Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Jerry Seinfeld Heading to Netflix; Jessica Biel to Headline USA Network Series
Creator, producer, writer and performer Jerry Seinfeld is making Netflix the exclusive home for his new comedic endeavors. Netflix has signed the comedian to a multi-faceted production deal, starting in 2017. As part of the exclusive pact, new episodes of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee will arrive exclusively on Netflix in late 2017, as will previous episodes of the Emmy-nominated series. Seinfeld will also film two, all-new stand-up shows exclusively for Netflix members globally, the first arriving on the world's leading Internet TV network later this year. Seinfeld will help develop scripted and non-scripted comedy programming for Netflix, with additional elements of the deal will be announced later. Twenty four brand new episodes of the comedy series, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee by Jerry Seinfeld, that feature Seinfeld joining friends for a cup of coffee and a drive in a classic car, sharing stories along the way, will premiere in installments globally on Netflix starting in 2017, with subsequent installments following in 2018 and beyond. Prior seasons of the series (fifty-nine existing episodes) will also become available exclusively on Netflix at the same time.
As part of NBC Universal's TCA presentation in Pasadena, CA, Tuesday, USA Network announced a pickup for The Sinner, a new anthology series starring Jessica Biel (The Book of Love) and Bill Pullman (Independence Day). The first installment of the close-ended series follows a young mother (Biel) who, when overcome by an inexplicable fit of rage, commits a startling act of violence and to her horror has no idea why. The event launches an inverted and utterly surprising crime thriller whose driving force is not the "who" or the "what" -- but the "why" -- as an investigator (Pullman) finds himself obsessed with uncovering the woman's buried motive. Together they travel a harrowing journey into the depths of her psyche and the violent secrets hidden in her past.
USA Network's 2016/2017 pilot slate also includes Damnation, directed by Hell or High Water's David Mackenzie; Unsolved, a scripted true crime serial chronicling the police investigations into the murders of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls, directed by Emmy winner Anthony Hemmingway (The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story); and The Tap from executive producers Andrew Lenchewski (Royal Pains), Rob Reiner and Alan Greisman of Reiner/Greisman (The Bucket List), and Charlie Ebersol of The Company (The Profit). All four pilots, including The Sinner, hail from UCP.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight
Friday, December 8
CBS announced the new entertainment special Norman Lear: A Life on Television, to air tonight - Friday, Dec. 8 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the special airs). Presented by Entertainment Tonight, this one-hour special features new interviews with stars of the long-running comedies Lear created, including Jimmie Walker from Good Times and Mackenzie Phillips from One Day at a Time, in addition to never-before-seen interviews from the ET vault. Also included with this new footage and interviews is an in-depth sit-down interview with Lear that ET host Kevin Frazier conducted when Lear celebrated his 100th birthday, in which he reflected on his lengthy, groundbreaking career.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 4)
Friday, December 8
- Eddie Murphy (The PJs) - Watch Eddie on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Da'Vine Joy Randolph (Only Murders in the Building/High Fidelity/People of Earth/Selfie) - Da'Vine appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- John Caponera (The Good Life) - John is a guest on a repeat of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen on CBS between 12:37-1:37am.
- Robert Smigel (Let's Be Real) - Triumph the Insult Comic Dog aka Robert Smigel chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Noah Galvin (The Real O'Neals) and Molly Gordon (Ramy) - Noah and Molly talk about Theater Camp on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
- Eric Stonestreet (The Santa Clauses/Modern Family) - Eric talks about The Santa Clauses on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Kenan Thompson (Kenan/Kenan & Kel) - Kenan sits down with Sherri to talk about his new book, When I Was Your Age, on Sherri, so check your local listings.
- Sebastian Maniscalco (Bookie) - Sebastian appears on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
New on DVD/Blu-ray (September-December)
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
11/07 - South Park - The Complete Twenty-Sixth Season (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/14 - Leave it to Beaver - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/05 - Father Knows Best - The Complete Series
12/05 - The Odd Couple - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/12 - The Dick Van Dyke Show - The Complete Series
12/12 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
12/12 - That Girl - The Complete Series
12/19 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Official Restored Complete Series
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