Thursday, August 03, 2017
The Middle to End After 9 Seasons; black-ish Spin-off Gets Titled grown-ish
The upcoming ninth season of ABC's critically acclaimed fan-favorite series The Middle will be its final one. It was announced by Channing Dungey, president, ABC Entertainment. After almost a decade on the air, the executive producers of the award-winning series have decided that the ninth season would be the best one in which to wrap up the story of the Heck family. The show stars two-time Emmy-winner Patricia Heaton as a harried wife and mother of three who lives in the middle of the country in Orson, Indiana, and uses her wry wit and sense of humor to get her family through each day intact. The farewell season begins Tuesday, October 3, at 8:00 p.m. EDT. The comedy stars stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue and Atticus Shaffer as Brick. It has received three Humanitas Prize nominations, with a win in 2016 for creators/executive producers Eileen Heisler and DeAnn Heline in the 30 Minute Category for the episode "The Graduate," a Critics' Choice Award nomination and a Gracie Award for Outstanding Comedy. Eden Sher previously received a Critics' Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Sue Heck.
Freeform, Disney's young adult television and streaming network, adds three series regulars to grown-ish (previously titled college-ish), a spin-off of ABC's award-winning hit series black-ish, starring breakout star Yara Shahidi as Zoey Johnson, from ABC Signature Studios. The 13-episode, single-camera comedy will start production next month and is set to premiere early 2018 on Freeform and the Freeform App, available on connected TV, mobile devices and online. Emily Arlook (The Good Place), Chris Parnell (Saturday Night Live) and Trevor Jackson (American Crime) join the previously announced cast of Yara Shahidi (black-ish) and Deon Cole (black-ish), with additional casting to be announced.
From black-ish executive producer Kenya Barris comes a contemporary take on the current issues facing both students and administrators in the world of higher education. Yara Shahidi portrays Zoey - Dre (Anthony Anderson) and Rainbow's (Tracee Ellis Ross) popular, entitled, stylish and socially active 17-year-old daughter - as she heads off to college and quickly discovers that not everything goes her way once she leaves the nest. Yara is joined by black-ish's Deon Cole (Charlie) who portrays Charlie, Dre's eccentric and unpredictable co-worker at Stevens & Lido. Zoey runs into Charlie during college orientation where she learns that he moonlights as an adjunct marketing professor. Arlook will portray Miriam, a freshman know-it-all at Southern California University with a no-holds-barred attitude. Parnell will portray the dean of Southern California University, and Jackson will portray a socially conscious sophomore at Southern California University. The series joins Freeform's expanding original comedy slate including Young & Hungry, starring Emily Osment; along with recently announced comedies Alone Together, starring Benji Aflalo and Esther Povitsky; and Marvel's New Warriors, starring Milana Vayntrub and Derek Theler, both set to premiere in 2018.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight
Friday, December 1
The Villains of Valley View - "A Very Villain Christmas" (Disney Channel, 8:00PM ET/PT)
The Madden family celebrates their first Christmas in Valley View; while trying to score their most wanted gift, Amy and Jake learn the true meaning of Christmas.
Bunk'd: Learning the Ropes - "Friends in Snow Places" (Disney Channel, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Santa's famous reindeer Comet and Cupid visit the ranch; Lou, Parker and Jake travel to a lodge in the mountains, but soon find themselves trapped in the cold.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of November 27)
Friday, December 1
- Henry Winkler (Barry/Arrested Development/Out of Practice/Monty/Happy Days) - Watch Henry on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Brie Larson (United States of Tara/Raising Dad) - Brie is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Eric Idle (Suddenly Susan/Nearly Departed) - Eric appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Maria Bamford (Lady Dynamite/Benched) - Maria is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Ms. Pat (The Ms. Pat Show) - Ms. Pat appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Angela Means (Cousin Skeeter) - Angela is a guest on repeats of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen on CBS between 12:37-1:37am.
- Kelsey Grammer (Frasier/Partners/Hank/Back to You/Cheers) - NBC's Today catches up with Kelsey in the 9am hour.
- Brandy Norwood (Zoe Ever After/The Game/Moesha/Thea) - Brandy chats and performs on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
- Patrick Stewart (Blunt Talk) - Patrick sits down with to chat about his book Making It So on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your listings.
- Marcus Scribner (grown-ish/black-ish) - Marcus tells Sherri about his coming-of-age film, How I Learned to Fly, on Sherri, so check your local listings.
- Chris Redd (Bust Down/Kenan/Disjointed) - Chris discusses his upcoming film Candy Cane Lane on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Tiffani Thiessen (Saved by the Bell/Alexa & Katie/Good Morning, Miami/Saved by the Bell: The College Years) - Tiffani discusses her latest cookbook, Here We Go Again: Recipes and Inspiration to Level Up Your Leftovers, and cooks on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
New on DVD/Blu-ray (September-December)
09/05 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Sixth Season
09/12 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Second Season
09/12 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-6 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/26 - Family Matters - The Complete Series
09/26 - Step by Step - The Complete Series
10/10 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season Thirteen / The Complete Season Fourteen
10/17 - ALF - The Complete Series (Deluxe Edition) (Shout! Factory Special Offers)
10/17 - Night Court (2023) - The Complete First Season
11/07 - South Park - The Complete Twenty-Sixth Season (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/14 - Leave it to Beaver - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/05 - Father Knows Best - The Complete Series
12/05 - The Odd Couple - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/12 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
12/19 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Official Restored Complete Series
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