SitcomsOnline Digest: Leah Remini to Join Kevin Can Wait Cast as a Regular; WGN America Cancels Underground

Saturday, June 03, 2017

SitcomsOnline Digest: Leah Remini to Join Kevin Can Wait Cast as a Regular; WGN America Cancels Underground

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we've got news of a new cast addition on a CBS sitcom that'll make something new look a lot more like something old, we're hearing about a cancellation of an original series at WGN America that signals larger changes that are likely in the horizon, and NBC is making some changes to their fall lineup that will make Thursday nights look a lot more familiar again. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

Leah Remini made a brief reunion with Kevin James in the sitcom Kevin Can Wait last season, but that reunion is about to get much bigger in the second season as she becomes a regular cast member. (Variety)
The same hackers who posted unaired episodes of Netflix's Orange is the New Black is now targeting ABC, although it isn't clear what they intend to leak. (Deadline)
WGN America has cancelled Underground, which is just another sign that new parent company Sinclair intends to take the network into another direction, though it isn't exactly clear what that direction is right now. (Deadline)
Elena Verdugo, known for her role of nurse Consuelo Lopez on Marcus Welby, M.D., died this week at age 92. (LA Times)
We sort of thought that the evening newscasts on the three broadcast networks were finally returning to stability after the role became a revolving door in 2004 and 2005 (when decades long staples left; specificially Tom Brokaw retired, Peter Jennings died, and Dan Rather was fired), but CBS has decided to shake things up again, announcing that Scott Pelley is out the door. (Washington Post)
NBC has made a significant change to their fall schedule, which means This Is Us won't be moving after all, but more importantly (to us), Thursday night will be restored to a full two hours of comedy as it was meant to be. (SitcomsOnline)

TUESDAY (JUNE 6) HOME MEDIA RELEASE

CHiPs - The Sixth and Final Season (DVD, $24.98): Exactly ten years and one day following the release of the first season of the series, Warner Home Video finally brings out the final season in this four disc set. The complete series is also available.

FOLLOW ME

Who to Follow: Sharon Gless (Twitter)

Claim to Fame: We're going back in time just a little bit (though not completely, because she hasn't retired from acting) with Sharon Gless, who is probably best known for her role of Christine Cagney on the series Cagney & Lacey. Actually, she was not the first or even the second person to play that role. Originally, in the pilot movie, Loretta Swit (of M*A*S*H fame) played the role, and was replaced by Meg Foster once it became a series. The series was cancelled after the first season, but after some negotiating about retooling the show (including a demand that Meg Foster be replaced because the network executives felt that she wasn't "feminine" enough), it was brought back for a second season with Gless in the role. And when she took on that role, the series thrived, although there were still bumps and cancellation threats almost every season. Her career is actually far more extensive than Cagney & Lacey, though, as she also had a recurring role on Marcus Welby, M.D., a regular role on Switch, and then went on to do lots of made-for-TV movies throughout the 80s and 90s in addition to her role on Cagney & Lacey. By the late 90s, of course, made-for-TV movies sort of went out of style, but that didn't stop her from making it back into series roles, including regular roles on both Queer as Folk and Burn Notice. Despite that extensive career, her "sitcom" career is limited to one guest star role on The Bob Newhart Show, so we imagine that she must really prefer dramas. In any event, it wouldn't be surprising to see her pop up again in another role, and we hope to see just that... or maybe even just one sitcom guest appearance to see her in a different light.

Pick of the Tweets: "My dearest friend, ELENA VERDUGO, died this morning. Wonderful actress. Funniest woman I ever knew. The world is a less interesting place. (pic)" (May 30, 2017)

Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Thursday, June 8

Young Sheldon - "Pancake Sunday and Textbook Flirting" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Mary struggles to make new friends while Mandy pushes Georgie to date another woman.

Ghosts - "Alberta's Descendant" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Alberta is thrilled when a living relative, Alicia (Ashley D. Kelley), visits Woodstone to learn more about her, but things take a turn when she hits it off with Todd (Rodrigo Fernandez Stoll), Sam’s podcast co-host. Also, Nigel uses his knowledge of Trevor and Hetty’s secret tryst to try to blackmail Hetty.

Animal Control - "Dogs and Geese" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Dispatch radios a report of a goose on the loose; the precinct hosts an adoption day.

Animal Control - "Pigs and Minks" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
The team welcomes back Patel even though he is still on suspension; Shred and Victoria are called into the principal's office on a school visit; Rick heads back into the field with Frank.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of June 5)

Thursday, June 8

Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory/8 Simple Rules/Ladies Man) - Catch Kaley on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies) - Tom appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Lea Michele (The Mayor/Scream Queens) - Lea is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Janelle James (Abbott Elementary) - Janelle appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Chris Messina (The Mindy Project) - Chris will be on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Laurie Metcalf (The Conners/Roseanne/The McCarthys/The Norm Show) - Laurie chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Boris Kodjoe (The Last Man on Earth/Second Time Around) - Boris is a guest on a repeat of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (Never Have I Ever) - Maitreyi talks about Never Have I Ever Live with Kelly and Mark, (check your listings) and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Eva Longoria (Telenovela) - Eva appears on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
Marcus Scribner (grown-ish/black-ish) - Marcus joins the Tam Fam to discuss the final season of grown-ish on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
Nia Long (Uncle Buck/The Cleveland Show/The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) - Nia appears on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Lauren London (The Game) - Lauren is a guest on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Fortune Feimster (Kenan/Bless the Harts/Champions) - Fortune appears on a repeat of The Jennifer Hudson Show, so check your local listings. She also talks about FUBAR on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Kelsey Grammer (Frasier/Partners/Cheers) - Kelsey is telling Rachael about his recent movie, the Frasier revival and what he's got going on next on a repeat of Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
Marilu Henner (Evening Shade/Taxi) - Marilu talks about Hallmark's Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: Haunted by Murder on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Vivica A. Fox (Mr. Box Office/Getting Personal/Arsenio/Out All Night) - Vivica stops by to discuss her involvement with the Tony Awards and her Fox Soul talk show Cocktails with Queens on Sherri, so check your local listings.
Marsha Warfield (Night Court/Empty Nest) - Marsha drops by to talk about her iconic comedy career, her The Book of Marsha comedy tour and finally sees the green room at Sherri that was inspired by her, so check your local listings.
Sarah Jessica Parker (And Just Like That.../Sex and the City/Square Pegs) - Sarah will be on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.