Friday, September 30, 2022
NBC Orders Mike O'Malley Sitcom with Jon Cryer; Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin Premieres Nov. 23; Remembering Mork & Mindy and Perfect Strangers Creator Dale McRaven

NBC has ordered Mike O'Malley's comedy series to series. From Lionsgate Television and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, with Mike O'Malley writing and executive producing, along with Tom Werner, Wyc Grousbeck, Emilia Fazzalari, George Geyer. The series will star Jon Cryer, Donald Faison, Abigail Spencer, Finn Sweeney, and Sofia Capanna. In the series, after an amicable divorce, Jim and Julia decide to continue to raise their kids at the family home while taking turns on who gets to stay with them. Navigating the waters of divorce and child-sharing gets more complicated for Jim when the owner of his favorite sports team enters the picture and wins Julia's heart. The sitcom is likely airing sometime in 2023. Stay tuned!
Peacock has released new images for their new comedy Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin that will premiere on Wednesday, Nov. 23 with all 6 episodes from executive producer Elizabeth Banks. In the new series for Peacock, several years after we last saw him in Pitch Perfect, Adam Devine's Bumper Allen moves to Germany to revive his music career when one of his songs becomes big in Berlin.
Adam Devine will play Bumper Allen, who, after his a cappella TikTok goes viral in Berlin, moves to Germany to pursue his dreams of becoming an international pop star. Flula Borg (Pitch Perfect 2, The Suicide Squad, Curb Your Enthusiasm) will play Pieter Krämer who has transitioned from German a cappella star to discredited German music manager. Sarah Hyland (Modern Family, The Wedding Year) will play Heidi, Pieter and Bumper's cheery and slightly odd American assistant. Lera Abova (Anna) will play Thea Krämer, Piëter's sister and a prominent Berlin DJ and music producer. And Jameela Jamil (The Good Place, She Hulk) will play a bombastic and flashy up-and-coming German pop star and is Pieter's ex-girlfriend and Bumper's main rival at the German Unity Day concert.
Television writer and producer Dale McRaven, who created Mork & Mindy, Angie and Perfect Strangers, has died. He died on September 5 of complications from lung cancer at his home in Porter Ranch, California. Mr. McRaven was 83.
McRaven's early writing credits included The Joey Bishop Show (14 episodes), The Dick Van Dyke Show (9 episodes), That Girl (1 episode), Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (5 episodes), Hey, Landlord (5 episodes), Accidental Family (1 episode), Good Morning World (1 episode), Get Smart (1 episode), Love, American Style (3 episodes), Room 222 (2 episodes), The Partridge Family (15 episodes), The Girl with Something Extra (1 episode), Laverne & Shirley (1 episode), The Practice (1976) (1 episode) and The Betty White Show (1 episode).
He created the short-lived 1974-1975 ABC sitcom The Texas Wheelers. The series, produced by MTM Enterprises, is about the cantankerous but lovable Zack Wheeler (Jack Elam), a long-lost father who returned to raise his children Truckie (Gary Busey), Doobie (Mark Hamill), Boo (Karen Obediear), and T.J. (Tony Becker) in rural Texas after their mother died. He wrote five of the episodes and was an executive producer for six episodes.
McRaven, Garry Marshall and Joe Glauberg created the 1978-1982 ABC sitcom Mork & Mindy. The series stars Robin Williams as Mork, an extraterrestrial who comes to Earth from the planet Ork, and Pam Dawber as Mindy McConnell, his human friend, roommate, and eventual love interest. McRaven also worked as a producer and executive producer. He wrote 13 episodes. Mork & Mindy received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Comedy series in 1979.
He co-created with Garry Marshall the 1979-1980 ABC sitcom Angie. The series stars Donna Pescow in the lead role, Robert Hays as her love interest and eventual husband, Doris Roberts as her mother and Debralee Scott as her sister. He was also the executive producer for four episodes of the series.
