SitcomsOnline Digest: ABC Orders Four Pilots for Fall Season; Dynasty Reboot at The CW Gets Pilot Order

Saturday, January 28, 2017

SitcomsOnline Digest: ABC Orders Four Pilots for Fall Season; Dynasty Reboot at The CW Gets Pilot Order

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! Sadly, it's been a busy week of deaths for classic TV stars, including two of the biggest ones from the 70s. Also, we have news of comedy pilot orders at ABC and a pilot order for a reboot of a classic primetime soap opera on The CW. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

ABC has been busy ordering comedy pilots for the fall season, including one that stars (and is also produced and directed by) Scrubs alum Zach Braff. (Hollywood Reporter)
We're sort of eager to see how such a quintessentially 80s show would work in 2017, as The CW has ordered a pilot for a reboot of Dynasty. (Entertainment Weekly)
NBC is turning 90 (to be clear, the earlier years were as a radio network), and they're getting a special to celebrate those 90 years. (Hollywood Reporter)
Actor Mike Connors, who played the title role on Mannix, has died at age 91. (Washington Post)
Actress Barbara Hale, best known for her role as Della Street on Perry Mason, has died at age 94. (Variety)
Mary Tyler Moore, of course, also died this week, and there are plenty of tributes to her to be found. (SitcomsOnline)
Law & Order: SVU is known for ripping stories out of headlines, and the latest one that they've decided to do their take on is the story of former Fox News executive Roger Ailes and anchor Gretchen Carlson. (TVLine)
Despite the fact that the kids on the show are now all adults and a one of cast members (Charlie McDermott) almost leaving the series two years ago when he was cast in a pilot that didn't go forward at CBS, the ABC sitcom The Middle continues to thrive and has been renewed for a ninth season. (SitcomsOnline)

TUESDAY (JANUARY 31) HOME MEDIA RELEASES

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B01LTHYRH4/happydaysonline8-20

Ballers - The Complete Second Season (DVD, $29.99; Blu-ray, $34.98): The second season of the HBO series starring Dwayne Johnson arrives to home media in this release.

FOLLOW ME

Who to Follow: Atticus Shaffer (Twitter), "Count all the hours lost which are not accompanied by some worthy deed. I am a huge nerd and a homesteader who enjoys the simple things in life."

Claim to Fame: With news that The Middle has been renewed for a ninth season, we thought we'd get to the youngest kid on the series... who himself is no longer truly a kid (though his smaller stature has had him aging at a slower pace than the rest of the family on the series), as he turned 18 years old last year. Nonetheless, he still plays youngest son Brick on the series. Previously, he had guest roles in series such as The Class, Days of Our Lives, and My Name is Earl. While he has a regular role on The Middle now, he has been doing voice work lately as well, including the voice of Ono in the Disney Junior series The Lion Guard.

Pick of the Tweets: "First day of High School for Brick! Yay!!!" (October 11, 2016)

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Thursday, July 3

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "A Sportsbook and a Breakup" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Mandy finds out Meemaw runs an illegal sportsbook and decides she wants in on the action. Meanwhile, Georgie struggles to keep Mandy’s new job a secret.

Ghosts - "His Girl Shiki" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Pete makes good on his promise to find someone for Sasappis by bringing in a wisecracking 1940s screenwriter who also has the ability to roam.

Bob's Burgers - "The Shell Game" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Bob competes in a competition to inherit Mr. Fischoeder's 100-year-old tortoise.

Grimsburg - "Molly" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Flute forgets to buy Stan a gift for his birthday, he steals an AI doll from the evidence locker; Wynona is forced to confront her ex-boyfriend.

Family Guy - "Row v. Wade" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Brian wins a boat on "The Price is Right" and decides to sail to Texas to help women seeking legal abortions.

The Great North - "Silence of the Dams Adventure" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Honeybee accidentally revives an old Lone Moose curse, sending a terrifying creature after her and the Tobins.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of June 30)

Thursday, July 3

Steve Martin (Only Murders in the Building) - Catch Steve on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Zach Cherry (Duncanville/I Feel Bad/Crashing) - Zach is a guest on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Joel McHale (Animal Control/The Great Indoors/Community) - Joel appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Sandy Honig (Three Busy Debras), Mitra Jouhari (Clone High/Three Busy Debras) and Alyssa Stonoha (Three Busy Debras) - Sandy, Mitra and Alyssa are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
Rob Lowe (Unstable/The Grinder/Parks and Recreation/A New Kind of Family) - Rob discusses cancer research and how it changed his life with GMA lifestyle contributor Lori Bergamotto on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Laurence Fishburne (black-ish) - Laurence chats with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Justin Bartha (The New Normal/Teachers) - Justin talks about Nuked on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am and on CBS Mornings Plus in the 9am hour.
Brooke Shields (Suddenly Susan) - Brooke guest co-hosts NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Adam Scott (Ghosted/Veep/Parks and Recreation/Party Down), Britt Lower (Ghosted/Man Seeking Woman/Big Lake) and Ben Stiller (Arrested Development) - Adam, Britt and Ben talk about Severance on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.