SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! It's the last week of "unofficial summer," as September is right on our doorstep. This week, we have some sad news as we have learned that Valerie Harper has died, we're hearing about a special savings for the new Disney+ steaming service, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

It's time for another edition of Fri-Yay! That means we will take a look back on some sitcom happenings in recent days or weeks or other fun sitcomy stuff. It's a sitcom lover's paradise! Happy Fri-Yay!

by Vincent

NBC is next up in our check-in of returning sitcom slates. Currently, NBC has once again found itself to the home of a well-loved, critically adored group of sitcoms in Superstore, The Good Place and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. However, just as was the case in the first half of the decade with 30 Rock, Community, The Office and Parks and Recreation, those shows haven't always translated to the best ratings. So we'll see what NBC has on the burner for the upcoming season.

Returning sitcoms: In my opinion, NBC probably has the strongest block of comedies quality-wise if only because Superstore and The Good Place call the network home, and I'd call those two shows the best sitcoms on TV right now. Both shows have pulled in a solid amount of viewers, but neither are necessarily huge, network-defining hits, and The Good Place is ending this season as creator Mike Schur has felt the show is reaching its natural endpoint. Therefore, NBC is definitely in the hunt for a new show that it can rest its comedy laurels on. The network probably thought that could've been the revival Will & Grace, but after a strong start, the series has faltered enough in the ratings that it wasn't even given a fall timeslot - instead, its on the back-burner with Brooklyn Nine-Nine, which similarly returned after its Fox cancellation to big numbers that gradually faded over the course of the season. NBC isn't in a dire spot comedy-wise, but it could definitely use some new blood.

New sitcoms: NBC is keeping with the experimental theme that worked for it with The Good Place with its two new comedies Perfect Harmony and Sunnyside. Perfect Harmony is a musical comedy and Sunnyside is a high-concept series from Kal Penn and Mike Schur about a NYC councilman who dedicates his life to helping immigrants. Even if Superstore and The Good Place aren't huge hits, NBC seems to be banking on their viewers sticking around for all of Thursday night - these are definitely right from those show's playbook, with the issues-based comedy of Superstore and the high-concept fun of The Good Place. Maybe after years of trying to attract "broad" audiences, NBC has finally realized it's better off cultivating a small but dedicated audience for its comedies.

The bottom line: NBC is certainly not ABC or even CBS in terms of its abilities to develop high-rated, huge hit comedy shows. However, after spending several seasons desperately trying and failing to emulate those networks with laughable attempts at recreating their biggest hits (remember Go On? Sean Saves the World? The Michael J. Fox Show? Yeah, not many other people do, either...), it seems like NBC may be finally accepting that the not huge, but solid and dedicated audiences that follow smart, well-crafted comedies like Superstore and The Good Place might be their best way forward in the comedy department. It seems as if NBC is planning to develop that audience with their new comedies, and I think it's a strong strategy for the network going forward.

Unruly ghosts, a terrifying masked murderer and everyone's favorite sister witches are heading your way for Freeform's annual "31 Nights of Halloween" programming event. From Oct. 1-31, fans of the most spooktacular time of year can enjoy all of the haunts with fan-favorite feature films, a new original special, marathons of The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror (premieres Oct. 2) and more all month long. After last year's highly successful "Hocus Pocus 25th Anniversary Halloween Bash," Freeform will continue the party this year with a new original special, 31 Nights of Halloween Fan Fest. Taping on Sept. 12th at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, California, the celebration of Halloween's biggest pop culture moments will honor the icons of the season as we celebrate the most beloved movies, television shows and musical artists who have become synonymous with Halloween. More details about the special will be announced at a later date.

The network has also added more chills and thrills with new movies to the line-up. Marking its 35th anniversary, the classic hit Ghostbusters and its sequel Ghostbusters 2, as well as the first three Scream films, will be airing throughout the stunt, joining other "31 Nights of Halloween" staples including Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas and The Addams Family. And not to be forgotten, Freeform is THE home for the iconic Halloween feature film Hocus Pocus, airing throughout the stunt and a back-to-back-to-back marathon on Oct. 31. For the second year, Freeform opens its ghoulish gates to Freeform's Halloween House, an interactive experience in the heart of Hollywood and the ultimate destination for Halloween lovers. View the full 2019 schedule here.

Comedy Central ordered a 10-episode second season of hit series South Side, the aspirational, scripted comedy set in and around the working class neighborhood of Englewood on the South Side of Chicago. Season one of South Side, currently airing Wednesday nights at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on Comedy Central, is garnering universal praise from critics and holds a 100% Certified Fresh rating from Rotten Tomatoes. Watch a preview of this week's episode here. Through the first five episodes of season one, South Side is averaging a 1.02 L+3 rating with African American P18-49 viewers, making it Comedy Central's highest-rated new series in that demo since the Key & Peele launch in 2012. It's also the #1 new original primetime cable comedy of the year in the demo and the #1 new cable comedy of 2019 with African American M18-49 (1.23 rating). Overall, South Side is averaging a 0.35 P18-49 L+3 rating, up +13% from the same time slot average in 2018.

The show follows two friends who just graduated community college ... so now they're ready to take over the world! But until they do they're stuck at Rent-T-Own, a retail-rental crossroads where the South Side's vast ensemble of characters come together. Despite the obstacles of inner-city life, these friends and their co-workers all strive to achieve their entrepreneurial dreams. Brought to life by local Chicagoans, both in front of and behind the camera, this show gives viewers an authentic portrayal of what life on the South Side is all about. It's evidence that what you see on the news is only a small piece of the city. South Side was created by Bashir Salahuddin (Glow), Diallo Riddle (Marlon) and Sultan Salahuddin. Bashir Salahuddin, Riddle, and Michael Blieden - all Late Night with Jimmy Fallon alumni - are executive producers. Kellyn Parker and Kelci Parker are executives in charge of the show for Comedy Central.

HBO has renewed the sketch comedy series A Black Lady Sketch Show for a second season. A Black Lady Sketch Show, which debuted August 2, is a narrative series set in a limitless magical reality full of dynamic, hilarious characters and celebrity guests. The show presents sketches performed by a core cast of black women, including creator Robin Thede, Ashley Nicole Black, Gabrielle Dennis and Quinta Brunson. Thede executive produces, writes and stars and Issa Rae (Emmy(R) and Golden Globe nominee for HBO's Insecure) executive produces.

Laugh-out-loud funny and not afraid to be controversial, A Black Lady Sketch Show touches on such culturally relevant themes as social norms, anxiety, religion, sex, dating and relationships. Each episode consists of five to six sketches, showcasing the comedic talents of Robin, Quinta, Ashley and Gabrielle portraying an array of dynamic and varied characters, as well as hyper versions of themselves in interstitials featuring four friends stuck in a house during an end-of-the-world event. Unprecedented in sketch comedy TV history, the show is created by, written by, directed by and starring an array of black women.

Pop TV announced that Hot Date, the sketch comedy series spotlighting modern-day relationship dilemmas, will return for its second season on Friday, Sept. 20 at 10:00 and 10:30 PM, ET/PT. The half-hour, 10-episode series stars real-life married couple Emily Axford and Brian Murphy, two comedians who appear in the show as heightened versions of themselves trying to figure out this thing called love. In its second season, Hot Date welcomes a swipe-right list of guest stars including Randall Park (Fresh Off the Boat), Margaret Cho (Drop Dead Diva, 30 Rock) and Thomas Lennon (Reno 911, The Odd Couple). Executive produced by Will Arnett and his Electric Avenue production company, Big Breakfast, a Propagate company and Artists First, Hot Date is inspired by the popular digital comedy Hot Date, which has garnered over 100 million views to date on the CollegeHumor Originals YouTube channel.

