Monday, April 18, 2022

black-ish Finale Celebration This Tuesday; Remembering Liz Sheridan of ALF and Seinfeld

black-ish: A Celebration

Since its debut in 2014, the award-winning ABC hit comedy show black-ish has entertained and educated millions of viewers. The series brought audiences inside the difficult conversations and lived experiences many Black families have in America through the comedic lens of the Johnson family. A new ABC News special profiles the making of the groundbreaking show and explores the profound impact it had on society as it concludes its eighth and final season. The special features interviews with the show's all-star cast, including Anthony Anderson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Marsai Martin, Yara Shahidi, Miles Brown, Marcus Scribner, Laurence Fishburne, Jenifer Lewis and Deon Cole - as well as an exclusive look at the final table read and the cast's original audition tapes. black-ish: A Celebration reflects on some of the show's most important episodes, covering topics ranging from Juneteenth to postpartum depression. black-ish stars and guest stars such as Aloe Blacc also discuss their experience working on set, the comedic genius of the show and how they feel about the series ending. Creator and executive producer Kenya Barris and episodic director Eva Longoria talk about the unique chemistry between the cast and crew over years of filming and what they hope will be the legacy of the show. black-ish: A Celebration airs Tuesday, April 19 (9:31-10:00 p.m. EDT) on ABC, next day on Hulu.

The finale airs at 9pm, right before the special. In the finale, as Pops and Ruby prepare to move away, Dre and Bow consider if they should make a big life change as well. Grappling with this idea at work, Dre receives some unexpected advice from Simone Biles, who tells him to follow his heart. The Johnsons prepare for their goodbyes in the series finale.


Liz Sheridan

Actress Liz Sheridan, who was best known for her roles as Raquel Ochmonek on ALF and as Helen Seinfeld on Seinfeld, has died. She died on April 15 at her home in Manhattan, five days after her 93rd birthday.

Liz Sheridan, Josh Blake and John LaMotta on ALF

Sheridan had a recurring role as nosy neighbor Raquel Ochmonek on the 1986-1990 NBC sitcom ALF. Raquel and Trevor Ochmonek (John LaMotta) are the dense neighbors of the Tanner family who never figured out what was going on. Jake Ochmonek (Josh Blake, Seasons 2-3) is their nephew. Sheridan was credited on 34 episodes of the series. The cast of ALF included Paul Fusco (voice only), Max Wright, Anne Schedeen, Andrea Elson, Benji Gregory and Jim J. Bullock (Season 4).

Liz Sheridan, Barney Martin, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Jerry Seinfeld on Seinfeld

She had a recurring role as Helen Seinfeld on the 1989-1998 NBC sitcom Seinfeld. Helen Seinfeld is Jerry's (Jerry Seinfeld) overprotective mother. She is married to Morty Seinfeld (Barney Martin - Morty was first played by Phil Bruns in the second episode). Sheridan guest starred on 34 episodes of the series from 1990 to 1998. She was the only secondary character to appear in all nine seasons.

Some of her other sitcom guest appearances included Archie Bunker's Place, Gimme a Break!, Oh Madeline, One Day at a Time, Three's a Crowd, It's Your Move, Newhart, Brothers, Who's the Boss?, Easy Street, Throb, Family Ties, It's a Living, Good Grief, Herman's Head, Empty Nest (2 episodes), Tom, Blossom, Double Rush, Cleghorne! (2 episodes) and Complete Savages. She provided the voice of Mrs. Stillman for seven episodes of the Fox animated series Life with Louie from 1994 to 1997. She was the voice of Mrs. Rothberg for a 2007 episode of American Dad!.

She appeared as Nurse Greta Bayley on three episodes of Santa Barbara in 1985. Some of her other television drama guest appearances included Kojak, The White Shadow, Tucker's Witch, St. Elsewhere, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Riptide, Moonlighting, The A-Team (2 episodes), Hill Street Blues, Remington Steele, Cagney & Lacey, Equal Justice, Murder, She Wrote (1991), Melrose Place, Sliders, Noah Knows Best and Numb3rs.

Andy Griffith and Liz Sheridan in Play the Game

Sheridan starred as Edna Gordon in the 2009 feature film Play the Game, a romantic comedy about a widowed grandfather (Andy Griffith) who learns dating tricks from his serial romancer of a grandson (Paul Campbell). Doris Roberts played Rose Sherman. It was Andy Griffith's final film credit.

She started out in show business as a dancer. She was reportedly engaged to James Dean in 1952. In 2000, she wrote wrote a book, Dizzy & Jimmy: My Life with James Dean: A Love Story, chronicling their time together in the early 1950s. She appeared on stage in plays and musicals on Broadway, co-starring with Meryl Streep and Christopher Lloyd in the 1977 musical, Happy End, before moving to Los Angeles.

Ms. Sheridan was a talented and funny actress. Helen Seinfeld was one of TV's sweetest and nicest moms. Sheridan appeared in over a dozen feature films and 60 television movies, mini-series and series. We thank her for the laughs and entertainment that she brought us during her career. She will be deeply missed.

It's been a sad past two weeks for Seinfeld fans. Estelle Harris, who played Estelle Costanza (George's mother), died on April 2.

Share your memories on our ALF and Seinfeld message boards. View photos in our galleries.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Sunday, July 27

The Simpsons - "Convenience Airways" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
The Simpsons are trapped on a flight with the most unruly passengers in America.

Krapopolis - "Baby Boom" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Aphrodite's Fertility Fest is here and baby fever is at an all time high; Ty tries to relax at a bathhouse but it's proving difficult to let loose.

Animal Control - "Goats, Snakes, and Dogs" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Frank is tasked with taking a dog to "the farm," but instead jailbreaks the pup to find it a new forever home; Victoria tries to teach Shred how to break the rules; Patel has a life-changing encounter with a therapy goat.

Going Dutch - "Nazi Hunters" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
The troops of Stroopsdorf participate in their quarterly war games; when an unidentified drone hovers over the base, The Colonel recruits Captain Maggie, Major Shah and Sergeant Dana to take a trip to the owner's house to confirm he is not a spy.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of July 21)

Friday, July 25

  • Anthony Anderson (black-ish/Guys with Kids/All About the Andersons) - Anthony guest hosts Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Cedric the Entertainer (The Neighborhood/The Last O.G./The Soul Man/The Steve Harvey Show) - Watch Cedric on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Jeremy Allen White (The Bear) - Jeremy is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Timothy Olyphant (Stick/Santa Clarita Diet) - Timothy appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Emily Ratajkowski (Too Much) - Emily is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear/Girls) - Ebon talks about The Fantastic Four: First Steps on a repeat of ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
  • Leanne Morgan (Leanne) - Leanne talks about Neflix's Leanne on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Kristen Johnston (Leanne/Mom/The Exes/3rd Rock from the Sun) - Kristen talks about Netflix's Leanne on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • Tony Danza (Taxi/Who's the Boss?/Hudson Street/The Tony Danza Show) - Tony talks about his brand-new show Tony Danza: Sinatra & Stories on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Michael Jai White (Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse) - Michael is a guest on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series Frasier (2023) - Season Two Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered) Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (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)

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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