Wednesday, October 12, 2016
Seeso Orders Johnny Carson Comedy; NBC Gets Some Common Sense
Seeso announced the greenlighting of There's...Johnny!, an eight episode comedy series set behind the scenes at The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. The coming of age story, set in 1970s Los Angeles, when The Tonight Show first moved from New York to Burbank, is written by Paul Reiser and David Steven Simon, and Executive Produced by Reiser, Simon and David Gordon Green, who also will be directing. The Seeso Original Series follows the lives and challenges of Andy, a wide-eyed 19-year-old Nebraskan who stumbles his way into a job at The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and Joy, a young Talent Coordinator on the show, as they both try to find their way and prove themselves in this period of cultural and political upheaval. The show will touch on major historical events of the time, including the Vietnam War, Nixon, and the strengthening counter-culture, as well the show's status as one of the most popular and important cultural institution of its day.
Produced in conjunction with the Carson Estate, the show has on board Executive Producer Jeff Sotzing, Carson's nephew, who, like the lead character, also started "a little lower than the mailroom" at that time, and today runs the Carson Estate. The series will premiere in 2017, 55 years after Carson's first appearance in The Tonight Show, and 25 years after his last show. With unprecedented access to the full Carson archives, the comedy will intertwine live action with authentic footage of Johnny and his guests on screen. The series will focus on the people behind the scenes of the legendary late-night show, while Johnny will be portrayed as a looming presence.
NBC has ordered six episodes of the new half-hour alternative comedy series Common Sense, where real people from all walks of life offer their honest opinions on the week's news and buzzworthy events - unfiltered, completely real, and very funny. Each week a cast of reoccurring characters will express their opinions on the most talked about news of that week. Duos made up of friends, colleagues or family members - will walk through their hilarious thought process and inspired understanding of what's happening in the world. Filmed in real time and giving everyday people a chance to sound off on their opinions with a primetime show and national audience as a microphone, this innovative format delivers topical news and water cooler moments of the week in a smart and clever way. We transport viewers to workplaces, coffee shops, restaurants, gyms and bars all over the country to hear real people's take on the week's news - from the big headlines to the random local stories.
Common Sense offers a fresh and entertainingly unique way of delivering the news in a smart and witty way, with comedy, satire and heart, all while celebrating the diversity of America and providing a compelling understanding of what's happening in the world and how we all feel about it. The format was originally developed by Studio Lambert for the BBC, who will be launching a British version of the show early next year.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Thursday, January 30
Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "Diet Crap" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Tensions rise when Georgie intrudes on Mandy’s new sales gig. Meanwhile, Audrey’s conflicted when Jim makes it a point not to coddle Connor.
Ghosts - "The Not-So-Silent Partner" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Sam and Jay are forced to cover when Mark demands to meet the silent investor in Jay’s restaurant who has been holding up construction.
Animal Control - "Hot Dogs and Lobsters" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Trivia night turns wild for Animal Control when Frank and Emily team up; Victoria's sister visits from New Zealand; Patel finally garners attention when he subs in as bartender.
Going Dutch - "Nazi Hunters" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
The troops of Stroopsdorf participate in their quarterly war games; when an unidentified drone hovers over the base, The Colonel recruits Captain Maggie, Major Shah and Sergeant Dana to take a trip to the owner's house to confirm he is not a spy.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of January 27)
Thursday, January 30
- Pamela Anderson (Home Improvement/Stacked) - Catch Pamela on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Will Sasso (Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage/United We Fall/Mom/$#*! My Dad Says/Less Than Perfect) - Will appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Pete Davidson (Bupkis) - Pete drops by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Will Forte (HouseBroken/MacGruber/The Last Man on Earth/The Cleveland Show) - Will is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Conner O'Malley (Shrill) - Conner stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Will Ferrell (The Office) - E! News has an interview with Will at 11pm on E!.
- Garcelle Beauvais (The Other Black Girl/Survival of the Thickest/The Jamie Foxx Show/Merry Happy Whatever) - Garcelle stops by an interview on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
- Isla Fisher (Wolf Like Me) - Isla is telling Drew about her latest film Dog Man on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- George Wallace (Clean Slate/The Parkers/Arli$$/Tall Hopes) - George stops by to tell Sherri about his new show Clean Slate on Amazon Prime on Sherri, so check your local listings.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
10/08 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Twelfth Season / The Complete Series
10/22 - Veep - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/05 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/12 - The King of Queens - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (2024 Release)
11/19 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fourteenth Season
11/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 4 (Blu-ray)
12/03 - Angel (1960-1961) - The Complete Series, Volume 1
12/17 - Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (4K UHD)
01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive
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