SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Live in Front of a Studio Audience, the live broadcast television event that captivated audiences with its all-star cast recreating episodes of All in the Family and The Jeffersons last spring, is set to return to ABC on Wednesday, Dec. 18, with newly recreated, live installments of Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin's Emmy(R) Award-winning series All in the Family and groundbreaking sitcom Good Times, created by Mike Evans, Eric Monte and developed by Lear. The holiday-inspired live event produced by Sony Pictures Television, will reunite executive producers Norman Lear, Jimmy Kimmel, Brent Miller, Will Ferrell and Justin Theroux. Kerry Washington, who portrayed Helen Willis of The Jeffersons in the original special in the spring, will join as an executive producer.

ABC's Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons was nominated for three Emmy Awards, and took home the prize for Outstanding Variety Special (Live). The premiere of ABC's Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons on Wednesday, May 22, averaged 14.29 million Total Viewers and a 2.86 rating in Adults 18-49 across all platforms after 35 days of TV playback and reached 23.5 million Total Viewers for its original Wednesday broadcast and two encore airings on Saturday, May 25, and Saturday, Aug. 17. Much more information on the upcoming All in the Family and Good Times special is still to come, including full casting details. What we do know is that the special will air for 90-minutes, live, on Wednesday, Dec. 18, just like the special last spring. And as previously announced, a third Live in Front of a Studio Audience special will air in spring 2020. Perhaps more Norman Lear greats like Maude, One Day at a Time or Sanford & Son?

NBC has ordered four more episodes of its hit comedy Superstore, bringing the the season total to 22 episodes, just like its order the last few seasons. So far in its fifth season, Superstore is averaging a 1.2 rating in adults 18-49 and 3.9 million viewers overall in "live plus seven day" Nielsens. The season premiere has surged to a 2.8 rating in 18-49 and 6.7 million viewers to date when viewing on all platforms is counted, easily tripling the episode's next-day "live plus same day" 0.8 rating in 18-49.

Superstore stars America Ferrera, Ben Feldman, Mark McKinney, Lauren Ash, Colton Dunn, Nico Santos, Nichole Bloom and Kaliko Kauahi. The comedy centers around Amy, who recently was promoted to be the store manager and is the glue holding the place together, and Jonah, a dreamer determined to prove work doesn't have to be boring. Their fellow associates include the sardonic Garrett, the sweet and clueless Cheyenne (Nichole Bloom) and the perpetually dismissed Sandra. Also on the team are Glenn, who stepped down as manager in an attempt to have more family time, and Dina, the aggressive assistant manager who enforces Cloud 9 policy with an iron fist. Mateo was also part of the team, recently as the self-promoted floor supervisor, until being detained due to his undocumented status.