Friday, April 05, 2024

Hulu Spring and Summer 2024 Slate; Netflix Orders Tyler Perry Drama; Remembering Joe Flaherty

Only Murders in the Building

Hulu has announced its originals & exclusive Spring/Summer 2024 programming slate. The slate includes highly anticipated premieres like The Kardashians Season 5, Only Murders in the Building Season 4, Under the Bridge, and Thank You, Good Night: The Bon Jovi Story. New date announcements include Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini, Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer, Hit-Monkey, Futurama, Solar Opposites and Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge. Disney Bundle subscribers will also be able to watch these titles and more via Hulu on Disney+.

Animated comedy Hit-Monkey, which premieres July 15 for a second season, stars the voices of Leslie Jones, Ally Maki, Olivia Munn, Fred Tatasciore, and Jason Sudeikis. Futurama returns for season 12 on July 29, while season five of Solar Opposites premieres August 12. Only Murders in the Building is back in the summer but no date just yet.


Beauty in Black

Netflix announced the cast of Tyler Perry's Beauty in Black, an all-new series coming soon to Netflix. The series comes from a previously announced creative partnership with Netflix, where Perry will write, direct, and produce feature films and series under a multi-year first-look deal. The 16-episode hour-long drama is written, directed, and produced by Perry. Tyler Perry's Beauty in Black follows two women leading very different lives. While Kimmie is struggling to make a living after her mother kicked her out, and Mallory is running a successful business, they find themselves entangled in each other's lives. Taylor Polidore Williams, Amber Reign Smith, Crystle Stewart, Ricco Ross, Debbi Morgan, Richard Lawson, Steven G. Norfleet, Julian Horton, Terrell Carter, Shannon Wallace, Bryan Tanaka, Joy Rovaris, Xavier Smalls, Charles Malik Whitfield, Tamera "Tee" Kissen, Ursula O. Robinson, Ashley Versher and George Middlebrook are in the cast.


Joe Flaherty

Actor, writer and comedian Joe Flaherty, who starred on Maniac Mansion, Police Academy: The Series and Freaks and Geeks, has died. He died on April 1 after a short illness in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Mr. Flaherty was 82.

Flaherty was best known for his work on the Canadian sketch comedy show SCTV from 1976 to 1984. It aired in the U.S. on NBC from 1981 to 1983. He played characters such as Big Jim McBob (of Farm Film Report fame), Count Floyd/Floyd Robertson, and station owner/manager Guy Caballero, SCTV's cheap, tyrannical owner and president who, despite being perfectly ambulatory, uses a wheelchair to earn "respect" (i.e., sympathy) from employees and viewers. Flaherty also served as a writer. The series won two Emmy Awards in 1982 and 1983 for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program.

Maniac Mansion

He starred as Fred Edison on the 1990-1993 The Family Channel sitcom Maniac Mansion. Maniac Mansion centers around the lives of the Edisons, an American family living in a large mansion in the upscale suburban neighborhood of Cedar Springs. The Edisons consist of patriarch Fred, an eccentric scientist and inventor, his level-headed wife Casey (Deborah Theaker), and their children, teenage genius Tina (Kathleen Robertson), prepubescent Ike (Avi Phillips) and precocious toddler Turner (George Buza). Also living in the Edison mansion are Casey's brother Harry Orca (John Hemphill) and his wife Idella Muckle-Orca (Mary Charlotte-Wilcox). Flaherty also wrote six episodes of the series.

Police Academy: The Series

Flaherty starred as Commandant Stuart Hefilfinger on the 1997-1998 CTV and first-run syndicated sitcom Police Academy: The Series, which was a spin-off from the Police Academy series of films. Commandant Hefilfinger is similar to Eric Lassard (George Gaynes) and the head of the academy. The cast included Matt Borlenghi, Rod Crawford, Toby Proctor, Jeremiah Birkett, Heather Campbell, Christine Gonzales, Tony Longo, P. J. Ochlan, Michael Winslow and Larke Miller.

Freaks and Geeks

He starred as Harold Weir on the 1999-2000 NBC comedy-drama Freaks and Geeks. Harold is the head of the Weir household. He is married to Jean (Becky Ann Baker) and is the father of Lindsay (Linda Cardellini) and Sam (John Francis Daley). He owns and works at A1 Sporting Goods.

Go Fish

Flaherty starred as Dr. Frank Troutner on the short-lived 2001 NBC sitcom Go Fish. Frank Troutner is married to Annie (Molly Cheek) and is the father of Andy "Fish" (Kieran Culkin) and Pete (Will Friedle).

Some of his sitcom guest appearances included King of Kensington, Married... with Children, Morton & Hayes (also a writer), Dinosaurs (voice for 2 episodes), Nurses, Phenom, Hardball (1994), Dream On, The Louie Show, Ellen, Even Stevens, That '70s Show, Maybe It's Me, Frasier, The King of Queens, American Dad! (voice), Family Guy (voice for 3 episodes) and Call Me Fitz.

He appeared as a Western Union postal worker who delivers Doc Brown's 70-year-old letter to Marty McFly in Back to the Future Part II (1989). He starred as Donald the heckler in Happy Gilmore (1996).

