Thursday, June 25, 2020

CNN and HLN Announce Slate, with History of Sitcom; Lil Rel Set to Host NBC Game Show

The Story of Late Night

CNN and HLN revealed their Original Series slate for 2020 and 2021 as part of WarnerMedia's ongoing efforts to communicate powerful and flexible ad solutions for advertising partners. Adding to the brand's successful portfolio of premium nonfiction content, CNN will debut two new Original Series for 2020, The Story of Late Night (previously announced) and First Ladies (previously announced), and seven new Original Series for 2021, including Searching for Italy with Stanley Tucci (previously announced), Lincoln: An American President (working title), Diana (wt), History of Sitcom, Jerusalem (wt), Reframed: The Many Lives of Marilyn Monroe (wt), and The Woman Who Took Down the KKK. In addition, the Emmy Award-winning series, United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell, will return for its fifth season this summer and the seventh season of This is Life with Lisa Ling will return this fall, with new seasons of both series airing in 2021.

Coming in 2020: The Story of Late Night (summer) - produced by Cream Productions, is an eight-part series premiering this summer, that takes viewers on a journey back in time through present day of late-night television's most memorable moments. Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Chelsea Handler, Trevor Noah, Conan O'Brien, Seth Meyers, Lorne Michaels, Whoopi Goldberg, George Lopez, along with many other industry insiders, give first-hand, behind-the-scenes accounts of a beloved art form that changed the face of television forever.

Coming in 2021: History of Sitcom - produced by Cream Productions, is an eight-part series that explores the most memorable moments and characters in television history, and the way sitcoms inform and reflect our social, cultural and political landscape.


Lil Rel Howery - Small Fortune

NBC has named dynamic comedian, actor, writer and producer Lil Rel Howery (The Carmichael Show, Get Out) as host of the new game show, Small Fortune. Howery, who will also serve as executive producer, joins the pint-sized series that will offer contestants the opportunity to amass large sums of money on the smallest of scales. Small Fortune will see teams of three friends compete in the tiniest of challenges for a chance to win big money. In order to win, players must face heart-pounding tasks set in real-world destinations that test their precision and technique. From a shrunken sushi conveyor belt with tiny chopsticks ("Shrunken Sushi") to a mini Ellis Island ("Statue of Liberteeny"), each team must prove their skills on miniature playing fields. Challenges will require considerable dexterity and intense focus because with games this small, there's no room for error as the slightest miscalculation or tremble may result in elimination. To take home the ultimate Small Fortune, teams that make it to the end must tackle one last teeny-tiny but epic game. If players can control their nerves and avoid the slightest mistake, they will walk away with a big cash prize. Small Fortune is set to go into production later this year for air in midseason or summer 2021. 


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Thursday, January 29

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "Dirty Hands and a Barbed-Wire Fence" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Georgie and Ruben are forced to get their hands dirty when Fred Fagenbacher (Matthew Letscher) tries to run them out of business. Meanwhile, Mandy grows suspicious of Georgie’s lies.

Ghosts - "Soul Custody" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Sam, Jay and the ghosts attempt to extricate Jay from his deal with Elias Woodstone (Matt Walsh), the devil. Also, Isaac helps Patience (Mary Holland) through a crisis of confidence and Pete and Alberta navigate the fallout from their kiss.

Animal Control - "Lost Dogs and Bar Flies" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Roman Park takes Frank's beloved dog away from him; in an effort to get his dog back, Frank and Shred find themselves on a late-night rescue mission; Patel's house sale spirals.

Going Dutch - "There's No PX Like Home" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
With the celebration of the U.S.'s 250th birthday coming up, the base's festivities are on the line when their supplies are held up by a petty and vengeful Davidson; Team Shiny must pull off a daring undercover mission.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of January 26)

Thursday, January 29

  • Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory/8 Simple Rules/Ladies Man) - Catch Kaley on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Kermit the Frog (The Muppets) - Kermit the Frog appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Patrick Dempsey (Fast Times) - Patrick is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC. He also talks about Memory of a Killer on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • Joel McHale (Animal Control/The Great Indoors/Community) - Joel stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He also talks about Animal Control on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • J.C. Currais (Just Roll with It) - J.C. is a guest on Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Kyle Richards (Down to Earth) - Andy Cohen interviews Kyle, Kathy Hilton and Paris Hilton on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 10pm on Bravo.
  • Katherine LaNasa (Three Sisters) - Katherine appears on Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm. She also talks about The Pitt on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
  • Michael Urie (Shrinking/Krapopolis/Partners) - Michael talks about Shrinking on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
  • Kevin James (The Crew/Kevin Can Wait/The King of Queens) - Kevin talks about Solo Mio on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Annie Potts (Young Sheldon/Over the Top/Love & War/Designing Women/Goodtime Girls) - Annie tells Sherri about her role in Fox's Best Medicine on Sherri, so check your local listings.
  • Will Forte (The Four Seasons/HouseBroken/MacGruber/The Last Man on Earth/The Cleveland Show) - Will tells Drew all about his awareness campaign for Huntington's disease 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)
03/24 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)

More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive


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