, 8:30PM ET/PT)
On Halloween, Billie tells Roman about Pumpkin Belly, a ghoul who eats anyone whose house isn't spookily decorated; Justin, Milo and Giada defend the home from pranksters.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of October 28)

Wednesday, October 30

Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary/Fam/Instant Mom/Moesha/It's a Living) - Watch Sheryl on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Salma Hayek Pinault (The Sinbad Show) - Salma appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Kieran Culkin (Solar Opposites/Go Fish) - Kieran is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies) - Tom stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Emily Osment (Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage/Young Sheldon/Young & Hungry/Hannah Montana), Tien Tran (How I Met Your Father) and Vinny Thomas (Platonic) - Emily, Tien and Vinny are guests on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
Ronny Chieng (Young Rock/Ronny Chieng: International Student) - Ronny hosts Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
Adam Pally (Mr. Throwback/Indebted/Making History/The Mindy Project/Happy Endings) - Adam appears on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 3:30am on Bravo.
Keri Russell (Running Wilde/Daddy's Girls) - Keri talks about The Diplomat on ABC's Good Morning America some time between 7-9am and on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
Matty Matheson (The Bear) - Matty talks about improvising scenes on the hit show The Bear and how he started his career in restaurants on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Anna Kendrick (Love Life) - Anna is chatting with Drew about directing her first film Woman of the Hour, the crazy serial killer case the movie is based on, finding boundaries in her life, turning 40 and more on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Mayan Lopez (Lopez vs Lopez) - Mayan discusses her sitcom Lopez vs Lopez on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
Blair Underwood (Fatherhood/The New Adventures of Old Christine) - Blair is a guest on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:30am.
Marissa Jaret Winokur (What We Do in the Shadows/Retired at 35/Stacked) - Marissa appears on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:05am.
Melissa Peterman (Happy's Place/Young Sheldon/Baby Daddy/Working Class/Reba) - Melissa talks about NBC's Happy's Place on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.