In its second season, Hot Date will tackle the awkwardness and unpredictability of friendships, love and adulthood with the help of new characters and familiar faces from the show's freshman season. Set in a new city, New Orleans, this season will focus on the many eccentricities "The Big Easy" has to offer while remaining centered on relational comedy. Emily and Murph are also planning a wedding and must attempt to navigate the various stresses that come with taking their relationship to the next level.

YouTube Originals premiered the trailer for the highly anticipated second season of their original series Liza on Demand. Following more than 38 million views of the season one pilot, Liza on Demand will return with an all new season on September 25, 2019. Fans can get excited for the second season by binge watching the first season, which will be made available for free starting today only on YouTube. For season two, episodes will be available for free and release weekly every Wednesday. All episodes will be available to binge on launch day for YouTube Premium subscribers.

The ten episode, half-hour series follows the chaotic misadventures of Liza (Liza Koshy) and her roommates Oliver (Travis Coles, David Makes Man) and Harlow (Kimiko Glenn, Spiderman: Into the Spider-verse, Orange Is the New Black) as Liza takes on various tasks and odd jobs while trying to get ahead in the gig economy. Season 2 brings even more fun with Liza and her roommates, as they navigate trends, friends, and making ends meet. From going off the grid to competitive decluttering, from getting lost in obsessive photo editing to putting on a musical about gentrification, Liza, Harlow and Oliver dive humorously headlong into current issues like body image, racism, and "compare and despair."

With a stellar cast of guest actors (Rachael Leigh Cook, Andy Daly, Josh Peck, Chrissie Fit, Jim O'Heir, Kevin Nealon, Nora Dunn and more), Season 2 of Liza on Demand is bigger, better, and bolder than before - but still stays true to its relevant themes and the winning charm of Liza, Harlow, and Oliver. Whether it's lowering their dating standards to basement level or taking on bar trivia night as "Threeyoncé", this diverse group of friends navigates the often confusing but always entertaining journey of being young, single, and clinging to your optimism for dear life.

CBS Fall Preview Show, hosted by new series' stars Patricia Heaton (Carol's Second Act); Billy Gardell and Folake Olowofoyeku (Bob ♥ Abishola); Mike Colter and Aasif Mandvi (Evil); Simone Missick (All Rise); and Walton Goggins (The Unicorn), is a primetime special highlighting the three comedies and two dramas that comprise the Network's five new fall programs. It will be broadcast Monday, Sept. 9 from 9:00-9:30 PM, ET/PT on the CBS Television Network, and CBS All Access, CBS’ digital subscription video on demand and live-streaming service. Additionally, the special will be available on demand across multiple platforms through mid-October, providing viewers with convenient anytime access to information about the Network's new fall lineup.

The platforms featuring the special include CBS.com (https://www.cbs.com/shows/fall-preview/) and participating CBS stations' sites, as well as on demand via the Network's various cable, satellite, vMVPD and telco partners. In addition to the primetime run of the special on Sept. 9, CBS affiliates will have the opportunity to broadcast the special multiple times during their local airtime. Throughout the special, the stars will introduce their series and present select scenes from the shows' premiere episodes.

Walmart's streaming platform Vudu has launched the trailer for first original series Mr. Mom, which begins Thursday, Sept. 12. Based on the classic '80s hit film written by John Hughes and starring Michael Keaton, this series is a modern retelling of Mr. Mom. Megan (Andrea Anders) and Greg (Hayes MacArthur) are at a parenting crossroads. After five years raising their two kids at home, Megan has unexpectedly landed her dream job. Greg’s career is anything but a dream job, so after several failed attempts at securing childcare he abruptly quits in order to take his turn as the stay-at-home parent. He’s thrust headlong into a world of tantrums, diapers and cheese sticks, all while finally attempting to get his start-up off the ground. Megan quickly finds out just how much has changed as she reenters a workplace filled with overeager millennials and strange new terms like Slack and hot-desking. It’ll take all the patience these two parents can muster as they try to raise their kids, make ends meet, and find a little time for their marriage.

Get ready to "Lifetime and Lounge" this holiday season! Lifetime announces its largest holiday movie slate ever for the network's annual It's a Wonderful Lifetime programming event, kicking off October 25 and continuing through December 25. The Christmas lights switch on early with all-day holiday programming on Lifetime, with 28 premiere movies and a new holiday special - that's more than 1000 hours of yuletide-themed programming airing over two months! This year's slate will also include a new special, Battle of The Christmas Movie Stars, premiering on December 21, pitting some of season's biggest stars against one another to see who is crowned the king or queen of Lifetime Christmas as they battle it out with holiday themed challenges. With 60 plus days of holiday movies featuring some of television and music’s most beloved stars, it's time to kick up your feet, get cozy and comfortable to enjoy It's A Wonderful Lifetime.

We announced the reunions but now the full list of stars is in! The stars joining in this year are Megan Hilty, Marcus Rosner, Marla Sokoloff, Rob Mayes, Marie Osmond, Kyla Pratt, Ed Ruttle, Rachel McLaren, Jim O'Heir, Melissa Joan Hart, Ricardo Chavira, Ted McGinley, Michael Gross, Markie Post, Lexi Lawson, Mark Ghanimé, Beth Broderick, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Michael Xavier, Tim Reid, Belinda Montgomery Adelaide Kane, Greyston Holt, Loretta Devine, Katie Leclerc, Ryan Cooper, Jennifer Ellis, Caroline Keeler, Kathy Harum, Jana Kramer, Percy Daggs III, Moira Kelly, Brian McNamara, Dee Wallace, Barry Bostwick, Erin Cahill, Kevin McGarry, Patrick Duffy, Jaclyn Smith, Erin Karpluk, Damon Runyan, Sarah Drew, Ryan McPartlin, Lesley Ann Warren, Tiya Sircar, George Wendt, Tia Mowry-Hardrict, Jesse Hutch, Patricia Richardson, Hilarie Burton, Tyler Hilton, Megan Park, Cristian de la Fuent, Pam Grier, Soleil Moon Frye, George Stults, Jaleel White, Kelly Rowland, Ali Liebert, Jake Epstein, Habree Larratt, Corey Sevier, Emily Rose, Vanessa Lachey, Christopher Russell, Julianna Guill, Corey Sevier, Erica Durance, J.T. Hodges, Kim Fields, Adrian Holmes and Tatyana Ali.

In anticipation and celebration of the fourth and final season of NBC's critically applauded and Emmy Award-nominated comedy, the network and The Paley Center for Media are collaborating on the hourlong special The Paley Center Salutes The Good Place, scheduled to air Thursday, Sept. 19 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Comprised of the best moments, hilarity and wit from the show's first three seasons, The Paley Center Salutes The Good Place will feature interviews with the show's stars - Ted Danson, Kristen Bell, William Jackson Harper, Jameela Jamil, Manny Jacinto and D'Arcy Carden - as well as with creator Michael Schur. In addition, the show will offer rarely seen behind-the-scenes footage.

The new season of The Good Place will premiere Thursday, Sept. 26 at 9 p.m. ET/PT as part of NBC's comedy lineup. The evening begins with the return of Superstore at 8 p.m. followed by the new series Perfect Harmony, starring Bradley Whitford. Immediately after The Good Place comes the new series Sunnyside, starring Kal Penn and executive produced by Schur. The Good Place is currently Emmy nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series as well as receiving nods for Ted Danson for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, Josh Siegal and Dylan Morgan for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, and Maya Rudolph for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.

