SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Break out the good beer! Netflix announced the premiere date for The Ranch: Part 3, with first look photos from the 10-episode season debuting June 16th, only on Netflix. Set in present day on a Colorado ranch, this multi-camera family comedy features returning stars: Ashton Kutcher, Danny Masterson, Sam Elliott and Debra Winger. The show follows Colt's (Kutcher) return home after a brief and failed semi- pro football career to run the family ranching business with his older brother Jameson "Rooster" (Masterson) and father Beau (Elliott), whom he hasn't seen in 15 years. Winger stars as Colt's and Jimmy's mother, Maggie, who runs the local town bar. The series also features Elisha Cuthbert (Abby), and fellow That 70's Show alum Wilmer Valderrama (Umberto).

The Ranch: Part 3 picks up where we left off in winter of last year: Colt is forced to face the new reality of his complicated love triangle with Abby and Heather; Rooster settles into relationship life with Mary after bitterly moving off the ranch; and Maggie and Beau navigate life as divorced friends. Parts 1 and 2 of the series debuted last year on Netflix (10 episodes each). The Ranch is written and executive produced by Jim Patterson and Don Reo (Two and a Half Men).




It's Friday, so it is time for "Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows" for the coming week. This is where we list what sitcom stars are appearing on talk shows for the coming week, the stars are both current and past sitcom stars, so this is for all sitcom fans of all eras!
For the week of April 3-7, 2017, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! All times listed are Eastern. So get your DVRs (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!


Monday, April 3, 2017

• Amanda Peet (Togetherness/Bent) - Watch Amanda on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Jason Sudeikis (Son of Zorn/The Last Man on Earth/The Cleveland Show) - Jason stops by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Jennifer Esposito (Samantha Who?/Spin City) - Jennifer appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Chelsea Handler (Are You There, Chelsea?) - Chelsea is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Jake Johnson (New Girl) - Jake visits Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Lamorne Morris (New Girl) - Lamorne drops by Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Margaret Cho (All-American Girl) - Margaret is a guest on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Kate Walsh (Bad Judge/The Drew Carey Show) - Kate appears on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am, on LIVE! with Kelly (check your listings) and Harry (check your local listings).
• Sarah Michelle Gellar (The Crazy Ones - Sarah whips up a recipe from the book Stirring Up Fun with Food on LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings. She will also be on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am, the AOL Build Show at 4pm and Tasting Table on Facebook Live..
• Mckenna Grace (Crash & Bernstein) - Mckenna is a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Craig Ferguson (The Drew Carey Show) - Craig appears on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
• Dave Coulier (Fuller House/Full House) - Dave guest hosts Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Thomas Barbusca (The Mick) - Thomas is a guest on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Jenna Elfman (Imaginary Mary/1600 Penn/Accidentally on Purpose/Dharma & Greg) - Jenna joins the Chew Crew on ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
• Alec Baldwin (30 Rock) - Alec talks about his new book Nevertheless: A Memoir on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
• Sara Gilbert (Bad Teacher/The Big Bang Theory/Roseanne) - Sara is a guest on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
• Scott Foley (The Goodwin Games/A.U.S.A.) - Scott appears on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
• Jodie Sweetin (Hollywood Darlings/Fuller House/Full House), Beverley Mitchell (Hollywood Darlings) and Christine Lakin (Hollywood Darlings/Step by Step) - Jodie, Beverly and Christine talk about Hollywood Darlings on NBC's Today in the 9am hour and the AOL Build Show at 5pm.
• Christine Baranski (Cybill/Welcome to New York/Happy Family) - Christine is a guest on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.

