SitcomsOnline Digest: Hulu Gets Past Seasons of Fox Animated Comedies; New Alice DVDs on the Way

Saturday, July 15, 2017

SitcomsOnline Digest: Hulu Gets Past Seasons of Fox Animated Comedies; New Alice DVDs on the Way

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we've got news that animated comedy fans who want to watch them on streaming media will be happy to hear, we're hearing about a new deal that Tyler Perry has with Viacom that could mean a lot for BET, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

Hulu is becoming the streaming destination if you like animated comedies, as this week, they added all past seasons Bob's Burgers and The Cleveland Show to the service, and will soon be adding all past seasons of American Dad. (Variety)
Tyler Perry has a new movie and TV deal with Viacom, and the TV part means that he will be producing about 90 episodes of original comedies and dramas for Viacom's cable every year, primarily BET. (Deadline)
Tamron Hall, who was recently bumped aside at NBC for Megyn Kelly, is looking to develop a new daytime talk show with current events, human interest stories, and celebrity interviews, but the question is, can she succeed where Katie Couric and Meredith Vieira did not? (CBS News)
The MLB All-Star Game used to be sort of a big deal in summer ratings, but it remained low this year as it did last year, and even worse, it came in second place to America's Got Talent. (Deadline)
The past season has been unusually good for Saturday Night Live in ratings, and it turns out that the critics have loved it too, as evidenced by the record number of Emmy Award nominations it received this week. (Variety)
The rest of nominations for the 69th Annual Emmy Awards are also out. (SitcomsOnline)

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

Warner Archive has gotten back on track with releases lately, and this week, a photo of the cover art for Alice - The Complete Fifth Season was revealed, finally giving fans of that series that they will in fact continue (and hopefully finish) past the Flo years for that series.

TUESDAY (JULY 18) HOME MEDIA RELEASES

Father Knows Best - Season Six (DVD, $34.99): It's not the first time it has been on DVD, but Shout! Factory is re-releasing the final season of this series to retailers, as it was previously only available from their online store.
T.J. Hooker - The Complete Series (DVD, $79.97): Shat happens when Shout! Factory releases the complete series of this classic series, with most seasons appearing on DVD for the very first time.

FOLLOW ME

Who to Follow: H. Jon Benjamin (Twitter), "i am 5'6, maybe 5'5 and 1/2"

Claim to Fame: This week, it was announced that Hulu would be adding several animated comedies, so it makes sense to feature H. Jon Benjamin, who has a distinct voice that can be heard in so many different series, yet you always know it is him. In fact, in one Family Guy appearance (where he plays the voice of minor character Carl on a recurring basis), Peter pointed out how similar his character on that series sounded like Archer and Bob from Bob's Burgers, which is because they are the same person. Those two series are where his voice has been most prominently heard, along with the series Home Movies.

Pick of the Tweets: "Stopped here for some beer and no lie, they didn't have beer. (pic)" (July 3, 2017)

Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Tuesday, December 7

Live in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes - (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
In this one-night-only event, an all-star lineup of talent will tackle the roles first portrayed in the iconic television sitcom “The Facts of Life,” including Jennifer Aniston playing the role of Blair, Gabrielle Union taking on the role of Tootie, Allison Tolman who will play Natalie and Kathryn Hahn recreating the role of Jo. Previously announced “Diff’rent Strokes” cast member Ann Dowd is also set to appear as Mrs. Garrett in this recreation of “The Facts of Life.” The Sony Pictures Television special can also be viewed the next day on demand and on Hulu.

The live special event will feature reenactments of the hit series “The Facts of Life,” created by Dick Clair and Jenna McMahon, and “Diff’rent Strokes,” created by Bernie Kukoff and Jeff Harris, and will reunite executive producers Norman Lear, Jimmy Kimmel, Brent Miller, Kerry Washington, Will Ferrell, Justin Theroux and Jim Burrows. Previously announced cast members taking on the famed “Diff’rent Strokes” roles include John Lithgow, who will play Mr. Drummond; Kevin Hart, assuming the role of Arnold; and Damon Wayans and Ann Dowd, who will play Willis and Mrs. Garrett in “Diff’rent Strokes.”

Abbott Elementary - "Pilot" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT)
In this workplace comedy, a group of dedicated, passionate teachers — and a slightly tone-deaf principal — are brought together in a Philadelphia public school where, despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life. Though these incredible educators may be outnumbered and underfunded, they love what they do — even if they don’t love the school district’s less-than-stellar attitude toward educating children.

The Last O.G. - "Know Thyself" (TBS, 10:30PM ET/PT)
Amira attends college presentations, and her quick decision surprises Tray, who then works to guide Amira toward a better understanding of her identity; while cleaning out Roberta's storage unit, Shahzad makes a discovery about her past.

Tyler Perry's House of Payne - "Wondering Prince" (BET, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Lisa helps Miranda set up her online dating proﬁle.

Tyler Perry's Assisted Living - "What the Wellness" (BET, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Mr. Brown vows that he's finished eating meat until he's left alone with a lot of soul food.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 6)

Tuesday, December 7

Brandy (Zoe Ever After/The Game/Moesha/Thea) - Catch Brandy on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
J. B. Smoove (Curb Your Enthusiasm/Mapleworth Murders/Bent/'Til Death) - J. B. guest hosts Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Kristin Davis (And Just Like That.../Sex and the City) and Cynthia Nixon (And Just Like That.../Sex and the City) - Kristin and Cynthia are guests on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. Kristin also talks about And Just Like That... on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am and on LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
Chris Kattan (The Middle) - Chris will be on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Jane Levy (Suburgatory) - Jane appears on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Sterling K. Brown (Starved) - Sterling is a guest on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
Whoopi Goldberg (Harlem/Whoopi/Bagdad Cafe) - Whoopi talks about her new holiday collection on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.