It's Sunday, so it is time for "Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows" for the coming week. This is where we list what sitcom stars are appearing on talk shows for the coming week, the stars are both current and past sitcom stars, so this is for all sitcom fans of all eras!
For the week of August 26-30, 2019, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! All times listed are Eastern. So get your DVRs (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!


Sunday, August 25

• Adam DeVine (Workaholics/Modern Family) - Catch Adam on a repeat of Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.

Monday, August 26

• Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep/The New Adventures of Old Christine/Seinfeld) - Watch Julia on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Dakota Johnson (Ben and Kate) - Dakota appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Jon Lovitz (Mr. Box Office/NewsRadio/Foley Square) - Jon is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Sofia Vergara (Modern Family/The Knights of Prosperity/Hot Properties) - Sofia appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• David Cross (Arrested Develpment/Running Wilde/Oliver Beene) - David is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Wanda Sykes (The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - Wanda appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Jane Levy (Suburgatory) - Jane is a guest on a repeat of Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Carly Craig (American Housewife/Burning Love) - Carly appears on a repeat of Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Henry Winkler (Barry/Out of Practice/Monty/Happy Days) - Henry visits Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• John Travolta (Welcome Back, Kotter) - John and his daughter Ella Bleu are guests on a repeat of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Jodie Sweetin (Fuller House/Hollywood Darlings/Full House) - Jodie guest co-hosts a repeat of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Portia de Rossi (Better Off Ted/Arrested Development/Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher/Too Something) - Portia appears on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Olivia Munn (Perfect Couples) - Olivia is a guest on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Finesse Mitchell (A.N.T. Farm) - Finesse appears on a repeat of The Real, so check your local listings.
• Alysia Reiner (Better Things) - Alysia will be on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 11:30am ET.
• Niecy Nash (Getting On/The Soul Man/Reno 911!) - Niecy talks about Black Girls Rock on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
• Christina Milian (Grandfathered) - Christina talks about Falling Inn Love on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
• Drake Bell (Drake & Josh) - Drake talks about Fuego Lento on People Now at 12pm.

Tuesday, August 27

• Alison Brie (GLOW/Community) - Catch Alison on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Maya Rudolph (Bless the Harts/Forever/Up All Night) - Maya appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Michael Ian Black (Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later/The Jim Gaffigan Show/Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp) - Michael is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Tiffany Haddish (The Last O.G./The Carmichael Show) - Tiffany appears on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Don Cheadle (Black Monday/House of Lies/The Golden Palace) - Don is a guest on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Eliza Coupe (Rob Riggle's Ski Master Academy/Future Man/Benched/Happy Endings) - Eliza appears on a repeat of Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Anna Konkle and Maya Erskine (PEN15) - Anna and Maya are guests on a repeat of Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Natasha Lyonne (Russian Doll) - Natasha stops by Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Betty Gilpin (GLOW/Nurse Jackie) - Betty appears on a repeat of Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
• Fred Savage (What Just Happened??! with Fred Savage/Friends from College/The Grinder/Working/The Wonder Years) - Fred chats with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Anthony Anderson (black-ish/Guys with Kids/All About the Andersons) - Anthony visits LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
• Molly Shannon (The Other Two/Divorce/Kath & Kim/Cracking Up) - Molly drops by LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
• Will Smith (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) - Will is a guest on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Tituss Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) - Tituss talks about his new album on a repeat of The Wendy Williams Show, so check your local listings.
• Jane Lynch (Angel from Hell) - Jane is a guest on a repeat of The Real, so check your local listings.
• Christina Milian (Grandfathered) - Christina appears on Jerry O on select Fox stations, so check your local listings.

Wednesday, August 28

• Whitney Cummings (Whitney) - Watch Whitney on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC. She also appears on a repeat of Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
• Mindy Kaling (The Mindy Project/The Office) - Mindy appears on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Adam Scott (Ghosted/Parks and Recreation/Party Down) - Adam is a guest on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Logan Browning (Dear White People) - Logan appears on a repeat of Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Niecy Nash (Getting On/The Soul Man/Reno 911!) - Niecy stops by Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Amanda Seales (Insecure) - Amanda is a guest on a repeat of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Ellie Kemper (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt/The Office) - Ellie visits LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
• Jodie Sweetin (Fuller House/Hollywood Darlings/Full House) - Jodie talks about the Never Thought I'd Say This podcast on a repeat of Access Live, so check your local listings.
• Boris Kodjoe (The Last Man on Earth/Second Time Around) - Boris shares his workout regime on a repeat of Access Live, so check your local listings.
• Peter Facinelli (Nurse Jackie) - Peter is a guest on Jerry O on select Fox stations, so check your local listings.

Thursday, August 29

• Julio Torres (Los Espookys) - Catch Julio on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Danny McBride (Vice Principals/Eastbound & Down) - Danny appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Keegan-Michael Key (Friends from College/Playing House/Gary Unmarried) - Keegan-Michael appears on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine/Are We There Yet?/Everybody Hates Chris) - Terry is a guest on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Charlie Hunnam (Undeclared) - Charlie appears on a repeat of Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Rami Malek (The War at Home) - Rami is a guest on a repeat of Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Dax Shepard (Bless This Mess) - Dax chats with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Mary McCormack (The Kids Are Alright/Welcome to the Family) - Mary guest co-hosts a repeat of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Nicole Byer (Loosely Exactly Nicole) - Nicole appears on a repeat of The Wendy Williams Show, so check your local listings.
• Constance Wu (Fresh Off the Boat) and Keke Palmer (Scream Queens/True Jackson, VP) - Constance, Keke and the cast of Hustlers are guests on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
• Vanessa Lachey (Dads) - Vanessa will be on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 11:30am ET.

Friday, August 30

• Ramy Youssef (Ramy) - Watch Ramy on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Bill Pullman (1600 Penn) - Bill is a guest on a repeat of Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Kumail Nanjiani (Silicon Valley) - Kumail visits LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
• Deon Cole (grown-ish/Angie Tribeca/black-ish) - Deon appears on a repeat of The Wendy Williams Show, so check your local listings.
• David Alan Grier (The Cool Kids/The Carmichael Show/Bad Teacher/Life with Bonnie/DAG) - David is a guest on a repeat of Access Live, so check your local listings.
• Tia Mowry (Family Reunion/Instant Mom/The Game/Sister, Sister) - Tia talks about Family Reunion on a repeat of Access Live, so check your local listings.
• Krista Allen (Significant Mother) - Krista wants an honest man on a repeat of Steve, so check your local listings.

All listings are subject to change. Visit our blog and main site for daily updated listings. Leave us comments on our message board or Tweet/Facebook us to let us know what you think of this Sunday feature! We do listen!

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Sitcoms Airing This Week

Sunday, August 25

Last Man Standing - "The Courtship of Vanessa's Mother" (Fox, 7:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Vanessa's mother comes to visit and hits it off with Ed; Mandy and Kyle tutor Boyd, but they may be the ones getting outsmarted.

Last Man Standing - "Dreams vs. Realty" (Fox, 7:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Mandy nearly gives up on her dream of becoming a fashion designer when she is faced with rejection; Vanessa looks back at her own career path, which stirs up regrets; Mike steps in to help the women in his family realize their dreams.

The Simpsons - "Crystal Blue-Haired Persuasion" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
After Homer's work cuts children's health care benefits, Marge turns to buying healing crystals as a cheaper solution for Bart's ADD; Bart begins to succeed in school, prompting Marge to open her own crystals empire and sell to mothers at school.

What Just Happened??! with Fred Savage - "Neighbor" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Fred struggles to discuss the mysterious cliffhanger from "The Flare" and speak with his guests because of a new noisy neighbor on the stage next door; Eric Stonestreet and Randall Park stop by.

Family Guy - "Trans-Fat" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Peter is mistakenly identified as transgender, which leads to an unexpected event and him learning an important lesson.