• Jenny Slate (Married/Parks and Recreation) - Catch Jenny on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Louis C.K. (Louie/Lucky Louie) - Louis stops by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Christine Baranski (Cybill/Welcome to New York/Happy Family) - Christine is a guest on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Jack McBrayer (30 Rock) - Jack appears on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Chelsea Handler (Are You There, Chelsea?) - Chelsea visits Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Trevor Noah at 11pm.
• Rob Riggle (Golan the Insatiable) - Rob is a guest on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation) - Chris appears on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Tom Papa (Come to Papa) - Tom is a guest on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Sarah Michelle Gellar (The Crazy Ones) - Sarah stops by Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo. She also talks about her new cookbook on ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
• Sally Field (Gidget/The Flying Nun) - Sally speaks about the new Broadway revival of The Glass Menagerie on LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Ellie Kemper (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt/The Office) - Ellie chats about the animated film Smurfs: The Lost Village on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family) - Eric is a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Yvette Nicole Brown (The Odd Couple/Community) - Yvette dishes about the new season of SuperMansion on Crackle on a repeat of The Wendy Williams Show at 2am on BET or on your local stations.
• Sanaa Lathan (Family Guy/The Cleveland Show/LateLine) - Sanaa stops by Harry, so check your local listings.
• Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Café Americain/One Day at a Time) - Valerie is a guest on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
• Jenna Elfman (Imaginary Mary/1600 Penn/Accidentally on Purpose/Dharma & Greg) and Stephen Schneider (Imaginary Mary) - Jenna and Stephen are guests on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT. Jenna will also be on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Mckenna Grace (Crash & Bernstein) - McKenna talks about her movie Gifted on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Jake Johnson (New Girl) - Jake is a guest on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 11:30am ET.
• John O'Hurley (Seinfeld/The Mullets) - John appears on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 11:30am ET.
• Jason Alexander (Seinfeld/Bob Patterson/Listen Up) - Jason is a guest on a repeat of Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
• David Schwimmer (Friends) - David will be on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
• Ken Jeong (Dr. Ken/Community) - Ken appears on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
• Jodie Sweetin (Hollywood Darlings/Fuller House/Full House), Beverley Mitchell (Hollywood Darlings) and Christine Lakin (Hollywood Darlings/Step by Step) - Jodie, Beverly and Christine talk about Hollywood Darlings on Good Day New York on WNYW-Fox5 in New York sometime between 7-10am. They will also be on Cheddar sometime between 12-2pm.
• Sherri Shepherd (Trial and Error/Less Than Perect/Sherri) - Sherri is a guest on Steve Harvey, so check your local listings.
• Bailee Madison (Trophy Wife) - Bailee dishes on the Hallmark series, Good Witch, and her upcoming movie, A Cowgirl's Story on the AOL Build Show at 1pm.

• Lena Dunham (Friends) - Watch Lena on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family) - Eric is a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Zosia Mamet (Girls) - Zosia visits The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Rashida Jones (Angie Tribeca/Parks and Recreation/The Office) - Rashida appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. She will also be on CBS This Morning sometime between 7-9am.
• Andrew Rannells (Girls/The New Normal) - Andrew is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Demi Lovato (Sonny with a Chance) - Demi stops by The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS. She will also be on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Charlie Hunnam (Undeclared) - Charlie visits The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Jenna Elfman (Imaginary Mary/1600 Penn/Accidentally on Purpose/Dharma & Greg) and Stephen Schneider (Imaginary Mary) - Jenna and Stephen are guests on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Ana Gasteyer, Ken Hall, Alice Wetterlund, Luka Jones, Bjorn Gustafsson, Michael Cassidy, Oscar Nunez, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Brian Huskey and Nancy Lenehan - The cast of People of Earth are guests on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Helen Hunt (Mad About You/It Takes Two) - Helen chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Amanda Peet (Togetherness/Bent) and Hank Azaria (The Simpsons/Free Agents) - Amanda and Hank talk about the series Brockmire on ABC's Good Morning America, LIVE! with Kelly (check your listings) and the AOL Build Show 1pm.
• Hannah Simone (New Girl) - Hannah is a guest on Harry, so check your local listings.
• Andrée Vermeulen (Angie Tribeca) - Andrée visits Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Candace Cameron Bure (Fuller House/Full House) - Candace appears on a repeat of Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
• Chelsea Handler (Are You There, Chelsea?) - Chelsea talks about Netflix's Chelsea on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
• Heather Dubrow (Stark Raving Mad) - Heather guest co-hosts a repeat of The Doctors, so check your local listings.
• Yara Shahidi (black-ish) - Yara talks about black-ish on the AOL Build Show at 2:30pm.
• H. Jon Benjamin (Bob's Burgers) - H. Jon talks about Archer on the AOL Build Show at 4:15pm.
• Zach Braff (Scrubs) - Zach is a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.

