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
  • 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 / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Saturday, July 5

Mind Your Business - "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" (Bounce TV, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Aaliyah and Mia try convincing Lucille that the owner of a new nearby lounge is up to no good; Alfonso and Kim deal with AJ's first relationship.

Mind Your Business - "The Boy Is Mine" (Bounce TV, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Alfonso tries to maintain his newfound bromance after Aaliyah breaks up with his new friend; Kim goes the extra mile to inject luxury into their lifestyle to impress the moms of a Black Excellence club.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of June 30)

Friday, July 4

  • Ayo Edebiri (Big Mouth/The Bear) - Watch Ayo on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Jay Pharoah (White Famous/Champaign ILL) - Jay is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Frankie Grande (Henry Danger/Danger Force) - Frankie appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Mark Hamill (The Texas Wheelers) - Mark is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Cristin Milioti (The Resort/Made for Love/A to Z/How I Met Your Mother) - Cristin appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Arnold Schwarzenegger (FUBAR) - Arnold is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Rob Riggle (Rob Riggle's Ski Master Academy/Golan the Insatiable/Gary Unmarried) - Rob appears on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Marsai Martin (black-ish) - Marsai chats with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Brooke Shields (Suddenly Susan) - Brooke guest co-hosts NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • Mario Cantone (And Just Like That.../Sex and the City) - Mario talks about And Just Like That... on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • Billy Bob Thornton (Hearts Afire) - Billy Bob opens up about being married six-times and is sharing all about his new show Landman on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Justine Lupe (Nobody Wants This/Cristela) - Justine is telling Drew about her viral wardrobe moment with Kathy Bates and shares behind the scenes moments of filming Succession, revealing the cast member she had a crush on, on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series Frasier (2023) - Season Two Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered) Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)

01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
05/13 - The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered)
06/06 - Shoresy - Season 2
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (Blu-ray)
07/08 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)

More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

07/04 - Happy 4th of July; Antenna TV's McHale's Navy Red, White and Navy Independence Day Marathon
07/03 - The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder Season 3 Premieres August 6; South Park New Season Moves by Two Weeks
07/02 - FETV Acquires The Rookies; Hulu Renews The Bear for Season 5
07/01 - Bert Kreischer Gets Netflix Sitcom; NBC Gets Into Survival Mode This Summer
06/30 - The Comeback Makes Another...Comeback; First Look at Black Rabbit at Netflix
06/29 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 30, 2025)
06/28 - SitcomsOnline Digest: The Comeback Returning for a Third and Final Season; South Park to Remain on HBO Max
06/27 - The White Lotus Star Teams Up with Netflix; Remembering Bobby Sherman, Lynn Hamilton, and Rick Hurst
06/26 - The CW's Fall Movie of the Week; First Look at New York Comic Con 2025
06/25 - Netflix Renews Ransom Canyon for Season 2; My Life with the Walter Boys First Look for Season 2
06/24 - Marc Maron Gets Second HBO Comedy Special; Outlander Prequel Renewed for Season 2 Ahead of Series Premiere
06/23 - MeTV Summer Changes, Adds Adventures of Superman; Jimmy Kimmel Live! Summer Guest Hosts
06/22 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 23, 2025)
06/21 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Night Court Officially Dead After Not Finding New Home; Weigel Announces New WEST Network
06/20 - Great American Media Announces New Danica McKellar Movie; Jennifer Love Hewitt ID True Crime Series
06/19 - Bad Thoughts Renewed for Season 2 at Netflix; Zarna Garg Gets Hulu Special This July
06/18 - Weigel Broadcasting Announces WEST Network with Classic TV Westerns; Hulu's Season 2 of Such Brave Girls
06/17 - Gary Coleman's Ex-Wife on A&E Series; Digman! Returns July 9 on Comedy Central
06/16 - Hulu's Chad Powers Teaser; Prime Video's Jesse Williams Series
06/15 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 16, 2025)
06/14 - SitcomsOnline Digest: NBC Mulls Airing The Paper on Primetime Lineup; Fox Revives Baywatch Reboot Talk
06/13 - My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman Renewed for 2 More Seasons; Hanna-Barbera Developing Adult Animated Series
06/12 - Comedy Superstar Jack Black Is the King of Comedy at Nickelodeon; Doc Adds Felicity Huffman
06/11 - Celebrities for Celebrity Family Feud Season 11; Netflix's Little House on the Prairie Starts Production
06/10 - Warner Bros. Discovery Separates Company; Peacock's Jennifer Garner Series Adds to Cast
06/09 - Comedian Ms. Pat Gets Season 3 of Courtroom Series; Disney Branded Television Animated Slate
06/08 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 9, 2025)
06/07 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Fox Cancels Alert: Missing Persons Unit and The Cleaning Lady; Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune Headed to Streaming
06/06 - Hulu's First Look at Amanda Knox Drama; Prime Video Lands Spy Thriller
06/05 - Disney's Electric Bloom Gets Premiere Date; Conan to Guest on NBC's Late Night
06/04 - Netflix Announces Haunted Hotel with Comedic Voices; Prime Video Unveils Trailer for Thriller