What Just Happened??! with Fred Savage - "Elevator" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
When Fred gets stuck in an elevator and is unable to host the show, Taylor must face her biggest fear: hosting the show alone; Ike Barinholz, Jillian Bell and Taran Killam stop by.

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Monday, August 26

The Neighborhood - "Welcome to the Camping Trip" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When the Johnsons invite the Butlers to go camping, Dave is taken aback by Calvin’s idea of roughing it. Also, Gemma and Tina cross paths with Maynard (Jim O’Heir), a general store proprietor who may not be as friendly as he seems.

The Big Bang Theory - "The Inspiration Deprivation" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
The concept of what it would mean for women everywhere if Amy were to win a Nobel Prize causes Amy to have a meltdown. Also, Koothrappali and Wolowitz try to relive the good old days after Wolowitz buys a scooter that looks like the one he had years ago. Oscar-winning actress Regina King returns as Janine.

The Big Bang Theory - "The Decision Reverberation" (CBS, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Koothrappali is worried people won’t take him seriously in his own field after publishing a paper that suggests he may have discovered alien life. Also, Leonard wants to be the principal investigator on a plasma physics study.

Mom - "Flamingos and a Dance-Based Exercise Class" (CBS, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Bonnie and the ladies help Tammy prepare for her first date since getting out of prison. Also, in order to take the edge off, Christy revisits one of her old vices. French Stewart returns as Chef Rudy.

I Ship It - "Superfans" (The CW, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Ella continues her job as a writer's PA on "Superstition," and Sasha is given an opportunity by being cast as a new character on the show; Winnie asks Ella for the latest details on "Superstition."

In The Cut - "Raging Bully" (Bounce TV, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Jay's sister visits with a new beau, who used to bully Jay; Smitty's barber's license expires, leaving him in jeopardy of losing it without Kenny's help.

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Tuesday, August 27

Bless This Mess - "Predators" (ABC, 10:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Rio is having trouble adjusting to social and cultural differences between New York and Nebraska, resulting in a few awkward encounters. Through their wild chase to catch an unwanted predator that is after their chickens, Mike and Rio soon convince Rudy and Beau to step out of their comfort zones by getting them to express their feelings.

black-ish - "Relatively Grown Man" (ABC, 10:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
After Junior gets an offer for his dream job working with Migos, Dre and Bow are determined to convince him to return to college and get his degree.

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Wednesday, August 28

The Goldbergs - "I Lost on Jeopardy!" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Having become obsessed with game shows since leaving college, Erica tries out for “Jeopardy!” Meanwhile, a new crush for Barry comes to light, prompting him to realize he might not be over Lainey.

Schooled - "Darth Mellor" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Lainey encourages Glascott to trust his niece and let her get her driver’s license, only to find Felicia isn’t trustworthy. CB and the student “Star Wars” club bring Mellor along to the premiere of “The Phantom Menace,” but Mellor’s thoughts on the movie cause the club to dissolve.

Modern Family - "Can't Elope" (ABC, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Haley and Dylan’s plan to quietly elope before the babies are born doesn’t go as smoothly as they had hoped. Meanwhile, Jay continues to try and get his new business off the ground by courting an Instagram celebrity.

Single Parents - "Summer of Miggy" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Seeing that baby Jack is about to walk for the first time, Miggy feels old and tries to recapture his youth by throwing an epic party. When the party doesn’t go as expected, he insists that Poppy and Douglas stick around to help him. Angie’s boyfriend, Owen, meets Graham for the first time, which doesn’t go as well as they had hoped. When Will gets an opportunity to do the weather at 10:00 p.m., Rory tags along and causes drama on the set.

Younger - "Holding Out for a Shero" (TV Land, 10:00PM ET/PT)
Millennial is left reeling after another regime change. Kelsey deals with the aftermath of her social media mishap. Liza tries to be polite while letting go of the past. The gang celebrates Diana.

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Thursday, August 29

The Big Bang Theory - "The Plagiarism Schism" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Kripke (John Ross Bowie) has proof that Dr. Pemberton (Sean Astin) plagiarized his thesis in college, and Sheldon and Amy aren’t sure if they should turn him in or not. Also, Wolowitz is happily surprised to learn that Bernadette wasn’t the only waitress at the Cheesecake Factory who had a crush on him back in the day.

Young Sheldon - "A Research Study and Czechoslovakian Wedding Pastries" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Dr. Sturgis (Wallace Shawn) recommends Sheldon and Missy for a university research study on twins, and Mary is unhappy when the test results go to Sheldon’s head.

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Friday, August 30

American Housewife - "Locked in the Basement" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Much to Katie’s dismay, Anna-Kat becomes best friends with Chloe Brown Mueller’s daughter, Penny. When Katie takes extreme measures to avoid Chloe and keep the girls apart, Anna-Kat and Penny are forced to take matters into their own hands. Meanwhile, Greg encourages Oliver to be honest with his girlfriend and not hide his passion for ballet.

Fresh Off the Boat - "Trentina" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Eddie begins dating Trent’s sister Tina (guest star Isabel Oliver Marcus, “This Is Us”) but it puts a strain on his friendship with Trent. When Evan fails his physical education test because he can’t run, he turns to Jessica for help, but she’s even worse at running than he is. Meanwhile, Louis is thrilled when the restaurant gets the Golden Prune award as being the best place for seniors to dine, but the honor doesn’t reap the results he expected.

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Saturday, August 31

none scheduled

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Sunday, September 1

Last Man Standing - "HR's Rough n' Stuff" (Fox, 7:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Kyle's first day in Outdoor Man human resources is more than he bargained for when Chuck and Joe file a complaint against Mike; Ryan finds himself in the doghouse when he, Kristen and Boyd take care of a neighbor's puppy.

Last Man Standing - "Common Ground" (Fox, 7:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Mike struggles to find common ground with the new foreign exchange student, fearing she is being too polite with him; Kyle and Chuck mess with Ed's ancestry results.

The Simpsons - "Krusty the Clown" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Homer finds his calling as a TV recapper, but his harsh grading causes a brawl with Krusty; after almost killing Homer, Krusty hides out at a real circus and finds happiness there.

Bob's Burgers - "The Fresh Princ-ipal" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Things get out of hand when Louise wins a contest to be principal for a day; Teddy has a unique suggestion to help Bob when he suddenly finds himself unable to flip burgers.

Family Guy - "No Giggity, No Doubt" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When the guys volunteer to chaperone the high school prom, Quagmire hits it off with Courtney only to discover that she is his daughter.

What Just Happened??! with Fred Savage - "Havenbrook" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
After "The Flare" is canceled, Fred is heartbroken but must now do his job discussing the new hit teen drama "Havenbrook"; comic Ron Funches and former professional wrestler Paige stop by.

