Thursday, December 01, 2022
Apple TV+ Announces Premiere Date for Shrinking; Disney Producing Animated Sitcom
Apple TV+ unveiled the premiere date and a first look at Shrinking, the new 10-episode comedy starring Jason Segel, and written by Emmy Award winning Ted Lasso co-creator Bill Lawrence, Emmy Award-winning Ted Lasso star, writer and co-executive producer Brett Goldstein and Segel. Also starring Harrison Ford in one of his first major television roles, Shrinking will premiere globally with the first two episodes on Friday, January 27, on Apple TV+, followed by one new episode weekly, every Friday. Shrinking follows a grieving therapist (played by Segel) who starts to break the rules and tell his clients exactly what he thinks. Ignoring his training and ethics, he finds himself making huge, tumultuous changes to people's lives ... including his own. In addition to Segel and Ford, Shrinking stars Christa Miller, Jessica Williams, Michael Urie, Luke Tennie and Lukita Maxwell.
The new series is produced by Warner Bros. Television, where Lawrence is under an overall deal, and Lawrence's Doozer Productions. Lawrence, Segel, Goldstein, Neil Goldman, James Ponsoldt, Randall Winston, Jeff Ingold and Liza Katzer serve as executive producers. Lawrence, Segel and Goldstein created the series and wrote the first episode, which was directed by Ponsoldt. Shrinking marks the second collaboration for Apple TV+ and Segel, following his starring role in Apple Original film The Sky is Everywhere. The series also marks the third partnership for Apple, Lawrence and Warner Bros. Television, alongside global phenomenon Ted Lasso, and upcoming drama series Bad Monkey. Goldstein currently stars and serves as writer and co-executive producer on Ted Lasso, which was recently honored with the Primetime Emmy Award for Best Comedy series for the second year in a row, as well as a back-to-back win in Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for Goldstein. The series will join a growing offering of hit and award-winning comedy series on Apple TV+ including Ted Lasso, Mythic Quest, Schmigadoon!, Physical, The Afterparty, Central Park, Bad Sisters, Trying and more.
Intercats, an animated sitcom set in a cat workplace, is in development at Disney Branded Television with multiple Emmy Award-winning Baobab Studios and acclaimed screenwriter Pamela Ribon (recipient of the Cristal Award at the 2022 Annecy International Animation Film Festival and writer of two of Disney's Academy Award(R)-nominated and Annie Award-winning films, Ralph Breaks the Internet and Moana, and Sony Animation Studio's Smurfs: The Lost Village). Ribon has also begun her own first-look agreement with Disney Branded Television's animation studio, Disney Television Animation, which is working closely with Baobab Studios (The Witchverse) on the development of Intercats.
Eric Darnell (writer and director of Baba Yaga, Madagascar and Antz and Baobab's co-founder and chief creative officer) is the creator and is executive-producing Intercats. Gary Marsh is also an executive producer. Jony Chandra (Nimona, Spies in Disguise) will direct. Told through the big reflective eyes of cats, Intercats is a four-quadrant animated workplace comedy about the cats who produce the hysterical cat videos that go viral on the Internet. It features a ragtag team of cats aspiring to get what all cats want: their independence. But, to do so, they must first learn to navigate their own internal relationships and build upon their success as the premiere studio for viral cat videos. Intercats reflects the heroic lengths we will all go to find and secure our own place in the world.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Wednesday, October 23
Abbott Elementary - "Class Pet" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Janine gets a budget for class pets, but Melissa is resistant to taking on the added work and responsibility for her room’s guinea pig. An IT rep from the school district arrives to set up new computers.
Everybody Still Hates Chris - "Everybody Still Hates Bullies" (Comedy Central, 10:00PM ET/PT)
Chris gets a gig DJ-ing at a drag ball and develops drag queen eyes.
Everybody Still Hates Chris - "Everybody Still Hates Career Tests" (Comedy Central, 10:30PM ET/PT)
Chris and Greg tape over a porno rented from Caruso and must replace it.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of October 21)
Wednesday, October 23
- Billy Crystal (The Comedians/Soap) - Watch Billy on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Anna Kendrick (Love Life) - Anna appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Matty Matheson (The Bear) - Matty stops by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Bernadette Peters (High Desert/Mozart in the Jungle/All's Fair) - Bernadette is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Olivia Munn (Perfect Couples) - NBC's Today catches up with Olivia some time between 7-9am.
- Bridget Everett (Somebody Somewhere) - Bridget talks about Somebody Somewhere on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- David Henrie (Wizards Beyond Waverly Place/Wizards of Waverly Place/How I Met Your Mother/The Pitts) - David discusses Wizards Beyond Waverly Place on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your listings. One or two Wizards Beyond Waverly Place cast members will be on New York Living at 10:05am.
- Judith Light (Who's the Boss?/Phenom/Transparent) - Judith talks about Before on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
- Billy Crystal (The Comedians/Soap) - Billy chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Mariska Hargitay (Can't Hurry Love) - Mariska talks about the greatest thing sheĆ¢€™s learned since turning 60 on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Dexter Darden (Saved by the Bell) - Dexter talks about Peacock's Fight Night; The Million Dollar Heist on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
- Essence Atkins (Poppa's House/Marlon/Mr. Box Office/Are We There Yet?/Half & Half/Smart Guy/Under One Roof) - Essence talks about Poppa's House on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
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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