Thursday, January 09, 2020

TCA Winter 2020 Press Tour: ABC Includes Modern Family Finale, The Conners Live and Return of Millionaire

Modern Family

Yesterday was day two of the TCA Winter 2020 Press Tour and ABC was up. We got many announcements, including the finale date for Modern Family. The Pritchett-Dunphy-Tucker clan are ready to say goodbye but not before giving fans one final night of belly laughs as one of television's great family comedies. Currently in its 11th and final season, ABC announced that the Emmy(R) Award-winning series Modern Family will air its series farewell episode on Wednesday, April 8, on ABC. In addition, ABC is giving fans the power to program an entire night filled with their favorite Modern Family episodes that will air Wednesday, March 11 from 8:00-11:00pm EDT. The night will kick off with the episode that started it all - the Modern Family series premiere - followed by five additional fan-chosen episodes, giving viewers a chance to gather their families for the ultimate Modern Family binge and relive some of the Pritchett-Dunphy-Tucker clan's most hilarious, jaw-dropping and monumental moments. Voting for your favorite Modern Family episodes will begin Monday, Feb. 3, via a daily Twitter poll from the show's Twitter handle and concludes Friday, Feb. 7. Each day, a different selection of episodes will be available for fans to choose from for a curated night of Modern Family fun!

ABC will air a special live episode of top-rated comedy The Conners the night of the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at 8:00pm EST. The cast will perform the episode live for both the East and West coast broadcasts. ABC News coverage of the first-in-the-nation New Hampshire primary will be incorporated into the story in real time as the results roll in during the evening. The live episode will find Mark (Ames McNamara) watching the results of the primary for a school report with Harris (Emma Kenney), who is apathetic to the electoral process and believes money's influence in politics means real change is impossible. The rest of the Conners share their differing takes on why they all think everyone should vote, including their working-class perspective that you may have to vote for a candidate you don't love but one that will "screw you the least." All of this happens against the backdrop of romance when Louise (guest star Katey Sagal) gets an opportunity that might send her away from Lanford, prompting the family to interfere in Dan's (John Goodman) complicated relationship with her by throwing Louise a surprise going-away party, creating major new tensions between Dan and his daughters.

Friday nights are about to see some shark-infested waters when Shark Tank, the critically acclaimed and multi-Emmy® Award-winning entrepreneurial-themed reality show currently in its 11th season, returns to its Friday time slot on Feb. 28 at 8:00pm EST, while the hit comedy American Housewife moves to a new spot on the ABC comedy block beginning Wednesday, April 15 at 9:00pm EDT, following the conclusion of Modern Family. But before that, American Housewife will air at 9:30pm EDT for a few weeks starting March 18 once Single Parents wraps before moving to 9:00pm EDT on April 15. ABC has not announced what will air Wednesdays at 9:30pm beginning April 15 yet. Multi-camera comedy United We Fall hasn't been scheduled just yet. Other scheduling news: ABC's compelling new modern-day fairy tale, The Baker and the Beauty, will take viewers on a flavor-filled adventure between relatable everyman Daniel and international superstar Noa. The drama premieres Monday, April 6 at 10:00pm EDT. In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, which debuted in the U.S. as a prime-time series in January 2000, ABC's celebrated late-night staple and Emmy® Award-winning producer Jimmy Kimmel will be stepping into prime time as host of a special run of episodes featuring celebrity contestants playing for charity. In addition, a new interactive game will allow viewers to play along from home. Millionaire is set to premiere on Wednesday, April 8 at 10:00 pm EDT. The power of love knows no bounds as ABC further expands its hit-making Bachelor franchise with an all-new Bachelor Nation series, The Bachelor: Listen to Your Heart, set to premiere Monday, April 13 from 8:00-10:00pm EDT. ABC announced the explosive series finale of How to Get Away with Murder will air Thursday, May 14 at 10:00 p.m. EDT. The critically acclaimed series, which will return for its six-episode killer farewell event on Thursday, April 2, is currently in its sixth and final season.

Finally, ABC is bringing back the classic TV game show Supermarket Sweep, hosted and executive produced by Emmy® Award-nominated comedienne and actress Leslie Jones. Produced by Fremantle, the fast-paced and energetic series follows three teams of two as they battle it out using their grocery shopping skills and knowledge of merchandise to win big cash prizes. The original format aired on ABC from 1965-1967 and went on to become a global sensation. It was adapted in 13 international territories and, most recently, relaunched in the UK. Production on the 10-episode order is set to begin this spring. An airdate will be announced at a later date. thirtysomething(else), a sequel to the groundbreaking series thirtysomething, has received a pilot pickup from ABC. The show will follow an ensemble of new faces playing the grown-up, 30-something children of the original cast reprised by Ken Olin (Michael Steadman), Mel Harris (Hope Murdoch), Timothy Busfield (Elliot Weston) and Patty Wettig (Nancy Weston). Apparently, raising children (even grown children) never ends, but who could have known how hard it would be for them to raise their parents? And finally, ABC announced that the network has picked up The Brides, a new pilot drama from executive producer/writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Riverdale, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television to pilot. Maggie Kiley (American Horror Story, Riverdale, upcoming Katy Keene) is set to direct. The Brides, a sexy contemporary reimagining of Dracula, is a family drama with a trio of powerful female leads at its heart.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Tuesday, July 14

