Tuesday, October 18, 2016
TBS Orders Tracy Morgan Sitcom; CBS Orders Full Seasons for 3 Shows, Including Kevin Can Wait
TBS's stable of original comedies continues to grow with the straight-to-series pick-up of a new series from comedy superstar and multiple Emmy® nominee Tracy Morgan (30 Rock). The untitled series is being created and executive-produced by Jordan Peele (Key & Peele) and John Carcieri (Vice Principals). Morgan will also serve as executive producer, along with Eric and Kim Tannenbaum (Two and a Half Men) and Joel Zadak of Principato Young (Key & Peele). The series is produced by Studio T, TBS & TNT's in-house production studio. After being released on good behavior from a 15-year prison stint, Tracy is shocked to see just how much the world has changed in his absence. Returning to his newly gentrified Brooklyn neighborhood, Tracy discovers that his former girlfriend has married an affable, successful white man, who is helping raise his twin sons he never knew existed. Wanting nothing more than to connect with his kids, but having neither the money to support them nor himself, Tracy falls back on the skills he learned in prison to make ends meet while treading on unfamiliar territory. TBS has ordered 10 episodes of this single-camera comedy series, which looks to capture the rawness of Tracy's stand up persona while also commenting on race relations, the Gen X/Millennial gap and the American penal system.
This announcements mark the latest phase in TBS's programming and brand evolution, which began in January with the premiere of Angie Tribeca and continued with the debuts of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee in February, The Detour in April and Wrecked in June. All four shows are certified hits, ranking among cable's Top 10 new comedies of 2016. They will soon be joined by the other-worldly comedy People of Earth, starring Wyatt Cenac (The Daily Show) and premiering on Halloween, and Search Party, a dark comedy starring Alia Shawkat (Arrested Development) and premiering Nov. 21. In 2017, The Guest Book, a new comedy from Greg Garcia (The Millers), will make its debut.
CBS has given full season orders to three new series, including the #1 and #2 new series in total viewers, drama Bull and sitcom Kevin Can Wait, and Friday's new series, MacGyver. The three shows, along with the Network's returning hit programs, have helped CBS win the first three weeks of the season for the eighth consecutive year. In addition, all three have improved their time period, compared to a year ago. Bull stars Michael Weatherly, Freddy Rodriguez, Geneva Carr, Jaime Lee Kirschner, Annabelle Attanasio and Chris Jackson. Kevin Can Wait stars Kevin James, Erinn Hayes, Taylor Spreitler, Mary-Charles Jones, James DiGiacomo, Ryan Cartwright, Lenny Venito, Gary Valentine and Leonard Earl Howze. On Oct. 24, Kevin Can Wait moves to its new regular time period on Mondays at 8:00PM ET/PT, leading into the series premiere of Man with a Plan at 8:30PM ET/PT. MacGyver stars Lucas Till, George Eads, Sandrine Holt, Justin Hires and Tristan Mays.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Monday, March 24
The Neighborhood - "Welcome to the Blowout" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Calvin spends a day babysitting Daphne. Also, Gemma and Dave worry about Grover’s high school applications.
Poppa's House - "Melvin" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Poppa’s smooth-talking brother, Melvin (Marlon Wayans), rolls into town with a shady new get-rich-quick scheme.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 24)
Monday, March 24
- Ike Barinholtz (The Studio/The Afterparty/Bless the Harts/The Mindy Project/Eastbound & Down) - Watch Ike on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Randall Park (Young Rock/Blockbuster/Fresh Off the Boat/Veep/Supah Ninjas) - Randall is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC. He also talks about Netflix's The Residence on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
- Kate Hudson (Running Point) - Kate appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Sunita Mani (Government Cheese/No Activity/GLOW) - Sunita is a guest on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Paul Rudd (The Shrink Next Door/Living with Yourself/Wild Oats) - Paul appears on Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
- Debra Messing (Will & Grace/Ned & Stacey) - Debra stops by Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9pm on Bravo.
- Krysten Ritter (Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23) - Krysten talks about Retreat: A Novel on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
- Beth Behrs (The Neighborhood/2 Broke Girls) - Beth talks about The Neighborhood on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am and on CBS Mornings Plus in the 9am hour.
- Kimberly Williams-Paisley (According to Jim) - Kimberly talks about her health scare and hosting Farmer Wants a Wife on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am and in the 10am hour.
- Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Café Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - Valerie covers the latest headlines in all new Drew's News on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Scott Caan (Entourage) - Scott talks about Fox's Alert: Missing Persons on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
New on DVD and 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
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
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