Saturday, September 02, 2017

SitcomsOnline Digest: Alf Clausen Fired (Or Maybe Not?) from The Simpsons; Starsky and Hutch Reboot Gets Script-to-Series Committment at Amazon

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! Labor Day weekend has finally arrived, and everybody knows what that means: new fall seasons and new series are coming right around the corner! This week, we've got a light week of news, but we're hearing of a Simpsons crew member who might be gone and more on the reboot of Starksy and Hutch. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB
  • Alf Clausen, who is responsible for much of the music on The Simpsons, was either fired from the show or will continue in a reduced capacity (it's hard to say since everybody is being vague on what happened). (BBC)
  • We mentioned last week that Starsky and Hutch may possibly getting a reboot, and things have moved on that much quicker than anticipated, as Amazon has given a script-to-series commitment to the project this week. (Variety)
  • Actor Richard Anderson, who played Oscar Goldman in The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman, died this week at age 91. (New York Times
  • Comedy Central will be airing a South Park marathon starting on Wednesday that is being hyped on a lot of media outlets as "every" episode, although it is worth pointing out (since seemingly no other media outlet is doing it) that there are 277 episodes and that they'll actually only be airing 254 episodes (which is still a lot). (Entertainment Weekly)
  • A lot of series will be debuting their new season this month (though we'll have to wait until October for some), here is a rundown for some of the ones you can expect to see in September. (Entertainment Weekly)
  • Antenna TV is ready to roll with their fall lineup starting next week. (SitcomsOnline

TUESDAY (SEPTEMBER 5) HOME MEDIA RELEASES
Kevin Can Wait - Season One
  • Just Shoot Me - The Complete Series (DVD, $79.97): Shout! Factory finally completes this 90s series from NBC on DVD with this release.
  • Kevin Can Wait - Season One (DVD, $26.99): Although the series will be a little different next season with a major cast change, the first season of the CBS series arrives in this release, just ahead of the second season.

FOLLOW ME

Who to Follow: Tone Bell (Twitter), "DISJOINTED on NETFLIX on AUG 25th. There are no abs under this shirt --- IG: toneBell"
Claim to Fame: A little over a week ago, Netflix debuted the sitcom Disjointed, a sitcom created by David Javerbaum and Chuck Lorre, about a character played by Kathy Bates who runs a medical marijuana shop. The reviews of the series have been terrible, and it has been described as the worst sitcom of the summer. Still, it does have a talented cast who'll either continue to flourish here despite those reviews or go on to something else. Among those cast members, we have Tone Bell, who is not new to the sitcom world at all. He previously had a role in the NBC series Whitney as RJ. But more than that, he is also a stand-up comedian and has also been seen in series such as Bad Judge, Single Ladies, and Key and Peele. Disjointed probably won't be the role he'll be best known for, and it may even become one of those hilarious footnotes in his career, but we wouldn't be surprised to see him go on to something successful that makes a name for himself in the future.

Pick of the Tweets: "Slid thru the homie @ericandre bday last night, and so did these people. This MF Eric knows how… (pic)" (April 9, 2017)


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Friday, January 16

Happy's Place - "An Accountant Prepares..." (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Bobbie pushes Steve into auditioning for a local commercial to keep him busy, not realizing she signed herself up to be his scene partner; Isabella gives Emmett notes on his new appetizer for the tavern.

Stumble - "Lorraine" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Stung by the betrayal of the person who leaked the tape, the once-nurturing Courteney radically transforms into a drill sergeant; more driven than ever to prevail at Daytona, she calls in the premier choreographer in the country.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of January 12)

