Thursday, October 12, 2017
Hallmark's Holly Robinson Peete Series Coming in February; Remembering Sitcom Writer Bob Schiller
Having achieved great success with original primetime series, Hallmark Channel expands its original programming slate by commencing production on its first primetime reality series, Meet the Peetes. The series follows the lives of actress and activist Holly Robinson Peete (Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, 21 Jump Street) and her husband Rodney Peete, a star in the NFL for 16 years. Each episode chronicles their lives as they navigate the waters of raising kids and dealing with the same trials and tribulations facing many American families. The show will premiere February 2018 on Hallmark Channel. In Meet the Peetes, audiences will see Holly and Rodney's hectic lives as they attempt to balance raising four kids, including one with autism, running their HollyRod charity and spending time with Holly's 81-year-old mother Dolores, who moved in with them after retiring from her career as a talent manager. With daughter Ryan in college at New York University, their son with autism RJ working for the Los Angeles Dodgers he decides he's ready to leave the family nest. On top of that, Holly's mother Dolores announces she's ready to move out too - the Peetes are in a period of change that will continue to unfold in "Meet the Peetes" only on Hallmark Channel.
Writer Bob Schiller, who worked on I Love Lucy and All in the Family, has died. He died on October 10 in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, California. Mr. Schiller was 98.
Schiller's television writing career began in 1950 with The Garry Show Show. Some of his early sitcom writing credits included That's My Boy, The Jimmy Durante Show, December Bride, Professional Father and It's Always Jan.
He worked extensively with fellow writer and producer Bob Weiskopf on many television series beginning in 1953. Their credits in the 1950s included The Bob Cummings Show, I Love Lucy, The Ann Sothern Show (which they also created), The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour and Pete and Gladys. They were writers for 53 episodes of I Love Lucy for the fifth and sixth seasons from 1955-1957. In 1956, they received an Emmy nomination for the episode L.A. at Last.
Their credits in the 1960s and 1970s included The Lucy Show, The Good Guys, Love, American Style, All's Fair (which they also created) and All in the Family. They worked on variety series such as The Red Skelton Show, The Carol Burnett Show and The Flip Wilson Show. In 1970, they won an Emmy Award for their work on The Flip Wilson Show.
They worked together on 17 episodes of All in the Family from 1977-1979. They won an Emmy Award in 1978 for their work on the episode Cousin Liz, which dealt with Edith Bunker's inheritance of a valuable tea service from her deceased cousin Liz and her decision, upon learning that Liz's "roommate" Veronica is really Liz's surviving longtime companion, to give Veronica the service.
Schiller and Weiskopf later worked on the All in the Family spin-off series Archie Bunker's Place from 1979-1980. They also worked on Checking In, Sanford and He's the Mayor. Their producing credits included The Good Guys, All's Fair and Maude.
The Archive of American Television conducted an extensive interview with them on April 4, 2000.
Survivors include his wife of 49 years, Sabrina Scharf; his children Tom (who works as a director), Jim, Abbie and Sadie; and his grandchildren Ona, Charlie, Lucy, Archie and Amelie.
Mr. Schiller won two Emmy Awards, a pair of Peabody Awards, a Golden Globe, and the Writers’ Guild of America's Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television Achievement. We thank him for the many of hours of entertainment he brought us over the years. He will be missed.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Tuesday, February 11
St. Denis Medical - "Nobody Even Mentions the Brownies!" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Joyce pushes the staff to upsell patients on hospital procedures, kicking off some fierce competition and a case of mistaken identity; Bruce and Ron try to play plumber for a day.
Night Court - "Ab-ventures in Babysitting" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
An old friend returns and leaves Abby saddled with taking care of a baby during court; the gang tries to stop an influencer from publicly embarrassing the courthouse.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of February 10)
Tuesday, February 11
- Anthony Mackie (Twisted Metal) - Catch Anthony on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Lizzy Caplan (Party Down/The Class/The Pitts) - Lizzy appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Fred Armisen (Los Espookys/Forever/Final Space) - Fred is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Mikey Madison (Better Things) - Mikey appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. She is telling Drew about working on Oscar nominated film Anora, how director Sean Baker molded the role to her and some of her earliest acting influences on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings. Plus, she's making her baking debut and sharing her chocolate chip cookie recipe with Drew.
- Margaret Cho (All-American Girl) - Margaret is a guest on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Cecily Strong (Schmigadoon!), Rachel Dratch (Grimsburg/Imaginary Mary/30 Rock), Ana Gasteyer (American Auto/People of Earth/Lady Dynamite/Suburgatory), Cheri Oteri (Sit Down, Shut Up) - Cecily, Rachel, Ana, Cheri and Laraine Newman are guests on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9pm on Bravo.
- John Lithgow (Trial & Error/Twenty Good Years/3rd Rock from the Sun) - John stops by to talk about New York City Ballet's Carnival of the Animals on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
- Rickey Smiley (The Rickey Smiley Show) - Rickey sits down for a DAYTIME EXCLUSIVE on the unexpected miracle of learning he's the father of twin girls on Tamron Hall, so check your local lisitngs.
- Selma Blair (Anger Management/Kath & Kim/Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane) and Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Café Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - Selma is telling Drew about being a boy mom to a 13-year-old son, dating in her fifties and how she has spoken about her health to help others feel seen on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings. Plus, Selma is sharing one of her favorite simple breakfast dishes with Drew and Valerie Bertinelli.
- Laverne Cox (Clean Slate) - Laverne talks about starring in the new Amazon series Clean Slate on Sherri, so check your local listings.
New on DVD and 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)
01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive
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