SitcomsOnline Digest: Fox Reviving Showtime at the Apollo With Pair of Specials; Family Guy - Season Fourteen DVD Release Scheduled

Saturday, October 15, 2016

SitcomsOnline Digest: Fox Reviving Showtime at the Apollo With Pair of Specials; Family Guy - Season Fourteen DVD Release Scheduled

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we've got news of Showtime at the Apollo returning to air at Fox in a limited form, a possible new music competition at NBC, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

Fox is reviving Showtime at the Apollo with a pair of specials hosted by Steve Harvey. (Variety)
Many musical stars are being discovered through the internet and specifically YouTube these days, so NBC is looking to cash in on that with a reality show where these "up and coming" stars compete. (Variety)
If there is one certainty about Saturday Night Live (which is always uncertain due to the constant changes to the show, which can often make entire seasons either unwatchable or absolutely perfect), it is that presidential election years bring in the ratings, and so far that has been proven yet again this season. (Deadline)
Actress Patricia Barry, actress who was one of the lesser known pioneers of television, died this week at age 93. (New York Times)
The third hour of Today has always been a sore spot for stability at NBC, and it probably doesn't help with the stability now that the network is looking at Billy Bush's inevitable exit (for reasons we're all aware of by now). (Deadline)
The classic Nickelodeon series Double Dare is turning 30, and Nick at Nite is celebrating. (SitcomsOnline)

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

While a lot of current series have slowed down on releases of the past seasons on DVD, Family Guy is continuing on DVD, with a release of Family Guy - Season Fourteen on December 6.

FOLLOW ME

Who to Follow: Colleen Ballinger (Twitter), "I put on lots of lipstick and make videos for a living. Creator/writer/producer/star/bragger of @HatersBackOff on Netflix. http://YouTube.com/psychosoprano"; also her character Miranda Sings (Twitter), "I am a really famous actor/singer/dancer/model/magician on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/MirandaSings08 FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM! @MirandaSingsOfficial"

Claim to Fame: Like last week, we're going a bit more "unconventional" (much more so than last week even) for our Follow Me with a star of a new comedy, but not a typical broadcast network comedy. This time, we head to Netflix for Colleen Ballinger, who stars in the new Netflix comedy series Haters Back Off (which debuted yesterday on the streaming service). Colleen Ballinger is best known for her character of Miranda Sings, an online character and persona that she created on YouTube in 2008. Miranda Sings is a character who parodies all of the bad things on YouTube, in particular, some of the YouTube musicians who aren't actually all that talented but are eager for the attention. That character has defined who she is as an actress and on this new Netflix series, she plays this character. The character has taken on so much of a personality that it requires a separate Twitter feed just for itself.

Pick of the Tweets: (as Miranda Sings): "never froget. you are amazing and great no matter what anyone says. unless i dont like u." (October 9, 2016)

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Thursday, December 11

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "Bitin’, Spankin’ and a Load of Yankee Psychobabble" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Georgie and Mandy get upset when Audrey disciplines CeeCee without their permission.

Ghosts - "The Life and Times of Esther Greene" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Now a successful podcaster, Todd Pearlman returns to profile Sam and Isaac’s book, but becomes obsessed with Jay. Meanwhile, Pete tries to get to the bottom of why Alberta changed her name, forcing her to admit a hidden truth.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 8)

Thursday, December 11

Jamie Lee Curtis (The Sticky/Anything But Love/Operation Petticoat) - Catch Jamie Lee on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Rachel Sennott (I Love LA/Call Your Mother) - Rachel appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Ike Barinholtz (The Studio/The Afterparty/Bless the Harts/The Mindy Project/Eastbound & Down) - Ike stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Elon Gold (Stacked/In-Laws) - Elon is a guest on Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 12:37am on CBS.
Zooey Deschanel (Physical/New Girl) - Andy Cohen interviews Zooey on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 3:30am on Bravo. She also talks about Merv on Live with Kelly and Mark (check your local listings) and on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
Lucien Laviscount (Emily in Paris) - Lucien talks about Emily in Paris on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Kyra Sedgwick (Call Your Mother/Brooklyn Nine-Nine) and Kevin Bacon (I Love Dick) - Kyra and Kevin talk about The Best You Can with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Loretta Devine (Family Reunion/The Carmichael Show) and Lela Rochon (The Wayans Bros.) - Co-host Gayle King sits down with Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine and Lela Rochon, original cast of Waiting to Exhale, on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Lea Michele (The Mayor) - Lea talks about Broadway's Chess on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am. She also performs in the 10am hour.
Daryl McCormack (Bad Sisters - NBC's Today catches up with Daryl in the 9am hour.
Brooke Shields (Suddenly Susan) - Brooke co-hosts NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Mila Kunis (Family Guy/That '70s Show) - Mila tells Drew about her role in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Ashley Park (Emily in Paris) - Emily tells Drew about what to expect in season five of Emily in Paris on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Joey McIntyre (Return of the Mac/The McCarthys) - Joey talks about Roku's Jingle Bell Wedding on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Danica McKellar (The Wonder Years) - Danica is a guest on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:15am.