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 / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Monday, November 4
The Neighborhood - "Welcome to the Vote" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Dave gathers everyone for a lengthy ballot-palooza party to discuss the merits of every candidate and prop on each of their election ballots. Also, Gemma is determined to run a tight ship as their local precinct captain when polls open at Walcott Academy. Kevin Pollak guest stars as Lamar.
Poppa's House - "Podcast" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Junior enlists Nina’s help to film a documentary of Poppa’s iconic career, but the direction of the film takes a detour when the radio station begins using AI promos with Poppa’s and Ivy’s voices.
What We Do in the Shadows - "Nandor's Army" (FX, 10:00PM ET/PT)
The vampires go on a mission to New Hampshire to retrieve Nandor, who has lost his mind.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of November 4)
Monday, November 4
- Allison Janney (Mom/Mr. Sunshine) - Watch Allison on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Keri Russell (Running Wilde/Daddy's Girls) - Keri is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- JB Smoove (Curb Your Enthusiasm/Blockbuster/The Millers/Bent/'Til Death) - JB appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Paul F. Tompkins (The Great North/BoJack Horseman/DAG) - Paul is a guest on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Zachary Quinto (Big Mouth/So Notorious) - Zachary stops by Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 10pm on Bravo.
- Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Café Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - Drew and Valerie are highlighting some extra special adoptable dogs with a local humane society. They're also hitting the headlines with Ross Mathews and trying out Dolly Parton's hack for the perfect baked potato on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Emily Osment (Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage/Young Sheldon/Young & Hungry/Hannah Montana) and Montana Jordan (Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage/Young Sheldon) - Emily and Montana are telling Drew about their hilarious Young Sheldon spinoff Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your listings.
- Bellamy Young (The Other Black Girl/Scrubs) - Bellamy joins Sherri to tell her how she is helping her hometown of Asheville, NC in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on Sherri, so check your local listings.
- Marcia Gay Harden (Trophy Wife) - Marcia discusses her children’s podcast, Snoriezzz, on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Brian Baumgartner (The Office) - NBC's Today catches up with Brian in the 9am hour.
- Meg Donnelly (American Housewife) - Meg is a guest on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:40am.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
09/10 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-7
09/10 - The Ropers - The Complete Series (VEI)
09/10 - Ted - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/17 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - Video Scrapbook
09/17 - Top Cat - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
09/24 - Friends - The Complete Series (4K UHD)
09/24 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Seventh Season (DVD) / The Complete Series (DVD) (Blu-ray)
10/08 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Twelfth Season / The Complete Series
10/22 - Veep - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/05 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/12 - The King of Queens - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (2024 Release)
11/19 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fourteenth Season
11/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 4 (Blu-ray)
12/03 - Angel (1960-1961) - The Complete Series, Volume 1
12/17 - Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (4K UHD)
02/04 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
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