Monday, December 20, 2021

COZI TV Columbo Toast on New Year's Day, Brings Back McMillan and Wife, Banacek and McCloud; Better Things Final Season Premieres Feb. 28

Columbo

COZI TV is offering a special toast to Columbo fans from coast-to-coast this New Year's Day – and keeping the spirits flowing on Saturdays throughout the year. The national multicast network will kick off 2022 with a Columbo marathon beginning at 8:00am ET on Saturday, January 1, 2022 and continuing throughout the day. One week later on Saturday, Jan. 8, Peter Falk returns in a new, weekly "Columbo and Company" Saturday block complete with six hours of the beloved television drama along with new episodes of McMillan and Wife, Banacek and McCloud; all part of NBC's iconic Mystery Movie "wheel" series from the early 1970s. Check local listings for details, but "Columbo and Company" will air on Saturdays from 8am-3pm and with more Columbo in Saturday primetime starting at 8pm. These dramas join previously announced sitcoms Amen (weekdays 3-4pm) and Gimme a Break! (weekdays 4-5pm) starting January 3.

Columbo made its television series debut September 15, 1971 on NBC. The series ran for a total of 10 seasons, shifting to ABC for its final three seasons, along with various specials through its time on television. Peter Falk won four Emmy Awards for his portrayal of the rumpled, cigar-smoking homicide detective Lieutenant Columbo homicide detective throughout its run. Directors of the series through its 10 seasons included Steven Spielberg, Ben Gazzara, and Jonathan Demme along with many celebrity guest appearances.


Better Things

The acclaimed and award-winning comedy series Better Things, directed by, produced by and starring Pamela Adlon, will premiere its fifth and final season on Monday, February 28 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on FX and streaming on Hulu. The premiere event will feature the first two episodes of the fifth season, followed by a new episode each subsequent week. In its fifth and final chapter, Better Things focuses on 'the road ahead' for its unconventional, unfiltered heroine, Sam Fox (Pamela Adlon), so devoted to her life as a working actor and single mother of three that she's left little time for that one elusive thing: herself. As she navigates three daughters, each coming of age; the challenges of her chosen career; and her mother's increasing signs of aging (as well as her own) - Sam embraces each moment, and each member of her family, with a fierce love, raw honesty and biting humor. As each of the Fox women come of age into the next phase of their life, they are inspired to reevaluate themselves, learn from the past and find their own direction.

Pamela Adlon stars in Better Things for which she is also an executive producer, writer and the sole director for season five. In addition to Adlon, the series stars Mikey Madison, Hannah Riley, Olivia Edward and Celia Imrie. Better Things is produced by FX Productions. The final season will also feature guest stars Lena Waithe, Ron Cephas Jones, Danny Trejo, Marty Krofft, Clive Russell, Casey Wilson, Rainbow Sun Francks, Angela Kinsey, Kevin Michael Richardson, Nelson Lee, Lennon Parham and Usman Ally, as well as the return of Diedrich Bader, Kevin Pollak, Rosalind Chao, Judy Gold, Cree Summer, Alysia Reiner, Greg Cromer, Dominic Burgess, Matthew Glave and Mario Cantone.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Sunday, March 8

Family Guy - "Viewer DMs" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT)
The Griffin family retells "The Lord of the Rings," explains how the Griffins' ancestors arrived in Quahog and looks back at Quagmire's 1960s variety show.

Universal Basic Guys - "That Dog in You" (F Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Mark trains Hank to become a professional eater; Tammy joins Darren's video game squad.

American Dad! - "Powering Through" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Stan is determined to prove that there's no illness he can't power through, even if it ends up killing him and everyone else.