Friday, January 16

  • Denis Leary (Going Dutch/No Good Deed/Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll/The Job) - Watch Denis on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Chelsea Handler (Are You There, Chelsea?) - Chelsea appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Jodie Foster (Paper Moon/Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice/The Courtship of Eddie's Father) - Jodie is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Simu Liu (Kim's Convenience) - Simu appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Walton Goggins (The Righteous Gemstones/The Unicorn/Vice Principals) - Walton talks about Fallout on Live with Kelly and Mark (check your local listings) and with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Kim Fields (The Upshaws/Living Single/The Facts of Life/Baby, I'm Back) - Kim talks about The Upshaws with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Belissa Escobedo (Happy's Place) - Belissa talks about Happy's Place on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray) Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season (DVD) St. Denis Medical - Season One (Blu-ray) Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
08/26 - The Huckleberry Hound Show - The Complete Original Series (Blu-ray)
09/30 - Touché Turtle and Dum Dum - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
10/07 - Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season (DVD)
10/14 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
10/28 - St. Denis Medical - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/04 - Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - Rick and Morty - Season 8 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fifteenth Season (DVD)
11/11 - Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/02 - Tom and Jerry - The Golden Era Anthology (1940-1958) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
12/16 - Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/16 - Wally Gator - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
01/20 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (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

01/15 - The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins Gets Special Preview; ABC Midseason Changes for Monday and Tuesday Night Lineups
01/14 - NBC Orders Pilots, Including The Rockford Files; The CW to Premiere Celebrity Series
01/13 - 83rd Golden Globe Winners; Tubi's Upcoming YA Film Slate
01/12 - Peacock's The 'Burbs Trailer; The Jeff Foxworthy Show Launch Back on COZI TV
01/11 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of January 12, 2026)
01/10 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Henry Winkler to Star in NBC Legal Comedy Pilot; First Look at Peacock's The 'Burbs
01/09 - HBO's Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! Documentary with Interviews Including Rob Reiner; 83rd Annual Golden Globes Presenters
01/08 - Netflix Orders Nick Kroll Comedy Series; Saturday Night Live January 2026 Hosts and Music Guests
01/07 - Saturday Night Live Bobbleheads from the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum; Fox Entertainment Signs Tracee Ellis Ross to Deal
01/06 - Emily in Paris Renewed for Season 6; Audible's New Comedy Series Starring Jenifer Lewis, Cedric the Entertainer, and Niecy Nash-Betts
01/05 - Trailer for The Muppet Show Special Event; Season 3 of Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal on Adult Swim
01/04 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of January 5, 2026)
01/03 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Premiere Date Set for Malcolm in the Middle Reboot; NBC Pulls The Paper
01/02 - Bridgerton Season 4 Details and Live Premiere Event; NBC Pulls The Paper from Mondays
01/01 - Happy New Year; Shrinking Season 3 Trailer
12/31 - In Memoriam: Remembering the Sitcom Stars We Lost in 2025
12/30 - Antenna TV and Rewind TV's New Year's Eve and Day Marathons; Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair Premieres April 10
12/29 - COZI TV Postpones The Jeff Foxworthy Show Launch; Netflix Releases Free Bert Trailer
12/28 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of December 29, 2025)
12/27 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Chevy Chase "Hurt" By Not Being Invited to SNL 50th Anniversary; New Lineups for Antenna TV and Rewind TV
12/26 - GET Acquires Psych for January 2026; Details on Netflix's A Different World Sequel
12/25 - Merry Christmas from Sitcoms Online; Interviews from 2025 Christmas Con in Edison, NJ
12/24 - 2025 Christmas Eve and Christmas Day TV Marathons
12/23 - Antenna TV January 2026 Schedule; Rewind TV January 2026 Schedule
12/22 - The Ms. Pat Show Returns January 7; According to Jim Christmas Day Marathon on Laff
12/21 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of December 22, 2025)
12/20 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Historical 19th Century Comedy in the Works at CBS; Bowen Yang Leaving Saturday Night Live After Tonight
12/19 - The Muppet Show 50th Anniversary Event in February on ABC & Disney+; Adult Swim Renews Haha, You Clowns for 2 More Seasons
12/18 - The Oscars Moving to YouTube in 2029; Celebs for Hollywood Squares Season 2
12/17 - MeTV Remembers Rob Reiner with Tribute Marathon; MGM+ to Make New The Magnificent Seven Series
12/16 - The Rob Reiner Story: A Hollywood Tragedy – ABC News Special; Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion Part 2 on CBS
12/15 - Remembering the Legendary Rob Reiner of All in the Family; Trailer for Netflix's His & Hers