Monday, February 06, 2023

Netflix Renews That '90s Show for Season 2; Remembering Charles Kimbrough of Murphy Brown

That '90s Show

Netflix announced a 16-episode season two order for hit comedy series That '90s Show. Season one premiered on January 19, 2023 and immediately reached Netflix's Top 10 English TV list in 35 countries, with more than 41 million hours viewed. It's 1995 and Leia Forman is desperate for some adventure in her life or at least a best friend who isn't her dad. When she arrives in Point Place to visit her grandparents, Red and Kitty, Leia finds what she's looking for right next door when she meets the dynamic and rebellious Gwen. With the help of Gwen's friends, including her lovable brother Nate, his smart, laser-focused girlfriend Nikki, the sarcastic and insightful Ozzie, and the charming Jay, Leia realizes adventure could happen there just like it did for her parents all those years ago. Excited to reinvent herself, she convinces her parents to let her stay for the summer. With a basement full of teens again, Kitty is happy the Forman house is now a home for a new generation and Red is, well...Red.

That '90s Show stars Kurtwood Smith, Debra Jo Rupp, Callie Haverda, Ashley Aufderheide, Mace Coronel, Maxwell Donovan, Reyn Doi, and Sam Morelos. Also returning to Point Place are creators Bonnie and Terry Turner - this time with their daughter Lindsey Turner - showrunner/executive producer Gregg Mettler, and executive producers Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner. Joining the show are executive producers Jessica Goldstein, Chrissy Pietrosh and Mandy Summers.


Charles Kimbrough

Actor Charles Kimbrough, who was best known for his role as the straight-faced anchorman Jim Dial on Murphy Brown, has died. He died in Culver City, California, on January 11. Mr. Kimbrough was 86.

Murphy Brown

Kimbrough starred as Jim Dial on the 1988-1998 CBS sitcom Murphy Brown. Jim Dial is the trustworthy veteran news anchor for FYI, a fictional CBS television newsmagazine. He affectionately addresses Murphy Brown (Candice Bergen) as "Slugger" and reminisces about the glory days of Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite. In 1990, his performance in the role earned him a nomination for an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series". The cast included Faith Ford, Joe Regalbuto, Grant Shaud (1988-1996), Pat Corley (1988-1996), Robert Pastorelli (1988-1994), Ritch Brinkley (1988-1997), John Hostetter and Lily Tomlin (1996-1998).

Murphy Brown

In 2018, he returned to play Jim Dial in three episodes of the 2018-2019 CBS Murphy Brown revival series. Jim Dial is now in his 80s, widowed and retired. He acts as an informal mentor to the Murphy in the Morning gang.

He provided the voice of Dr. Ficus in a 1992 episode of Dinosaurs. He guest starred as Rich in a 1998 episode of Love Boat: The Next Wave. Some of his other television guest appearances included Another World, Kojak (3 episodes), Great Performances (3 episodes), All My Children, Tales of the Unexpected, American Playhouse (2 episodes), Spenser: For Hire (2 episodes), Hothouse and Ally McBeal.

Kimbrough was also known for his voice work. He was the voice of Victor, the most mature gargoyle in Disney's 1996 animated feature The Hunchback of Notre Dame, a role he reprised in its direct-to-video sequel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame II (2002), and the video game, Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. He provided the voice of Jim Dial for a 2000 episode of Family Guy. Some of his other voice credits included Mighty Max, Pinky and the Brain, Hercules, Recess, The Angry Beavers, Batman Beyond and The Zeta Project.

In 1971, he was nominated for a Tony for best featured actor in a musical as Harry in Stephen Sondheim's Company. In 1984, he performed in the original Broadway cast of Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George.

He starred as Mr. Donolly in the 2001 romantic comedy film The Wedding Planner, which starred Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey. Some of his other film credits included The Seduction of Joe Tynan (1979), It's My Turn (1980) and Switching Channels (1988).

Survivors include his son, John Kimbrough, his sister, Linda Kimbrough, and a stepdaughter, Holly Howland. He was married to actress Beth Howland (Vera on Alice) from 2002 until her death in 2015.

Murphy Brown

Mr. Kimbrough did a fine job portraying the stuffy anchorman Jim Dial for ten seasons on Murphy Brown. It was great to see him return for the multi-episode arc on the revival series. We thank him for his work on television and in films. He will be greatly missed.

Share your memories on our Murphy Brown message board. View photos in our galleries.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Wednesday, October 4

Tyler Perry's Assisted Living - "Love Grows Here" (BET, 9:00PM ET/PT)
After Phillip goes out with his friends, Leah and Jeremy realize that he is a responsible young man. Through a counseling session, Leah and Cora teach the residents the importance of mental, physical and spiritual health.

Tyler Perry's Assisted Living - "Let The Church Say Amen" (BET, 9:30PM ET/PT)
When Cora runs for president of the local church, mud-slinging and sabotage threaten her reputation and test her faith. The Pleasant Days squad bolsters their ability to protect themselves by taking a self-defense class.

Tyler Perry's Assisted Living - "The White Flag" (BET, 10:00PM ET/PT)
Philip feels as though he is being treated like a child and resists his parents' punishment. Mr. Brown sends Kimberly an innocent text message that gets him into trouble.