Complete TV Listings

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! We've made it to the last week of August and it already feels like fall in some places, which means that an exciting new fall TV season is coming (or it could be a bust, who knows?). It's a slow news week, but we've got news of a new series under development at NBC, a Dancing with the Stars contestant that even the host publicly disapproves of, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

It's time for another edition of Fri-Yay! That means we will take a look back on some sitcom happenings in recent days or weeks or other fun sitcomy stuff. It's a sitcom lover's paradise! Happy Fri-Yay!

by Vincent

ABC is next up in our check-in of returning sitcom slates. ABC has been a big center of family comedies in recent years, and that mostly continues in 2019-2020. Let's jump into their line-up:

Returning sitcoms: ABC's solid block of family sitcoms are all returning, from Modern Family to The Goldbergs to The Conners to black-ish to Fresh Off the Boat. The big change, though, will be coming after this TV season, as the upcoming 11th season will be the final season of Modern Family. Just as CBS is scrambling to find its Big Bang replacement, ABC is likely doing the same thing with Modern Family - with the big caveat that ABC does have The Conners, which actually rated higher than Modern last season and is returning as the network's biggest ratings hit. Whether The Conners will be able to keep its strong Season 1 numbers now that we're fairly far removed from the Roseanne situation and hype is certainly a question, but even if it can maintain half of its Season 1 audience, it'll be a big hit for the network. Otherwise, except more of the same from the anchor sitcoms - The Goldbergs and black-ish continue to be strong tentpoles, Fresh Off the Boat is holding down the fort on Fridays, and promising sophomores Bless This Mess, Single Parents and Schooled are also back on the line-up hoping to build on their respectable Season 1 showings. The only real downgrade is American Housewife, which gets bumped to Fridays after just a so-so rated third season last year.

New sitcoms: There's only one new sitcom on ABC's fall schedule, the black-ish spin off mixed-ish, which follows Rainbow's upbringing. First spinoff grown-ish has been a fairly strong hit for Freeform, so it makes sense that ABC is continuing to build off the solid black-ish brand. Still, it's somewhat surprising to not see more new comedies, but I guess ABC is thinking "if it's not broke, don't fix it." Though ABC does have multi-camera sitcom United We Fall waiting in the wings for mid-season that could be a potential companion for The Conners.

The bottom line: ABC is probably in the best place sitcom-wise of all four networks. They have a really strong core of anchors and enough solid performers to fill two and a half entire blocks and not have any real weak spots. It says a lot that ABC felt they could essentially bring back their entire slate last season and not have to add many new pieces. Yes, there are some questions - will The Conners be as big in Season 2 as Season 1? Is anything being set up to take over for Modern Family? Can the modest sophomore hits like Bless This Mess, Single Parents and Schooled step up and become anchors in their second season the way shows like The Goldbergs and black-ish were eventually able to? Those are questions that will eventually have to be answered, but for now, things are good in sitcom land at ABC.

Antenna TV, Tribune Broadcasting's multicast network, announced the addition of five classic series to the network's 2020 lineup, with four sitcoms starting in January 2020 and one in Fall 2020. Antenna TV, which airs in 136 TV markets across the U.S. reaching 89% of TV households, continues to aggressively invest in programming acquisitions. Beginning in January 2020, Antenna TV will add The Facts of Life, Diff'rent Strokes, Designing Women and NewsRadio. In Fall 2020, Who's the Boss? will join the lineup. All five series come from Sony Pictures Television and originally aired in the late '70s through late '90s. Diff'rent Strokes and NewsRadio are returning to Antenna TV in new deals, while The Facts of Life, Designing Women and Who's the Boss? are brand new to Antenna TV! Both Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of Life are currently airing on MeTV, but will migrate over to Antenna TV by Jan. 2020. Designing Women was last seen on getTV, while NewsRadio hasn't aired since Antenna TV last aired it and Who's the Boss? is coming to a multicast network for the first time.

With a lineup of celebrities including a supermodel, a former White House press secretary, a Bachelorette, pro-athletes from the NFL and NBA, a Supreme and a '90s TV icon to name a few, Dancing with the Stars is waltzing its way into its highly anticipated upcoming 2019 season. The new celebrity cast is adding some glitzy bling to their wardrobe, breaking in their dancing shoes and readying themselves for their first dance on the ballroom floor, as the show kicks off Monday, Sept. 16 from 8:00-10:00 p.m. EDT, on ABC. For the first time ever, viewers will have to tune in to the season premiere to find out with whom their favorite professional dancers are paired. This season also features the return of a loved pro, Peta Murgatroyd, and two new professional ballroom dancers. Episodes can also be viewed the next day on ABC.com, the ABC app and Hulu. As announced yesterday morning on ABC's Good Morning America, the celebrities and professional dancers heading to the ballroom this season (in alphabetical order) are the following:

Celebrities:
· Lauren Alaina - country music star
· Christie Brinkley - supermodel
· Ally Brooke - pop star
· Hannah Brown - The Bachelorette
· Karamo Brown - TV host, Queer Eye
· Kate Flannery - TV star, The Office
· Ray Lewis - NFL Hall of Famer
· Kel Mitchell - comedian/actor, Kenan & All/All That
· Lamar Odom - two-time NBA champion
· Sean Spicer - former White House press secretary
· James Van Der Beek - TV icon, Dawson's Creek
· Mary Wilson - The Supremes

Professional dancers:
· Brandon Armstrong
· Lindsay Arnold
· Alan Bersten
· Cheryl Burke
· Witney Carson
· Val Chmerkovskiy
· Sasha Farber
· Jenna Johnson
· Daniella Karagach
· Keo Motsepe
· Peta Murgatroyd
· Pasha Pashkov
· Gleb Savchenko
· Emma Slater

NBC will air A Little Late with Lilly Singh: The Primetime Special on Wednesday, Sept. 18 at 10 p.m., two days following the premiere of her new late-night show on Sept. 16. The telecast will immediately follow the two-hour season finale of America's Got Talent. The hourlong special will introduce primetime audiences to Singh as she partakes in sketches, interviews, games and interacts with the audience. Celebrity guests and a musical guest will be added at a later date. Singh is a multi-faceted entertainer, finding success as an actress, producer, writer and creator. She's a leading force in the digital world, amassing a global audience of more than 14 million subscribers on her YouTube channel where she writes, produces and stars in comedic and inspirational videos.

DECADES television network will honor the 90th birthday and enduring comedic style of Primetime Emmy Award winner Bob Newhart with a weekend binge of his most celebrated primetime series: The Bob Newhart Show, Newhart and Bob. DECADES will present 82 select episodes spanning each eponymous series, along with interviews from The Dick Cavett Show, starting Saturday, September 7 at 1:00PM ET, and continuing through Monday, September 9 at 7:00AM ET. In November, The Paley Center for Media will present Newhart with the Paley Honors Award for his enduring impact on television comedy. Viewers can see the complete DECADES network schedule and find out where to watch by visiting www.decades.com

Mike Epps and Wanda Sykes are set to star in the new comedy series, The Upshaws. Mike and Wanda bring their distinct voices to this multi-camera comedy that centers on a working-class Africian American family in Indiana struggling to make it work and make it right without the blueprints to do it. Wanda Sykes (Wanda Sykes: Not Normal) will star, executive produce, and serve as co-showrunner. Sykes is a 2019 Emmy nominee for 'variety special' and 'writing for a variety special' on Wanda Sykes: Not Normal. Mike Epps (Dolemite is My Name, Only One Mike) will star and executive produce. Regina Hicks (The L Word, Generations Q, Central Park, Insecure) will serve as showrunner and executive producer. Dan Spilo (Sunnyside) will serve as an executive producer. Page Hurwitz (Wanda Sykes: Not Normal, Tiffany Haddish Presents They Ready) will serve as an executive producer. She is a 2019 Emmy nominee for Wanda Sykes: Not Normal. Niles Kirchner (Only One Mike) will serve as an executive producer.

CBS announced that the Network has reached a new agreement with The Late Late Show's James Corden to continue to host his acclaimed broadcast through August 2022. Corden, who received the most Emmy Award nominations of any individual performer this year, originally took over as host of CBS' late night talk and variety series on March 23, 2015.

