Tuesday, March 10, 2020
Netflix's Lost in Space Gets Final Season; Remembering Sitcom Writer Earl Pomerantz

Lost in Space has been renewed by Netflix for a third season, in which The Robinson Family's epic space journey towards Alpha Centauri will conclude. Netflix confirmed the news on social media. Additionally, Netflix and Lost in Space Executive Producer/ showrunner Zack Estrin have agreed to enter a multi-year overall deal to produce new series exclusively at Netflix. Lost in Space is a Netflix original series, produced by Legendary Television. Lost in Space stars Toby Stephens, Molly Parker, Maxwell Jenkins, Mina Sundwall, Taylor Russell, Ignacio Serricchio and Parker Posey.
Emmy-winning writer and producer Earl Pomerantz, who worked on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Cheers, The Cosby Show and Major Dad, has died. He died on March 7 in Los Angeles, California. Mr. Pomerantz was 75.
Pomerantz's writing career began in Canada in 1970 with the variety series The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour, which starred his brother Hart Pomerantz and Lorne Michaels. He won his first Emmy Award in 1976 for The Lily Tomlin Special, which was the winner for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Special. He was a writer for the TV specials Flip Wilson... Of Course in 1974 and Lily in 1975.
Some of his 1970s sitcom writing credits included Sanford and Son, Doc, Phyllis, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Tony Randall Show, The Betty White Show, The Bob Newhart Show and Rhoda.
He wrote three episodes of The Cosby Show in 1984. He won an Emmy Award in 1985 when The Cosby Show was the winner for Outstanding Comedy Series. Some of his other sitcom writing credits included Taxi, Best of the West (also the creator), Newhart, Cheers, Trying Times, Family Man (also the creator), Coming of Age, Major Dad, LateLine, Becker and Kristin.
He was the creator, producer, writer and theme song lyrics writer of the 1981-1982 ABC sitcom Best of the West, a spoof of westerns. The series starred Joel Higgins, Carlene Watkins, Meeno Peluce, Leonard Frey, Tom Ewell, Valri Bromfield, Tracey Walter and Macon McCalman.
Pomerantz created the short-lived 1988 ABC sitcom Family Man. The series starred Richard Libertini, Mimi Kennedy, Alison Sweeney, Whitby Hertford and Keeley Mari Gallagher.
He developed and worked as a producer for Major Dad. Some of his other producing credits included The Cosby Show, The Larry Sanders Show, LateLine, The Fighting Fitzgeralds and Kristin. He worked as a consultant on Leo & Liz in Beverly Hills, It's Garry Shandling's Show, Thea, The Larry Sanders Show, The Jeff Foxworthy Show, Goode Behavior, LateLine, Regular Joe and According to Jim.
Survivors include his brother Hart, his wife Myra, daughters Anna Pomerantz and Rachel Braude and three grandchildren.
Mr. Pomerantz worked on more than 25 sitcoms during his career. We thank him for his work on these series. He will be greatly missed.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Friday, May 9
none scheduled
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of May 5)
Friday, May 9
- Paul Rudd (The Shrink Next Door/Living with Yourself/Wild Oats) - Watch Paul on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Matt Bomer (Mid-Century Modern) - Matt appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Asif Ali (Deli Boys) and Saagar Shaikh (Deli Boys) - Asif and Saagar are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Busy Philipps (Girls5eva/Vice Principals/Cougar Town/Love, Inc.) - Busy chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Christine Baranski (The Big Bang Theory/Happy Family/Welcome to New York/Cybill) - Christine talks about Nine Perfect Strangers on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
- Holly Robinson Peete (Hangin' with Mr. Cooper/For Your Love/Like Family/Love, Inc.) - Holly swings by for a chat about her new film Hats Off to Love on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
- Sarah Michelle Gellar (The Crazy Ones) and Alyson Hannigan (How I Met Your Mother/Free Spirit) - NBC's Today catches up with Sarah and Alyson in the 9am hour.
- Brooke Shields (Suddenly Susan) - In this a little bit extra episode Drew shares more of her conversation with Brooke at the news desk on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Rebel Wilson (Super Fun Night) - Rebel joins Sherri to talk about starring in the new film Juliet & Romeo, so check your local listings.
- Terri J. Vaughn (She the People/Mann & Wife/Meet the Browns/All of Us/The Steve Harvey Show) - Terri talks about starring in the new Netflix series She the People on Sherri, so check your local listings.
- Julia Sweeney (Shrill/Work in Progress/Maybe It's Me/George and Leo) and Marsha Mason (Grace and Frankie/The Middle/Sibs) - Julia and Marsha talk about My First Ex-Husband on PIX11 Morinng News on WPIX in New York at 9:40am.
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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