Showtime's Upcoming Comedy Slate Update; Antenna TV Coming to Knoxville

Monday, August 15, 2016

Showtime's Upcoming Comedy Slate Update; Antenna TV Coming to Knoxville

Showtime has cast actor and comedian Jay Pharoah (Saturday Night Live) in the lead role for the new pilot White Famous, a half-hour comedy executive produced by Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx and showrunner Tom Kapinos (Californication). Tim Story, the prolific director who helmed the movie franchises Barbershop, Fantastic Four, Ride Along and Think Like A Man, has joined the project as an executive producer and will direct the pilot. White Famous will be written by Kapinos, based on an idea by Jamie Foxx, who will guest star in a recurring role. A co-production between Lionsgate Television and Showtime, the project will focus on a talented, young African-American comedian, Floyd Mooney (Pharoah), whose star is rising, forcing him to navigate the treacherous waters of maintaining his credibility as he begins to cross-over towards becoming "white famous."

Showtime has ordered a new half-hour comedy project entitled Mating (working title), executive produced by Jason Katims (Friday Night Lights, Parenthood), and written and executive produced by Stu Zicherman (The Affair, The Americans). Taran Killam (Saturday Night Live) has been cast in the lead role. The comedy anthology pilot will center on a recently divorced guy who married young and now finds himself completely unprepared for the brave new, frank and fluid world of dating and hooking up. The project, produced by Showtime, Universal TV and True Jack Productions, is an "annual anthology" as each season will focus on a different protagonist's journey through modern dating and relationships. Showtime announced that it has ordered a new comedy pilot based on Frankie Shaw's Sundance Film Festival Jury Award-winning short film SMILF. Shaw will star, write, produce and direct the semi-autobiographical pilot, with Oscar(R) nominee Michael London (Sideways), and Emmy(R) nominees Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky (The Office, Bad Teacher) executive producing. Set in Boston, SMILF will take a raw look at a single, 20-something whose desires for relationships, sex, and a career collide with the realities of young, single motherhood. The pilot will be produced by ABC Signature as a co-production with Showtime.

Antenna TV

Antenna TV, Tribune Broadcasting's multicast network, is pleased to announce a new affiliate home for the network in Knoxville when Gray Television Group, Inc's WVLT-TV launches Antenna TV on Monday, September 5, 2016 on its multicast channel MyVLT on channel 8.2. Antenna TV, which airs in 128 TV markets across the U.S. reaching 86% of TV households, features a lineup of classic favorites such as: Johnny Carson, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, All in the Family, Barney Miller, The Burns and Allen Show, Bewitched, Dear John, Dennis the Menace, Doogie Howser MD, Evening Shade, Family Ties, Gidget, Good Times, Green Acres, Hazel, I Dream of Jeannie, Jack Benny, The Jeffersons, Leave it to Beaver, Maude, McHale's Navy, Mr. Belvedere. Mister Ed, The Monkees, Mork and Mindy, My Mother the Car, Newhart, One Day at a Time, The Partridge Family, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Sanford and Son, Small Wonder, Three's Company and Webster.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Thursday, November 30

Young Sheldon - "A Romantic Getaway and a Germanic Meat-Based Diet" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Mandy surprises Georgie with a spa weekend and Sheldon prepares for his summer in Germany.

Ghosts - "Ghost Hunter" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Sam and Jay’s assistant, Freddie (Mike Lane), purchases ghost-hunting equipment when suspicious activity leads him to theorize the B&B is haunted. Also, Sasappis risks losing his relationship with Jessica (Nichole Sakura) when Freddie sells his car.

Ghosts (UK) - "Moonah Ston" (CBS, 9:00PM ET/PT)
When Mike and Alison’s posh neighbors swindle Mike into agreeing to an obscene payment for the rights to their contested driveway, Alison attempts to win the rights back over a game of poker. Also, the ghosts help Robin celebrate the lunar eclipse.

Ghosts (UK) - "Getting Out" (CBS, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Alison and Mike, exhausted and broke, are ecstatic to receive an offer from a luxury hotel chain to buy Button House, but their potential departure drives a wedge between the ghosts.

Son of a Critch - "Who Dares Dare Hudaro?" (The CW, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Mark falls under the spell of a visiting hypnotist and lets his grades slip; Pop struggles to lose weight when he gets too fat for his pants.

Children Ruin Everything - "Money" (The CW, 8:30PM ET/PT)
With saving for retirement at the top of her mind, Astrid proposes to James that they try to get through the last few days of the month without dipping beyond their monthly budget just once; the Berney's find creative ways to stay on target.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of November 27)

Thursday, November 30

Sarah Silverman (The Sarah Silverman Program) - Catch Sarah on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
John Stamos (Fuller House/Grandfathered/Jake in Progress/Full House/You, Again?) - John is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Josh Gad (Wolf Like Me/Avenue 5/The Comedians/1600 Penn/Back to You) - Josh appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Fred Armisen (Los Espookys/Forever/Final Space) - Fred sits-in with the 8G Band on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Sara Bareilles (Girls5eva) - NBC's Today has Sara for the Citi Music Series in the 9am hour.
Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy/American Dad!/The Cleveland Show) and Liz Gillies (Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll/Victorious) - Seth and Liz perform on The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Ariana DeBose (Schmigadoon!) - Ariana is telling Drew about her role in Wish, facing rejection and manifesting getting to where she is now on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Tatyana Ali (Second Generation Wayans/Love That Girl!/The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) - Tatyana talks about Lifetime's The Holiday Proposal Plan on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Niecy Nash-Betts (Reno 911!/Getting On/The Soul Man/Do Not Disturb) - Niecy stops by and chef Brian Hart Hoffman mixes things up in the Sherri kitchen on Sherri, so check your local listings.