• Drew Carey (The Drew Carey Show/The Good Life) - Catch Drew on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Keke Palmer (Scream Queens/True Jackson, VP) - Keke appears on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Reid Scott (Veep/My Boys) - Reid is a guest on Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Billy Eichner (Difficult People) - Billy appears on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Amanda Peet (Togetherness/Bent) - Amanda visits Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
• Helen Hunt (Mad About You/It Takes Two) - Helen stops by Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
• Jason Sudeikis (Son of Zorn/The Last Man on Earth/The Cleveland Show) - Jason is a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Kevin James (Kevin Can Wait/The King of Queens) - Kevin appears on Harry, so check your local listings.
• Zach Woods (Silicon Valley/The Office) - Zach will be on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
• Lea Thompson (Caroline in the City) - Lea is a guest on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
• Danica McKellar (The Wonder Years) - Danica appears on Steve Harvey, so check your local listings.
• Rhea Seehorn (Whitney/I'm with Her) - Rhea and the cast of Better Call Saul will be on the AOL Build Show at 1pm.
• Zach Braff (Scrubs) - Zach is a guest on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Jaime Pressly (Mom/Jennifer Falls/My Name Is Earl) - Jaime guest co-hosts The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Jodie Sweetin (Hollywood Darlings/Fuller House/Full House), Beverley Mitchell (Hollywood Darlings) and Christine Lakin (Hollywood Darlings/Step by Step) - Jodie, Beverly and Christine talk about Hollywood Darlings on Entertainment Tonight, E! News and PopSugar.

• Zosia Mamet (Girls) - Watch Zosia on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Jerrod Carmichael (The Carmichael Show) - Jerrod visits The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Jenny Slate (Married/Parks and Recreation) - Jenny is a guest on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Jermaine Fowler (Superior Donuts) - Jermaine appears on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Natalie Zea (The Detour) - Natalie is a guest on a repeat of Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Rashida Jones (Angie Tribeca/Parks and Recreation/The Office) - Rashida visits LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Jill Kargman (Odd Mom Out) - Jill appears on Harry, so check your local listings.
• Sarah Michelle Gellar (The Crazy Ones) - Sarah shares a recipe from her new cookbook on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings. She will also be on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT and Hollywood Talk Live.
• Rhea Seehorn (Whitney/I'm with Her) - Rhea is a guest on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 11:30am ET.
• Zach Braff (Scrubs) - Zach discusses his movie Going in Style on People Now at 8:30am.
• Vanessa Hudgens (Powerless) - Vanessa appears on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
• Ellen DeGeneres (Ellen/The Ellen Show) - Ellen talks about NBC's First Dates on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
• Tia Mowry (Instant Mom/The Game/Sister, Sister) - Tia is a guest on Steve Harvey, so check your local listings.
• Matthew Perry (The Odd Couple/Go On/Mr. Sunshine/Friends) - Matthew appears on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Wendi McClendon-Covey (The Goldbergs/Rules of Engagement/Reno 911!) - Wendi guest co-hosts The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
li>Jodie Sweetin (Hollywood Darlings/Fuller House/Full House), Beverley Mitchell (Hollywood Darlings) and Christine Lakin (Hollywood Darlings/Step by Step) - Jodie, Beverly and Christine talk about Hollywood Darlings on a satellite tour.

