Saturday, February 08, 2020

SitcomsOnline Digest: Friends Reunion Coming to HBO Max; IMDb TV Acquires Free Streaming Rights to Lost, Malcolm in the Middle, and More

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we're hearing of a Friends reunion, new series for IMDb TV, the death of an actor who has appeared on TV for decades, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB
  • A one-hour Friends reunion is happening on HBO Max, and rumors are that it will likely be hosted by Ellen DeGeneres. (New York Post)  
  • IMDb TV is a completely free streaming service that flies under the radar, but they have now acquired several Disney TV titles (which includes some Fox series as well), including Lost, Ally McBeal, Malcolm in the Middle, Desperate Housewives, Boston Legal, Ugly Betty, St. Elsewhere, and L.A. Law.
  • Chris Wood has been cast in the lead role of thirtysomething(else), ABC's sequel to thirtysomething. (Deadline)
  • Actor Orson Bean, who has had a long career in television and remained active in acting as far back as 1952 and was still consistently working recently enough to appear on an episode of Grace and Frankie that was added to Netflix just weeks ago, has unexpectedly died at age 91 after being hit by a car. (NY Post
  • Casting is coming together for NBC's new L.A. mayor comedy starring Ted Danson. (Deadline)
  • Tyler Perry's House of Payne is coming back, it seems. (SitcomsOnline)

HOME MEDIA RELEASES (FEBRUARY 12)



WEEKLY PLANNER (FEBRUARY 8 - FEBRUARY 14)

  • Love, American Style is airing all this weekend on Decades.
  • The Academy Awards air tomorrow night on ABC.
  • For Life, a new drama series, debuts Tuesday on ABC.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Saturday, January 24

TV We Love - "Cheers" (The CW, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
A look back at the Boston bar "where everybody knows your name," with cast and creators of "Cheers" sharing the spark that made it one of TV's greatest comedies.

TV We Love - "Touched by an Angel" (The CW, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
"Touched by an Angel" star Roma Downey and executive producer Martha Williamson reflect on the moving stories of faith, hope, and inspiration that captivated millions.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of January 19)

Friday, January 23

  • Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation) - Watch Chris on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Dulcé Sloan (The Great North) - Dulcé is a guest on a repeat of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Michael Urie (Shrinking/Krapopolis/Partners) - Michael talks about Shrinking on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Anthony Anderson (black-ish/Guys with Kids/All About the Andersons) - Anthony chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Kim Fields (The Upshaws/Living Single/The Facts of Life/Baby, I'm Back) - Kim is back with the Tam Fam as she closes out a huge chapter as Regina Upshaw in Netflix's hit comedy The Upshaws on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings. She shares more about her next journey with her new global wellness brand “Refresh by KF” and guides the Tam Fam through a wellness exercise designed to help you slow down, reset and refocus.
  • Jennette McCurdy (Sam & Cat/iCarly) - Jennette tells Drew about her latest book Half Her Age on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray) Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season (DVD) St. Denis Medical - Season One (Blu-ray) Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
08/26 - The Huckleberry Hound Show - The Complete Original Series (Blu-ray)
09/30 - Touché Turtle and Dum Dum - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
10/07 - Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season (DVD)
10/14 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
10/28 - St. Denis Medical - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/04 - Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - Rick and Morty - Season 8 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fifteenth Season (DVD)
11/11 - Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/02 - Tom and Jerry - The Golden Era Anthology (1940-1958) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
12/16 - Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/16 - Wally Gator - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
01/20 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (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

01/23 - CBS Renews 10 More Series for 2026-27; Shifting Gears and Abbott Elementary Return Big in January
01/22 - Dancing with the Stars Live Tour Starts TODAY; Beef Returns April 16
01/21 - Prime Video's Bait Premieres March 25; Production Underway for Season 2 of Arctic-set Comedy North of North
01/20 - Baywatch Casting Call for Reboot on Fox; Mike Epps Netflix Special Trailer
01/19 - MGM+ Comedy Series American Classic; Taylor Tomlinson Returns to Netflix
01/18 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of January 19, 2026)
01/17 - SitcomsOnline Digest: The Rockford Files Reboot at NBC; Daniel Stern Fired From ABC Comedy Pilot
01/16 - Ted Season 2 Trailer Released; Remembering T.K. Carter of Punky Brewster, TV Director Tom Cherones, and Others We Recently Lost
01/15 - The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins Gets Special Preview; ABC Midseason Changes for Monday and Tuesday Night Lineups
01/14 - NBC Orders Pilots, Including The Rockford Files; The CW to Premiere Celebrity Series
01/13 - 83rd Golden Globe Winners; Tubi's Upcoming YA Film Slate
01/12 - Peacock's The 'Burbs Trailer; The Jeff Foxworthy Show Launch Back on COZI TV
01/11 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of January 12, 2026)
01/10 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Henry Winkler to Star in NBC Legal Comedy Pilot; First Look at Peacock's The 'Burbs
01/09 - HBO's Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! Documentary with Interviews Including Rob Reiner; 83rd Annual Golden Globes Presenters
01/08 - Netflix Orders Nick Kroll Comedy Series; Saturday Night Live January 2026 Hosts and Music Guests
01/07 - Saturday Night Live Bobbleheads from the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum; Fox Entertainment Signs Tracee Ellis Ross to Deal
01/06 - Emily in Paris Renewed for Season 6; Audible's New Comedy Series Starring Jenifer Lewis, Cedric the Entertainer, and Niecy Nash-Betts
01/05 - Trailer for The Muppet Show Special Event; Season 3 of Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal on Adult Swim
01/04 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of January 5, 2026)
01/03 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Premiere Date Set for Malcolm in the Middle Reboot; NBC Pulls The Paper
01/02 - Bridgerton Season 4 Details and Live Premiere Event; NBC Pulls The Paper from Mondays
01/01 - Happy New Year; Shrinking Season 3 Trailer
12/31 - In Memoriam: Remembering the Sitcom Stars We Lost in 2025
12/30 - Antenna TV and Rewind TV's New Year's Eve and Day Marathons; Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair Premieres April 10
12/29 - COZI TV Postpones The Jeff Foxworthy Show Launch; Netflix Releases Free Bert Trailer
12/28 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of December 29, 2025)
12/27 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Chevy Chase "Hurt" By Not Being Invited to SNL 50th Anniversary; New Lineups for Antenna TV and Rewind TV
12/26 - GET Acquires Psych for January 2026; Details on Netflix's A Different World Sequel
12/25 - Merry Christmas from Sitcoms Online; Interviews from 2025 Christmas Con in Edison, NJ
12/24 - 2025 Christmas Eve and Christmas Day TV Marathons
12/23 - Antenna TV January 2026 Schedule; Rewind TV January 2026 Schedule