Monday, January 24, 2022

Remembering Comedian Louie Anderson; Central Park Returns March 4 on Apple TV+

Louie Anderson

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.

Life with Louie

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.

The Louie Show

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.

Family Feud - Louie Anderson

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.

Baskets - Zach Galifianakis and Louie Anderson

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).

Coming to America - Eddie Murphy and Louie Anderson

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.

Jim Drake

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.



Central Park

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

Friday, March 21

Happy's Place - "Alarm Bell" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When Isabella requests Emmett's help getting a security system installed, Bobbie claims she can protect her sister better than any alarm or man, leading to Bobbie and Emmett having a competition over who's the better protector.

St. Denis Medical - "Buffalo Bruce and Matty the Kid" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
An emotional support animal is loose in the halls of St. Denis; Alex goes big for Serena's birthday to mixed results.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 17)

Friday, March 21

  • John Mulaney (Mulaney) - Watch John on on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Sterling K. Brown (Starved) - Sterling is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Fred Armisen (Los Espookys/Forever/Final Space) - Fred appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Dana Carvey (One of the Boys) - Dana is a guest on Real Time with Bill Maher at 10pm on HBO.
  • The Jonas Brothers (Jonas) - Good Morning America catches up with the Jonas Brothers sometime between 7-9am.
  • John Leguizamo (The Brothers Garcia) - John chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Tatyana Ali (Second Generation Wayans/Love That Girl!/The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) - Tatyana discusses her off-camera work of helping women have safer births and how she is creating community with her quilt company on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
  • Selena Gomez (Only Murders in the Building/Wizards of Waverly Place) - NBC's Today catches up with Selena sometime between 7-9am.
  • Michael Urie (Shrinking/Krapopolis/Partners) - NBC's Today catches up with Michael in the 9am hour.
  • Brooke Shields (Suddenly Susan) - Brooke co-hosts NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • The Cast of Harlem - Meagan Good, Grace Byers, Jerrie Johnson, Shoniqua Shandai & Tyler Lepley talk about Harlem on Prime Video on a repeat of Sherri, so check your local listings.
  • Sarah Michelle Gellar (The Crazy Ones) - Sarah appears on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
  • Tommy Davidson (The Proud Family/Malcolm & Eddie/Between Brothers) and Mark Curry (One Love/See Dad Run/Hangin' with Mr. Cooper) - Tommy and Mark are guests on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:00am.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray) The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series Frasier (2023) - Season Two

11/05 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/12 - The King of Queens - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (2024 Release)
11/19 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fourteenth Season
11/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 4 (Blu-ray)
12/03 - Angel (1960-1961) - The Complete Series, Volume 1
12/17 - Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (4K UHD)
01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season

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

03/21 - Big Mouth Final Season; The Four Seasons Premieres in May on Netflix
03/20 - HBO's Brett Goldstein Comedy Special; Disney+ Adds The Simpsons 24/7 Stream
03/19 - Solar Opposites Final Season This Fall; NBC to Move Grosse Pointe Garden Society to Fridays
03/18 - Game Show Network New Shows Launch April 14; NBC Picks Up 3rd Comedy Pilot, While Bobby Moynihan Joins Tracy Morgan Pilot
03/17 - It's True! Ted Lasso Renewed for Season 4; Jane Goodall Returns for Jane Season 3
03/16 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 17, 2025)
03/15 - SitcomsOnline Digest: The Neighborhood Renewed for Eighth and Final Season; NBC Picks Up New Cheerleading Comedy
03/14 - NBC Comedy Pilots Wheeling & Dealing; Hulu's Got to Get Out
03/13 - Prime Video Comedy Series Overcompensating Premiere Date; Eric Stonestreet Joins Dexter: Resurrection
03/12 - Hacks Season 4 Premieres April 10; Nickelodeon Orders Wylde Pak
03/11 - The Neighborhood Renewed for Final Season; Max's The Official Big Bang Theory Podcast
03/10 - Netflix Renews Running Point for Season 2; Apple TV+ Trailer for The Studio
03/09 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 10, 2025)
03/08 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Tracy Morgan to Star in NBC Pilot from Tina Fey and Robert Carlock; Nobody Wants This Returning for Second Season
03/07 - Trailer for Apple TV+ Comedy Government Cheese; Remembering Saved by the Bell and TV Producer Peter Engel
03/06 - The CW Spring Premiere Dates; Henry Winkler Heads to HISTORY Channel
03/05 - Hacks Brings Out the Stars in Season 4; NBC Orders Pilot with Tracy Morgan
03/04 - Apple TV+ Side Quest Launches March 26; Krysten Ritter Joins Dexter: Resurrection
03/03 - HBO's The Rehearsal Returns April 20; Sharon Horgan Signs Deal for HBO Comedy Series
03/02 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 3, 2025)
03/01 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Premiere Date for Mid-Century Modern Set; Roseanne Remastered in High Definition
02/28 - Remembering John Lawlor, Michelle Trachtenberg, Lynne Marie Stewart, Alice Hirson, Isaac Ruiz Jr., and Others We Lost in February
02/27 - Fox Orders Season 2 of Doc; Law & Order: Organized Crime Moves to Peacock in April
02/26 - Peacock's Poker Face Season 2 Premieres This Spring; Bert Kreischer Returns with His Fourth Netflix Special
02/25 - Hulu Sitcom Mid-Century Modern Premiere Date; NBC Renews Happy's Place for Season 2
02/24 - Fox Renews Jay Pharoah Game Show; Leighton Meester to Guest Star on Nobody Wants This
02/23 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of February 24, 2025)
02/22 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Jury Duty Returning for New Season on Prime Video; New Spinoff of 9-1-1 in the Works
02/21 - CBS Renews 9 Additional Series for 2025-26; Hulu Picks Up Paradise for Season 2