Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Remembering Alan Thicke; IFC Picks Up Stan Against Evil for 2nd Season

Alan Thicke

Canadian actor, composer, and game and talk show host Alan Thicke, who was best known for his role as Jason Seaver in Growing Pains, has died. He collapsed while playing hockey with his son Carter on December 13, 2016. He subsequently died of type-A aortic dissection at the Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California. Mr. Thicke was 69.

Growing Pains

Thicke played Dr. Jason Seaver, a psychiatrist and father, in the ABC sitcom Growing Pains. The popular series ran for seven seasons and 166 episodes from 1985 to 1992. It starred Joanna Kerns, Kirk Cameron, Tracey Gold, Jeremy Miller, Ashley Johnson (1990-1992) and Leonardo DiCaprio (1991-1992). Thicke received a Golden Globe Award nomination in 1988 for Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series – Comedy/Musical. The cast reunited for The Growing Pains Movie in 2000, followed by Growing Pains: Return of the Seavers in 2004.

He starred as Dennis Dupree in the 1995-1996 NBC sitcom Hope & Gloria. He played the vain, egocentric host of the local Pittsburgh The Dennis Dupree Show. The series starred Cynthia Stevenson, Jessica Lundy, Robert Garrova, Enrico Colantoni and Taylor Negron.

Some of his sitcom guest appearances included The Love Boat, Married with Children, Arli$$, My Wife and Kids, Yes, Dear, Half & Half, Joey, Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, About a Girl, 'Til Death, I'm in the Band, How I Met Your Mother, Grandfathered and Fuller House.

He also worked as a TV theme composer. Thicke collaborated with his first wife Gloria Loring on the themes to Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of Life. He also wrote many game show themes, including The Wizard of Odds, The Joker's Wild, Celebrity Sweepstakes, The Diamond Head Game, Animal Crack-Ups (which he also hosted), Blank Check, Stumpers!, Whew! and the original theme to Wheel of Fortune.

Thicke worked early in his career as a talk show host. He hosted the Canadian daytime talk show The Alan Thicke Show from 1980-1982. He later hosted the American syndicated late night talk show Thicke of the Night, which aired for one season from 1983-1984.

He hosted the Canadian game show First Impressions in the 1970s. He hosted Animal Crack-Ups on ABC for three seasons from 1987-1990. In 1997, he hosted the syndicated Pictionary. He hosted the All New 3's a Crowd on the Game Show Network in the early 2000s. Thicke hosted two other series focusing on animals with Animals Are People, Too in 1999 and Miracle Pets from 2000-2005 on PAX

Unusually Thicke

Thicke had recently been starring in the Pop mockumentary/reality-sitcom hybrid series Unusually Thicke. It presented a fictionalized portrayal of his family life. The cast included his wife Tanya Callau and son Carter, with some appearances by his sons Brennan and Robin.

Survivors include his wife Tanya Callau and sons Brennan, Carter and singer Robin.

Mr. Thicke was a man of many talents. Jason Seaver was one of the best TV dads of the 1980s. He was perfect in the role. We thank him for the entertainment and laughter he brought us. Thanks to him for showing us his smile. He will be greatly missed.

Share your memories on our Growing Pains message board. View photos in our galleries.




Stan Against Evil

IFC announced that horror-comedy series Stan Against Evil has been picked up for a second season slated to air in 2017. Created by Dana Gould (The Simpsons, Parks and Recreation) and starring John C. McGinley (Scrubs) and Janet Varney (You're The Worst), Stan Against Evil debuted Halloween week to strong numbers and critical acclaim. Season 1 concluded in November with Sheriff Evie Barret (Varney) stranded in the past and about to be burned at the stake, accused of being a witch. Stan Against Evil is one of IFC's most successful original series launches to date. The show demonstrated steady weekly audience growth across its first season and also saw significant time-shifted viewing, with total viewers and adults 18-49 more than doubling within seven days of each new episode premiere, notable for a new series.

Stan Against Evil follows Stan Miller (McGinley), a perpetually disgruntled former sheriff of a small New England town who was forced into retirement. Stan has trouble relinquishing his authority to Evie Barret (Varney), the tough and beautiful new sheriff in town, but they form an unlikely alliance when both begin to realize things are not quite right in their quaint New England town. Together, they valiantly fight a plague of unleashed demons that have been haunting the town, which just happens to be built on the site of a massive 17th century witch burning.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Wednesday, October 4

Tyler Perry's Assisted Living - "Love Grows Here" (BET, 9:00PM ET/PT)
After Phillip goes out with his friends, Leah and Jeremy realize that he is a responsible young man. Through a counseling session, Leah and Cora teach the residents the importance of mental, physical and spiritual health.

Tyler Perry's Assisted Living - "Let The Church Say Amen" (BET, 9:30PM ET/PT)
When Cora runs for president of the local church, mud-slinging and sabotage threaten her reputation and test her faith. The Pleasant Days squad bolsters their ability to protect themselves by taking a self-defense class.

Tyler Perry's Assisted Living - "The White Flag" (BET, 10:00PM ET/PT)
Philip feels as though he is being treated like a child and resists his parents' punishment. Mr. Brown sends Kimberly an innocent text message that gets him into trouble.