Lot Patrol - "The Naked Intruder" (BET, 10:00PM ET/PT)
Chaos reaches new heights at Imani Studios when the security team faces their strangest threat yet: a mysterious, fast-moving intruder, who may or may not be completely naked.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of July 13)

Tuesday, July 14

  • Ike Barinholtz (The Studio/The Afterparty/Bless the Harts/The Mindy Project/Eastbound & Down) - Ike guest hosts Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Joel McHale (Animal Control/The Great Indoors/Community) - Joel talks about The 1% Club on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Anthony Michael Hall (The Goldbergs/Awkward/Claude's Crib) - Anthony is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Molly Shannon (The Hawk/I Love That for You/The Other Two/Divorce/Kath & Kim/Craking Up) - Molly stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Jake Johnson (Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed/Minx/New Girl) - Jake appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Jimmy Tatro (The Hawk/Home Economics/The Guest Book) - Jimmy talks about The Hawk on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
  • Jennifer Garner (Party Down/Camping) - Jennifer talks about The Five-Star Weekend on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am and in the 10am hour. She also chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso) - Hannah talks about Ride or Die on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Alan Ritchson (Blue Mountain State) - Alan talks about War Machine on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
  • Himesh Patel (The Franchise) - Himesh talks about The Odyssey on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • John Leguizamo (The Brothers Garcia) - John talks about The Odyssey on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Cafe Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - Drew is covering the headlines with pals Ross Mathews and Valerie on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Halle Berry (Living Dolls) - Drew, Halle and Kristina Zias are celebrating aging helping a viewer over 50 achieve a glow up look on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

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

11/04/25 - Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11/25 - Rick and Morty - Season 8 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11/25 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fifteenth Season (DVD)
11/11/25 - Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/02/25 - Tom and Jerry - The Golden Era Anthology (1940-1958) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
12/16/25 - Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/16/25 - Wally Gator - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
01/20/26 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27/26 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11/26 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (Blu-ray)
03/24/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
04/11/26 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Fourth Season (DVD)
04/21/26 - Famous Studios Champion Collection (Blu-ray) (DVD)
05/19/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (DVD)
05/19/26 - Looney Tunes Cartoons - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
07/14/26 - The Office - The Complete Series - Superfan Extended Episodes (Blu-ray)
07/28/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary 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

07/13 - The Hawk Premieres Thursday on Netflix; Snoopy Presents: There's No Place Like Home, Snoopy Trailer
07/12 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of July 13, 2026)
07/11 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Rob Reiner Receives Posthumous Emmy Nomination; Season Premiere Date Set for American Horror Story
07/10 - Great Entertainment Television Acquires House; Remembering Louise Lasser of Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman
07/09 - 78th Primetime Emmy Award Nominations; Disney's The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen
07/08 - Ian Ziering Hosting The CW Road Trip Series; Shark Tank Season 18 Guest Sharks
07/07 - Great Entertainment Television's Psych 20th Anniversary Marathon; Netflix Announces Cast for Myron Bolitar
07/06 - Life, Larry, and the Pursuit of Unhappiness Capsule; Michael Weatherly Returns to NCIS
07/05 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of July 6, 2026)
07/04 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Elle Renewed for Second Season; NBCUniversal to Separate from Comcast
07/03 - Impractical Jokers Returns with Guest Star Appearance by Alyssa Milano; Marla Gibbs Day in Chicago
07/02 - Mark Harmon Returns as Gibbs in NCIS: Origins; Disney's Camp Rock 3 Details
07/01 - S.W.A.T. Spin-off Set for STARZ; Willy Wonka Reality Series Coming to Netflix
06/30 - Netflix Adds to the Cast of A Hundred Percent; Disney Channel's Descendants: Wicked Wonderland Trailer
06/29 - Tubi's Breaking Bear Premieres July 24; Adult Swim Greenlights Heist Brothers, Announces Robot Chicken Specials
06/28 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 29, 2026)
06/27 - SitcomsOnline Digest: First Look at New Seasons of King of the Hill and The Paper; Ben Feldman Upped to Regular for Season Six of Ghosts
06/26 - The Paper Season 2 Premieres September 9; President Curtis Trailer and Premiere Date
06/25 - NBC Fall 2026 Premiere Dates; Leanne Season 2 Premieres August 27 on Netflix
06/24 - Trailer for Stuart Fails to Save the Universe; Terry Crews to Host 50th Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular
06/23 - Netflix Releases Alley Cats Trailer; BET's Ms. Pat Comedic Courtroom Series Returns June 30
06/22 - Remembering Legendary Sitcom Director James Burrows; The Audacity Season 2 Coming in 2027
06/21 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 22, 2026)
06/20 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Fox Agrees to Purchase Roku; Mickey Mouse Set to Star in Home Alone Remake
06/19 - Apple TV Comedy Brothers Details; Jimmy Kimmel Live! Summer Guest Hosts
06/18 - Still Hot in Cleveland Podcast with Valerie Bertinelli; Final Season of The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder
06/17 - Home Alone and Mickey Mouse Come Together; New Tubi Movie Starring Sophia Bush and Jerry O'Connell
06/16 - Netflix's The Four Seasons Renewed for Season 3; Two Season Renewal for Apple TV Series
06/15 - FX's Adults Gets Prequel Episode; Remembering Anne Schedeen of ALF and Ronnie Schell of Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
06/14 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 15, 2026)
06/13 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Tim Allen Still Wants Home Improvement Reboot; SpongeBob SquarePants Renewed