Friday, August 02, 2024
Johnson Returns to Bounce; According to Jim Star Starring in Lifetime Film; Remembering Erica Ash of Survivor's Remorse
Johnson, Bounce TV's popular dramedy focusing on four life-long best friends with the same last name, returns for an all-new season Saturday nights at 8pm ET / 7pm CT starting August 3 with two new back-to-back episodes. Johnson is a journey of love, self-discovery, and brotherhood, touching on hot-button topics including race, mental health, classism and the ever-evolving relationship dynamics between men and women -- themes that continue to be prominent in the new season ahead.
Johnson is produced in partnership with Eric C. Rhone and Cedric The Entertainer's A Bird & A Bear Entertainment, as well as Deji LaRay (the show's creator) and Thomas Q. Jones' Midnight Train Productions. The ensemble cast is led by Jones (P. Valley, Luke Cage), LaRay (Bosch, Greenleaf), Philip Smithey (Murderville, The Rookie), Derrex Brady (NCIS, First) with D.L. Hughley (The Original Kings of Comedy, The Hughleys). LaRay and Jones serve as show-runners and executive producers; Rhone, Cedric The Entertainer and Reesha L. Archibald serve as executive producers.
Lifetime announces the new original movie, He Slid Into Her DMs. Inspired by a true story, Courtney Thorne-Smith (Melrose Place, Ally McBeal, According to Jim) and Stella Gregg (daughter of Clark Gregg, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Trust Me) star in the movie about a teenage social media influencer whose stalker shows up on her doorstep after blocking him online. The movie explores the tragic consequences of how online and social media fame can fuel real-world violence. Alicia Coppola (Writer and director of the award-winning short film And You Are...?, Jericho, Why Women Kill) directs her first feature film with He Slid Into Her DMs, which premieres Saturday, September 28 at 8/7c as part of Lifetime's fall Ripped from the Headlines movie slate.
Actress and comedian Erica Ash, who starred on the final season of Mad TV and played M-Chuck Calloway on Survivor's Remorse, has died. She died from breast cancer in Los Angeles on July 28. Ms. Ash was only 46.
Ash was a cast member in the first two seasons (2006-2008) of the Logo sketch comedy program The Big Gay Sketch Show. One of her characters included LaTanya, an uncouth, loudmouthed fitness instructor who teaches classes with a "Chicago-style" twist (i.e. Chicago-style yoga, Chicago-style pilates).
She joined the cast of the Fox sketch comedy series Mad TV (stylized as MADtv) in 2008 as a feature performer for the 14th and final season, along with Matt Braunger, Eric Price, and Lauren Pritchard. Her impressions included Naomi Campbell, Whoopi Goldberg, Mo'Nique, Lisa Leslie, Raven-Symoné, and Michelle Obama.
Ash had a recurring role as Bridgette Hart, Kevin Hart's ex-wife, on the 2013-2016 BET reality television parody series Real Husbands of Hollywood. The series was co-created by comedian Kevin Hart, and follows the daily lives of him and other married celebrities, each playing a fictionalized version of themselves, as they venture through their surreal life in Hollywood.
She starred as Mary Charles "M-Chuck" Calloway on the 2014-2017 Starz comedy-drama Survivor's Remorse, which was created by Mike O'Malley and produced by LeBron James. The plot centers around the lives of Cam Calloway (Jessie T. Usher) and his family after he signs a pro-basketball contract and moves his family to Atlanta. M-Chuck is Cam's half-sister. The series also starred RonReaco Lee, Teyonah Parris, Tichina Arnold, and Mike Epps (Seasons 1-2).
Ash appeared as Grace, Moz and Daniel's younger sister, in three episodes of the Netflix sitcom Family Reunion from 2019 to 2021. She guest starred as Lydia in a 2024 episode of the NBC sitcom Extended Family. She provided the voice of Julie Vous Coucher for a 2020 episode of the Fox animated sitcom Bless the Harts.
In 2018, she starred as Gwendolyn "Gwen" Sullivan, a public defender, on the BET legal drama In Contempt. Some of her other television guest appearances included Cold Case, Shades of Blue (3 episodes), Legacies (4 episodes), and Sacrifice.
Ash starred as Kendra Brooks in Scary Movie 5 (2013). Some of her other film credits included Jean of the Joneses (2016), Uncle Drew (2018), We Have a Ghost (2023), and Outlaw Johnny Black (2023).
Ms. Ash was a talented and funny actress. We thank her for the laughs and entertainment she brought us on television and in films. She will be deeply missed.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Sunday, September 8
Universal Basic Guys - "Pet Projects (Pilot)" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Threatened by a doctor's kindness toward Tammy, Mark tries to get her an exotic animal; Hank bonds with the chimpanzee via its bluetooth; David's dog saves David and Mernft Man from a pet snake.
Bob's Burgers - "The Big Stieblitzki" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT)
The family gets invited to Rudy's father's birthday party; Tina attempts to convince a woman to commit to a relationship with Rudy's father.
The Great North - "Welcome To Miami Adventure" / "Worst Drives Club Adventure" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Coming off the heels of her break-up, Judy is taken on a wild adventure with Honeybee and Aunt Dirt; Judy tries to learn to drive.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of September 2)
Friday, September 6
- Kumail Nanjiani (Bless the Harts/Silicon Valley) - Watch Kumail on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Michael Keaton (Report to Murphy/Working Stiffs/All's Fair) - Michael appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Conner O'Malley (Shrill) - Conner is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Edie Falco (Bupkis/Nurse Jackie) - Edie talks about her film I'll Be Right There on NBC's Today in the 10am hour and on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
- Josh Gad (Wolf Like Me/Avenue 5/The Comedians/1600 Penn/Back to You) - Josh is joining Drew and telling her about getting denied from his college's musical theater program and making his return to Broadway after eleven years with bestie Andrew Rannells on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Diane Farr (Splitting Together/Like Family/The Job) - Diane discusses the CBS drama series Fire Country on a repeat of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
04/03 - Too Close for Comfort - The Complete Series (VEI)
04/08 - Check It Out! - The Complete Series (VEI)
05/21 - Frasier (2023) - Season One
06/11 - The Jeffersons - The Complete Series (2024 Release)
06/11 - Welcome Back, Kotter - The Complete Series (2024 Release)
07/05 - Letterkenny - Season 12 (Final Season)
07/30 - Ted Lasso - The Richmond Way (The Complete Series) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/10 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-7
09/10 - Ted - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/17 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
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)
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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