Family Guy - "Scent of a Woman" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Brian discovers his nose can detect diseases and smells that someone in the Griffin house has cancer.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 2)

Friday, March 6

  • Jason Bateman (Arrested Development/The Hogan Family/It's Your Move/Silver Spoons) - Watch Jason on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Bradley Whitford (Perfect Harmony/Trophy Wife) - Bradley appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Joel McHale (Animal Control/The Great Indoors/Community) - Joel is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Rose Byrne (Platonic/Physical) - Rose talks about Broadway's Fallen Angels on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
  • Robby Hoffman (Hacks) - Robby is part of Joy’s Comedy Corner (comedy special, “Robby Hoffman: Wake Up”) on The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Dennis Quaid (Merry Happy Whatever) - NBC's Today catches up with Dennis in the 9am hour.
  • John Slattery (Maggie/Ed) - NBC's Today catches up with John in the 9am hour.
  • Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Cafe Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - Drew is joined by Valerie and UFC's Laura Sanko to hit the headlines at the news desk 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

03/07 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Scrubs Returns to Big Ratings; New Garfield Series Coming to Paramount+
03/06 - The Four Seasons Returns on May 28; More Details on I Suck at Girls
03/05 - COZI TV Pairs Up Al Bundy and Hondo at Last; ABC Renews Abbott Elementary for Season 6
03/04 - ABC's Scrubs Returns Big; Netflix's Little House on the Prairie Renewed for Season 2
03/03 - Prime Video's Kevin Premieres April 20; Fox Renews Best Medicine
03/02 - Running Point Returns April 23 on Netflix; A Different World Sequel Starts Production
03/01 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 2, 2026)
02/28 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Warner Now Set to Merge with Paramount, Not Netflix; X-Files Reboot Given Greenlight
02/27 - The Comeback Returns for Final Season on March 22; Animal Control Renewed for Season 5; Remembering Lauren Chapin of Father Knows Best and Robert Carradine of Lizzie McGuire
02/26 - AspireTV Gets First Ever Original Sitcom; Sullivan's Crossing Returns for Season 4 in April on The CW
02/25 - Scrubs Returns Tonight, Sneak Peek at Title Sequence; Stranger Things: Tales From '85 Reveals Odessa A'zion as Nikki Baxter
02/24 - Netflix's Wednesday Season 3 Adds to Cast; Wonder Pets: In the City Returns March 20
02/23 - Celebrities for ABC's Celebrity Jeopardy! All-Stars; Hallmark's Mistletoe Murders Renewed for Season 3
02/22 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of February 23, 2026)
02/21 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Hulu Orders New Adult Animated Comedy From Creator of Bluey; Casting News for Upcoming CBS Comedy Regency
02/20 - ABC Wednesday Comedies Find Valentine's Magic; Netflix Announces Dang!
02/19 - The Golden Girls Coming to MeTV in March; Adult Swim Announces My Two Cars
02/18 - Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special Coming to Disney+; Fox Spring 2026 Schedule and Finale Dates
02/17 - New Animated Comedy from Big Mouth Creators Coming May 22; Scottish Comedy Returns to Hulu February 25
02/16 - Saturday Night Live Returns Following the Olympics on February 28; Fox Pays Tribute to James Van Der Beek on Wednesday
02/15 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of February 16, 2026)
02/14 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Trailer Released for Scrubs Reboot; Tubi to Add 100 Cartoon Series from Warner and Cartoon Network Library
02/13 - Remembering James Van Der Beek of Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23; The Way Home Returns for Final Season in April on Hallmark
02/12 - ABC's Scrubs Revival Trailer and Details; XO, Kitty Returns April 2 on Netflix
02/11 - The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins Gets Post Saturday Night Live Encore; Chris Fleming HBO Special
02/10 - Celebrity Jeopardy! All Stars Premiere Shifting by Two Weeks; Virgin River Season 7 Trailer
02/09 - Shoresy Returns with Season 5; HBO Max Acquires Schitt's Creek
02/08 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of February 9, 2026)
02/07 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Roku Adds New Channels for Bernie Mac, Blossom, and Cougar Town; Catchy Comedy Introduces Catchy Loves Lucy