Thursday, February 15, 2018
The CW to Expand to 6 Nights; Netflix Gets 5th Season of Grace and Frankie
For the upcoming 2018-2019 season, The CW Network will expand its primetime schedule to include Sunday night, growing its line-up of original first-run programming from five nights to six nights. When the new season launches in October 2018, The CW will offer 12 hours of primetime series each week, Sunday-Friday (8:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT). The CW launched in 2006 as America's fifth broadcast network, with programming targeting younger viewers, a demographic highly sought after by advertisers. The CW, a joint venture between Warner Bros. Entertainment and CBS Corporation, will broadcast a six-night, twelve-hour primetime lineup, Sunday through Friday, beginning in Fall 2018, as mentioned. The CW's primetime programming is also available to stream for free, without authentication, on the ad-supported cwtv.com and The CW app, now available on every major OTT platform. In daytime, The CW broadcasts a Monday through Friday afternoon block and a three-hour Saturday morning kids block. The CW's digital network CW Seed launched in 2013 and offers original short-form digital content as well as past seasons of fan-favorite television series.
Netflix announced the renewal of its hit show Grace and Frankie for a fifth season. The series, produced by Skydance Television and starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Martin Sheen, and Sam Waterston, will return in 2019. In addition, RuPaul joins the cast as a guest star in season five as 'Benjamin Le Day,' a formidable and quick-witted adversary who faces off with Grace and Frankie. Season 4 of Grace and Frankie premiered globally on January 19.
Grace and Frankie's third season earned nine major television nominations, the most of any prior season, including Primetime Emmy Award and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for both Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, a Writers Guild Award nomination, an NAACP Image Award nomination, as well as a Costume Designers Guild and two Makeup and Hairstyling Awards. In Grace and Frankie, Jane Fonda ("Grace") and Lily Tomlin ("Frankie") star as two women whose lives are turned upside down when their husbands reveal they are gay and leave them for each other. Both sparring partners and partners-in-crime, Grace and Frankie form an unlikely and unbreakable bond and face their uncertain futures head-on, hand-in-hand. Together with their ex-husbands and children, they discover the true definition of "family," with laughter, tears and plenty of mood enhancers along the way.
The comedy stars Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Sam Waterston, Martin Sheen, Brooklyn Decker, June Diane Raphael, Ethan Embry, and Baron Vaughn.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Saturday, September 7
Johnson - "Bahama Breeze" (Bounce TV, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Naomi is impressed with Omar's growth; Antionette makes Jarvis a proposal at a much-needed time; Greg reconnects with Jada; Omar, Keith and Jarvis hit the club.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of September 2)
Friday, September 6
- Kumail Nanjiani (Bless the Harts/Silicon Valley) - Watch Kumail on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Michael Keaton (Report to Murphy/Working Stiffs/All's Fair) - Michael appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Conner O'Malley (Shrill) - Conner is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Edie Falco (Bupkis/Nurse Jackie) - Edie talks about her film I'll Be Right There on NBC's Today in the 10am hour and on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
- Josh Gad (Wolf Like Me/Avenue 5/The Comedians/1600 Penn/Back to You) - Josh is joining Drew and telling her about getting denied from his college's musical theater program and making his return to Broadway after eleven years with bestie Andrew Rannells on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Diane Farr (Splitting Together/Like Family/The Job) - Diane discusses the CBS drama series Fire Country on a repeat of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
04/03 - Too Close for Comfort - The Complete Series (VEI)
04/08 - Check It Out! - The Complete Series (VEI)
05/21 - Frasier (2023) - Season One
06/11 - The Jeffersons - The Complete Series (2024 Release)
06/11 - Welcome Back, Kotter - The Complete Series (2024 Release)
07/05 - Letterkenny - Season 12 (Final Season)
07/30 - Ted Lasso - The Richmond Way (The Complete Series) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/10 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-7
09/10 - Ted - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/17 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
09/17 - Top Cat - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
09/24 - Friends - The Complete Series (4K Ultra HD)
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)
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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