Monday, January 24, 2022
Remembering Comedian Louie Anderson; Central Park Returns March 4 on Apple TV+
Emmy-winning actor, game show host and stand-up comedian Louie Anderson, who starred as Christine Baskets on Baskets, has died. He died on January 21 in Las Vegas, Nevada, of complications from large B-cell lymphoma. Mr. Anderson was 68.
Anderson created and produced the 1994-1998 Fox animated series Life with Louie. The first two episodes aired in primetime on December 18, 1994, before moving to Saturday mornings on Fox Kids in 1995. The series was based on Anderson's childhood with 10 siblings, a sweet-hearted mother and a loud, war-crazed father. He provided the voices of Little Louie and Andy Anderson, Louie's difficult, but caring father. He won two Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program in 1997 and 1998.
He starred as Dr. Louie Lundgren on the short-lived 1996 CBS sitcom The Louie Show. Dr. Louie Lundgren is a psychotherapist dealing with his friends and family in Duluth, Minnesota. The series also starred Bryan Cranston, Kate Hodge, Paul Feig, Laura Innes, Nancy Becker Kennedy and Kimmy Robertson.
Anderson was the host of Family Feud from 1999 to 2002. He was a regular panelist on Funny You Should Ask from September 2018 until the show went on hiatus in 2020. He appeared on The New Hollywood Squares and Hollywood Squares. In 2013, he appeared on the ABC reality competition series Splash.
He starred as Christine Baskets on the 2016-2019 FX comedy-drama Baskets. Christine Baskets is the mother of identical twin brothers Chip Baskets and Dale Everett Baskets (Zach Galifianakis). Anderson received three consecutive nominations for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and won once in 2016 for the role.
Anderson played Lou Appleton on the Perfect Strangers unaired pilot episode. When the show was picked up, he was replaced by Mark Linn-Baker in the role of Appleton (whose first name was then changed from Lou to Larry) as the producers didn't think the chemistry between Anderson and Bronson Pinchot was quite right.
Some of his sitcom guest appearances included Trying Times, Grace Under Fire, Love & War, Scrubs, Half & Half, Joey, Young Sheldon, Search Party (5 episodes as Bob) and Twenties (2 episodes). His drama guest appearnces included Remington Steele, Chicago Hope, Touched by an Angel, Ally McBeal, Nash Bridges and V.I.P. (2001).
He starred as Maurice in the 1988 film Coming to America and the 2021 sequel Coming 2 America. Some of his other film credits included Quicksilver (1986), Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986), The Wrong Guys (1988), Mr. Wrong (1996), Cook Off! (2007) and Sandy Wexler (2017).
His survivors include his sisters Lisa and Shanna Anderson.
Mr. Anderson was a gifted comedian and performer. His late night talk show appearances were always very funny. We thank him for the many laughs and entertainment he brought us during his career. He will be sorely missed.
Share your memories on our Baskets message board. View photos in our galleries.
We also remember television and film director Jim Drake. He worked on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (1976-1977), Gimme a Break!, The Golden Girls and Night Court. He died on January 10 in Freeland, Washington. Mr. Drake was 77.
Some of his sitcom directing credits included Alice (2 episodes), Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (157), Fernwood Tonight (8), The Facts of Life (3), Sanford (26), Gimme a Break! (14), Buffalo Bill (9), We Got It Made (6), Domestic Life (5), Double Trouble (5), Newhart (5), It's Your Move (4), The Golden Girls (8), Who's the Boss? (5), Roomies (5), Boys Will Be Boys (9), Night Court (63), Dave's World (24), The Suite Life of Zack & Cody (7) and The Suite Life on Deck (2).
He directed the films Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol (1987) and Speed Zone (1989).
In addition to his wife Brigit, he is survived by his daughter Christina, son Kevin and his daughter River, stepdaughter Christel Layton and husband Bob and their daughter Katrina, his brother Tom, and also by his first wife Kirsten.
Mr. Drake received Emmy nominations for his work on Buffalo Bill in 1983 and The Golden Girls in 1986. We thank him for bringing us many sitcom episodes from 1976 to 2008. He will be greatly missed.