The Ms. Pat Show - "Twenty Seven Side Pieces" (BET, 10:30PM ET/PT)
Denise gets a job at a Black hair salon but has to recruit Pat to deal with some "mean girls;" Terry is still in pain from his injury, but pain management comes in more forms than one, none of them good.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of October 2)

Wednesday, October 4

  • Wanda Sykes (The Upshaws/The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - Watch Wanda on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Chelsea Handler (Are You There, Chelsea?) - Chelsea appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) - Nick is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. NBC's Today catches up with Nick in the 9am hour.
  • Siobhan Fallon Hogan (Fred: The Show) - Siobhan appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Jane Krakowski (Schmigadoon!/Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt/30 Rock) - Jane gives latest details on the series Name That Tune on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your listings.
  • Bellamy Young (The Other Black Girl) - Bellamy will be on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
  • Phil Rosenthal (Creator of Everybody Loves Raymond) - Phil is a guest on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Tiffani Thiessen (Saved by the Bell/Alexa & Katie/Good Morning, Miami/Saved by the Bell: The College Years) - Tiffani shares recipes from her new cookbook, Here We Go Again: Recipes and Inspiration to Level Up Your Leftovers, on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
  • Leslie Odom Jr. (Central Park/Love in the Time of Corona/Big Day) - Leslie chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary/Fam/Instant Mom/Moesha/It's a Living) - Sheryl Lee appears on a repeat of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.


New on DVD/Blu-ray (June-October)

Mayberry R.F.D. - The Complete Series Night Court (1984-1992) - The Complete Series Family Matters - The Complete Series Step by Step - The Complete Series ALF - The Complete Series (Deluxe Edition)

06/13 - Mayberry R.F.D. - The Complete Series
06/13 - Night Court (1984-1992) - The Complete Series
07/18 - South Park - Seasons 21-25 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
07/25 - The Neighborhood - Season Five
07/25 - Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin - Season One
07/25 - Superstore - The Complete Series
08/22 - Back to Life - Season 1 / Season 2
08/29 - Smiling Friends - Season 1 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/05 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Sixth Season
09/12 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Second Season
09/12 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-6 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/26 - Family Matters - The Complete Series
09/26 - Step by Step - The Complete Series
10/10 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season Thirteen / The Complete Season Fourteen
10/17 - ALF - The Complete Series (Deluxe Edition) (Shout! Factory Special Offers)
10/17 - Night Court (2023) - The Complete First Season
More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD Releases / DVD Reviews Archive / SitcomsOnline Digest


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

10/04 - Apple TV+ Holiday Programming Lineup; 80s Stars Reunite in Lifetime Movie
10/03 - The Nanny Still 29: 30th Anniversary Marathon on COZI TV; Selena Gomez Holiday Cooking Specials
10/02 - Felicity 25th Anniversary Collection on Hulu; Prime Video Orders Two Seasons of Animated Comedy
10/01 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of October 2, 2023)
09/30 - SitcomsOnline Digest: WGA Strike Officially Over; ABC Cancels Home Economics
09/29 - Lifetime Announces New Thrillers; Big Mouth Season 7 Trailer
09/28 - New Season of Wolf Like Me on Peacock; Max Original Animated Series Debuts October 19
09/27 - Moonlighting Coming to Hulu; Showtime Announces Date for The Curse
09/26 - Rick and Morty Season 7 Trailer; Fox's Krapopolis Debuts Well
09/25 - Laff Fall 2023 Schedule with Last Man Standing and Man with a Plan; Upload Returns October 20
09/24 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of September 25, 2023)
09/23 - SitcomsOnline Digest: An End on the Horizon for WGA Strike?; Hallmark Ready for Christmas
09/22 - The Santa Clauses Season 2 Launches November 8; CBS Alters Fall Schedule
09/21 - Penn & Teller: Fool Us Gets New Return Date; Netflix's Unicorn Academy Premieres November 2
09/20 - Paramount+ Announces Colin from Accounts; The Really Loud House Gets Halloween Movie
09/19 - The Simpsons Season 34 Streams October 11 on Disney+; Good Burger 2 Set for Holiday Season
09/18 - Hulu's Huluween and Disney+'s Hallowstream Line-Up; Shining Vale Returns October 13 on STARZ
09/17 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of September 18, 2023)
09/16 - SitcomsOnline Digest: ABC Cancels Wonder Years Reboot; Byron Allen Makes $10 Billion Offer to Buy ABC
09/15 - Antenna TV's Bewitched Halloween Marathon; Rewind TV's Sabrina the Teenage Witch-O-Ween Marathon
09/14 - Dancing with the Stars Season 32 Cast; BUZZR Celebrates 40 Years of Press Your Luck
09/13 - TBS Acquires Modern Family; The Frasier Awards on COZI TV
09/12 - Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen Gets CBS Late Night Run; Unsolved Mysteries: Behind the Legacy Special
09/11 - Matt Rife Gets Netflix Special; Star Trek Day and Kid Cudi Join Forces
09/10 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of September 11, 2023)
09/09 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Warner Bros. Television Suspends Deals with Top Creators; Fran Drescher Re-Elected President of SAG-AFTRA
09/08 - CBS Announces Hosts of Game Show; New Goosebumps Premieres Friday the 13th This October on Disney+ and Hulu
09/07 - MeTV Presents Svengoolie's Halloween BOOnanza!; The CW Moving Fall Comedies to Thursdays
09/06 - CBS to Air NCIS: Sydney This Fall; Fox Makes Fall Change
09/05 - TBS and TNT September Stunts Include Big Bang Theory Batman Day Marathon; Netflix UK Produced Series Updates
09/04 - TV Marathons on Labor Day 2023 Include Three's Company