Monday, April 02, 2018

Laff Acquires Home Improvement for September 2018; ABC Orders More Roseanne for 2018-19 Season

Home Improvement - Laff

Laff, the country's first-ever, over-the-air broadcast television network devoted to comedy around-the-clock, added to its lineup of the most popular and biggest EMMY®-winning sitcoms in contemporary television by licensing the television rights to Home Improvement from The Disney/ABC Television Group. In the multi-year licensing agreement announced today, Laff acquires the rights to broadcast all eight seasons and 203 half-hour episodes of Home Improvement and will debut the multiple EMMY® and Golden Globe®-winning series in September 2018.

Loosely based on the standup comedy of series star Tim Allen, Home Improvement ran on ABC-TV from 1991 to 1999 and was one of the highest-rated sitcoms for the entire decade. Allen plays Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor, an accident-prone television host and devoted family man. The series follows the trials and tribulations of family life and stars Patricia Richardson as Tim's wife and Zachary Ty Bryan, Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Taran Noah Smith as his three energetic and sometimes mischievous sons. Richard Karn plays Tim's best friend and co-host of "Tool Time" and Earl Hindman is Wilson, the eccentric voice of reason and the Taylors' neighbor whose face – as a running gag – was always concealed mostly behind the fence separating their yards. The series also launched the television career of Pamela Anderson who played the "Tool Time Girl" for two seasons and then by Debbe Dunning who replaced Anderson. In addition to garnering numerous awards, the popularity of Home Improvement made the series finale the fourth highest-rated comedy series finale of that decade behind Cheers, The Cosby Show and Seinfeld.

Home Improvement joins Laff's impressive collection of hit off-network comedies including Roseanne, That '70s Show, 3rd Rock from the Sun, The Drew Carey Show, Night Court, Spin City, Grace Under Fire, Ellen and more. Laff airs on the broadcast signals of local television stations and corresponding cable carriage and features a programming mix of contemporary off-network sitcoms and popular movies geared toward an audience of adults 18-49. Laff is seen in 90 percent of the U.S. representing more than 100 million homes and is part of The E.W. Scripps Company.


Roseanne

The ABC Television Network has picked up hit comedy revival Roseanne for an 11th season. With just one day of Nielsen's delayed viewing counted, the return of Roseanne saw its Total Viewer count swell by a best of season for any premiere telecast of over +3.4 million viewers to a 21.869 million average audience. In addition, after the first day of playback, Roseanne shot up to a 6.24 rating in Adults 18-49, adding more than 1.0 rating point and over 20% to its Adult 18-49 Live + Same Day number.

The timeless sitcom, featuring the complete original cast, new series regulars and notable returning guest stars, explores life, death and everything in between through the relatable, hilarious and brutally honest lens of the Conner household. With the inimitable Roseanne at its epicenter, fresh stories that tackle today's issues and even more laughs from a brilliant cast and crew that haven't missed a beat, audiences old and new will celebrate the homecoming of America's favorite working-class family. The revival has also drawn critical raves, with The New York Times calling it "feisty and funny" and The Wall Street Journal writing that Roseanne is "sparkling."

The series stars Roseanne Barr as Roseanne Conner, John Goodman as Dan Conner, Laurie Metcalf as Jackie Harris, Lecy Goranson as Becky Conner-Healy, Sara Gilbert as Darlene Conner, Michael Fishman as D.J. Conner, Emma Kenney as Harris Conner-Healy, Ames McNamara as Mark Conner-Healy and Jayden Rey as Mary Conner. Sarah Chalke, who played the character Becky in later seasons, will also appear in another role. Fan-favorite guest stars from Roseanne reprise their roles in the revival, including Estelle Parsons as Beverly Harris, Sandra Bernhard as Nancy Bartlett, Natalie West as Crystal Anderson, James Pickens Jr. as Chuck Mitchell and Adilah Barnes as Anne Marie Mitchell. Season 10 continues Tuesdays at 8:00pm on ABC.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Wednesday, October 8

Shifting Gears - "Date" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Matt and Eve go on their first date but have different ideas of what it should entail. Riley befriends the mom of Georgia’s new friend while Carter mediates a tiff between Gabe and Stitch. LA Dodger Mookie Betts and Lilly Singh guest star.

Abbott Elementary - "Cheating" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Melissa tries to outsmart her students; Tariq causes chaos in Janine’s class, and a new guidance counselor joins the school.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of October 6)

Wednesday, October 8

  • Tim Allen (Shifting Gears/Last Man Standing/Home Improvement) - Watch Tim on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • David Henrie (Wizards Beyond Waverly Place/Wizards of Waverly Place/How I Met Your Mother/The Pitts) and Janice Leann Brown (Wizards Beyond Waverly Place) - David and Janice talk about Wizards Beyond Waverly Place on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
  • Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation) - Aubrey talks about Luna and the Witch Throw a Halloween Party on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am and with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Ryan Reynolds (Two Guys and a Girl) - Ryan stops by for a talk with the hosts about John Candy: I Like Me on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Tom Papa (Come to Papa) - NBC's Today catches up with Tom in the 9am hour.
  • Morris Chestnut (Out All Night) - Morris talks about Watson on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Cafe Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - The Drew Crew team is sharing their best pro tips including newest Drew Crewer Amirah Kassem sharing how to make the perfect party dish and easy ways to level up hosting on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Tom Arnold (Roseanne/The Jackie Thomas Show/Tom/The Tom Show) - Tom is a guest on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:05am.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series Frasier (2023) - Season Two Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered) Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)

01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
05/13 - The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered)
06/06 - Shoresy - Season 2
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (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)

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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