2019 has been another breakthrough year for Corden and The Late Late Show. He earned the most individual Emmy nominations (seven) for any performer, for his work on The Late Late Show, the Carpool Karaoke primetime specials, the Carpool Karaoke series for Apple, and The World's Best. Additionally, the much-talked-about Carpool Karaoke: When Corden Met McCartney Live from Liverpool has been streamed nearly 150 million times across Facebook and YouTube. The Carpool Karaoke McCartney special repeated last night, August 19 at 10:00 PM, ET/PT as well on the CBS Television Network. The Late Late Show with James Corden is produced by CBS Television Studios and airs weeknights (12:37-1:37 AM, ET/PT) on CBS. Ben Winston and Rob Crabbe are the executive producers.

For the second year, Freeform opens its ghoulish gates to Freeform's Halloween House, an interactive experience in the heart of Hollywood and the ultimate destination for Halloween lovers. Bringing cult classics to life including Hocus Pocus, Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Addams Family and other fan-favorite movies from Freeform's "31 Nights of Halloween" programming stunt, the network will transform the historic Hollywood Athletic Club into an immersive, multiroom Halloween sanctuary. Open to the public from Wednesday, Oct. 2, through Monday, Oct. 7, the limited time encounter will bring back buzzed-about photo opportunities, as well as new activations that will surely give guests the chills. Tickets are now available here. In addition, this year Freeform will welcome Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters 2 and Scream, Scream 2, and Scream 3 to the annual programming event.

The HBO comedy series Silicon Valley returns for its seven-episode, sixth and final season Sunday, Oct. 27 from 10:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT. A collaboration between Mike Judge and Alec Berg, the Emmy(R)-winning and Golden Globe-nominated series takes a comedic look at the modern-day epicenter of the high-tech gold rush, where the people most qualified to succeed are the least capable of handling success. The series stars Thomas Middleditch as Richard, Zach Woods as Jared, Kumail Nanjiani as Dinesh, Martin Starr as Gilfoyle, Amanda Crew as Monica, Jimmy O. Yang as Jian-Yang, Suzanne Cryer as Laurie Bream, Matt Ross as Gavin Belson and Josh Brener as Big Head.

Priscilla Presley & John Eddie co-created & executive produced Agent King, an animated adult action comedy for Netflix featuring Elvis Presley as a covert government agent who fights to keep America safe while also maintaining his cover as the King of Rock & Roll. Archer alum Mike Arnold to showrun/write. More info is still to come, but it's one of the Netflix projects that is coming up next. Voice info is still to come.

It's Sunday, so it is time for "Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows" for the coming week. This is where we list what sitcom stars are appearing on talk shows for the coming week, the stars are both current and past sitcom stars, so this is for all sitcom fans of all eras!
For the week of August 19-23, 2019, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! All times listed are Eastern. So get your DVRs (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!


Monday, August 19

• Billy Eichner (Friends from College/Difficult People) - Watch Billy on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Issa Rae (Insecure) - Issa appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Dax Shepard (Bless This Mess) - Dax is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies) - Tom appears on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• D'Arcy Carden (The Good Place/Barry), Henry Winkler (Barry/Out of Practice/Monty/Happy Days) and Bill Hader (Barry) - D'Arcy, Henry and Bill are panelists on Lights Out with David Spade at 11:30pm on Comedy Central.
• Rebel Wilson (Super Fun Night) - Rebel chats with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Bryton James (Family Matters) - Bryton appears on a repeat of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Charlie Barnett (Russian Doll) - Charlie is a guest on a repeat of The Real, so check your local listings.
• Bella Thorne (Shake It Up) - Bella appears on a repeat of ABC's Strahan & Sara at 1pm.
• Donald Faison (The Exes/Scrubs/Clueless) - Donald talks about Emergence on Access Live, so check your local listings.
• Melissa Peterman (Reba/Working Class/Baby Daddy) - Melissa guest co-hosts Access Live, so check your local listings.
• Patti LaBelle (Out All Night) - Patti opens up about her 22-year battle with diabetes on a repeat of The Dr. Oz Show, so check your local listings.

Tuesday, August 20

• Jim Gaffigan (The Jim Gaffigan Show/My Boys/Welcome to New York) - Catch Jim on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Jameela Jamil (The Good Place) - Jameela appears on a repeat of Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Joey King (Bent) - Joey is a guest on a repeat of Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Marc Maron (GLOW/Maron) - Marc visits Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Jerry O'Connell (We Are Men/Do Not Disturb/Carpoolers/My Secret Identity) - Jerry appears on a repeat of Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
• Chelsea Handler (Are You There, Chelsea?) - Chelsea chats with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Jane Fonda (Grace and Frankie) and Lily Tomlin (Grace and Frankie/Malibu Country) - Jane and Lily are guests on a repeat of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Jamie Foxx (The Jamie Foxx Show) - Jamie stops by LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
• Marlon Wayans (Marlon/The Wayans Bros.) - Marlon talks about Netflix's Sextuplets on Access Live, so check your local listings.
• Melissa Peterman (Reba/Working Class/Baby Daddy) - Melissa guest co-hosts Access Live, so check your local listings.
• Anna Faris (Mom) - Anna will be on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 11:30am ET.

Wednesday, August 21

• Donald Glover (Atlanta/Community) - Watch on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• D'Arcy Carden (The Good Place/Barry) - D'Arcy appears on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Selena Gomez (Wizards of Waverly Place) - Selena is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Joe Namath (The Waverly Wonders) - Joe appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Fred Savage (What Just Happened??! with Fred Savage/Friends from College/The Grinder/Working/The Wonder Years) - Fred is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Jane Lynch (Angel from Hell) - Jane drops by Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men/Partners/The Famous Teddy Z) - Jon is a guest on a repeat of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Kevin Hart (The Big House/Undeclared) - Kevin stops by LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
• Jennifer Aniston (Friends/Muddling Through/Ferris Bueller/Molloy) - Jennifer appears on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Iain Armitage (Young Sheldon) - Iain is a guest on a repeat of The Real, so check your local listings.
• Brian Austin Green (Anger Management/Freddie) - Brian talks about BH90210 on Access Live, so check your local listings.
• Melissa Peterman (Reba/Working Class/Baby Daddy) - Melissa guest co-hosts Access Live, so check your local listings.
• Justine Lupe (Cristela) - Justine will be on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 11:30am ET.
• Queen Latifah (Living Single) - Queen Latifah opens up about how she balances her personal and professional life and her latest mission to combat the stigma of mental health on a repeat of The Dr. Oz Show, so check your local listings.
• Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - Valerie talks about Kids Baking Championship on the BUILD Series at 2pm.

Thursday, August 22

• Carla Gugino (Spin City/Entourage) - Catch Carla on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Adam Scott (Ghosted/Parks and Recreation/Party Down) - Adam appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Denise Richards (Blue Mountain State) - Denise is a guest on a repeat of Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
• NeNe Leakes (The New Normal) - NeNe appears on a repeat of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Selena Gomez (Wizards of Waverly Place) - Selena stops by LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
• Bill Hader (Barry) - Bill visits LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
• Bradley Cooper (Kitchen Confidential) - Bradley is a guest on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Master P and Romeo (Romeo!) - Master P and Romeo are guests on a repeat of The Wendy Williams Show, so check your local listings.
• Eva Longoria (Telenovela and Isabela Moner (100 Things to Do Before High School/Growing Up Fisher) - Eva and Isabela talk about Dora and the Lost City of Gold on a repeat of ABC's Strahan & Sara at 1pm.
• Jim Gaffigan (The Jim Gaffigan Show/My Boys/Welcome to New York) - Jim talks about American Dreamer on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
• Angela Kinsey (The Office/The Hotwives of Orlando/Your Family or Mine/Haters Back Off) - Angela will be on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 11:30am ET.

