Tuesday, March 26, 2019

TBS Celebrates Family Guy's 20th Anniversary; Apple TV+ Launching This Fall

Family Guy 20th Anniversary Marathon

On April 15, 2019 TBS will celebrate the 20th anniversary of Family Guy with a marathon of Seth MacFarlane's top 20 episodes. The anniversary celebration will continue throughout the month of April on tbs.com and the TBS app, where fans can enter to win Family Guy swag. Featured episodes will also be released weekly throughout the month of April. The marathon is set to run from 10:30 AM - 10:00 PM on TBS, leading into a new episode of American Dad! and a re-run of the Family Guy / American Dad! / Cleveland Show crossover episode. With MacFarlane's commentary on each episode, the linear schedule is below.:

Family Guy
10:30 AM - "Road to Rhode Island"
"This was the first Stewie/Brian road show we ever did, and it's the first episode that firmly established their unique relationship. It was our fresh take on that classic old trope of a dog and a baby hitting the road together."
11:00 AM - "Brian Wallows and Peter's Swallows"
"This episode won us an Emmy for its musical number. Before that, none of us had never seen an Emmy before."
11:30 AM - "North by North Quahog"
"Our first episode back from cancellation. It was a comedic riff on a Hitchcock classic, complete with a Bernard Herrmann score. This is the type of whip-smart, nuanced writing I was capable of 10,000 drinks ago."
12:00 PM - "Petarded"
"This is a brilliant episode and just so Twitter knows, I was out with the flu the day they came up with the title."
12:30 PM - "PTV"
"This episode was the culmination of our completely wholesome, non-sexual relationship with the FCC."
1:00 PM - "Brian Sings and Swings"
"This episode featured our dear friend, the wonderful Frank Sinatra Jr. It's also when I realized that if you have songs in an episode, you have to write way less."
1:30 PM - "Patriot Games"
"One word: Shipoopi."
2:00 PM - "The Griffin Family History"
"A fun premise and a great-looking episode. This was our first real foray into a non-traditional format."
2:30 PM - "Road to Rupert"
"Stewie dances with Gene Kelly. Enough said."
3:00 PM - "Blue Harvest Pt. 1" & "Blue Harvest Pt. 2"
"This episode is what finally put Star Wars on the map."
4:00 PM - "I Dream of Jesus"
"The bird is still the word."
4:30 PM - "Road to Germany"
"This was our homage to Herman Wouk's 'The Winds Of War.' And sadly, if you’re an American male under age 35, studies show this episode is all you know about World War II."
5:00 PM - "Road to Multiverse"
"Back before Walt Disney's Family Guy was a real thing, it was a fake thing."
5:30 PM - "Extra Large Medium"
"Psychics are frauds. You’re welcome."
6:00 PM - "Brian Griffin’s House of Payne"
"An amazing opening sequence with great visual effects scored by a 75-piece orchestra. Fun trivia: Family Guy employs more full-time tuba players than the rest of Hollywood combined."
6:30 PM - "Brian and Stewie"
"We wanted to see if our characters were interesting enough to sustain a full episode in one room, without gags or cutaways. In Hollywood, this is called a "bottle episode,” because it only utilizes one set, and also because the writers were drunk."
7:00 PM - "And Then There Were Fewer Pt. 1" & "And Then There Were Fewer Pt. 2"
"I think this is my favorite episode of the series. A classic format, great-looking direction, and, I hope, a genuinely surprising ending. It was also the first episode to air in HD. It was really cool to finally see Lois’s pores."
8:00 PM - "Road to the North Pole Pt. 1" & "Road to the North Pole Pt. 2"
"My dad’s in this one."
9:00 PM - "The Big Bang Theory"
"This was based on a story I wrote in college. The A.V. Club gave this episode a B, which is their highest rating I think."
9:30 PM - "Back to the Pilot"
"It was fun to re-visit an era before I hired people who could draw better than me."
American Dad! - New Episode
10:00 PM - "Fantasy Baseball"
CROSSOVER EPISODE: Family Guy / American Dad! / Cleveland Show
10:30 PM - "Hurricane"


Apple TV+

Apple announced Apple TV+, the new home for the world's most creative storytellers featuring exclusive original shows, movies and documentaries, coming this fall. Apple TV+, Apple's original video subscription service, will feature a brand new slate of programming from the world's most celebrated creative artists, including Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Octavia Spencer, J.J. Abrams, Jason Momoa, M. Night Shyamalan, Jon M. Chu and more. On the Apple TV app, subscribers will enjoy inspiring and authentic stories with emotional depth and compelling characters from all walks of life, ad-free and on demand.

Additionally, Apple debuted the all-new Apple TV app and Apple TV channels coming in May 2019. The all-new Apple TV app brings together the different ways to discover and watch shows, movies, sports, news and more in one app across iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, smart TVs and streaming devices. Users can subscribe to and watch new Apple TV channels - paying for only services they want, like HBO, SHOWTIME and Starz - all on demand, available on and offline, with incredible picture quality and sound; enjoy sports, news and network TV from cable and satellite providers as well as purchase or rent iTunes movies and TV shows all within the new, personalized Apple TV app.