Hulu has renewed The Mindy Project for its sixth and final season to premiere September 2017 on Hulu. Season five just completed airing on Hulu on March 28. The Mindy Project first premiered in 2012 and has since aired 107 episodes. In 2013, The Mindy Project was nominated for a Writers Guild Award for New Series. In 2014, Kaling and The Mindy Project earned nominations from the Television Critics Association for Individual Achievement in Comedy and Outstanding Achievement in Comedy. Kaling also earned a Gracie Award for Outstanding Female Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy and an NAACP Image Award nomination for her performance on the show in 2014. In 2016, the show earned a Gracie Award for Best Ensemble Cast. The series stars Mindy Kaling (Mindy Lahiri), Ed Weeks (Jeremy Reed), Ike Barinholtz (Morgan Tookers), Beth Grant (Beverly), Xosha Roquemore (Tamra Webb) and Fortune Feimster (Colette Kimball-Kinney).


Your favorite suburban couple, the Hammond's, are hungry for more. Netflix has announced a second season of the original comedy Santa Clarita Diet, starring Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant. Production on the second season will begin this summer. Enjoy the tasty announcement video below to hold you over...



Santa Clarita Diet premiered only on Netflix, worldwide, on February 3, 2017. In Santa Clarita Diet, Joel (Timothy Olyphant, Justified) and Sheila (Drew Barrymore, Blended) are husband and wife realtors leading vaguely discontented lives in the L.A. suburb of Santa Clarita with their teenaged daughter Abby (Liv Hewson), until Sheila goes through a dramatic change sending their lives down a road of death and destruction...but in a good way. Santa Clarita Diet stars Drew Barrymore as Sheila Hammond, Timothy Olyphant as Joel Hammond, Liv Hewson as Abby Hammond and Skylar Gisondo as Eric Bemis. The series comes from showrunner Victor Fresco.

NBC is getting crafty with a six-episode order for The Handmade Project, a competition series that celebrates artisanship and the makers who can create amazing things with their hands ... and a few tools too. The series will reunite Parks and Recreation stars Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman. Poehler and Offerman both share a love and passion of craftsmanship, albeit from different perspectives. Each week eight of America's best all-around makers, from all walks of life, will undertake a series of projects they must complete in their own unique way with the hopes of impressing Poehler, Offerman and our expert judges. Over the course of each episode, the contestants must tackle a different theme, hand-making items in different disciplines - the difficulty of which increase as the competition unfolds. Shot in a serene outdoor setting, this friendly competition will ultimately crown a winner at the end of the six-week journey, but the series will focus on the characters and camaraderie of those who enjoy creating their own crafts, all under the comedic guidance of Poehler and Offerman.

Participants of all ages - many of whom are eager to share their craft making skills on social media - will be featured on the series with skill sets as wide-ranging as woodwork, quilting, knitting, scrapbooking, cake decorating, metal work, doll making and general crafting. Artisans and makers of any type or any creative person who loves making things by hand are welcome.

Hallmark Movies & Mysteries announces the World Premiere of the first installment of the network's newest mystery movie franchise Emma Fielding Mysteries based on the series of novels by famed historical archeologist turned fiction writer Dana Cameron. Courtney Thorne-Smith (According to Jim, Melrose Place) stars as Emma Fielding in Site Unseen: An Emma Fielding Mystery, a Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Original World Premiere, Sunday, May 21 (9 p.m. ET/PT).

In Site Unseen: An Emma Fielding Mystery, Emma (Thorne-Smith) is a brilliant, dedicated, and driven archaeologist who discovers artifacts that have been lost for hundreds of years--and she's very, very good at it. Emma has recently unearthed evidence of a possible 17th century coastal Maine settlement that predates Jamestown, one of the most significant archaeological finds in years. But the dead body she uncovers on the site pushes Emma into a different kind of exploration. Her dig site is suddenly in jeopardy of being shut down, due to the meddling of local treasure-hunters and a second suspicious murder. Emma must team with the handsome FBI Agent investigating the case to dig up dirt on the killer, before Emma and her excavation are ancient history.