Friday, August 23

• Henry Winkler (Barry/Out of Practice/Monty/Happy Days) - Watch Henry on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Dana Carvey (One of the Boys) - Dana appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Idris Elba (Turn Up Charlie) - Idris is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Sanaa Lathan (Family Guy/The Cleveland Show/LateLine) - Sanaa appears on a repeat of Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation) - Amy chats with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Katy Mixon (American Housewife/Mike & Molly) - Katy is a guest on a repeat of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Brie Larson (United States of Tara/Raising Dad) - Brie appears on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Chloe x Halle (grown-ish) - Chloe x Halle are guests on a repeat of The Real, so check your local listings.
• Jillian Bell (Bless the Harts/Workaholics) - Jillian talks about Brittany Runs a Marathon on Couch Surfing at 8am.
• John Travolta (Welcome Back, Kotter) - John talks about The Fanatic on Access Live, so check your local listings.
• Jennifer Tilly (Out of Practice) - Jennifer will be on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 11:30am ET.
• Christine Lakin (Hollywood Darlings/Step by Step) - Christine is a guest on a repeat of Steve, so check your local listings.

All listings are subject to change. Visit our blog and main site for daily updated listings. Leave us comments on our message board or Tweet/Facebook us to let us know what you think of this Sunday feature! We do listen!

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Sitcoms Airing This Week

Sunday, August 18

Last Man Standing - "One Flew Into the Empty Nest" (Fox, 7:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Vanessa wants to board a foreign exchange student, Mike must work overtime to impress her father; Kristen and Ryan try to remain cool when Boyd invites a girl over.

Last Man Standing - "Bride of Prankenstein" (Fox, 7:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Mike and Chuck find the perfect target for a prank while working late to set up a security system at the store on Halloween; Mandy, Kyle, Kristen and Ryan hold a séance.

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Monday, August 19

The Neighborhood - "Welcome to the Climb" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Gemma decides to fire a teacher at her school, she’s unprepared for the aftermath. Also, Calvin gets a surprise when he faces off with his newspaper carrier.

The Big Bang Theory - "The D&D Vortex" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When the gang finds out Wil Wheaton hosts a celebrity Dungeons and Dragons game involving William Shatner, Joe Manganiello, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Kevin Smith, deception and betrayal are the path to make it to the one open seat.

The Big Bang Theory - "The Conference Valuation" (CBS, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Penny and Bernadette go to San Diego for a pharmaceutical sales convention, Wolowitz is in charge of the kids. Also, Sheldon finds a book on experimenting on kids, and the guys plus Amy make a day of it.

Mom - "Jell-O Shots and the Truth About Santa" (CBS, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Bonnie pushes Christy to mend her relationship with Violet (Sadie Calvano), and Adam prepares for the grand opening of his bar.

I Ship It - "Somewhere Magical" (The CW, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Ella seizes the opportunity to work as a personal assistant to a writer for "Superstition," her favorite TV show; Ella's fantasies begin to collide with reality in unexpected ways, in both her creative life and love life.

In The Cut - "Lucky Charmed" (Bounce TV, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Jay buys Cheryl a necklace for her birthday, not knowing it was stolen; when the police want it back, Jay must devise a plan to return it before she finds out.

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Tuesday, August 20

Bless This Mess - "The Return of Short Shorts" (ABC, 10:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Mike attempts to fit in with the Coffee Boys in order to get rid of his old nickname, “Short Shorts,” by trying to prove to them that he’s a “true farmer.” Meanwhile, Rio finally gets Constance to open up to her, and she discovers that Constance has a liking for Rudy.

black-ish - "Purple Rain" (ABC, 10:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
The family is shocked to learn that Jack and Diane are not familiar with the iconic music of Prince. One by one, each member of the family works to explain Prince’s tremendous impact on their lives through his music.

The Detour - "The Groom" (TBS, 10:30PM ET/PT)
Nate finally gets married to save his family.

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Wednesday, August 21

The Goldbergs - "The Wedding Singer" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Barry and Lainey’s wedding date is right around the corner, and Beverly is in her element as she tries to make everything perfect for her schmoopie’s big day. Geoff is concerned about Adam’s shortcomings as a wedding videographer. Meanwhile, Barry begins to have second thoughts.

Schooled - "Be Like Mike" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
It’s 1990-something, and since Lainey still hasn’t achieved rock ‘n’ roll greatness, she returns to William Penn Academy as the new music teacher. Lainey has a hard time adjusting to being an authority figure, but she realizes she might not be so bad at it when she discovers a kindred spirit in Principal Glascott’s niece, Felicia. Meanwhile, Coach Mellor struggles with Michael Jordan’s influence on modern-day basketball.

Modern Family - "The Wild" (ABC, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Mitch, Cam and Phil crash Jay’s annual hiking trip to find an elusive bald eagle after Gloria asks them to keep an eye on him. Meanwhile, Gloria, Alex, Claire and Haley get together to plan her baby shower.

Single Parents - "Pilot" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Will Cooper has been so focused on raising his daughter, Sophie, he’s lost sight of who he is as a man and has headed deep into the parental vortex. When the other single parents – Angie, Douglas, Poppy and Miggy – at his daughter’s school see just how far down the rabbit hole of PTA, parenting and princesses Will has gone, they band together to get him out in the world and make him realize that being a great parent doesn’t mean sacrificing everything about your own identity.

Younger - "It's All About the Money, Honey" (TV Land, 10:00PM ET/PT)
Liza is shocked to see an unexpected costar in her Infinitely 21 ad campaign. Kelsey and Charles head to Chicago with a plan. Josh considers his options beyond Inkburg.

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Thursday, August 22

The Big Bang Theory - "The Laureate Accumulation" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When competitors Pemberton (Sean Astin) and Campbell (Kal Penn) charm America on a publicity tour, Sheldon and Amy try to bring Nobel laureates Kip Thorne, George Smoot and Frances Arnold to their side. Also, Halley’s fear of the dark leads to opportunity and conflict for Howard, Bernadette and Stuart.

Young Sheldon - "A Financial Secret and Fish Sauce" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When George Sr. asks Sheldon to keep a secret from Mary, the stress of not being honest drives Sheldon to hideout at Tam’s for his first sleepover.

Baskets - "Moving On" (FX, 10:00PM ET/PT)
Martha removes her cast.

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Friday, August 23

American Housewife - "The Things You Do" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Greg’s insistence on doing the family’s taxes prompts Katie to take matters into her own hands. Meanwhile, Oliver and Anna-Kat join forces in an attempt to win a popular radio contest; and when Taylor finally sees Pierce’s true colors, the family bands together to help her pull off an over-the-top apology for Trip.

Fresh Off the Boat - "Driver's Eddie" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Louis makes it his mission to teach Eddie how to be a good driver after a police officer makes an inappropriate Asian driver stereotype comment. Meanwhile, Evan is jealous when he discovers that Grandma has only been inviting Emery to hang out with her at her new garage apartment.

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Saturday, August 24

none scheduled

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Sunday, August 25

Last Man Standing - "The Courtship of Vanessa's Mother" (Fox, 7:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Vanessa's mother comes to visit and hits it off with Ed; Mandy and Kyle tutor Boyd, but they may be the ones getting outsmarted.

Last Man Standing - "Dreams vs. Realty" (Fox, 7:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Mandy nearly gives up on her dream of becoming a fashion designer when she is faced with rejection; Vanessa looks back at her own career path, which stirs up regrets; Mike steps in to help the women in his family realize their dreams.

The Simpsons - "Crystal Blue-Haired Persuasion" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
After Homer's work cuts children's health care benefits, Marge turns to buying healing crystals as a cheaper solution for Bart's ADD; Bart begins to succeed in school, prompting Marge to open her own crystals empire and sell to mothers at school.