Mr. Flaherty was a talented and funny actor. He was very memorable on the far too short-lived Freaks and Geeks. We thank him for the laughs and entertainment that he brought us. He will be greatly missed.

Ron Harper

We also remember actor Ron Harper. He starred on the sitcoms Wendy and Me and The Jean Arthur Show. He died at his home in West Hills, Los Angeles on March 21. Mr. Harper was 91.

Wendy and Me

Harper starred as Jeff Conway on the 1964-1965 ABC sitcom Wendy and Me. Episodes typically revolved around Wendy Conway (Connie Stevens) pulling George Burns (as a somewhat fictionalized version of himself) into comedic situations mostly involving her husband, played by Ron Harper, and other people in the apartment building owned by Burns. The series also starred James T. Callahan, J. Pat O'Malley and Bartlett Robinson.

The Jean Arthur Show

He starred as Paul Marshall on the short-lived 1966 CBS sitcom The Jean Arthur Show. Paul Marshall is a lawyer who works alongside his mother Patricia Marshall (Jean Arthur). The series also starred Leonard Stone and Richard Conte.

Some of his sitcom guest appearances included Love, American Style (2 episodes), Night Stand with Dick Dietrick (2 episodes), Boy Meets World, Malibu, CA (1999) and Two Guys and a Girl.

Harper starred as Det. Bert Kling on the 1961-1962 police drama 87th Precinct. He starred as Lt. Craig "Warden" Garrison on the 1967-1968 ABC World War II drama Garrison's Gorillas. He starred as Colonel Alan Virdon, the human commander of the crash-landed spaceship from 20th Century Earth, on the 1974 CBS science fiction series Planet of the Apes. In 1976, he starred as Uncle Jack Marshall in the third season (1976) of the NBC children's adventure television series Land of the Lost. Some of his soap opera credits included Another World as Taylor Halloway/Halliway, Loving as Charles Hartman, Capitol as Jarrett Morgan/Baxter McCandless and Generations as Peter Whitmore.

His movie credits included roles in Below Utopia (1997), The Odd Couple II (1998), Freedom Strike (1998), Glass Trap (2005) and The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007).

Mr. Harper was a talented and versatile actor. We thank him for his work on television and in films. He will be sorely missed.

M. Emmet Walsh

Actor M. Emmet Walsh starred on The Sandy Duncan Show and made many sitcom guest appearances. He died of cardiac arrest at Northwestern Medical Center in St. Albans, Vermont, on March 19. Mr. Walsh was 88.

The Sandy Duncan Show

Walsh starred as Alex Lembeck on the short-lived 1972 CBS sitcom The Sandy Duncan Show. Alex Lembeck is a motorcycle cop who appointed himself as Sandy Stockton's (Sandy Duncan) chaperone and protector. The series also starred Tom Bosley, Marian Mercer, Pam Zarit, Alfie Wise and Eric Christmas.

M. Emmet Walsh and Patricia Richardson - Home Improvement

He appeared as Colonel Fred Patterson, Jill Taylor's (Patricia Richardson) father, in two episodes of Home Improvement in 1994. Some of his other sitcom guest appearances included Arnie, Julia (2 episodes), All in the Family, The Jimmy Stewart Show, The Don Rickles Show, The Bob Newhart Show, AfterMASH, The Jackie Thomas Show, Frasier, Charlie Lawrence, 'Til Death and The Righteous Gemstones (2 episodes).

Walsh starred as Ned Platt on the 1989 NBC police drama Unsub. Some of his other television appearances included Ironside, Bonanza, Nichols (5 episodes), McMillan & Wife, The Rockford Files, The Waltons, Baretta (2 episodes), Starsky & Hutch (2 episodes), Little House on the Prairie, Amazing Stories, Tales from the Crypt, The Flash (2 episodes in 1990), Early Edition, The X-Files, NYPD Blue, Ed, The Guardian, Damages (3 episodes), Sneaky Pete (7 episodes as Tex Hopkins) and American Gigolo.

He starred as Captain Bryant in Blade Runner (1982), as private detective Loren Visser in Blood Simple (1984) and as Dr. Joseph Dolan in Fletch (1985).

Mr. Walsh was a fine character actor. He was a familiar face in over 200 films and television series in his career, which spanned seven decades. We thank him for his work on television and in films. He will be greatly missed.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Tuesday, December 3

St. Denis Medical - "A Peanut and Caramel-Filled Miracle" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Ron and Bruce butt heads over a candy bar; Alex is forced to fire an incompetent employee; Matt seeks appreciation for saving a patient's life.

Night Court - "The Hole Truth" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
When a citywide sanitation strike makes its way into the courthouse, Abby must find a way to solve it; Julianne shows Dan how to make the most out of the strike.

Tyler Perry's House of Payne - "If It Ain't Broke" (BET, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Ella prepares to open a battered women's home in the church's unused classrooms, but it is shut down when C.J. cites dangerous fire code violations.