Apple TV+ announced that Central Park, the critically acclaimed, hit animated musical comedy series, will return with eight all-new episodes on Friday, March 4 on Apple TV+. From creator, writer and executive producer Loren Bouchard, Josh Gad and Nora Smith, the second season of the series will debut three new episodes on March 4, followed by one new episode weekly every Friday thereafter through April 8, 2022. Central Park stars a renowned voice cast that includes Josh Gad, Leslie Odom Jr., Daveed Diggs, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Kathryn Hahn, Tituss Burgess and Stanley Tucci. New guest stars featured this season include Aparna Nancherla, Billy Porter, Catherine O'Hara, Ellie Kemper and Naomi Ekperigin. In a first look at the second half of the new season, Josh Gad and Rory O'Malley reunite for a catchy musical number called "You are the Music." The song is written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez and also features Tituss Burgess and Emmy Raver-Lampman.
As season two of Central Park unfolds with eight new episodes, the Tillerman family continues to navigate living in and caring for the world's most famous park. Molly experiences the trials and tribulations of adolescence, Cole is challenged by a truly embarrassing moment at school, Paige continues to chase down the Mayor's corruption story, and Owen juggles managing the park, his staff, and his family all with a smile on his face. Meanwhile, Bitsy inches ever closer to her sinister goal of claiming Central Park as her own; with Helen by her side, eternally wondering whether she's made it into Bitsy's will. Every step of the way, we are guided along by our friendly, fumbling, fiddler narrator, Birdie. The complete first season and the first half of the second season of Central Park are now streaming on Apple TV+. Since its global debut, the series has been recognized with Emmy Award nominations for stars Leslie Odom Jr., Tituss Burgess and Stanley Tucci, and an NAACP Image Awards nomination in the Outstanding Animated Series category.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Wednesday, October 9
Abbott Elementary - "Back to School" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT)
The neighboring construction site of a new golf course is causing issues at Abbott, forcing the teachers to find creative solutions. An HR representative visits the school. Following their kiss, Janine and Gregory’s relationship status is revealed.
Everybody Still Hates Chris - "Everybody Still Hates Cheat Codes" (Comedy Central, 10:00PM ET/PT)
Chris debates using a cheat code to win a free Nintendo.
Everybody Still Hates Chris - "Everybody Still Hates Halloween" (Comedy Central, 10:30PM ET/PT)
Chris spends Halloween at a church event, hoping to hook up with Tasha.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of October 7)
Wednesday, October 9
- Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary) - Watch Quinta on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC. She also talks about the new season of Abbott Elementary on Sherri, so check your local listings.
- Henry Winkler (Barry/Arrested Development/Out of Practice/Monty/Happy Days) - Henry appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Rachel Sennott (Call Your Mother) - Rachel is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Eric Idle (Suddenly Susan/Nearly Departed) - Eric stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Michael Keaton (Report to Murphy/Working Stiffs/All's Fair) - E! News has an interview with Michael at 11pm on E!.
- Ali Wong (Big Mouth/American Housewife/Are You There, Chelsea?) - NBC's Today catches up with Ali in the 10am hour.
- Rita Wilson (Girls) - Rita stops by to talk about her new album on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your listings.
- Goldie Hawn (Good Morning World) - Goldie appears on ABC's Good Morning America some time between 7-9am.
- Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary/Fam/Instant Mom/Moesha/It's a Living) - Sheryl Lee talks about Abbott Elementary on ABC's Good Morning America some time between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm. She chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Josh Gad (Wolf Like Me/Avenue 5/The Comedians/1600 Penn/Back to You) - Josh talks about his new children's book PictureFace Lizzy and fatherhood on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Jessica St. Clair (Avenue 5/Playing House/Best Friends Forever/In the Motherhood) - Jessica is sharing her breast cancer experience with Drew and Dr. Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz is talking about breast cancer diagnoses on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Abigail Spencer (Extended Family/Burning Love) - Abigail discusses her television series Shatter Belt on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Kim Matula (LA to Vegas) - Kim is a guest on PIX 11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:39am.
- Lea Thompson (Caroline in the City) - Lea appears on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:05am.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
09/10 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-7
09/10 - The Ropers - The Complete Series (VEI)
09/10 - Ted - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/17 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - Video Scrapbook
09/17 - Top Cat - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
09/24 - Friends - The Complete Series (4K Ultra HD)
09/24 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Seventh Season (DVD) / The Complete Series (DVD) (Blu-ray)
10/08 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Twelfth Season / The Complete Series
10/22 - Veep - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/05 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/19 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fourteenth Season
02/04 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (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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