Saturday, November 20, 2021

SitcomsOnline Digest: Netflix Orders Last Blockbuster Video Comedy Series; Party Down Revival Set at Starz

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! There is a lot to cover this week, and we've got the highlights, including a comedy series about the last Blockbuster, a revival of a Starz series, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

  • Even though Netflix is the one that delivered that (seemingly) final fatal blow to Blockbuster, they have now ordered a comedy series starring Randall Park about the last surviving store. (IGN)
  • A premiere date has been set for How I Met Your Father. (Deadline)
  • Party Down, a short-lived comedy series from a decade ago that is either very memorable to people or something they've never even heard of, is being revived over at Starz with most of the original cast intact. (TV Series Finale)
  • The children of South Park are all grown up in the South Park: Post Covid special. (Deadline)
  • Dave Frishberg, who wrote Schoolhouse Rock! songs including "I'm Just a Bill," has died. (Entertainment Weekly)
  • Is TV news dead in America? A former New York Times CEO thinks so, as it is not evolving to audiences under the age of 60. (Deadline)
  • Add this to your list of things you never quite saw coming: a Days of Our Lives Christmas movie that will. (TV Insider)
  • One may have thought that Live in Front of a Studio Audience was done following the last "live" special in which the entire hour was interrupted with breaking news regarding the impeachment of Donald Trump, but they're trying again with remakes of episodes of Diff'rent Strokes and Facts of Life. (SitcomsOnline)

WEEKLY PLANNER (NOVEMBER 20 - NOVEMBER 26)

  • Antenna TV is celebrating Thanksgiving weekend with every episode of Coach (unless, of course, your local affiliate preempts for pointless things like a simulcast of their news, in which case a few episodes will be missing).  
  • Decades has a Riptide binge this weekend.
  • Columbo is leaving MeTV on Sunday, and in a rather unusual move by the network (which basically never airs special marathons of anything), they're actually airing a marathon of four episodes tomorrow.
  • Saved by the Bell  returns for a second season on Wednesday on Peacock.
  • South Park: Post Covid Special debuts on Thursday on Paramount+.
  • FXX, which seems to have abandoned all previous programming to become a 16 hour a day version of the Fox Sunday night lineup (the other 8 hours are filled with movies and informercials), is airing Thanksgiving themed episodes of these hits on Thursday.
  • Speaking of FXX, they added Futurama last week, leaving American Dad! as the only major Fox Sunday night animated series not on the lineup... yet (and that may have something to do with TBS airing new episodes).
  • In yet even more Fox animated comedy news (do we have enough of this today?), Adult Swim, oddly enough, is actually bringing King of the Hill back to their lineup starting Monday, sharing the series with new home FXX.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Wednesday, April 15

Scrubs - "My Celebration" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
A chaotic day at Sacred Heart forces the doctors and interns to face burnout, life-changing decisions, and their relationships with one another.

Abbott Elementary - "Night Out" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Janine and Gregory have a night out. Meanwhile, Melissa, Barbara and Mr. Johnson have a movie night.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of April 13)

Wednesday, April 15

  • Bob Odenkirk (The Larry Sanders Show) - Watch Bob on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Paul Walter Hauser (The Afterparty) - Paul appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Zendaya (K.C. Undercover/Shake It Up) - Zendaya is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Zoe Lister-Jones (Slip/Life in Pieces/Friends with Better Lives/Whitney) - Andy Cohen interviews Zoe on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 10pm on Bravo. She also talks about Peacock's The Miniature Wife on Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
  • Ronny Chieng (Young Rock/Ronny Chieng: International Student) - Ronny hosts Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
  • Ramy Youssef (#1 Happy Family USA/Ramy/See Dad Run) - Ramy is a guest on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
  • Kimberly Williams-Paisley (According to Jim) - Kimberly talks about 9-1-1: Nashville on Live with Kelly and Mark (check your local listings) and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
  • Blair Underwood (Fatherhood/The New Adventures of Old Christine) - Blair talks about A Soldier's Wife: My Mother, the Marvelous Mrs. Marilyn A. Underwood on The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation) and Amy Sedaris (No Activity/Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt/Strangers with Candy) - Aubrey, Amy and John Waters talk about Kevin with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine/Are We There Yet?/Everybody Hates Chris) - Terry talks about Terry's Many Hats on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
  • Jennie Garth (Mystery Girls/What I Like About You) - Jennie shares her new book, I Choose Me: Chasing Joy, Finding Purpose & Embracing Reinvention, and opens up about a deeper emotional truth hiding behind what people thought they knew about her, reinventing herself, and leading a movement of women who are choosing themselves on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
  • Andie MacDowell (Four Weddings and a Funeral/Cuckoo) - NBC's Today catches up with Andie in the 9am hour.
  • Lena Dunham (Girls) - Lena talks about her new memoir Famesick on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • Bryan Cranston (Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair/Malcolm in the Middle/The Louie Show) - Bryan talks about coming back for the Malcolm in the Middle reboot, his daughter starring in The Pitt and some of his most iconic roles over the years 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