Beginning in May, customers can subscribe to Apple TV channels à la carte and watch them in the Apple TV app, with no additional apps, accounts or passwords required. Apple TV channels include popular services such as HBO, Starz, SHOWTIME, CBS All Access, Smithsonian Channel, EPIX, Tastemade, Noggin and new services like MTV Hits, with more to be added over time around the world.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Friday, November 8

Happy's Place - "Fish Fry Monday" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When Emmett sees Bobbie drowning in work, he devises a clever ruse to give her a much-needed day off fishing, all under the guise of reviving the tavern's Fish Fry Mondays; Isabella dives into the world of bartending with Gabby.

Lopez vs Lopez - "Lopez vs the Roast of George Lopez" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
After George experiences a minor fall that leaves him with cake on his face, the family begins to treat him like a fragile old man; when Chance is caught using a curse word, Rosie questions Mayan's modern parenting techniques.

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place - "Wizards Just Wand to Have Fun" (Disney Channel, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Billie and Justin work together to undo a spell when Billie's prank goes awry; Roman gets some new muscles thanks to a magical muscle tee; Milo's class pet is loose in the house.

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place - "The Legend of Creepy Follows" (Disney Channel, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Billie uses a spell on her BadgerBook profile and accidentally enchants her classmates; she tries to find a way to break it to get everyone back to normal.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of November 4)

Friday, November 8

  • Allison Janney (Mom/Mr. Sunshine) - Watch Allison on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Salma Hayek Pinault (The Sinbad Show) - Salma is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Kathy Bates (Disjointed) - Kathy appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Pamela Anderson (Stacked/Home Improvement) - Pamela is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies) - Tom appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Rachel Bloom (Reboot) and Jim Rash (Community/Help Me Help You/Thanks/Katie Joplin) - Rachel and Jim are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Lauren Graham (M.Y.O.B./Conrad Bloom/Townies/Good Company) - Lauren is in the house on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your listings.
  • Tim Matheson (Just in Time/Window on Main Street) - Tim talks about his book, Damn Glad to Meet You: My Seven Decades in the Hollywood Trenches, on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your listings.
  • Pete Holmes (How We Roll/Crashing) and Judy Greer (Kidding/Married/Mad Love/Miss Guided/Arrested Development) - Pete and Judy are chatting about their new holiday movie, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • JB Smoove (Curb Your Enthusiasm/Blockbuster/The Millers/Bent/'Til Death) - JB talks about Buy It Now on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • Jeremy Piven (Entourage/Ellen/Pride & Joy/The Larry Sanders Show) - Jeremy is a guest on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:45am.
  • Ms. Pat (The Ms. Pat Show) - Ms. Pat appears on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:10am.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Friends - The Complete Series (4K UHD) Young Sheldon - The Complete Series Veep - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

09/10 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-7
09/10 - The Ropers - The Complete Series (VEI)
09/10 - Ted - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/17 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - Video Scrapbook
09/17 - Top Cat - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
09/24 - Friends - The Complete Series (4K UHD)
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)
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)
02/04 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (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

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11/03 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of November 4, 2024)
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10/27 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of October 28, 2024)
10/26 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Matlock Renewed for Second Season; Happy's Place Off to a Solid Start
10/25 - Peacock's Based on a True Story Returns November 21; CBS to Honor Jerry Mathers at Awards Show
10/24 - Family Guy's Gift of the White Guy Holiday Special; Laid Arrives December 19 on Peacock
10/23 - Bad Sisters Season 2 Returns November 13; Trailer for Hulu's Interior Chinatown
10/22 - Goosebumps: The Vanishing Premieres January 10; Michelle Buteau Gets 2nd Netflix Special
10/21 - Fox Adds Martin Short to Grimsburg; Secret Level Cast Announced by Prime Video
10/20 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of October 21, 2024)
10/19 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Rick and Morty Renewed for Two More Seasons; A Look at Abbott Elementary and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Crossover
10/18 - Apple TV+ Renews Shrinking for Season 3; Guest Voices for Phineas and Ferb New Season
10/17 - Watson Premieres January 2025 on CBS; Anthony Jeselnik Gets 3rd Netflix Comedy Special
10/16 - Lifetime's It's a Wonderful Lifetime 2024 Schedule; YouTube Sitcom Gets Season 4
10/15 - Tom Papa Is Home Free on Netflix; Apple TV+ Reveals Season 2 Details for Silo
10/14 - ABC Halloween 2024 Schedule; Reba Creates Happy's Place Theme Song
10/13 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of October 14, 2024)
10/12 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Spinoff of The Big Bang Theory in the Works; Velma Canceled by Max
10/11 - Netflix Renews Nobody Wants This; Alicia Silverstone to Lead Acorn TV Series
10/10 - Max's The Sex Lives of College Girls Returns November 21; FETV Acquires Laramie
10/09 - HBO's Seth Meyers Special Debuts October 26; New Late Night Comedy Series Focuses on Crazy Florida
10/08 - Somebody Somewhere Returns for Final Season; Virgin River Season 6 Drops for Holiday Season