The Ms. Pat Show - "Twenty Seven Side Pieces" (BET, 10:30PM ET/PT)
Denise gets a job at a Black hair salon but has to recruit Pat to deal with some "mean girls;" Terry is still in pain from his injury, but pain management comes in more forms than one, none of them good.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of October 2)

Wednesday, October 4

  • Wanda Sykes (The Upshaws/The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - Watch Wanda on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Chelsea Handler (Are You There, Chelsea?) - Chelsea appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) - Nick is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. NBC's Today catches up with Nick in the 9am hour.
  • Siobhan Fallon Hogan (Fred: The Show) - Siobhan appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Jane Krakowski (Schmigadoon!/Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt/30 Rock) - Jane gives latest details on the series Name That Tune on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your listings.
  • Bellamy Young (The Other Black Girl) - Bellamy will be on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
  • Phil Rosenthal (Creator of Everybody Loves Raymond) - Phil is a guest on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Tiffani Thiessen (Saved by the Bell/Alexa & Katie/Good Morning, Miami/Saved by the Bell: The College Years) - Tiffani shares recipes from her new cookbook, Here We Go Again: Recipes and Inspiration to Level Up Your Leftovers, on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
  • Leslie Odom Jr. (Central Park/Love in the Time of Corona/Big Day) - Leslie chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary/Fam/Instant Mom/Moesha/It's a Living) - Sheryl Lee appears on a repeat of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.


New on DVD/Blu-ray (June-October)

Mayberry R.F.D. - The Complete Series Night Court (1984-1992) - The Complete Series Family Matters - The Complete Series Step by Step - The Complete Series ALF - The Complete Series (Deluxe Edition)

06/13 - Mayberry R.F.D. - The Complete Series
06/13 - Night Court (1984-1992) - The Complete Series
07/18 - South Park - Seasons 21-25 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
07/25 - The Neighborhood - Season Five
07/25 - Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin - Season One
07/25 - Superstore - The Complete Series
08/22 - Back to Life - Season 1 / Season 2
08/29 - Smiling Friends - Season 1 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/05 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Sixth Season
09/12 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Second Season
09/12 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-6 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/26 - Family Matters - The Complete Series
09/26 - Step by Step - The Complete Series
10/10 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season Thirteen / The Complete Season Fourteen
10/17 - ALF - The Complete Series (Deluxe Edition) (Shout! Factory Special Offers)
10/17 - Night Court (2023) - The Complete First Season
More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD Releases / DVD Reviews Archive / SitcomsOnline Digest


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

10/03 - The Nanny Still 29: 30th Anniversary Marathon on COZI TV; Selena Gomez Holiday Cooking Specials
10/02 - Felicity 25th Anniversary Collection on Hulu; Prime Video Orders Two Seasons of Animated Comedy
10/01 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of October 2, 2023)
09/30 - SitcomsOnline Digest: WGA Strike Officially Over; ABC Cancels Home Economics
09/29 - Lifetime Announces New Thrillers; Big Mouth Season 7 Trailer
09/28 - New Season of Wolf Like Me on Peacock; Max Original Animated Series Debuts October 19
09/27 - Moonlighting Coming to Hulu; Showtime Announces Date for The Curse
09/26 - Rick and Morty Season 7 Trailer; Fox's Krapopolis Debuts Well
09/25 - Laff Fall 2023 Schedule with Last Man Standing and Man with a Plan; Upload Returns October 20
09/24 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of September 25, 2023)
09/23 - SitcomsOnline Digest: An End on the Horizon for WGA Strike?; Hallmark Ready for Christmas
09/22 - The Santa Clauses Season 2 Launches November 8; CBS Alters Fall Schedule
09/21 - Penn & Teller: Fool Us Gets New Return Date; Netflix's Unicorn Academy Premieres November 2
09/20 - Paramount+ Announces Colin from Accounts; The Really Loud House Gets Halloween Movie
09/19 - The Simpsons Season 34 Streams October 11 on Disney+; Good Burger 2 Set for Holiday Season
09/18 - Hulu's Huluween and Disney+'s Hallowstream Line-Up; Shining Vale Returns October 13 on STARZ
09/17 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of September 18, 2023)
09/16 - SitcomsOnline Digest: ABC Cancels Wonder Years Reboot; Byron Allen Makes $10 Billion Offer to Buy ABC
09/15 - Antenna TV's Bewitched Halloween Marathon; Rewind TV's Sabrina the Teenage Witch-O-Ween Marathon
09/14 - Dancing with the Stars Season 32 Cast; BUZZR Celebrates 40 Years of Press Your Luck
09/13 - TBS Acquires Modern Family; The Frasier Awards on COZI TV
09/12 - Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen Gets CBS Late Night Run; Unsolved Mysteries: Behind the Legacy Special
09/11 - Matt Rife Gets Netflix Special; Star Trek Day and Kid Cudi Join Forces
09/10 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of September 11, 2023)
09/09 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Warner Bros. Television Suspends Deals with Top Creators; Fran Drescher Re-Elected President of SAG-AFTRA
09/08 - CBS Announces Hosts of Game Show; New Goosebumps Premieres Friday the 13th This October on Disney+ and Hulu
09/07 - MeTV Presents Svengoolie's Halloween BOOnanza!; The CW Moving Fall Comedies to Thursdays
09/06 - CBS to Air NCIS: Sydney This Fall; Fox Makes Fall Change
09/05 - TBS and TNT September Stunts Include Big Bang Theory Batman Day Marathon; Netflix UK Produced Series Updates
09/04 - TV Marathons on Labor Day 2023 Include Three's Company
09/03 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of September 4, 2023)