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

04/15 - Audible Series with Kevin Hart This Father's Day; Pop Culture Jeopardy! Returns May 11
04/14 - Peacock Renews The 'Burbs; ABC's Drama Hits Get 2026-27 Renewals
04/13 - FETV Acquires Car 54, Where Are You?; Hacks Events Ahead of Final Season
04/12 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of April 13, 2026)
04/11 - SitcomsOnline Digest: ABC Buys Multi-Cam Pilot Pitch from Creator of Mom; Final Three Saturday Night Live Hosts Announced
04/10 - HBO Renews Rooster for Season 2; Studio C with Special Guest Star Rainn Wilson
04/09 - Additional Stars for Nobody Wants This Season 3; Saturday Night Live Closes Out Season 51 in May
04/08 - Mindy Kaling's Not Suitable for Work Drops June 2; Lisa Ann Walter: It Was An Accident Premieres May 15 on Hulu
04/07 - CBS Announces Late-Night Lineup After Colbert Ends; Hulu Special Nikki Glaser: Good Girl Drops April 24
04/06 - Bonus Episodes of Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat Coming to Prime Video; Ramy Youssef's Third HBO Special
04/05 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of April 6, 2026)
04/04 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Colin Jost Lands Role in New Peacock Series; Cincinnati Radio Station Gets WKRP Letters
04/03 - Wizards Beyond Waverly Place Final 4-Part Event; Hulu's Deli Boys Returns May 28
04/02 - Prime Video Releases More Details on Kevin; Additional Cast Members Joining Tires Season 3 on Netflix
04/01 - Hulu Releases First Look at Alice and Steve; Tubi to Stream 250 Sesame Street Episodes
03/31 - CBS 2026 Season Finale Dates; Wanda Sykes Returns with Third Netflix Special
03/30 - Saturday Night Live April 2026 Schedule; NBC Renews Chicago Series for 2026-27
03/29 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 30, 2026)
03/28 - SitcomsOnline Digest: More Casting News for Reboot of A Different World; Amy Poehler Produced Comedy in Development at Netflix
03/27 - The Ms. Pat Show Renewed for Season 6; SisterS Returns April 22 on AMC+, Acorn TV and IFC TV
03/26 - Great Entertainment Television to Honor Chuck Norris; ABC's R.J. Decker Gets Time Slot Upgrade
03/25 - Netflix Announces Details of Nobody Wants This Season 3; Paramount+ Renews School Spirits for Season 4
03/24 - Hacks Returns for Final Season on April 9; America Says Is Back for Sixth Season on Game Show Network
03/23 - The Roast of Kevin Hart LIVE on Netflix; HBO Renews Late-Night Series
03/22 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 23, 2026)
03/21 - SitcomsOnline Digest: CBS Sets Plans for Final Episode of The Neighborhood; ABC Pulls The Bachelorette
03/20 - TBS Orders Season 13 of Impractical Jokers; HBO's Josh Johnson Comedy Special
03/19 - Netflix Casts Scooby-Doo Live-Action Series; Darren Star's Next Comedy Series Uncorked
03/18 - Saturday Night Live UK to Launch This Weekend; Hulu Renews Paradise for Season 3
03/17 - Netflix Renews Free Bert for Season 2; The Neighborhood: A Farewell Special in April
03/16 - Color Theories by Julio Torres on HBO; Lifetime's Ripped from the Headlines Spring Slate with Two New Movies
03/15 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 16, 2026)