Imaginary Mary - Special Preview Wednesday, March 29 at 8:30PM ET/PT on ABC
Moves to Tuesdays Starting April 4 at 9:30PM ET/PT

by Todd

Alice (Jenna Elfman) is a fiercely independent career woman whose life is turned upside-down when she meets the love of her life – a divorced father with three kids. This triggers even more upheaval when the slightly unhinged imaginary friend she created as a child suddenly reappears to help her navigate the transition from single girl to a woman ready for a family.

Cast Details:

Jenna Elfman as Alice
Stephen Schneider as Ben
Nicholas Coombe as Andy
Matreya Scarrwener as Dora
Erica Tremblay as Bunny
Rachel Dratch as the voice of Mary

Jenna Elfman (Alice) is best known for her role as Dharma on the ABC sitcom Dharma & Greg. She has starred in the short-lived sitcoms Courting Alex, Accidentally on Purpose, 1600 Penn and Growing Up Fisher. In 2012, she played Naomi Walling in the final season of the award-winning drama Damages. Some of her feature film credits include EDtv, Keeping the Faith, Looney Tunes: Back in Action and Friends with Benefits.

Stephen Schneider (Ben) has starred in the Broad City on Comedy Central and You're the Worst on FXX. Some of his other sitcom appearances include Happy Endings, Best Friends Forever and Save Me.

Nicholas Coombe (Andy) has made guest appearances in Supernatural, Motive and iZombie. His film credits include Pants on Fire and Midnight Sun.

Matreya Scarrwener (Dora) has starred in Strange Empire and Ties That Bind. Some of her other television credits include R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour, Spooksville, Once Upon a Time and Falling Skies.

Erica Tremblay's (Bunny) television credits include The Killing, Supernatural and Motive. Her upcoming film projects include The Bye Bye Man and Before I Fall.

Rachel Dratch (voice of Mary) was a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1999 to 2006. Some of her sitcom guest appearances include The King of Queens, Frasier, 30 Rock, Wizards of Waverly Place, Up All Night, Suburgatory, The Middle and Parks and Recreation.

Pilot Plot:

The first two episodes were available for review.

"Pilot" (Airs March 29 at 8:30PM ET)
A fiercely independent career woman, Alice has her life turned upside-down when she meets Ben, a divorced father with three children, and soon falls head-over-heals for him. This triggers more upheaval when the imaginary friend she created as a child, Mary, suddenly reappears as she is nervous to meet Ben’s kids for the first time.
Directed by Shawn Levy
Written by Adam F. Goldberg & David Guarascio (with a story by Adam F. Goldberg, David Guarascio and Patrick Osborne)
Guest Stars: Marin Page as Alice (age 6), Jilena Cori as Alice’s mother, Jason Cermak as Alice’s father, Kadence Roach as Alice (age 11), Marci T. House as Mother talent show, Jamie Schneider as Alice (age 18), Braeden Clarke as Boy in Bed, Jaime Callica as Hot Male Bartender and Luke Sykes as Handsome Businessman

"The Mom Seal" (Airs April 4 at 9:30PM ET)
When Ben asks Alice to help him with her first mom-like task to pick up Bunny from dance class, Mary quickly discovers the simplest parental tasks are fraught with difficulty. Afterwards, Ben is disappointed when Alice tells him she can’t help with the kids anymore, but things change when Andy enlists Alice’s help to overcome his fear of taking a driving test.
Directed by Shawn Levy
Written by Sarah Haskins and Emily Halpern
Guest Stars: Diana Bang as Gigi, Dave Peniuk as Doctor, Nathan Jean as Man, Bronwen Smith as Megan, Aaron Hutchinson as Paramedic, Gabriel Vill as Waiter, Bethany Brown as Uninformed Millenial and Roberta Gardoni as Frazzled Mom

