SitcomsOnline Digest: Modern Family Close to Ninth Season Renewal; Second Season of What I Like About You Coming to DVD on Tuesday

Saturday, March 04, 2017

SitcomsOnline Digest: Modern Family Close to Ninth Season Renewal; Second Season of What I Like About You Coming to DVD on Tuesday

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we're finding that Modern Family is very close to renewal for a ninth season (though lots of details still need to be worked out), we're hearing of Arnold Schwarzenegger quitting or being fired (we don't really know) from Celebrity Apprentice, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

Modern Family is still doing well and very close to being picked up for a ninth season, but getting the details worked out for a show that is only a short-term investment for broadcaster ABC and a long-term investment for distributor Fox is becoming a bigger challenge every year. (Deadline)
There is no word on whether or not Celebrity Apprentice will be back, but if it does return, it will be without Arnold Schwarzenegger. And while Schwarzenegger claims that it was his choice to quit, somebody on Twitter (we'll let you guess who that is) is claiming he was fired. (Hollywood Reporter)
Logo's flagship series, RuPaul's Drag Race, is returning for a ninth season, except episodes will debut on VH-1 before airing on Logo this time around, leaving some to wonder what this means for the future of Logo. (AV Club)
If you enjoy made for TV movies, particularly those involving reunions of TV series from the past, the digital broadcaster Decades has a solid week of movies coming up next week. (SitcomsOnline)
We already mentioned that Antenna TV would be featuring a Three's Company 40th anniversary marathon a few weeks ago, and it seems that Logo is getting in on the 40th anniversary action as well. (SitcomsOnline)

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

It's very short notice, but What I Like About You - The Complete Second Season arrives on DVD on Tuesday from Warner Archive.
TVShowsOnDVD.com is reporting a release of the series It's About Time (which has been airing on Antenna TV) sometime this spring.

TUESDAY (MARCH 7) HOME MEDIA RELEASES

Mama's Family - Mama's Favorite Collection

The Jamie Foxx Show - The Complete Second Season (DVD, $29.99): It has been over a decade since we saw the first season of this sitcom on DVD (released at the time when Warner Home Video was aggressively releasing the first season of several series just in time for the 50th anniversary as a television studio), and now Warner Archive is finally releasing the second season.
Mama's Family - Mama's Favorites Collection (DVD, $69.95): If you just want some of the "best" episodes of the classic Vicki Lawrence series, this set is for you, although we would personally recommend spending just a little bit more to purchase the entire series.
That '70s Show - The Complete Series (Flashback Edition) (Blu-ray, $99.98): Mill Creek re-releases the series on Blu-ray in this release.
What I Like About You - The Complete Second Season (DVD, $29.99): Another seemingly abandoned series from Warner Home Video arrives on DVD in this release from Warner Archive.

FOLLOW ME

Who to Follow: Brock Ciarlelli (Twitter), "Brad Bottig on @TheMiddle_ABC, Tuesdays, 8pm/7c! Im a big advocate for iced coffee, alternating between being the big and little spoon, and children on leashes"

Claim to Fame: Brock Ciarlelli is not at all a household name to TV viewers, but if you watch the long-running ABC sitcom The Middle, you'd know exactly who he is: he plays the role of Brad, one of Sue's friends (and a former boyfriend of hers, even though he was gay and everybody seemed to notice except Sue). As the series has progressed, his character actually did "come out" in the seventh season. It's worth pointing out, though, that acting isn't his only skill set. While playing on The Middle, he has also managed to find time on the side to begin and finish a college degree in mathematics at Chapman University. He also has sort of a side project going, as he will be appearing in the second season of the YouTube shorts called Valet, which will debut tomorrow (if you've got a half hour to spare, you can watch the first season, which did not include him, here). We have no idea what will be next for him after The Middle (which we assume he'll continue to play his recurring role on as long as the series continues, and it has already been renewed for next season), but it seems like he may have a future in comedy in some form.

Pick of the Tweets: "My new fave hobby might be arriving early at LAX & people watch at the airport bar. I used to do it w/ coffee but beer makes it a lot better" (November 23, 2016)

Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Sunday, October 2

The Simpsons - "Pixelated and Afraid" (Fox, 7:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Homer and Marge are lost in an icy wilderness, they must push themselves to their limits to survive.

Bob's Burgers - "Frigate Me Knot" (Fox, 7:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Linda encourages Teddy to attend a farewell ceremony for the ship on which he served in the Navy, but it means confronting his Navy pals and his past.

The Simpsons - "One Angry Lisa" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Lisa gets called for jury duty; Marge becomes obsessed with her exercise bike.

The Great North - "Cillian Me Softly Adventure" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT)
During Lone Moose's Disaster Day event, Wolf and Honeybee have their very first fight.

Bob's Burgers - "The Reeky Lake Show" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
The family's Labor Day lake trip takes a turn when the Belchers find themselves trapped in their cabin, hiding from what lurks outside.

Family Guy - "Bend or Blockbuster" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Resolved to enjoy a family movie night, the Griffins take a road trip to Bend, Ore., to rent a VHS from the last Blockbuster in existence.

The Villains of Valley View - "Havoc-Ween" (Disney Channel, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Amy brings her mischievous body-snatching Grandma to a party. Vic and Eva scam kids out of their candy untill they come across a villain even bigger than themselves.

Raven's Home - "The Girl Who Cried Tasha" (Disney Channel, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Alice uses a spell to bring her doll, Tasha, to life; when Tasha refuses to return to being a doll, Alice must enlist the help of Booker, Ivy and Neil.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of September 26)

Friday, September 30

Jason Bateman (Arrested Development/George and Leo/Chicago Sons/Simon/The Hogan Family/It's Your Move/Silver Spoons) - Watch Jason on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Lea Michele (The Mayor) - Lea is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Phil Rosenthal (Creator of Everybody Loves Raymond) - Phil appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary) - Quinta is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Kevin Hart (The Big House/Undeclared) - Kevin appears on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Alison Brie (GLOW/Community) - Alison will be on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Mario Cantone (And Just Like That.../Sex and the City) - Mario chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
David Alan Grier (Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!/The Cool Kids/The Carmichael Show/Bad Teacher/Life with Bonnie/DAG) - David appears on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
Topher Grace (Home Economics/That '70s Show) - Topher is a guest on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
Billy Eichner (Friends from College/Difficult People/Parks and Recreation) - Billy stops by to chat and play a rousing game of Never Have I Ever with a twist on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Jim Rash (Community/Help Me Help You/Thanks/Katie Joplin) - Jim appears on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Jason Alexander (Seinfeld/Bob Patterson/Listen Up!/Hit the Road) - Jason shares stories from his hit sitcom on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
Alfonso Ribeiro (In the House/The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air/Silver Spoons) - Alfonso dishes about the new season of Dancing with the Stars on Disney+ on Sherri, so check your local listings. He will also be on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Nick Kroll (Big Mouth/The League/Cavemen) - Nick talks about Don't Worry Darling and Little Big Boys on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Drew Carey (The Drew Carey Show/The Good Life) - Drew is a guest on Sherri, so check your local listings.