What Just Happened??! with Fred Savage - "Neighbor" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Fred struggles to discuss the mysterious cliffhanger from "The Flare" and speak with his guests because of a new noisy neighbor on the stage next door; Eric Stonestreet and Randall Park stop by.

Family Guy - "Trans-Fat" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Peter is mistakenly identified as transgender, which leads to an unexpected event and him learning an important lesson.

What Just Happened??! with Fred Savage - "Elevator" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
When Fred gets stuck in an elevator and is unable to host the show, Taylor must face her biggest fear: hosting the show alone; Ike Barinholz, Jillian Bell and Taran Killam stop by.

Complete TV Listings

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! We are in yet another very slow summer news week, but we have a little bit of news including a new series based upon St. Elmo's Fire, the return of The Flintstones to broadcast TV, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

It's time for another edition of Fri-Yay! That means we will take a look back on some sitcom happenings in recent days or weeks or other fun sitcomy stuff. It's a sitcom lover's paradise! Happy Fri-Yay!

by Vincent

Believe it or not, but summer is coming to an end and in just a few weeks, the fall TV season will be upon us. I'll be spending the next few weeks looking at each network's sitcom slates and making some early judgement calls about how the TV season is going to go for these new and returning sitcoms. First, let's take a look at CBS!

Returning sitcoms: CBS is a network in search of their next big comedy hit, now that The Big Bang Theory has retired. The network will be banking on spin-off Young Sheldon (which has also proven to be a big hit much like its parent series, if not quite Big Bang-level) and Mom (which has never reached the level of previous Chuck Lorre successes Big Bang and Two and a Half Men but nevertheless remains a solid performer) to anchor its Thursday line-up in the 8:00 and 9:00 hours. On Monday, promising sophomore The Neighborhood, which didn't light the world on fire but did better than many expected to as a rookie last year, gets the nod to anchor a line-up full of newbies on Monday.

New sitcoms: CBS has three new sitcoms on the fall line-up - the most of any network this fall - which I previewed back in May during Upfronts time, but just to reiterate, we have Chuck Lorre's latest project Bob ♡ Abishola on Mondays (which centers around a man falling in love with his nurse), single-camera The Unicorn on Thursdays at 8:30 (which centers around a recently widowed man entering the dating scene), and Patricia Heaton-fronted Carol's Second Act at 9:30 (which centers around a woman in her 50s becoming a doctor). All of these sitcoms make some sense with their placement, and they seem fairly on brand for CBS's audience (though The Unicorn being single-camera is somewhat interesting.)

The bottom line: CBS comedy is definitely in a transitional state right now, but CBS is smart to be testing out so many new sitcoms, and even riskier choices like single-camera The Unicorn. Most of these sitcoms seem on brand, but the success of CBS comedy this year lies a lot on questions we don't know the answer to yet, like if Young Sheldon can hold up its strong ratings without its parent series, or if The Neighborhood will either grow or collapse in Season 2. With Mom entering its later years, it's time for some new blood to step up and take the CBS comedy crown. Perhaps it'll be one of CBS's new sitcoms they're trying - they certainly hope so.

E! Entertainment will make a big splash in the tiny state of Rhode Island with the half-hour reality sitcom Meet the Frasers, produced by MGM's Evolution Media, premiering in 2020. Following Rhode Island’s local celebrity couple, 28-year-old psychic medium Matt Fraser and his pageant queen girlfriend, 21-year-old Alexa Papigiotis, the docu-series will showcase their lives, careers, and their very involved extended families. As Cranston's emerging golden couple, the duo is recognized everywhere from their local Italian restaurant to the latest stop on Matt's coast to coast tour. It doesn't hurt that they're often seen in an SUV branded with Matt’s face and name. This twosome is climbing their way to the top, with the biggest challenge being the opinionated loved ones who want to have a say in everything they do.

Comedy Central today ordered a new unscripted, interview-based series from Phoebe Robinson, the multi-talented stand-up comedian, New York Times best-selling writer and actress. In this half-hour, 10-episode untitled series, Robinson will create experiences with her guests that take us into their world and out of her comfort zone. This is Robinson's first project from her recently formed production company, Tiny Reparations.

The series will feature one-on-one interviews and unique experiences with pop culture luminaries, led by Robinson. As a workaholic who has the luxury of working from home most days at the expense of experiencing the world, Phoebe is getting out of the house and meeting the people she's admired from afar.

With a first public look at the returning favorite, Comedy Central announced that Crank Yankers kicks off an all-new season on Wednesday, September 25, 2019 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT, following the season 23 premiere of South Park. Season 5 will feature beloved characters such as Spoonie Luv, Elmer Higgins, Niles Standish, Bobby Fletcher, The Truth, Terrence Catheter, Mr. Birchum and more, with voice talent including, but not limited to, Adam Carolla, Arturo Castro, Will Forte, Nikki Glaser, David Alan Grier, Kathy Griffin, Tiffany Haddish, Lil Rel Howery, Abbi Jacobson, Jimmy Kimmel, Nick Kroll, Natasha Leggero, Thomas Lennon, Demetri Martin, Tracy Morgan, Bobby Moynihan, Kevin Nealon, Adam Pally, Chelsea Peretti, Aubrey Plaza, Jeff Ross, Tony Barbieri, Paul Scheer, Iliza Shlesinger, Sarah Silverman, Jimmy O. Yang, and Derek Waters.

As previously announced at TCA in February, Comedy Central has ordered 20 episodes of 30-minute comedy, marking the beloved series' return to the brand. The show will keep its familiar format and include updates for a digitally driven audience, with the world's favorite irreverent puppets pranking on phones, online, and any venue where trouble can be made. This will be Jimmy Kimmel's first project for his newly formed production banner KIMMELOT. Jonathan Kimmel will serve as showrunner and executive producer, joined by executive producers/creators Jimmy Kimmel, Adam Carolla and Daniel Kellison.

Emmy Award- and Golden Globe-nominated actor and comedian Denis Leary (Rescue Me, Animal Kingdom) will star in Fox's upcoming limited series, A Moody Christmas, scheduled to air this December on Fox. In the single-camera, holiday-themed event comedy, Leary will play Sean Sr., the beloved patriarch of the Moodys, a tight-knit, but slightly dysfunctional, family of five, all of whom return home to Chicago for the holidays, hiding secrets from each other - as if the holidays weren't stressful enough!

A six-episode event series, A Moody Christmas is adapted from the Australian series of the same name. The series centers on the Moodys, including Sean Sr. (Leary), his wife, their three grown children and an assorted mix of extended family members who gather for the holidays, with each packing his/her own eccentricities and complications.

CBS Corp. and Viacom, two of the world's leading entertainment companies, announced they have entered into a definitive agreement to combine in an all-stock merger, creating a combined company with more than $28 billion in revenue. The combined company, ViacomCBS Inc., will be a leading global, multiplatform, premium content company, with the assets, capabilities and scale to be one of the most important content producers and providers in the world. The combined company will be a scale player globally, with leadership positions in markets across the U.S., Europe, Latin America and Asia. This includes the largest television business in the U.S., with the highest share of broadcast and cable viewing across all key audience demographics, and strength in every key category, including News, Sports, General Entertainment, Pop Culture, Comedy, Music and Kids - making it a first-choice partner to distributors and advertisers. In addition, the combined company will possess a portfolio of fast-growing direct-to-consumer platforms, including both subscription and ad-supported offerings. It will also include a major Hollywood film studio, Paramount Pictures, which has been a producer and global distributor of filmed entertainment for more than a century and continues to be a global box office driver. Taken together, these distinct strengths will accelerate CBS and Viacom's ability to deliver an array of compelling content to important and diverse audiences across both traditional and emerging platforms around the world.