Analysis:

Imaginary Mary is a single-camera live action/CGI hybrid comedy. It comes from The Goldbergs team Adam F. Goldberg (writer/executive producer), David Guarascio (writer/executive producer) and Doug Robinson (executive producer). Mary CG animation is designed by Patrick Osborne (creator of Academy Award-winning animated short The Feast, who is also executive producer). The pilot was directed by Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum, Cheaper by the Dozen), who is also executive producer. The series is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television, Happy Madison and ABC Studios.

In the "Pilot" episode, there is a flashback scene where Alice is age 6. She draws and creates Mary in her mind. Alice's parents weren't always there for her, but Mary was when she was needed. There is also a flashback scene when Alice is 18 and with a boy in bed. In the present day as an adult, Mary owns her own business a PR rep for pro athletes. She meets Ben who has an online dating profile named DivorcedRadDad. Alice helps Ben fix his profile. Three months later, they are a couple. Ben's kids arrive home, but Alice isn't prepared to meet them yet and scrambles out the window. Ben tells the kids that he is dating Alice and wants them to meet her. Alice and Ben have dinner where Mary appears again. Alice is scared to meet the kids, but they eventually visit her place. Unfortunately, the kids cause some damage at her home. Alice tries to give Ben some advice. After meeting the kids, Alice and Mary drink at a bar and sing karaoke. Alice and Ben then decide whether they want to continue seeing each other.

The "Pilot" episode is very fast-paced and provides a good introduction to the characters. There are only five main cast members plus Mary, so there is plenty of screen time for all of them. The "Pilot" and second episode is directed by Shawn Levy, who has directed film such as Cheaper by the Dozen, The Pink Panther and the Night at the Museum franchise. He was the perfect choice as a director and producer because he has worked with kids and CGI often. The CGI in the first two episodes looks very good. They made some changes in the design and animation of Mary from the original trailer last year. The character is more cute looking. I'm sure kids will want their own Mary plush dolls, whatever she is.

Jenna Elfman leads a talented cast. She makes her return to ABC in her first starring role on the network since Dharma & Greg ended in 2002. It's hard to believe it's nearly 15 years to the day that the series ended. She has starred in a string of short-lived sitcoms on other networks since then, so hopefully she has more success with this one. She does a very good job here in one of her better roles. She filmed her scenes with a puppet. It probably isn't easy to act that way, but she has done it before in Looney Tunes: Back in Action. Rachel Dratch was a fine choice as the voice of Mary. She brings the character to life. It seems like she is allowed to improvise and go a little bit crazy. Stephen Schneider has some good chemistry with Elfman already. The child actors seems very natural and do a good job. Nicholas Coombe as Andy is a standout in the second episode especially. They show a scene at Alice's business with her employees in the second episode, so I wonder if we will see some recurring characters in upcoming episodes.

Conclusion:

Imaginary Mary has put together a solid and funny cast, very impressive CGI special effects for network television and a nice soundtrack (with artists such as Katy Perry and Alicia Keys). The first two episodes are like mini movies. Jenna Elfman returns to ABC where she had her most success with Dharma & Greg. Her Alice character is very cheerful and a bit wild at times like Dharma. The rest of the cast is very good and works well together. The quality of the CGI animation of Mary is something you would see in a big budget film. This is the year of the live action/animated hybrid with Son of Zorn premiering last fall.

