Saturday, November 24, 2018

SitcomsOnline Digest: ABC Passes on Sue Heck Spinoff of The Middle; What's Next for TV Land?

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! Thanksgiving weekend is in full force, and we hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving... and that you're prepared for Christmas, for better or for worse! This week, we're hearing some news about the proposed Sue Heck spinoff of The Middle, a potential change in direction for TV Land, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB
  • What the heck? It seems 2019 may not be the year of Sue Heck after all, as ABC has passed on the spinoff featuring the character of The Middle. (Entertainment Weekly)
  • TV Land’s last original scripted series, Teachers, has been cancelled, and there is some speculation that the network (which has fallen significantly in ratings from their heyday of the late 90s and early 00s) may be shifting more back to its classic TV roots. (Deadline)
  • We only pick on Alec Baldwin because we want to see him back on Saturday Night Live where he belongs, and he may be getting closer to that, as this week, a rerun of Shark Tank did double the ratings that his talk show previously did in the same timeslot on Sunday night.(Hollywood Reporter)
  • Four decades later, the "Turkeys Away" episode of WKRP in Cincinnati still stands out as one of the best Thanksgiving episodes of a series. (Vulture)
  • Just for a little holiday weekend fun (and since it's a slow news week), here's a list of some interesting things about some classic sitcoms that you may not necessarily know. (Screen Rant)
  • Laff and Escape have some new series coming for the new year. (SitcomsOnline)

TUESDAY (NOVEMBER 27) HOME MEDIA RELEASE

What I Like About You - The Complete Third Season



WEEKLY PLANNER (NOVEMBER 24 - NOVEMBER 30)
  • Decades has a binge marathon of Streets of San Francisco this weekend.
  • Antenna TV still has Growing Pains going all weekend long, until the final episode.
  • NBC gears up for the Christmas season on Wednesday night, with the 86th Annual Christmas in Rockefeller Center special as well as A Legendary Christmas with John and Chrissy (featuring John Legend and Chrissy Teigen).
  • ABC kicks off the Christmas season on Thursday night with three hours of Christmas programming, including Olaf's Frozen Adventure, Toy Story That Time Forgot, and the two hour special, Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration.
  • CBS isn't going all out like ABC and NBC are with any all-night Christmas specials next week, but they do have what is perhaps the biggest classic favorite on Tuesday night, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Wednesday, May 13

none scheduled

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of May 11)

Wednesday, May 13

  • Jim Parsons (Young Sheldon/The Big Bang Theory) - Watch Jim on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies) - Tom appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Billy Eichner (Friends from College/Difficult People/Parks and Recreation) - Billy is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Jill Kargman (Odd Mom Out) - Jill appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Alfonso Ribeiro (In the House/The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air/Silver Spoons) - Alfonso swings by the studio for a chat about ABC's America's Funniest Home Videos on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Geena Davis (The Geena Davis Show/Sara/Buffalo Bill) - Geena talks about The Boroughs on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
  • Lena Waithe (Master of None) - Lena chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT. She will also be on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
  • Martha Plimpton (Sprung/The Real O'Neals/Raising Hope) - Martha tells Drew about her show Task on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Cafe Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - Drew, Ross and Valerie cover the latest headlines on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Lamorne Morris (Woke/New Girl) - Lamorne talks about Spider-Noir on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • Marco Calvani (The Four Seasons) and Erika Henningsen (The Four Seasons/Girl5eva) - Marco and Erika talk about Netflix's The Four Seasons on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Abbott Elementary - The Complete Fourth Season (DVD) I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (DVD) The Office - The Complete Series - Superfan Extended Episodes (Blu-ray)

11/04/25 - Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11/25 - Rick and Morty - Season 8 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11/25 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fifteenth Season (DVD)
11/11/25 - Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/02/25 - Tom and Jerry - The Golden Era Anthology (1940-1958) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
12/16/25 - Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/16/25 - Wally Gator - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
01/20/26 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27/26 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11/26 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (Blu-ray)
03/24/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
04/11/26 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Fourth Season (DVD)
04/21/26 - Famous Studios Champion Collection (Blu-ray) (DVD)
05/19/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (DVD)
07/14/26 - The Office - The Complete Series - Superfan Extended Episodes (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

05/13 - Prime Video 2026 Upfront; BET Announces Lot Patrol
05/12 - ABC Upfront 2026-27: Fall 2026 Schedule; ABC Summer 2026 Schedule
05/11 - NBC Upfront 2026-27: Fall 2026 Schedule; Fox Upfront 2026-27: Fall 2026 Schedule
05/10 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of May 11, 2026)
05/09 - SitcomsOnline Digest: NBC Picks Up The Rockford Files and Two Comedies; King of the Hill Season 15 Premiere Date Set
05/08 - Hulu's Hannah Berner: None of My Business Special; Survival of the Thickest Returns July 2
05/07 - Highway to Heaven Reboot Coming to Fox in 2027-28; Hulu's Deli Boys Trailer
05/06 - King of the Hill Season 15 Premieres July 20; The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins Renewed for Season 2
05/05 - Son of a Critch Renewed for Final Season; The Four Seasons Trailer for Season 2
05/04 - Hulu's Lisa Ann Walter: It Was An Accident Trailer; Netflix Announces Season 2 of Bad Thoughts
05/03 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of May 4, 2026)
05/02 - SitcomsOnline Digest: NBC Cancels Stumble; Do You Want Kids? Not Going Forward at ABC
05/01 - ABC Renews Shifting Gears and Scrubs for 2026-27; AMC Upfront 2026
04/30 - Apple TV Season 5 of Trying; Netflix Announces Dad's House
04/29 - Ted Lasso Season 4 Premieres August 5; Heads Will Roll to Return on Audible
04/28 - The Big Bang Theory Spinoff Stuart Fails to Save the Universe Premieres in July on HBO Max; The CW Revives Private Eyes
04/27 - Hulu's Alice and Steve Premieres June 8; Prime Video Renews Hazbin Hotel for a Fifth and Final Season
04/26 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of April 27, 2026)
04/25 - SitcomsOnline Digest: First Look at Scooby-Doo: Origins; Clueless Sequel Series Not Going Forward at Peacock
04/24 - A Different World Sequel Wraps Production and Adds More Cast Members; Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro Coming to ABC and Hulu in July
04/23 - Antenna TV's One Day at a Time and Rewind TV's 227 Mother's Day Marathons; Valerie Bertinelli's Lifetime Movie Love, Again Premieres May 9
04/22 - Stavros Halkias Returns to Netflix; CNN to Air Matt Friend Comedy Special Friday
04/21 - COZI TV Acquires Two and a Half Men and Hangin' with Mr. Cooper This May; Deli Boys Season 2 First Look
04/20 - Pluto TV Spring Slate Includes My Wife and Kids; Hulu Adding Podcasts with New Girl, Prison Break and This Is Us Stars
04/19 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of April 20, 2026)
04/18 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Law & Order: Organized Crime Ending After Five Seasons; Price Is Right to Get Live Primetime Episode in December
04/17 - Great Entertainment Television Acquires Community; Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Stars Reuniting
04/16 - CBS Fall 2026-27 Schedule; The White Lotus Season 4 Filming Commences
04/15 - Audible Series with Kevin Hart This Father's Day; Pop Culture Jeopardy! Returns May 11
04/14 - Peacock Renews The 'Burbs; ABC's Drama Hits Get 2026-27 Renewals
04/13 - FETV Acquires Car 54, Where Are You?; Hacks Events Ahead of Final Season