Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Showtime Gets Vanessa Bayer Comedy Pilot; Jeopardy! Sees Who's the GOAT on ABC Primetime

Showtime has announced a pilot order for the half-hour comedy series Big Deal, starring and executive produced by Emmy nominee Vanessa Bayer (Saturday Night Live). Bayer co-created the project with Emmy nominee Jeremy Beiler (Saturday Night Live), who will also executive produce. Emmy winner Jessi Klein (Inside Amy Schumer, Black Monday, Big Mouth) will serve as showrunner and executive produce along with Michael Showalter (The Big Sick, Wet Hot American Summer), who will direct. Annapurna's Megan Ellison and Sue Naegle will also executive produce. Produced by Showtime, Big Deal is a grounded comedy in which Bayer plays a character, inspired by her own past, who overcame childhood leukemia to achieve her lifelong dream of landing a job as a QVC host.
On the heels of the iconic Tournament of Champions, Jeopardy! is coming to ABC in a multiple consecutive night event with Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time, premiering Tuesday, Jan. 7 from 8:00-9:00 p.m. EST on ABC. Hosted by Alex Trebek, Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time is produced by Sony Pictures Television. Harry Friedman will executive produce. This epic television event brings together the three highest money winners in the long-running game show's history: Ken Jennings, Brad Rutter and James Holzhauer. The Jeopardy! fan favorites will compete in a series of matches; the first to win three receives $1 million and the title of Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time. The two runners up will each receive $250,000.
Ken Jennings became a household name during his record 74-game winning streak, the longest in Jeopardy! history. His winnings total $3,370,700. Brad Rutter is the highest money winner of all time across any television game show, with total Jeopardy! winnings of $4,688,436. He has never lost Jeopardy! to a human opponent. James Holzhauer holds the record for all 15 of the top single-day winnings records on Jeopardy!, and just won the 2019 Tournament of Champions. His winnings total $2,712,216.
Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time will air as follows in primetime on ABC:
· TUESDAY, JAN. 7 (8:00-9:00 p.m. EST)
· WEDNESDAY, JAN. 8 (8:00-9:00 p.m. EST)
· THURSDAY, JAN. 9 (8:00-9:00 p.m. EST)
· *FRIDAY, JAN. 10 (8:00-9:00 p.m. EST)
· *TUESDAY, JAN. 14 (8:00-9:00 p.m. EST)
· *WEDNESDAY, JAN. 15 (8:00-9:00 p.m. EST)
· *THURSDAY, JAN. 16 (8:00-9:00 p.m. EST)
*If necessary
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Thursday, May 8
Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "Ladies Love Brunch" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Georgie tries to juggle his mom, his mother-in-law and Mandy on Mother’s Day. Meanwhile, Audrey wants to meet Connor’s girlfriend.
Ghosts - "The Devil Went Down to Woodstone" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Sam and Jay host a big party for the launch of Sam and Isaac’s vampire book. Mary Holland (Patience), Punam Patel (Bela) and Matt Walsh (Elias Woodstone) return as guest stars.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of May 5)
Thursday, May 8
- Paula Poundstone (Home Movies) - Paula performs stand-up comedy on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Natasha Lyonne (Russian Doll) - Natasha appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Michelle Buteau (Survival of the Thickest/Bless the Harts/Enlisted) - Michelle talks about Netflix's Survival of the Thickest on Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
- Maria Bamford (Lady Dynamite/Benched) and Doug Benson (You're the Worst) - Maria and Doug are guests on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- John Benjamin Hickey (HouseBroken/The Big C/It's All Relative) - John stops by Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 11:15pm on Bravo.
- Patricia Clarkson (Davis Rules) - Patricia is a guest on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 11:15pm on Bravo.
- Kerry Washington (UnPrisoned) - E! News has an interview with Kerry at 11pm on E!. Kerry and Omar Sy discuss their highly anticipated new film Shadow Force on Sherri, so check your local listings.
- Rebel Wilson (Super Fun Night) - Rebel chats about Juliet & Romeo on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
- Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Café Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - In A Little Bit Extra Valerie and Ross Mathews are sharing more of their conversation with Al Roker in Charleston at the Food & Wine Classic on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Morris Chestnut (Out All Night) and Randall Park (Young Rock/Blockbuster/Fresh Off the Boat/Veep/Supah Ninjas) - Morris and Randall talk about Watson on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:30am.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
05/13 - The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered)
06/06 - Shoresy - Season 2
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (Blu-ray)
07/08 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
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