McRaven created the 1986-1993 ABC sitcom Perfect Strangers. The series chronicles the rocky coexistence of midwestern American Larry Appleton (Mark Linn-Baker) and his distant cousin from eastern Mediterranean Europe, Balki Bartokomous (Bronson Pinchot). He wrote three episodes of the series. He worked as an executive producer for 16 episodes and as an executive consultant for 125 episodes.
Some of his other writing credits included 9 to 5, Nearly Departed and Grand. His other producing credits included Valentine's Day, The Partridge Family, The Betty White Show, Nearly Departed and Davis Rules.
Mr. McRaven worked on more than 20 sitcoms during his career. We thank him for creating Mork & Mindy, Angie, Perfect Strangers and for his work on other sitcoms. He will be greatly missed.
We also remember stand-up comedian, sitcom writer, producer, and actor David A. Arnold. He worked on The Rickey Smiley Show, Fuller House and That Girl Lay Lay. He died on September 7 at his home in Los Angeles due to natural causes. Mr. Arnold was 54.
Arnold's sitcom writing credits included Meet the Browns (15 episodes), House of Payne (12 episodes), The Rickey Smiley Show (14 episodes), Partners (2014) (1 episode), Zoe Ever After (1 episode), Bigger (1 episode), Fuller House (3 episodes) and Side Hustle (3 episodes)
He created the Nickelodeon comedy That Girl Lay Lay in 2021 and served as showrunner for the series. The series stars That Girl Lay Lay, Gabrielle Nevaeh Green, Tiffany Daniels, Thomas Hobson, Peyton Perrine III and Caleb Brown. He wrote two episodes. He appeared as Pastor Brown in one episode.
Arnold's other sitcom acting credits included Entourage, Meet the Browns (3 episodes as Darnelle) and Side Hustle.
Some of his other sitcom producing credits included Bigger, Fuller House and Side Hustle.
Mr. Arnold was a talented and funny comedian. He had two Netflix stand-up comedy specials: David A. Arnold: Fat Ballerina (2020) and It Ain't For The Weak (July 2022). He will be sorely missed.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Thursday, May 8
Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "Ladies Love Brunch" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Georgie tries to juggle his mom, his mother-in-law and Mandy on Mother’s Day. Meanwhile, Audrey wants to meet Connor’s girlfriend.
Ghosts - "The Devil Went Down to Woodstone" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Sam and Jay host a big party for the launch of Sam and Isaac’s vampire book. Mary Holland (Patience), Punam Patel (Bela) and Matt Walsh (Elias Woodstone) return as guest stars.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of May 5)
Thursday, May 8
- Paula Poundstone (Home Movies) - Paula performs stand-up comedy on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Natasha Lyonne (Russian Doll) - Natasha appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Michelle Buteau (Survival of the Thickest/Bless the Harts/Enlisted) - Michelle talks about Netflix's Survival of the Thickest on Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
- Maria Bamford (Lady Dynamite/Benched) and Doug Benson (You're the Worst) - Maria and Doug are guests on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- John Benjamin Hickey (HouseBroken/The Big C/It's All Relative) - John stops by Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 11:15pm on Bravo.
- Patricia Clarkson (Davis Rules) - Patricia is a guest on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 11:15pm on Bravo.
- Kerry Washington (UnPrisoned) - E! News has an interview with Kerry at 11pm on E!. Kerry and Omar Sy discuss their highly anticipated new film Shadow Force on Sherri, so check your local listings.
- Rebel Wilson (Super Fun Night) - Rebel chats about Juliet & Romeo on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
- Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Café Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - In A Little Bit Extra Valerie and Ross Mathews are sharing more of their conversation with Al Roker in Charleston at the Food & Wine Classic on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Morris Chestnut (Out All Night) and Randall Park (Young Rock/Blockbuster/Fresh Off the Boat/Veep/Supah Ninjas) - Morris and Randall talk about Watson on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:30am.
New on DVD and 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)
07/08 - 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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