Wednesday, August 24, 2022

Reelz Celebrates 50th Anniversary of M*A*S*H with New Special; HBO Renews Curb Your Enthusiasm for Season 12

M*A*S*H

REELZ announced a new original special M*A*S*H: When Television Changed Forever celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Korean War themed comedy drama that premiered on September 17, 1972 and ran for 11 seasons that would become a beloved television juggernaut culminating in more than 106 million people tuning in for the series finale in 1983—a record that still stands today. Through new exclusive interviews with cast members Jamie Farr (Cpl. Maxwell Q. Klinger), Mike Farrell (Capt. B.J. Hunnicutt) and Jeff Maxwell (Pvt. Igor Straminsky) along with producers and writers the special explores the brilliant series that lasted four times longer than the war it was set in and its delicate straddling of the line between comedy and drama at a time when evening news about the Vietnam War was beaming to television sets every night across America.

M*A*S*H also had many creative firsts never before seen in television dramas which included killing off a main character and weaving together multiple storylines in a single episode. M*A*S*H also broke barriers in television taking bold risks tackling issues of racism, gays in the military and anti-war sentiment. But what viewers didn't see on screen were the struggles that left the show hanging by a thread on more than one occasion including its lukewarm reception by audiences to its first season that almost led to its cancellation. M*A*S*H: When Television Changed Forever premieres Tuesday, September 13, 2022 at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT.

In M*A*S*H: When Television Changed Forever cast and crew reveal their battles with network executives to keep the show alive, their first days on set, favorite episodes, what they think made the show a mega hit and why it endures today. The special also retraces the franchise history including its source material the 1968 novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors and the Academy Award® winning movie M*A*S*H starring Elliott Gould who in a new interview shares the story of how he won the coveted role of Capt. John Francis Xavier "Trapper John" McIntyre. Series executive producer Burt Metcalfe and writers Ken Levine and Gary Markowitz discuss stylistic firsts in the series that were considered risky at the time with episodes shot in different perspectives including a soldier's point of view after being wounded and becoming a patient inside the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital and a black and white documentary style episode complete with real life war correspondent Clete Roberts interviewing M*A*S*H characters. And in true M*A*S*H fashion real events would find their way into key storylines after a fire tore through the Malibu set before production wrapped on the monumental series finale. The two hour series finale was expanded by another 30 minutes after it was decided to weave in stories about the fire much to the satisfaction of network executives who sold 30 second commercial spots in the series finale for the same price as those in the Super Bowl that year. M*A*S*H: When Television Changed Forever is produced by AMS Pictures.


Curb Your Enthusiasm

HBO has renewed the Emmy® and Golden Globe-winning comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm, starring Larry David, for a twelfth season. Originally debuting on HBO in 2001 and with 110 completed episodes to date, Curb Your Enthusiasm stars Seinfeld co-creator David as an over-the-top version of himself in an unsparing but tongue-in-cheek depiction of his fictionalized life. The series also stars Jeff Garlin, Susie Essman, J.B. Smoove, Cheryl Hines, Richard Lewis, Vince Vaughn, and Ted Danson. The comedy series continues to prove how seemingly trivial details of one's day-to-day life can precipitate a catastrophic chain of events. To keep the narrative spontaneous, the series is shot without a script and cast members are given scene outlines and improvise lines as they go.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Wednesday, October 30

Abbott Elementary - "Costume Contest" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT)
It’s Halloween at Abbott Elementary! Janine and Gregory proudly show off their couple’s costume, but it fails to translate. Meanwhile, Barbara faces pushback from parents concerned about hygiene and her beloved apple-bobbing tradition.

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place - "Saved by the Spell" (Disney Channel, 8:00PM ET/PT)
On her first day of school, Billie uses magic to impress Roman's best friend; when a jealous Roman steals Billie's wand, he falls into the grasp of a wizard-hunting phantomus.

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place - "Something Wizard This Way Comes" (Disney Channel, 8:30PM ET/PT)
On Halloween, Billie tells Roman about Pumpkin Belly, a ghoul who eats anyone whose house isn't spookily decorated; Justin, Milo and Giada defend the home from pranksters.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of October 28)

Wednesday, October 30

  • Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary/Fam/Instant Mom/Moesha/It's a Living) - Watch Sheryl on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Salma Hayek Pinault (The Sinbad Show) - Salma appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Kieran Culkin (Solar Opposites/Go Fish) - Kieran is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies) - Tom stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Emily Osment (Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage/Young Sheldon/Young & Hungry/Hannah Montana), Tien Tran (How I Met Your Father) and Vinny Thomas (Platonic) - Emily, Tien and Vinny are guests on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Ronny Chieng (Young Rock/Ronny Chieng: International Student) - Ronny hosts Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
  • Adam Pally (Mr. Throwback/Indebted/Making History/The Mindy Project/Happy Endings) - Adam appears on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 3:30am on Bravo.
  • Keri Russell (Running Wilde/Daddy's Girls) - Keri talks about The Diplomat on ABC's Good Morning America some time between 7-9am and on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Matty Matheson (The Bear) - Matty talks about improvising scenes on the hit show The Bear and how he started his career in restaurants on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Anna Kendrick (Love Life) - Anna is chatting with Drew about directing her first film Woman of the Hour, the crazy serial killer case the movie is based on, finding boundaries in her life, turning 40 and more on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Mayan Lopez (Lopez vs Lopez) - Mayan discusses her sitcom Lopez vs Lopez on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
  • Blair Underwood (Fatherhood/The New Adventures of Old Christine) - Blair is a guest on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:30am.
  • Marissa Jaret Winokur (What We Do in the Shadows/Retired at 35/Stacked) - Marissa appears on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:05am.
  • Melissa Peterman (Happy's Place/Young Sheldon/Baby Daddy/Working Class/Reba) - Melissa talks about NBC's Happy's Place on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

The Ropers - The Complete Series Friends - The Complete Series (4K Ultra HD) Young Sheldon - The Complete Series Veep - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (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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