The series will premiere with a special sneak preview on Wednesday before moving to its regular time slot next week on Tuesday nights at 9:30pm. It was a bit concerning that ABC reduced the episode order number in September from 13 episodes to only 9 episodes. It was necessary due to the tweaks they made to the animation, which looks excellent. They really don't overuse the Mary character in that many scenes. There's a good balance between the Alice/Mary and the family scenes. ABC already has a strong lineup of family comedies, so it's hard to tell if this one will be able to develop an audience and find a place on the schedule in the fall. This family comedy should be enjoyable for the next 9 weeks at least. Kids will surely love the animated Mary who sings and dances. I don't know if there will be any stuffed toys, but there could be a market for them if the show becomes a hit. There's something for the entire family with this unique live action/CGI hybrid comedy.

Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):

Watchability: 4/5
Funniness: 3.5/5
Overall: 4/5

Discuss the show after you watch it on Wednesday, March 29 at 8:30PM ET/PT on our message board.

Related Links:

The Big Bang Theory star Johnny Galecki will appear in and executive produce SciJinks (wt), a new Science Channel series scheduled to premiere in 4th quarter 2017. SciJinks will use cutting-edge science as the foundation for outrageous stunts and practical jokes, creating the smartest prank show on television. The announcement was made today by Marc Etkind, General Manager of Science Channel. Galecki will orchestrate a team of brilliant and inventive scientists drawing from chemistry, physics, technology, engineering and more, with never-before-seen pranks designed to introduce audiences to remarkable and unusual scientific discoveries. Along with Galecki, each of the eight, 30 minute episodes will be guided by scientists, physicists and stem students. Galecki's Alcide Bava Productions and A. Smith & Co. Productions will produce the series.

With a professional acting career that spans more than 25 years, Johnny Galecki is best known for his role on the hugely popular television series The Big Bang Theory. Galecki has garnered an Emmy(R) and Golden Globe(R) nomination, along with those from the Critic's Choice Awards, People's Choice Awards(R) and five consecutive ensemble nominations by the Screen Actors Guild Awards, among others. Galecki has been in a number of successful roles from Entourage, Hope & Faith, and most notably in the role of David Healey in the sitcom Roseanne. Galecki has been nominated for numerous awards, including the 2015 Critics Choice Television Awards for Best Actor in a Comedy Series in addition to a 2014 Online Film & Television Association (OFTA) Television Award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series.

It's alright, cause he's saved by the bell! CBS announced Mario Lopez as host of the new live-action game show Candy Crush, based on the globally renowned mobile game franchise. Produced by Pulse Creative in association with Lionsgate Television, King Ltd. and CBS Television Studios, Candy Crush premieres Sunday, July 9 at 9:00PM, ET/PT on the CBS Television Network. In the mobile game Candy Crush Saga, players match colorful candies in combinations of three or more to win points, defeat obstacles and progress through more than 2,000 levels. Candy Crush Saga and its sister title, Candy Crush Soda Saga, are two of the top 10 grossing mobile games in the U.S. On average, 18 billion game rounds of Candy Crush Saga are played every month around the world*.

In the new CBS series, the game that has become a worldwide phenomenon comes to life as teams of two people use their wits and physical agility to compete on enormous, interactive game boards featuring next generation technology. Teams will use their entire bodies to swing, slide and swipe to make matches in order to conquer Candy Crush and be crowned the champions.

Leah Remini will reunite with her former TV husband, Kevin James, when she guest stars in the two-part first season finale of new comedy Kevin Can Wait, Monday, May 1 and Monday, May 8 from 8:00-8:30 PM, ET/PT on the CBS Television Network. James and Remini starred together for nine seasons on the hit series The King of Queens, also on CBS. In the two-part finale, Kevin agrees to come out of retirement briefly to reprise his undercover assignment in an ongoing police investigation where he and fellow cop Vanessa Cellucci (Remini) will, once again, pose as husband and wife.

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. Kevin James, Rock Reuben, Rob Long, Jeff Sussman, Andy Fickman, Tony Sheehan and Steve Mosko are executive producers for CBS Television Studios in association with Sony Pictures Television. As recently announced, Kevin Can Wait has been renewed for the 2017-2018 season on the CBS Television Network.