Tyler Perry's Assisted Living "Where's My Refund?" - (BET, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Jeremy and Leah can't seem to see eye-to-eye on how to spend their unexpected I.R.S. refund check; Anastasia and Vinny have their hands full trying to help Theodore study for science.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 2)

Tuesday, December 3

  • Kyle Mooney (Arrested Development/Hello Ladies) - Catch Kyle on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Fortune Feimster (Kenan/Bless the Harts/Champions) - Fortune is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC. She also discusses her comedy special Fortune Feimster: Crushing It on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your listings.
  • Selena Gomez (Only Murders in the Building/Wizards of Waverly Place) - Selena appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Keri Russell (Running Wilde/Daddy's Girls) - Keri is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • JB Smoove (Curb Your Enthusiasm/Blockbuster/The Millers/Bent/'Til Death) - JB appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He discusses his series Buy It Now on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
  • Brandon Kyle Goodman (Human Resources) - Brandon is a guest 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.
  • David Alan Grier (St. Denis Medical/Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!/The Cool Kids/The Carmichael Show/Bad Teacher/Life with Bonnie/DAG) - NBC's Today catches up with David in the 9am hour.
  • Yara Shahidi (grown-ish/black-ish) - Yara is telling Drew about the new venture she's taking on, where she's currently at with dating and more on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Bridget Everett (Somebody Somewhere) - Bridget talks about Somebody Somewhere on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your listings.
  • Ken Jeong (Dr. Ken/Community) - Ken talks about his new film, A Great Divide, and the new season of Accused on Sherri, so check your local listings.
  • Carlos (Big Time Rush) and Alexa PenaVega (Ruby & the Rockits) - Carlos and Alexa are guests on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 8:50am.
  • Alicia Witt (Cybill) - Alicia appears on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:30am.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Friends - The Complete Series (4K UHD) Young Sheldon - The Complete Series Veep - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Seinfeld - 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 UHD)
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)
11/12 - The King of Queens - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (2024 Release)
11/19 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fourteenth Season
11/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 4 (Blu-ray)
12/03 - Angel (1960-1961) - The Complete Series, Volume 1
12/17 - Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (4K UHD)
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


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

12/03 - Pluto TV Holiday Schedule; SNL December Hosts and Musical Performers
12/02 - Scripps Networks (Laff, Bounce, ION) Holiday Schedule; First Look at Watson on CBS
12/01 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of December 2, 2024)
11/30 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Desperate Housewives Creator Has Prequel Idea; Finale Date Set for The Talk
11/29 - Abbott Elementary Aces the Test on Multi-Platform; Dancing with the Stars' Resurgence
11/28 - 2024 Thanksgiving TV Marathons
11/27 - Henry Danger The Movie Premieres in January; Dexter: Original Sin Trailer
11/26 - The Way Home Returns for Season 3; Matthew Broderick and Son to Guest Star on Elsbeth
11/25 - Peacock's Laid Premieres December 19; Jon Hamm Drama Gets Season 2 Before Series Premiere
11/24 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of November 25, 2024)
11/23 - SitcomsOnline Digest: HBO Renews It's Florida, Man; Simpsons Voice Actor Announces Retirement
11/22 - NBC's Happy's Place Gets Full Season; HBO Renews It's Florida, Man for Another Zany Season
11/21 - The CW Midseason 2025 Schedule; Voice of Milhouse Leaving The Simpsons
11/20 - NBC Midseason 2025 Schedule; Apple TV+ Announces The Studio
11/19 - Antenna TV's Thanksgiving on the Eastside: The Jeffersons Marathon; Fox Midseason 2025 Schedule
11/18 - Conan O'Brien to Host Oscars for First Time; Celebs for Season 3 of Special Forces: World's Toughest Test
11/17 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of November 18, 2024)
11/16 - SitcomsOnline Digest: HBO Orders Kaley Cuoco Comedy from Hacks Creators; Reboot of Friday Night Lights in the Works
11/15 - Bookie Season 2 Premieres December 12 on Max; Apple TV+ Mythic Quest Is Back in January
11/14 - CBS Midseason 2025 Schedule; Reasonable Doubt Renewed for Season 3 on Hulu
11/13 - Harlem Season 3 Drops in January; James Acaster HBO Comedy Special
11/12 - ABC Midseason 2025 Schedule; Jim Gaffigan Gets First Hulu Comedy Special
11/11 - We Got Time Today, A New Tubi Talk Show; Bill Maher Gets 13th HBO Special
11/10 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of November 11, 2024)
11/09 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Two New Sitcoms in the Works at CBS; The CW Adds Bob ♥ Abishola to Lineup
11/08 - CBS Orders Full Season for Poppa's House; The CW Acquires Bob ♥ Abishola Reruns; Remembering Alan Rachins of Dharma & Greg
11/07 - A Very Merry MeTV 2024 Schedule; Stranger Things Final Season in 2025
11/06 - Outer Banks to End with Season 5; Nothing to See Here Season 2 on Netflix
11/05 - ABC Holiday Schedule for 2024; NBC Holiday Schedule for 2024
11/04 - Freeform's 25 Days of Christmas Schedule 2024; A Nostalgic Night with Macaulay Culkin at NJPAC
11/03 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of November 4, 2024)