Wednesday, June 24, 2020
REELZ Announces New Specials on John Ritter, Bernie Mac, David Cassidy, Larry Hagman & More; Netflix Releases Unsolved Mysteries Trailer

REELZ announced new programming for summer 2020 led by new series In My Own Words chronicling the lives of Valerie Bertinelli, Fran Drescher, Bo Derek and the late Bernie Mac with each sharing intimate stories about their life-changing experiences on their journey to stardom. The network will also premiere its 100th episode of original series Autopsy: The Last Hours of... with a look at showbusiness luminary Walt Disney with additional new episodes celebrating the lives and examining the untimely deaths of John Ritter, Gilda Radner, David Cassidy, Larry Hagman, Dick Clark, Billy Mays, Burt Reynolds, Marlon Brando and Debbie Reynolds. Summer 2020 premieres on REELZ also include four new original specials starting with Aaron Hernandez: Jailhouse Lover Tells All with the NFL star's former prison cellmate Kyle Kennedy sharing his story of befriending and ultimately having an intimate relationship with Hernandez. Rounding out summer 2020 premieres are three new original Behind Closed Doors specials with host Natalie Morales giving viewers a look at the real lives of beloved stars Olivia Newton-John, John Candy and Valerie Harper.
Some key highlights include: On Sunday, July 19 at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT it's Autopsy: The Last Hours of...John Ritter examining the life and tragic passing of the beloved TV and movie star whose relative youth and reputation as a fit physical performer is seemingly at odds with such a sudden death at just 54 years old. Sunday, July 19 also marks the series premiere of In My Own Words with Valerie Bertinelli: In My Own Words at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT featuring the multiple Emmy Award® winning actress in a candid and revealing interview about her stellar career and family life.
August premieres begin with two new episodes of Autopsy: The Last Hours of... on Sunday, August 2 exploring the lives and untimely deaths of two massively popular TV stars in David Cassidy and Larry Hagman. Autopsy: The Last Hours of...David Cassidy premieres at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT with the real story of The Partridge Family star whose acting and music for the show catapulted him from obscurity to popularity rivaling The Beatles but Cassidy's death would leave more questions than answers for his fans. Then at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT it's Autopsy: The Last Hours of...Larry Hagman about the biggest primetime soap star in the world on the hit show Dallas whose life of excess brought illness. Hagman battled back only to ultimately succumb to Leukemia shortly after diagnosis. August premieres wrap on Sunday, August 30 at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT with Valerie Harper: Behind Closed Doors about the star who TV audiences first fell in love with on The Mary Tyler Moore Show as her pitch perfect wisecracking sidekick character Rhoda became the high bar for supporting roles. Harper would parlay her strong performance into a successful spin off show and a long career in TV until a terminal cancer diagnosis rocked her world and led her to a new calling in life.
Finally, in Bernie Mac: In My Own Words premiering September 2020 (time TBD) see the powerful story of the late king of comedy with never-before-heard personal recordings from Mac himself discussing his childhood, family, marriage and his relentless drive to make it big in comedy. Enriched by interviews with Mac's wife Rhonda McCullough, daughter Je'Niece McCullough and friend Cedric the Entertainer among others the story of Bernie Mac comes to life with rare footage of his open-mic performances as well as his triumphs headlining comedy shows and writing and starring in the hit sitcom The Bernie Mac Show.
The original creators of Unsolved Mysteries and the Producers of Stranger Things invite you to solve new mysteries. Follow the clues. Solve the cases. Only on Netflix July 1. Fusing signature elements from the original series with contemporary immersive, character-driven storytelling, the six new episodes are rooted in the experiences of ordinary people who have lived the unthinkable - from the trauma of a loved one's unexplained disappearance or horrific death, to the shock of a bizarre paranormal encounter. Alongside detectives and journalists, family members offer clues, present theories, and identify suspects, hoping one viewer holds the key to solving the mystery.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Tuesday, July 15
none scheduled
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of July 14)
Tuesday, July 15
- Chris Distefano (Benders) - Chris guest hosts Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Julie Bowen (Modern Family/Ed) - Catch Julie on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Megan Stalter (Too Much/Hacks) - Megan appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. She also talks about Too Much on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Kelly Ripa (Hope & Faith) and Mark Consuelos (Alpha House/Hope & Faith) - Kelly and Mark are guests on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Patton Oswalt (A.P. Bio/The Goldbergs/The King of Queens), Ed Helms (Rutherford Falls/The Office) and Sasheer Zamata (Home Economics/Woke/Robbie) - Patton, Ed and Sasheer are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana) - Miley discusses her new documentary Something Beautiful on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
- Meg Donnelly (American Housewife) - Meg talks about Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
- Mary-Louise Parker (Weeds) - Mary-Louise chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- John Goodman (The Conners/The Righteous Gemstones/Roseanne/Center of the Universe/Normal, Ohio) - John talks about Smurfs on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am and on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
- The Jonas Brothers (Jonas/Jonas LA) - The Jonas Brothers are interviewed on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
- Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) - Nick talks about Smurfs on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
- Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Café Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) and Oliver Hudson (Splitting Up Together/Rules of Engagement/My Guide to Becoming a Rock Star) - Valerie and Oliver will be on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
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)
07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
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